Nevertheless, in no particular order, here are my favourite films of the noughties. In compiling this list, I’ve realised that I watched a lot of films this decade, and I’ve watched a lot of good films in that time. Whittling this list down has been difficult, but I’ve tried to really pick the ones that have stayed in my memory for years since I first saw them, and/or have stood up to repeated viewings.
There are some obvious choices, but also some not-so-obvious films too. My tastes range from fairly juvenile comedy to heavier, wordy dramas, and via most places in between. As I said, it’s a hugely subjective list, but in no particular order:
Anchorman: Probably the funniest film of the decade. Ferrell and the ‘Frat Pack’ at their peak.
Battle Royale: Ultra-violent, yes. Powerful message, definitely.
Infernal Affairs: So much better than the Hollywood remake, The Departed.
Elephant: Exquisitely crafted, and gloriously understated.
City Of God: A fine exploration of how paths differ from the same background within Brazil’s slums.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind: Sci-fi taking on relationships, with Jim Carrey’s best performance of the decade.
Closer: The rise and fall of interweaving relationships, really capturing human interaction, and how we can be so cruel to one another.
Zoolander: Effortlessly funny, camp as fuck and absolutely hilarious.
No Country For Old Men: An action film with brains and insight.
Shaun Of The Dead: Invented a new genre: zom-com. Britain’s funniest moments on screen.
Sin City: Hyper-stylised, hyper-violent, with a great ensemble cast.
All Or Nothing: A melancholy study of a British family, coming apart at the seams but somehow holding together. Massively under-rated.
Vexille: A random little CGI-anime vision of the future in Japan.
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy: Does this even need an explanation? Epic in every sense of the word.
Mulholland Drive: Twisty, turny, suspenseful, gorgeously shot with one of the best scores I can think of.
28 Days Later: The other side of British zombie films: bloodthirsty and rampaging. Worth it for the shots of a deserted London.
Bowling For Columbine: One of the most important films of the decade, a documentary with a shot aimed squarely at America’s right.
Solaris: Slow-burner that is stunning visually and has some great performances.
The Grudge (Japanese original version): Scared the living crap out of me for days afterwards.
Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2: Tarantino’s peak, and Uma Thurman at her best too.
Thirteen: What does it mean to be a teenager nowadays? Again, under-rated.
Timecode: Experimental cinema that also works in terms of the stories shown on the four screens.
District 9: 2009’s best film, for my money. Apartheid in a truly xenophobic setting.
Dear Frankie: A single mother’s lies to her young deaf son are in danger of being found out. Moving, and brought tears to my eyes.
Der Untergang (Downfall): I’ve never heard a cinema so quiet as at the end of this film.
Night Watch: Matrix-inspired Russian vampires and fantasy in a techno-action-thriller.
Team America: World Police: Puppets featuring in the hardest-hitting satire of the decade.
Good Night, And Good Luck: A history lesson in celluloid form.
Superbad: I laughed constantly throughout this film, even on the fifth viewing. Ridiculously funny.
In The Loop: British politics and spin satirised ruthlessly, and you have to feel quite accurately too.
Avatar: A massive technical leap forwards, even if the plot was a touch weak.
Waiting: Practically ignored low-budget comedy that had one of Ryan Reynolds’ best outings.
Death In Gaza: An absolutely haunting end to a documentary about Gaza.
Of these, I’d say that the ones that really stand out as my favourites are Battle Royale, LOTR, Anchorman, Der Untergang, and All Or Nothing.
