Top 100 Films of the Decade

So here it is. After much deliberation, and lots of revisiting the films which stood out, I have not only whittled down the thousands of films I saw over the past ten years (easier than I thought), but I have ordered them based on my opinion of their quality, importance and impact on me (harder than expected). No doubt you will disagree with my list, either the exclusion of certain films or the order. This is not meant to be definitive, as many other lists claim to be, but merely my take on the decade. I hope you enjoy it.

100. Almost Famous (2000)
Directed by Cameron Crowe
99. Bad Education (2004)
Directed by Pedro Almodovar
98. Munich (2005)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
97. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
Directed by Seth Gordon
96. Hero (2002)
Directed by Zhang Yimou
95. Mean Girls (2004)
Directed by Mark Waters
94. The Mist (2007)
Directed by Frank Darabont
93. This is England (2006)
Directed by Shane Meadows
92. Ten (2002)
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
91. The Class (2008)
Directed by Laurent Cantet
90. Sexy Beast (2000)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
89. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Directed by David Guggenheim
88. Chopper (2000)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
87. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
86. Time of the Wolf (2003)
Directed by Michael Haneke
85. Italian For Beginners (2000)
Directed by Lone Scherfig
84. Synecdoche, New York (2009)
Directed by Charlie Kaufman
83. Che (2008)
Directed by Steven Sodeburgh
82. Solaris (2002)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
81. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
80. Volver (2006)
Directed by Pedro Almodovar
79. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
78. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
77. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
76. Bamako (2006)
Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
75. The Dark Knight (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
74. Sideways (2004)
Directed by Alexander Payne
73. Talk To Her (2002)
Directed by Pedro Almodovar
72. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
71. CousCous (2007)
Directed by Abdel Kechiche
70. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
69. In The Loop (2009)
Directed by Armando Ianucci
68. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Directed by Michel Gondry
67. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Directed by Sam Raimi
66. Before Sunset (2004)
Directed by Richard Linklater
65. Zatoichi (2003)
Directed by Takeshi Kitano
64. Nightwatch (2004)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
63. American Psycho (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
62. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Directed by Larry Charles
61. Belleville Rendez-vous (2003)
Directed by Sylvain Chomet
60. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Directed by Adam McKay
59. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
58. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Directed by Edgar Wright
57. Dean Man's Shoes (2004)
Directed by Shane Meadows
56. A Serious Man (2009)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
55. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
54. Lost in Translation (2003)
Directed by Sophia Coppola
53. The Descent (2005)
Directed by Neil Marhsall
52. Control (2007)
Directed by Anton Corbijn
51. Gomorrah (2008)
Directed by Matteo Garrone
50. Spellbound (2002)
Directed by Jeffery Bitz
49. Traffic (2000)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
48. Team America: World Police (2004)
Directed by Trey Parker
47. The Incredibles (2004)
Directed by Brad Bird
46. The Proposition (2005)
Directed by John Hillcoat
45. Audition (2001)
Directed by Takeshi Miike
44. Hunger (2008)
Directed by Steve McQueen
43. Amelie (2001)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
42. Far From Heaven (2002)
Directed by Todd Haynes
41. Amores Perros (2000)
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
40. Ratatouille (2007)
Directed by Brad Bird
39. Infernal Affairs (2002)
Directed by Andrew Lau & Alan Mak
38. Memento (2000)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
37. You, The Living (2007)
Directed by Roy Andersson
36. Etre et avoir (2002)
Directed by Nicolas Philibert
35. United 93 (2006)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
34. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
33. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2007)
Directed by Tommy Lee Jones
32. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Directed by Lars von Trier
31. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Directed by Andrew Jarecki
30. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
Directed by Errol Morris
29. City of God (2002)
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
28. O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
27. A History of Violence (2005)
Directed by David Cronenberg
26. WALL - E (2008)
Directed by Andrew Stanton
25. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
Directed by Cristian Mungiu
24. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Directed by Ang Lee
23. Donnie Darko (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly
22. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
21. Together (2000)
Directed by Lukas Moodysson
20. Let The Right One In (2009)
Directed by Thomas Alfredson
19. Oldboy (2003)
Directed by Park Chan Wook
18. Dogville (2003)
Directed by Lars von Trier
17. There Will Be Blood (2007)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
16. The Hurt Locker (2009)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
15. Grizzly Man (2005)
Directed by Werner Herzog
14. Downfall (2004)
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
13. In The Mood For Love (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar Wai
12. Gosford Park (2001)
Directed by Robert Altman
11. INLAND EMPIRE (2006)
Directed by David Lynch

10. Zodiac (2007)
Directed by David Fincher













9. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Directed by Ang Lee















8. Hidden (2005)
Directed by Michael Haneke












7. The New World (2005)
Directed by Terence Malick














6. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Directed by David Lynch














5. The White Ribbon (2009)
Directed by Michael Haneke















4. No Country For Old Men (2007)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen













3. The Lives of Others (2006)
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck














2. Spirited Away (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki












1. The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003)
Directed by Peter Jackson



First things first, The Lord of the Rings may have been released theatrically in three parts, but to count each film individually is to overlook the actual story, the achievement and manner in which Jackson and his crew went about shooting the trilogy, and also Tolkien's original vision. The Lord of the Rings is one story, broken into three parts simply because of how big the story is. To separate it would undermine Jacksons achievement.
The Lord of the Rings is quite simply one of, if not the finest achievement in cinematic history. To take one of the great works of modern fiction, and translate it so effectively, and so comprehensively to the big screen is one thing, but to completely realise this world, make it feel inhabited, and find a cast of actors who can handle the dialogue without it feeling confusing or convoluted is something else.
The technological advancements Jackson achieved are also magnificent, from the Mumakil, to Gollum, the CGI to the model work, everything and everyone on The Lord of the Rings were on the top of their game, and the film stands as one of those rare instances where all the elements came together perfectly. The Lord of the Rings is not only the best film of the decade but one of the finest works of cinema ever.





In closing....





So in many ways the Noughties has been a dissapointment. A lot of great filmmakers have begun a slow decent whilst potential greats have failed to step up to fill the void left by the old masters. The death of masters Bergman and Antonioni was greeted with statements about the death of cinema. Certainly no filmmaker today as achieved the global reputation of these two, but cinema has been worse, and as these 100 films, and all the great films which I failed to see, have demostrated that amongst the mediocrity exists genuine films to cherish, and although Hollywood seems to be moving more and more into franchises and remakes, there are still hard working filmmakers looking to push the boundaries and definitions of the art form, and that is a reason to be optimistic into the next decade.





Over the past ten years I have aged from 16 to 26, and have developed my appreciation and understanding cinema. These films represent what I consider they pinnacle of achievement over the past decade. I look forward to looking back in ten years time to see if these films are still has powerful, vibrant, relevant and engrossing as they are now.

Review of the Decade - TV Shows

Has there ever been a better decade for television. Below is just a handful of the landmark, and monumental works of television which have aired over the past ten years. A selection of shows I haven’t seen enough of that may merit inclusion include The Sopranos, The West Wing, Deadwood, Arrested Development, Mad Men, The Shield, 30 Rock, Futurama and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Here though stand the 10 greatest Television Shows of the past ten years. That most of them are amongst the greatest TV shows of all time is a testament to the amazing creativity which has developed. It’s ironic that in an age when TV seems to be losing all morality, and reality TV shows clutter up not only the schedules but also the mind, there is still space and time for, if your willing to look, some of the most uplifting, inspiring and beautifully crafted characters and stories ever created.







10. Family Guy
The best comedy family since The Simpsons
Sharp, witty, irreverent. Family Guy is, if nothing else, hilariously funny. It may lack the charm of The Simpsons but its aimed a far older and more mature audience. If you don't like it, you probably don't have a funny bone.












9. The Office
It's funny cos its true
The british comedy phenomenon, giving us the writing talent of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Th Office broke with traditional sitcom conventions (laugh track, jokes) to create one of the most inspired, brilliant and observant comedies of recent years. In a decade which became overwhelmed with reality TV, and the desire to become famous, The Office managed in 12 episodes and a Christmas special to connect with a generation of viewers like nothing else.













8. Generation Kill
From the creators of The Wire. Need I Say More
Telling the true story of the recon marines who were the first American soldiers to cross into Iraq. Across 7 episodes we grow to love, hate, admire and respect the soldiers as we also see how American arrogance and poor decision making constantly put the men in danger. One of the few TV or Film's to actually capture the conflict in Iraq effectively, and its achieved mainly by finding the human story behind the conflict. Unflinchingly brilliant TV.















7. South Park
Crude, rude and Lewd. What more could you want
When South Park started at the end of the last decade it felt a little like a one trick pony. Yet, as the years have gone by the writing as become wittier, cleverer, and more culturally relevant. That it takes only two weeks to make an episode demonstrates the genius at work, and Parker and Stone are wise enough to never present a polemic, instead taking shots at both sides of the argument and showing the hypocrisy of both.















6. Peep Show
This is what men reallt think. And it's brilliant
This is the funniest, wittiest and unashamedly honest comedy on TV. A unique, original style and content which felt as if it might not last, is, in its 6th season going as strong as ever. The show may be on the wane, but Jez and Mark are two of comedies great creations and even if the quality is beginning to dip, its still head and shoulders above anything else.
















5. 24
Addictive, intense, brilliant. It's Jack
There has never been a better endorsement of DVD boxsets. The most addictive, compulsive TV around. It may be highly unbelievable and utterly preposterous, but like a drug, once your jack in, its very difficult to give it up. The show has also managed to deal with some of the most crucial issues affecting the world in the 00s and for this reason 24 is in many ways the most important show of the past decade. Season 6 may have felt as though the novelty had worn off, but 7 saw a return to form and 4 and 5 are two of the best seasons of TV ever created.













4. Six Feet Under
Death as never been this good
Pitching a show about a family who run a funeral home must have been a tough sell, but then it was created by Alan "American Beauty" Ball. Therefore it is one of the most interesting, engaging and emotionally resonant TV show of all time. A great range of complex, lovable characters trying to navigate the right path in life, whilst simultaneously having to face the prospect of death of a daily basis. What makes this so beautiful is how real the characters feel. If you don't shed a tear during the extended final episode you are probably already dead.















3. Lost
The greatest mystery in Television history.
Love or hate it, Lost is the big phenomenon of the 21st century. It's also probably the last great mytharc show. For a time it seemed like it was going nowhere, but the one constant in Lost is that no-one can second guess the creators, and each answer spawns a question more compelling. It's also a show you spend infinitely more time thinking about that watching. Quintessential complusive TV, by the time it ends, it could be one of the few truly exceptional works of TV ever created.















2. Battlestat Galactica
Sci-Fi you can takr seriously
If someone had told me that a reimagining of a awful TV show which clung to the coat tails of the success of Star Wars would become the finest science fiction show of all time I would have laughed. But Battlestar Galactica isn't your average sci-fi. Addressing issues of what it means to be human, terrorism, mythology, whether we as a race deserve our existence - its as good at being personal drama as at sci-fi epic battles. The truly great thing though is that characters you love are forced make decisions which turn them into monsters, and yet you know, deep down that you would make the same choice.















1. The Wire
The single greatest TV show ever created.
As Charlie Brooker wrote, I’m jealous of anyone who hasn’t seen The Wire because they have it all to come. I watched The Wire over about four months, long after it initially aired and shortly before it was re-broadcast on BBC2. Over the course of 5 seasons, the creators developed and introduced us to nearly 100 characters, all of whom felt real, but not just real; they felt as though they had always existed and as if their lives continued after the scene, episode or series ended. The show contained great moments of comedy, wit, heartbreak, drama, fear, tension, action and mystery, and managed to do all of it with more authority, authenticity and style than any other show in existence. Yes it might be bleak, but there is always hope in The Wire. Hope in the people who want to stop the game, to break the system and improve the lives of those caught in its web. But most of all The Wire is the great human drama of our age. It is the closest we have to modern Dickens. FACT!

Review of the Decade - Film (Female Performances)

The big debate around female parts in cinema is that there just aren’t enough strong, leading roles for women, and this list contains four supporting roles, and six leads. Despite this argument, which doesn’t look like going away, the decade has seen the emergence of some of Hollywood’s greatest talent in years. I have unfortunately not seen enough foreign actresses performances and so they are notable by their absence, but Julie Delpy, Sophie Marceau, Monica Belluci, Isabella Huppert, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Maggie Cheung, Marion Cotillard, Deborah Francois, Franke Potente are just some of the actresses working outside Hollywood that have impressed.

10. Kate Hudson

Almost Famous

(2000)

Kate Hudson falls into that cateogry of potential great actresses that fell into below par romantic comedies from which she may never recover. Thankfully we will always have Penny Lane, a role Hudson made her own, and one which should, based on her performance have launched a decade of great performances. She is sexy, vulnerable, seductive, childish, charming and had a profound affect on me when I first saw Almost Famous - a term which aptly seems to apply to her now more than ever.

9. Q'orianka Kilcher

The New World

(2005)

I almost hope to never see Q-orianka in a film again. Her role is so beguilling, so hynoptically beautiful that you leave the cinema believing Malick must have plucked from the past; that she could very well be the actual Pocahontas.

A rare performance from a rare talent, she even manages to out act both Christian Bale and Colin Farrell.

8. Julianne Moore

Far From Heaven

(2002)

Todd Haynes love letter to the melodramas of Douglas Sirk has at its heart and powerful, heart wrenching performance from Julianne Moore as the wife of a homosexual man, whose affections for the black gardener ostricise her from her family and community.
Julianne Moore is, in many ways an actress cast from an earlier generation, and her other, similar role in The Hours demonstrates her ability to battle the emotional turmoil in a repressed society that still saw a woman's place as in the home, and a loyal wife.

7. Julia Roberts

Erin Brockovich

(2000)

This may well be the last great performance of an actress who at one time was the most well paid, and famous actress in the world. As her star has waned in the past year, this film now stands as a monument to what could have been a gloruous decade for the once Pretty Woman. Roberts has never been so commited, sensing the potential for awards, and the Oscar she picked up was wholly deserved.

6. Nicole Kidman

Dogville

(2003)

At the turn of the century, Kidman's career seemed to be going nowhere, an actress more famous for being Mrs Cruise, than for being a great actress. A series of roles, of which this was the pinnacle, demonstrated a technician at the top of her game, and the rare emotion, the setless film forced, allowed Kidman to show why she is one of the finest actors working today.

5. Cate Blanchett

The Aviator

(2004)

The greatest actress that ever lived playing the Kathryn Hepburn. Like her role in I'm Not There, there just isn't another actress alive who could portray the tour de force that was Hepburn. Blanchett imbues the role with a frivolity and vulnerability rarely shown in Hepburn's performances and would have made the great actress herself proud, which is some compliment

4. Laura Dern

INLAND EMPIRE

(2006)

Playing essentially three versions of herself, it could have been easy for Dern to get lost in the labyrinth that was INLAND EMPIRE. Instead she displays a range of acting, and commitment to the role unlike anything she has achieved before. Dern becomes the pillar which holds Lynch's imagination down, and the performance is even more magnificent when you learn Lynch didn't have a script. Dern so effortlessly gives herself over, becoming a conduit for Lynch's mystery and the personification of the films meditations on the female.

3. Ellen Burstyn

Requiem For A Dream

(2000)

I first fell in love with Ellen Burstyn in the wonderful Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. In Requiem For A Dream her role is a sub plot yet, its this story, of an aging widow, desiring to be a contestant on her favourite TV show, who becomes addicted to weight loss drugs in an attempt to achieve her dream, which packs the emotional wallop, as you see her succombing to the addictive, hallucinatory powers of prescription medication - the only real victim in this story.

2. Cate Blanchett

I'm Not There

(2007)

There is only one actress alive who could pull off being a man, an possibly the most iconic man on the 20th century. Outacting the 5 other actors playing versions of Dylan (Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Ben Whishaw, Richard Gere and Marcus Carl Franklin), Blanchett performance is astohishing and should have earnt her an Oscar. Poltraying Dylan at his most famous, and most similar to the real man, this is one of the rarest, and engaging, performances you'll see in this decade, or any other.

1. Naomi Watts

Mulholland Drive

(2001)

There's no real point raving about Watts' career defining role in David Lynch's bizarre, nightmarish surreal drama. Instead just watch her audition scene in the film. Not only is an example for all budding actors how to play the enotion not the line, its also serves as the benchmark for acting this past decade. Watts has demonstrated in the past decade, an ability to take powerful, gut wrenching performances and making them about more than the performance. She never shows off, and can look astonishingly beautiful yet unassuming at the same time. A talent which is rare for leading ladies, especially in this day and age.

Review of the Decade - Film (Male Performances)

For the most part, the iconic performances from male actors of the past ten years have tended to be explorations of insanity, evil and madness, all to varying degrees. But what has defined the male leads of the past decade has been the emergence of some of the finest leading men since the Golden Age of Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, James Stewart et al. The great roles of the 00’s have emerged, often from nowhere or seen actors who have previously been looked upon with scorn or indifference emerge and create the defining performances of their generation.

10. Will Smith
Ali
(2001)
There really was no one more suitable to bring the legendary Muhammad Ali to the big screen, and yet it was still a shock to see such a complete, egoless performance from Will Smith. Not since Six Degrees of Seperation had Will Smith shown such ability as a actor. It's just a shame he hasn't been able to build on this heavyweight performance.

9. David Strathairn
Good Night and Good Luck
(2005)
Amid an emsemble cast including Robert Downey Jr, George Clooney, Frank Langella and Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn still emerge as the most eye catching and impressive performer in the central role of Edward R. Murrow. He oozed intellect, coolness and an unflappable motivation to pursue the and present both sides of the argument with a character Strathairn managed to make seem fearless, but by no means flawless.


8. Casey Affleck
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
(2007)
In a film like this, it rests on the performances of the two leads, and in many ways, Affleck's performance is at the mercy of Pitt's James. That both are exceptional is a testament to both actors abilities but it is the subdued madness of Affleck which so poetically captures the tragedy of Ford's life as a man besotted with James, and thus never able to earn the man's respect. Affleck also never struggles with the arc of Ford, firstly trying to impress James, before finally revealing his jealousy and envy before struggling with the infamy of killing the man.

7. Christian Bale
American Psycho
(2000)
Bale is one of the few actors to turn from child star to full blown A-List star. He may have made for famous roles, but its his turn as the antihero Jason Bateman from Brett Easton Ellis' iconic novel. What convinces and horrifies is not just how suave and charming Bale is, but how he never cross the line nad becomes over the top as the pyshcotic serial killer. You also strangely emphasis with him desire to stand out from the crowd, even if you don't agree with his methods.




6. Heath Ledger
The Dark Knight
(2008)
Better than Nicholson? Perhaps not, but Ledger's role is so unique, original and terrifying that he completely embraces and almost defines Nolan's new interpretation of the Dark Knight. Ledger's commitment to the character is best exemplified when he blows up the hospital but it's his immersive dedication to the character which makes him the best comic book villain of the noughties.


5. Benicio Del Toro
Che (2008)
Benicio Del Toro is Che Guevara. Helped by Soderbergh reluctance to iconise the revolutionary, Del Toro, sensibly recognises the man behind the myth and strives, and succeeds to present just that.

4. Eric Bana

Chopper

(2000)

Having seen Chopper, you'd never imagine Eric Bana was a stand up comic. Yet another psycho find itself on our list. Bana, who spent considerable time with Mark Read, allows us to empathise with the character, but also never plays the part as a psycho, merely a misunderstand, perhaps slightly ordinary guy, craving individuality. What Bana also instils in his performance is the sense that we might all know someone like Read, and that is perhaps the most unnerving truth to his whole performance.

3. Ulrich Muhe

The Lives of Others

(2006)

Understatement doesn't quite encapsulate the monumental final performance from Ulrich Muhe. He holds the film together, and perfectly conveys the oppressive nature of society under the Stasi. Gradually, as the lives of those he watches begin to affect him, we see this cool, steely persona fragment and melt away, leaving a lonely, empathetic character behind.

2. Javier Bardem

No Country For Old Men

(2007)
The scariest incarnation of evil since Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Take a moment to let that soak in and you'll begin to realise how pitch perfect, Bardem angel of death truly is. "what's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?" indeed.

1. Heath Ledger

Brokeback Mountain

(2005)
For all the attention Ledger received for The Dark Knight, and the pothumous Oscar, it is Brokeback Mountain for which Ledger will be remembered. A towering performance of understatement and repressed emotion. It may not be showy, or draw attention to itself, but never does Ledger fail to convey to emotion of the scene. This performance also stands as the role which saw Ledger evolve from young potential to one of the few great actors of his generation.

Review of the Decade - Film (Scores)

A film score can transform a bad film into a good one and a good film into a great one. It can immerse you in a period, or convey emotion often more subtly and effectively than any dialogue, action of camera move. Over the past ten years a number of pre-eminent composers have created some of their finest work, and rightfully belong next to the legends of cinema golden age.

10. House of Flying Daggers - Shigeru Umebayashi

9. Gladiator - Hans Zimmer

8. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Tan Dun








7. In The Mood For Love

6. Amelie - Yann Tiersen







5. Mulholland Drive - Angelo Badalamenti

4. Requiem For A Dream -Clint Mansell/Kronos Quartet

3. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - John Williams








1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Howard Shore