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If comparing music from Gillian Welch and Outkast in our 50 Best Albums of the Decade is like apples and oranges, ranking films like Amélie, The Dark Knight and Mulholland Drive is more like apples, ice cream and foie gras. But despite the wild variety among our 50 Best Movies from 2000-2009, each is an exquisitely made, exceptionally satisfying piece of cinema that we believe will endure well after the decade has ended. There are masters like Martin Scorcese and Lars Von Trier, and relative newcomers like Fernando Meirelles and Anna Boden. There are documentaries, comedies and dramas, as well as animated films and even a super-hero flick. Mirroring a decade of globalism, the filmmakers are from the United States, New Zealand, Taiwan, Germany, Ireland, France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Denmark, Romania, Thailand, Brazil, and nearly every part of the U.K. Let these be our recommendations for your Netflix queue—or in the case of #21, a theater near you. Personally, after reading the loving descriptions in these pages, I’ve already got films I missed the first time around—like Syndromes and a Century and Beau Travail—on the way.—Josh Jackson, Paste editor-in-chief
50. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Writer/Director: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Borrowing themes from his previous films—children of failed marriages; characters whose bookish smarts seem to work against them; a floating sense of fatalism—The Squid and the Whale creeps ever closer to Noah Baumbach’s own tempestuous past. His parents’ faltering union isn’t just a detail used to add depth to a certain character. It’s the whole story—a gorgeous, candid portrait of the messy car crash of divorce, from all angles. “It’s hard to even put myself in the mindset of those movies anymore,” he told Paste in 2005. “With Squid, these are reinventions of people that are close to me, and this is the movie I identify with the most. It is a natural extension of what I have intended and what I feel. I trusted myself more on this one.”—Keenan Mayo
49. High Fidelity (2000)
Director: Stephen Frears
Writer: Nick Hornby (novel)
Stars: John Cusack, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Todd Louiso
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Funny, insightful and insanely quotable, High Fidelity plays like an ultra-hip Woody Allen movie. Writer Nick Hornby tapped into the psyche of the 20th century male, with John Cusack playing an everyman who retraces his past girlfriend history only to find he let the perfect woman slip through his fingers.—Jeremy Medina
48. Flight of the Red Balloon (Le voyage du ballon rouge) (2008)
Writer/Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Stars: Juliette Binoche, Hippolyte Giradot
Studio: IFC Films
It’s tempting to put the latest movie by Hou Hsiao-hsien into a neat little box. Although it’s not a film for kids, it’s an homage to Albert Lamorisse’s endearing children’s short “The Red Balloon,” and at times it seems as buoyant and aimless as a helium-filled toy. Hou is working in France instead of his usual Taiwan, and with Academy Award-winning actress Juliette Binoche instead of his cast of regulars. This makes the entire project feel like a detour for an artist best known for complex, austere films about Taiwan’s pulsing present and tumultuous history. Lamorisse’s short is about a loner of a boy who has the best of all possible friends, an amazingly reactive balloon, but Hou’s film is a realistic look at the inside of this fantasy, at the modern-day stresses on close-knit families. He slips behind Lamorisse’s facade like the Taiwanese amateur filmmaker who takes a job as Binoche’s nanny, an echo of Hou within his own story; the nanny even tells us how special effects make the balloon move. Since Flight falls at the simple-but-elegant end of Hou’s spectrum, the mysterious and lyrical finale in the Musée D’Orsay comes as a surprise; this balloon is anchored by some heft.—Robert Davis
47. Grizzly Man (2005)
Writer/Director: Werner Herzog
Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Werner Herzog
Studio: Lions Gate Films
This profile of nature lover Timothy Treadwell, who unwisely tried to live among wild bears in Alaska until he was devoured, cuts a Herzogian swath across the hillside: A man attempts to find harmony with nature but instead finds, as Herzog puts it, “chaos, hostility and murder.” Looming over the film is not only the horror of Treadwell’s demise but also an audio recording of the tragedy, taped inadvertently by the video camera in Treadwell’s tent. Herzog tastefully omits it from the film, but he makes the viewer aware of its existence. “The question of the tape which recorded Timothy Treadwell’s death and Amie Huguenard’s death is something that I had to address,” Herzog told Paste in 2007. “So I listened to it, and that’s the only time I appear in the film. You only see me from behind, listening to it with earphones. The interesting thing is that Jewel Palovak who was working with Treadwell and living with Treadwell for 20 years tries to read my face, and it’s very, very intense and moving for her. The moment I heard the tape it was instantly clear: Only over my dead body is this tape going to end up in the movie. I’m not into doing a snuff film, and I have to respect the dignity and privacy of two individuals’ deaths.”—Robert Davis
46. Iraq in Fragments (2006)
Director: James Longley
Studio: HBO Documentary Films
Applying the full spectrum of cinematic technique to a nonfiction film, Longley made one of the most striking movies this year, an immersive view of life in Iraq; a record of opinions and faces from across the country, all captured at close range.—Robert Davis
45. Whale Rider (2002)
Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Witi Ihimaera (novele), Niki Caro (screenplay)
Stars: Keisha Castle-Huges, Rawiri Paratene
Studio: Newmarket Films
Whale Rider tells the story of a young girl, Paikea, who lives in New Zealand with a stern grandfather who, apparently, needs to get modern. Every scene tells us this and gives us an opportunity to tsk-tsk his staunch rejection of his granddaughter who he believes, despite her lineage, can’t inherit the leadership of this Maori village because of her gender. She’ll need to convince her grandfather she can lead just as well as the boys can, and she’ll need to do it before the end of the movie. But just when you think you have the film pegged, its sincerity manages to break through the thin characterizations and age-old plot. Young actress Keisha Castle-Hughes gives Paikea a richly expressive voice, and the turning point is an astonishingly heartfelt speech she delivers at a school program for parents. Castle-Hughes’ grace and beauty on the screen is probably the main reason Whale Rider became a surprise art-house hit.—Robert Davis
44. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Director: Terry George
Writers: Keir Pearson, Terry George
Stars: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix
Studio: Lions Gate
While Hotel Rwanda attempts to document the country’s genocide in 1994, it does so by focusing on the character of Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle), who gave refuge to hundreds of fleeing Tutsis. Calling in dozens of favors with his extensive network of contacts, he was able to hold the Hutu extremists (the Interahamwe militia) at bay, until the Tutsi rebels drove the Hutu from power. Cheadle portrays Rusesabagina as an efficient manager who cares deeply about his family and the people in he looks after It’s a gripping film that bears witness to both a historic tragedy and one man’s bravery. “I never thought I was doing something different,” Rusesabagina modestly told Paste just after the film’s release. “I thought I was just acting as a normal hotel manager.”—J. Robert Parks
43. In America (2004)
Director: Jim Sheridan
Writers: Jim, Naomi and Kristen Sheridan
Stars: Paddy Considine, Dijmon Hounsou
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Approximately one minute of this film is all it takes to fall in love with the two girls in the lead roles (real-life sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger). Four minutes later, you’re in love with the parents (Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine), too. This Irish family is recovering from tragedy by immigrating to the tenements of New York. Their attempts to mend their broken hearts and scarred psyches after the death of their son—with the help of AIDS-stricken Djimon Hounsou, and a new baby—is heartrending, but the wide-eyed candor of the girls and writer-director Jim Sheridan’s sense of humor save it from being maudlin.—Emily Riemer
42. The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writers: Giles Foden (novel), Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock (screenplay)
Stars: Forrest Whitaker, James McAvoy
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The brutality of this film is at times difficult to bear, but harder still would be tearing your eyes away from Forrest Whitaker, who is fully inhabited by the charismatic monster Idi Amin. Director Kevin Macdonald pulls us gradually into the world of the Ugandan dictator through Amin’s Scottish personal physician, making for a Faustian seduction with horrific returns.—Josh Jackson
41. L’Enfant (2006)
Writer/Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Stars: Jérémie Renier, Déborah François
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
The Dardenne brothers specialize in poetically ambiguous titles, and in their latest film, it’s the new parents and their cohorts who seem like children. But the Dardennes love them anyway, telling their story in the unvarnished style that’s become their trademark.—Robert Davis
The 50 Best Albums of the Decade…
The 10 Most Iconic Opening Scenes in…
The 25 Best Horror Movies of All…
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 10 Best Video Game Characters of…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
B.O.B. - Put Me On
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
Not much argument from me. The Lord of the Rings shouldn't be on there. Those movies are grandiose showpieces of technology, and nothing particularly special. Read the books instead. (Then again, that's my advice for a lot of things.)
I'd probably "rate" High Fidelity higher, if we're suggesting that #1 is somehow "better" than #50. I tend to take such listings as this as collective groupings rather than rankings of superiority. High Fidelity is one of my favourite movies ever...at least the equal of Almost Famous.
Maybe I missed it (it's early here) but I don't remember seeing the Diving Bell and the Butterfly on here.
My Netflix list just grew enormously. Great top 3 picks, though.
No Requiem for a Dream or Pi or Butterfly? No Aronofsky at all? Odd.
Mostly good selections, some way too high, but 1 terrible, terrible, terrible, almost unforgivable mistake... The German film the Lives of Others does not qualify as one of the 50 Best Films of the Decade? A possible top 10 of the decade on any respectable critics' list and it does not even gain entry?
I usually don't use those internet abbreviations, but WTF? OMG?
Take the chance to sit your entire staff down for a couple of hours and watch this film. It is something that must be done before you review another film. As a Pan's Labyrinth freak, I was shocked when it lost best foreign film to this film, until I watched it.
You must ask yourselves, what else are we missing?
In Bruges? The Lives of Others?! Pan's Labyrinth ranked lower than Almost Famous?!!
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly should definitely be on here. So much more moving than L'enfant in my opinion.
I think an argument could be made for Crash and V for Vendetta as well.
A good chunk of my personal favorites are on here. But I definitely have some more movies to check out now!
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly should definitely be on here. It was much more moving than L'enfant in my opinion.
An argument could be made for Crash and V for Vendetta as well.
Overall, good picks! A good chunk of my favorite movies are on here, but I definitely have several to check out now!
OK, one glaring omission from my P.O.V.: Clean by Olivier Assayas. Stars Maggie Cheung, Nick Nolte and it opens with a killer performance by Metric.
It's one of my favourite films of all time.
Any movie that can make the shithole that is Hamilton, Ontario look interesting should be on this list.
No STATION AGENT? Easily a top 5 movie of the last 10 years. Nothing by Shane Meadows? Really? Totally agree with THE LIVES OF OTHERS comment. Would also add in LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, SYBECDOCHE NY, FROZEN RIVER... Lists like this are always conspicuous by what they leave off.
Just a heads up. The box cover for #41 is incorrect. While both are French films from this decade, L'Enfant(The Child) and Le Renard et l'enfant (The Fox and Child) are two different movies.
Rick, I attended the premiere of The Lives of Others in Toronto and reviewed it in Paste (before it won the Oscar, by the way). Just don't want you to think its omission from this list was solely because nobody had seen it.
Of course this isn't my personal collection of favorite films, even though I contributed votes and blurbs (and reviews from which blurbs were pulled). And it includes a few I wouldn't have, but that's the nature of group lists, and it's pretty hard to winnow the thousands of movies released in a decade down to 50 slots. What else are we missing, you ask? That's easy: tons.
I will forgive you for forgetting Lives of Others if only because you did not put Crash & Brokeback Mountain on the list. To see a list of Top 50 and not see that treacle is heart warming.
Robert, you do need to smack some sense into your colleagues for forgetting it though.
Glad to see that City of God got much deserved respect. Bonus points for Junebug and Iraq in Fragments
Judging by your critera of each choice being "an exquisitely made, exceptionally satisfying piece of cinema that we believe will endure well after the decade has ended," I have a few critiques.
Requiem for a Dream will stand the test of time. It is better written, directed and acted than most of these choices.
Half Nelson- Great performances (I love all three of those actors), but not much else that hasn't been done better in other movies.
While Man on Wire was both enlightening and entertaining, there are a number of better documentaries out there. Born Into Brothels, Taxi to the Dark Side, Encounters at the End of the World, to name just a few.
Other notable omissions:
Amores Perros
Road to Perdition
The Pianist
Slumdog Millionare
Narc
Shaun of the Dead
Inglourious Basterds (maybe a little soon, but I think this one will be around for years to come and though it stings a bit to say this, it's a better film than Kill Bill)
There's no such thing as a definitive list, though. I applaud you for this effort. It's a thoughtful one.
theagent37, check back next Tuesday for our list of the 25 Best Documentaries of the Decade.
Missing from my own personal list: All the Real Girls, To End All Wars, Narc, Training Day, Hot Fuzz, Anchorman, Punch-Drunk Love, Team America, Shotgun Stories, Gladiator, War Dance (docu), In Bruges. I realize that Anchorman and Team America would never make a list of top "respectable/indie" films, but damn, they do make me laugh. And Ben Kingsley's performance in Sexy Beast rivals--and exceeds--that of Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland... so I'd perform a switcharoo there.
Missing from my own personal list: All the Real Girls, To End All Wars, Narc, Training Day, Hot Fuzz, Anchorman, Punch-Drunk Love, Team America, Shotgun Stories, Gladiator, War Dance (docu), In Bruges. I realize that Anchorman and Team America would never make a list of top "respectable/indie" films, but damn, they do make me laugh. And Ben Kingsley's performance in Sexy Beast rivals--and exceeds--that of Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland... so I'd perform a switcharoo there.
Missing from my own personal list: All the Real Girls, To End All Wars, Narc, Training Day, Hot Fuzz, Anchorman, Punch-Drunk Love, Team America, Shotgun Stories, Gladiator, War Dance (docu), In Bruges. I realize that Anchorman and Team America would never make a list of top "respectable/indie" films, but damn, they do make me laugh. And Ben Kingsley's performance in Sexy Beast rivals--and exceeds--that of Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland... so I'd perform a switcharoo there.
I like the list overall, almost all my favorites were there. I've long said "City of God" was one of the most powerful films I ever saw. I was glad to see the little noticed "Elephant" get such props, that movie is haunting to its core. "Half Nelson," "Junebug," and "Millions" were all Indie Gems that triumphed.
I was surprised that no love was given for the epic Musicals of the past decade. No "Moulin Rouge" or "Chicago"?
theagent37, I disagree about Half Nelson. It's a much more complex film than just a few good performances, as good as they are. It works on several levels, and I appreciate that someone can enjoy one without caring about the others. For me, it's a time capsule of a certain political sentiment that a few films from that period (Old Joy is another) captured quietly and subtly.
Of the omissions you mention, the only one I'm really partial to is Inglourious Basterds. I'm eager to see it again.
I was surprised to see you left off the two epic Musicals of the past decade: Moulin Rouge! and Chicago
Errr....think I'm not in your demographic.
Some great flicks, but Requiem for a Dream is conspicuous by its absence.
Y tu Mama Tambien or Amores Perros?
Station Agent? Doubt?
It is a shame there aren't more to choose from, but the creative bankruptcy continues.
Even though like Rob, my personal list doesn't look too much like what we have here, I'm pretty content with how things turned out (even though I have a hard time even finishing Amelie ...).
I think Josh summed up why in his summary. The sheer variety of what's there makes me happy. Here's to another decade of great art
Where's "Crash" ?
The lack of WALL-E on this list makes it an instant failure.
A total lack of WALL-E makes this list a total failure.
Hilarious. You should probably put a little more thought into these lists aside from what gets a high rating on IMDB and the last few Sight & Sound polls. Otherwise, I suggest your rag stop covering film entirely.
i cant believe "the fall" didnt make this list...
Tarsem's The Fall is certainly visually ravishing, and I like the way the fantastic story is filtered by the head of a little girl (kind of like Pan's Labyrinth in that way), but it's dramatically inert. I'd need to see it again, but my first reaction was that it was a clever construction but hard to warm up to because the color-coded characters are not only thinly drawn but keep changing every time the story resets. It's a little like Hero in that way, and I have similar reservations about Zhang Yimou's film.
I was a little disappointed to see a lack of Chinese and Korean films on here. With contenders like Oldboy (2003, Chanwook Park), 2046 (2004, Kar Wai Wong), Se, Jie/Lust, Caution (2007, Ang Lee), In the Mood for Love (2000, Kar Wai Wong) and Ying ziong/Hero (2002, Yimou Zhang), it's sad to see a very large market of films completely overlooked. The list is fairly solid, and you did a great job of recognizing many excellent foreign films as well as American films, but it feels strange to see you overlook one of the most respected suspense movies of the decade (Oldboy).
I was a little disappointed to see a lack of Chinese and Korean films on here. With contenders like Oldboy (2003, Chanwook Park), 2046 (2004, Kar Wai Wong), Se, Jie/Lust, Caution (2007, Ang Lee), In the Mood for Love (2000, Kar Wai Wong) and Ying ziong/Hero (2002, Yimou Zhang), it's sad to see a very large market of films completely overlooked. The list is fairly solid, and you did a great job of recognizing many excellent foreign films as well as American films, but it feels strange to see you overlook one of the most respected suspense movies of the decade (Oldboy).
Not even one Harry Potter movie?
http://www.ifeelyaophelia.com
E. Kaplan, I think you're probably right about that. In some ways, the list reflects the reality of movie watching in the United States. A list with a heavier weighting toward films from mainland China, Hong Kong, or South Korea might match the world's cinematic output, but it wouldn't match the movies seen in America. No matter how strong the films of Jia Zhang-Ke (my pick for the decade would be Still Life) or Wong Kar-Wai (I'd pick In the Mood for Love), they're little-seen in the US relative to the English-language films in the list. Jia is almost exclusively a festival phenomenon in this country. Not surprisingly the "best albums" list here (and elsewhere, like Pitchfork) have the same Western slant. You could see these biases as limitations, or you could see them as properly reflective of the people who made the lists and the people who read them.
But ignoring all that, my favorite South Korean filmmaker is probably Hong Sang-soo, even though his films aren't as conventionally satisfying as Park's Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr/Lady Vengeance. This list includes a film by Hou Hsiao-hsien at #48 (another personal fave), but Flight of the Red Balloon is his most Western film to date, and we could almost as easily have included films by his contemporaries Tsai Ming-liang (either What Time is it There? or The Wayward Cloud) or Edward Yang (his swan song, Yi-Yi).
The list does swing to the adventurous in spots, though. You'd be hard-pressed to find a film more foreign, in every sense of the word, than Syndromes and a Century, proudly sitting at #18, or a film more aware of the very state of foreignness than Beau Travail at #6 or even, in its own way, Lost in Translation at #7. I love that about all three.
no slumdog millionaire ?
i can't believe diving bell and the butterfly didn't make it on there at all. big miss there.
Some good suggestions on here. I haven't heard of Beau Travail and am looking forward to it. But the list strikes me as odd. Royal Tenenbaums? Almost Famous? Why do people like Almost Famous, by the way? I found it mediocre on first viewing and haven't the slightest interest in seeing it again. I saw Revanche last night and think it blows away those two movies and a good many others on this list.
No "Broken Flowers?"
Your exclusion of "In the Mood for Love" and its loose sequel "2046" are in-freaking-excusable.
Great Top 10, but any list that includes Juno should be dismissed. That movie was AWFUL!
mumble mumble 'Lost In Translation' mumble mumble 'Before Sunset' mumble mumble 'Primer' mumble mumble '25th Hour'
Glad to see I wasn't the only one who was shocked to find The Lives of Others left off. As I was reading through, I thought of it, but simply expected to see it at number one.
Great list, guys and a really fun game to play.
Here's mine:
http://twynne105.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/everyone-loves-lists/
Some of our favorites from the decade that didn't make your list (that you weren't already called out for):
Children of Men
Lars and the Real Girl
You Can Count on Me
House of Sand and Fog
Stranger Than Fiction
There are loads more, these are just off the tops of our heads. We're not complaining, though. There's no way to please everyone.
Then again, we loathed Lost in Translation and City of God, which most likely makes us traitors to our generation.
too politically correct...
films missed:
la pianiste /michael haneke/ 2001
requiem for a dream /darren aronofsky/ 2000
stellet licht /carlos reygadas/ 2007
and the best of all:
into the wild / sean penn/ 2007
Two glaring omissions:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (easily a top 3-5 film of the decade)
The Lives of Others (eh, maybe top 20 at worst)
I see lots of faves here, but the most glaring omission is my pick for number one: Before Sunset.
Man this decade started out so well, but it kinda petered out. I remember circa 2001 there was a lot of talk about a new golden era of cinema with the likes of Mulholland Drive, Y Tu Mama Tambines, LOTR.
Enough good stuff made it through to put this naughties over the crummy 80's and 90's.
This list is odd. Any list that puts Beau Travail and the Dardennes top 10 has rather committed itself to art cinema. But how can it then include the middlebrow preciousness of the Royal Tennebaums and (wince) Amelie. Also inexplicable: Mulholland Drive is not No. 1. I realize opinions vary about exactly how genius this film is, but not among people who, you know, care about art.
Lack of Aronofsky is a bit disappointing to me also. Where is Requiem for a Dream? Visually both shocking and stunning, a bit like watching Trainspotting but with a punch in the stomach instead of a pseudo-happy ending. Or The Wrestler with it's heart breaking portrayal of the ultimate broken man.
Not convinced by this list in many respects...didn't spot any Michael Haneke (correct me if I'm wrong) either. Also, where were Gladiator, Nemo and The Pianist?
Good list. I haven't watched about a third of the movies. I have a hard time believing anybody considers Ratatouille and Up better than Finding Nemo and Wall-E. I was also hoping Shaun of The Dead would make it.
Good list. I haven't watched about a third of the movies. I have a hard time believing anybody considers Ratatouille and Up better than Finding Nemo and Wall-E. I was also hoping Shaun of The Dead would make it.
Wow, aside from a few solid picks, apparently a lot of the criteria for best of the decade was split between "Of the moment" films and cliche standard indie fair. Juno is 15? Groundbreaking!
Correction: "The 50 Best Art (House) Films of the Decade" (with the exception of LotR and maybe a couple of others). Do bear in mind that not everyone is into this kind of movies and claiming that these are the best movies of the decade without even considering mainstream Hollywood blockbusters/movies (that many more people enjoy, regardless of whether you agree) is - in fact - quite pretentious and arrogant (sadly enough, being pretentious and arrogant is what part of the Art Film scene is often all about).
Interesting collection, well put together.
Just not sure about 'Elephant'.
UP over WALL-E? One's a 10 the other's a 9.5, but you got them wrong.
did someone seriously suggest Crash? that movie is elementary at best. i still struggle to find what people find so interesting about its limited approach to exploring racial tensions.
Altogether a fairly tight list. My major gripe is, I fail to see how "The Dark Knight" ranks at 11 and worst still higher than "There Will Be Blood".
The former is a decent action movie with a stand out performance from Heath Ledger, it does however have some serious flaws. The plot was too bloated and sprawling. The two ships sub-plot was ridiculous. Christian Bale's performance and fight scenes were boring and wooden.
The latter is monumental and almost perfect. Definitely should be in the top three.
i seen pretty much all the movies on this list for free and completely legal at http://www.doesthatwork.co.uk
i seen pretty much all the movies on this list for free and completely legal at http://www.doesthatwork.co.uk
WHERE IS V FOR VENDETTA???
This list is terrible. I hope you die.
No Wall-E? Really? C'mon, Paste.
No Country for Old Men is the most overrated movie of the decade. Theme "the futility of being good and just in the face of abject evil"... Really? Reviewer is way too impressed with himself and the setting of the movie...
And for the commenter who thought that pi should be included in the list, what are you smoking? Can I have some?
Almost Famous before LOTR......you're an idiot.