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The Best Films of the Decade: 2000 – 2009 Part 8 (Revised)

50- District 9 (2009)

Directed by Neill Blomkamp

Genre: Sci-fi

District 9 is an allegory for our time, bursting with contemporary themes such as oppression, greed, power and propaganda and while the metaphor itself is pretty clear, Blomkamp goes for the visceral quality of the images and situations proving that sci-fi thrillers don’t have to be star-studded or mega-budgeted to be visually compelling and thoroughly entertaining. This high-concept picture with a relatively small budget was a major success at the box office, and now major studios not only promise to generate a “calling-card system” for independent filmmakers, allowing them the chance to experiment at low risk within the studio system, while also being given a generous marketing campaign. Hopefully future films like The Hurt Locker and Moon will find a larger audience as studio heads shows more faith in their indie-film makers.

Listen to our review from podcast #146

49-  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Directed by Peter Jackson

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

With The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Peter Jackson brings his epic series to a glorious finish. If not for the many endings, it may have ranked much higher on this list. Still this is truly an amazing, jaw dropping spectacle which can rightfully claim to be one of the greatest achievements in cinematic history.

48- Heaven (2002)

Directed by Tom Tykwer

Genre: Thriller, Drama

The last film written by the late master filmmaker Krysztof Kieslowski and writing partner Kryzsztof Piesiewicz, Heaven is masterfully directed by Tom Tykwer, who manages to put his own stamp on the film without neglecting the vision of the men who wrote it. On the surface Heaven is a lovers-on-the-run crime flick, but like many of Kieslowski’s religious analogies you may unlock many of the inner mysteries if you look deeper within. Still, for the average movie-goer the film’s greatest achievement is in creating and maintaining a certain mood, tone and tense visual energy to the lyrical, multi-layered story of an ordinary woman who takes divine justice into her own hands.

Listen to our review from podcast #95

47- Mysterious Skin (2004)

Directed by Gregg Araki

Genre: Coming of Age, Drama

A powerful,  intriguing and deeply felt coming-of-age tale about two young men struggling to overcome childhood scars, Mysterious Skin pushes the audience out of their comfort zones and may be one of the most controversial films on this list. Director Gregg Araki courageously delivers a powerful and haunting film which most filmmakers wouldn’t dare to explore. Also worthy of note is Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s unforgettable and nuanced performance. Skin is both disturbing and difficult to watch but also one of the best gay-themed movies ever made.

46- Dogville (2003)

Directed by Lars von Trier

Genre: Drama

The Danish filmmaker-provocateur Lars von Trier has never been to America, but he has an unshakable notion of what America is like. Dogville is his gorgeous, experimental and completely unique film presented entirely as a stage play (minus a set). His intention is for the audience to focus on the acting and themes without being distracted by the setting so instead of houses with walls and doors, there are chalk lines on the ground and imaginary props.  Yet somehow Dogville is an extraordinary movie —a masterpiece, in fact – by one of the world’s most adventurous directors on top of his game.

45- Yi Yi (2000)

Directed by Eward Yang

Edward Yang’s most accessible (and very last) film is a heartfelt, thoughtful, touching and compelling family drama that demands to be seen. This intimate family portrait peels away layer after layer of unspoken truth and hidden life and the subtle ways people reach out for each other. The three hour running time requires patience but the journey is so worth the time spent.

44- Sunshine (2007)

Directed by Danny Boyle

Genre: Sci-fi

Danny Boyle has excelled in nearly every genre he’s touched from the family holiday film Millions, to the epidemic horror film 28 Days Later to the drug-fuelled drama Trainspotting and his underrated thriller Shallow Grave. With an intriguing premise, stellar visuals and an ending that spirals out of control, genre-jumper Boyle’s sci-fi effort Sunshine is an incredible thriller, packed with tension and spectacular special effects. However like Stanley Kurbick’s classic 2001, Sunshine’s appeal extends beyond its genre. Intelligent writing, brilliant production design and a terrific cast make this one of the most inventive and fascinating science-fiction films in decades.

43- Syndromes and a Century (2006)

Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul

I am going to take an excerpt from the review by Peter Bradshaw to sum up Syndromes and a Century.

“Syndromes and a Century is a poem on screen: a film of ideas and visual tropes that upends conventional narrative expectations, not out of a simple desire to disconcert but to break through the carapace of normality, to give us the knight’s-move away from reality that the Russian formalists said was the prerogative of art. It’s a movie to be compared with the work of Antonioni – or Sergei Parajanov. “

42- Revanche (2009)

Directed by Götz Spielmann

Revanche is the stunning, Oscar–nominated, international breakthrough film from Austrian filmmaker Götz Spielmann. The title means ‘revenge’, but that’s a deliberate simplification; This modern-day morality tale is one of the most compelling character studies I have seen in a long time. An intoxicating thriller filled with marvellous performances, superlative camera work by Martin Gschlach and meticulous, elegant direction.

Listen to our review from podcast #187

41- 35 Rhums (2008)

Directed by Claire Denis

Genre: Drama

Blending poeticism and realism has been part of Denis’ repertoire for some time but it has never been quite as soulful and seductive as it is with 35 Shots of Rum. Denis, who has called the film a tribute to the great Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu, delicately explores the relationship between a widowed Parisian train driver and his university student daughter. Impressively directed, beautifully acted, and with a terrific soundtrack, the painfully slow pacing and relative lack of dialogue may prove off putting to some but in my opinion 35 Shots of Rum is supremely confident film-making at its very best.

Listen to our review from podcast #169

40- In The Mood For Love (2000)

Directed by Kar Wai Wong

Genre: Drama, Romance

Since 1989, Wong Kar-wai has directed several feature films and won numerous awards, including the best director’s prize at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival for Happy Together. In The Mood For Love is his heartbreaking and erotic meditative tale on the confines of love; heavy on atmosphere with ravishing visuals provided by the great cinematographer Christopher Doyle and memorable performances by Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung who are working at the top of their game. An elegant romance for the ages and a masterpiece of its genre.

Best of the Aughts – Page: 1 – 23 –  4 –  5 –  6 –  7 –  8 –  9 –  10 –  11 –  12


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