My Top 50 Films of the 2000's part 5

This is it, the top 10 movies of the decade. To be honest this was really hard to rank and as early as yesterday I was still rearranging the order a bit. These movies struck a chord with me as well as many others and years later I am still drawn to watching them. SO I hope you enjoy and I will start my top television picks later this week.





10. The Devil's Rejects (2005)

I was never a fan of House of 1000 Corpses so I almost skipped over this sequel but I am so glad I didn't. Rob Zombie is a very talented director and he knows how to frame a shot to draw the right amount of suspense and terror. He also knows how to use music as a backdrop for without overpowering the performances on screen. Also, this movie gets my vote for best use of the song "Freebird." I want to go out like that.





9. Saved! (2004)

I went to a private Christian school so this movie really spoke to me. As someone who has struggled with religion for most of my life I have always feared that the Hillary Fay's of the world would be right and I'd just have to swallow my questions and suck it up. This movie had the unfortunate timing to be released around the same time as Mean Girls and drew many comparisons but Saved! is a much deeper movie about love and forgiveness and just how skewered some people's perception of faith have become. And any movie that ruffles the feathers of Jerry Falwell is alright with me.





8. The Wrestler (2008)

Mickey Rourke was robbed for the Oscar on this one. The line between Randy The Ram's redemption and Rourke's blurs so much that it's hard to determine who we're really watching. Plus Marissa Tomei it perfect as a single mother who strips to pay the bills. I cannot recommend this movie enough and given a few more years it might climb even higher on this list.





7. A Knight's Tale (2001)

It got our first glimpse of Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999 but this was the one that made him a star. Many people didn't like this movie because of the modern music used in Medieval Europe but really the music made it fun. When this hit premium cable outlets back in 2001 my roommates and I chased it around the dial for months. Many times it we would watch the first half of the movie before going out then catch the end of it when we returned later in the night. Still good all these years later.



6. Superbad (2007)

Too many times in teen comedies there is a real air of wish fulfillment, Superbad does not fulfill any wish a normal human being would wish for. I chose this movie over several other Judd Apatow movies because of it's realistic dialogue and buddy movie feel. And because it is probably the most balanced of all his movies. Plus we now have "I am McLovin" as a pop culture reference.





5. The Dark Knight (2008)

This is only the second comic book super hero movie on my list but by far it is the best. Batman Begins is a great origin story but The Dark Knight far outscores with wonderful performances from Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman and of course Heath Ledger. It's too bad that we will never again see Ledger's Joker but we will always have this magnificent final bow from a an actor who was taken far too soon.





4. The Virgin Suicides (2000)

Sofia Coppola is a phenomena director. It's one thing to have a famous last name but to actually live up to that name with three spectacular movies in a decade is unheard of (Marie Antoinette didn't make my top 50 but it surely would have made it into the top 100). And as good as Kirsten Dunst is in this movie James Woods outshines everyone. The melancholy tone and washed out visuals really set the mood and draws the audience in to the tragedy to come. And the use of music is second to none. Well, it actually is second to one other....





3. Clerks 2 (2006)

Kevin Smith goes back to the well and makes a movie for a generation moving into middle age. Clerks struck a chord with my generation and Clerks 2 is a beautiful crescendo into adulthood. At the core of Smith's films there has always been a heart and this one has more heart than any romantic comedy. The donkey show is funny but it's not the centerpiece of this film, this movie is all about the bromance. Dante and Randall have always had a symbiotic relationship but here we see just how deep that relationship runs. The perfect end to a long strange trip.





2. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

The lone documentary on this list. But even though it is a documentary there may never be a greater villain than Billy Mitchell or a greater underdog than Steve Wiebe (pronounced Webee). Even though this is a story about Wiebe's run at the Donkey Kong world record and the obstacles he must over come it really is a redemption story of sorts for Steve Sanders. We see Steve go from an admitted liar about video game scores to Billy Mitchell's best friend and Twin Gallaxy referee to seeing that Steve Wiebe is a legitimate contender and stand up guy. And if nothing else you have got to love a movie that boasts a charcter named Mr. Awesome.




1. Almost Famous (2000)

When I started making this list I wrote this movie in at number one and then filled in the rest. Kate Hudson became a star in this movie and has yet to do anything close to this good. The same can sorta be said for Cameron Crowe. His "love letter to rock n roll" sparks a feeling that few films do and really captures the magic of that time in life when nothing matters more than the music (or whatever that thing is that moves you) that enhances your life. Plus Elton John should cut Crowe in on some of the royalties he garnered after the world saw that beautiful use of "Tiny Dancer." What a great way to start out a decade for film.