Some guy's opinion of the Top 25 Movies of the Decade

So I have been seeing Top "whatever" lists of the decade online for the past 2 or 3 weeks. I disagree with most of them, some more passionately then others-- so I said to myself, "Self, How hard could it be to come up with an accurate list of the top 25 films of the decade?". Turns out, it's pretty tough. Yeah the first half a dozen or so come out pretty quickly but after that you're hacking your way through a jungle of mediocrity to find those forgotten film gems you may have forgotten about. In the process, like on any arduous journey, I learned a few things about myself:

-I like R Rated movies. In fact 20 of the 25 are rated R. For some people R Rated movies are a big deal, and I totally get that, but for me they are not... not at all.

-As much as I claim to like Johnny Depp, it must just be for his body-- Not one Johnny Depp film on the list. I'm not sure if I'm more sad for me or for him. [tear]

-Surprisingly Bill Murray tops the list with appearances in 3 of the 25 films, while 10 others appear more than once.

-I apparently really liked Ridley Scott at the beginning of the decade and then moved on to really liking Martin Scorsese later in the decade.

-My interests are pretty evenly split between drama and comedy, and I've learned that my idea of a "comedy" is more like everyone else's "dark and weird".

Now I feel I should preface this list with a disclaimer. As the great blogger The Jolly Porter stated in his decade review, While they may not be the best films of the decade, they are the ones that seemed to have grabbed me most. Or, in the words of the British critic Derek Malcolm, these are the films that I "could not bear the thought of never seeing again."

Alright that enough talk. Here is the countdown:

25. Lars and the Real Girl (2007): A wonderfully bizarre and touching film. The unconventional premise of a young man's relationship with a life-size doll he ordered from the internet, needlessly scared many people away from this film. There is NOTHING to fear. This is one of my PG-13 films, so go see it!

24. Zombieland (2009): I can certainly appreciate a quirky coming of age film as this list will show, but combined with a post-apocalyptic Zombie movie, well now that's just great entertainment.

23. Juno (2007): Like I said, I enjoy a quirky coming of age story and teen pregnancy is hysterical... if you're the guy. Oh Snap!

22. Almost Famous (2000): Look at that, yet another quirky coming of age film. I liked this one just a bit better than Juno, less female hormonal stuff.

21. Lost in Translation (2003): Completely unique. Simple, thoughtful, and so well crafted. Bill Murray at his finest.

20. Snatch (2000): Guy Richie's fast paced style film making inundates his viewers with information and somehow manages to wraps itself up in a perfect little bow seconds before the credits roll. And quite possibly Brad Pitt's best performance of the decade.

19. Up (2009): Easily Pixar's finest achievement. So simply and yet uniquely whimsical and engaging. Unlike Wall-E, which is equally stunning visually, the depth of character in Up is vastly superior and thus emotionally engaging.

18. The Road (2009): Generally when I go into a film with high expectations, it not only fails, it fails epically (case & point- The Forgotten). The Road did not disappoint. It was just as frightening, restless, and disturbing as it was supposed to be. Fascinating commentaries on humanity, fear, and survival.

17. Little Miss Sunshine (2006): The dysfunctional journey of a dysfunctional family of chain-smoking, suicidal, heroine addicts as they chase the improbable dream of their chubby 9 year old girl who wants to be a beauty pageant queen. Honestly, what's not to like about that?

16. Pan's Labyrinth (2006): A foreign film (Spain) with a fascinating & gripping storyline, absolutely astounding visuals, and wonderful imagination. It is dark and disturbing, but almost impossible to look away.

15. Big Fish (2003): This film resonated with me on a very personal level. It was beautiful and filled with the magic of Tim Burton's wild imagination. Also a PG-13.

14. There Will Be Blood (2007): No doubt it is a masterpiece and will be mentioned for years to come alongside film's like Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and Schindler's List. Your children will study it in film class.

13. In Bruges (2008): I saw this at the Sundance Film Festival and simply could not stop laughing. So strange and wildly unpredictable with a substantial plot and characters.

12. Gangs of New York (2002): This is worth seeing just for Daniel Day Lewis. Possibly his best performance ever. In fact a good cast all around. A fascinating period piece that changed my perceptions of history. That's a big deal, right?

11. Hannibal (2001): Better than Silence of the Lambs and here's why: 1. Hannibal Lecture outside his cell and moving about the world as he pleases =scary. 2. Gary Oldman as one of the creepiest creepers ever. 3. Julianne Moore not Jodie Foster.

10. Gladiator (2000): There is really nothing to critic in this film. It is an awe-inspiring epic for the ages.

9. In America (2002): A deeply touching film. I don't know that I've ever seen a film that has taken me on such a roller-coaster ride of emotions. The acting is amazing!!! This is a MUST SEE FILM and there is no excuse-- it is PG-13.

8. V For Vendetta (2005): This film caught me totally by surprise, and that doesn't happen very often. It is uniquely beautiful in both presentation and plot. I ceremoniously remember to watch it on the 5th of November each year.

7. Children of Men (2006): Such an interesting premise on which to create a film. From a film-making perspective, to this day I can not get over the continuous shoot that follows down several flights of stairs. Simply an amazing feat in and of itself. I was mildly surprised to find it was not written by Cormac McCarthy.

6. Memento (2000): I was absolutely blown away the first time I watched this film. I think part of my brain seeped out of my ear. Absolutely riveting, original, and challenging. I dare you to try and watch it only once. I DARE YOU!!!

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004): Another very interesting premise as is the usual of Charlie Kaufman. This film simply sucks you from beginning to end. It is beautiful and unique love story and manages to mess with you mentally, emotionally, morally philosophically, in a way I've yet to experience elsewhere.

4. The Departed (2006): I heart Jack Nicholson, I heart Alec Baldwin, I heart Mark Walberg, and I heart Martin Scorsese. How could I not heart this film? It is an intense, well created film with all the makings of a classic Shakespearean tragedy.

3. No Country for Old Men (2007): In my book, the Cohen brothers can do no wrong and in this film they did a whole lot of good. It is the ultimate Anti-hero film. No doubt Anton Chigurh is one of the scariest bad guys ever.

2. Amelie (2001): This foreign film (French) is so full of life. It is so energetic, colorful, spontaneous, and playful you can't help but fall in love. I can guarantee three things if you watch this film: 1. It will make you happy. 2. It will make you hate Travelocity's blatant rip-off of the traveling gnome. 3. It will be one your favorite movies of the decade as well.

1. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001): It is Wes Anderson's most significant film to date. This film forever changed the way I think and feel about film. A great film has great characters and The Royal Tenenbaums is absolute proof. It is sharp, subtle, and surprisingly sensitive. It has influenced me creatively more so than any other film I imagine ever could.


Honorable Mentions:
No single entry from these trilogies was able to crack my top 25; however as collective works, they are certainly deserving of mention.

Batman Begins (2005)/Dark Knight (2008): Christopher Nolan is a great film maker and easily the best thing to happen for Batman and DC comics over the past decade. I love the darkness of these films.

The Bournes (2002,2004,2007): Exciting, intense, smart, fun, cool, entertaining... anything else, oh yeah Bad Ass!

Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001,2002,2003): An absolutely amazing epic. What an great accomplishment to translate those novels to film.

All these films were released in 2009, and merit a posting of their own, but since I'm not going to do a "2009 Movies- Year in Review", I'll just add them here as a post-script:

Inglorious Bastards: One of Tarantino's finest. Funny, intense, violent. Immensely entertaining.

Adventureland: Another Sundance film and yet another quirky and witty coming of age story set in the 1980's. Very entertaining and enduring.

Mary and Max: A black & white (and a little red) animated stop-motion film out of Australia I saw at Sundance. I know it sounds like a snooze, it is anything but. So simple, but so thoughtful, witty, and so worth seeing. It is PG. I'm not sure where you can find it, but it is out there.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: I love Wes Anderson and I had been waiting for this film to be released for nearly a year and a half. A great story and fantastic cast. Go see it- PG.

Coraline: Yes this is the forth animated film I thoroughly enjoy this year, (also out of Australia). It was dark and eerie, and not really for children-- unless of course you've get those creepy Children of the Corn-type kids and then I suppose it is alright.


So that's it. I believe I've been quite thorough, but I'm sure I've missed something... and no doubt you'll feel the need to let me know what that is. Be my guest.

Utah-- Is This The Place?

I think it is about time I made this post. I've lived in Utah for nearly 8 years now-- so I pretty much know everything there is to know about Utah. Simply put this post will be a list of Pros and Cons to living in the Beehive state-- it will no doubt be a worthy resource for local real estate agents, the various tourism bureaus, and those of you considering making the jump to The Promised Land.

Scenery: Pro-- See, now, you might think that having Scenery as a category is just me being charitable, but it's not-- I'm never charitable. I admit scenery is kind of corny unless you're making a film-- a film that requires locations like towering snow covered mountains, a dry arid desert, and a bustling downtown city center. Not so corny, now is it Mr. Spielberg? Furthermore-- that scenery can be visited up close and personal for you outdoorsy types.

Greatest Snow on Earth: Con-- I don't particularly like snow. Sure it looks nice up on the mountains, but as far as "Greatest Snow", I'd like to know who decides that? The World Government with it's Snow Lobbyist? I highly doubt the snow from Antarctica or Outer Siberia were fairly represented. Frankly I prefer the kind of snow that doesn't make my front porch slippery, tastes like powdered sugar, and comes in small dime bags from Adam's Avenue in Ogden.

Family Oriented Communities: Pro-- There are parks-- and not the kind of park where you buy drugs (those exist but are generally outside residential areas). These parks are actually for kids-- you don't see teenager loitering around swings or homeless people taking shelter under the slides.

The Nightly Curfew: Con-- Every now and then I just want a pizza to be delivered to my house at 2 in the morning. I don't know that it is written law, but Utah seems to have strict curfew-- often defined as the moment the Holy Spirit goes to bed. Then the Devil takes over. The only places open past 10 pm are already well under the control of the Devil-- bars, night clubs, and Wal-mart.

Sundance Film Festival: Pro-- One of the best "independent" film festivals in the world. Granted it has progressively become more "Hollywood" in the last few years, but I maintain it is an amazing festival and easily one of the top perks of living in Utah. This past year I was able to see In Bruge, Smart People, and The Wackness (along others) 9 months ahead of the general viewing public.

(IN BRUGES--Good Film 4.5 Stars)

As a local you can easily get affordable tickets to almost any movie screening at the festival (without waiting in 2-3 lines)-- yes that's one of the perk of being a resident. Take that Mister hot shot from New York City-- flying in every year wearing your furry boots and that 7 foot silk scarf!

The Mormons: Con-- Before you get all up in arms, hear me out. Not all members of the LDS faith are "Mormons". This is a select group of individuals I define as Mormons. A Mormon is someone that wears the LDS religion like a tiara or crowd of superiority. Someone who is personally offended by your facial hair, your diet coke, or your choice of music. Mormons are the ugly side of the LDS faith-- like the Taliban to Islam or The Catholics to Christianity.

Friendly Neighbors: Pro-- You will find most Utahans to be quite pleasant, genuine, and helpful. Housing units, neighborhoods, and sometimes entire cities are willing to offer support and caring on a level rivaled only by Alcoholics Anonymous. If you're not already a member of the LDS faith the friendliness is earnestly intensified in order to convert you. Ride that gravy train as long as you can.

Overt LDS Commercialism: Con-- This is truly a pet peeve of mine in Utah. I hate when local businesses will try to differentiate themselves from their competitors by "Going All Godly". A good example of this is CleanFlix, which was essentially a Blockbuster video with edited Hollywood movies specifically for their LDS audience. Other perpetrators include: Zion's Bank (give me a break, when Zion returns to the earth there won't be any banks), Smith's Food & Drugs (obviously a reference the LDS prophet and founder Joseph Smith Jr.), Desseret Book (carries only "Uplifting Books"-- whatever that means), Living Scripture (a series of ridiculously over priced DVD movies based on Scriptural stories for children-- these guys are bad news).

Multi-Cultural: Pro-- Now it's nothing in comparison to say a Toronto or New York, but Utah is pretty eclectic. The main reason behind this phenomenon is LDS missionaries travelling the world around living and absorbing these cultures and then returning home to attend BYU (or U of U if you're not as righteous). This also contributes to a host of authentic restaurants, unique foods, and dinning experiences. In some circumstances the missionaries will not only bring back the culture but the women as well. Also the efforts of missionary work bring LDS converts from these countries to Utah a.k.a. Zion-- getting a head start on the Millennial migration.

The Osmonds: Con-- It is a simple and sad fact-- but The Osmonds (notably Donnie and Marie) are the most widely recognized individuals to come from Utah-- and frankly it's a big problem. The Osmonds are worshipped like golden calves in Utah. It's gotten to the point where if your last name happens to be Osmond and you bear any resemblance to any member of the original Osmond group you are qualified to publically sing and dance at any/all of the following functions: Sporting Events, Parades, Sacrament Meetings (Baby Blessings and Farewells), Rodeos, Multi-Level Marketing Annual Conventions. I am not even kidding-- for the 4th I attended a soccer match followed by a fireworks show-- the pre-show was sung by an Osmond-- I have no idea which one because he was announced to the crowd only as "An Osmond". I felt sorry for him-- and the rest of us.

So there you have it! This is The Place. One fourth of the famed 4 Corners. The Wild Wild West of the movies. The Home of Fry Sauce, Funeral Potatoes, and Jell-O Salad. Utah-- Where the mighty Seagulls patrol the sky.