Decadeworthy - Favorite Films of the Decade

These aren't my picks for the Best Movies of the Decade. That's another list. These are the movies that don't make THAT list, but that I still loved from the past 10 years.

They might not be perfect, but I wanted to acknowledge them for entertaining me and affecting me in some manner.

Here are my picks for my 35 Favorite Films of the Decade (listed by year, then alphabetically): (I tried to keep it to 25 but I didn't know what else to cut from the list)

2009

Julie & Julia
As a blogger, I actually enjoyed the Julie side of the story, while Meryl Streep really makes the Julia side wonderfully delightful.


The Blind Side (My Original Review)
Yah, it's a schmaltzy movie that hits every cliche in the book, but boy do they run with it and Sandra Bullock keeps the whole thing grounded with her winning performance.



2008

Definitely, Maybe (My Original Review)
A smart and savy rom-com that manages to dodge and twist around the typical rom-com stereotypes, subverting your every natural guess in discovering how Ryan Reynolds met Abigail Breslin's mother.


Slumdog Millionaire (My Original Review)
An adventure that throws every genre into a mix that zooms around an underdog story and ends with a fun Bollywood number. Of course, now that it's cemented as an Oscar Best Pic, this little indie movie that could has lost its underdog status, but it's still fun nonetheless.



2007

Hairspray (My Original Review)
A wonderful movie translation of a musical I didn't actually love all that much on the stage. But the all-star cast and Shankman's zippy direction keeps the musical moving and nicely grounds the story back to the central kids.


Paris Je T'aime (My Original Review)
A great eclectic mix of shorts from various directors and tons of great actors, some stronger than others, but nothing beats the final sequence by Alexander Payne starring Margo Martindale as a lonely American tourist in Paris.



2006

The Departed
While I never saw the original, this well paced thriller paced with intensity and twists pulses with a superb cast.


Letters from Iwo Jima
A zen look at the war from the other point of view with beautifully restrained direction by Clint Eastwood.


The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) (My Original Review)
A slow and chilling account of an East German whose job is to spy on a couple. The movie slowly simmers and builds to a boiling point with a beautiful final performance by the late Ulrich Mühe.



2005

A History of Violence
A contemplative look at how violence affects one man's family in this David Cronenberg film.


The 40 Year Old Virgin
Hysterically funny with a huge heart, and probably a huge hard on. Steve Carrell and cast (including now famous Jane Lynch, Paul Rudd, and Elizabeth Banks) balance this gross-out/silly comedy and inject it with intelligence and some grounded realism amongst the absurdity of it all.


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
My favorite of all the Harry Potter movies, this one finally got all the elements in the right mix just at the right dose.


Junebug
A quiet film about a New York city boy who returns to his southern roots and a revelatory turn by then emerging star Amy Adams (that got her her first Oscar nomination).


Transamerica
A beautiful road movie of a transgendered person and her son with a brilliant performance by Felicity Huffman.


Wallace & Grommit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace and Grommit are always fun to hang around with, and this full length movie adventure wasn't anything less, with the usual mix of sight gags, clever humour and adorable animation.



2004

Mean Girls
Lindsay Lohan once had promise, but maybe it WAS all Tina Fey. A smarter-than-your-average-high-school-movie that also introduced a bitchy Rachel McAdams.


Shaun of the Dead
I get scared at horror movies but Simon Pegg's spoof on the zombie genre was dead on and hilarious. Still a little scary, but the laughs made it worthwhile.


Sideways
Alexander Payne's full length look at friendship and regret and wine, it was the smart man's buddy road trip movie.


Spider-Man 2
As strong as the first movie was, this just built right alongside with it and deepened the lore. (Too bad the 3rd film didn't).



2003

Love Actually
My new Christmas classic. A best of Working Title films all rolled into one, with the an all-star cast that perfects the art of that British balancing act, giving humour and pathos to every moment that could have been easily cheezified.


Finding Nemo
Never has following fish around been so much fun, or adventurous!


The Italian Job
A zippy re-make that was fast and furious and a lot of fun.


Shattered Glass
Hayden Christensen will do anything for a good story. Including making it up. A nice work drama about lies and ethics that spins it as a thriller.


The Station Agent
Throw three intelligent but random actors together, Peter Dinkledge, Bobby Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson, put them on the side of a road, stir, see what happens. Wonderful little film with tons of charm.


X2
X1 introduced all the characters but X2 is really where we had the fun mixing it all up!



2002

About A Boy
Hugh Grant at his best, as a surrogate father to a sad Nicholas Hoult, in a funny and heartfelt movie about growing up.


Bend it Like Beckham
Girl power at its best!


Dirty Pretty Things
Audrey Tautou and Chiwetel Ejiofor discover the ugly underground of London's medical industry in this scary thriller.



2001

The Deep End
Tilda Swinton must protect her gay son from a mistake he's made, and goes to deep lengths to do so.


L’Emplois du Temps (Time Out)
A man loses his job but hides it from his family, but the secrets and lies start unravelling in this taut and thrilling drama.


Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain (Amelie)
A totally whimsical and romantic look at the odd side of Paris.


Gosford Park
Altman's British dramatic satire on the upstair/downstairs world with a fabulous cast.



2000

Bring It On
A smart cheerleader movie? Who would have thought!? No seriously, it's like totally great and fantastic!


In the Mood for Love
Beautiful and seductive, the love affair between two people that can never be is slow and haunting and gorgeous to look at.


Memento
I can't really remember everything that happened but I probably will remember that this intriguing mystery drama warps its way backwards to solve a mystery of a man who forgets.


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Decadeworthy - The Best of 2000-2009 Lists: Coming soon
SYTYCDworthy (w/ Videos) - List Format
Theatre of the Decade
Best Films of the Decade
Favorite Films of the Decade
Television of the Decade
Television of the Decade - 1 Season Wonders

Best of 2009 Lists: Coming soon
Best of Music 2009
Best of Television 2009
Best of Stage 2009
Best of Movies 2009

Previous Best-of Lists:
Best of 2008 Lists:
Best of Music 2008
Best of Television 2008
Best of Stage 2008
Best of Movies 2008
Best of Television Fall '07 - Winter '08 List

Best of 2007 Lists:
Best of Music 2007
Best of Television 2007
Best of Movies 2007
Best of Stage 2007
Best of 2007 (The Final Wrap Up)
Best of Television Fall '06 - Winter '07 List

Best of 2006 Lists:
Best of Music 2006
Best of Television 2006
Best of Movies 2006
Best of 2006
Best of Television Fall '05 - Winter '06 List

Best of 2005 Lists:
Best of Television 2005
Best of Movies 2005

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