The Masterpieces
11. Brokeback Mountain (2005): Among the most well directed films I’ve ever seen, Ang Lee’s tale of impossible love is pitch perfect and rightfully deserves to be in the company of similarly themed classics, such as William Wyler’s “Wuthering Heights” (1939). Lee brilliantly captures the internal agony of love just out of reach and contrasts it with the societal hurdles of being a gay man in the 1960s. He’s also able to elicit beautifully brave performances from Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, creating the level of depth needed for this film to succeed.
10. The Reader (2008): Stephen Daldry created a film that encompasses Nazi guilt and the pains of adolescence in a way that I had never seen before, and perhaps superior to any film that has ever tried on either topic (an enormous accomplishment considering the two subject matters). The merger of themes plays out like a requiem; each note carried by one of the great female performances of the decade. Kate Winslet bears her sole as a former Nazi guard, forcing the audience to sympathize with a representative of one of the most sadistic symbols in the history of mankind.
9. Jarhead (2005): While many consider this film to be a weakness on Sam Mendes’ resume, I feel it to be his greatest accomplishment, which is heavy praise considering my admiration for his other work. “Jarhead,” for mostly superficial reasons, is deemed a war film, but it’s done in the same view that “Apocalypse Now” (1979) is considered a war film. Both films exist in the setting of war, but neither is about a war; in both cases, the war is an afterthought. Many films have tried to duplicate the success of “Apocalypse Now,” making a film about what war does to a person, but “Jarhead” is by far the closest I’ve seen a filmmaker come. In the hands of a different director, the film could have easily fallen into the numerous pitfalls that challenge such a concept.
8. Away From Her (2006): This film lands on my list largely because of the emotional reaction it elicited from me. Sarah Polley walks a tightrope on this film, always managing to prevent the material from slipping into a melodramatic mess—the film is always very real and honest. I maintain the viewpoint that there is no disease worse than Alzheimer’s for the simple reason that there is nothing more vital to the human existence than one’s mind. The very idea of witnessing a life partner losing his or her mind, and in turn losing the bond that connects you, is heart wrenching, and Polley tackles the script with masterful skill.
7. Donnie Darko (2001): It feels like so long ago that this film came out. I remember watching it, thinking how unbelievably talented Richard Kelly was, and how he was the next great filmmaker in Hollywood. Since his debut film, he has hit some bumps in the road, but I find that nothing has been taken away from his masterpiece. Kelly navigates his script’s brilliantly woven plot to perfection, creating arguably the biggest cult classic of the decade. The film also marks a breakthrough performance for Jake Gyllenhaal.
6. The Good Shepherd (2006): As year’s have past, I find that I’m standing mostly alone in admiration of DeNiro’s directorial monument. Three years have gone by since I sat in the theater, transfixed on this biographical tale of CIA’s foundation (like the word: “god,” there’s no “the” preceding CIA), and I have lost no love for it. It’s a shame how little accolade Matt Damon received for his quiet portrayal of protagonist Edward Wilson; the non-flashy performance was unfairly glanced over by most viewers.
5. Closer (2004): Mike Nichols elevated Patrick Marber’s play; the venom-spitting dialog, performed wonderfully by Clive Owen, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Julia Roberts, never could sound better. Whenever I sit down to view the film, I spend the entire runtime grinning ear to ear because of the endless buffet of deliciously wicked exchanges. “Closer” is the pinnacle of the anti-romance genre—it bears the soul of love and all the awfulness that can accompany it.
4. Before Sunset (2004): Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise” (1995) is among the greatest romances ever filmed—it perfectly encapsulated the beginning of love—his sequel, “Before Sunset,” is even better. It works so well because it looks at love through a lens of real human interaction, from the vantage point of people who do not exist solely to exercise a script. Viewing this film feels like catching up with old friends—Jesse and Celine—and checking in on them years after the open-ended, yet somewhat fairytale-like conclusion in “Before Sunrise.” It also must be added that the film’s final scene, in my view, is the greatest ending any film has ever been given.
3. 21 Grams (2003): Quiet desperation has never played out more profoundly than it does in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s gripping masterwork. The film’s story of loss, guilt and redemption uses a unique narrative, revealing the plot’s timeline out of sync and forcing viewers to piece together the harrowing tale at Inarritu’s designed pace. The real stars of the film, however, are the cast: Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts are brilliant; they deliver devastatingly powerful portrayals of people in pain, coping with the worst life has to offer them.
2. Mulholland Dr. (2001): The great David Lynch created his magnum opus in 2001. The narrative intertwines real life, nightmarish dream, and fantasy into a wonderful blend of pure genius. Nothing in this film is out of place; it travels the well-worn path of surreal filmmaking and does it better than anyone before or after it. In addition, Naomi Watts delivers what is arguably the greatest female performance of the decade, perhaps only surpassed by Charlize Theron in “Monster” (2003). There are few experiences even comparable to viewing this film and there is no one that shouldn’t experience the magic Lynch created at least once in their lifetime.
1. There Will Be Blood (2007): Paul Thomas Anderson created the best film made in my lifetime, let alone the decade. It’s the film that I have been waiting for as long as I can remember—I always wondered what it would have been like to see one of my favorite classics for the first time in a theater and I can’t thank Anderson enough for making that dream come true. He didn’t do it alone though; Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal of Daniel Plainview is one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema—it’s a powerful, visceral embodiment of a man consumed by greed. I’m almost at a loss even discussing the film because I don’t know where to start or how to avoid being too brief. My words would be wasted anyway; it’s something that must be seen by anyone who loves film.
In addition to listing the above 11 masterpieces, I thought I’d compose a list of every other four star film released this decade (37). I strongly recommend all of the below films.
The Great Movies (listed alphabetically):
American Gangster (2007)
Antichrist (2009)
Apocalypto (2006)
The Aristocrats (2005)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
The Aviator (2004)
Batman Begins (2005)
Brothers [Brodre] (2004)
City of God [Cidade de Deus] (2002)
Crash (2005)
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
The Departed (2006)
Gangs of New York (2002)
Grindhouse (2007)
A History of Violence (2005)
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
One Hundred Steps [I Cento Passi] (2000)
In the Loop (2009)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Inland Empire (2006)
Into the Wild (2007)
Kill Bill (2003/2004)
The Last Samurai (2003)
The Limits of Control (2009)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Murderball (2005)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Road to Perdition (2002)
Sin City (2005)
Summer Hours [L'heure D'été] (2008)
Thirteen (2003)
Touching the Void (2003)
Up (2009)
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Watchmen (2009)
The Wrestler (2008)
