Nick's Top 10 Films of the Decade

There will be plenty of best of the decade lists coming out in the coming weeks. To get a head start on all of that, here are my top ten films of the last decade.

1. Mulholland Drive (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166924/) – I know some people just hate this movie but to me this was just a brilliant piece of filmmaking by David Lynch. I watched it and then immediately had to re-watch it just to see if I could figure out what I just saw. Amazing performances in what I now think is Lynch’s masterpiece. (Of the many Oscar oversights over the years, I will never understand how someone could think A Beautiful Mind was a better movie then Mulholland Drive, but oh well.)

2. United 93 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475276/) – This is just another amazing piece of filmmaking. I dare you to watch this and not think it is a documentary. This is truly a tragic film and one that I don’t know if I can ever bring myself to watch again. It brought the events of 9/11 right back upon viewing and I know a lot of people avoided this movie because (and I truly get this) who wants to re-live those feelings. With all that said, this movie is simply a masterpiece.

3. 28 Days Later – (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/) – To me what made this movie so amazing is it took a genre that has been made to death in zombies and gave us a fresh take on it. Also, when the film makes a left turn in the third act (and if you’ve seen it you know what I am talking about) it is scarier than any zombie eating your brains. I didn’t dig the sequel as much, but judged on its own 28 Days Later is truly remarkable

4. Traffic (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181865/) – I know some people don’t like this movie as well, and I truly don’t get it. To me this was an addictively watchable film. So many stories and so many points of view yet somehow Soderbergh melds it all together to make a movie that I could re-watch a thousand times.

5. Capturing the Friedmans – (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342172/) – This was in my mind the best documentary of the decade. If you haven’t seen it, I implore you to rent it. It sucks you right into the hell that was the Friedmans life at the time of the arrests. It doesn’t state weather they feel Jessie is innocent or guilty, and after watching it I still don’t know. But, because of all the home movie footage that was shot, it gives you a rare glimpse into a family as it falls apart.

6. The Royal Tenenbaums (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265666/) - This is Wes Anderson’s last really good film. Here everyone gives great performances but, Gene Hackman just steals it. I still love that last scene with Ben Stiller and Hackman riding on the back of the garbage truck right before Royal passes away. It always hits me right in the gut. This movie gets better and better each time I watch it.

7. O’ Brother Where Art Thou? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190590/) - I am a Cohen Brothers fanatic so, of course I have to include at least one from the boys. If you watch this movie and it doesn’t put a smile on your face then you need to have your pulse checked. So funny and so much fun to watch, it is simply impossible not to like.

8. American Splendor (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305206/) – I don’t know what it is about Harvey Pekar, but I just find him and his stories interesting. You could not have picked a better actor then Paul Giamatti to play Pekar. This is another one that in the end it leaves you with a very warm feeling somehow despite Harvey’s somewhat bleak views on life.

9. Frailty – (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264616/) - This won’t make many ten best lists but, I had to include it in mine. Joyce and I went to the movies not knowing what we wanted to see. We picked this for I am still not sure what reason, and we both walked out amazed at just how good it was. This is a movie that keeps you guessing right until the end and pays off with a great finish.

10. The Bourne Identity (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/) – The first in the Bourne series is still my favorite. This is a great action flick that from the first scene doesn’t let up until the credits roll. The whole series was really done well and tied together nicely. I still give a slight edge to the first one but all three are really good.

Honorable Mention: Memento, There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, Almost Famous, Bad Santa, Bully, Secretary, Spiderman, Best in Show and Snatch.