Top 25 Favorite Films of the Decade: 2000-2009 - Part 2, 20-16

This past decade has been awesome for movies with tons of really good big adventure films like Spider-Man, Batman, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. It also featured great genre films, highlighted by the emergence of wonderful new auteur directors and fantastic new stars. Here is the list of my personal favorite twenty-five films from the decade (not necessarily the best films critically speaking, just my favorites):

25-21; 20-16; 15-11; 10-6; 5-1

The Squid and the Whale

Rank: 20

Director: Noah Baumbach

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and Anna Paquin,  

Release Year: 2005

Genre: Dramedy

Summary: The film is about two brothers who have to deal with their parents’ divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s. It is based on the childhood experiences of director Noah Baumbach.

Why It Made the List: Baumbach worked with Wes Anderson (who served as a producer on the film) and Anderson’s D.P. Bob Yeoman, giving the film a slight feel of an Anderson film – a little quirky with emotionally damaged pseudointellectual characters and dry humor. Baumbach’s dialogue is brilliant (he got a 2006 Oscar nod for Best writing). It has such wit and cracks me up every time. The performances that he garners are also fantastic (really giving Jesse Eisenberg his breakout role). Like many of the films on this list, The Squid and the Whale is great because of its characters and the emotional and comedic depth of the film.

Watch the Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Atonement

Rank: 19

Director: Joe Wright

Stars: James McAvoy, Keria Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave

Release Year: 2007

Genre: Romance

Summary: The film, which takes place before and during WWII, is about Brioney Tallis. As a thirteen-year-old, she sees something she does not understand and makes an accusation that forever changes the lives of her older sister, Cecilia, and a man who works for her family, Robbie Turner.

Why It Made the List: The cinematography and aesthetic style of the film are beautiful and fantastic. There is a long-take on the beach at Dunkirk that is among the best in cinema history. Wright also captures very good performances and creates such a moving love story in a film in which the two main characters hardly share any screen time. I also have to mention just how good Dario Marianelli’s score is (listen to this piece for example – sheer brilliance). Maybe the best thing to come out of this film is the emergence of Saoirse Ronan, who is utterly phenomenal in her supporting role (and she has since gone on to be wonderful in The Lovely Bones and Hanna). She is a great talent to watch.

Watch the Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Rank: 18

Director: Shane Black

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michael Monaghan, and Corbin Bernsen

Release Year: 2005

Genre: Action/Mystery

Summary: The film is about a smalltime criminal, Harry, who auditions for a Hollywood role to avoid being captured by the cops after committing a burglary. Once in Hollywood, Harry finds himself wrapped up in a murder mystery that is eerily similar to the noir hardboiled detective pulp he read as a kid.

Why It Made the List: Shane Black, the writer behind Lethal Weapon, created the best detective film of the decade with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It is very funny, as Black’s dialogue is hilarious (especially mixed with the superb performances from Downey Jr., Kilmer and Monaghan), has great characters and has an interesting and elaborate mystery at its heart. Plus, the film introduced the world the Michelle Monaghan and all her awesomeness, resurrected Robert Downey Jr.’s career in the eyes of critics and filmmakers (enabling him to win the role of Iron Man, which resurrected his career for studios and the average movie fan) and reminded us that Val Kilmer can still give an amazing performance (like he did in Tombstone). Every time I watch this movie (like many others on this list) I like it more and find it more engaging.

Watch the Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

The Pianist

Rank: 17

Director: Roman Polanski

Stars: Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann

Release Year: 2002

Genre: Drama/War

Summary: The film tells the true life tale of a Polish Jewish musician, Wladyslaw Szpilman, who somehow survived the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto during WWII.

Why It Made the List: Roman Polanski is a wonderful auteur director and this is maybe his finest film (though, a strong argument can also be made for Chinatown). He used some of his family’s own experiences during the Holocaust in the making of the film. It won best actor, director and writing at the 2003 Oscars (but not best film, which to this day makes no sense). Adrien Brody is absolutely outstanding in the lead role (easily the best work he has done to date), giving one of the top five male performances of the decade (and since you are wondering, the other four are Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, Bruno Ganz in Downfall,  Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, and Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds). The film (like all Holocaust films) is very sad, but it is a tale of perseverance and has a beauty to it.

Watch the Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Rank: 16

Director: David Fincher

Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Jared Harris, Tilda Swinton, and Taraji P. Henson

Release Year: 2008

Genre: Fantasy Drama

Summary: The film is about a curious boy named Benjamin Button – curious because he is born an old man and ages backwards as the years pass. The film focuses on his adventures and love affair with Daisy.

Why It Made the List: There are not too many films that capture the wonder that you felt watching the classics of your childhood as a kid and deliver that feeling to you as an adult viewer. This film just has that magical epic quality to it that (for me at least) evokes the nostalgic feelings of watching grand films for the first time as a kid in the 1980s (things like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Princess Bride). You feel like you are watching a marvelous tale filled with enchanting and miraculous characters and adventures (but again for an adult audience). This is the epic of the decade (outside of the more direct fantasy adventure genre films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy). Plus, Fincher et al have created a film with astounding aesthetics (Claudio Miranda’s cinematography is among the very best work of the decade).

Watch the Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Movie of the Week - Atonement

This week’s movie is Atonement (2007).

The romance drama is about Robbie Turner, a man whose mother works for a rich family in England, Cecilia Tallis, the eldest daughter of the rich family who Robbie falls in love with, and Briony Tallis, her younger sister who does not understand their relationship, and a lie that devastates their lives (based on Ian McEwan’s novel). The film is split into three parts – part one takes place at the family’s home in 1935, while parts 2 and 3 take place during the early days of WWII (1940). Director Joe Wright does a wonderful job with the film, as the narrative jumps around in time yet is still very coherent. Of his four films, this one has more of a poetic tone and visual composition to it. The narrative exists more so on the feelings the audience gets from the visuals and performances than the dialog. Aesthetically, the film is marvelous as well. Composer Dario Marianelli does excellent work on the film (winning an Oscar), while cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (there are a few long takes that are great – specifically one on the beach at Dunkirk, France involving soldiers waiting to be evacuated that is a story onto itself), production designer Sarah Greenwood, and costume designer Jacqueline Durran (whose green dress that Knightley's character wears, is considered the best dress in film history) provide a beautiful visual experience (all in all, the film was nominated for seven Oscars, winning one for its score, but won the BAFTA for Best Film). The cast is also magnificent, highlighted by its principal actors: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, and Saoirse Ronan. There are also good smaller supporting performances from Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Vanessa Redgrave. What makes the film great is its overall aesthetic style, which mixed with the very good performances throughout creates a beautiful yet tragic love story. It is a must for fans of exquisite cinematography, directing and film scoring, as well as those that enjoy heartbreaking romances. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and to Rent

Joe Wright – Movies Spotlight – April 2011

British director Joe Wright is best known for his engaging period dramas. Making his first feature film in 2005, he has since established himself as part of the new generation of auteur filmmakers with fantastic style and narrative command. This month his new film Hanna opens starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett. It looks to be a wonderfully kinetic film combining action and thriller aspects with a coming-of-age story (plus a great score from The Chemical Brothers).

Early Career:

Wright got his start at a young age working for his parent’s puppet theatre. He had always had an interest in the arts: painting, making films with his Super 8 camera and spending time acting with a local drama club. Being dyslexic, he left school and decided to take classes at the Anna Scher Theatre School. From there, he acted professionally on stage and camera. He spent a year at Camberwell College of Arts before taking a degree in fine arts and film at Central St Martins where he received a scholarship from the BBC to make a short film, Crocodile Snap. It was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Short Film. On the success of his shorts, he was offered to direct the serial Nature Boy, which was also critically heralded. From there he worked on the well-received TV series Bob & Rose and Bodily Harm, culminating with his work on The Last King (aka Charles II: The Power & the Passion) which won the BAFTA for Best Drama Serial in 2004. With his success Wright was ready to tackle features.

Music Video Director:

However before working in TV and then film, Wright had a very successful career directing and producing music videos. During the 90s, he worked for Oil Factory a music video production company based in Kings Cross. Throughout his time there, he occupied a variety of roles. He also got the opportunity to direct a few of the videos himself, giving him early exposure to professional directing work, which helped him formulate his second short The End. He also created visuals for various electronic bands such as The Chemical Brothers and Underworld. Wright lists the aesthetic and emotion of the UK rave scene as an influence on his work.

Period Dramas:

After tons of success in TV, Wright made the jump to features with his adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Pride & Prejudice. The film stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, winning Knightley an Oscar Best Actress nomination as well as Wright a Most Promising Newcomer BAFTA. The film was universally praised by critics and showcased Wright’s wonderful aesthetic style, utilizing a fluid camera (with a few long takes, that have become a directing trademark), and an attention to character and narrative structure. One film in, and Wright was already a director to watch – Variety naming him one of their 10 directors to watch in 2006. For his next film, Wright tackled Ian McEwan’s esteemed novel Atonement. Working with essentially the same principal crew, he again cast Knightley to star (setting forth a continual working relationship including a series of Chanel commercials, here is the latest), James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave and Saoirse Ronan (star of his new film Hanna) round out the excellent cast. The film focuses on a relationship and the lie that devastates it, set in war-time England during WWII. The film features a particularly brilliant look at the British evacuation at Dunkirk (done with quite an astounding long take tracking shot). The film again shows off Wright’s directing skill and style, resulting in an Oscar win for Best Score, nomination for Best Picture and supporting actress for Ronan and winning a BAFTA for Best Film. These two films catapulted Wright into auteur status. Atonement opened the Venice Film Festival, making Wright the youngest director ever to have a film open the festival. But everyone has a hiccup now and then.

The Hiccup:

For his third film, Wright decided to leave England and not work again with Knightley instead making an American film with American stars. He took on the difficult story of a homeless Julliard-trained musician and cast Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. to star. The Soloist was initially scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures and DreamWorks in November of 2008. But after testing poorly, the studios realized that Wright had not delivered the Oscar bait that they had hoped. The film was delayed until April of 2009 and released by Paramount Pictures to mediocre reviews. The film is not bad; it is just very disappointing given Wright’s previous work.

Future Projects:

Wright returns to Europe and familiar cast members (Ronan and Tom Hollander who was also in Pride & Prejudice) with Hanna. Next up for Wright is his adaptation of Anna Karenina, which he will be again working with Knightley on (they were also briefly rumored to be working together on a new version of My Fair Lady, but it fell apart). It is scheduled for release in 2012. He is also attached to a project called Indian Summer and rumored to be making a live action version of The Little Mermaid.

Joe Wright’s Career Highlights:

1.)    The Last King (2003) – Director [DVD/Rent]

2.)    Pride & Prejudice (2005) – Director* [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

3.)    Atonement (2007) – Director* [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

*Editor’s Picks

Keira Knightley – Movies Spotlight – September 2010

Keira Knightley, best known for Pirates of the Caribbean, is both a super star A-lister and a very good dramatic actress. Her new film, Never Let Me Go, is this month’s must see, a dystopian story based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s book. It is directed by Mark Romanek, written by Alex Garland and has a fantastic cast with Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield. The film is being hailed as a potential Best Picture nod and Knightley for a supporting nod. She may be best known for her blockbusters, but it is her work in smaller more serious films that sets her apart as an elite young actress.

Early Career:

Knightley was essentially born and raised to be an actor. Her parents are award-winning playwright Sharman MacDonald and theatre and TV actor Will Knightley. As a young girl, her drama teacher was the gifted Ian McShane (Al Swearengen in HBO’s Deadwood). She got her start acting in local amateur productions, among them pieces written by her mother and McShane. She had her first talent agent at the age of six and appeared in a number of made-for-TV movies in the mid to late 90’s. Then, George Lucus cast her in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace as Pademe Amidala’s decoy due to her striking resemblance to Natalie Portman (when in full make up, even their mothers could not tell the different between them). With a blockbuster on her resume, even though she is barely in it, she next starred as Robin Hood’s daughter in Disney’s Princess of Thieves, only to follow it up with the almost anti-Disney thriller The Hole. She also appeared in a few TV miniseries – Coming Home (with Peter O’Toole), Oliver Twist and the TV adaptation of Doctor Zhivago. While Doctor Zhivago was critically mixed, the ratings where high elevating her status as an actress and star. But her big breakthrough role came in 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham, a soccer centered film in which she co-stars as a top youth player who befriends the protagonist and opens her eyes to a whole new world. The film did well in the UK but more importantly was exported and did decent numbers in US theaters. With a couple hits in her pocket, Knightley was just one film away from stardom.

International Stardom:

The success of Doctor Zhivago and Bend It Like Beckham made a name for Knightley as the UK’s next “it girl”. And the timing could not be better as casting was underway for Disney’s new flagship franchise – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Having worked with Disney before and her recent rise in the UK gave her a foothold and she won the role as Elizabeth Swann. The film was a massive hit internationally, both among critics and at the box office and catapulted Knightley into worldwide fame. Suddenly she was on magazines and had the media all over her. Capitalizing on her fame and success she next made (the equivalent to a British blockbuster) Love Actually, written and directed by Richard Curtis. Though, she had one of the smaller major roles (if you can call it that) in the film. She also took a role in Jerry Bruckheimer’s (who also produced Pirates of the Caribbean) new blockbuster for Disney, King Arthur (the film is not great, but underrated and has a wonderful cast; the director’s cut is much better than the theatrical). While the film did ok at the box office and not too well critically, Knightley was able to beef up her horse-riding and sword fighting skills (a stunt woman working with Knightley commented that if she did not make it in acting, she certainly had a career in stunt work, as she was the best among all the actors on the Pirates films at sword fighting and stunt work). While she had attained fame and Hollywood recognition, critics denounced her as nothing more than a pretty face, a remark that was not helped by her next two films – The Jacket, a poorly received psychological thriller, and Domino, a biopic about a female bounty hunter (considered her biggest flop) – both of which were neither critical nor box office successes.

Serious Actress:

With 2005’s Pride & Prejudice, Knightley proved herself and (for the moment at least) silenced her critics, as she was astonishing as Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright’s film landing her an Academy Award nomination. She carried herself well, portraying the character as intelligent and strong, yet vulnerable (it is probably her best film and performance to date). She took the next two years to film the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, both of which were huge international successes. Knightley has since left blockbuster films behind, not appearing in the upcoming fourth film On Stranger Tides, in favor of better female roles and more serious work. In 2007, she reunited with Joe Wright to star in Atonement (winner of 2008’s BAFTA for Best Film), which garnered her a BAFTA nomination, many thinking she also deserved an Academy Award nod for the performance. Following Atonement, she starred in a number of small period pieces – the poorly received Silk, The Edge of Love (written by her mother) and The Duchess, a Victorian era biopic about the Duchess of Devonshire which was a modest hit for Paramount Vantage. Knightley decided to take a break from film acting, be it a short one as she has a whole slew of films upcoming, to try her hand on stage in London opposite Damian Lewis (obligatory you should watch Band of Brothers plug). Critics predicted failure for her as Jennifer (Celimene) in Moliere’s The Misanthrope, a supporting role, but she was quite good accumulating praise as well as a Laurence Olivier Award nomination, once again defying her detractors.

Upcoming Projects:

Along with this month’s Never Let Me Go, Knightley has two other films that could potentially make it into theaters this year, but certainly next – Last Night and London Boulevard. Last Night, directed by Massy Tadjedin, is about marriage, love and temptation as both spouses are tested, apart for a night – the husband by an attractive co-worker and the wife by an old flame. The film co-stars Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Guillaume Canet. London Boulevard is the directorial debut for acclaimed Oscar-winning writer William Monahan. It is about a criminal who falls in love with a reclusive young movie star, finding himself in a duel with a vicious gangster. It co-stars Colin Farrell. Also upcoming (2011 and beyond), Knightley has a role opposite Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen in David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, a film about Sabina Spielrein, a psychoanalyst who works with Sigmund Freud and predominately Carl Jung. In 2012, she has two films scheduled. First, Seeking a Friend at the End of the World about a man who takes a road trip to find his high school sweetheart as a asteroid approaches Earth. It stars Steve Carell; Knightley plays a neighbor that accompanies him, putting a wrench in his plans. Second, she stars in Joe Wright's adaptation of Anne Karenina. Other projects in development include The Emperor’s Children which she co-stars with Eric Bana, Michelle Williams and Richard Gere. It is directed by Noah Baumbach’s and is a comedy about three upper-crust ivy-league educated people who are expected to do great things who are about to turn thirty and are still struggling to live up to the expectations that envelop them. It is set in NYC in the three months surrounding September 11, 2001. Finally, she is slated to be in Tender Is the Night, a film about a husband and wife who lead a glamorous life on the French Riviera hiding the darkness that shrouds their relationship. The film has no director attached, but is to co-star Matt Damon. Suffice to say, she has a lot of really interesting stuff on the way, working with great directors.

Keira Knightley Selected Career Highlights:

1.)          Bend It Like Beckham (2002) – supporting [DVD]

2.)          PotC: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – lead [Blu-ray/DVD]*

3.)          Love Actually (2003) – supporting [Blu-ray/DVD]

4.)          King Arthur (2004) – supporting [Blu-ray/DVD]

5.)          Pride & Prejudice (2005) – lead [Blu-ray/DVD]*

6.)          PotC: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) – lead [Blu-ray/DVD]*

7.)          PotC: At World’s End (2007) – lead [Blu-ray/DVD]

8.)          Atonement (2008) – lead [Blu-ray/DVD]*

9.)          The Duchess (2009) – lead [Blu-ray/DVD]

10.)   Never Let Me Go (2010) – supporting [Blu-ray/DVD]*