My Favorite Movie Endings

Endings are very important - a bad one can ruin a film, but a great one can save an up-to-then middling affair or elevate a good film to an even higher level. For this list, I don't have any firm rules about what constitutes the film's ending. Some of my choices represent the last scene or two, while others make up the final ten or twenty minutes or more. 

Don't forget to check out Kyle's list at his own blog, Enter the Movies!

Of course, MAJOR SPOILERS are revealed in this list.

1. The Shawshank Redemption

Considering how important endings are, it's no surprise that my favorite film of all-time has such a great one. From the moment Warden Norton (Bob Gunton) discovers Andy's (Tim Robbins) escape tunnel, the movie soars. We get to see Andy's plan go off without a hitch - and, in the process, take down Norton and the crooked guards, plus get Shawshank Prison some much needed scrutiny- and see Red (Morgan Freeman) ace his parole board hearing and get his long awaited release. The segment with Red following in Brooks' post-release footsteps initially filled me with dread and I remember being so happy when Red didn't kill himself. The final frames of the film, when Red finally gets back together with Andy, are magical, as well. There aren't a lot of films with strong, platonic male friendships so I've always appreciated that aspect of The Shawshank Redemption.   

2. Toy Story 3

I could go back a lot farther and classify the entire final third of Toy Story 3 as the ending and it would still place highly on this list. But for my purposes here, I'm just counting the very final scenes where Andy decides to donate his toys to Bonnie and they spend some time playing together in her front yard. The overwhelming sense of joy on Andy and Bonnie's faces is evidence of how much fun they're having, but the real emotional punch comes from knowing how much the toys themselves are enjoying it. They're getting played with by Andy - their owner and best friend for so many years - one last time and then get handed off to Bonnie, a sweet and loving kid who will no doubt cherish them for years to come. When Andy leaves and goes back to his car, Bonnie makes Woody wave goodbye to the college-bound young man and Andy nearly cries. You can see the emotion rise up in his throat and on his face as he waves goodbye to his favorite toy. It's a moment that always gets to me, no matter how many times I see it. Even now, just thinking about it, I've got tears in my eyes. It's a wonderful way to end such a brilliant trilogy.

3. Chinatown 

While one of the final lines of the film - "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown" - is perhaps the most famous moment of the entire film, the two or three minutes leading up to that moment is breathtaking, heart breaking, and utterly bleak. Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) attempts to escape with her daughter/sister, driving away from her father (John Huston), the police, and our hero, Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson). When the police open fire, they hit the fleeing Evelyn in the head, blowing out her eye and killing her, right in front of the young girl. After all is said and done, the evil monster gets to leave with the girl - no doubt sealing her fate right then and there - and Jack can't do anything about it. It's one of the most depressing and soul crushing endings I've seen, but nothing else would have worked nearly as well. A film like Chinatown couldn't have had a happy ending - it just wouldn't have felt right or fit with the rest of the film. Adding to everything, as the camera pulls back and we watch Jake get led away in shock, the film's fantastic score kicks in. As I've written in previous pieces on this blog, Chinatown gets better and better with each viewing, but I thought the ending was glorious from the first time I saw it.

4. The Departed

The amount of shocking deaths in the final ten minutes or so of this film completely surprised me when I first saw it in the theater in 2006. One after another, almost all the main characters are killed off in a sudden and unexpected fashion. The "elevator" scene with Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Sullivan (Matt Damon) is probably the most shocking - as an audience member, I never had any doubt that Sullivan would be victorious in the end so his untimely execution really caught me off guard. Several other supporting characters meet their grisly demise before the very end when Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) gets his retribution and kills Sullivan. There's a certain level of beautiful barbarity to all these murders - they're not senseless killings by any stretch of the imagination as all the people act in such a way that's true to their character - and Martin Scorsese stages the entire ending with such visceral precision. The audience is put right alongside the characters and it's as if we're there, experience these traumatic events with them. 

5. The Sixth Sense 

Speaking of surprise endings, The Sixth Sense has one of the best of them. I, like most people who saw the film, had no idea there was going to be a twist ending and was completely blindsided by the reveal that Dr. Crowe (Bruce Willis) has been dead the whole time and has been communicating with young Cole (Haley Joel Osment) as a ghost. The film had already had one emotional climax - with Cole and his mom (Toni Collette) in the car - and I certainly didn't expect another one. When the moment came, I remember being taken aback. I may or may not have audibly gasped. It's the type of reveal that instantly elevated the film and made me want to see it again, to try and piece everything together and see if it all fit. I've seen The Sixth Sense so many times over the years and while the ending doesn't pack that punch to gut like it did the first time - how could it? - it's still highly enjoyable and thought provoking. M. Night Shyamalan's career went off the rails less than a decade later, but I'll always appreciate what he accomplished here.

6. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

I think Dr. Strangelove as a whole is pretty much perfect and the ending is no exception. This is the shortest of my choices on this list as I'm only considering the nuclear bombs going off as the ending. While the mushroom clouds bloom, "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn plays in the background. The contrast between the images - showing the certain destruction of all life on the planet - and the song - hopeful and melodic, if not downright mawkish - is just one final dark joke in a film filled with pitch black comedy. The ending underscores the futility of everything that came before it, all the arguing and debating and failed diplomacy, and shows that when left to our own devices and hubris, things won't turn out well. Stanley Kubrick was a master of many things and knowing how to end a film was one of them. A Clockwork Orange nearly made this list as an honorable mention and several of his other films were in the running initially, as well.

7. Good Will Hunting 

The ending to Good Will Hunting is understated, sweet, and the absolute perfect way to close out such a great film. It does a lot of different things in a short span of time: it pays off an earlier conversation between Will (Matt Damon) and Chuckie (Ben Affleck) when they were talking about their dreams for the future, has a call back to an earlier joke - the wonderful, "Sorry, I have to go see about a girl" - and allows the audience to speculate on what's really going to happen between Will and Skylar (Minnie Driver). When an open ended finale is done wrong, it can really ruin a film, but when it's done right like it is here, it adds something subtle, yet very significant. If you don't want to think too much about it, you can assume the two young lovers will live happily ever after. If you want to delve deeper into things, you can guess all sorts of things based on their character traits, motivations, and goals. I like to think of it as a bittersweet ending - Will is finally breaking free of his routine, taking chances and emotional risks, and getting out of Boston, but I doubt things will work out very well for him and Skylar as a couple. When the inevitable breakup happens, Will will have to decide whether to stay away or come back to his home and friends. I like the option of making those kinds of guesses about a film and not everything has to be spelled out for the audience.

8. Titanic

While there is some debate as to what the ending of Titanic represents - some people think the elderly Rose (Gloria Stuart) is dreaming about her reunion with Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) - I've always been certain that Rose has died in her sleep, finally able to let go and move on since she's told her story and deposited the Heart of the Ocean pendant into the ocean and near the wreckage of the great ship. In the afterlife, she's transported back to her young, beautiful self (Kate Winslet) and reunited with Jack and all the people she got to know on the RMS Titanic. It's a wonderful thought to have, that when you die there's no judgment, no Heaven or Hell, but you get to go back to a time that you were the happiest in your life. In addition to the story elements here, I simply adore how director James Cameron filmed the ending with the wreckage of the ship being transformed into its former glory in front of our eyes. It's masterful filmmaking and Cameron at his best.

9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Another Jack Nicholson film - the third on this list. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is another film that I've written about repeatedly in the two years since I started this blog, but I never tire of discussing it. After Chief Bromden (Will Sampson) smothers R.P. McMurphy (Nicholson) because McMurphy wouldn't have wanted to live his life as a vegetable ward of the state, he goes to the water fountain and rips it out of the floor, then uses it to smash through the barred windows, granting himself release from the mental hospital/prison. The entire ending calls back to previous moments and discussions that Bromden had with McMurphy, but it took the latter's death to properly motivate the big man into action. As Bromden breaks free, the score swells and the music elevates the entire scene. We get to see Bromden run through the open pasture and away from the controlling, hostile environment and his actions will no doubt influence the other patients. It certainly pleases Taber (Christopher Lloyd) who applauds and laughs with absolute glee after he sees what has transpired. The huge smile on his face and light in his eyes is pure magic - a wonderful little moment in a film full of them.

10. House of Sand and Fog

After reading through this list, it's probably obvious that I like a good, bleak ending. No other ending - with maybe Requiem for a Dream coming closest - is as bleak, depressing, or emotionally draining as House of Sand and Fog. For the most part, the entire film is sad and depressing, but the ending kicks everything up a notch, leaving people both emotionally and physically dead and a family destroyed. When you think about what drove the plot and caused everything to end up this way - a simple clerical error on the county's part that forced one woman (Jennifer Connelly) to wrongly be evicted from her home - it's even more upsetting. The performances from Connelly, Ben Kingsley, and Shohreh Aghdashloo are all first rate, as is the cinematography, editing, and score. All these aspects combine with the heartbreaking story to make up one of my favorite endings.

 

Honorable Mentions:

 

 

There's my list! What do you think of my choices? What are some of your favorite movie endings? Let me know in the comments section!

I hope you've enjoyed this series of lists! I've certainly had a lot of fun writing them. If you can think of any more lists that would be interesting to do, let me know - I'm always up for more ideas!

My Favorites of the Decade - the 2010's

While this decade doesn't have as many of my all-time favorite films as the previous two decades did, there has been no shortage of fantastic movies released in the last 7+ years. And there's still plenty of time for even more great films to get released! I had originally planned on making this a Top 10 list, but had too many worthy choices to limit it to that few.

Don't forget to check out Kyle's list at his blog, Enter the Movies.

My Top 20 Favorite Films of the 2010's, in alphabetical order:

Year: 2011
Director: Jonathan Levine 

50/50 is based on the experiences of co-star Seth Rogen and writer Will Reiser, who actually had cancer in his 20's and worked through it with some help from his good friend, Rogan. Maybe that's the reason why the film's characters seem so believable and human. In different hands, I could easily see this type of story being done as a schmaltzy, overblown melodrama on the Lifetime network, but Reiser, Levine, and the talented cast elevate the material to something truly special. Joseph Gordon Levitt is one of his generation's finest actors and he delivers his best performance as Adam, a man who thinks he has his whole life in front of him and then gets diagnosed with cancer, forcing him to confront mortality. Rogen is mostly his usual self - crass, annoying, and selfish - but has moments where he really shines. Anna Kendrick and Angelica Huston, as Adam's psychologist and mother, respectively, both contribute mightily to the film. 50/50 is a tremendously well-made film and is - at various points in the film - funny, heartbreaking, shocking, and life affirming. 

Year: 2014
Director: Jennifer Kent

I am always on the lookout for a quality horror movie - and usually disappointed since horror is the genre with the most crap per capita, I think - and was absolutely blown away by The Babadook, the chilling debut film from Aussie writer/director Jennifer Kent. I think film works especially well because there are two main ways to interpret the events of the plot - 1) The main character (a mother to a slightly unbalanced six-year-old) is being tormented by The Babadook, a sinister demon of some kind or 2) The mother is suffering from a mental breakdown and is imagining all the things happening to her and her son. Either way, there is no shortage of suspense and outright terror. Everything about the film is practically perfect, but the performances from Essie Davis (as the mother) and Noah Wiseman (as her son) are especially brilliant, as is the production design, editing, and sound work. The Babadook himself is wonderfully designed and is the stuff nightmares are made of. The Babadook is one of the rare films that I was compelled to revisit the day after my initial viewing and I've watched it several more times since then. It's continued to enthrall me each time.

Year: 2010

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Black Swan managed to do what I would have previously thought nearly impossible: it made ballet interesting. Though, like most "sports" movies, the setting isn't nearly as important as the plot and characters, but the ballet world has a lot to offer when it comes to cinematic action. The brutality, both physical and mental, that the dancers subject themselves to is really something to behold. Aronofsky is very much a hit or miss director for me, but I think he made a flawless film here - dark, brooding, and tinged with psychological horror elements, but also amazingly sensual, provocative, and thrilling. Natalie Portman's work here is one of the best Best Actress winning performances in recent decades and the supporting cast is wonderful, as well. I've revisited Black Swan several times since its release and not only does it hold up, but it actually improves. There are so many little moments and elements that you may have missed the first or second time around, that the film rewards multiple viewings.

Year: 2011

Director: Stephen Daldry

I know a lot of people criticize Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as being too sentimental or manipulative, but I've never had a problem with those aspects of this engrossing, emotional, and ultimately life affirming film. While the plot - a young boy tries to solve one last mystery from his father who died in the 9/11 attacks - does maybe sound particularly cloying, the film itself doesn't go overboard, I don't think. In addition to an interesting plot, well written characters, breathtakingly emotional scenes, and an overall sturdy construction, the cast is remarkable. Thomas Horn is a revelation as the child, a boy who is not only devastated by what happened to his father, but who also has some behavioral health problems that were only made worse by the tragedy. It's the type of child performance that blows away almost every other. Tom Hanks is his usual fantastic self and his charm and built-in love is great for the character, especially considering he doesn't have a lot of screentime to buildup reserves of feeling. Sandra Bullock turns in probably her best performance in another smallish supporting turn. And while Viola Davis and Jeffrey Wright (two of the best actors working today, in my opinion) also shine in great supporting roles, it's Max von Sydow who almost steals the entire film with his performance as Hanks' mute, embattled, emotionally scarred, and yet somehow uplifting father, who accompanies the young boy on his journey to solve the mystery. Extremely Loud never fails to elicit tears or (depending on my mood) outright sobbing. I love a movie that connects to me on an emotional basis, and this is one of the best.

Year: 2010
Director: Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski is a master at creating tense, atmospheric films and The Ghost Writer, an intelligent political mystery/thriller, just confirms that fact. There are moments of dread that rival most horror films and the production design and cinematography - from Pawel Edelman, who also filmed Polanski's The Pianist -  rival any big budget, Oscar contender. Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan are at the top of their game and lead a stellar supporting cast - including seemingly odd choices like Kim Cattrall, James Belushi, and Timothy Hutton who are all solid, plus Tom Wilkinson, Olivia Williams, Jon Bernthal, and screen legend Eli Wallach in one of his final roles - playing interesting characters wrapped up in a twisty-turny plot. Polanski has made numerous masterpieces, spanning the last six decades and if The Ghost Writer is the last such film of his, it's certainly nothing to be ashamed of. I think it's a film that will have a long lasting reputation as more and more people discover it. I was lucky to find it early and have been singing its praises ever since.

Year: 2012
Director: J.A. Bayona

Naomi Watts' performance ranked high on my list of Favorite Lead Actress Performances and if that's all this film had going for it, that would be enough for me to recommend watching it. Thankfully, it's not the sole example of greatness - the film as a whole is packed to the brim with wonderful performances, thrilling action scenes, tense drama, and an undercurrent of intense emotion. Ewan McGregor makes his second appearance on this list and it was his performance in this and The Ghost Writer that made me realize he had grown into a wonderful actor. The three young actors who play McGregor and Watts' sons - Tom Holland (who grew up to become Spider-Man), Samuel Joslin, and Oaklee Pendergast - all turn in solid performances, with Holland being the true standout. The special effects during the tsunami sequence are just as good as in any Rolland Emmerich FX extravaganza, but they serve a greater purpose here - to terrify not only the characters in the film, but the audience, as well. During the scene when the tsunami hits, you can't help but put yourself in the characters' shoes and wonder how you'd handle all the devastation, both physical and mentally. The Impossible walks a fine line between being too intense to handle and too mawkishly emotional, but it does so brilliantly.

Year: 2016
Director: Ron Clements and John Musker

When I saw Moana earlier this year, I was completely blown away. It quickly became a favorite of mine and my son's - who watched it as often as possible for the next couple of months. Over that time, I've grown to love it even more. For more of my thoughts, please read my full-length review.

Year: 2012

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Some movies tell epic stories on a large scale and some tell smaller stories on a much, much smaller scale. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is definitely an example of the latter, but that doesn't mean it doesn't tell a complex, riveting story in an cinematic fashion. Perks is a slice of life story set in the 80's, centering around a group of high school kids who are essentially outcasts for one reason or another, but it's so much more deep and resonating than the John Hughes type fair that I (an actual child of the 80's) grew up with. Stephen Chbosky adapted his own novel into the screenplay and directs the film with such sure-handedness that you'd think he was a old filmmaking pro, rather than the novice he actually was. Just like most of my favorite films, the writing and cast is what really carries this film. The characters - especially the three leads played by Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller - all seem like real, three dimensional people and while their dialogue may seem "too advanced" for real teenagers, it never bothers me. All three actors perform brilliantly and all have many, many moments to shine. I'd also like to mention the fantastic soundtrack, which helps to set the mood perfectly for so many of the different scenes.

Year: 2013
Director: Stephen Frears

Some movies just don't seem like they're going to work, either after reading about them or after watching a trailer, but then if you give them a chance, they surprise the hell out of you. Philomena is definitely one such film. The story - an old Catholic woman, accompanied by a sarcastic atheist reporter, goes looking for her son who was essentially stolen from her by the nuns in the 50's - sounds like something that would be better suited for the Lifetime network than a multiplex screen. As a whole, though, Philomena is so much more. It's funny and touching and complex and filled with great little moments, important overriding themes of hope and regret, and anchored by Judi Dench's magnificent, towering performance. Philomena, the woman, is a fully realized, human character and Dench does what she normally does - plays the hell out of her. She's world weary, but also naive. She's emotionally guarded due to her age and upbringing, but not so shut off that she can't experience things. Steve Coogan is fantastic as well, and his character is essential to the story and a large part of what makes the movie work as well as it does, but he can't compete with the great Dame. The one aspect that surprised me most about the film was how funny it was. Some of that may depend on what you think of British humor - I tend to really like it - but even if you don't, I think Philomena has a lot to offer and would highly recommend it to just about anyone.

Year: 2013
Director: Denis Villeneuve

Prisoners is basically the exact opposite of a movie like Philomena - it's dark, bleak, and offers a glimpse into how disturbing and disgusting humans can really be - but it's still a marvelous film, on every level. While I haven't jumped on the Denis Villeneuve bandwagon like a lot of film fans, I can admit that he shows immense skills with Prisoners. The film actually reminds me of something David Fincher would direct, which if you know me, is one of the highest compliments I can give a filmmaker. The look of the film is one of its best aspects and that's thanks to master cinematographer Roger Deakins, who bathes the film in dark colors, rain, and perfectly composed shots. The story - written by the relatively unknown Aaron Guzikowski - is intriguing and filled with twists and turns, plus it features one of those slightly ambiguous "what exactly happens?" type endings that I tend to love. The main cast - Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, and Paul Dano - is fantastic, but so are all the supporting players like Viola Davis (again!), Maria Bello, Melissa Leo, and Terrence Howard. While the film is filled with terrific, memorable scenes, one of the ones that come to mind most often for me is when Gyllenhaal's detective character is driving very fast through a rain storm after being injured. The combination of the story elements, the rain, his cruiser's flashing lights, and the intense music adds up to a truly special, unforgettable scene.

Year: 2015
Director: Lenny Abrahamson

Room is just about as emotional as any narrative film I've ever seen. The story - about a young woman who was abducted, imprisoned, and then impregnated by her captor and has raised her son Jack in the tiny 12' x 12' room for the first five years of his life - is, at turns, heartbreaking, thrilling, devastating, and uplifting. If you've seen the trailer, you already know that the film is in two distinct parts: in the titular room and out, after the pair manages to escape. Knowing this reveal isn't a spoiler really - I read the book many times prior to seeing the film and the escape was still a wholly intense and nerve jangling experience - but I know some people think the two parts are uneven, with most favoring the first. I loved them both pretty evenly, but the second is by far the most emotional. Brie Larson delivers an Academy Award winning performance (one of the most deserving wins in recent memory) but young Jacob Tremblay may outshine her. His performance as Jack is easily the best child performance I've ever seen and one of the best, of any age, turns I've had the pleasure to watch this decade. Joan Allen and William H. Macy are sublime as Larson's parents, as well. Considering Room, the book, is one of my Top 10 novels, I had very high expectations for the adaptation. Those expectations were surpassed in practically every way, from the performances, writing, and direction to the editing, soundtrack, and cinematography. All in all, Room is not only one of my favorite films of this decade, but of all-time.

Year: 2010
Director: Edgar Wright

I think Edgar Wright is one of the most entertaining and consistent writer/directors working today. Of his six films, I've seen four - missing out on his oldest (which I had never even heard of until today) and newest (which I just haven't had the chance to see yet) - and all are either very good or great. His crowning achievement, in my eyes at least, is easily Scott Pilgrim vs the World, an action comedy/romance heavily inundated with pop culture, music, and video game references. Scott Pilgrim, played perfectly by Michael Cera, is the epitome of the slacker hipster who's world is turned upside down when he meets and falls in love with Ramona and then has to battle her seven evil exes before he can date her. The cast is great from top to bottom and features some of the most attractive and talented young women in Hollywood - Mary Elizabeth Winstead (as Ramona), Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Mae Whitman, and Brie Larson. Wright is one of the best directors at filming action in interesting and unique ways and really shows off his abilities with all the different fight scenes sprinkled throughout and the sound and special effects pair perfectly with the action. Overall, Scott Pilgrim is a treat for your eyes, ears, and mind - a rollicking good time from beginning to end.

Year: 2012

Director: Martin McDonagh

While most people might prefer McDonagh's first feature film, In Bruges - which is wonderful, no doubt - I think Seven Psychopaths is slightly superior in almost every way. Colin Farrell and Sam Rockwell lead an eclectic, eccentric cast consisting of Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Harry Dean Stanton, and Gabourey Sidibe (plus several more standout character actors) and each and every performer deliver McDonagh's first-rate dialogue with precision. Not a line is wasted throughout the entire running time. The story structure and characters are intricately written, thus ensuring plenty of reasons to revisit the film multiple times, and the mix of laugh out loud comedy and brutal violence is just about perfect for me. After loving his first two films, I'm very eagerly awaiting McDonagh's newest film - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - which has been getting great reviews so far in limited release.

Year: 2010

Director: Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese is a director who never fails to interest me. The man has an encyclopedic knowledge of film history and theory and uses everything he's learned from a lifetime of watching movies to help create his own masterpieces in a wide variety of genres. Shutter Island is a psychological thriller/horror/mystery hybrid that even manages to improve upon its excellent source material, one of my favorite novels by Dennis Lehane. Leonardo DiCaprio didn't get the recognition he deserved for his performance here as US Marshal Teddy Daniels - a man haunted by his own troubled past - who is trying to solve the mystery of an escaped prisoner from an isolated prison for the criminally insane. The cast is filled with fantastic character and supporting actors doing excellent work and writer Laeta Kalogridis crafted a very faithful screen adaptation, but the real star of the film is Scorsese's own immense skill behind the camera. He uses so many interesting camera techniques and the film is edited in such a way, that the audience feels as if they're actually part of the action onscreen. This is where the film surpasses the novel, in my opinion - the visual representation of the setting, characters, and action.

Year: 2016
Director: John Carney 

I watched Sing Street on a whim one night. It was on Netflix and I'd heard good reviews, so it seemed like a no commitment kind of deal - if it wasn't any good, I wasn't out anything except my time. I needn't have worried. It wasn't just good, it was fantastic! The story is simple - a boy in 1980's Dublin meets a girl and, to impress her, starts a bad - but it's the characters, dialogue, and music that really elevates a conventional plot. All the performers, who were mostly unknowns to me, are solid but the real star of the film is writer/director John Carney. He creates believable, human, and compelling characters and some of the best music I've heard in years and packs it all into a compact running time where there's not a wasted scene or moment. After seeing Sing Street, I sought out his earlier works - Once and Begin Again - and was mightily impressed by both. I can't wait to see what he does next, but in the mean time, I've been slightly obsessed with Sing Street - I've watched it from start to finish about half a dozen times, watched clips online, and listened to the soundtrack several times. I cannot recommend this film enough!

Year: 2010
Director: David Fincher

When I first heard there was going to be a movie about Facebook, I had a reaction similar to when I learned the news of the Battleship or Emoji movie adaptations - "they're going to make a movie about that?". But then Aaron Sorkin was announced as the screenwriter and David Fincher came on to direct and my excitement grew. In the end, the movie's not really "about" Facebook, but about relationships, friendships, competitiveness, jealousy, and the American dream, among other themes. Jesse Eisenberg delivers a tour-de-force performance as Mark Zuckerberg, the computer programming and socially inept genius behind the social media giant. He plays Zuckerberg as one or two steps removed from sociopathy and - regardless of the real life truth - it's captivating to watch. Andrew Garfield is remarkable as his best friend and business partner and Armie Hammer is impressive in a dual role as the Winklevoss twins, who battle against Zuckerberg on campus and in court. Fincher is one of My Favorite Directors and The Social Network may be his most technically perfect film. From the soundtrack to the cinematography to the amazing use of CGI, the entire film is a technical masterpiece. The crackling, high paced dialogue (a Sorkin staple) moves the film along at a tremendous pace and helps make a film mostly comprised of people sitting around talking seem as exciting as any action film. There aren't enough words to describe how much I love The Social Network. 

Year: 2010
Director: Lee Unkrich

The only animated film that I've rated 10/10, Toy Story 3 is one of the best films I have ever seen and it perfectly capped off the my favorite film trilogy. The characters I grew to love in the first two Toy Story films - Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, and Rex are my favorites - join up with some new toys, both friends and foes alike, and have their biggest, most exciting, and most emotional adventure yet. The film starts off with such an extraordinary scene (involving a train robbery orchestrated by One-Eyed Bart and Mr. Evil Dr. Porkchop, naturally) that I wasn't sure if the rest of the film could live up to it. I was wrong. There are so many wonderful scenes and smaller moments that I would have a hard time listing them all. In addition to the spectacular writing and beautiful animation, the voice acting is top notch. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen have great chemistry as Woody and Buzz, but everyone absolutely nails their roles. New cast members Michael Keaton, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt, and Ned Beatty - voicing Lotso, one of My Favorite Movie Villains -  all fit into the group perfectly. I am somewhat easy to get to, on an emotional level, but very few films have the ability to bring me to tears every time I see them. Toy Story 3 is one of those films. When my son first got into the Toy Story franchise, I saw bits and pieces of this film nearly everyday. Whenever I happened to catch the final scene - which recently made my list of My Favorite Movie Endings - I would break into tears. And that reaction hasn't changed, years later.

Year: 2016

Director: Sang-ho Yeon

Train to Busan is the only film on this list that I haven't seen multiple times, but it so impressed me during my initial viewing last month during my October Challenge that I didn't hesitate for a moment to include it here. At this point, I'm confident saying Train to Busan is definitely a new member of my Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Favorite Films, and is probably the single greatest zombie film ever, edging out The Night of the Living Dead. There's just so much to love about this film - great suspense and moments of terror, fascinating and truly human characters, fun action, great performances across the board, and several moments of heartbreaking sadness. I cried at three different moments throughout the film and I don't think any horror movie has ever made me cry even once before. With all these elements all represented so beautifully, I can't recommend this one enough. Unless you just can't stand horror movies or can't tolerate reading subtitles, I would be shocked if Train to Busan failed to captivate you.

Year: 2013
Director: Martin Scorsese

Few films are as funny, fast moving, and well acted as The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese's latest (I haven't seen Silence yet, though) masterpiece. As long as you don't mind excessive language, nudity, and drug use (and a little bit of violence), I don't think you can pick a better or smarter dark comedy - excluding Dr. Strangelove, which is my absolute favorite from the genre. Sitting in the theater, actively laughing out loud or at least smiling the whole time, the three hour run-time flew by and I couldn't wait to see it again. I've since watched it a few more times and it hasn't lost a thing for me. The cast is superb and might be the only example of such a big ensemble where nearly everyone is perfect. Leonardo DiCaprio - who delivers one of my Favorite Lead Actor Performances of all time - Jonah Hill,  and Margot Robbie lead the cast, but the supporting players are just as entertaining and impressive. The script delivers not only laughs, but tension, drama, and an almost unbelievable true story. Scorsese's direction and overall vision combine with gorgeous cinematography from Rodrigo Prieto and precise editing from Scorsese's longtime collaborator, Thelma Schoonmaker, to create a nearly flawless film. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it is certainly perfectly suited to me!

Year: 2013

Director: Edgar Wright

The World's End - the final film in Wright's Cornetto "trilogy" and second film on this list - is hilarious throughout, but also has moments of great character development, perfectly choreographed action set pieces, and intense emotion. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have never been better or inhabited more three dimensional characters as they do here, as middle aged men who used to be best friends reuniting for an ill advised pub crawl back in their home town. Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, and Pierce Brosnan all contribute mightily to the film's overall enjoyment as well, but Pegg and Frost are the real highlight. Very few filmmakers stage comedy and action in perfect harmony like Wright and The World's End features some hilarious fight scenes. After first seeing it in 2014, I have returned to The World's End many more times and it earned a place on My Favorite Comedy Films list from early last year.

There's my list! Do you love or hate any of my picks? Did I miss any of your favorites from the 2010's? Let me know in the comments!

Up next, my list of Favorite Movie Endings!

My Favorite Best Picture Winning Films

The Academy Awards do a lot of good for the film industry - they highlight quality films (for the most part, anyway) and often shine the spotlight on smaller films, which results in much more attention for lesser known films. When it comes to the Best Picture award each year, I disagree with the Academy much more often than not, but they have given their highest accolade to some of my favorite films of all-time.

I should note that I've only seen 49 of the 89 Best Picture winners, so my completion percentage is a modest 55%.

Don't forget to check out Kyle's list on his blog, Enter the Movies! Which list do you prefer? 

1. Gladiator - 2000

Gladiator has been one of my very favorite films since the first time I watched on its opening weekend in May of 2000. I watched two more times that weekend and probably another dozen or so times in the years since and it has never failed to enthrall me. Everything about the film, from the writing, directing, editing, and cinematography to the performances, score, special effects, and overall "epicness" is just sublime. Russell Crowe is one of my favorite actors and he gives a truly mesmerizing performance as the noble General Maximus, who is sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit, sold into slavery, and eventually becomes Rome's most famous gladiator. With a different actor in the role, Maximus might have become a simple action hero, but Crowe has too much skill to let that happen. Instead, he plays him as a subtle and layered individual who just happens to control an army and then become a gladiator. Joaquin Phoenix plays Commodus, the spoiled and whiny son of the emperor, who steals the throne. Phoenix is one of the best actors of his generation and he really shows his chops here. Again, Commodus could have been a run of the mill character, but Phoenix elevates him to another level. Both Maximus and Commodus ranked very highly on my lists of My Favorite Movie Heroes and My Favorite Movie Villains. I really can't say enough about how much I love Gladiator.

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? Yes!

- Is it my favorite film of the year? No! O Brother, Where Art Thou? narrowly edges it out. 

2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

At this point, I've discussed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest many times on this blog. It's popped up in seven or eight different posts and deserves every bit of praise I can heap onto it. Besides the stellar performances from Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and Brad Dourif - which I detailed in my Favorite Lead Actor Performances, Favorite Lead Actress Performances, and Favorite Supporting Actor Performances lists - there are a multitude of reasons to love One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The rest of the cast - including Danny DeVito, William Redfield, Christopher Llyod, Sydney Lassick, Scatman Crothers, and Will Sampson - is excellent and all create memorable characters that wonderfully support the leads. Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman deservedly won the Best Screenplay Oscar and, in my opinion, greatly improved upon the source material. Every single technical aspect, from the direction and editing to the cinematography and production design, is sublime. A bit of trivia: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of only three films to win all five "major" Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. 

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? Yes!

- Is it my favorite film of the year? Yes! 

3. The Departed 

There are very few films that are entertaining and exhilarating as The Departed. Martin Scorsese has been making fantastic films for almost 50 years, but my favorite film of his is relatively recent. It won him his long overdue Best Director Academy Award - not to mention awards for Best Picture, Screenplay, and Editing - and is his highest grossing film to date. Whatever praise I shower upon the film almost feels unnecessary at this point, but I'll soldier on. I'm not sure what I love most about The Departed. The characters? They are well written, authentic, and engaging. The acting? Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon turn in excellent lead performances and the supporting cast - led by Jack Nicholson, but featuring Mark Wahlberg (never better), Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Ray Winstone, and Vera Farmiga, among others - is stellar. The direction? Scorsese seems to have settled into a late career groove where everything he does is magnificent. The soundtrack? The Rolling Stones are, of course, featured, but my favorite bit of music is from The Dropkick Murphys. The action? The drama? The editing? The cinematography? There are just too many excellent aspects to choose from so I won't pick one. I will say that, after several viewings, The Departed has worked its way into my personal Top 10.

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? Yes!

- Is it my favorite film of the year? Yes! 

4. Lawrence of Arabia 

Lawrence of Arabia is an achievement in practically every regard. Superb direction, cinematography, score, and editing add to the terrific writing and performances from the main cast. You can read my full-length review for more of my thoughts, but one thing is clear - if you haven't seen it, get to it quickly! 

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? Yes!

- Is it my favorite film of the year? Yes! 

5. Titanic 

Titanic seems to be a polarizing film these days. Cited by some as one of the greatest movies ever made and by others as cliched and over hyped. I count myself firmly in the former camp and have loved Titanic since I first saw it in the theaters in 1997. As a 15-year-old boy, I wasn't exactly the target demographic and I wasn't well versed in cinema, but that didn't stop me from appreciating the beautiful cinematography, wonderful score, and amazing set and costume design. The two lead performances from Leonardo DiCaprio (now one of my favorite actors) and Kate Winslet were nearly perfect for a film like this. The supporting cast had definite standouts (Bernard Hill, Victor Garber, Gloria Stuart, and Kathy Bates) and a couple (Billy Zane and Frances Fisher) who could have used less screen time. James Cameron is no stranger to making fantastic films (see previous entry on this list) but I think Titanic is by far his greatest achievement. The epic scale of his production is almost hard to comprehend and the attention to detail in recreating the fabled ship is second to none. Of course, Titanic isn't perfect, and it's one considerable flaw is Cameron's screenplay. It's a bit weak in certain areas, most notably the dialogue. This type of flaw is usually a deal breaker for me (I generally gravitate to character/dialogue heavy films), but considering everything else that Titanic does so exceptionally well, it's a flaw I can forgive.

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? No! L.A. Confidential should have won.

- Is it my favorite film of the year? No! L.A. Confidential again beats it out.

6. Chicago

Musicals generally aren't my "thing". I can only think of three that I love, Singin' in the Rain,  Hairspray (2007), and Chicago. The latter is an absolute powerhouse of a film. It features great performances, wonderful musical numbers and choreography, and a fun story. The main cast - Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere - have never been better and the supporting cast - notably John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, and Christine Baranski - are exemplary, creating fully realized characters in a small amount of time. Reilly, especially, is fantastic. His "Mr. Cellophane" song and dance is entertaining, but also kind of heartbreaking.  All the musical numbers are exceptionally well done and catchy, to the point that I'm often humming or singing them for days after watching the film. Rob Marshall hasn't made anything I've wanted to see since Chicago, but that's alright by me. Very few people could direct a film like this and have it turn out to be such an amazing piece of work, a musical that I love and consider one of my favorite films ever.

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? No! The Pianist should have won.

- Is it my favorite film of the year? No! Road to Perdition wins the year. 

 

7. Kramer vs. Kramer

Like the best of films, Kramer vs. Kramer impresses me more and more with each viewing. When I first saw it, as a young man in college, I enjoyed it quite a bit. But it wasn't until I watched it again last year, when my son was about the same age as the child in the movie, that it vaulted up my list of favorite films. I can now emotionally connect with the story and Dustin Hoffman's conflicted father and several different scenes really get to me. If a movie can effect me emotionally, it's bound to get some bonus points from me. Besides the personal connection, Kramer vs. Kramer is simply a well made film on every level. The performances from Hoffman and Meryl Streep are fantastic, the characters are well defined and realistic, and the plot is intriguing. While the story is not exactly unique - I'm sure similar movies have been broadcast on the Lifetime channel over the years - every aspect of filmmaking is handed in such a way that the film is elevated to a much higher level. It may not be a flashy film, but when the performances are so good and the writing is so strong, I can't ask for much more. 

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? Yes!

- Is it my favorite film of the year? No! Life of Brian is by far my favorite. 

 

8. Million Dollar Baby 

Million Dollar Baby is one of the best acted and most emotional films I have had the pleasure of seeing. At different points, it's funny, heartwarming, suspenseful, empowering, inspirational, and downright depressing. Any film that can accomplish all that in a little over two hours is something special, in my book. Clint Eastwood pulls quadruple duty as director, star, producer, and music composer and succeeds at all the jobs. I really think he should have won the Best Actor Oscar for Million Dollar Baby - he lost to Jamie Foxx for Ray but did win Best Director - as I absolutely love his portrayal of Frankie Dunn, a hardened boxing trainer with a tough as nails exterior. Frankie is a complex character and Eastwood hits all the right notes, from gruff and sour to tender and caring. Hilary Swank did win the Best Actress Oscar, and rightfully so, and her Maggie Fitzgerald is an equally interesting character. She's dirt poor and from an insensitive hillbilly family, but has a great attitude about life and doesn't let anything hold her back from pursuing her dreams of becoming a professional boxer. When the final act rolls around and the movie takes a drastic and unexpected turn, the payoff is so great because you've learned to love these two characters. It seems unfair to go on for this long without mentioning Morgan Freeman (another Oscar winner - the film also won Best Picture) and his wonderful contribution. His character is somewhere in between both Frankie and Maggie when it comes to personality traits, and Freeman is perfect in the role. The supporting cast, especially Margo Martindale as Maggie's mother, is very good, too, as is the music and dark cinematography. I know some people who have no interest in seeing Million Dollar Baby because they're not into "boxing" films, but this is so much more. The sport of boxing is only the frame work for a much more in depth film about loss, regrets, passion, and relationships.   

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? No! Sideways should have won.

- Is it my favorite film of the year? No! Sideways is the stronger film, for me.

9. No Country for Old Men 

The Coen brothers are my favorite filmmakers and I was eagerly awaiting No Country for Old Men's release back in 2007. After that first viewing, I was left slightly disappointed. It was good, but not great and I ranked it in the bottom third of their filmography. Over the last decade, I've rewatched it several times and I like it a bit more each time. There's so much going on - and so many questions left unanswered or only partially explained - that it truly requires multiple viewings to explore everything. Javier Bardem embodies one of recent cinema's greatest villains, the seemingly unstoppable Anton Chigurh, and Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones are phenomenal as the men being chased by and chasing him, respectively. The film is beautiful to look at thanks to Roger Deakins' stellar cinematography and the great production design. The Coen's best films are with their own original screenplays, but the brothers manage to adapt a difficult novel from Cormac McCarthy into a truly captivating, fast moving, and thought-provoking film. I look forward to another decade of uncovering more bits and pieces of it.

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? No! There Will Be Blood should have won.

- Is it my favorite film of the year? No! Zodiac was the year's crowning achievement. 

10. Unforgiven 

Clint Eastwood built his career on playing quiet, introspective types in westerns, but his greatest achievement in the genre came quite late in his career. Unforgiven is a powerful film and excels in many areas - from the direction (Eastwood's best), cinematography, editing, and performances (for the most part) - plus it has one of the best lines I've ever heard: Eastwood's William Munny to Gene Hackman's Little Bill, "That's right. I've killed women and children. I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned." It's just such a magnificent little speech and Eastwood delivers it perfectly. Both Eastwood and Hackman shine, but Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, and Saul Rubinek are excellent, too. The only weak spot in the cast is Jaimz Woolvett, who just can't keep up with his much more seasoned co-stars. What really holds Unforgiven back for me, though, is the ending. After more than two hours of general greatness, the film ends with a title card explaining what happened after the story concluded. This has always felt tacked on, clumsy, and completely unnecessary to me. It's a shame to end such an otherwise spectacular film in such a poor manner.

- Is it my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees? Yes!

- Is it my favorite film of the year? No! Glengarry Glen Ross gets my vote.

There's my list! Did I leave out any of your favorite Best Picture winners? Do you hate any of my choices? Comment and let me know!

Up next in this series, My Favorite Films of the 2010's!

My Favorites of the Decade - the 2000's

Another great decade where I couldn't possibly limit my favorites to only ten selections, the first decade of the new millennium was very movie-centric for me: I spent about eight years working at either a movie theater or video store, so I watched a lot of movies. 2000 is easily one of my favorite years in film history and the rest of the decade was very good, as well. 

Don't forget to check out Kyle's list at his blog, Enter the Movies.

My Top 20 Favorite Films of the 2000's, in alphabetical order:

Year: 2000
Director: Cameron Crowe

Almost Famous is a film that I liked when I first saw it, but have grown to love over the years after multiple viewings - especially the director's cut available on DVD titled Untitled. If you like the film and have only seen the theatrical version, do yourself a favor and check out Untitled - it is well worth your time. There are so many things to love about Almost Famous, but I guess the music would be up towards the top of my list. Cameron Crowe is obsessed with music - often times, he puts together the soundtrack for his films before even writing the script - and his passion comes through to the viewer. Not only are the songs on the soundtrack excellent, but the songs played by the band in the film are great, too. Right up there with the music are the wonderful performances from the whole cast, but especially Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. These talented actors take Crowe's words and create layered, passionate characters, characters who seem like real people. It's a simple story, but it's extremely well told. There's an energy to Almost Famous that propels it from scene to scene until the two or two and a half hours (depending on which version you watch) has flown by and you're left wanting to watch it again.

Year: 2003
Director: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini

I don't think I've ever seen a movie quite like American Splendor. It's the story of Harvey Pekar, a depressed file room clerk who gained some celebrity in the 1980's as a writer of the titular comic book series. American Splendor is not your typical biography, though. It's told in three very distinct fashions - first as a regular film with Paul Giamatti as Harvey, then with the real Harvey in a documentary setting, and finally as a moving comic book, where the illustrations come to life. All three of these formats are interwoven to create a dazzling film that shows the struggle of a "regular" guy trying to capture the American dream. Harvey is often times his own worst enemy, but he is also a terrific character - in every sense of the world. Giamatti has given some of the finest performances in the last twenty years and his work here is among his best work. Hope Davis and Judah Friedlander also turn in great performances as Harvey's wife and best friend, respectively. American Splendor is a very funny, but also an emotionally honest and touching, film. If you haven't seen it, I hope you go out and watch it soon!

Year: 2000
Director: Robert Zemeckis

One of my favorite movie going experiences was watching Cast Away in the theater - I can still remember which theater and which auditorium, plus the general seating location. I had wanted to see it but didn't really expect much from the film. I was completely blown away by the story, by the lead performance, by the direction, by the score, by the visuals, by everything. To this day, I think that Tom Hanks' work in Cast Away is the single greatest performance I've ever seen and I easily put it atop my list of Favorite Lead Actor Performances. It takes a certain kind of actor to carry a film like this, a film where a large chunk (nearly an hour) of screen time is spent alone and with very little dialogue. Hanks does the job marvelously, showcasing not only a drastic physical transformation but an emotional one, as well. Robert Zemeckis is a hit or miss director for me, but there's no doubt about it - Cast Away is a hit. It's funny, sad, tense, scary, and inspiring. The 140 minute run time flies by and, at the end, I wanted even more. Cast Away has earned a place in not only my favorite films of the 2000's but in my Top 5 all-time.

Year: 2002
Director: Steven Spielberg

Catch Me If You Can came out on Christmas Day in 2002 and was probably the best gift I got that year - an essentially perfect film from start to finish. The credits ranked among my Favorite Opening Credit Sequences and the film didn't let up from there. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his best performances ever as the teenager turned con man, Tom Hanks is stellar as the dedicated FBI agent on his tail, and Christopher Walken reaches emotional highs as his father, caught up in the glitz and glamor of his son's fantastical life of crime. Spielberg was on quite a roll during this time period and Catch Me If You Can easily ranks among his best films for me. It's fast paced, funny, thrilling, and has a resonant emotional core. The editing, cinematography, score, and costume/production design are all first rate, as well. Catch Me If You Can is one of those films where if I happen to catch it on TV, I'm instantly sucked in and find myself watching large chunks, no matter what my previous plans were.

Year: 2002

Director: Rob Marshall

Musicals generally aren't my "thing". I can only think of three that I love, Singin' in the Rain,  Hairspray (2007), and Chicago. The latter is an absolute powerhouse of a film. It features great performances, wonderful musical numbers and choreography, and a fun story. The main cast - Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere - have never been better and the supporting cast - notably John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, and Christine Baranski - are exemplary, creating fully realized characters in a small amount of time. Reilly, especially, is fantastic. His "Mr. Cellophane" song and dance is entertaining, but also kind of heartbreaking.  All the musical numbers are exceptionally well done and catchy, to the point that I'm often humming or singing them for days after watching the film. Rob Marshall hasn't made anything I've wanted to see since Chicago, but that's alright by me. Very few people could direct a film like this and have it turn out to be such an amazing piece of work, a musical that I love and consider one of my favorite films ever.

Year: 2005

Director: Ron Howard

I know a lot of people don't like sports movies because they can be a bit cliched and formulaic. I won't deny that Cinderella Man does succumb to those negative aspects at times, but everything else about the film is so magnificent, so well done, and so emotionally gratifying that I give it a pass for not being wholly original. Russell Crowe gives perhaps - as of this writing, at least - his last great performance as Jim Braddock, a boxing star who is hit hard by The Great Depression and has to scrounge his way back to the top of his sport, all while inspiring the nation in a time of need. If it wasn't a true story, it'd be almost too much to believe, but I'm a sucker for these types of stories anyway. Renee Zellweger is great as Braddock's wife, a strong woman who doesn't like her husband having to take beatings in order to put food on their family's table. Paul Giamatti - who you can tell I love from reading this list - is magnetic and charming in his role as Braddock's trainer and best friend. Howard is a hit or miss director, but when he hits - like he does here and with A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, and Rush - he really hits. The fight scenes are easily the best of any boxing film and the score and cinematography are highlights, as well. Cinderella Man features an expected climax, but nonetheless, it never fails to coax the tears from my eyes.

Year: 2006

Director: Martin Scorsese

There are very few films that are entertaining and exhilarating as The Departed. Martin Scorsese has been making fantastic films for almost 50 years, but my favorite film of his is relatively recent. It won him his long overdue Best Director Academy Award - not to mention awards for Best Picture, Screenplay, and Editing - and is his highest grossing film to date. Whatever praise I shower upon the film almost feels unnecessary at this point, but I'll soldier on. I'm not sure what I love most about The Departed. The characters? They are well written, authentic, and engaging. The acting? Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon turn in excellent lead performances and the supporting cast - led by Jack Nicholson, but featuring Mark Wahlberg (never better), Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Ray Winstone, and Vera Farmiga, among others - is stellar. The direction? Scorsese seems to have settled into a late career groove where everything he does is magnificent. The soundtrack? The Rolling Stones are, of course, featured, but my favorite bit of music is from The Dropkick Murphys. The action? The drama? The editing? The cinematography? There are just too many excellent aspects to choose from so I won't pick one. I will say that, after several viewings, The Departed has worked its way into my personal Top 10.

Year: 2004

Director: Michel Gondry

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind isn't a film for everyone. In fact, about a third of the people I know in real life who've seen it, can't stand it. I can't quite understand why as I have loved it since I first saw it in the theater and appreciate it more with each viewing. It's funny and heartwarming, but also has the power to break your heart and make you question your own life choices. Jim Carrey has never been better and he makes his character of Joel Barish seem like a regular guy, someone you'd run into and not think twice about. When we meet him he seems sad and lonely, but then he meets Clementine - played by the radiant and intriguing Kate Winslet - and his life is turned upside down. As the plot progresses, both Carrey and Winslet get to showcase the full depth of their talents and both of their characters are fully realized and compelling. The stunning screenplay by Charlie Kaufman is a byzantine maze of memories and love and regrets. The supporting cast - including Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, and Mark Ruffalo) - is excellent, as well, and they all work marvelously together. As I'm writing this, I'm getting more and more in the mood to watch it again.

Year: 2000

Director: Ridley Scott

Gladiator has been one of my very favorite films since the first time I watched on its opening weekend in May of 2000. I watched two more times that weekend and probably another dozen or so times in the years since and it has never failed to enthrall me. Everything about the film, from the writing, directing, editing, and cinematography to the performances, score, special effects, and overall "epicness" is just sublime. Russell Crowe is one of my favorite actors and he gives a truly mesmerizing performance as the noble General Maximus, who is sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit, sold into slavery, and eventually becomes Rome's most famous gladiator. With a different actor in the role, Maximus might have become a simple action hero, but Crowe has too much skill to let that happen. Instead, he plays him as a subtle and layered individual who just happens to control an army and then become a gladiator. Joaquin Phoenix plays Commodus, the spoiled and whiny son of the Emperor, who steals the throne. Phoenix is one of the best actors of his generation and he really shows his chops here. Again, Commodus could have been a run of the mill character, but Phoenix elevates him to another level. Both Maximus and Commodus ranked very highly on my lists of My Favorite Movie Heroes and My Favorite Movie Villains. I really can't say enough about how much I love Gladiator.

Year: 2003

Director: Vadim Perelman

House of Sand and Fog is not fun nor is it easy to watch. The subject matter is dark and depressing, but it is a film filled with passion and intensity and is easily one of my very favorites. Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly turn in their best performances as two very different people locked in a dispute over the same house. If the premise sounds a little weak, believe me, it's not. Kingsley plays a retired Iranian colonel and it's just another example of how versatile an actor the man is. It seems like he can play any number of different nationalities and be convincing as them all. His role here is a proud, determined, and reserved man, a man who will do anything to protect his family and Kingsley shines. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, but inexplicably lost to Sean Penn for Mystic River. Connelly is just as good as a completely different character - a passionate and flighty woman with so many problems that she can't seem to function anymore. To match Kingsley is a spectacular feat, but Connelly does just that. The great supporting cast includes Shohreh Aghdashloo (nominated for Best Supporting Actress), Ron Eldard, Kim Dickens, and Frances Fisher and they all add complexity and depth to the film. House of Sand and Fog was Perelman's first film and he also adapted the screenplay from Andre Dubus III's great novel, accomplishing the rare feat of making a movie better than the novel. I haven't seen anything else from Perelman, but he truly succeeded the first time around, making a film that left such an impression on me.  

Year: 2007

Director: Paul Haggis

In the Valley of Elah was a complete failure at the domestic box office - it earned less than $7 million - and didn't do much better worldwide, so it's not a film a lot of people know or talk about all that often, but I've loved it since my first viewing. Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron both deliver powerful performances, with this being my favorite of Jones' long and distinguished career. As the father of an AWOL soldier who goes looking for answers, Jones carries this film with a mix of gruff outward appearance and soulful emotional outpouring and was awarded a Best Actor nomination. Theron is a local police detective who joins him on his search and the two work extremely well together. The supporting cast is nearly as good, especially with Susan Sarandon as Jones' wife and Jason Patric, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Barry Corbin, and Wayne Duvall all adding depth along the way. Paul Haggis is a filmmaker often maligned (on internet message boards, at least) for his much more popular film, Crash, but I love that one, too. He's also written some fantastic scripts for some excellent Clint Eastwood films - Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, and Letters from Iwo Jima. His script for In the Valley of Elah is emotional, suspenseful, insightful, and brings up some good questions on matters relating to the military. His skills as a director aren't anything special, but he is more than capable. I hope to entice a few people to give In the Valley of Elah a chance, as I believe it's a criminally overlooked and under-known film.  

Year: 2005

Director: Shane Black

This is another film that mostly failed at the box office, but in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang's case, it found a home on DVD and Blu-Ray and has a bit of a cult following now. I couldn't be happier for the film or the cast and crew involved, since this is one of the funniest, most well written, and best acted films that I've had the pleasure to see. The jokes come fast and often and if you've only seen it once, you've probably missed a fair number of them due to laughing too hard at the proceeding lines. Shane Black, the writer of the first two Lethal Weapon films, knows a thing or two about creating interesting and detailed characters. His writing is what elevated that series and it does the same for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer get the roles of their careers and turn in exceptional performances. The two have amazing chemistry together, whether it's a dialogue heavy scene or an action interlude. The film is a complex murder mystery, but I could watch their two characters simply sit in a room and eat a meal together - I'm sure it would be immensely entertaining. In addition to Downey and Kilmer, the film also benefits from the work of Michelle Monaghan (who is not only beautiful, but also funny and charismatic), Corbin Bernsen, and Larry Miller. My one very small nitpick with the film is that Downey's and Monaghan's characters are supposed to be two years apart in age, but the actors are eleven years apart - and it's obvious that Downey is significantly older. It doesn't really hurt the film in any real way, but I do think of it every time I watch it.

Year: 2004

Director: Clint Eastwood

Million Dollar Baby is one of the best acted and most emotional films I have had the pleasure of seeing. At different points, it's funny, heartwarming, suspenseful, empowering, inspirational, and downright depressing. Any film that can accomplish all that in a little over two hours is something special, in my book. Clint Eastwood pulls quadruple duty as director, star, producer, and music composer and succeeds at all the jobs. I really think he should have won the Best Actor Oscar for Million Dollar Baby - he lost to Jamie Foxx for Ray but did win Best Director - as I absolutely love his portrayal of Frankie Dunn, a hardened boxing trainer with a tough as nails exterior. Frankie is a complex character and Eastwood hits all the right notes, from gruff and sour to tender and caring. Hilary Swank did win the Best Actress Oscar, and rightfully so, and her Maggie Fitzgerald is an equally interesting character. She's dirt poor and from an insensitive hillbilly family, but has a great attitude about life and doesn't let anything hold her back from pursuing her dreams of becoming a professional boxer. When the final act rolls around and the movie takes a drastic and unexpected turn, the payoff is so great because you've learned to love these two characters. It seems unfair to go on for this long without mentioning Morgan Freeman (another Oscar winner - the film also won Best Picture) and his wonderful contribution. His character is somewhere in between both Frankie and Maggie when it comes to personality traits, and Freeman is perfect in the role. The supporting cast, especially Margo Martindale as Maggie's mother, is very good, too, as is the music and dark cinematography. I know some people who have no interest in seeing Million Dollar Baby because they're not into "boxing" films, but this is so much more. The sport of boxing is only the frame work for a much more in depth film about loss, regrets, passion, and relationships.    

Year: 2000

Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen

A main component behind the success of O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the hilarious lead performance from George Clooney. I wrote about this in depth during my Favorite Lead Actor Performances segment so I won't go over it again here. Besides Clooney, the rest of the cast is also great - especially John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as his dim witted co-conspirators. Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Charles Durning, and Wayne Duvall take turns stealing scenes and help to create one of the best-acted comedies I've ever had the pleasure of watching. The magnificent script, wonderful direction, and seamless editing combine with a great soundtrack (from T Bone Burnett) and glorious cinematography (by Roger Deakins) to make my #2 favorite film of all-time, a position it has held for several years now. My favorite aspect of the film is how insanely quotable the dialogue is. I bet I could rattle off 15 or 20 lines with ease. This is partially due to the fact that I've watched O Brother countless times, but it's also because the script is so fantastic and everything flows so well. There is not a character or scene or line of dialogue in the entire film that I don't like. Not a moment anywhere in the 106 minute running time that falls flat. For me, it is a "perfect" film.

Year: 2002

Director: Sam Mendes 

Last year, I placed Road to Perdition as second place on my list of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Films. If for no other reason, this film is worth watching for the cinematography alone. Thankfully, there are plenty of other great aspects. One that always springs to mind after the cinematography is the marvelous score, from Thomas Newman. All the main performances - from Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, and Tyler Hoechlin - and supporting performances - including Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Dylan Baker, and the underused Jennifer Jason Leigh - are all very good. Newman is probably the highlight and has some magnificent scenes in one of his final onscreen roles. The plot, characters, and dialogue are all well written and create an interesting, engaging film. Road to Perdition is essentially a character drama, but it has moments of action, comedy, and a resonating emotional core. Sam Mendes isn't a director I love, but he really knocks it out of the park here.

Year: 2001
Director: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson is one of My Favorite Directors and his best film, in my opinion, is The Royal Tenenbaums - a story about a highly dysfunctional family in New York City. Gene Hackman leads the all-star cast as the patriarch of the Tenenbaums, Royal, and gives the best performance of his career and one of the best comedic performances I have ever seen. The fact that Hackman so stands out among this talented cast shows how extraordinary his work is. Angelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow (before she became mostly unwatchable), Ben Stiller, Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson are all very good, as well. Each has a distinct and memorable character and, no matter how unusual or zany they are, each seems like a real person, not just a movie character. Some people criticize Anderson for being too stylized or quirky, but those aspects have never bothered me. I love his style and it's never been put to greater use than it was in The Royal Tenenbaums. The production, set, and costume designs all work together and help to create this whole universe that the Tenenbaums inhabit.

Year: 2004

Director: Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne is one of My Favorite Directors and I believe Sideways is not only his best film but one of the best films of this century. It's a perfect combination of comedy - often times on the very dark end of the spectrum - and drama, with several heart-wrenching moments sprinkled throughout. Paul Giamatti is quite possibly the greatest actor of his generation and turns in his very best performance here as Miles, a depressed wannabe novelist and snobbish wine connoisseur. Giamatti nails every single moment, capturing the tortured lows and fleeting highs of Miles' character. Thomas Haden Church plays Jack, Miles' best friend, and together they go on a combination road trip/bachelor party in advance of Jack's upcoming wedding. Church is excellent as the goofy, narcissistic Jack - who is a polar opposite of Miles. Church received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but Giamatti was snubbed for Best Actor. The other two main cast members, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh, are also in terrific form. It's just an overall marvelously acted, written, and directed film. There's not a flaw to be seen, in my mind. 

Year: 2006

Director: Marc Forster

For most people I talk to, Stranger Than Fiction is a film they haven't seen or even heard of. I am constantly championing it, though, as I think it's got a wide reaching appeal. Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, a slightly OCD IRS agent who is desperately lonely in life. One day, he starts to hear a woman's voice seemingly narrating his daily life. That woman turns out to be Karen Eiffel, played by Emma Thompson. Last week, I wrote about how much I love Thompson's performance when I listed it among Favorite Supporting Actress Performances, but Ferrell is almost as good. He's always been funny, but he shows his talent for drama as Harold. Maggie Gyllenhaal turns in a very surprising performance, for me at least. I've never been a fan of hers, but she really shines as the love interest of Harold's and, as a really unexpected bonus, she's incredibly sexy in the role. Queen Latifah and the always exceptional Dustin Hoffman round out the main cast. Stranger Than Fiction is a wonderful mix of fantasy, romance, comedy, and drama - it truly has something for everyone - and it's a somewhat rare example of a film that handles all these different aspects equally well.  From the opening scene - which ranks among my Favorite Opening Scenes - to the satisfying and clever conclusion, Stranger Than Fiction is nothing short of sublime.

Year: 2005

Director: Jason Reitman

Thank You for Smoking is a rare example of a film being better than the source material, here a novel by Christopher Buckley. Buckley is an author I really enjoy, but Jason Reitman's film improves on most aspects and even changes some characters and plot points for the better. Thank You for Smoking is a dark comedy and biting satire and every aspect of the film is first rate, from the performances and writing to the soundtrack and direction. Aaron Eckhart is an actor who seems to do more bad films than good ones, but he's perfect here as Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. Naylor is a despicable character, but one you can't help but love and root for. Eckhart is surrounded by a talented cast which includes JK Simmons, Katie Holmes, Maria Bello, Robert Duvall, Sam Eliot, David Koechner, William H. Macy, and Cameron Bright, who manages to hold his own despite being a youngster surrounded by veteran actors. The script gives each character and actor their moment (or several moments) to shine and none of the actors waste any opportunities. There are a lot of great lines of dialogue, but one of my favorites is delivered by Macy, as a Senator from Vermont: "The great state of Vermont will not apologize for its cheese!" Out of context, that line might sound absurd, so if you haven't seen the film, I urge you to check it out and I'm sure you'll love the scene when it pops up. Reitman has written and directed some of my favorite films - in addition to Thank You for Smoking, he also made Juno and Up in the Air - but this one is his best, and comfortably sits in my Top 20.

Year: 2000
Director: Curtis Hanson

Most of my favorite films are anchored by their writing and performances and Wonder Boys is no different. It features a sensational script - from Steve Kloves, who adapted the best selling novel by Michael Chabon - and fantastic performances across the board. Michael Douglas is at his best in the lead role as Grady Tripp, a drug addled and slacking novelist who can't seem to follow up his debut success with another book. It's the role of a lifetime and I'm sure many actors would have loved to take on the character, but I'm happy Douglas got the part. The supporting cast features career best work from Tobey Maguire and Katie Holmes, plus great turns from Robert Downey Jr. and Frances McDormand. Curtis Hanson appeared on my 90's list with L.A. Confidential and this film couldn't be any more different, so it goes to show how versatile Hanson was as a filmmaker. In addition to everything else, Wonder Boys also has a phenomenal soundtrack and features one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, Things Have Changed, which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. I've often considered reading the original novel, but sometimes that can effect how I look at an adaptation and I don't want to risk anything spoiling how much I love this film.

Year: 2007
Director: David Fincher

Zodiac didn't impress me much when I first saw it back in 2008, but a few years ago I decided to give it another chance and it really blew me away. I'm not sure if I just wasn't in the mood for it back then, but upon the second viewing, everything just clicked with me. The story, characters, dialogue, performances, music, cinematography, and brilliant (and unnoticeable) use of CGI all combine to make a film that I've revisited several times and each time I like it a little bit more. The above-the-line stars - Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Robert Downey Jr. - shine and the rest of the cast features some of my favorite supporting actors - including Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, and Philip Baker Hall - all of whom turn in excellent performances. Fincher is one of My Favorite Directors and Zodiac might very well be his best film. There are so many wonderful scenes, moments, and lines and all these little bits add up to a fantastic, deep, and layered film that rewards paying close attention and multiple viewings.

There's my list! Do you love or hate any of my picks? Did I miss any of your favorites from the 2000's? Let me know in the comments!

Up next, my list of Favorite Best Picture Winners!