Top 50 Films of the Decade (2000–2009)

By: jaredmobarak

As always, I have not seen every film made in the decade, so this list is only complete as of posting. There are those diamonds in the rough I’ve yet to witness that could render this entire list obsolete.

The ‘Naughts’, I believe an appropriate term being used for the decade spanning from 2000–2009, the years we feared wouldn’t come thanks to Y2K, brought with them some amazing films. Technological advancements aside, this time period contained a number of singular auteurs both continuing on already stellar careers and others beginning what should hopefully be long and fruitful ones. So many feel that cinema has fallen into an abyss of remakes/revisions, a world where only a handful of plots exist that continue to be recycled and called new. I don’t think this is completely true and my list shows some visions that are unique to themselves, while others touch on familiar premises told in a way that makes them brand new. Directors like Darren Aronofsky (3 films included here), Spike Jonze (2 films), Charlie Kaufman (2 screenplays), Lars von Trier (2 films), and Alejandro González Iñárritu (2 films) show there’s an international flavor making amazing works inside and outside the Hollywood system. Cinema just keeps getting better and better.

And before you say it, yes, I know There Will Be Blood and Quentin Tarantino in any way are absent here, as are many others. If I made this a Top 100 Films of the Decade, you’d be seeing them both, but, for whatever reason, these 50 films struck me more on an emotional and personal level. I’ll be the first to say this list is purely subjective and while both TWBB and Inglourious Basterds may be dissected in film classes for years to come while none of these will, I still stand by my selections.

Full list is available at: http://jaredmobarakreviews.wordpress.com/2009/12/24/top-50-films-2000-2009/
Top Ten Available below:

01

The Fountain

Darren Aronofsky
02

21 Grams

Alejandro González Iñárritu
03

The Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson
04

I Heart Huckabees

David O. Russell
05

Moulin Rouge!

Baz Luhrmann
06

Dogville

Lars von Trier
07

American Psycho

Mary Harron
08

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Michel Gondry
09

Mulholland Drive

David Lynch
10

Requiem for a Dream

Darren Aronofsky

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jaredmobarak

27Dec09

oh and von Trier, Gondry, and Iñarritu chose to film in English, not me. if they filmed in their native language i'd still have them here. maybe you should write them individually and ask why they have forsaken their homelands ...

jaredmobarak

27Dec09

well i appreciate you allowing me to be subjective ... i didn't realize there were right and wrong answers to a list like this. other cinema works? no way. well since the list name is top 50 of the decade and there is a link, maybe you'll see that foreign language films are included if you decided to read the entire post. and whether the film is English language or not, these are the ten i liked best. if 21 Grams was shot in Spanish, Dogville in Danish, and Eternal Sunshine in French they'd still be on the list. hell, those directors are the ones who chose to film in English, not me. maybe you should write them about how they have forsaken their home countries ... so sorry i enjoy Huckabees better than Dogville ... i'll try and change my opinions for you. thanks for reading though :)