1. There Will Be Blood
(2007)
There Will Be Blood is a film that teaches us a lesson about the enticing appeal of greed, corruption and hunger. While the movie is based on Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil!, Paul Thomas Anderson goes far away from the page, creating the story of a California Oil Prospector played by the always-worth-watching Daniel Day-Lewis, who took home the gold for this movie (and deserved it).
The cinematography is captivating, and while the story is slow and the movie runs long – there is not one minute that doesn’t belong. Anderson’s unflinching epic of the fatal flaws of materialism and his ability to connect realistic fiction at the turn of the 20th century to today’s various economic and sociological issues makes this movie universal. Paul Thomas Anderson is the most dynamic filmmaker of his time and is possibly the most talented.
2. No Country for Old Men
(2007)
The Coen Brothers have balls. It takes courage to create a movie that, for the first three-fourths, is the most tense, thrilling, cat-and-mouse action story, and for the last quarter, is a monologue driven sequence, especially for mass audiences and Hollywood satisfaction. This to-the-grave loyal adaptation of Cormac McCarthy novel has one of the best screen performances of all time from the extraordinary actor Javier Bardem, and has a production value like no other. With incredible set design, Roger Deakins’ consistently excellent cinematography and enthralling/engaging action sequences that, with clever timing, create all kinds of tension for the audience. It is not a typical entry in the Coen Brothers’ body of work, but it is most certainly their best.
3. Pan’s Labyrinth
(2006)
Guillermo Del Toro gave creativity another name with this film. Set during the Spanish Civil War, this fantasy/fairy tale epic gives us a little girl named Ofelia whose imagination is so vivid and fascinating that despite the dreadful horrors of the reality surrounding her, she can find salvation. The sets, computer generated imagery, animatronics, special effects, war sequences and costumes help create a world that has not been seen before.
4. The Hurt Locker
(2009)
In a decade where multiple low-grade films about the Iraq War were released, The Hurt Locker was hailed by many critics as the best one of this bunch, but even that is an understatement. What makes this film so special is how it proved that Hollywood doesn’t need big special effects or a production budget of $200-300 million to make a great action movie. Kathryn Bigelow has an incredible talent for shooting action and is steps above many of her colleagues. The Hurt Locker not only tells the story of a war whose end is overdue, but the story of the people who are out there fighting every day, fearing for their lives and serving their countries.
5. Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind
(2004)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an expose of Charlie Kaufman’s genius as a screenwriter. He has a magical ability to create stories that no other writer in Hollywood can think of, this, as his follow-up to Adaptation and Being John Malkovich is by far his greatest achievement. This movie could be looked at as a chowder of these genres/aspects: science fiction, dystopian ideals, romanticism, the power of love and the ability of the human mind. The film proves that love conquers all, as does great storytelling.
6. Adaptation
(2002)
While Eternal Sunshine… showed off Charlie Kaufman’s innovative mind in a more straight-forward way, Adaptation demonstrated his ability to apply his creativity and write a self-reflective screenplay that cleverly conveys an excellent story. This is not another film about show-biz – it’s a coming-of-age tale about a man and his twin brother who discover the art of story, the science of botany and the magic of moviemaking. Chris Cooper steals his scenes, Meryl Streep is good as always, but Nicolas Cage plays both Charlie Kaufman and his non-existent twin brother Donald Kaufman to ultimate perfection, reminding us of what a good actor he can really be.
7. Sideways
(2004)
The depressing dramatic depths and the crazy comedic extremes juxtaposed together makes Sideways a truly remarkable film. Alexander Payne has honed the ability to direct the perfect dramedy. Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church are not only hilarious as their characters, but they represent the maturities and immaturities of the types of men they portray and take it steps further.
8. Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon
(2001)
Ang Lee is one of the most gifted filmmakers around. He has made so many great films in the past twenty years since and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is his most impressive achievement to date. With great fight sequences, vivid imaginative story, visual triumph (the cinematography is spellbinding) – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon incorporates martial arts violence and narrative structure in an equivocated logical way.
9. Lost in Translation
(2003)
A cleverly crafted mood piece is always a delight. Sofia Coppola’s beautifully shot, cleverly written breakthrough is one of the most swiftly put together movies. Bill Murray brings his deadpan humor and simultaneously creates a character that the audience can both sympathize and empathize with, as it depicts the disoriented feeling that comes about with traveling and culture shock. With just the right amount of humor, pithy dialogue, romance and drama – Lost in Translation is an absolute must-see.
10. The Wrestler
(2008)
Sometimes, great art is difficult to experience. Such is the case with Darren Aronofsky’s latest effort, The Wrestler. The performances by both Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei are two of the best acting jobs done in the past twenty-five years. The pain of watching Rourke’s performance allows us to see an actor who gives an unhinged performance – indulging/immersing him into the role so organically with nuance and subtlety. Shot with a meager budget of $4 million, The Wrestler solidified Aronofsky as the most courageous director around, who unlike many of his contemporaries, will not sell his artistic integrity.
