I'm not a critic or anyone of prominent note, I'm just somebody who didn't work today, and thus my opinion is valued accordingly. So, for whatever it's worth, here's a list of the "best" movies from the new millennium's first decade.
10. Sunshine (2007)
Leading off with this runs a risk, I know, of leaving readers to not want to proceed further, but I will. In a decade of Danny Boyle work that consisted of instant horror classic "28 Days Later," cult followed DiCaprio film "The Beach" and Oscar grabbing powerhouse "Slumdog Millionaire," "Sunshine" is probably the least heard of and my favorite of his films. Yes, even more than "Trainspotting."
Boyle's cinematic presentation of space harkens back and even improves upon Kubrik's "2001...," as a group of astronauts embark on likely suicidal mission to the sun in order to save mankind. The movie does teeter on going off the deep end in its last third, but it's still believable enough and doesn't change the fact that the first half is purely amazing.
9. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Comic book and superhero movies are so common at this time that there is literally at least one released every month. It was "Spider-Man" and its sequel, however, that blazed the path that films like "X-Men" and "Blade" laid, and showed just how good and profitable this sub-genre can be. 2002's "Spider-Man" was fun enough, and had a marvel (pun intended) of CGI wizardry, but ultimately it was just a good summer blockbuster. In this sequel though, Sam Raimi seemingly take the reigns more and stamps down more of his signature, with engaging and stylistic sequences such as Doc Ock's metal arms gaining awareness and killing a room of lab techs. This aesthetic mixes with a lead who's unsure, unpopular, and anything but indestructible. His greatest strengths may end up being his drive and his heart. While it is popular opinion to hold the "Dark Knight" (a good movie as well) as the industry standard, I stand by my sentiment that "Spider-Man 2" is actually the best superhero movie ever.
8. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
A little overlooked today, since the character of Napoleon Dynamite became so ingrained in the pop culture, but if you look beyond the idea of the movie seeming like a parody of itself and watch it again, it's pretty fantastic. Its world contains mostly characters who feel they are cooler than they actually are and do so to hide deeper insecurities (and that applies to both the the heroes and the antagonists). The characters basically exist with a human dynamic that is fairly relatable because it's incredibly accurate of high school life, and life in general. Determining ultimately that "cool" is subjective and that it's our friendships that matter, "Napoleon Dynamite" conveys such a theme along side its stable of freakin' sweet quotes.
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Honestly, this slot is more out of admiration for the series as a whole, but being as I find the second the best of the trilogy, "The Two Towers" gets the spotlight here. Popularity wise, the movies broke a variety of box office records, most of which have since been surpassed. And it is with this popularity I make a point: Peter Jackson made three movies, all of which are very long, about a fantasy world inhabited by fantasy creatures that is based on J.R.R.Tolkien's writings from the 1940's, and not only was it well received, but it completely infiltrated the mainstream culture at the time and even won a "Best Picture" Oscar for "Return of the King" in 2003. Its almost seamless use of special effects with creature make-up raised and set a bar of professionalism that is still being built upon by films today, who even ten years later still don't always even better what "LOTR" did.
6. Lost in Translation (2003)
A movie that often tends to fall either into a love or loathe category, I obviously lean toward the former. The plot is simple enough: older man disinterested in both his physical location as well as his life meets a younger woman unsure of her physical location as well as her life. Without any cheap gimmicks of sex or forced romanticism, Sofia Coppola shows a complex dynamic of two people in need of something who find each other and develop a friendship that may or may not continue on past the movie's end. It's an often enough encountered human interaction, albeit one that is exceptionally rare to see attempted in a film.
5. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
I recall seeing or reading an interview with Quentin Tarantino sometime not longer after "Jackie Brown" where he explained, more-or-less, that with "Pulp Fiction" he blew people's minds but that's not what he wanted this time around, but next movie he'll try to blow minds again. That next movie was "Kill Bill," and whether brains exploded or not they were certainly entertained. There's obviously a lot going on in terms of referencing and homaging classic kung fu as well as genre splicing it with spaghetti western, and plenty of film history and film-making power at play. But to analyze too much almost detracts from the fact that the movie works so well and is crazy fun.
4. WALL-E (2008)
Pixar's responsible for some of the best things happening in theaters since "Toy Story" first came out in 1995. "WALL-E," however, is probably their boldest and riskiest attempt yet. A titular, lead character who doesn't speak. A nearly 20-some opening minutes of primarily landscapes, somber music, and a destroyed planet Earth. And, not an "in your face," but certainly noticeable social theme/warning. Pixar has been amazing at producing animated features that simultaneously entertain nearly all age groups, but "WALL-E" really demonstrates that they don't just make good kids movies that grown-ups like too; they just make good movies period.
3. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
As is often the case with Wes Anderson's movies, this film somehow exists (and believeably so) in a modern setting, yet feels nostalgic for some kind of 1978 Thanksgiving Day. Beyond the fact that it has a large and notable cast, more important is how well it is cast and how entertaining the performances. Characters do and say deplorable, childish, and/or misguided things, and unlike the lobotomy dribble of "Two and a Half Men," "The Royal Tenenbaums" releases its lines as dry humor, with the choice of the audience to grab it or not. It's not a pretentious movie for the highly intelligent, it's just actually funny and not for idiots.
2. There Will Be Blood (2007)
What may perhaps end up being regarded as an all-time classic, "There Will Be Blood" wasn't even selected as Best Picture by the Academy. In a world where "Unforgiven" (good, but not great) or even "Crash" (difficult to watch as it's so terribly self indulgent in it's attempts to be socially progressive and evocative) won said award, "TWBB" suffered the misfortune of being released the same year as "Old Country for Old Men." However, as suggested in this paragraph's first line, "TWBB" probably has the longer legs of the two, and upon reflection is the more solid film. Aside from another great even if possibly over-the-top Daniel Day Lewis performance, the movie stands out too with PT Anderson illustrating he's not just great potential, but he's potential realized.
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
A film that not only has a captivating quality to its first watch, but maintains that and possibly even progresses ahead on subsequent views. Michelle Gondry's visual style and hijinks are married perfectly with the help of a cast of flawless performances and more importantly, another amazing script by Charlie Kaufman. As interesting and as structured as the story is, the key is the interpersonal dynamics of the characters and the way that spawns ideas and emotions out of the viewer.
other mentions: Little Miss Sunshine, Snatch, Hamlet 2, 500 Days of Summer, No Country for Old Men, Wet Hot American Summer, City of God, Children of Men, About a Boy, Batman Begins, & plenty of others...
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