The Top 100 Movies of the Decade
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 | 35. The New World (2005) Directed by Terrence Malick The transcendant The New World is the widely known story of Pocahontas at the onset of American history and stars Colin Farrell, Christian Bale and Wes Studi. In an era of film making in which style often prevails over substance, Terrence Malick is unique in how substantial, rich and textured his movies are. Incredibly beautiful, this movie is very contemplative and you can't help but be mesmerized the entire time at how poetic and visually striking it is. Many scenes are as simple as a character walking in the woods or two people looking at each other silently. Simply put, if you enjoyed the poetic and equally languishing The Thin Red Line that Malick directed in 1998, you are likely to enjoy this very unique movie. I certainly did. |
 | 34. The Visitor (2007) Directed by Thomas McCarthy Richard Jenkins is a revelation (if there is such thing after a 30-yr career) in this small indie in which he plays Prof. Walter Vale, a bored older man aimlessly drifting through life since his wife passed away. Walter is stunned when he finds two illegal immigrants squatting in his New York City apartment. Walter sympathize with their situation and allows them to stay temporarily and this soon infuses his dreary life with a new found passion and joy he thought was long gone. I can't recommend this movie enough! read the review |
 | 33. The Departed (2006) Directed by Martin Scorsese The main highlight of the thrilling and well-executed The Departed is the mind-boggling all-star cast which gives outstanding all-around performances. Matt Damon, Leonardo Di Caprio, Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, Jack Nicholson, Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, it just doesn't get any better than that. The best part is that no one is wasted which tends to happen every time you put together a few too many big names in the same movie. |
 | 32. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Directed by Danny Boyle The story of Jamal, a teenage boy who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, India and is one question away from winning it all on the Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire? However, he is arrested by the police for suspicion of cheating. How could a dog from the slums know so much? Jamal tells the story of his life and how he came to know the answers to all the questions. Maybe Slumdog Millionaire is not the most realistic movie out there, yet it is so exhilarating, entertaining and beautiful you are willing to suspend your disbelief until the film is over. Read the review |
 | 31. Wedding Crashers (2005) Directed by David Dobkin Beyond the raunchy, romantic and over-the-top premises lie a wonderfully crafted movie and that's what separates this movie from the rest of the pack. Just about everything clicks in the downright hilarious Wedding Crashers starting with the superb cast highlighted by one of the funniest duo of the decade: Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson doing what they do best, improvising on-screen. The movie is beautifully shot and everything that comes on the screen is there for a reason. Yes, the last fourth of the movie leaves a bit to be desired but I loved this movie nonetheless. |
 | 30. In the Mood for Love (2000) Directed by Kar Wai Wong This movie has a fairly banal love story at first sight. However In the Mood for Love is the ultimate unconsumated love story. Like the characters themselves, we wonder of what could have been. Wong gives this movie a very unique poetic twist accomplished by an incredibly stunning cinematography. They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? ranked this movie the best of the decade. I wouldn't go that far but In the Mood for Love is definitely up there as one of the most romantic movies of the decade. |
 | 29. Donnie Darko (2001) A dude who sees and hears a creepy rabbit everywhere he goes + time travel + alternate universes + movie open for interpretation = Sign me up! Laughably, I did not catch the entire alternate universe plot until I saw the movie a second and third time years later. Donnie Darko is a cult classic. |
 | 28. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Directed by Adam McKay The ironically stupid and hilariously crude Anchorman is a laugh-fest from beginning to end. I don't even know what to tell you (and I am dead tired of typing this top 100 movie thing lol) . Very few movies from the past decade made me laugh like this silly comedy that is Anchorman. "60% of the time, it works every time." |
 | 27. Yi Yi (2000) Directed by Edward Yang This incredibly understated and slow moving film did the impossible: Rivet me to the screen for nearly 3 hours! Yi yi is the unassuming story of a Taiwanese family with little vignettes of each members of the family to represent each stage of life and death. What makes this movie so unique is that the entire range of human emotions are represented at some point in the film and we can't help but identify with the characters and what they are going through. Yang quietly shows the universal beauty of everyday life. I don't know if I can recommend this movie because it probably just isn't for everyone but give it a chance and it might be one you won't forget. |
 | 26. Kill Bill (2003-2004) Directed by Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino being Quentin Tarantino. You don't really need me to say anything here, do you? Hate it or love it, the guy does exactly what he wants and you have to respect that. |
 | 25. Juno (2007) Directed by Jason Reitman Featuring a funny, witty and snappy script written by Diablo Cody, the indie Juno is the coming-of-age tale of a teen (Ellen Page) dealing with an unexpected pregnancy by finding the "perfect" couple to adopt her baby and maturing through her life-changing adventures. Look past the quick-tongued snarky dialogue and you will find a smart and beautiful story that doesn't take a misstep by trying to do too much. Ellen Page is a revelation as Juno McGuff and the rest of the cast acquits itself splendidly as well. Read the review |
 | 24. Collateral (2004) Directed by Michael Mann This near-masterpiece tells the story of a taxi driver (Jamie Foxx) being taken hostage by a hitman (Tom Cruise) on his round to kill several targets. Collateral is as much a character study of a twisted mind as it is a thrilling action movie. Cruise and Foxx are perfectly cast and the cinematography is drop-dead gorgeous with nighttime Los Angeles a distinct character of the movie. One of the most underrated movie of the decade in my opinion. |
 | 23. Once (2006) Directed by John Carney Made on the tiny budget of $160,000 and co-starring musicians Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Once is a modern day musical set in the streets of Dublin. What can I say about this movie? I fell in love with it. Beautiful songs, a bittersweet love story and the proof that you don't need any fancy locations, sets or well-known actors to make a movie that can touch people's heart. Read the review |
 | 22. The Lives of Others (2006) Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck This German political thriller is set in East Berlin before the fall of its infamous wall and is an incredibly powerful, thrilling and satisfying film. The Lives of Others is brilliantly written and directed while the cast is outstanding with Ulrich Muhe giving one of the strongest performance of the decade. A gripping masterpiece that I truly can't recommend enough. Read the review |
 | 21. The Pianist (2002) Directed by Roman Polanski This incredibly powerful and moving film is about a Jewish pianist who manages to escape deportation and is forced to stay in hiding in the Warsaw ghetto where he eludes capture for years. One day as the war is about to end, he is discovered by a German officer who, instead of killing or capturing him, comes to his help by secretly feeding him. A sad and beautiful movie, The Pianist is my favorite movie about this dark hour of our history. You want to see what Hell on Earth could be like? Look no further. |
20. Far From Heaven (2002)Directed by Todd Haynes
The stunningly poignant melodrama that is Far from Heaven stars the wonderful Julianne Moore as Cathy Whitaker, seemingly happily married to Frank (Dennis Quaid) in 1950's Connecticut. Only problem is that Cathy soon has to confront two social taboos: her husband is homosexual and she has developed a close friendship with an African American man. Julianne Moore is so good in this movie that I would not call it a performance. Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert are also impressive. Far From Heaven is an incredibly powerful movie. Only downer is that I can't help to think how world-turning this movie would have been had it come out 40 years ago. |
19. Finding Nemo (2003)Directed by Andrew Stanton
A tale which follows the comedic and eventful journeys of two fish, the fretful Marlin and his young son Nemo, who are separated from each other in the Great Barrier Reef when Nemo is unexpectedly taken from his home and thrust into a fish tank in a dentist's office overlooking Sydney Harbor. Buoyed by the companionship of a friendly but forgetful fish named Dory, the overly cautious Marlin embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic journey to rescue his son. Meanwhile, the young Nemo hatches a few daring plans of his own to return home safely. Funny, entertaining and beautiful to look at, Finding Nemo is my favorite Pixar movie to date. |
18. Gone Baby Gone (2007)Directed by Ben Affleck
Get over the fact that Ben Affleck directed this fantastic movie, will you? Gone Baby Gone is the story of two Boston private detectives investigating the kidnapping of a little girl. As the plot unfolds, this film will morally challenge you like few movies of this past decade have. What would you have done in Casey Affleck's character's place? Casey Affleck proves he is a talented actor in a difficult and complex role. The cast is rounded up by the likes of Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and the superb Amy Ryan. |
17. No Country for Old Men (2007)Directed by the Cohen brothers
The time is our own, when rustlers have given way to drug runners and small towns have become free-fire zones. The story begins when Llewelyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by a sentry of dead men. A load of heroin and 2 million dollars in cash are still in the back. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic violence that not even the law, in the person of aging, disillusioned Sheriff Bell, can contain. As Moss tries to evade his pursuers--in particular, a mysterious mastermind who flips coins for human lives--the film simultaneously strips down the American crime drama and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloodily contemporary as this morning's headline. (Miramax) Adapted from Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel, No Country for Old Men is a suspenseful and thrilling ride and a masterpiece of story telling. |
16. Children of Men (2006)Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Children of Men envisages a world one generation from now that has fallen into anarchy on the heels of an infertility defect in the population. The world's youngest citizen has just died at 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. Set against the backdrop of London torn apart by violence and nationalistic sects, the film follows disillusioned bureaucrat Theo (Owen) as he becomes an unlikely champion of Earth's survival. (Universal Pictures) This film defines last decade: Sectarian violence, accelerating environmental degradation, and reactive fear-induced politics and policies. All things that we have seen becoming larger and larger issues the last 10 years. Cuarón creates a grim and hopeless world where there is no tomorrow. Everything has becoming stagnant, even technology has stopped progressing. The world of Children of Men is mind blowing. What would we do if this was reality? |
15. There will be Blood (2007)Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Widely known for his antics as a method actor staying in-character at all times during shooting, Daniel Day-Lewis gives a performance of a lifetime as oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in this character study of a purely evil man. Simply put, Day-Lewis is a man amongst boy in terms of how good he is as an actor. Paul Dano is tremendous, playing the main antagonist Eli Sunday, an evangelical preacher. Breathtakingly beautiful cinematography, and a memorable score complement the superb acting. Despite some minor shortcomings at the end, There will be Blood is a classic. (Read our review) |
14. The Prestige (2006)Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Michael Caine, The Prestige is the story of two magicians engaged in an intense rivalry that literally consumes their lives and those of the people around them. A stunning movie with numerous twists and turns. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman give outstanding performances, the movie is masterfully crafted, and production values are superior. A highly memorable and twisty movie that will keep your wits engaged throughout and remain in your mind long after the movie is over. It's #74 on the IMDb Top 250 movies of all-time. |
13. The Dark Knight (2008)Directed by Christopher Nolan
Widely seen as one of the top movies of all-time (#9 on IMDb Top 250), The Dark Knight is a movie that has greatness written all over it: the story, the action, the choreography, the cinematography, the acting, the production design, the soundtrack, ditching the wooden Katie Holmes for the far superior Maggie Gyllenhaal etc... The late Heath Ledger gives an entrancing performance as the Joker, upstaging everyone else in the process. Will Christopher Nolan ever be able to top that off? That remains to be seen. |
12. Inglourious Basterds (2009)Directed by Quentin Tarantino
The best film of 2009, Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino at his best. People who thought they were going to see uninterrupted killing of Nazis ended up seeing a spaghetti western oozing with extended sequences of dialogues (which he spent more than 10 years writing) punctuated with shocking and over-the-top action scenes. The superb ensemble cast includes the likes of Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Melanie Laurent and Diane Kruger, and is highlighted by Christoph Waltz's masterful depiction of Colonel Landa, one of the most memorable bad guy of all time. Inglourious Basterds is my top movie of 2009. Read the review here |
11. Batman Begins (2005)Directed by Christopher Nolan
Some of you may wonder why Batman Begins is even anywhere above The Dark Knight. I might catch some flak for putting Batman Begins ahead of the The Dark Knight but that's the way I see it. While The Dark Knight is a great piece of film making, the origin story is truer to my vision of Gotham City. |
10. Adaptation (2002)Directed by Spike Jonze
Written by Charlie Kaufman, the mind blowing Adaptation is the tale of Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage), a talented screenwriter who seems to have hit the wall, trying to adapt "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean into a screenplay. The book itself is basically about orchids and the eccentric life of plant collector John Laroche (Chris Cooper) and doesn't really have a driving plot which frustrates Kaufman to no avail. In addition, a romance between Orlean (Meryl Streep) and Laroche begins. A little bit confused? You have seen nothing. The movie unfolds the way Kaufman writes the screenplay which makes for hilariously incongruous and completely imaginary situation. Aside from the lead, the supporting cast is also brilliant with Tilda Swinton, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ron Livingston putting in solid work. Adaptation is one of the most creative and imaginative movie of the decade and a terrific look into the creative process. |
9. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)Directed by Clint Eastwood
The war movie of the decade. Letters from Iwo Jima is the counterpart of Clint Eastwood's Flags of our Fathers (2006), telling the little-told story from the other side of the front line which is adapted from the book So Sad to Fall in Battle, a recollection of letters by General Kuribayashi, the Japanese commander on Iwo Jima. Having read the book, I can say that Eastwood was astonishingly faithful to the description given by General Kuribayashi more than 60 years ago. The film sheds the light on the incredible hardships of the average Japanese soldier whose sole expectation was to die heroically in combat with no hopes whatsoever to return home alive. This movie is in my opinion Clint Eastwood's masterpiece. |
8. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Enveloped in an eerie and phantasmagorical atmosphere, Pan's Labyrinth is one of the most visually stunning movie of the decade. The blend of a brutal war movie with a supernatural fantasy is incredibly seamless but the most memorable thing about this film is that sinister atmosphere that is quite impossible to describe and the movie's ability to transport you into its world. Even though the main character is a little girl, make no mistake, this is not a movie for children (that would be a terrible, terrible idea to have the kids watch that) but a sad fairy tale for adults. Brutal, magical, mesmerizing, jaw-droppingly gorgeous, Pan's Labyrinth is a masterpiece that one absolutely has to see. |
7. Gladiator (2000)Directed by Ridley Scott
A conventional revenge movie set in a superbly depicted ancient Rome and elevated by great all-around performances. Gladiator's main appeal is Russell Crowe's intense interpretation of army general-turned-slave Maximus, giving him much more depth and complexity than most movie heroes. Maximus is a well-rounded hero: a highly respected leader of men, a fantastic warrior, an intelligent and honest man, just someone you really want to pull for! He is a family man who has lost everything and has nothing to lose. The scene where he finally reveals the identity to the stunned Commodus sends shivers down my spine every single time. An exceptional supporting cast highlighted by Joaquin Phoenix performance also set this film apart. Add to that the stunning cinematography and a haunting Hans Zimmer musical score which is one of the very best ever made for a movie, and there you have it in my top 10 movies of the decade. |
6. Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003)Directed by Peter Jackson
The trilogy to rule all trilogies? Lord of the Rings will probably be the cinematic event of our lifetime. |
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)Directed by Michel Gondry
Another underrated movie and one of the very best romance movie ever made in my opinion. The movie stars Jim Carrey as you have never seen him before, the wonderful Kate Winslet and a solid supporting cast with Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Wilkinson. This indie is the story of a couple who undergoes a medical procedure called "Targeted memory erasure" to erase the memories of each other because of a failed and painful relationship. However, during the procedure, the unconscious Joel (Jim Carrey) realizes he wants to hold on to the memories no matter how painful and struggles to keep some of his memories but they are slowly erased before his eyes. The ending is a bit ambiguous adding to the intrigue. This movie blew me away! |
4. Memento (2000)Directed by Christopher Nolan  Another movie from Christopher Nolan, Memento is a highly intricate psychological thriller with a complex non-linear time line. The movie has scenes in colors which are unfolding in reverse chronological order, and scenes in black-and-white which are the "normal" time line. Both converge at the end of the movie and give us the same point of view that the main character has, without letting us know more than he does himself. Guy Pearce gives the performance of a lifetime as Leonard Shelby, a man who suffers periodic bouts of short-term memory loss which he developed after an attack on himself and his wife who was raped and murdered. He is looking for the man who did that despite his memory problem. This movie is simply best approached without knowing too much about it so I will leave it there. Memento is a brilliant brain teaser and a riveting movie. |
3. Spirited Away (2001)Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Spirited Away introduces us to Chihiro, a scared and whiny little girl sitting on the backseat of the family car as her parents are moving to their new home across town. The family gets lost on a small wooded path that leads to an isolated and apparently abandoned attraction park. Curious, the parents decide to give the park a quick visit much to Chihiro's chagrin. They soon stumble onto a strangely unoccupied food stand full of delicious food items and the parents decide to help themselves to the food and pay later. Chihiro in the meanwhile wanders further into the park and is startled when a boy warns her to leave the park immediately. Young Chihiro runs back to her parents only to find out they turned into pigs! The enchanting Spirited Away is my favorite animation of the decade and #3 on my list of the top movies of the decade. This film goes far beyond what your regular Disney or Pixar movie accomplishes, creating a mystical and complex world with a breathtaking atmosphere. Don't let the fact that this is an animation fool you into thinking that this movie is for children because it's not really the case, although it is suitable for the young ones. Miyazaki has the ability of bringing us into the world of children ant not the other way around. He never considers using childish tricks to entertain the younger viewers and assumes everyone who watches the movie is an intelligent adult who can make his/her own conclusions. Visually, this film is incredibly stunning, completely drawn by hand, not by computers like we do in the US. Spirited Away is the only movie I ever contemplated giving an A+, that's how much I think this masterpiece is unparalleled. |
2. City of God (2002)Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Easily one of the most memorable masterpiece of the decade, City of God is set in the notorious Rio De Janeiro slum of the same name. This gut-wrenching movie shows the desperate and hopeless situation that most youth of the City of God find themselves into. Becoming a hoodlum is not an option, it's a highly probable outcome. You will see extreme gang violence, gun toting hordes of pre-teen kids marauding the streets, shooting people as if it was nothing, and initiation games that require a child to kill another child in cold blood. Disturbing, harrowing, engaging and highly entertaining, City of God is a movie that everyone should see. |
1. Mulholland Dr. (2001)Directed by David Lynch
Can you fully describe and make sense of a creepy dream after you woke up? That's what you will feel like after watching this movie. David Lynch outdid himself with this movie which I consider his masterpiece. The haunting and unspeakably terrifying Mulholland Dr. is as incomprehensible as a dream/nightmare and just as highly open for interpretation. Mulholland Dr. is a movie that words cannot describe properly and has to be seen multiple times to even start picking up all the details needed to formulate a decent interpretations. Every single thing that appears on the screen is a clue to the mystery. Although this is probably Lynch's most accessible movie, he has stayed mum about the ultimate meaning of his movie and this has only prompted dozens of different interpretations of the movie. The first time I saw that scene behind the coffee shop, oh boy... definitely the scariest scene I have ever seen in a movie. It still sends shiver down my spine even after multiple viewing. Here you have it folks, Mulholland Dr. is my top movie of the decade. |
Do you agree or disagree with my Top 100? Any movies I should have included? What movies should be higher or lower? This is your turn! Let it be known in the comment area.
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96 Comments
It truly was a great decade. Nice top ten, although I would’ve ranked There Will Be Blood a bit higher and definitely would’ve included some Almodóvar and von Trier.
Thank you Jose. Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to see any movies from Almodóvar or von Trier at this point but your blog definitely makes me want to!
Not a big Von Trier fan, he’s just a bit “up himself” (for lack of a more eloquent term) for me.
I feel the same way, I always imagine Von Trier in his lair (or wherever) just laughing his head off as we endure his mind games.
Great list! Although I would have put Eternal Sunshine as first. And Amélie a lot higher as well. I didn’t see The Science of Sleep in your list. That one would be pretty high on my list as well. Its really impressive that you have made a list like that!
I haven’t seen The Science of Sleep but I will be sure to add it to my playlist. I absolutely love Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and think it is the most romantic movie ever made and it was a close call between all those top 10 movies.
Interesting list, though I just realized while looking at it we have quite a different taste in films
Anyway, I’m glad you didn’t put the overrated “The Dark Knight” in the Top 10. Respect for that.
What films should be higher:
SHAUN OF THE DEAD – waaaaaaaay higher. In the Top 20 at least. It’s the only (and I mean only) parody that never ever once insults my intelligence (i.e. doesn’t have fart jokes, no one gets hits in the head with a mishit tennis/baseball/football ball and/or some other object). And frankly, it’s the only one beside “Hot Fuzz” that doesn’t get just plain boring with repeated viewing.
THE LAST SAMURAI – also waaaaaaay higher. It has one of the most emotional endings ever and not in the slimy mushy-mushy kind of way. I’d definitely put it in the Top 20 and certainly higher than “Mongol”. It’s just amazing in every way.
What films should be lower:
BLACK HAWK DOWN – actually, I wouldn’t even put it on the list, certainly not in the expense of some other great films I’ll mention shortly. It just doesn’t sit well with me.
What films should’ve been included:
WATCHMEN – this is the most engaging film I’ve ever seen. I also consider it the BEST film ever. It’s too often overlooked as just another superhero flick and then bashed when discovered it is not. To fully appreciate it, one must have developed views and opinions about life, death, existence, one’s place in the Universe and philosophy in general, not to mention political and moral views, just to name a few. And it just pains me to see it so under-appreciated.
HOT FUZZ – the best comedy/parody ever.
THE WRESTLER & RAMBO – you probably already know I don’t like the whining kind of dramas. The “Oh, no, poor me! I love her, but she doesn’t love me! Boo-hoo-ho!” kind, like “Slumdog Millionaire” for example. There’s more emotion in Rambo’s line “Live for nothing, or die for something.” than in any of this whining bullshit. “The Wrestler” is the best and manliest drama of the decade. “Rambo” is the best and manliest action film so far, until “The Expendables” come out.
JCVD – if “The Wrestler” is the best drama of the decade, then “JCVD” is the second. People just refuse to admit Van Damme made a truly good film.
EQUILIBRIUM – it should’ve at least been between 100-50.
IDIOCRACY – one totally overlooked comedy by Mike Judge. The sad thing is, one could actually see it as a documentary…
DISTRICT 9 – one of the best SF’s of the decade.
PLANET TERROR/DEATH PROOF – Rodriguez and Tarantino did good for the film industry with this flick more than anyone in the past decade. It brought a wonderful genre revival and films became fun again!
Wow thanks Ventilation Shaft. This was the kind of comment I had in mind when I made my Top 100! I saw Watchmen and was a bit underwhelmed but gave it a promise to give it a second chance because I could see that the movie had a lot more substance than your average comic book movie. JCVD first 30 minutes really blew me away but then it felt a bit too long. Also shame on me, but I still haven’t seen The Wrestler
Thanks Shaft!
“The Last Samurai” is “Avatar” without the Smurfs. Boring, boring, boring. And it has Tom Cruise, which is like negative points.
And “Watchmen” is very good, but I think it’s a MASSIVE stretch to call it the best movie ever.
I guess I’m a little bitter (in general, not at your particular Top 100 list) because people only take seriously films that are certified dramas, with “lots of tears, heart-tearing moments, sobbing, hugging, whining, etc.” which more and more come to me as plain pathetic. I generally use the term “pussified” to describe them (no disrespect to women meant here).
To illustrate my point, I’ll provide a somewhat lengthy but real life example, involving myself and my friend Magnum with whom I write my/our blog. We were walking back home from the theater after seeing “The Dark Knight” and sometime prior we saw “John Rambo”. He wasn’t so impressed with TDK, I was initially quite blown away. So we discussed. I was telling him how the character development was great, etc. We particularly discussed why Batman never kills. I was prepared to argue further when Magnum said something in lines:
“Yeah, yeah. Rambo said: ‘When you’re pushed, killing is as easy as breathing.’”
And I was left without arguments. Because, when you ARE pushed, killing would be indeed easy as breathing. I know I’d kill without second thought if someone threatened me, or anyone I care about. All of that philosophy and moral preaching in TDK now seems to me like… well, bullshit
So why, doesn’t Batman kill that fucking Joker? Because if he does, he’s no better than Joker himself? Or is he afraid for his own soul, so he won’t become the “villain”? If that’s the case, then he’s no hero. He’s a whining little prick dressed in a bat costume.
The Punisher is the real hero then, “I never took the time to think about where I was headed. I’m far down that road now.” is what he said. He’s willing to sacrifice his soul and accepts his own damnation in order to protect the innocent, just like Rambo. And that’s true heroism.
And that’s why I sincerely find works like “Rambo”, “Punisher: War Zone”, “JCVD” better in every aspect than all the TDK’s and Slumdog Millionaires of this world.
Phew… now that was a long post – I think I’m gonna expand it into an article for “Cool Awesome Movies”
You are very articulate and formulated your opinion very clearly and I definitely respect your view for that. Not that I wouldn’t otherwise
but some people when asked why they hate some type of movies have only superficial reasons to give you. One thing though that I have to wonder is that this would necessarily restrict you to seeing certain types of movies and create a cynical attitude toward possibly 50% of movies (or more). By not being as open minded, you might miss truly good movies because of your predisposition. Don’t you think?
I’m not sure if I agree with the notion that Batman is a “whining little prick dressed in a bat costume”. I think Nolan did an excellent job at layering this topic throughout both movies.
In the first movie, Bruce Wayne was willing to kill. He was at the point that he was willing to kill Chill, the murderer of his parents, right in front of the open public. Then after that opportunity was lost, he was disappointed. Rachel then slapped some sense into him, quite litterally. She woke him up to the thought of how much his father would be disappointed in him. This was something that struck a chord with Bruce Wayne, as Bruce thought the highest of his father.
One could even argue that his father, Thomas Wayne, was unwilling to fight to protect himself and his family in the face of death.
And then after a trip to Nanda Parbat, Bruce Wayne was transformed into Batman, with Bruce Wayne becoming merely an alter ego. He was able to shed fear, which seperated himself from everybody else, and allowed him to fight crime with the upmost sense of justice.
In his eyes, killing somebody doesn’t bring justice. Everybody deserves a fair trial, and skipping that process is in fact an injustice and corrupt, the very thing that Batman is trying to fight against.
I’m not much of a comic guy, but after a little reading online, you find out that Batman has such a strong sense of justice that when the villain Darkseid has Batman cloned, in an attempt to capture the personality traits that make Batman such a great super-hero, the clones kill themselves rather than serve Darkseid.
And in response to your “I know I’d kill without second thought if someone threatened me, or anyone I care about” comment. I am no entitled to say you wouldn’t. In fact, the vast majority of the population should. But there are people out ther like myself that would have a very hard time taking another person’s life over my own. I mean, if someone has a gun pointed to my head, you bet your bottom dollar I’m not gonna just sit there and let them pull the trigger. But at the same time, I will do my best not to kill them in the “dis-arming” process. Granted, I’m the military, so eventually I may be faced with the situation of shoot-to-kill, but as a civilian, it’s not my part to take someone else’s life.
Of course, the situation gets even more messy with loved ones are brought into the situation, but that is why super-heroes go to such extreme measures to keep their secret identities exactly that…secret.
Heroism doesn’t come from killing people, but from perseverance, and leading the way. “Winter’s Bone” protagonist for example is a true hero. Not Rambo or Punisher who believe killing in mass amounts gets them somewhere and provides justice in the world.
I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that doesn’t mean I like everyones opinion. And your though process, your notion of heroism and “being a pussy” is quite frankly, a bunch of shit.
Looking in a broader sense – yes, I might miss many films generally regarded as good. But, looking from my personal standpoint – no harm done if I do miss them, because frankly, I just don’t care about them. Just like most people don’t care about Steven Seagal’s latest direct-to-video flick, for example.
I also loathe traditional French cinema, as another example. The first thing I check when I see a film is French is the genre: if I find both drama and romance there it’s bye-bye for me because I just don’t have any interest in seeing it. The same is with Almodovar’s films, who’s been mentioned here earlier. Or Woody Allen’s, or Gus Van Sant’s, etc.
There are 2 genres which I simply avoid: romantic comedies and romantic dramas, although I make an exception now and then: “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People”, because it starred the genius Simon Pegg. Or “P.S. I Love You”, because of the manly Gerard Butler, or “Sweet November” with the cool Keanu Reeves, to name a few.
P.S. I forgot to mention a few more films who in my opinion deserve to be mentioned in the last decade:
[●REC] – the scariest horror in years, by far. I mean the Spanish original, not the American remake “Quarantine”. See it at night, alone, with the lights turned off and preferably on a surround system or with headphones and you’re in for the scare of your life.
SOUTHLAND TALES – the writer/director is Richard Kelly of “Donnie Darko” fame. Don’t let the cast – Sarah M. Gellar, The Rock, Sean William Scott and Justin Timberlake – fool you, because this is far from a shallow superficial film.
ROCKY BALBOA – a bottomless well of inspiration for me.
We do have very similar top tens. I suppose the only two that are in your top ten that aren’t in mine I haven’t seen.
Kudos for including Enemy At The Gates and I just watched Collateral yesterday, so I know my list would have been altered after seeing it as well. Far From Heaven is one I forgot about but an amazingly wonderful movie with great performances
I would have preferred to see The Bourne Trilogy and The Last Samurai higher, but overall a tremendous list.
@ Ventilation Shaft: I tend to agree with you with French drama/romance. There is something about them that make many of them very very slow. Thanks for your comprehensive list of movies, I shall watch some of those I haven’t seen. Also you might enjoy The Ugly Truth where Gerard Butler plays a very “manly” character as well
@ Heather: Thank you. It’s always comforting to know someone has quite similar taste in movies
@ unknown person (Jenna81 on Reddit) who submitted the post to Reddit: Thanks!
First off great list Castor. Gone Baby Gone doesn’t appear on many lists even though it deserves the attention.
@Ventilaion
District 9 is littered with too many writing problems to be taken seriously, especially with that pig-launcher scene.
-deus ex machina device used too frequently
-the aliens wouldn’t be allowed to have access to their weapons anymore
And as for your Punisher/Rambo argument: they are nothing more than blood-thirsty fascists. They don’t kill to protect the innocent any more than religious fundamentalists do. They’re one dimensional characters that have no bearing on reality.
@Castor
Thank you for mentioning “The Ugly Truth”. I’ll check it out soon.
@Fitz
You and me have absolutely nothing to discuss, as you are everything that I despise in moviegoers.
Excellent rebuttal, really.
Ah come on guys, just relax. To each his own! I’ve been catching a lot of flak on Reddit
, I need to post some of those comments a little later
Did you see how crazy it got? I was the one that posted it on there. Hope it brought you lots of traffic though!
http://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/aldmj/top_100_movies_of_the_decade/
Yes I saw it this morning and I thought it might have been you but I wasn’t sure. Thanks a bunch!!! As for traffic, only about 1100 visitors today, not bad …
(Insane!!) And of course, I will try to reciprocate this for you.
Don’t worry about what the crazies on Reddit say though. I’ve been using it forever and they are bonkers but it does generate a reasonable amount of traffic usually. I only check the comments once every week or so because usually all I hear is what an idiot I am. I started a new account a few months ago just because people were sending me literally hate mail, just for posting stuff about movies! HA!
“I started a new account a few months ago just because people were sending me literally hate mail, just for posting stuff about movies! HA! ”
Now that’s heinous! You probably incurred the wrath of some fan boys
Anyways, I don’t worry about what most people say either
The beauty of movies is that each experience is subjective and I’m glad it got some discussion going.
Yeah, it’s still going too, and it’s weird the stuff that picks up there and what doesn’t. A lot of the movie discussion has familiar names though, and some are really big fans of movies even if they want me to die! LOL
It seems a rather large Faux Pas to put Wedding Crashers lower than the Departed, but what I think is funny is that most of them wouldn’t have even noticed if they weren’t side by side…….silly rabbits.
Those jerkoff deleted all my posts on there. I’m not sure what happened. I just went on for the first time in awhile a few days ago and everything was gone!
Love re-posting of lists. It’s fun to revisit!
Umm weird! Reddit has been crappy lately, submissions go into spam 90% of the time, I don’t bother anymore.
I hadn’t in awhile. It’s such a spiteful forum. I should finally just give up on it. I seriously wonder about the people that spend all day there trolling. Can you imagine?
Reddit is hilarious. But, if you really want psychos, go to any IMDb message board, make a thread saying anything positive about anything, and come back in a day. Honestly, someone should make a book of all the comments on the Donnie Darko page.
But… I like Wedding Crashers… LOL
Yes indeed
Also funny that the very vast majority of top 100 list don’t even include Road to Perdition and they call me out for it being too low?! If you put too many foreign movies, then you are a movie snob. Not enough and you are an ignorant American. Go figure, can’t please them all 
I’ll try to pump up your material on those social bookmarking site every chance I can.
Awesome and I will continue to do the same.
As Mitch Hedberg said: “You can’t please all the people all the time and last night all those people were at my show.” Hahahaha.
Our lists are made for our personalities, that’s what makes them so interesting!
Nice list, here’s my post and almost all the films mentioned in it appear in your top 100!
http://paragraphfilms.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/top-films-of-the-decade/
Ventilation Shaft posting above is also a legend!!! ^^
@ Paragraph Films: I enjoyed your top 10. I’ve added a Bittersweet Life and Together to the list of movies I need to watch!
“Ventilation Shaft posting above is also a legend!!! ^^ ”
LOL yes! It got a little heated but I guess I’m happy my top 100 got some strong reactions.
I think I’m going to copy paste some of the priceless comments from Reddit later, just for souvenir.
Great list Castor. As I said when you sent it to me a couple weeks ago, our lists are gonna be very similar, especially the top 10. I really can’t argue with anything on this list, except for maybe “The Pianist”. I thought Brody’s performance was marvelous, and deserving of the Oscar he received because of it, but I thought the movie was a little slow, and sloppy at times. Still a really good movie, but not among the decade’s true elite.
Thanks! Looking forward to read your top 100. Hit me up on skype or email if you have problem logging into the site. It should be all set up.
OK… these things are matters of opinion so I won’t rip this too hard. I’ll just say this… Million Dollar Baby is far superior to Gran Torino (which I did like a lot, but still). Shaun of the Dead deserves a huge leap up on this thing. I hated Mulholland, except for the nudity, so I have a hard time seeing that at #1. I have a best friend that absolutely worships Lynch, and that film, and even he doesn’t put it up top. I like your 100 over all… I may have played with the order a bit if it were mine but that’s the joy of having a blog… expressing what movies mattered to, or made an impression on, you. I’d rather hear about the films you like than the same films 1,000 different critics decide are the collective best! Overall, good list!
“They say Sprite is made from Lemon & Lime but I tried it at home and there’s more to it than that.”
R.I.P. Mitch Hedberg
You have a GREAT film blog! I enjoy it very much. I enjoyed your list, even though I don’t agree with a lot of your rankings – but that’s what makes it fun! I for one think “Antichrist” deserves to be in the top tier, along with “A Single Man”. But too each is own.
Thank you Frank and welcome to my blog!
I really need to update this since I have seen a lot of movies the past three months that should find a spot in there.
Damn, good additions, man. Could write a comment about 20 of those or so, but I’m very glad to see The Fountain making the list. Been aching to see that one again for a while now, was one of the best of ’06 IMO even if no one else liked it.
I’ve never seen “The Fountain”, I need to soon. So many movies and so little time. Damn work and sleep!
The Fountain…………..was weird even for me. No like or dislike on this end, just a respectful indifference. Then again I once felt that way about 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I was sitting at my desk at work, and I started getting chest pains. I thought it was rather strange since I try to keep a consistently healthy diet and stay active for most of the day. When I visited your blog, I realized my chest pains were coming from your new addition to the top 125 films of the decade – number 36.
I am being rushed to get a quadruple bypass. The nurse is trying to take away my blackberry!
#36? The Hurt Locker? Not a new addition, it’s been there since the start
Your list is hogwash! Hogwash I say!!! And do you know why? Because I like the word hogwash, and was desperately looking for a moment to use it…
I must have come along here post-this, but fascinating. I nearly went insane doing my top 100 all time and I change my mind on the films on that list every 5 seconds (primarily every film from #50 – #100). Wouldn’t want to even try this.
The LOTR trilogy (though I seperate them in my list) would probably be #1 on my top of the decade. Along with Spirited Away as well. I also incredibly love The Pianist, Requiem for a Dream, Hero, Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon, so those would all be features. Though I can’t complain about any of yours (except for Anchorman – personally, not a fan, but I know I’m in the minority there).
I’m hip to throwing things at me whenever I speak out against “Anchorman”.
Pretty good list…can’t imagine how much time it must have taken!
Best part about the list…Russell Crowe, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Thanks Adam! Actually, it took quite a lot of effort and time to make the top 100 and I was growing mad after a while, typing a paragraph for each movie!! The additional update to 125 wasn’t all that time consuming since I slowly added to it for weeks.
I know what you mean, I’ve been working on Top Fifty Performances of all time. I started it in January – it’s a work in progress.
Treading on my territory!
Interesting list! I give props to ANYONE who can effectively rank films… partly why my site is so chaotic.
There were actually a few films here that I haven’t heard of and added to my Netflix queue. Plus there were a number of films that you reminded me I should see again to give a fair chance like 25th Hour, The Illusionist and to finally get my butt in gear to see The New World.
Great list! I was also excited to see certain films finally given the credit they deserve… like The Prestige, Collateral and The Visitor!
Thanks TG! Glad to give exposure to some movies you haven’t seen!
A very long list, Castor. My would probably include only about 10 movies including THE FALL by Tarsem Singh, READER, THE FOUNTAIN, CRASH, LOTR and of course MOULIN ROUGE.
OK… this is a good list and I can nit pick the order but I’m not going to do that because it’s just opinion. I’ll just say this:
1. I love that Begins is above Dark Knight and…
2. Mulholland Drive sucks… I hope it made THE LIST strictly for the lesbian scene… in which case, I’m fine with it!!!
I would put TDK even lower but I don’t want my blog hacked again
Lower? Do you want to lose my readership?
LOLZ
Well even though I will just never be on board with nor understand that number-one movie of yours, I thought you made some really brilliant choices (hooray for No. 3!), and the way it all was presented is quite visually appealing.
Thank you Luke! I think most people can agree Spirited Away was one of the greatest film of the 2000′s.
For “Rachel Getting Married”, I loved the movie a lot. But the one thing I found distracting was the guy who played the best man seems to me like he’s George Clooney’s shitty cousin or something.
Ooooh, “The Fountain”? Maybe I need to see it again, but I remember it as being three movies jammed into one, and only one had any emotional impact. Mostly I regard it the way I do “Avatar” — jaw-dropping visuals, a few affecting moments and that’s it.
Good call on “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” one of the higher points in RDJ’s career.
It’s definitely a flawed movie because of how jumbled and unfocused it is. I’d rather watch a movie that tried to be great and epic instead of the pretentious but shallow junk we usually get from Hollywood studios.
It’s been a while since I saw The Fountain…But I do remember leaving slightly confused and enormously impressed with the music and the AMAZINGLY beautiful imagery.
Immortality is Humanities oldest fascination…all Hugh Jackman needed was a Katana and a couple of baddies to decapitate…wrong movie?
Finally had a chance to read through all of this. Thorough and a seemingly personal (which is the best, if you ask me) list. It makes me even more angry with myself for still not having seen Muholland Drive. I’m going to the Netflix queue right now. Though, I still I have to say (I just have to – I mean no ill will), Million Dollar Baby is about 123 places too low.
Yes, I know of your infinite love for Million Dollar Baby, sorry to disappoint
Hope you enjoy Mulholland Dr, it’s an experience by itself but it’s not for everyone.
So many great movies here. I wish I could go through and really comment on all your choices, but there are so many!!! I don’t think you really left anything out though, and the only thing I would take out would be a few of the Will Ferrell movies and such. But I love your top 20, again, I’d reorder them a bit, but still great picks. I loved Oldboy, glad to see it here. Just saw Mulholland Drive… wow, not sure about number one, but yeah, it’s fucking great.
My number one would either be Children of Men or There Will Be Blood.
After just seeing Mulholland Dr. for the first time weeks ago, I was amazed. I watched it again a few days ago and was still amazed. I’d already written a best of the decade list before I watched it, and now that list feels incomplete. Great list though, very in depth. I personally prefer Kill Bill over Basterds, but Tarantino’s great nonetheless. As I said great list.
@ Luke, Matt: At last some people who share my love for Mulholland Dr!!!! Glad you loved it! Thanks for the comments
So much to say – I don’t think it’s fair for me (or anyone) to disagree with your choices. It’s your 125, so I’ll just give some general musings.
I will say, the snubs that hurt the most are for “Atonement” and “Corpse Bride” – I know you were not too fond of the former, but what were your thoughts on the latter…incidentally, no Burton films but I know he’s not wholly loved.
Clearly you’re a Nolan fan, I’m never too keen on “Memento”, of course it’s a film that finds its beauty in its technique for the most part but after the first “thrill” of it, I’m left mostly unmoved. Told in chronological order, I don’t find it particularly scintillating. I’d say The Prestige (flawed as I find it sometimes) is my favourite work of Nolan. Very nuanced, and very natural.
I happen to have a strong kneejerk dislike of “Adaptation” that I often find myself unable to explain, it probably comes back to Nicolas Cage in the end…
I’m glad you threw “Gosford Park” a bone, even if my initial reaction to its placement was…ummm…not pleased
I feel a sense of injustice when my favourite Spielberg film is next to Julie & Julia, ugh. Okay, I think that’s enough chatter for now.
Insightful or spam…? Choices, choices…
I LOVE THE PRESTIGE but how can yopu not adore Momento… it’s totally awesome on a nothing budget!
I just went back thru the older comments for this post and saw Heather was quoting Mitch Hedberg making her that much more awesome than I all ready thought she was… Mulholland sucks… I’m outta here!!!
Okay I know I promised…but umm, Castor The Aviator is not here…I mean…other than the obvious…WHY?????
Does your vision of Gotham City not look like Chicago then, Castor?
And where is “Up in the Air!?!?”
Batman Begins had this dark, gothic feel to Gotham City. I was disappointed to see the average American city in TDK.
That’s cuz Begins was primarily shot on a sound stage and TDK was shot a lot in Chicago! It worked… the city just felt larger than in the first film. I like the Gotham you see when young Bruce Wayne is riding the train with his father.
And the “Narrows”. Sorry to “Ripley” this comment!
Dunno, I just found it fake and “comic booky” looking to me. Even though it is a comic book movie…
This still doesn’t answer my question about “Up in the Air,” the movie that I would put above about 120 movies on this list.
I would have sworn I included it somewhere near the #100 mark. Simple omission chief
Haha, I can see how it would be easy to leave one out on a list so big…
You know, with all the great films you listed (even the ones I don’t agree with) it looks like this last decade has given the wild and crazy 80′s a run for the money! I think you named nearly half my DVD/BRD collection:)
But damn Castor…125!! Sure make us bloggers who painstakingly got it down to 10 look quite lazy by comparison:P Yeah, you put in the hours alright. Fine list…your 85-36 does need some weeding out though. But you really killed me inside when I see that Edwards Zwick’s MASTERPIECES (at 104 and 86) didn’t make top 50…for shame!!
But you get points for adding those extra lens flares to the Star Trek photo:)
Great list and interesting picks.
You say that WALL-E is overrated and I have to completely disagree. I thinks it’s a stunning film with some of the best animation I’ve seen. There are some scenes that looks so realistic that it’s almost liked live action.
I was surprised to see United 93 isn’t anywhere near the near list. Sure, it’s hard to watch because of the subject matter, but it’s done with so much respect (and better then Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center) to the victims in it didn’t make it a action-packed film, but as a poignant telling of 9/11.
Other films that I would add as well.
Downfall- A German film about the last days of Adolf Hitler and the Third Rich. A brillent protrayal by Bruno Ganz as Hitler as a human, not a monster.
Little Miss Sunshine- A dysfuntional family road trip to a beauty pageant that is both hilarious and heartwarming.
Fantastic Mr. Fox- Very charming with great stop-motion animation, story, characters, & production design.
Thanks for input Brian and welcome!
I know I’m in the minority with WALL-E but that’s only my take
United 93 was a close one to make the list and it certainly would be in the top 150.
And another thing, I don’t think “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is overrated. People give the movie it’s due … which is a lot, and it deserves all the praise it gets.
Holy shit! This must be the most comprehensive list I’ve ever seen. Kudos for putting it all together the way it is, this is freakin’ amazing.
Damn this is comprehensive – a don’t need to look no further type of list. Great commentary, brilliant images. Very eclectic mix of films, quite a few I still have to see. I finally got round to doing my top 50: http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/1756. I also did a ‘best of the 2000s’ feature here: http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/1738
Wow this is really a great list. I couldn’t even fathom doing a list like this but you pretty much got a majority of what I would put. My only differences would be films probably only I loved but most of the ones I liked made it
Avatar must be in TOP 20 list..50+ is somewhat lesser impact.
Wow..Great list. I knew the preparation was damn hectic. BTW you done it very well. But some of my favorite movies are got rank around 20′s and 30′s. Also I prefer ‘The Prestige’ movie is on TOP 3 for sure…
man … great list … the best list ever …
but I just can’t believe that “High Fidelity” is not in it !!!
one of the best comedies ever …
Thanks Bashar, very kind of you to say.
No I’m Not There? Muh. That movie is so tragically overlooked.
For the rest: wicked list! Seriously, well done. Could use a little more cult, though.
Haven’t seen it Max, to be honest never heard of it until you mentioned it a couple times a couple weeks ago
Looking forward to rent it though!
A great list. I was so surprised and very happy to see Mulholland Drive at #1 and am very thankful for that. You also have a few other great choices on here that people don’t normally think of but you, thankfully, did. Here’s my Top Ten of the Decade, pending further editing:
10: Irreversible
9: Memento
8: Dancer in the Dark
7: Inland Empire
6: American Psycho
5: Amores Perros
4: Cache
3: Requiem for a Dream
2: Mulholland Drive
1: There Will Be Blood
Slight critiques… I think Traffic should be way up higher (easily in the Top 50) and I don’t know why Inland Empire is not on this list. If Mulholland Drive can be number One, why can’t Inland Empire, which is like it’s uber-epic sister movie, be present as well? Even if it’s in the hundreds?
Anyway… great list.
Black hawk down and the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford should be in the top 5. Those 2 are some of the greatest films of all time in my opinion. And finding nemo is way to high. But still a good list though.
Where’s Brokeback Mountain?
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