"He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble." - Psalm 10:6

This past decade has been the first decade of my life where I could really watch most everything that I wanted to without parental restriction. I saw so many movies, and as it's that time of year, I thought I would jump on the list band-wagon yet again and name my top fifteen films of the decade. Now, what I love about movies is the way they evolve. Some movies for instance better with age - others lose some of their appeal. And while a four-star movie in my mind will always be a four-star movie, when we're talking the best of the decade, we've got to get it just right. So thinking back on things like rewatchability, creativity, story-telling, writing, acting, and directing, these are the fifteen films that totally blew me away. I want to apologize for sometimes getting too "uppity" in my language - I read too many movie reviews so pretentious words like "poignant" and "craft", among others, sometimes slip in. (And note, I could have written a top 50 or 100, but figured people wouldn't really care!)


15. Inglourious Basterds

Tarantino is a master filmmaker, and this movie is one I anticipate I will only love more with time. Rewriting history for our entertainment, QT tells a story of angry Jews off to kill nazis. It can be boiled down that simply, but the film is truly epic.

14. Traffic

Steven Soderberg crafts one of the best ensemble dramas I've ever seen in the riveting drug tale "Traffic." From Michael Douglas, to Benicio DelToro, to Catherine Zeta-Jones, the acting, directing, and writing are all something to behold.

13. Memento

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12. 28 Days Later

I don't get scared at movies, but this one was the closest to drumming up a bit of fear. Handling the topic of zombies in the most serious of ways, Danny Boyle crafts one of those films that has you thinking about it for weeks - in my case years - later. As the swine-flu breaks, one cannot help but think about the beginning of the film when an ailing chimp starts the virus underway.

11. Hustle & Flow

I didn't see this movie in theaters. It didn't appeal to me. It looked like an urban knock-off of "That Thing You Do!", and while the films share the plot of a music act looking to hit it big, "Hustle & Flow" takes a totally different approach. This gritty drama is realistic and heartfelt, and if you can put up with flowing profanity, you'll be rewarded with one of the most satisfying endings to any movie in the last decade.


10. Crash

This was the movie for the anti-gay crowd. The film that beat "Brokeback Mountain" for best picture solely because it wasn't about cowboys humping each other. Or at least that's what endless critics and advocacy groups tried to get us to believe. Maybe though that's not true - maybe it's just that "Crash" was a better movie. The strongest ensemble piece of the decade in fact IMHO. Numerous A-list stars turn in small parts that when combined create an unforgettable L.A. story.

9. Slumdog Millionaire

If you know me, you cannot be shocked to see this movie make the list. I loved it - I truly loved this movie. When a movie can take a game show and turn it into one of the most effective storytelling devices of all time, that to me is a winner. And two points now for Danny Boyle (see #12 on this list) who really was deserving of all the praise he earned.

8. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I saw this movie in theaters three times, and countless more times on DVD. This movie shocked me in ways I didn't expect - and it helped that I knew very little about it going in. There were quite a few movies that tried to capitalize on this style of martial arts movies, but none topped this.

7. Sideways

Could it be more fitting that the movie on this list, to me, that only betters with age is a movie about wine? "Sideways" is one of the truly great movies of the last decade, and it had me, someone who doesn't drink, wanting to visit wine country (which I did! I went to a few of the places in the movie! nerdy! yes! I know!).

6. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

Bollywood films are a mystery to many, and they were to me until I put in this super-long film about cricket, taxes, government takeover, and did I mention it was super-long. Why I even was interested in this film - which is also a musical - is beyond me, but am I glad I did! This is truly a film that has something for everyone and then some.

5. Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2

I cannot separate these two films. They were intended to be shown together anyways, so I don't feel like it's cheating. The tale of ******* *****, aka "The Bride", is told in epic fashion that takes viewers around the world all for the sake of revenge. I've seen both movies more times that I can remember, and every time I am in shock that these movies didn't garner more awards. It doesn't matter though - Quentin Tarantino has a strong group of fans that I am a loyal member of.

4. You Can Count On Me

Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick, and Mark Ruffalo turn in some of my favorite acting of the decade in this sad but ultimately uplifting story of siblings. Occasionally there is a movie that I see where I leave saying "Man, I wish I had written that." and this is tops on my list.

3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

I am not a fantasy fan. I hate characters with weird names just for the sake of it. Made up dialects? Give me a freaking break. While I saw and was captivated by LOTR from it's onset, I was not looking forward to the first film at all. I hadn't read the books, didn't care about the storyline, but got caught up in the hype machine and was so glad I did. And again, I don't feel I'm cheating by lumping these together as ultimately the films tell one story.

2. Spirited Away

I love Pixar, but the best animated film of the decade and my favorite animated film of all time is "Spirited Away" from Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. If I had a list of my top fifty films of the decade, his films would show up a couple of more times for sure. Telling the story of a girl trying to find her parents in an otherworldly land while working in a bath house, this haunting film is truly unforgettable.

1. Mulholland Drive

One critic says "It bursts like a whore's lip gloss." I have no idea what that means, but I agree completely. MD is a movie that makes almost perfect sense until the last half an hour, where it spins out of control in a way I've never seen in my life. While there are two scenes of graphic nudity which made me fear liking it as much, ultimately there was no film in the last decade that had me scratching my head and exclaiming "What the..." more than this. If you watch it on DVD, there is actually a clue card to help you put the puzzle of a film together. I've seen it over a dozen times and I still don't completely get it. And honestly, I don't think David Lynch, the director, gets it any better than we do. And it's my favorite film of the decade.