The Real List Of The Decade's Best

My previous list titled "The Best of a Decade" did not properly capture the best in cinema that the past ten years had to offer. Sure I hit some of the big ones, but my idea of having one movie representing each year was a misconstrued one. Some years had a lot of great movies while others didn't. Besides, in my other list I had 1999 represented simply because 2009 wasn't over yet. Well, now it is. And so, to remedy all of this, here is my so-called official list, in no particular order, of what I consider to be some of the best films from 2000 to 2009.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2
Quentin Tarantino's epic tribute to the styles of samurai and spaghetti western movies of the 1970s, this duo of movies, which can only be seen as one 3-hour masterpiece, really is a celebration of film and filmmaking.

Mulholland Drive
David Lynch's most accessible movie and one to be studied and remembered.

The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King)
With these three films, Peter Jackson had created a breathtaking epic that dominated the Oscar circuit for years.

King Kong
As he did with the previous selection, Peter Jackson knew how to take source material and bring it to life like nothing else.

The Hurt Locker
The first and only movie about the war in Iraq that wasn't preachy and, at the same time, entirely engrossing. An instant classic from director Kathryn Bigelow.

Pan's Labyrinth
Guillermo del Torro's blend of fantasy and horror managed to be both timely and timeless, a fairy tale for adults.

Sideways
This road buddy movie could arguably be considered the most bittersweet and thoroughly entertaining one of the decade.

Lost In Translation
Pure beauty and sadness. A simply story perfectly acted and directed.

Avatar
That's right. James Cameron's CGI explosion of visual enchantment is a film to be celebrated and remembered as a landmark for cinema to come.

The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan had taken the superhero genre and turned it into something dark and powerful, and it also works as a tribute to Heath Ledger.

WALL-E
Pixar cranked out a lot of great films this decade, but this one is undeniably the best one they had. It is poetry in the form of animation.

Man On Wire
The best documentary of the decade.

4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
From Romania, this film about an illegal abortion is one of the most shaking and thought-provoking movies you may ever see.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A mind-bending love story that speaks to the heart of relationships.

Adaptation
From Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze, all that can be said about this one is, well, go see it.

Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazaki, a master animator, created one of his greatest pieces of work with this one.

Up in the Air
Jason Reitman's third feature so effortlessly captured the feel of an era it's simply unbelievable.

No Country for Old Men
The prose of Cormac McCarthy got put to astonishing use with the Coen brothers in charge, and it is a work of stunning bleakness and beauty.

There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson's commentary on American greed is brilliant with a performance from Daniel Day-Lewis that demands to be experienced.

The Savages
A comedy about the pains of living and dying that is unsentimental and pitch-perfect.

Chicago
A musical done absolutely right from director Rob Marshall. (The opposite of "Nine.")

Persepolis
An animated film that was another example of pure poetry, this time in stark black-and-white. Part coming-of-age story, part political commentary, it is endlessly charming.

Minority Report
Stephen Spielberg's sci-fi thriller is mind-boggling and truly exciting.

Requiem for a Dream
Darren Aronofsky's deeply disturbing tale about addiction cuts to the core.

And soon to come are my lists for the best of 2009! Stay tuned.