I wasn’t going to do this, but I got off work early today
and I’ve been seeing these Top Ten lists on the internet, and I just couldn’t
resist! I will admit, I threw this list
together fairly quickly, but I did put a lot of thought into it, and I would
say it’s pretty accurate. These are the
films from the past decade that still capture my heart. Films that I still have an emotional response
to. Films that have stood the test of
the last ten years.
10. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Spoiler alert: This movie is making my 10 Ten List of
2019. It’s probably taking the top spot
unless I see something better between now and the Oscars. It’s fantastic! It’s subtle, but flamboyant at the same time. I want to say more about it, but I will save
it for my Top Ten list.
9. Bridesmaids
A forever classic.
Probably the funniest movie of the decade! Impossibly quotable, instantly meme-able, and
inspiring “Bridesmaids-eque” poses in people’s wedding photo shoots for years
to come. My friends and I still
reference this movie in our jokes. We text
each other Bridesmaids gifs. We quote it
constantly. This movie will stand the
test of time. When humankind is over and
aliens discover our remains, they will watch a copy of Bridesmaids and laugh
their asses off.
8. Whiplash
J.K. Simmons is so good in this movie! He’s scary AF. “Not my tempo!” He reminded me of my film school teacher,
without the physical abuse, of course. I
loved this movie from start to finish.
It’s a film about what happens when you push someone beyond their
breaking point. It shows the gradual
destruction of the teacher and the ascension of the student. You don’t become the best willy nilly. You
become the best because someone or something pushed you beyond your limits and
took you to a level you never even knew existed. And the ending scene! Ugghhh the end! DIES!!!!!
SO FREAKIN’ GOOD!
7. Carol
I love Todd Haynes. He’s
one of my favorite directors. His movies
are so serene and ethereal - outer worldly, if you will. His films are always filled with gorgeous
imagery and Carol is no exception. Both
Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are outstanding in their roles. If any film on this list can top Whiplash’s
ending scene, it’s Carol’s ending scene.
UUGGHH!! DIES AGAIN!
6. Black Swan
Natalie Portman absolutely killed this role! I’d always been a fan of hers, but after I
saw Black Swan, I was floored! She went
to depths she never had before in her career, physically and emotionally. The movie and her performance are INTENSE and
that sticks with you! I was haunted for
days after seeing this movie. My
favorite scene is when Natalie Portman’s character finds out that she was cast
as the lead, and she calls her mom crying in the bathroom. That is the moment her decent into madness
begins.
5. Shame
FASSBENDER!!! I still
say he should have won the Oscar for best actor that year. He wasn’t even nominated and that is a damn
dirty shame (see what I did there?).
Steve McQueen’s career has really blossomed since Shame came out, but
Shame is still my favorite. It’s not a
happy movie, and it actually leaves you feeling icky, but it’s masterful
filmmaking and exceptional acting.
4. Miss Sloane
Miss Sloane is the only movie that I saw for the first time,
and then immediately watched again. I
didn’t even do that with Fight Club!
After seeing this movie Jessica Chastain shot up my favorite actors
list. She’s spectacular in this
movie! I absolutely love her
character. Her character is a huge
reason why I love the movie. Madeline
Sloane is smart, relentless, unwavering, always ten steps ahead of everyone
else, and a captain who is willing to go down with her ship as long as everyone
else is safe.
3. Zootopia
I love Zootopia! When
it was on Netflix, I was watching it like once a week. It’s so good!
I think it’s one of the most creative movies I’ve ever seen. The amount of detail the filmmakers put into
this movie is incredible! The story is
great too! Disney managed to tell an
entertaining story with an important message without being too preachy.
2. The Social Network
I can’t believe this movie is almost ten years old. My generation loved this movie. It’s like the millennial anthem movie. When we had to enter the workforce at the
height of the recession only to find that no one was hiring us, and no one
wanted to pay us jack shit, we millennials decided on a different
approach. The line in The Social Network
is spot on: “Undergraduates believe that inventing a job is better than finding
a job.” Well can you blame us when there
are no jobs available? The Social
Network perfectly illustrates the cocky and yes, admittedly at times entitled
attitude of the generation who changed the game for so many industries. Throughout the movie, there is a dark
menacing undertone (enhanced by Trent Reznor’s genius score) that feels like
the ominous calm before the storm. And
considering where Facebook is now, I’d say the storm is here.
1. Chef
I can’t explain it.
Chef feels like home to me. I
love this movie. It’s rare these days
that I watch a movie more than once, and Chef has become my “go-to” movie to
put on if I just feel like having a movie on.
In fact, as I was working on this list and thinking about this movie, I
put it on. It’s like this movie knows my
soul. It’s made with a lot of love, has
tons of humor, features drool worthy food, and just makes me feel happiness. Pure, unobstructed, wholesome happiness. Ultimately, that is what I look for in a
movie, and why Chef is my number one choice of the decade.
There you have it! What are your favorite movies of the decade?
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