December 29, 2009
Top Films of the
Decade (2000-2009): 10-1
By Dakota Grabowski
GameZone celebrates the end of an outstanding decade for film
After successfully selecting our Top 25 Games of the Decade, we have formulated
our thoughts and selected our Top 25 Films of the Decade. Today we bring to you
the conclusion of the list. Part one of this list, #11-25, can be found
here.
The process for selecting the best of the best for the last decade include:
direction, acting, storyline, dialogue, cinematography, editing, costume design,
art design, and much more. In short, this wasn’t about popularity or sales, but
the art of film itself.
10. Oldboy (2003)
Director:
Park Chan-wook
Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-Tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Ji Dae-han
Studio: Egg Films
Starting out as a
revenge story, Oldboy is an extravagant and well-told story of love,
forgiveness, empathy and much more. Oh Dae-su’s transformation from the lovable
drunk at the start of the film to the monster that he calls himself by the end
of the film is one that even Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would be afraid of.
Surpassing expectations of another run-of-the-mill revenge film, Oldboy raised
the bar for Asian-created films that show up on the U.S. shores. This is not any
normal action-thriller as it transcends the genre into a film capturing
old-school film-noirs, a realistic horror story, and elements from a suspense
driven detective story-arc.
Award Wins:
Grand
Prize of the Jury (Park Chan-wook) – Cannes Film Festival
Best Foreign Film – British Independent Film Awards
Best Director – Asia-Pacific Film Festival
9. Let the Right
One In (2008)
Director:
Tomas
Alfredson
Starring:
Kre Hedebrant,
Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist
Studio: EFTI
Forget what you
know about vampire flicks; Let the Right One In delivers a fresh look on the
genre with an intimate tale of a boy and a young vampire. Breaking away from all
formulas, Let the Right One In was an instant classic the moment it hit
theatres. The bursts of terrifying violence and moments of ageless innocence
catapult this film into the stratosphere of masterpiece films. Not just a story
about vampires, Let the Right One In keeps its audience on the edge of their
seats with gorgeous cinematography, realistic dialogue, superb acting and
excellent direction.
Award Wins:
Best
International Film – Saturn Awards
Breakthrough Filmmaker (Tomas Alfredson) – Online Film Critics Society Awards
Best Narrative Feature – Tribeca Film Festival
8. Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Director:
Michel Gondry
Starring:
Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, David Cross, Kirsten Dunst,
Tom Wilkinson, Jane Adams
Studio:
Anonymous Content
Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind was a mind-blowing film from director Michelle Gondry and
screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. It was a dramatic masterpiece that tugs at
everyone’s inner-emotions about losing the memories that seem to haunt an
individual, to only find out that those memories are the ones that need to be
kept. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are at their best and keep the film
interesting with their outstanding performances. The wild imagination of both
Gondry and Kaufman assisted in drawing in the audience and keeping them hooked
until the end credits.
Award Wins:
Best
Writing, Original Screenplay – Academy Awards
Best Original Screenplay – Writers Guild of America
Best Editing – BAFTA Awards
7. Up (2009)
Director:
Pete Docter,
Bob Peterson (co-director)
Starring:
Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo
Studio:
Pixar
A wonderful
coming-of-age story, Up and Pixar was able to break the hearts of millions with
its heart-wrenching tale about an old man discovering himself after his wife
passed away. This was Pixar’s finest film of the decade as it not only provided
a simple adventure for children, but it was layered so thoroughly that if it was
a seven-layer cake, it would take a glutton a week to finish. Full of laughter
and sadness, Up was an inspiring flick that was deeply touching to all
demographics.
Award Wins:
Best
Animated Feature – National Board of Review
*Best Animated Feature – Annie Awards
*Best Animated Feature Film – Golden Globes
6. Amelie (2001)
Director:
Jean-Pierre
Jeunet
Starring:
Audrey Tautou,
Mathieu Kassovitz, Isabelle Nanty, Dominique Pinon
Studio:
Claudie Ossard Productions
Amelie was the genuine feel-good movie of the decade. It had the ability to make
everyone feel warm inside while also making them chuckle. Jean-Pierre Jeunet was
able to create a perfect cast of characters that were absolutely lovable.
Charming, witty and a cinematic delight, Amelie came out of left field and
surprised everyone with its undeniable fascination. Pure bliss, Amelie was a
must-watch film that deserved all the attention it received.
Award Wins:
Best
Foreign Film – Independent Spirit Awards
Best Screenplay – BAFTA Awards
Best Foreign Language Film – Online Film Critics Society Awards
5. Memento (2000)
Director:
Christopher Nolan
Starring:
Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Jorja Fox, Stephen Toblowsky
Studio:
Newmarket Capital Group
As a neo-noir, Memento was a film that tests the standards for the genre by the
structure of the narrative and its purposeful confusing arrangement of
revelations for the viewer to gain a greater understanding of the world that
surrounds Leonard Shelby. Using an “sdrawkcab” structure (a.k.a. backwards),
Christopher Nolan takes away the linear approach of storytelling and starts from
the conclusion. This technique generates a large amount of mystery that wouldn’t
normally be there if it was told from beginning to end.
The dark intent
of all the characters is a perfect balance of law and order, along with right
and wrong. It was a tough code to crack; once viewers solve the mystery they are
bound to reap the benefits of knowledge and a deep understanding of the chaotic
side of life.
Award Wins:
Best
Action/Adventure/Thriller Film – Saturn Awards
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award – Sundance Film Festival
Best Director – Independent Spirit Awards
4. The Lord of
the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Director:
Peter Jackson
Starring:
Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Elijah Wood, Cate
Blanchett, Billy Boyd, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen,
Dominic Monaghan, Liv Tyler, John Rhys-Davies, Hugo Weaving
Studio:
New
Line Cinema
Redefining the
word – and not to mention the genre itself – of epic, Peter Jackson and The Lord
of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring took viewers to a world of discovery.
Accompanied by a strong ensemble cast, the acting of The Fellowship of the Ring
was wonderful. Ian McKellen was booming and boisterous as Gandalf. Viggo
Mortensen was cunning and full of guile as Aragon. Orlando Bloom was stoic and
serene as Legolas. The list goes on; the cast did their job bringing J.R.R’s
Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to life. The journey began with The Fellowship
of the Ring and it sucked a worldwide audience in over the next two years (The
Return of the King released in 2003) with amazement. The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring was a monumental film that set the standard for shooting
films back to back, marvelous visuals, and large ensemble casts. Every film
studio that states they are wanting to create a trilogy has Peter Jackson and
The Lord of the Rings to thank for breaking ground.
Award Wins:
Best
Film – BAFTA Awards
Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media – Satellite Awards
Best Cinematography – Academy Awards
3. There Will Be
Blood (2007)
Director:
Paul Thomas
Anderson
Starring:
Daniel-Day Lewis,
Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier, Kevin J. O’Connor, Russell Harvard, Colleen Foy
Studio:
Ghoulardi Film Company
Daniel-Day Lewis is a god among men. He literally hones every role he steps into
and makes it his own. There Will Be Blood was his best piece of work and it was
also Paul Thomas Anderson’s best film to date. The film was a major step forward
for cinema in a variety of ways including: cinematography, acting, gritty
storytelling, morality, and much more. Daniel-Day Lewis has a gift for acting
and he continues to give his gift back to mass audiences to marvel at. There
Will Be Blood reinvents the world of cinema and it was a film that will be
studied and compared to for decades to come.
Award Wins:
Best
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Daniel-Day Lewis) – Academy Awards
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama (Daniel-Day Lewis) –
Golden Globes
Best Achievement in Cinematography – Academy Awards
2. Pan’s
Labyrinth (2006)
Director:
Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Sergi Lpez, Maribel Verd, Ariadna
Gil, lex Angulo
Studio: Tequila Gang
Allowing its audience to escape to a world of imagination, Pan’s Labyrinth was a
haunting film that explored eye-opening visions from the mind of Guillermo del
Toro. This was one of the finest modern fantasies when it debuted and is still
being talked about to this day as the cream of the crop of adult fairy tales.
There was true beauty and power behind the Pan’s Labyrinth; viewers were able to
connect to the struggle between fantasy and reality. Showcasing violent scenes
that made an audience gasp, Guillermo del Toro created a film that was literally
nirvana for cinema fanatics. It breaks and melts hearts with its remarkable and
emotional journey.
Award Wins:
Best
Achievement in Cinematography – Academy Awards
Best Film – National Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media – Satellite Awards
1. City of God
(2002)
Director:
Fernando
Meirelles, Ktia Lund (co-director)
Starring:
Alexandre
Rodrigues, Alice Braga, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva,
Jonathan Haagensen
Studio:
O2
Filmes
Presenting a
world full of danger, City of God was a one-of-a-kind film that was near perfect
with its storytelling and direction. Creating a disturbing film, Fernando
Meirelles crafted a tale that was brutally honest and provocative. It was hard
to blink or take a breath in the world that Meirelles created without missing
something. Intense and savage, City of God went to certain lengths to tell its
brilliant story of life in the slums of Rio de Janiero. The life of crime
throughout of City of God was masterfully told and was one of the most realistic
takes on crime that has been delivered in cinema. City of God was an adrenaline
rush that the film industry needed – it succeeded in every cinematic category
with its high ambitions.
Award Wins:
Best
Motion Picture, Foreign Language – Satellite Awards
Best Editing – BAFTA Awards
Best Foreign Language Film – Online Film Critics Society Awards
Other
Considerations:
The Aviator, Grizzly Man, Eastern Promises, Almost Famous, Kung Fu Hustle,
Gerry, The Motorcycle Diaries, Amores Perros, Into the Wild, Brick, Adaptation,
The Lives of Others, The Constant Gardener, Ratatouille, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 4
Months 3 Weeks 2 Days, The House of Flying Daggers
