A Decade of Movies

Ten years have gone by since the beginning of 2000, and many, many movies have come and gone. I remember thinking in 2005 that movies (and music for that matter) were far inferior for the new decade than the 90’s or any other decade (except the 80’s, the 80’s seem generally bad on many levels). Now that the decade is through I don’t feel that way; movies are no better or worse, some years are better than others, and you never know what you’re going to get. So here I’ll look at some trends I noticed and the movies/actors that helped form my young life. At the bottom is a list of my 15 favorite movies from 2000-2009.

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Things I noticed about film in the 2000s

The most obvious difference is the seamless integration of CGI effects with live shot footage. Computer animated special effects are now so commonplace that I’ve kind of stopped noticing. Movies like the Star Wars prequels and The Lord of The Rings trilogy seem to have changed the scale of effects use. At the same time computer animated features have blossomed thanks to the brilliant folks at Pixar (which hasn’t really released a bad movie yet) and other animation groups following suit. Just compare The Perfect Storm (2000) with this year’s Avatar to see just how far we’ve come (strangely, George Clooney looks just as good now as he did then).

An annoying trend I’ve noticed is the rise of the “comic book” movie. Ever since pictures like Spiderman the big Hollywood executives realized that they could just mine old comic book characters for infinite cash at the box office, resulting in an endless tirade of sequels about people I really could care less about. After a decade of playing the same formula filmmakers have recently been branching into more ambitious territory with films like The Dark Knight and Watchmen. Even so these films still seem like creative sellouts; no one wants to try to make something original? They can’t come up with their own characters or plot lines? Or they just don’t want to do more work for less money?

With the rise of digital cameras and music video style editing it seems that more and more movies are being shot with “shaky-cam” to make the action seem more personally involving and therefore ‘exciting.’ I first really noticed this style of filming with the hit Fox tv show 24, although the technique has been around forever. Apparently the modern age is best shown with headache inducing tremor. Now it seems expected and perhaps overused. Sure it can be utilized to make the viewer feel as if they’re alongside the characters on-screen, and even to create a sense of controlled confusion, but it’s kind of getting old.

On a similar note, with the rise of shaky-cam also came the rise of “Found footage” movies, which I find particularly compelling (for the moment anyway). This really came to with The Blair Witch Project and resurfaced again with Cloverfield (2008). I think my affinity for this genre stems from my weakness for disaster / realistic sci-fi movies.

Digital camera technology really did a number for independent film. Without having to rely on expensive celluloid, movies could be produced for only a few thousand dollars. Most of these still don’t receive a wide release, but some have gained a cult following. Very rarely do these films see a mainstream release, although the newly distributed Paranormal Activity claims to be the most profitable movie of all time (it cost $15,000 to make and made more than $100 million in theaters!).

A resurgence of neorealism also accompanied this boom for independent film, with filmmakers like Ramin Bahrani (Chop Shop, Man Push Cart, Goodby Solo) and Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy) delivering some of the most memorable-but-subtle slices of life I’ve seen in quite a while.

These are some of the things I’ve noticed about the last decade, although it’s hardly an encompassing portrait of the decade.
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Actresses I Fell in Love With

Of course there were many actresses who I naturally fell in love with this decade, or at least their on-screen personae. I will see any movie with these actresses regardless of how good it is.

Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett had me from the first 30 seconds of Lost in Translation. Great roles in Girl with the Pearl Earring, and Match Point furthered my infatuation and her steamy performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona sealed the deal. And now she’s a modern sex symbol! Sumptuous features can do that. Too bad she’s married to Ryan Reynolds.

Emmy Rossum
I first noticed Emmy from her singing in the beautiful 2002 indie film Songcatcher. Most know her as the lead in Phantom of the Opera or the murdered girl in Mystic River, but to me she will always be Bulma from Dragonball Evolution. Just kidding.

Jennifer Connelly
My god those eyes. That’s all that one has to say about JConn. Although she’s a phenomenal actress as well. She won an Oscar for her work in A Beautiful Mind and has been getting meaty roles ever since (I don’t count The Day the Earth Stood Still). It wasn’t until recently that I realized she also played the lead in 1986’s Labyrinth.

Alexis Bledel
I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I went through a Gilmore Girls phase early in high school, resulting in an inevitable infatuation with Rory Gilmore, one of the smartest and  most enthusiastic teenage characters I’ve ever seen.
And to a lesser extent: Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, Alice Braga, Michelle Rodriguez & Kate Winslet

Actors I Loved to Watch

I would consider these my favorite actors of the last ten years. Contrary to popular belief Harrison Ford is not one of them, mostly due to his terrible career choices for the decade, although I enjoyed his triumphant return to the Indiana Jones franchise.

Gael Garcia Bernal
One of the greatest Latin American actors (of all time?) seemed to be in everything that got a US release. His performance in movies like The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel, Amores Perros, and Y Tu Mama Tambien were certainly impressive.

Phillip Seymour-Hoffman
Seymour-Hoffman went from unknown to a universally lauded first choice seemingly overnight (thanks to his Oscar turn in Capote), but I thought his roles in Doubt, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Charlie Wilson’s War and The Savages were just as good.

Paul Giamatti
Giamatti seems like the kind of actor who will always be in the background as a perfectly drawn supporting character (kind of like Stanley Tucci), but his lead performance in Sideways proves he’s one of the best actors around.

The decade also saw great dramatic performances from previously questionable actors like Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator, The Departed, Revolutionary Road, Gangs of New York, Blood Diamond) and Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Babel).

My 15 Favorite Movies of the Decade

So here’s a list of my favorite films of the 2000’s, which was very difficult to make, but I think this is what I would whittle it down to. Click on the year for a link to the trailer. In chronological order:

• O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
  I realized this was one of my favorite movies somewhere between the fourth “damn, we’re in a tight spot,” and the confederate flag javelin. Coen Brothers at their best.
• Spirited Away* (2001)
  Miyazaki’s ultimate fairy tale is purely absorbing and delightful. His mysticism is as infectious as his characters, and this is one of the most enchanting films I’ve ever seen.
• Talk to Her* (2002)
  Almodovar’s insurmountable, and lushly profound masterwork about the relationships between two men and their women.
• City of God (2002)
  The grit hits hard, the message is universal, and the stylish technique is unmatched.
• Adaptation (2002)
  Charlie Kaufman’s brilliant screenplay provides for one of the most ingenious uses of cinema I’ve seen.
• Lost in Translation* (2003)
  Nuanced and melancholy, tender and embracing. One of my favorite films.
• Finding Nemo* (2003)
  My favorite in the already great line of Pixar animated features. A winner all the way.
• Sideways* (2004)
  Bromance at its finest; a funny, reflective, transformative, and moving week in wine country.
• Borat: Or Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
  Perhaps the funniest movie of the decade (at least in theaters), inventing new ways to approach comedy while also highlighting the social faults of modern America. Complete with a strangely lovable title character.
• Children of Men (2006)
  The most compelling “realist” vision of the future I’ve seen, with evocative circumstances for good measure. Equal parts survival, speculation, and cinematic tour-de-force.
• Little Children* (2006)
  Todd Field’s semi-satirical examination of modern suburbia and its uneasy dynamics is beautifully constructed and very poignant.
• Into the Wild* (2007)
  The young and restless adventure for those seeking more than the daily routine. A boundless movie for the independent spirit.
• My Winnipeg (2007)
  Guy Maddin’s nostalgic dream is timeless and bizarrely universal. A one of a kind docu-fantasia.
• Slumdog Millionaire* (2008)
  Where global moviemaking hits the mainstream. A very rewarding experience.
• Up in the Air* (2009)
  An examination of a life ironically detached that’s perfectly played and deeply moving.

* The asterisk denotes movies I cried in.

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