So me and my friend were emailing our top 15 of the decade. I figuredd I'd post it here. It's good to see some Malick fans among the FOT.
1. The New World (2005) ~ Terrence Malick – Simply put, the best film of the decade. But possibly the best film ever made. Certainly, my favorite. If you aren’t familiar with Terrence Malick, he is a reclusive director that has made four of the most beautiful films (Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line). The film is less of a film and more of a dream. Funny how in Limits of Control one of the characters says something like: “A good film is like a dream in that sometimes you are confused as to whether you really experienced it or it was just a creation in your own mind.” That is pretty much the way I feel about The New World. I’ve seen it probably seven times and still feel like there is so much more to see in it. Not to say it’s lacking in any area, because to me, everything about the film is as close to perfect as can be. Now whether or not this is just my view or not (sad to say it, but this film is love or hate, but most who hate go in looking for an action movie) the music (which is literally like nothing you’ve heard before, constantly growing and cascading, reoccurring, which I love in films, and hypnotic in the sense that you just can’t imagine what will happen once the music stops) the beautiful cinematography that has only greater and greater throughout Malick’s career, and the acting which is natural and compassionate including British character actors and unknowns. I could go on and on about this film.
2. Wendy and Lucy (2008) ~ Kelly Reichardt – This is pretty much everything I love about film. Everything about this film is believable. This happens so rarely in current films that I watch stuff like this and wonder, seriously what is going on in the heads of new director’s that make films that are wildly staged, overly narrated and have just no individual technique or feel. Wendy and Lucy and Reichardt’s previous film, Old Joy, are just modest films with modest characters that have such fluid narratives that they instantly sink in. There is no gimmick to her filmmaking. Also Michelle William’s performance in this is worth pointing out. She just plays a perfectly crafted character that has no annoying quirks and quickly gains the viewers respect.
3. All the Real Girls (2003) ~ David Gordon Green – DGG is a cool guy and this is the movie that turned me on to him. You got Paul Schneider and Zooey Deschanel playing romantic characters that are totally leveled out and, unlike 90% of relationship movies, totally undisgusting. The supporting cast is pretty great too, introducing Danny McBride.
4. Mutual Appreciation (2005) ~ Andrew Bujalski – Part of the ‘mumble-core’ movement in recent indie film. This film impresses me with both it’s B&W, grainy visual aesthetic and it’s poignant look at post-grad life.
5. Bright Leaves (2003) ~ Ross McElwee – One of the best documentary filmmakers. He approaches subjects to document then charmingly steers every one of his films in a personal direction, subsequently connecting all of his experienced filmmaking to his life, family and friends. This film is about his discovery of the film Bright Leaf, which was essentially a bio-pic of his great-grandfather who was a pioneer in the North Carolina tobacco industry. Over the course of the film he examines the films history and failure, and his family’s history. He has the great quality of being able to capture even the simplest image and be taken enough to examine the image and feeling and inevitably find meaning. There is a scene in one of his films where he travels to L.A. to meet with Miramax who are optioning for him to direct a feature of one of his films. While he is walking the boardwalk he stumbles upon filming of the show Baywatch. He films the cast and crew on from above questioning whether or not he admires the whole process and whether he wants to become a part of all of it. But before you know it, the camera turns to a homeless man standing next to him: “I’ve never been in a movie. How do I look?” And THAT is why I love Ross McElwee. He has little to no interest in commercial success and essentially releases his home movies to the public. His films are comforting, nostalgic, and just plain charming.
6. There Will Be Blood (2007) ~ Paul Thomas Anderson – I mean, you’ve seen it. There’s not much to not like. All the acting is wonderful and the cinematography is wide and big and pretty. Yeah, I would consider it a ‘masterpiece.’
7. High Fidelity (2000) ~ Stephen Frears – Not much needs to be said here. Just fun to watch and has never gotten old. Prime Jack Black.
8. All or Nothing (2002) ~ Mike Leigh – Truly heartbreaking, miserable film from Mike Leigh. Tells the story of poor British families all living terrible lives in the same hi-rise. The film has great character studies which aren’t unfamiliar to Leigh. But there is a glimmer of hope at the end that makes it all worthwhile.
9. L’enfant (2005) ~ Dardenne Brothers – The Dardennes have a style all their own and they follow it in every film. The key objective: realism. No music, natural light, the camera stays on the subject and sees primarily only what the subject can see. The films are truly a testament to the importance of style and versatility within that style.
10. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) ~ Bela Tarr – A film with a beauty along the same lines as The New World. Long shots follow a man walking around a small Hungarian town where the circus has arrived. The narrative is extremely lax and to most the film will probably seem slow and uneventful, but the film goes from basic steady cam shots to enormous visual achievements and the soundtrack slants between mournful and epic. It’s a really smooth, dream-like film.
11. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) ~ Wes Anderson – His best film. I get teary-eyed at the end when Ben Stiller says “It’s been a rough year, Dad.” Every time I watch it I find a lot more humanity in each character.
12. Julien Donkey-boy (1999/2000) ~ Harmony Korine – I love this film so much because it is such a genuine portrayal of a mental illness. I talk a lot about how much I admire films that look real and feel real. This film is a key example whenever it is said that there is a fine line between reality and fiction.
13. The Puffy Chair (2005) ~ Duplass Brothers – Another mumblecore movie. It is very accessible and hugely refreshing. Just an all-around great film.
14. The Squid and the Whale (2005) ~ Noah Baumbach – Great cast, modest story, unique personalities, Park Slope elitists, impressively concise for an indie film. It shows a lot of talent on Baumbach’s part. If you can check out his early films from the 90’s (Kicking and Screaming, Mr. Jealousy) and Whit Stillman films (Last Days of Disco, Metropolitan, Barcelona) he was a huge influence on Baumbach and Wes Anderson.
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) ~ Coen Brothers – A fun movie with hilarious characters and great music.
