The Best Movies of the Decade

With the first decade of the 2000s having passed us by, let's take some time to reflect back on the many movies that captured audience's attention during the first part of this century. The Voice's resident movie critics compiled a list of films that were notable for their amazing visuals, incredible acting, and captivating storytelling. Here's the very best of the early 2000s.

JAKE'S TOP 10 FOR THE DECADE

1. “The Royal Tenenbaums” – Wes Anderson’s brilliantly sublime family comedy, to bastardize a famous anecdote, is best described as “Arrested Development shot like Goodfellas”. With one of the most hilarious scripts of the decade, a cast as diverse as the characters on the page, and soundtrack cuts from “Hey Jude” to the Ramones, Wes takes an excellent story and turns it into one of the greatest films about family ever made. “Tenenbaums” aims high, but in the end, its charms are truly irresistible.

2. “Kill Bill” – What does one part spaghetti western, one part Asian revenge exploitation, and one part 60’s action epic leave you with? Put Quentin Tarantino behind the camera, and what you get is one of the most incredible cinematic pastiches of all time, a blend of numerous influences into one singular, masterful work. Lt. Aldo Raine may call “Basterds” his “masterpiece”, but the four and a half hours of “Kill Bill” (that feel like two) are the best work Tarantino produced in the 2000’s.

3. “Donnie Darko” – Richard Kelly sure has faltered since this 2001 masterwork, a tale of tragic destiny set over late 80’s suburbia. Jake Gyllenhaal was a revelation in this sci-fi gem, a film not afraid to let its characters overwhelm the mythology. “Darko” creates a stunning vision through its frame, using pop songs contrasted with surreal imagery to bring us into the alternate reality it creates. Darko is stunningly original, and perfectly somber. The best sci-fi work of the 2000’s.

4. “Untitled” – also known as “Almost Famous”. Director Cameron Crowe added an hour in his director’s cut, re-titled, ironically, “Untitled”. These scenes mature a great film into a classic one, giving each character far more depth and importance. Kate Hudson moves from an enigma to a fully grown character, one we can relate and feel emotion towards. Of all the biopics this decade brought us, Crowe’s tall of love, sex, and rock-n-roll may be the most entertaining, a love letter to the music he adored and the people who moved him.

5. “There Will Be Blood” – Daniel Day-Lewis creates perhaps the most iconic character of the decade here, perfectly embodying the vision of American greed and solitude. Paul Thomas Anderson, in a film dedicated to mentor Robert Altman, directs him with grace and subtlety, abandoning the freeform “independent” style of his 90’s classics “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia”. Almost a horror film in disguise, few works so perfectly capture a mood as Anderson’s classically scored “Blood”.

6. “Shaun of the Dead” – A film that is able to transcend the fact that it is a “spoof” and instead becomes one of the great zombie films they were celebrating. Director Edgar Wright and star Simon Pegg were two of the greatest discoveries of the decade, also delivering the excellent buddy cop satire “Hot Fuzz”. “Shaun” wears its heart on its sleeve, with scenes dedicated to Queen, “Reservoir Dogs”, and Cornetto Ice Cream, but the sum is far greater than the parts, delivering a truly classic “Rom Zom Com”.

7. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” – David Fincher has become one of this country’s most interesting directors, almost seeming a modern day Kubrick considering his attention to detail and obsession with advancing cinema. “Zodiac” is often appreciated as a masterwork for this decade, but “Button” is his most haunting and poignant film yet, a meditation on time and the simple theme that “nothing lasts”. Every single frame of “Button” is injected with a feeling of loss, of time passing by, and Fincher (along with an excellent and revolutionary performance by one of this decades best actors Brad Pitt) gives his audience a true portrait of one man’s very unusual life.

8. “Battle Royale” – This Japanese action picture, directed by Kenji Fukasaku and released in 2000, is one of the most violent, depraved, and downright disturbing social commentaries you will ever see. But this picture, about a group of schoolchildren deserted on an island and forced to kill each other in the hope of being the last one standing, has big things to say, and big ways to say them. “Battle Royale” resulted in things as diverse as GoGo Yubari and Stone Cold Steve Austin’s “The Condemned”, and is a picture that will be sure to (subtly) infiltrate your culture and cinema for a long time. And even if you’re only looking for a pulse pounding action film, you could do a whole lot worse. Hunt down “Battle Royale”.

9. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” – Charlie Kaufman is definitely one of the main voices of this decade, with each film being more abstract and confusing than the last. But “Eternal Sunshine”, helmed by Michael Gondry and starring a motivated Jim Carrey, is his most interesting study of the human mind and our need for connection. This portrait of love travels (quite literally) through one man’s memories, revealing the pain along with the happiness and forcing him to choose if it is worth keeping. Kaufman will be sure to confuse us for years to come, but the peak of his storytelling genius may lie with “Eternal Sunshine”.

10. “500 Days of Summer” – 2009’s lone entry onto the list is another film about the diverse reactions we have to “love”, and also about the people who just can’t believe in that four letter word. Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel display incredible chemistry in Marc Webb’s debut film, a whimsical study of love infused with musical numbers, “Graduate” references, and one of the catchiest soundtracks of any decade. Surprisingly dark, but not afraid to confront everything with a cinematic lightness, “500 Days” is perhaps one the most open-ended “stories about love” ever told.

JOHN'S TOP TEN OF THE DECADE

1. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" – Having seen the movie innumerable times and read the shooting script multiple times now, I still cannot find fault with Charlie Kaufman’s masterpiece. A perfect script, however, doesn’t make a perfect film. This is where Michel Gondry’s appropriately stylized directing comes in. Gondry directs Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, in their finest performances to date, as Joel and Clementine, polar opposites who fall in love, fall out of love, and literally erase each other from one another’s minds. The movie says more about memory, regret, and the phenomenon of love than any other movie this decade, or, perhaps, any decade, could ever hope to say.

2. "Where the Wild Things Are" – A rapturous movie that doesn’t steer clear from, post-rumpus, reminding you that, even in the deep recesses of your own imagination, pain and sadness are unavoidable abstractions.

3. "Adaptation" – Perhaps an interest in the craft of writing is needed to really enjoy this wacky, non-linear story about being a writer. Or maybe you have to be really interested in orchids. I don’t know if I cared much about either of these things before I saw Spike Jonze’s first masterpiece of the 00’s, but I know that, after watching Adaptation, I cared more about, not only flowers and writing, but filmmaking in general.

4. "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" – Not an easy film to watch (particularly the jarring first half-hour or so), but one that is worth everyone’s time. It is a remarkable story told remarkably.

5. "Before Sunset"– The best sequel ever. Seeing Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise isn’t completely necessary if you want to enjoy Before Sunset, but it makes an already deeply philosophical and rich film infinitely richer.

6. "Dear Zachary: a letter to a song about his father" – I don’t know if I feel comfortable calling this one of my “favorite” films of the decade, but I know for sure it is one of the best. A documentary where the less you know about the subject matter going in, the better, Dear Zachary moved me to tears (of sadness and of rage) the first, second, and third time I saw it.

7. "Finding Nemo" – Choosing my favorite Pixar film is like choosing my favorite type of sweet and delicious thing. I love Finding Nemo the most, but Wall-E and Monsters, Inc. are almost equally fantastic. Ultimately, Nemo wins out, if only because every time Dory says her line about how when she’s with Nemo, she’s home, my heart plummets.

8. "High Fidelity" – Everything about this movie is enjoyable. The dialogue, the performances, the soundtrack, the lists. It’s a great comedy about breaking up and getting together.

9. "Little Children" – A perfect drama about suburban life and infidelity (why is it that they so often went hand in hand in films this decade?). The theatrical trailer is an absolute work of art, as is the full-length film, which has flawless performances from Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, and Jackie Earle Haley.

10. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" – When I asked a friend of mine what he thought of this film, he told me that it was not actually a movie, but, instead, an audiobook with visuals. The narration may spell things out, annoyingly, at times, but most of the time it does what good narration is supposed to do; enhance the storytelling. Not that the storytelling needed enhancing, as the great performances, combined with the amazing cinematography, make The Assassination captivating and entertaining enough.

KEVIN'S TOP TEN OF THE DECADE

1. "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" – Easily the best movie of the decade, and one of the best all time. Epic is the only real word to describe it. Perfect directing, acting, just perfect everything. The whole series is classic, but the third entry is the one any fan of film should see before they die.

2. "Pan’s Labyrinth" – Guillermo Del Torro sticks with the weird in this great fantasy about postwar repression in Franco’s Spain.

3. "WALL-E" – One of the only movies where the kids had a great time and the parents were terrified. Seeing what could possibly be our future in a cutesy way in this amazing environmental tail only the way Disney/Pixar could. The only animated film I have see that makes adults really think about their actions.

4. "The 40 Year-Old Virgin" – I know it’s very high up, but it that good of a movie. Leading the way for all the rated R comedies that have been coming out, “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” is hilarious while being very emotional. It also questions many of the common thoughts guys have about sex and virginity.

5. "Avatar" – It did just come out, but it deserves to be on this list all the same. Not a second is wasted and a perfect reimagining of “person befriends the natives and joins them” plot device. Oh yeah, it’s a technological breakthrough, did you hear about that?

6. "The Departed" – The quintessential Boston movie. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a great performance (and Boston accent). Only bad part is now “Shipping Up to Boston” is overplayed at Fenway and the TD Bank Garden.

7. "No Country For Old Men" – The Coen Brothers crown jewel, Tommy Lee Jones gives a great performance, as well as Javier Bardem

8. "The Dark Knight" – A crime drama with spandex. Christopher Nolan solidifies his status as a big name director with this Batman sequel

9. "Gladiator" – Never gets old, especially with Russell Crowe’s timeless performance.

10. "Spider-Man 2" – One of the best sequels of all time (no, not better than “Star Wars” or “The Godfather”). Sam Rami does take a few liberties with the characters in this series, but who cares when it’s this good. “Spider-Man 2” set the way for how super hero sequels should be made.

CHRIS' TOP TEN OF THE DECADE

1. “Finding Neverland” – No pixie dust was needed to make this film, which focused on “Peter Pan” author J.M. Barrie, take flight. All it needed was the screen presence of Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet and a fantastically moving script. Simply magical.

2. “Avatar” – James Cameron (“Titanic”) proved why he is this decade’s undisputed “King of the Cinema” crafting yet another out of this world epic with equally enchanting visuals.

3. “WALL-E” – How do you make a post-millennium crowd keen on special effects watch a semi-silent movie? You approach this decade’s animation powerhouse, Pixar, and channel the story through an adorably cute robot.

4. “Chicago” – This 2002 Best Picture winner, adapted from the stage show, is the most decadent musical of the decade. Thanks to an all-star cast and abundance of sequins, never has a group of vaudevillian vixens incarcerated for murder been so seductive.

5. “Little Miss Sunshine” – In a decade of little indie movies that could none had more heart, or more laughs, than this 2006 gem that garnered its ten year old star, Abigail Breslin, an Oscar nod.

6. “Big Fish” – This magnificent 2004 film saw Tim Burton set his macabre moviemaking aside in order to tell a more whimsical fairy tale about the reunion of an estranged son and his folklore riddled father.

7. “The Departed” – Nobody does crime drama justice quite like Martin Scorsese. So was the case with this gritty thriller that thrust anyone watching into the sordid mob scene of Boston. Add Jack Nicholson, playing his most monstrous character since Jack Torrance, to the mix and the film is an instant classic.

8. “Harry Potter” Series – July 21, 2007 marked the day this blockbuster book series came to an end. Luckily, the saga has remained as magical as it did in ’98 thanks, in part, to these superbly adapted movies.

9. “Mean Girls” – Like “The Breakfast Club” and “Clueless” before it, this 2004 teen comedy was a perfectly accurate snapshot of high school life in an age of text message trickery and backstabbing bitchery. So fetch!

10. “Borat” – This mockumentary feature, which could have been titled “America’s Funniest Home Videos: The Movie,” took an innocently shrewd Kazakhstani journalist (played by Sacha Baron Cohen) and made him a saint compared to his (at times, politically incorrect) American co-stars.

What's your top ten of the 2000's? Did we forget your favorite films? If so, leave your list and any opinions in the comments section.