I decided I'd make a Top Twenty list of my favourite films that were released over the last ten years. There are probably a few films I'd have put on this list if I had seen them but there's not a lot I can do about that now, is there?
"Watch them?"Shut up, omnipresent critical reader, you're always trying to put me down.
Without further to do, my list, which I've split into an unordered top twenty, with my favourite ten being those with a short paragraph.
Top Twenty Films of The Noughties.
- Anchorman
- The Departed
- Sin City
- Spiderman
- Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
- Lost In Translation
- Thank You For Smoking
- Shaun of the Dead
- Sideways
Watchmen
Probably the least well received movie on this list, but I absolutely adored it. While the ending was different to the comic's, director Zack Snyder otherwise stayed loyal to the source. The characters are perfectly brought to life and fantastically played, with the stand out being Jackie Earle Haley's Rorschach appearing as if he'd walked straight from the pages of Alan Moore's comic to the big screen.
Casino Royale
The 21st James Bond movie saw Daniel Craig make his bow as the famous 007. Casino Royale does not continue where the other twenty left off, but rather introduces us to a new timeline in which we see Bond as he earns his license to kill. It is a far grittier and more realistic movie than any Bond outing before it and this was crucial as the series had started to become clichéd, cheesy and formulaic.
WALL-E
In 2008, the geniuses at Pixar delivered, in my opinion, their best film to date(which says something looking back at their stellar filmography). WALL-E is a waste collection robot who spends his live collecting and sorting the waste that forced human kind to abandon the Earth. WALL-E finds love in the form of EVE, a robot sent by the humans to search for living plant life. I actually challenge anyone to watch this film and not feel an overwhelming sense of childhood innocence and wonderment.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away is a 2001 release from the legendary Studio Ghibli. The story revolves around young girl as she encounters a world of ghosts and spirits while moving to a new town. It won the 2002 Oscar for Best Animated Film and is the highest grossing movie in Japanese history. The film is also hand drawn, something which is not all that common in today's world of computer generated imagery which gave the film an even more charming quality. Spirited Away is nothing short of magical and is as good as, if not better than, anything the House of Mouse have produced.
Pan's Labyrinth
Probably the least well received movie on this list, but I absolutely adored it. While the ending was different to the comic's, director Zack Snyder otherwise stayed loyal to the source. The characters are perfectly brought to life and fantastically played, with the stand out being Jackie Earle Haley's Rorschach appearing as if he'd walked straight from the pages of Alan Moore's comic to the big screen.
Casino Royale
The 21st James Bond movie saw Daniel Craig make his bow as the famous 007. Casino Royale does not continue where the other twenty left off, but rather introduces us to a new timeline in which we see Bond as he earns his license to kill. It is a far grittier and more realistic movie than any Bond outing before it and this was crucial as the series had started to become clichéd, cheesy and formulaic.
WALL-E
In 2008, the geniuses at Pixar delivered, in my opinion, their best film to date(which says something looking back at their stellar filmography). WALL-E is a waste collection robot who spends his live collecting and sorting the waste that forced human kind to abandon the Earth. WALL-E finds love in the form of EVE, a robot sent by the humans to search for living plant life. I actually challenge anyone to watch this film and not feel an overwhelming sense of childhood innocence and wonderment.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away is a 2001 release from the legendary Studio Ghibli. The story revolves around young girl as she encounters a world of ghosts and spirits while moving to a new town. It won the 2002 Oscar for Best Animated Film and is the highest grossing movie in Japanese history. The film is also hand drawn, something which is not all that common in today's world of computer generated imagery which gave the film an even more charming quality. Spirited Away is nothing short of magical and is as good as, if not better than, anything the House of Mouse have produced.
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth was the most unforgettable movie of 2006. A dark and twisted fairytale set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, it weaves its way through horror, fantasy and history seamlessly. Guillermo del Toro' let his imagination run free and created a visually arresting work of art. As a pure cinematic experience, it is a masterpiece.
The Dark Knight
I was going to feature Batman Begins instead because of what it did for the Batman franchise, but I couldn't leave it's 2008 sequel off this list. The Dark Knight just picked up exactly where BB let off and set the standard for not only comic book movies, but all action blockbuster movies. It showed that movies with explosion don't need to be devoid of plot, dialogue and character development (Michael Bay, I hope you're reading). Any mention of TDK isn't complete with mentioning Heath Ledger's role as The Joker which, in my opinion, is the best example of character acting ever.
The Motorcycle Diaries
Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly’s twisted indie film Donnie Darko managed to slip under the radar in 2001 but became a hit with its DVD release and even managed to propel Gary Jules to a Christmas number one. It is a mind bending masterpiece that stays with you for a long time after you see it. Just try explaining it to your friends though.
The Wrestler
It could be argued that any of Darren Aronofsky's film made over the last decade could have featured on this list, but for me The Wrestler was his best. The story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson is one that so many real life professional wrestlers have lived, obsessing over their glory days and denying to themselves that they ever ended. This is a must see for everybody and most definitely is not just for wrestling fans.
The Lord Of The Rings
The word "epic" has become a bit of a cliché these days, but there is no better word for TLOTR trilogy. I'm including the trilogy, as last year I watched all three in one sitting and it was probably the most enjoyable ten straight hours of my life and if you ever get the chance to do it, don't hesitate to say yes! The trilogy won 17 Oscars overall, with each film winning the award for best visual effects, deservedly so as they are all stunning.
Amelié
Not only is this my favourite film of the last ten years, Amelié is my favourite movie of all time. The film centres around one of cinema's most enchanting characters Amelié Poulain (played by the mesmerising Audrey Tatou) and her journey to make people happy which, over the course of the film, causes her to fall in love. This is a film that, no matter how many times I watch it or whatever mood I am in, will always leave me with a great feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Lastly, the soundtrack, composed by the wonderful Yann Tiersen, is an absolute classic.
The Dark Knight
I was going to feature Batman Begins instead because of what it did for the Batman franchise, but I couldn't leave it's 2008 sequel off this list. The Dark Knight just picked up exactly where BB let off and set the standard for not only comic book movies, but all action blockbuster movies. It showed that movies with explosion don't need to be devoid of plot, dialogue and character development (Michael Bay, I hope you're reading). Any mention of TDK isn't complete with mentioning Heath Ledger's role as The Joker which, in my opinion, is the best example of character acting ever.
The Motorcycle Diaries
The Motorcycle Diaries is a biopic based on the memoirs of Ernesto "Che" Guevara from when he travelled across South America at the age of 23. Ernesto, accompanied by his best friend Alberto Granado, see firsthand on his travels the impoverished state of the people of rural South America. The film shows the passion of a young Guevara that lead him to become the iconic revoultionary that he became. Andrew from SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS! commented on this film 'After watching The Motorcycle Diaries, did anyone else think "Fuck, I'm wasting my life"?'
Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly’s twisted indie film Donnie Darko managed to slip under the radar in 2001 but became a hit with its DVD release and even managed to propel Gary Jules to a Christmas number one. It is a mind bending masterpiece that stays with you for a long time after you see it. Just try explaining it to your friends though.
The Wrestler
It could be argued that any of Darren Aronofsky's film made over the last decade could have featured on this list, but for me The Wrestler was his best. The story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson is one that so many real life professional wrestlers have lived, obsessing over their glory days and denying to themselves that they ever ended. This is a must see for everybody and most definitely is not just for wrestling fans.
The Lord Of The Rings
The word "epic" has become a bit of a cliché these days, but there is no better word for TLOTR trilogy. I'm including the trilogy, as last year I watched all three in one sitting and it was probably the most enjoyable ten straight hours of my life and if you ever get the chance to do it, don't hesitate to say yes! The trilogy won 17 Oscars overall, with each film winning the award for best visual effects, deservedly so as they are all stunning.
Amelié
Not only is this my favourite film of the last ten years, Amelié is my favourite movie of all time. The film centres around one of cinema's most enchanting characters Amelié Poulain (played by the mesmerising Audrey Tatou) and her journey to make people happy which, over the course of the film, causes her to fall in love. This is a film that, no matter how many times I watch it or whatever mood I am in, will always leave me with a great feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Lastly, the soundtrack, composed by the wonderful Yann Tiersen, is an absolute classic.
There you have it, a no doubt, highly disagreed upon list. I'd like to thank Aidan Greene for helping me get this done by the end of the year.
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