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In a weird way, great scenes are even more indelible than great movies. When an entire film is awesome—like all of these, for instance—you’re often held rapt from start to finish, but you don’t see the trees for the forest. And when a great performance comes along—like these remember that one person in that one role, but can’t pinpoint any single definitive moment. A killer scene is that moment. Scenes can work for any number of reasons. Maybe it’s the dialogue. Maybe it’s a car chase. Maybe it’s the incendiary presence of Denzel Washington. (If Denzel or Daniel Day-Lewis are in your scene, the odds of greatness increase dramatically.) Here are 20 scenes that stand on their own. We’ve included YouTube clips when possible, and trailers when the movie studios are too lame to allow their best scenes to go viral.
20. Slumdog Millionaire (Jamal chasing Latika)—a love scene and an action scene all rolled into one. Too bad it ain’t on YouTube. Here’s the trailer.
19. O Brother Where Art Thou? (“Man of Constant Sorrow”)—George Clooney and pals record an old-timey smash that, out here in the real world, causes a full-on revival of American roots music.
18. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (fight scene in the trees)—A bit of magical realism transformed this fight scene into a kind of treetop ballet.
17. High Fidelity (Jack Black berates a customer)—This alarmingly lifelike encounter depicts the stereotypical record-store clerk in all his snotty glory.
16. American Gangster (Denzel and Russel Crowe, in conversation)—A summit of two A-list actors, just sitting around a table shooting the breeze about incarceration.
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What? No scene from "The Big Lebowski"??
Almost too many to choose from...
Oops, wrong decade on Lebowski idea. My brain must be on "Dude" time...
No scenes from Children of Men either?
No Little Miss Sunshine? Things come together so well at the end of the movie and mold into the perfect scene.
No Country coin-toss at #1? Yesssssssssssss.
Notable exclusion? Pretty much any direct music scene from Once.
Only thing I can think of really.
Otherwise, fantastic list!
No 'Departed'? The end of that movie (namely the scene in the elevator and the parts immediately preceding and following it) is one of the most jaw-dropping scenes I've ever seen. When I saw it in the theater there was a huge gasp, and then the entire audience (sold out show) was dead silent.
Complete fucktards made this list. These are some of the worst scenes not only of the last decade but maybe in film history! Who wrote this shitlist? Must be fucktards. Definitely fucktards.
When Margo Tenenbaum gets off the Green Line bus at the Ferry terminal, to pick up the Baumer...with "These Days" performed by Neko.
This list was made hastily.
Nothing from this year, I don't think. Hmm interesting. Maybe they didn't see the end of Precious, or the beginning of Up, or the dancing scene in (500) Days of Summer, 3 of my favorites of this year.
The lack of Children of Men is odd too. Not the beginning or the car scene?
The business card scene in American Psycho.
Falling slowly?
The lead writer has the subject line wrong. 2009 isn't the end of the decade; 2010 is... :-)
Wow, Awesome, I can think of really, Otherwise, fantastic list, thanx for sharing.
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