Isaac’s “Top 25 Must See Movies of the Decade” (2000-2009)
January 13, 2010
In developing ‘My Top 25 Movies of the Decade’, I knew there was no way I could rank my movies from 1st to 25th. Any attempt would be futile. How do I pit my favorite comedy against my favorite Pixar? Kudos to my friends who were able to achieve this, but for me it wasn’t possible. I instead organized them by year of release. Not only does this relieve the pressure of ranking each one, but emphasizes the time and context of its release. I also included a number of honorable mentions to round out what I could not cover with just 25 titles. (Also, just because I enjoyed and recommended it does not mean that it is appropriate for all ages.)
I know that this list is completely subjective. It is not the ’25 best ever’, it is simply my favorites and recommendations. Chances are, there are a couple films here that you disliked or were greatly disappointed in. But know this, I chose each and every one for a reason. Perhaps my review will bring something to light, some theme or value you might have missed before. In the end, these are just my recommendations. My goal is to champion movies worth remembering, challenge you to see something new, and recommend some great movies you might have missed.
Before Batman Begins and The Prestige, Christopher Nolan got warmed up with Memento. A rather under-watched film, Memento is the mystery thriller of a man who can’t make new memories. Most writers would consider this premise to be captivating enough, but Nolan doesn’t stop there. Oh no, he puts all the scenes in reverse order. When each scene begins, you have no context for what is going on just as the main character has no memory of what has come before. Nolan effectively simulates memory loss for his entire audience. The intriguing plot and unique storytelling lands Memento solidly in my list for the top 25 movies of the decade.
Tagged: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 3:10 to yuma, action, animated feature, apocalypto, avatar, batman, batman begins, Battle Royale, bourne, bruce willis, c.s. lewis, casino royale, christian bale, christopher nolan, chronicles of narnia, cinderella man, comic book, daniel craig, DC comics, Epic, eric bana, fantasy, fellowship of the ring, firefly, gladiator, gran torino, Hans Zimmer, Historical Epic, isaac, j.j. abrams, jack sparrow, james bond, james cameron, Japan, jesus christ, lady in the water, List, luther, m night shyamalan, matt damon, mel gibson, Memento, minority report, munich, nathan fillion, passion of the christ, peter jackson, pirates, pirates of the caribbean, pixar, prince caspian, ridley scott, russell crowe, science fiction, serenity, shaun of the dead, signs, spider-man, spy, star trek, stardust, steven spielberg, superhero, superman, superman returns, superman/batman: public enemies, tears of the sun, television, the bourne identity, the dark knight, the incredibles, the last samurai, the lion the witch and the wardrobe, the lord of the rings, the patriot, the return of the king, the two towers, the village, tom cruise, Top 25, trilogy, unbreakable, v for vendetta, wall-e, western, zombie