Top ten films of the decade (2000-2009)

10. The Departed (2006)

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg

This is the best remake of the 2002's Hongkong thriller starring Andy lau and Tony leung. Scorsese, my favorite film director , succesfully adapted the film into american movie rooted in Boston. It chronicles infiltration between the law inforcer and the very people they are after. Matt Damon plays the tricky villain, and Dicaprio plays the the good guy who is in undercover as the mob member. Jack Nicholson plays the head of the mob. This star-studed picture really is one of the best crime-gangster mean-street genre that Scorsese pioneered more than three decades ago in 1973. Within the information and disinformation, you are not really sure what's coming and by that fashion this thriller drama pumps your heart pounding harder than most action-driven movies. With the usual Scorsese style of extreme violence and foul languages, this movie is most definitely not appropriate for those under the age of 20.

 

09. Casino Royale (2006)

Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green

This is the best James Bond film so far. Daniel Craig gave the performances that no other actors that play Bond can compete up to this point. He is cold and bloodthirsty, yet he is warm and compassionate. When there is chasing and fighting sequence between Bond and his enemies you are almost made believde that you don't want to be at the other end of the strike. The title Casino Royale actually refers to a spoof comedy in the 1967 which is also a James Bond film but in a comedic tone. Now the title is used once again to refer to a casino in montenegro where Bond must meet his nemesis to battle the evil using his black jack skill, a benefit skill in addition to skill to terminate life and to conquer women. Too bad the follow up of this wonderful picture is Quantum of Solace which is not nearly half as entertaining. 

 

08. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hanks

A con man film inspired by a true events in 1960s in which a teenager Frank Abagnale Jr posed as a doctor, a lawyer, and a pilot in order to bamboozle and steal a lot of money from the people he works for. This is one the most charming performances by Dicaprio playing a tortured teenager a victim of a broken family and must do whatever he thought he could to bring his family back together once again. Tom Hanks is also entertaining playing the a bit-goofy FBI agent who is trying to catch Frank. A lightweight drama of this caliber is also a proof that Spielberg is a brilliant versatile filmmaker of our time.

 

07. The Lord Of The Rings trilogy (2001-2003)

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Starring: Elijah Wood, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen

A great epic adapted from great book written by a visionary story teller and brought up to screen by a brilliant filmmaker. There is no doubt that LOTR is one helluva epic fantasy with beautiful tale and great visual achievement and always keep you unpatiently waiting one year before you can enjoy the continuation of the journey and the battle of the middle earth.

 

06. Kill Bill (2003-2004)

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Uma Thurman, Michael Madsen, David Carradine

The proof that Quentin really loves movies is vividly painted in every frame of this movie. The best revenge movie mixing western cowboy and far east martial art can never feel so realistically enjoyable if it were not because of Quentin’s vision of how an action film should be in order to be engrossing, enjoyable and of course becoming one of the best films of this decade. Uma Thurman gave of her great physical performances that almost no other female actress can beat. She is sweet but she can also be deadly. You gotta think twice about screwing her up ’cause she really will stop at nothing to get you. This is also David Carradine’s last feature presentation before his tragic death last year.

 

05. Avatar (2009)

Directed By: James Cameron

Starring: Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington.

James Cameron proved again that he really is the king of the world. After a huge and successful Titanic, we would think that Jim is running out of juice to make a movie that is nearly as great as the love story about sinking ship. But we thought wrong. Avatar has just broken the record of Titanic by becoming the number one picture of all time worldwide in terms of boxoffice sales. The environment-friendly theme mixed with recollection of Jim’s knowledge about all science fiction stories he read in the past. The result is a magnificent picture that is one of the best films of this decade.

04. No Country For Old Men (2007)

Directed By: Coen Brothers

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin

A story about a drug deal gone awry, and one man is trying to take the advantage out of the situation but found himself trapped in to mouse and cat chase between him and the people who want to claim the money back. This madman, played insanely convincing by Javier bardem, was the cold-blooded killer

who would never stop until either the hunted of himself was killed. This very powerful thriller is the Coen Brother's best film since the 1996's Fargo which is also about coincidence and something gone awry. The ultimate scene which is also inconclusive or should i say open to your own interpretation, is the typical signature of the directors. I found that No country of old men despite of its slow pace (also typical of the Coen Brothers) is a very intensely heart pounding thriller of this decade.

03. The Dark Knight (2008)

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger

In world of prevailing gruesome injustice, one man decides to take the stand to fight them. Batman is rebooted in 2005 with an awesome upgrade after a disaster 1997 film Batman & Robin. It is the great vision of Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer who bring our lovely crime fighting superhero back to the big screen which was one of the most awesome films of 2005. The sequel was even better, with that memorable evil villaint the joker played by the late Heath Ledger who died untimely, was definitely one of the drive of this film. He is omnipresent even when he's not on the screen. His menace really thrilled us throughout the film and his terror really turn our head upside down. The plot is awesome the story is great, the action was heart pounding and the drama is thrilling. WIth the supporting casts who play equally convincing, the picture albeit set in a fantasy world really has root in our real world especially because batman doesn't really have superpower. He counts on great technological devices and gadgets to fight injustice and crime of Gotham city. You can't possibly disagree with me if i put this film as one of the best films of this decade.

02. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano

This movie is about Day-Lewis performance. If it were not due to his involvement, it won’t be on this list, hell it won’t even make the cut for the 10 best film of 2007. His electrifying performance was uncanny and unbelievable. He plays a lonesome oil tycoon who cares about nothing but his wealth. He would stop at nothing to accomplish more wealth even it that means he has to take lives. The extent to which his character would dissolve to society was not clearly defined but that's what makes the film and Day-Lewis's performance (for that matter) is so good as hell. Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA) once again proves that he is not just another filmmaker. He is, much like Tarantino, a generation VCR director who gain his movie-making skill not by going to school professionaly, but rather by watching literally thousands of VCR  in his teenagehood. The result is a master of filmmaker who as also equally excellent in writing his own script be that original or adapted.

01. Minority Report (2002)
Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Ferrell

I have trouble of sleeping for nights after the first time i saw Minority report. This is not a horror flick, but the look of our future 50 years from 2002 really disturbed my state of mind. There is no sense of privacy left for us in society despite our safety is according to the film is more guaranteed by virtue of precogs who can see the future by gathering networked information which is digitally processed from raw data using advanced complicated technique and then generate the images out of the information . The advance technology show-off cannot get any better in other films this decade than in this very film. Spielberg's execution of film-noir style much like those of Hitchcock classic was perfectly blended seamlessly with the futuristic background. This is a very dark thriller with a setting in the future of our own world as we live it today, it is really an action-thriller futuristic drama if you like. The "Who's the killer" theme usually wears us off pretty easily, but not in this film.  This is one of the greatest science fiction film of this decade and of course is my choice for the best film of the decade 2000s.

Top ten films of 2009

10. A Serious Man (B)

Ethan Coen and Joel Coen direct this subtly funny yet a serious depiction of a man and his relationship with his religion and people around him. The dark comedy is one very special and unique presentation this year especially because it was played by a lot of  unknown actors and also the prologue is a nice touch. But the ending was too inconclusive even by the Coen Brother's standard. Starring: Mike Sthulbarg. Directed by: Coen Brothers

09. Bad Lieutenant (B+)
A story about a crooked cop dealing with his problem of drug addiction and his ambiguous cooperation with the outlaw to make extra money ilegally in a dillapidating city of port call of new orleans after the katrina disaster. Not a movie for everyone especially due to its criminal-fueled theme. The movie is a loose adaptation of the 1992's version played by Harvey Keitel as the rogue detective but that version directed by Abel Ferrara has a stronger sexual content. This one has more violence and drug content. Nicolas cage plays very convincingly as the degrading detective who despite of his reckless and abusive behavior over his position can getaway with those illegalities and come out promoted. Starring: Nicolas Cage,Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes.Directed By: Warner Herzog

08. Inglourious Basterds (B+)

A come back of the super genious master of story-telling , Quentin Tarantino in a revised lesson of world war II history in a spagetti western style with stylish action violence that surely quench my thirst of awesome classy action adventure drama film. The downside is too many unnecessary dialogues among the characters which i am not nearly engrossed by as i was for Pulp Fiction. Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz. Directed by: Quentin Tarantino.


07. The Informant! (B+)
A very engaging and engrossing dark comedy of the year with a brilliant performance by the bloat Matt Damon, this movie tells an odd based on true story of Mark Whitacre PhD, a top level executive at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) corporate who whistleblow the illegal price fixing practice of is company to the FBI when he himself embezzle money from his company. The man suffers from bipolar disorder of manic depression which impede him from telling the truth and distinguish the real world reality from the reality he created himself. Matt Damon performance was uncanny. Too bad he missed the award, probabaly because it is too comedic rather than a preferred dramtic role. Starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

06. (500) Days Of Summer (A-)

One of the best romantic comedy of the decade. It tells a very honest story how skewed a perspective of viewing lightning-can-strike-only-once kind of love with let's-have-fun kind of "love". I love it... truly honest. Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Joey Deschanel. Directed by: Marc Webb.

05. The Hangover (A-)

A very funny comedy about Vegas trip gone awry. Not a typical bachelor party holocaust, it is smart and entertaining form the beginning until the end. If you like American Pie when you're 20, then defenitely you're gonna love this film on your 30s Starring: Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha. Directed By: Todd Phillips.

04. Up In The Air (A-)
With a clever theme and smart plot, this is the most personal and most honest film of the year. The film cannot be released at any appropriate time to depict U.S' most difficult financial times. Thanks to clever direction from Jason Reitman, the same person behind Juno (2007), this is one of the most embracable dialogue-oriented movie about life, job and being connected with people. The peformances are also well done. Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick. Directed By: Jason Reitman.

03. Up (A)

A very uplifting "Married-Life" sequence at the beginning alone has escalated this animated feature up into the sky amidst all other live-action movies despite of its children friendly theme, most adults will actually love this film than children do. Directed By: Pete Docters.

02. The Hurt Locker (A)

The best film about Iraq war. A very subtly intense drama that bring me back to the memories of such similar theme movie like Black Hawk Down in 2001. Only, this one is twice better. More human element of the movie. I can't nearly believed that this male-driven drama thriller was directed by a woman. But I have my two thumbs up for her work here. Starring: Jeremy Reiner. Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow.

01. Avatar (A)

There is no question that this is one of the best science-fiction movies of this decade. The groundbreaking visual effects and other technical-related accomplishment has eclipsed Titanic as the highest grossing picture of all time in the box office. It breaks the record that no other film has done in the last 12 years. Both films directed by the same man, James Cameron and he really has proven that he is the king of the world of box office once again. This is a must see picture of 2009. If you choose to see only one film in 2009, this is it. Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana. Directed By: James Cameron.