Every film critic, by law, has to list their top 10 films of the decade.
And even though WWTW is four days late I want to abide by my civic duty.
The following is an emotional list, even more so than my usual blatherings. It’s based on which films left me with the sharpest memories, or at least carved their own niche in the movie realm.
Please to enjoy – and vigorously disagree.
- “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” – Steve Carell and company reset the comedy clock with a film so good, so funny, I could watch it right now and laugh just like the first time.
- “The Descent” – The best pure horror film of the decade caused Mrs. WWTW to flee the room in terror mid-viewing. I stayed, but kept the lights on a bit longer that night.
- “The Incredibles” – The best Pixar film in recent memory, a slam bang action movie that delivered laughs and sweetness in between the mayhem.
- “Once” – I left the theater after seeing this film on a high that I hadn’t felt before – or since.
- “The Dark Knight” – The adult comic book movie I waited a decade to see.
- “The Lord of the Rings” – A film trilogy that delivered nearly everything one could demand in a fantasy series, the perfect marriage of CGI and storytelling.
- “United 93″ – A great movie and a cinematic reminder of the terrors we still face today.
- “Spider-Man” - More day-glo brilliant than “The Dark Knight” but an exquisite example of an origin story told to perfection.
- “Borat” – The biggest laughs of the decade. The film caught an entire nation off guard.
- “Sideways” – The movie that gave us Paul Giamatti as a leading man, re-introduced us to Thomas Haden Church and proved the road picture has plenty of miles still left on it.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
How about “The Lives of Others”? Never mind the last ten years. That’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
“Virgin,” no. A well-crafted series of SNL skits built around a friendly storyline but a comedy of the decade? Nay.
“Sideways” was too mean-spirited upon reflection to be a decade-er, although sad-sack Giamatti and solipsistic Haden Church did present excellent performances.
“Spider-maybe.” Good point about it being a v. good coming-of-age story wrapped in a wish fulfillment comic book story. As a sequart fan, I had issues with some of the execution, but compared to a decade’s worth of releases as a whole…maybe.
“Incredibles” – yes. Really what Spider-man should have been as a comic-book superhero film.
Also, “Ratatouille” – the third act was sublime. In fact, Pixar arguably released the best films of the decade across the board. Animation + good stories x real writing and characterization.
“Knight” actually was the GWOT film metaphor disguised as a comic book movie (barely; really much more of “Heat”-quality drama); “93″ was a little to slick for its intent – would have worked better as a documentary narrative.
“Once.” yes – what “small” films usually are, but with much greater recognition than they usually get. A reminder that the better stories seldom come out of Hollywood now.
“Borat” Uncomfortably difficult to watch and some low-hanging fruit scenes, but it is the comedy that Apatow should be producing: provocative and thought-provoking and ROTFL funny all at once. Pryor, Carlin, Bruce, et al would smile.
“Rings” Without question.
~ D.
I’m a sucker for movie lists so I’m happy to read them. Since these are personal favorites and not ones you felt defined the decade I can’t disagree. If you like a movie then that’s all we can ask at the end of the day.
Love the list and here’s to the next ten-plus years of WWTW!!