50 Best Films of the Decade

I compiled a list of what I think are the 50 best movies released from 2000-2009. It’s technically incomplete, but I want to share my opinion now in case it never gets completed. I’ve included a list of movies that almost made it and a list I didn’t consider because I either have not seen it, or want to re-watch it. I will be posting these 10 at a time.



Movies I haven’t put on this list on purpose (for various reasons, so don’t get mad they’re not on the list yet!): Y Tu Mama Tambien, Talk to Her, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire, Amelie, Triplets of Belleville, Memento, The Messenger, Frida, 25th Hour, There Will Be Blood, Traffic, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, About Schmidt, Capturing the Friedmans, Let the Right One In, Into the Wild, The Good Shepherd, Amores Perros, The Class, Gomorrah, 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days, Still Walking, Synecdoche, New York, Bad Education

Runners-up (Maybe next time?): The Quiet American, The Pianist, Almost Famous, The Polar Express, Vera Drake, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Woodsman, A History of Violence, Crash, Borat, Pan’s Labyrinth, Thank You for Smoking, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, The Hangover, Sicko, The Cove, Sin City, Inglorious Basterds, Gosford Park, Mongol, Marie Antoinette, Girl with Pearl Earring, Love Actually, Match Point, The Descent, Brick, Shrek, Monsoon Wedding, Ocean’s 11, City of God, The Savages, Monsters, Inc., The Station Agent, The Princess and the Frog, Crazy Heart, The Wrestler

50. Avatar (2009)

A lot of me put this on the list for different reasons than the rest of the movies on here. For the most part, I enjoy films with a strong script or story, and this one has neither. However, I think this might be one of the most visually engaging films ever, so that alone swayed me. In fact, I think if the element wasn’t called “unobtainium,” I might have put this as high as 40…


49. Walk the Line (2005)

I’m a big fan of Reese Witherspoon, and to date, I think this is her best role. In addition, the music in this movie is wonderfully catchy and made me appreciate Johnny Cash. It’s an excellent example of how biopics should be made, and the music only adds to its style.


48. Grizzly Man (2005)

This documentary from Werner Herzog (the Werner Herzog) follows the work of Timothy Treadwell, who essentially hung out with grizzly bears until the inevitable end of his life. It’s a great character study on obsession, and its reality only makes all the more haunting.


47. Coraline (2009)

I personally thought this was the best animated movie of 2009. Perhaps Up was a better “family” movie, but there is no way it was a better movie overall. Coraline’s story unfolded in a most mesmerizing way that I can only describe as a twisted cross between Betelgeuse and Where the Wild Things Are, but in a good way.


46. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

While most critics regard both films as one, I felt that they were distinct enough in style and tone that they should be regarded individually, unlike LOTR or The Pirates of the Caribbean. Of the two, I preferred this one because of Tarantino’s gleeful style and unique flair for violence. His masterful command of the scenes and his ability to tag a strong revenge storyline onto those action scenes put him, I think, at his very best in the decade.


45. Milk (2008)

Sean Penn was every bit deserving of his accolades for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California. Not only that, Josh Brolin was also surprisingly great. This is notable because I think Milk is the only film he’s in worth watching not named The Goonies or No Country for Old Men.


44. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

This is far and away Adam Sandler’s best movie. In a lot of his films, which any boy born between 1985-1990 probably loved growing up, he tries to display his acting chops, but usually to no avail. Only in this film, which co-stars a lovable Emily Watson, do I think I can say with utmost sincerity that Adam Sandler can be a good actor. It’s a wonderful romantic comedy about a manic depressive man who meets a woman in his life who actually cares about him. It follows this man in his endeavor to keep the relationship, since he can hold so few.


43. L’Enfant (2005)

This quiet French film (no soundtrack, I think) follows a guy trying to get his infant back, hence the title. It’s a visceral look about the consequence of actions (which were never the same) and how our actions show our character. This was the first French art-house film I remember seeing, and it introduced me to the wonderful world of French Cinema.


42. Kinsey (2004)

I cannot stress enough how amazing both Liam Neeson and Laura Linney are in this movie. It’s another biopic (which seems to have been a fad in the 00’s) which documents Alfred Kinsey’s research on sex and its consequences. If you haven’t heard of Alfred Kinsey, this movie will be an amazing eye-opener.


41. No Country for Old Men (2008)

This one is a bit difficult to place because I think it deserves a higher place on my list, but I don’t have the heart to put it above anything else. That said, I reserve the right to change my list later haha. The most notable thing about this film, other than its sheer thematic greatness and depth, is Javier Bardem. Was there a villain this decade that scared you more?


40. 500 Days of Summer (2009)

Contrary to popular belief, this was not Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best movie, or even his best onscreen role (see Brick or The Lookout). Admittedly, when I first walked out, I had so many problems with the movie I couldn’t even place it on a list for best movies of the year. However, when I saw it a second time, I found myself entranced by the relationship (and Zooey Deschanel *drool*) and liked it even more upon a third viewing (I have friends who can’t stop watching it). So, even though I still feel it uses traditional cathartic mechanisms while it claims it won’t, I have allowed it on my list.

Also, I have a wonderful and angry story about how I watched the pre-screening of it in SF last year…


39. Little Children (2006)

Kate Winslet is one of the better actresses working right now. I don’t think she’s particularly gorgeous, but I think that’s part of her appeal. She doesn’t need to be beautiful to be alluring. The main beauty of this movie is the entire cast though. I think it’s an amazing story as well, which involves the drama of an entire neighborhood. Dear God, there are some very real and complex emotions involved in this movie.


38. The Painted Veil (2006)

Edward Norton is great in most of his movies, and good in the rest. I would put this among his greatest achievements, certainly the best in this decade (though, admittedly, I haven’t seen 25th Hour…). The setting of 20s China is beautiful and harrowing at the same time, and the relationship between Norton and Watts is a calmly satisfying thing.


37. The Merchant of Venice (2005)

If you’ve never read this or never enjoyed Shakespeare, I still recommend watching this movie. Joseph Fiennes (Ralph Fiennes’s brother…Voldemort’s brother for those who don’t know…) is a remarkable Shakespearean actor (as seen in Shakespeare in Love) and Al Pacino is, as usual, the bomb. It’s a really interesting story, and certainly made me appreciate Shakespeare so, so, so, so much more. The real awesomeness here, of course, is the writing, but having A-list actors like Jeremy Irons, Fiennes and Pacino doesn’t hurt either.


36. Mystic River (2004)

At first I didn’t like this movie. I thought it was overrated. But fuck was I wrong. There is a visceral feeling to the streets of Boston that I loved. It’s like The Departed meets Four Brothers, except better than both movies.


35. An Education (2009)

This is a story of a girl who is applying to college, but falls in love, which threatens her bright future and possibly squanders her potential. It’s a cute British film, and while Cary Mulligan is definitely the star, Alfred Molina is also awesome.


34. The Visitor (2008)

Richard Jenkins’s role here is understated, but it works so well for his character, who is a professor that comes to his apartment in NYC to find squatters. Though he’s initially surprised (naturally), he befriends them, and the story that unfolds is heartbreaking and beautiful. It really captures one face of New York that I absolutely love: its diversity.


33. Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett put on acting performances like few other on screen couples could. The movie is about a teacher who gets into an affair with a student, and Judi Dench’s character is the one who finds out about it. Pretty much, don’t fuck with Judi Dench. And, oh God, the music is masterful. It complements the suspense perfectly. I was sad when neither Dench nor Blanchett won their deserved Academy Awards. Although the eventual winners were also very deserving…


32. Transsiberian (2008)

This was one of my favorite Woody Harrelson movies. He is very good at playing oblivious characters, (see Defendor or for that matter, watch Cheers), but that’s not why this movie was good. It was the intensity of Emily Mortimer’s character’s situation. She is married to Woody Harrelson in the movie and they’re on a train ride going across Russia. All of a sudden she’s caught up in a drug scandal and finds herself drifting away from her moral path.


31. Rachel Getting Married (2008)

At first, I thought this movie would be a melodrama about a girl who’s a drug addict. Same shit, right? But…no. While there are some melodramatic scenes, the movie’s profundity comes from the wedding, where the drug addict girl (Anne Hathaway) must behave as her sister gets married to the lead singer from TV on the Radio. It’s a wonderful movie with a dash of musicality and wonderful camera work.


30. The Dark Knight (2008)

This movie might be higher if there weren’t so many lame comics made from it. Obviously, Heath Ledger’s performance was astounding, but I don’t think that’s what made it near-perfect. It’s gotta be Chris Nolan’s directing. There are swooping shots over cities and any time a group of people are on camera, Nolan gets every actor to portray just the right tone for the scene. How many lines from any movie this decade can you type that make you read it in the original voice?

“Wanna know how I got these scars?”


29. The Departed (2006)

I know I said earlier that Mystic River was better than The Departed, but I was lying. Scorcese (who finally won the Best Director Oscar for this one), nimbly pieces together an adaptation to Infernal Affairs, but raises the stakes a bit more, building up more suspense and providing us with action sequences and imagery that ranks up there with his best stuff. I wish I could provide details deconstructing the layers of this film, but alas, I am too lazy. Perhaps its only flaw is the last shot, but the rest of the movie is good enough to disregard it.


28. The Queen (2006)

This story of Queen Elizabeth’s very public reaction to Princess Diana’s death is quietly told, which allows us to observe the inner struggle of Her Majesty, played by regal Helen Mirren. It’s stunning in its observance of human nature, which most people don’t consider when thinking of royalty.


27. Caché (2005)

This taut story about a family who isn’t threatened overtly by tapes of their private life is told masterfully and stars Juliet Binoche and Daniel Auteuil as the married couple. It’s actually so good, I’m gonna provide a link to the trailer, just so you can see how suspenseful it is.


26. Deliver Us From Evil (2006)

This is probably the best documentary of which you never heard. It’s about a Catholic priest sex scandal, one of the most notorious in the last few decades, and gives an uncompromising look at how people with power refuse to exercise their moral judgment. As vague as that sounds, I don’t to give any more information because you have to see it to believe it. It’s heartbreaking, and even more heartbreaking is that Yahoo movies doesn’t have it in its database, a realization that irks me to this day. Do yourself a favor, especially if you’re Catholic, and see this movie.


25. The New World (2005)

This movie is from the viewpoint of John Smith and Pocahontas’s relationship. It stars Colin Farrell as Ol’ Johnny, and some random girl as Poke Master Hontas. For perspective, my immediate reaction as I finished the movie and for many moments as I was watching it was “visual poetry.” Few movies you’ll ever see in your life will be this beautifully shot. Kudos to cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki.


24. Finding Nemo (2003)

Who doesn’t fucking love this movie? I don’t I need to tell you how awesome it is. Instead, I’ll just leave a picture with one of my favorite parts.


23. Maria Full of Grace (2004)

Maria Full of Grace follows a young Columbian girl trying to get to America. However, the only way she can do it is to be a drug mule. It’s as much a Columbian film as it is an American film. Maria, played by the hella hot Catalina Sandino Moreno, finds her way into America by very illegal means, but it’s exactly the type of story that defines what it means to be a citizen of our country. As such, I think there are very few movies out there that can do it as well as this one does.


22. Volver (2007)

The other woman of Latin descent to be nominated for an Academy Award (after Hayek and Catalina Sandino Moreno *drool*) was Penelope Cruz for Volver, a zany movie about a woman who…wow, this one’s hard to sum up. It involves murder and resurrection and insanity and a film crew. I suppose that’s a good way of looking at it. Also, Penelope Cruz is hot as hell.


21. Cold Mountain (2006)

Few love tragedies have been told as finely as this one. When you think great romance-tragedies, you think Romeo + Juliet and Mickey + Minnie Mouse. You think Rose + Jack and Dumb+Dumber. And, I contend, you have to think Ada and Inman. Nicole Kidman and Jude Law. Ahhh, this movie makes me believe in love like only a couple of others do (you’ll see, haha). Perhaps it’s a guilty pleasure and call me sappy, but my heart melts with this movie. Not only that, it’s littered with stars. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Giovanni Ribisi, Natalie Portman, Renee Zellweger, Brendan Gleeson, Donald Sutherland… I mean, a high percentage of those guys show up in my top 5 list, so this movie is understandably stunning. Oh, I forgot to mention Jack White’s in it too. See? Awesome. Go see it and all the other movies.


20. The Namesake (2006)

Starring Kal Penn and Irrfan Khan, among the most well-known actors of Indian descent from America and India, respectively, this underrated film tells the story of a family in America who traces its origins back to the motherland. Though the title refers to Gogol’s namesake (Kal Penn), it is about much more than a name. It is about the person behind that name, and there is nothing, the film argues, more indicative of a person than his family. Perhaps I rate it so highly because I too have parents who are immigrants, but if anything, that is a testament to the emotional accuracy of the film. I’d like to note that Mira Nair is a wonderful director. If you haven’t seen Monsoon Wedding or Vanity Fair, do so, but bear in mind that this is by far her most ambitious and successful film.

19. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

A movie about gay cowboys in the 70’s directed by a Chinese guy? This was my favorite joke in 2005, and the title of the movie has been made into countless of other jokes itself. It is rare that a love story that spans decades can be told so eloquently, but Ang Lee manages it masterfully. This is a movie that tugs at your heart, and Heath Ledger’s performance is one of the most memorable performances in the history of cinema. Some people thought it was too boring, but I disagree. I thought it was perfectly paced. It allows us to feel and observe how the characters lived their lives, and it was a masterpiece.

Also, Anne Hathaway showed her boobies.

18. The Lives of Others (2006)

This was the movie that beat out Pan’s Labyrinth for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars that year, to much protest. People loved Pan’s Labyrinth, and admittedly, even I enjoyed it thoroughly.

BUT. This one was better. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better suspense/thriller about East German totalitarianism in the 80’s, and that’s the truth. Haha, in all seriousness, go see this movie, for Ulrich Muhe’s performance as a government spy listening to the conversations of supposed anti-government liberals. That’s Ulrich Muhe, not Christoph Waltz. Sorry if I’ve told you otherwise before. Hmm, upon further review, they also look like Kevin Spacey. Odd. OH SNAP. Also, Mike Huckabee!


17. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

This was probably Spielberg’s best movie of the decade. Minority Report might be a close second, but I wasn’t quite blown away by it as I was by some of his other films. This one, however, starred Tom Hanks and Leo, featuring Martin Sheen, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Garner, Elizabeth Banks and the ever-amazing Amy Adams. Such is the influence of a Spielberg film, and I think this one ranks in the top 5 of his films. (Hmm. Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple, and this. Yep.)


16. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

French film about a guy who can’t move, but people realize he is not a vegetable cus he can’t communicate by blinking. It’s freakin’ amazing. Go see it.


15. Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar’s best movie of the decade. I would put TS3 above it, but I said 2000-2009 ;) Why is this the best Pixar movie? Cus it genuinely appeals to all ages, not treat adults as an afterthought. I’m not saying the other movies are significantly worse (except Cars, ugh), but I don’t think any of the other ones appeal to a general audience while still maintaining the magic of storytelling.

Up was overrated (pun?), and Wall-E had too simple of a story (though it was a wonderful message).

Monsters, Inc? Very, very good, but it didn’t have as wide a target audience as Ratatouille.

Finding Nemo? Close. So close.

Cars? Too much aesthetic, too weak a story, too annoying a premise, too cliche dialogue. If no other Pixar movies existed, Cars would be a very good movie, but we’ve been spoiled by Pixar’s awesomeness, so Cars was a (relatively) huge disappointment. Even then, though, that means 3/4 stars haha.

And finally, The Incredibles. For many, this (or Up) would be the best Pixar movie of the decade. Maybe Finding Nemo, but I have a problem with it. At first, I was as enamored as everyone else was. Great, original storyline in typical Pixar fashion. Exciting as hell to watch and beautifully animated, as always. However, there was a major difference in this film. A story about a family obviously has to be completely accessible to the American family, right? Sadly, for The Incredibles, that means undertones of racism and adhering to traditional messages for gender and class. When the black superhero is looking for his supersuit, why does he have to receive the sass from his sassy black wife? Why does the mother have to stay at home and take care of the family while the husband can’t deal with “domestication?” Why does the superwife stop and look in the mirror, fearing for her figure while she’s trying to save her family? Why is the girl shy, invisible even, while the young boy runs around excitedly?

What’s wrong with it, you ask? They’re stereotypes. Sure, they are relatable and definitely have truth in them, but I don’t need a movie for children reinforcing stereotypes that can be negative. Black people and Asian people (I’m looking at you, Edna) are portrayed as stereotypes, as sidekicks to the race that’s important, right? And “boys will be boys” or “girls will be girls” is not the kind of mindset I want children to have. I want them to be more than a label, more than a stereotype, and I can’t find that kind of message in the movie, no matter how spectacularly the story is told. And, damn, is the story told well.

Oh, yeah. Watch Ratatouille, haha.


14. Sideways (2004)

One of the best comedies of the decade is only made awesome by Paul Giamatti, who is an insanely underrated actor. He brings his depressed alcoholic character to life. Amazing script, acting, directing, music, lines, scenarios. It’s got it all. even some subtle meta-references. Go see it. Now.


13. About a Boy (2002)

Hugh Grant is always charming, and when he starts caring, women swoon endlessly. For once, though, it’s not about his sadly hilarious relationship woes, at least not with a woman. No, instead this movie focuses on his relationship with a kid, who finally teaches him selflessness. Not-quite-spoiler: The title doesn’t necessarily refer to the kid Grant befriends.


12. Frost/Nixon (2008)

Some of the best acting you’ll find in a movie technically about politics, with some of the best one v. one scenes I’ve scene seen this decade. It’s a bit sad how we root for the one that isn’t our president, but that’s the beauty of it. A character study of Richard Nixon, and what happened with the interviews he did with David Frost (Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, respectively).


11. Spirited Away (2001)

Oh, God. This is another one of those “I don’t need to explain how awesome this movie is. You’ve probably already seen it and already know” kind of movies. The only surprise? I don’t think it’s the best Miyazaki film, not even of the decade. It IS fuckin’ ballin’ though. I have the French poster for it hanging in my room.


10. Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Far and away the best musical of the decade, and in my opinion, Baz Luhrmann's only good film (I have yet to see Strictly Ballroom). Romeo + Juliet's problem stems from the title, and Australia...well to be fair, I fell asleep, but I don't want to go back to the Baz's outback if it's going to be that dull.

But Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman? Hell yes. Perhaps I give it a bit more credit because I can relate to a writer, and maybe one day I'll fall in love with a singing courtesan...Or, you know, just get into dental school and probably marry a pharmacist or something. Dream big, right?

Anyways, to make it to my Top 10 list, a film has to be transcendent in some way, and I think it's safe to say that the styling of this film transcends the musical genre, taking from eclectic sources and making it its own. It is the musical predecessor to all the remixes, except in cinema form. And until I'm proven wrong, the Bohemian ideals at the core are how epic, and I don't use the term liberally here, musicals are created. Think Rent's La Vie Bohème.

In addition, it's a love story that is fundamentally as old as stories themselves, like Romeo and Juliet's tryst instilled with modern music. It is this struggle for love that endears its audience and has found a place in my own heart as the best live action musical film I have ever witnessed. And I am willing to witness it again and again, for that is the mark of a truly great film.

I know there will be a lot of criticism from veteran cinemaphiles, but I only have one thing to say to them: Come. What. May. (Bitches)


09. Oldboy (2003)

Arguably the best film from Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy, which includes first Sympathy for Mr. vengeance and last Lady Vengeance, both which come highly recommended by yours truly.

However, this one, this motherfucker, steps far and above beyond the others in the trilogy. I am just glad that I saw it before everyone else did, because I did not know what to expect, and it blew me away like Inception tried to do.

Despite its extreme violence, which rivals only Tarantino in sheer violent awesomeness, the film works on about 3 layers, and this is just at the top of my head. Let me think: action film, revenge film, psychoanalytical and as a metaphor for aging (he comes out of a suitcase in the beginning or a "womb," and by the end...I'll let you watch it...)

In short, it's a masterpiece.

"Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone."


08. Persepolis (2007)

So there's only a few French films on this list (L'Enfant and Cache) and a few animated films as well (Ratatouille). There's a few coming of age-type movies (An Education) and even a movie about culture shock and ethnic heritage (The Namesake). Persepolis, however, is a combination of all of those. I'm not saying that those qualities in and of themselves make a better movie, but I don't think there was a movie this decade that was able to connect to my generation while telling the story of my former generation. No other movie this decade was able to tie in the universal qualities of growing up better than this film.

I mean, what qualities can you relate to with Iranians living abroad during the 70s?

From the perspective of a child of immigrants, no other film this decade was able to tell the story of a child growing up with in two languages, neither of them English, better than Persepolis. If it weren't for one notable exception, this would be the best animated film of the decade. However, that does not take anything away from the grandeur and the ambition of this film.


07. Nobody Knows (2005)

For those of you with patience, and I know you exist because you're still reading this, there is a movie that might be long (something like 140 minutes?), quiet (completely silent at times) and phenomenally rewarding. If you've been following for the entirety of the list, you might have noticed a few things. Primarily, there are very few great action movies. Secondarily, and maybe more importantly, I am biased against movies based on real-life events, because by and large, few of them make the great leap into "greatness." I usually try to look up the facts of the event, because I refuse to be manipulated emotionally into thinking something is better because it's real, and learning that those parts weren't real after all.

I hate that. I've invested a certain type of empathy only to find that my empathy was misplaced. It's annoying, and I will think less of films that do that.

However, Nobody Knows does that, and partially because I know that the true story is much more grisly, I feel like this captures so much more than the real-life events. 4 kids abandoned by their mother, the oldest barely a teenager, the youngest almost in the earliest stages of infancy.

Maybe I was too young when I watched this, but it brought me back to my childhood. I wasn't abandoned or anything, not even close. However, it reminded me of how children think and act, and capturing the unbiased innocence of childhood is the film's real victory. There are no contrived sequences of the director playing puppeteer to your heartstrings, only genuine pain and struggle. It's as if we are watching a documentary of these kids' lives without a narrator, no one to watch as these forsaken adolescents try to live on their own. There is no one to guide their lives, no one to tend to their health, their hygiene, no one to feed them. No one to help them and no one to care. Why?

Because nobody knows, and that will always be the most heartbreaking realization of all.


06. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

When I first saw the trailer to this film, which was in itself pretty original, I remember distinctly the name of the company, Lacuna, Inc. About a week before, in my sophomore year of English 2 Honors with Bill Healy, I distinctly remember him making a point about lacuna, which is Latin for "gap" or something missing. I remember being so glad I understood why the company was called Lacuna, Inc. and looking forward to watching this movie.

At first, I thought it was just a very good movie. Thus, I was only mildly surprised it didn't get more recognition in its time, and it didn't really bother me. Now, however, after multiple viewings, I am ready to admit that this film is damn near flawless.

It is probably the most original love story, if it can be called that, of all time, following two lovers as they try to erase memories of their terminated relationship. The storytelling itself is refreshing and definitely nontraditional, but the beauty of the narrative is that it maintains a consistency. It keeps the audience honest, but doesn't ever assume a position of pedantry, like I'm doing right now.

There are very few filmmakers that can tell a refreshingly original story while still remaining relatable and emotionally accesible. Those current exceptions are Hayao Miyazaki, Pixar and maybe Charlie Kaufman. Eternal Sunshine puts him up there with the most original screenwriters of all time, let alone this decade. The only other filmmaker with the same amount of audacity and imagination? Kubrick.


05. The Lord of the Rings (2001-03)

I never read the books, so the movies are a milestone on a personal level. They should be watched in one sitting, with multiple bathroom breaks. Stunningly shot and directed, these are certainly the epitome of the genre "epic," if it could be one. I argue that it's the second best trilogy of all time, after Toy Story (not The Godfather). I know, I know, I know. It's a controversial opinion, but this is my Tumblr, goddamit, and I'll have my way.


04. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

On a personal level, this might be my favorite movie of all time...well, it changes on an almost daily basis, but this one is in the running. I had never been exposed to the story or even the writer for that matter before I watched this movie, so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a love story that transcended class and gender, and as a result, transcends cultures. There is no better film out there, certainly not this decade at least, that combines beautiful imagery, pitch-perfect music, stellar acting and creative directing quite like this movie. The stars who partook in this film are not nearly as famous as they should be, save Keira...

This story is almost refreshingly important for women, too. I hope that I don't step on any dainty toes when I share this opinion, but women need to see this and understand the different archetypes/stereotypes of females portrayed in this period piece. Except that it is a perfect example as to why the term "period piece" shouldn't limit the scope of a film. Women are portrayed as being unique, each one different, and each one making her own decisions, all at the same time capturing the essence of femininity. Perhaps romance isn't what it takes to be a woman, but it's not just romance that this film provides. It is the strict adherence to independence and the acceptance that no matter what happens, being yourself will reward you.

Fuck yeah.


03. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

I should definitely be studying, but since it's been awhile, I'm going to work on this list that I started a few months ago.

While the ranking of this movie may give you some idea of my opinion of this film, it obviously does not adequately explain why. When people ask for my favorite Miyazaki film, or even my favorite film of all time sometimes, I put this on the list. Many argue, and rightfully so since it's just an opinion, that Miyazaki's films have more depth to them, are much better paced, are more mature, are more astonishing. And to some extent, I agree. Most people would argue that Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke are his greatest films, at least in terms of pure cinematic value, and they have very, very strong arguments. Spirited Away is like a refined Totoro or Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke is like a refined Nausicaa.

I look at Princess Mononoke as Miyazaki's most adult film. I think it's the only one with a PG-13 rating, not that the MPAA has much influence on international ratings, but it is somewhat telling. It's by far his most graphic and violent film, and certainly contains the most "disturbing" images. I watched it at a young age, and trust me, that shit can be trippy. It also has the most adult presentation of his themes. While his other films depict war, none do so more viscerally and beautifully.

Spirited Away, is just as mesmerizing in the opposite way. More of an emotional journey than Princess Mononoke, it follows the personal events of a young girl trying to get back home. It is a story of the triumph of the human spirit, the unabashed purity of a child, and it is amazing. It's also much more geared to appeal to children. Chihiro, I think, is one of Miyazaki's youngest protagonists.

So if Spirited Away is about the power of childhood, and Princess Mononoke is about an adult world's hope, where does that leave Howl's Moving Castle?

My answer is that Howl's is a union of both of his other masterpieces. It blends the reality of war with the themes of youth's hope. I don't think any of his films deal with age better than Howl's. Most simply have a young, often idealistic and female, protagonist as the main source of empathy. This one's different, but showing a young girl trapped in an old woman's body, Miyazaki is able to say something more about age, perhaps that age changes who we are only to a certain extent while we retain our core ideals and personalities. I don't know. There's lots of things to say.

In addition, Howl's also says a lot about war and the skirmishes of societies. His other films deal with this theme as well, such as Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa (and Porco Russo, kinda), but not as deftly as this film. While his environmental messages abound in his other films, Miyazaki takes it a step further and argues that humanity's actions not only hurt the earth and the natural order of things, but just as importantly and as an extension, our actions hurt ourselves.

And it is precisely the combination of these themes, nearly flawlessly told, that makes Howl's Moving Castle Miyazaki's greatest achievement.


02. Doubt (2008)

Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Viola Davis were all nominated for an Academy Award for their roles in this film. I don't think I have ever seen a better display of acting from an ensemble cast in any movie this decade.

Coupled with one of the most intelligently written scripts (based on John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which he adapted for the screen), and just a hint of bias since I experienced Catholic grammar schooling, Doubt raised the bar in almost every category I value in a film. It has a perfect ending, which I want to reveal and discuss but won't for the sake of spoiling, and a perfect setup.

I think it's a wonderful analogy of our misunderstandings, our biases, our intuitions, and on top of all that, the possibility of our sins. The characters deliver obvious messages, riddled with much more subtle ones, and the power of implication is a powerful one, as shown by the story and the way the story is told. In short, it is a perfect caricature movie, and the roles are played to perfection. In the words of Descartes, "Dubito; sum."


01. Lost in Translation (2003)

When I first saw this movie, I hated it. I distinctly remember leaving the theater with my uncle, a theater that doesn't exist anymore evidently, and agreeing with him that it was a waste of time, that nothing happened.

For the next month, I was plagued, wondering how a movie like this could exist. What kind of idiot makes a movie where nothing happens? There was no plot! There were almost no lines! WTF!? I said to my 14-year-old self.

But why did I keep thinking about it? What did I miss?

And when I figured it out, I didn't even need to rewatch it. I was in love with it.

"Nothing" is relative. We have all been conditioned to expect certain things from movies, and growing up, I expected action, comedy, drama and maybe some good acting. When I saw Lost in Translation, I didn't realize it at the time, but I got all of those. It wasn't presented in the way I had seen any other movie presented all those things we expect from movie. I had to work for it. I had to observe in order to appreciate.

It showed me that life isn't lived by the major events. No, our daily lives comprise of smaller, more subtle actions. I'm going to make a chemistry analogy here, and if you're still reading, I'm sorry.

Life is like an atom. Our daily lives are like the nucleus, with protons and neutrons, and the world around us is simply the electrons. While the electrons affect what happens to us, it is the nucleus that makes up a very large percentage of the mass of the atom. Thus, while things may change outside of us, our daily lives mean much more to us than anything else.

It can obviously be extended in order to render it moot, like any analogy, but I think Lost in Translation shows us that our context can change, but the important things in our lives, the things about which we care most, are in our small actions. The glance from a stranger, a smile, a wave, a laugh, a wink, a conversation. That's where things happen, where the majority of our actions reside.

And with others. Our relationships with others, what we do with other people, make us who we are. Whether it's having a drink, working out, watching TV, getting dinner, or even getting lost in a foreign city, the context is not as important as the nucleus, where what we do or say together outweighs where we are.

Also, the movie was pretty bomb. Go see it.

She & Him - Sing

She & him - sing by auenarel

Something about Zooey’s voice reminds me of a time before I was born. She & Him has the wonderfully uncanny ability to sound both nostalgic and refreshing at the same time. Zooey Deschanel is the quintessential “girl next door,” who captures your eye because she seems so close to you, but you know that she’s out of your league. She’s the type of girl who you innocently had a crush on growing up, but would never do anything because you were still so young.

She’s the girl in the summer dress no matter time of year it is, and damn can she wear that dress.

She’s that girl, and you have called her any number of names. She’s Summer Finn, Winnie Cooper, Elizabeth Bennett, Josephine March.

She’s the girl who you don’t want to sex, just love.

And in my own little perfect world, She sings, and I am Him.

Mams

The other day, as I picked her up from work, I had a very interesting conversation with my mother. I had dropped her off earlier that morning so I could use the car during the day and had seen some of her coworkers walking toward the building. I had noticed that some of them were Indian. Their race, however, has little to do with the story.

In the car, my mom, who always drives due to her crippling fear of my driving, tells me about her coworker.

"So my Indian friend," she begins. Again, the race has nothing to do with the story, and I only mentioned it before to provide a context to her statement, I suppose.

"My Indian friend found her son looking at sex websites," she told me. That definitely got my attention. Why was she telling me this?

"And?" I replied, carefully and nonchalantly. I really hoped that she didn't ask about my personal viewpoints, even though I would probably tell her anyways.

"She said she caught her son looking at the websites, and she didn't know what to do about it," my mom continued.

"She doesn't have to do anything about it," I told her. "How old is her son?"

"He's a junior in high school," my mom replied.

"Oh," I said. "Then leave him alone. His hormones are raging and that's normal."

Of course, this begged the question, which I mentally begged her not to ask:

"Do you have that urge to look at those things?"

"No," I said (lying? haha). "I'm older now so I don't have those raging hormones anymore."

But no answer is ever enough for my ever-inquiring mother.

"Did you do it in high school?" she asked, to my chagrin.

Of course, it is these moments that I thank my quick wit.

"Of course not," I replied almost immediately. "I had a girlfriend."

My mom laughed, but I could tell it wasn't going to end.

"That's disgusting," she said.

"Tell your friend that she has to choose, right? It's either those websites or her son getting a girlfriend. I think from a parent's point of view, the choice is obvious."

"So you're saying you didn't look at those bad websites?" she asked.

My reply was again immediate.

"Why settle for digital when I can have the real thing?"

My mom paused.

"Don't tell those things. I think I'm going to vomit."


Ironically, if my mom told me that, I would feel the same way. Love your parents, guys. They're just like you, except older.

Ignition

Perhaps the time wasn't right. She thought it wasn't right, but that doesn't mean it wasn't right. Perhaps, though, it wasn't. She didn't know what to know anymore. She thought about it some more. No one would see her here, at the front door, right? Well, maybe the people driving down the street might see her, but to them, she was just getting ready to knock. There was no way a passing car would stare for long enough to realize she was just standing at the door, staring.

Even if they looked for ten, fifteen seconds, they would still assume she knocked and was simply waiting for the door to be opened. From a third party's perspective, she was certainly not acting out of the ordinary. Actually, it would be a second part's perspective, she thought, because "third party" would assume there was a person other than her in the situation. Regardless, a second party's perspective certainly would still place her in a situation of normality. Somehow, though, this thought was not comforting.

It wasn't comforting because she knew that if the second party was him, he who made her angry and joyous and sad and nervous and excited all at once, she would be anything from normal, far removed from average, and certainly well above the level of casual surprise. If he saw her there, standing like an idiot with his letters in her hand, he would certainly be baffled. Why hadn't they spoken in months? Where were his due responses to those heartfelt letters? How come she never contacted him? Did she get his other messages?

But the thing that made her most nervous was not that she would be dumbfounded by those questions, but rather, that she had answers to all of them but knew them to be inadequate, at least by her own standards. She knew that anything she said would not justify how wrong she was, how immoral her actions were, nor how amoral her complacency must appear.

She clenched her fist and leaned her hairline on the door, placing her head's weight just below the old-fashioned knocker, and to her bewilderment, it opened. She put her hands up to push herself on the door back into her natural vertical stance, but the door was no longer there, so she took a step forward and nearly fell right into him.

She regained her composure as quickly as she could as he stood there in bafflement. This, however, was not the kind of surprise she had in mind.

"What...uh...hello?" he began.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Not for almost falling on you, but...well for almost falling on you, too, but not just that. I'm sorry, uh, for everything. You know, before...this."

She looked away to hide her embarrassment, now both for her physical blunder and her past mistakes.

"It's okay, I guess. Do you wanna come inside?" he offered, opening the door wider to welcome her.

"Oh," she said, mildly surprised. "Were you going somewhere? I don't wanna stop you. I just came to say sorry and maybe talk about some things, you know, but I don't wanna do it if you're busy, right?" She chuckled nervously. He did not.

"No, I wasn't going anywhere. My friends down the street called and said there was a lady in yellow standing at my door. They thought I didn't hear you knocking, which, to be honest, I didn't."

"I didn't," she replied. "How long were they watching me?" She turned around to see if she could find any faces at the windows, visually intruding on her embarrassment and thereby compounding it.

"I didn't ask, but they don't live on the other side. I don't think they could have seen you from their house. They said they saw you on the way home and as they were leaving, so I assume you've been here for awhile?"

"Yeah," she said, looking down. It's amazing how long you can avoid looking into someone's eyes when you're really committed, she thought.

"So..." he muttered. "Come inside?"

She looked around, back at her car, checked her cell phone for the time, did not pay any heed to it, and replied, "No, it's really...It's okay. I'll call you, uh, or something."

"No, please, come inside. You look tired. I'll make some tea or something. I was just watching The Wonder Years on DVD. You used to love that show as a kid." He smiled his famously familiar and warm smile.

She paused. It was the same smile that snared her mother, the same one that made sure she slept well every night before turning off the lights.

"No, it's really...it's okay, dad," she said, starting to back up. "I just, you know, have some things to do. I'll be in town for awhile, so we can hang out or something."

"Yeah," he said, still smiling. "That'd be cool. You have my number, right?"

"Yeah. I got it from mom. I'll call you!" she was turned around now, walking on the sidewalk, toward her car. She didn't look back. She knew he would wait until she left, to make sure she got on her way safely. Tears started to line her eyes. She furrowed her brow and clenched her lips, stuffing his letters in her jacket pocket. She opened the door to her car, and from the periphery of her vision, saw that the front door was still open, that vague yet familiar figure still standing there to watch over her.

And, somehow, to Ellie, the car's ignition never sounded so sad, like it somehow knew it was never meant to return.

The Whore's Core

Voldemort *shudder* was an evil man. For those of you who haven't read all of Ms. Rowling's insanely popular books, please be forewarned that I am about to reveal some aspects. In short, this is your obligatory spoiler alert. Also, if you haven't read them, please know that I am unsure as to how to judge you. Are you resistant to the insanely popular phenomena? Or are you a bit on the ignorant side? Or do you just not care? Fair enough.

In the series, You-Know-Who, the quintessential antagonist, takes various steps to secure the most secular of desires: immortality. While he should have been dead, he was still a part of the world. In addition to his unicorn blood diet (less calories?), Ol' Voldy took his soul and split it into 7 pieces. He then attached these soul parts to various objects, both living and nonliving. It is in this way that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ensured his survival, albeit oftentimes a measly one. The combination of his soul and the object is called a Horcrux. Normally, even making one Horcrux in which to place your soul is a daunting and harrowing task, and in Salazar Slytherin's last descendant's case, usually someone had to die. Even if the physical body of the person is destroyed, the person will still live as long as the Horcrux is not destroyed.

In this way, I have found that I am somewhat similar to the Dark Lord. I spill little secrets here and there to one friend or another, but I don't think I've told everything to one person. I just don't think there's anyone in my life who is around me often enough for that to happen.

In a sense, I am a secrets slut. I give a little bit of my personal thoughts to a lot of people, but I have yet to unload all my emotional baggage to one person. And it is in these thoughts, these emotionally charged tidbits of information, where I suppose my identity resides. I am a prostitute for secrets and all to often, arbitrarily so. While I can attribute some of it to my incessant ramblings, there is still some part of me that knows that I am reserved and candid all at once.

I am candid in that I am willing to give someone personal details about my past, but I am reserved in how much I give one person. And make no mistake, it is our past and our experiences that make up the most important parts of who we are. It is the foundation, the basis, of our identity.

And, interestingly, like Tom Riddle's segmented soul, I have divided myself, or at least the most important part of myself: my identity, my core, my crux.