Honorable Mentions: No Country For Old Men, Shaun of the Dead, Children of Men, Superbad, Kill Bill
1. There Will Be Blood (2007) – It should come as no surprise that P.T. Anderson’s masterpiece about a greedy oil prospector and an equally corrupt evangelist comes in as the best of this past decade’s offerings. Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the greatest performances of all time as Daniel Plainview, one of the most sinister and memorable characters ever put to celluloid.
2. The Departed (2006) – Though not legendary director Martin Scorsese’s best film, The Departed is the organized crime film of the Aughts. Featuring a well-rounded, all-star cast, screenwriter William Monahan’s adaptation of Hong Kong’s Infernal Affairs was the best film of 2006, and finally won Scorsese his long-overdue Academy Award.
3. The Incredibles (2004) – No respectable list regarding films from the past decade can afford not to mention Pixar studios, which have produced hit after hit over the past 10 years. It’s hard to only choose one for this list. However, Pixar’s superhero satire The Incredibles earns the honors. A film that offers a little something for everyone, there is nothing to dislike in Brad Bird’s animated adventure.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – Featuring direction from Michel Gondry and a script penned by Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a hipster’s dream come true. The truth is, however, that this fantastical comedy/drama about erasing relationships from one’s memory is a charming and moving film that deserves every bit of acclaim it received. Kate Winslet gives the greatest performance of her incredible career to date, and Jim Carrey also delivers an underrated turn in this beautiful film.
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) – Though Return of the King won Peter Jackson all of his much-deserved awards and acclaim, it’s his second installment in the epic trilogy that stands out as the best film. This is the bleakest and most pessimistic film of the trilogy. The Two Towers also features the most epic battle of the series in the Battle of Helms Deep, and plenty of Andy Serkis’ Gollum to go around.
6. Inglourious Basterds (2009) – Though not as timely as The Hurt Locker or Up in the Air, nor as culturally significant as the overrated Avatar, Quentin Tarantino’s wonderful Nazi- killin’ themed film stands out as the film of 2009, and last year’s only offering worthy of a “best of the decade” list.
7. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) – The companion piece to the not-so-good Flags of Our Fathers, Clint Eastwood’s film tells the story of the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Imperial Japanese soldiers. Letters is not only the finest war film of the decade, it is also Clint Eastwood’s best directorial effort since Unforgiven. What Eastwood and screenwriter Iris Yamashita bring viewers is an uncompromising look at war from the viewpoint of the people that Americans considered enemies.
8. The Dark Knight (2008) – Director Christopher Nolan had a fantastic past decade. However, his best effort this decade came in the unexpected form of a Batman movie. Following up his 2005 series reboot, The Dark Knight picks up where the first movie left off and reintroduces audiences to The Joker. In this incarnation, the villain is portrayed by the late Heath Ledger, who gives a chilling turn in the greatest role of his impressive, albeit short, career.
9. American Psycho (2000) – Though not initially a hit by any means, Mary Harron’s adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho has become a cult classic. A satire of 1980s America and yuppie culture, it features Christian Bale in a knockout performance as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy businessman with a psychopathic alter ego. American Psycho can be viewed as a horror film or as a dark comedy, and the ending is rather ambiguous.
10. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) – This was the start of a revolution in comedy. Along with Wedding Crashers in the same year, Virgin proved that there is a market for R-rated comedy, and paved the way for “Bromantic Comedies” such as Knocked Up and Superbad. These comedies, most of which are directed or produced by Virgin director Judd Apatow, have kept audiences laughing into the new decade. Virgin also propelled Steve Carrell into superstardom.
