16.) LIFE AS A HOUSE (2001) This story follows George Monroe (Kevin Kline), a divorced middle-aged man who loses his job, learns he has terminal cancer, and tries to reconnect with his troubled son (Hayden Christiansen) by spending the last summer of his life building a house with him. I'm not usually a fan of Hayden Christiansen, but in this film his whiny disposition actually works. Not a dry eye in the house during this one. Jenna Malone, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Mary Steenburgen are all fantastic costars.
15.) HIGH FIDELITY (2000) How about a movie about TOP 5 lists? In this winning comedy, John Cusack plays a record store owner who gets dumped by his girlfriend. And as a last gasp effort to get her back, he goes back over his top 5 girlfriends ever in an attempt to understand why he can't make a relationship work. It's hilarious and close to home. Jack Black, Tim Robbins and Todd Louiso will crack you up. I promise.
14.) KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005) This film is flat out hilarious. It's an old school murder mystery about a common thief (Robert Downey Jr) who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. While on the run after committing a petty crime, Downey Jr stumbles into an audition and the producers of the film want to cast him. They love him so much that they fly him out to LA to meet a Private Detective who will help him get into character for the part. From there on out he runs into his childhood love, meets some interesting people and gets entangled in a murder mystery. It's great for shits and giggles. You can't go wrong with Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Corbin Bernsen, and Michelle Monaghan... who happens to be one of the prettiest women to walk the face of the Earth.
13.) VANILLA SKY (2001) Cameron Crowe directed this remake of the Spanish film "ABRE LOS OJOS" (Open Your Eyes) amazingly. It's a doozy. To me, it's the most underrated film of the decade. Most people don't like it because they don't understand it. Tom Cruise is a delight as David Ames, a magazine mogul in his 30's who inherited his fortune when his parents died. His seemingly perfect life is literally flipped upside down one night when he meets the woman of his dreams and spends the entire night with her. The next morning the other woman he's sleeping with (Cameron Diaz) commits suicide by driving them off of a bridge. Ames survives with his face disfigured, but he finds it very hard to move on with his life. Watch this movie at least twice and don't take your eyes off of the screen... Otherwise you'll miss something very important. Jason Lee and Penelope Cruz also deliver in this psychological drama.
12.) JOYEUX NOEL (2005) This foreign film (French I believe) is told in many different languages, including French, German, and English. The story is set in France on Christmas Eve in 1914 during the height of World War I. Soldiers from opposing sides decide to put aside their differences, play soccer, and bury their dead together for one night. It's a touching and beautiful story of love and the human spirit. It's a real reality check.
11.) THE WACKNESS (2008) It's a story about a young outcast drug dealer, set in 1990's Manhattan, who seeks help from one of his clients... a therapist (Ben Kingsley). When the youngster graduates from high school he falls in love a promiscuous girl and his life goes straight down the shitter. Sound familiar? Thought so. The film is surprisingly moving, heartfelt and quite funny. The 90's backdrop and soundtrack provide hip hop music from it's pinnacle. And Sir Ben Kingsley is at the top of his game with his particularly off beat performance.
10.) LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) At first, I didn't give this film the respect it deserved, but when I watched it a second time I saw the beauty and genius that was beneath the surface. It's a Swedish film about a young boy who's constantly bullied by his classmates. One night he meets a young girl who lives in his apartment complex. She protects him and they slowly become friends and eventually fall in love. The only problem is; she's a vampire. Don't miss this one.
9.) BATMAN BEGINS (2005) The caped crusader came back in a big way during the 2000's. He was brought to us in a different light in this dark tale. Truthfully, there's barely any light here. This story follows Bruce Wayne from the beginning and how he became what he was destined to become... A keeper of the peace, a misunderstood vigilante who helps authorities restore a city falling apart at the seams, and a masked man. THE BATMAN. Most people feel its sequel, "THE DARK KNIGHT" is a much better film because of Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker (which was unbelievable), but I adamantly disagree. This story is much stronger and digs way deeper into the origins of a superhero than any other film I've ever seen. Christian Bale kills it in "Begins". He is BATMAN.
8.) ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004) Director Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufman are a winning team. Each have their own quirky style and together they have made a masterpiece. This movie delves into relationships further than has ever been captured on film. The story is about Joel and Clementine. Two people who fall in love on a whim and are doomed from the start. Clementine goes to a specialist to have all of her memories of Joel erased. He then does everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen. This visually delightful tale is a MUST SEE, check that a MUST BUY. Jim Carey is an excellent actor and this film is proof in the pudding. Kate Winslet is awesome... as per usual.
7.) MOONLIGHT MILE (2002) This touching tale was a star making turn for Jake Gyllenhaal and a great follow up after "Donnie Darko". The rest of the all star cast, including Susan Sarandon, Dustin Hoffman and Ellen Pompeo, all give memorable performances. It's about a young man that loses his fiance to a great tragedy while living at her family's house. And he hesitates to tell them the truth about their relationship because he loves her and her family too much.
6.) NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) The COEN BROTHERS never fail to exceed my expectations. These guys are the consummate filmmakers. When I saw this one on opening night back in 2007, I was floored. Josh Brolin immediately plunged into super stardom in his early 40's with his turn as Llewelyn Moss. Moss stumbles upon a small fortune in drug money and then tries to flee his home town. Before he can blink an eye, he is stalked by a cold-blooded bounty hunter, played by Oscar Winner Javier Bardem, who sported the creepiest haircut of all time in this role.
5.) THE BOURNE SERIES: IDENTITY, SUPREMACY, and ULTIMATUM (2002, 2004, 2007) This high octane series never lets you down. Jason Bourne, played to perfection by Matt Damon, is a man suffering from amnesia in the first installment. He goes on a journey to figure out who he is and how he became perhaps the most dangerous man alive and everything from the CIA to civilians to Interpol get in his way, but nothing can stop him. I can watch these over and over again and if you have any brains... so can you. The Bourne series proves that the action genre is not dead... And it can live on forever with intelligent stories like this one.
4.) WONDER BOYS (2000) Curtis Hanson directed this adaptation of Michael Chabon's novel. It's a witty, touching and smart Dramedy. You know Mr. Hanson from 1997's best film "LA CONFIDENTIAL". Wonder Boys gives us Grady Tripp, a jaded writing professor, played wonderfully by Michael Douglas. In one day, he loses his wife, learns his girlfriend is pregnant, and takes a young misguided student under his wing. Frances McDormand and Robert Downey Jr. round out the cast in this awesome flick. Check it out if you've never seen it; you'll be smiling for two hours straight.
3.) ONCE (2006) This musical delight is a love story that covers one week's time set in Dublin. A talented street musician meets a woman of equal aptitude and they develop a special friendship, make beautiful music together, all while learning about each other. I saw this one in the theaters 3 times and will be forever in debt to the girl that forced me out of my house on a fall night back in 2006. I LOVE this movie and watch it whenever I'm feeling blue.
2.) ALMOST FAMOUS (2000) This is easily one of my favorite films of all time. I'll never forget when one of my best friends (Seanie) came back from the theater when we were in college and said he had just seen the worst movie ever made. That's right, he was talking about Almost Famous. I immediately rushed to the theater in disbelief, knowing that Cameron Crowe directed this... and he never lets me down. My life was never the same. The film follows William Miller (based on Crowe as a teen) coming of age as he's on the road writing a piece for Rolling Stone Magazine about one of his favorite bands. This is the best coming of age story ever told. Crowe is a top notch writer and director and I challenge anyone to a boxing match that disagrees. Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Kate Hudson are all at the top of their game in this taste of perfection.
1.) MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001) David Lynch's masterpiece is one of the weirdest and most talked about films ever made. I pick something else up every time I watch it. Film students will be mulling over this one until the end of time. Naomi Watts' creepy performance as a young naive actress made her an A-list celebrity as well as a respected actress. Not to mention it also landed her an Oscar nod. I can't really tell you what it's about. All I can say is dreams can sometimes make your view of reality quite blurry. This is probably the only movie that has ever scared the shit out of me and later made me ball my eyes out. Be careful out there; we live in a dangerous world.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (All of which could have easily made the list): OLD SCHOOL (2003), DONNIE DARKO (2001), THE MACHINIST (2004), THE DEPARTED (2006), THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007), SAW (2004), THE PRESTIGE (2006), IGBY GOES DOWN (2002), SAVED (2004), GARDEN STATE (2004), THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001), HALF NELSON (2006), and AWAY WE GO (2009). Knock yourselves out. Happy New Year!!!
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