A Time of Reflection: The Decade in Film

Wow. I sit here preparing to look back on the last decade of film, and the thought that keeps creeping in is that the first ten years of the 2000's are actually about to come to a close. How can that be? I feel like I just got started. The decade began with getting a job as a movie theater projectionist, which turned out to be as close to a zen moment as any I can remember. Things only went uphill from there. I finally finished college, wrote three drafts of a screenplay, bought and sold my first home, became an uncle, and constantly wondered what my life would be like when 2010 hit. The fact that I still don't know is not too surprising. It's harder to figure out than I could have ever imagined.

2000 was the first year my work as a movie reviewer was read by others outside of family and friends. I got to experience what it was like to get feedback from people who didn't know me and weren't able to identify with what I had said because of who I was. It was eye opening to say the least, but it was also more exciting than anything I have felt as a writer. The love and hate that was given based on something I had written truly touched me. Knowing that people out there had a real reaction to my point of view was the first time, in my mind, that I deserved to call myself a writer.

Writing about movies has changed me. It's made me look at myself differently, it's made me think differently, and, as cheesy as it sounds, it's made me grow. Film criticism is what has defined me over the last ten years. Even if I haven't written as much as I would have liked, the fact that I am always able to talk about them and continue to think about them has made me happier and more complete than I ever knew it could. And I have no doubts that it's because movies are such a wonderful and personal way for people to connect. It opens up our emotions and gives us reasons to laugh or argue or cry. That thrills me.

I've been going through the movies I've seen over the last ten years, working for months to try and pick the ones that were the best of the bunch, with the end result usually being frustration or confusion. How could I possibly put them in order? Then one day it came to me. I thought about how each choice affected me at that point in my life, and about which ones had broken into the chambers of my heart and soul. The list went through many revisions. So, here it is. My choices for the best movies of the decade. The decade when I began to think critically, meaning it was okay to hate a movie even if everyone else loved it and love a movie even if everyone else hated it. At the core, it didn't matter because I knew how I was going to express my feelings about it.

I love movies. I love writing about movies. I know deep inside that this will never change. This is who I am, and so with that in mind, I am proud to share my very first list looking back at the best of the decade. Thanks to all who have ever taken the time to read what I write. This is as much for you as it is for me, and here's to the next ten years when hopefully, we'll do this again.

-LEE

Ten Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

Catch Me If You Can, A History of Violence, Kill Bill, King Kong, The New World, Oldboy, Once, There Will Be Blood, Wendigo, Wonder Boys

The Top Ten



10) The Incredibles (2004) dir. Brad Bird

One of the few movies I've seen twice in the same day at the theater, Brad Bird's second feature is the rarest of rarities: an animated feature with more humanity, thrilling action, and thematic resonance than most live action efforts.



9) Lost in Translation (2003) dir. Sofia Coppola

A haunting, funny and beautiful character piece that perfectly captures the need for human connection in an unfamiliar setting. The performances by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are so real they transcend the screen, which makes us exhilarated that we are lost with them.



8) Inglourious Basterds (2009) dir. Quentin Tarantino

More so than any of his other features, Tarantino's latest proves without a doubt that he is not a derivative filmmaker but a true auteur. His understanding and passion of film has led to his greatest achievement, a movie that's not only about loving the movies, but also about how it gives the filmmaker the power to express themselves by whatever means they feel are necessary (even if it means changing history).



7) The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) dir. Wes Anderson

I loved all four movies Wes Anderson made this decade, but this was the only one that reminded me of a British novel. Anderson is one of the few writers we have who is able to carefully balance quirk, heartbreak, and the disappointment a child feels toward their father (and does it with multiple characters).



6) Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring) (2003) dir. Ki-duk Kim

As profound a meditation on spirituality and faith as I have seen, Ki-duk Kim's masterpiece paints its messages through the stages of a man's life, from his childhood mistakes through his temptations as an adult. What sets the movie apart from others with the same themes is the way that redemption is achieved through painstaking acts of patience.



5) The American Astronaut (2001) dir. Cory McAbee

I first discovered Cory McAbee the filmmaker, then found the musician, and lastly was introduced to his drawings. In other words, he's the true definition of an artist, and his debut feature embraces all three of his talents in ways I have not seen before. The movie is a hybrid of musical, western, and science fiction, with each genre playing an important part, thus receiving equal respect. Even more than being a stunning piece of filmmaking, it's more fun than you could possibly imagine.



4) Adaptation. (2002) dir. Spike Jonze

What could have been self indulgent is instead a better examination of how art affects the artist than any biopic you will ever find. Nicolas Cage proves he's above most roles he takes with brilliant dual performances as two brothers, both struggling to make it as screenwriters and regular human beings. But the truly special aspect of the movie is the clever, ingenious screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, a writer who wears his heart on his sleeve like no one I have encountered. By making himself a character in the movie, his pain becomes ours.



3) The Fountain (2006) dir. Darren Aronofsky

The greatest testament to the pain and sacrifices of love I have seen, made all the more powerful knowing what writer/director Aronofsky went through to get it made. The ones who criticized the picture for being goofy obviously weren't paying attention, as every scene is packed with symbols and metaphors pertaining to a romance that, as far as we can tell, has survived through three lifetimes. The key is wanting to give yourself up to it, a task made as tough and worthwhile as love itself.



2) Mulholland Dr. (2001) dir. David Lynch

David Lynch's movies are the stuff of our dreams and nightmares, and while there are certain ones that have heavily disturbed me (like Eraserhead), this is the first one that has hit me on multiple levels. It's a movie about the dangers of success and how that leads to the loss of identity, told as expected through Lynch's head spinning kaleidoscope. The movie understands the price of fame and the risks people will take to have it, and while some scenes certainly enchant, there are also plenty that terrify. Lynch has something to say, but he also wants to remind us we're watching a movie by giving us laughs, scares, romance, mystery, and action. When it came out in 2001, I already knew I would not see a better example of pure cinema throughout the decade.



1) Synecdoche, New York (2008) dir. Charlie Kaufman

Charlie Kaufman is the greatest screenwriter of my generation, a statement I can say with the most confidence after seeing his directorial debut. The first time I saw it, I was speechless and sad while the second time, I felt the movie had a strange understanding of who I really am, of my hopes and fears. But what really spoke to me was the movie's testament to the process of aging, and the desire to do something meaningful before it all comes to an end. Kaufman explores the themes by showcasing how difficult it is to live, ranging from having a real connection with another person, to grasping how to let go of them if you ever do. What the movie teaches us more than anything is that life is short and life is hard, so you better leave your mark before it's too late. Charlie Kaufman has already done that with his first feature. I have no doubts he'll make other great movies, but I don't think any will strike the chord that this one does. It's the movie this decade that made me examine how precious life is, and why it is important to embrace every moment of it.


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