Rupert picks out his ten best films of the ten years just gone…
Lets just have a quick note on the list before we start.
Once again, objectivity is key.
This is not, as far as possible, my own personal top ten favourite films of the decade.
More the ten films I think have defined the decade in one way or another.
And, of course, only one per franchise.
The cutesy manga look belies a much deeper level of artistry.
The true essence of animation is the ability for adults to repackage morality tales for children.
Spirited Awayis a wondrous film whose high imagination is only matched by its inner message.
Its the curse of the critic, the overuse of hyperbole.
Sir Ridely Scotts swordsnsandles epic is a masterpiece in narrative construction.
This is the kind of story that will be cited in Scriptwriting 101 classes for decades to come.
Put simply,Gladiatoris a true timeless classic.
What Greengrass did was incorporate as much location shooting, natural light and handycam-style filming as he could.
The Bourne Supremacyis more than just a dumb action movie masquerading as a clever thriller.
It also inspired a complete, copycat, re-imagining of theBondseries, which was quite a feat in itself.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Coen Brothers are filmmakers who command near-universal respect.
Oh, how wrong they were.
The Academy had always resolutely refused to acknowledge the Coens non-conformist talents.
Now, hows that for a metaphor on the desolation of modern life?
Think De Niro inTaxi Driveror Brando inOn The Waterfrontand you get the sort of legendry league were talking here.
For that a greater package is needed.
Of all the films on this list,There Will Be Bloodhas the most breathtaking cinematography.
Every shot is a masterpiece of colours, textures and framing.
There Will Be Bloodis, without doubt, the great American film of the decade.
For example, I once met a girl who swore blind that her favourite ever film wasScary Movie 2.
She was, quite obviously, an idiot.
But that does go someway to illustrate my point about different strokes for different folks.
The resulting experience has stayed with me for a long, long time.
Wiesler is the Stasis most trusted operative: he is man with no compassion, no emotion.
He lives only for his job and maintaining the doctrine of the Party.
Tragically, Muhe died just beforeThe Lives Of Othersseemed set to bring him to international acclaim.
Pretty much every superhero/comic strip/ graphic novel worth its salt has been snapped up or put into development.
From big hitters likeSupermanto underground indies likeAmerican Splendor, the Noughties were the comic writers gravy train years.
Zach Snyder even tried his hand at the once thought un-filmableWatchmen.
Surely after four films the Caped Crusader had already had his moment of glory?
Nolan had other ideas.
He saw a megastar of the medium floundering and forgotten, ripe for reinvention.
Beginshit big, and pretty much invented the concept of a re-boot with it.
However, that was just the opening act.
He wanted a crack at the most iconic villain of them all: the Joker.
What followed was the bravest casting decision in recent history, perhaps of all time.
Heath Ledger was Nolans first and only choice for the role.
Oh dear, the Internet did not like that.
But then the onset reports and teasers came in.
Expectations were sky high.
This ones a winner, boys.
Until, one tragic morning in January 2008, Ledger was found dead.
The rest, as they say, is history.
But, above everything else, this is Ledgers film.
We may not see the full extent ofTDKs influence for decades.
EvenCitizen Kane, generally except as cinemas finest hour, took about 20 years to find recognition.
Or perhaps their encapsulation of zeitgeist can only be seen with the benefit of hindsight.
Huge DVD sales then turned the film from a word-of-mouth oddity to genuine cult phenomenon.
But, to be honest, even he offers only a possible interpretation of events.
It practically invented emo, and its 80s soundtrack stands way above its peers as the decades best.
And all at the tender age of twenty-five.
Donnie Darkois a monument to the originality of independent cinema.
PerhapsDeathly Hallowswill accomplish this, or at the very least some long-overdue resolution.
J.R.R TolkiensLord Of The Ringssaga had always been regarded as one of the greatest films never made.
Eight long years in development and realisation, LOTR is the very definition of landmark cinema.
Not sinceStar Warschanged the game forever has one film stood out within the sphere of its influence as prominently.
Fantasy films, unlike sci-fi, had never really been cracked.
You had tongue-in-cheek adventures likeThe Princess Bridebut serious tales of the realms of heroes, wizards and elves…?
Key to this was the way Jackson utilised the landscape of New Zealand.
It seem impossible to imagine a pre-LOTRHollywood, such were the films overarching influencex.
Here was the once-in-a-generational moment that would redefine everything that came before or after it.
For better or for worse,Fellowship Of The Ringbecame the film that all others had to emulate.
But it took over 30 years to matchStar Wars, so dont hold your breath.
Fellowship Of The Ringbecame more than just a film.
It became a cultural event.
The greatest film of this decade, and quite probably of many more to come.
