10. Synecdoche, New York
Click here to read Shaun Henisey's review of Synecdoche, New York.
9. Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. From its gothic and bizarre creatures, to the bleak realism of life during the Spanish Civil War, the film never misses a beat. The production design, sets, costumes and make up are all like something you have never seen before. These factors alone would make Pan's Labyrinth one of the best movies of the decade. What transcends the film from good to great is the story that goes with the images. The plot is as simple as a fairytale, but intertwined with the realities of war.
Guierllmo Del Toro, the director, has created a world in which fantasy and reality collide. Del Toro never explains anything. We are unsure if we are watching a pure fantasy picture, in which the supernatural elements are actually happening, or if it all takes place in the child's mind. Both are adequate interpretations of the film. Del Toro leaves it all open for us.
This is not a film for children- this is an adult's fairy tale. Some of the images in the dreamscapes, in particular the Pale Man, are horrifying and beautiful at the same time. This is an older form of fairy tale- one that Lewis Carroll or The Brothers Grimm could have created. The juxtaposition of the fairy tale and the elements of war is also fantastic. Lopez plays Vidal as one sick and cruel bastard. He kills indiscriminately and is the very definition of an abusive parental figure.
Del Toro has made one of the most artistic films of the decade. The fact that he wrote, directed, and designed many of the creatures himself makes him a true auteur. The boldness of mixing two genre's as completely opposite as a war film and a fairy tale could have resulted in one of the most uneven and ridiculous motion pictures ever. Instead it succeeds on every level. This is most unique and moving viewing experiences of my life; a masterpiece of world cinema.
8. Almost Famous
"Here is a movie that makes me unconditionally happy. Watching it puts a huge smile on my face and a swell in my throat. "
Click here to read Shaun Henisey's review for Almost Famous- right here at A Movie A Week.
7. Adaptation.
Adaptation boasts the best screenplay of the decade, one of the greatest of all time. It tells the story of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (a real person), Susan Orlean (a real person), John LaRoche (a real person) and Donald Kaufman (not a real person). I can only imagine the look on the studio execs faces when they read this screenplay. This is my personal favorite film on the list.
Kaufman was asked to adapt the book "The Orchid Thief" by Orlean, a writer for the New Yorker. The book is comprised of "that sprawling, New Yorker Shit" and Kaufman developed writers block in the adaptation. He ended up writing himself into the screenplay, creating a fictional brother for himself, and fabricating an entire third act of nothing but fiction. The movie is the story of the adaptation, which is about our ability to adapt. I don't know if you can get much more Meta than this.
What a work of stunning originality! Charlie Kaufman is the single most important screenwriter of the decade. His work has the complexity of great literature. He is clearly interested in the inter-workings of the human mind and the dynamic of human relationships; he is a true unique voice, and Adaptation is his best work.
The credit to the film does not only go to Kaufman, the film was also directed by Spike Jonze. Jonze is a prodigy himself, only directing 3 films in the last 10 years- Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Where the wild Things Are. You need to only look at where these films are on my list to know what I think about them. He is a bold, gifted filmmaker, one with as unique of a voice as Kaufman's.
The acting is also amazing. Meryl Streep, a National Treasure in her own right, gives one of her best performances here. She conveys the inner sadness of Orlean in her eyes and her actions. There is moment late in the film where Orlean is high and holding a phone up to her ear, trying to mimic a dial-tone, that is nothing short of spot on perfect. Chris Cooper won an Academy Award for his portrayal of John LaRoche, a backwoods hillbilly with moments of almost Zen like knowledge. His range is this film is astounding, going from the outright comical to the emotionally devastating. One only needs to watch the scene where he tells about losing his home and his wife, or the beautiful ride in the van- where he tells Orlean about the difficulty of adaptation.
There are many people that dislike (even loathe) Nicholas Cage. I don't. He has certainly made some horrible career choices, but when he is on (and not doing a film for a paycheck) there are few actors that are better. Look at the way he plays both Charlie and Donald Kaufman. They are the same person, sometimes even wearing the same clothes- yet you can always tell them apart. They are two entirely different performances at all times on the screen. Cage could have won a second Oscar here- he is the glue that holds the film together.
I could go on for hours about what I love about this movie. There are moments of sheer brilliance. The twists are outrageous, and the movie takes us places we would never imagine. It is a crazy, crazy, film- and what a marvelous thing that is.
6. Wall-E (and all those other Pixar movies...)
I had to combine all six Pixar films released this decade under this one heading, out of fairness. Each one of them could individually be on this list; this is just not fair to the other films. No other movie studio has had this history of complete and total commercial success along with profound artistic quality.
Just look at the names: Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Up. Every single one of these pictures is a modern masterpiece. These are not just children's films- they are films that embody the spirit and warmth of the most important human values. From The Incredibles depiction of the family unit, to Ratatouille’s analysis of cynical criticism, to Up's proclamation that life’s great adventure is the one right in front of your face; these movies are all modern classics. Walt Disney would jump in delight if he were able to see these pictures. We are extremely fortunate to live in this time. The 1940's and 1950's had only one Walt Disney- we have three: John Lassetter (Toy Story, CEO of Pixar), Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Finding Nemo) and Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille). These three individuals are on the cutting edge of American film- creating an entirely new genre of film- the Pixar genre. This is not traditional animation, but event viewing. When a new Pixar film comes out everyone wants to see it: adults, children, and the elderly alike. The depth and scope of quality here is unparalleled.
The best of the lot is Wall-E. This is, quite simply put, a magical motion picture. For starters, the animation is the best I have ever seen. There are parts of this movie, specifically the parts on the planet Earth that are incredible and photorealistic. Other sequences involving Wall-E and E.V.E dancing in space are majestic and beautiful. I remember seeing Wall-E at a matinee on opening weekend. The theater was packed; people were even sitting in the aisles. There were dozens of children in the audience, many of them very small toddlers. When this sequence came on there was not a cry or sound in the house. Everyone was engaged.
The more I think about, the more I realize how special of a picture Wall-E really is. It shouldn't work. It is about a robot that cannot even speak. The entire first 40 minutes of the movie is the equivalent of a silent picture. When humans are introduced, they are fat, lazy and pretty unlikable. This is a pretty harsh critique of the American lifestyle, yet people are not worried, or offended, when they see Wall-E. They see it as the wonderful story that it is, and leave with the message. In the end, Wall-E is the same thing most great science fiction is, a cautionary tale against pollution, excess, laziness and consumerism. Wall-E risks his life for the plant of life inside of him- we can learn so much from this little robot.
