Films Of The Decade – Alex's List

Published on December 19, 2009 by Alex Wagner   ·   View Comments

10 years is bloody ages in film terms. To narrow it down to my ten favourite films of the decade was no easy task. Even now I look at my list and can’t help but think…where the hell is Gladiator? Why didn’t I include any Lord Of The Rings films? What about The Dark Knight? Damn, what about The Lives Of Others, Pan’s Labyrinth, Finding Nemo, Downfall, No Country For Old Men? All of those films are incredible candidates and on another day they might have made it. The truth is no self-respecting film buff will ever be able to narrow down 10 films to fit a list and not have it change every so often.

One day my opinion of the best film of all time will be Seven Samurai the next day it will be Apocalypse Now and the day after that it might be Night Of The Hunter. I guess we can count ourselves blessed that there are so many amazing films in the world and here’s hoping for another great 10 years to come.

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REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
(dir. Darren Aronofsky 2000)

This is a blistering assault on the senses that depresses as much as it mesmerises. Darren Aronofsky successfully adapted one of my favourite books of all-time and delivers this nightmarish tale of a group of people that begin a downward spiral into drug hell. Its four leads are all superb. Jared Leto will never be better than he is here. Marlon Wayans proves that he can do serious and Ellen Burstyn gives an incredible Oscar nominated performance.

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OLDBOY
(dir. Chan-Wook Park, 2003)

Oldboy is a rarity indeed: a completely flawless film. So many words come to mind to describe Chan-Wook Park’s masterpiece. Breathtaking, sublime, brutal, complex, intelligent and absolutely perfect. Executed with such style this story of a man who is imprisoned for 15 years without an explanation and then released only to be sent on a quest to find his captors is in my opinion one of the greatest films ever made.

At heart a simple story of revenge Oldboy deserves to be seen by anyone who considers themselves a film fan. Hollywood will never be able to come anywhere near the genius that is this film.

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CITY OF GOD
(dir. Fernando Meirelles & Katia Lund, 2002)

Like many parts of the world, Rio has two sides. A very rich side where the playboys play and the slums where gang warfare runs rampant. City of God is one of the bravest films ever made. Telling the true story of a young man desperate to escape the violence that surrounds him.

Dazzling filmmaking and sheer guts combine to make a powerful, unforgettable film that will stay with you forever once you watch it. It is an unapologetically intense film that deals with violence, drugs and rape in a very real and honest way. This is how some people live their lives and we really shouldn’t ignore it.

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MEMENTO
(dir. Christopher Nolan, 2000)

Long before Batman ever began and The Dark Knight was nowhere to be seen Christopher Nolan unleashed this tale of a man trying to piece together his life one backwards step at a time.

In a world full of unoriginal filmmakers Nolan broke the trend and gave the world Memento.

It’s very easy to assume that the entire film is based on a gimmick plot line but it is so clever and so well made that it becomes an unforgettable trip into one man’s mind. This is paranoia as an art form and it totally rocks!

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CHILDREN OF MEN
(dir. Alfonso Cuaron, 2006)

Why this didn’t make more money is beyond me. I guess it’s just a tad too intelligent for the average cinemagoer. Either way, from a technical point of view Children Of Men stands head and shoulders above every film of that year. It is the near future and the human race finds itself facing extinction. Women are unable to conceive and the youngest ever person has just died. However one woman has been discovered pregnant and Theo Faren finds himself assigned to protect her from a world gone crazy.

After watching this in the cinema I was speechless for hours. There are scenes in this film that will burn into your subconscious and stay there forever. Alfonso Cuaron demonstrates incredible control with the camera here. He uses long takes to full effect and made one of the most haunting films in modern cinema history.

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LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
(dir. Tomas Alfredson, 2008)

Beautiful and lyrical. Let the Right One In isn’t just the greatest vampire story ever told, this is pure poetry in motion. Essentially, it’s just a normal coming of age story; a love story with a difference.

It is brilliantly told and oozing with atmosphere; Let the Right One In is part childrens fable, part gothic fantasy.

Perfectly adapted from the book of the same name this has to be the best thing to come out of Sweden since Ingmar Bergman. All you Twilight fans take notice! This is how a real vampire love story should be told.

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SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO
(dir. Takashi Miike, 2007)

A completely bonkers Japanese western that is fast, funny and ultra stylish as only the Japanese can do. The entire film is ridiculous from start to finish but Takashi Miike delivers another mind-blowing melting pot of absurd characters and ultra violence.

In parts homage to Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns and Akira Kurosawa’s Samurai films Sukiyaki Western Django is pure unrelenting joy.

Moving at a breakneck pace and featuring Quentin Tarantino (who just seems to be having so much fun), this film never fails to make me laugh.

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GRINDHOUSE
(dir Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez, 2007)

I was lucky enough to watch Grindhouse at Graumans Chinese Movie Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard when it came out. It made the whole experience that extra bit special and I remember wondering at the time why I was alone in the cinema. It seemed nobody wanted to see Grindhouse that effectively led up to it being split in two for its European release. For me Grindhouse is a film geek’s dream.

Rodriguez & Tarantino express their supreme love for all things cinema and deliver an experience packed full of in jokes and references that only the geekiest of us would have ever understood. The inclusion of Hysterical fake trailers between the two films make it a wonderful throwback to a bygone era. Planet Terror delivers the thrills while Death Proof delivers the lines. I loved it and I still can’t believe that Blades of Glory made more money.

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ZATOICHI
(dir. Takeshi Kitano, 2003)

It’s a well-known fact that Takeshi Kitano is a fucking legend! With a career brimful of masterpieces of the highest order Zatoichi is my favourite. Here he brings a cult Japanese show bang up-to-date and weaves the familiar story of a blind swordsman caught up in a power struggle. The entire film is enchanting, with cinematography of the highest order. It manages to be really funny and thrilling at the same time.

Only Takeshi Kitano can make a samurai film with tap dancing show tunes. The fight scenes feature some of the best choreography I have ever seen in a film, the blood literally gushes all over the place. Truly memorable and completely unforgettable.

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DISTRICT 9
(dir. Neill Blomkamp, 2009)

I’ve been preaching about this one since the moment I saw it. I swear I have been approaching strangers all over London and urging them to go and see District 9. When writing the review for this very website I couldn’t praise it enough. District 9 is the best film of 2009, and that is saying a lot when you have Inglorious Basterds to compete with. Sharlto Copley gives one of the best performances I have ever seen… ever! The film has amazing CGI; it’s political, satirical and highlights major flaws within the human race to full effect. A Sci-Fi film that actually makes you question your own humanity. Not since Starship Troopers has Sci-Fi been this intelligent. The film mirrors Apartheid but replaces the race issue with the species issue. This is what cinema was invented for. Made for only $30 million District 9 puts Michael Bay to shame. The obscene amount of money that it cost to make Transformers is sickening when you compare it to District 9. Genius filmmaking!

Tags: Children of Men, City of God, district 9, Grindhouse, Let The Right One In, Memento, Oldboy, Requiem For A Dream, Sukiyaki Western Django, Zatochi

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