Top Movie per Year (2000s)

Instead of a review I have decieded to right up about my favorite movie for every year and I am gonna start off with the 2000s.

Each year comes with honourable mentions but I have seen more films from each year. If there is film that you liked but is not on the list let me know and I can explain.

2000

Requiem for a Dream (Dir. Darren Aronofsky)

If you ever thought of doing drugs after watching this movie you won't want to. I won't spoil any of story for you but I will tell you that this an essential watch on several levels. The main four actors in this movie (Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans with Ellen Burstyn) all bring career high performances here and each one perfectly reflects the audiences' feelings. One thing the movie is known for is the music and deservedly so. I won't tell you why the editing is so important to this film because you will need to see it to fully get a grasp of it.

(Honourable Mentions - American Pshyco, In the Mood for Love, Memento, Almost Famous)

2001

Mulholland Drive (Dir. David Lynch)

When you talk about surreal films you can't talk about them and not bring up David Lynch (or Luis Bunel but that is for another time). What many consider to be Lynch's masterpiece earns the title. A movie that will leave you scratching your head the first time you see it, however that's the reason why so many people like it. It's a movie that you can re-watch over and over again. The plot is hard to explain but everyone who works on this film are on top of their games (which includes Naomi Watts, Laura Harring and Justin Theroux).

(Honourable Mentions - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Donnie Darko, The Royal Tenebaums, Black Hawk Down)

2002

Adaption (Dir. Spike Jonze)

With so many serious movies coming out every year it's always great to have a film that is just plain fun. You can get that here with Adaption. Not all of the credit can go to Spike Jonze here; about half of it needs to go to the screenplay writer Charlie Kaufman. Kaufman's script is inspired himself trying to adapt the book 'The Orchid Thief', from there Kaufman exaggerated some of the story but it led to a great movie that gives us a rare Nicholas Cage performance that is good.

(Honourable Mentions - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Punch Drunk Love, Talk to Her, Catch Me if You Can)

2003

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Dir. Peter Jackson)

Probably the greatest epic since Apocalypse Now and possibly Lawrence of Arabia. Of all the movies to win large amounts of Oscars this is the one that most deserved it. Great on a technical level in terms of VFX/SFX, sets, music and costumes. However the movie also succeeds on a character level which is why over 10 years later we still watch this gem. So few movies today have grand scales in terms of a directorial vision but here is one of them. I also think Viggo Mortensen should've got an Oscar nomination that year (because 11 wasn't enough).

(Honourable Mentions - Memories of Murder, Kill Bill Vol 1, 21 Grams, X2)

2004

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Dir. Alfonso Curaon)

So for the second year in a row a franchise movie takes place, which is unusual because I'm not a huge fan of franchise movies. However when you get a great director on a franchise movie you get something special. Easily the most distinct Harry Potter movie and probably the best directed of the series too. This movie boasts some of the greatest story telling in the series and the main villain isn't even in it.

(Honourable Mentions - Spider-Man 2, Shaun of the Dead, Million Dollar Baby, Before Sunset)

2005

Cache (Dir. Michael Haneke)

Alfred Hitchcock may have died in 1980 but that doesn't mean movies that are like his own aren't turning up anywhere. Cache is a movie where a bourgeoisie family start getting sent tape recordings (DVD's weren't as big then) of their house and they start to get more personal over time. This is probably one of the most snubbed movies of all-time. It only got best director at Cannes (not the Palm d'Or) and was disqualified from running for the best foreign picture at the Oscars because French isn't the main language in Austria! I've seen some websites say that this movie should've won best picture and it deservedly did.

(Honourable Mentions - Sin City, Batman Begins, V for Vendetta, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit)

2006

Children of Men (Dir. Alfonso Curaon)

While you may get some great results of putting a great director on a franchise movie, when you put them on a movie that is based off a book that is deep and meaningful you're going to get something special. Filled with long takes and all round great cinematography this movie is a visual feast. To top off the movie is its great cast which includes Clive Owens, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. One thing that makes this movie special is that the movie is just as much about society then it is with the main characters.

(Honourable Mentions - Pan's Labyrinth, The Departed, The Prestige, Volver)

2007 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (Dir. Cristian Mungiu)

Another Cannes winner here (Cache and Mulholland Dr. are the others on this list) but this one won the Palm d'Or. After seeing the movie I can't imagine why someone would be opposed to that decision. The movie is only made up with long takes but most the time the camera is static and moves only in subtle ways. With the average shot length (ASL) being longer then most films it adds a realism to the film which helps us delve into the world of communistic Romania. Simply put this movie is gut wrenching and in easily the strongest year for film in the decade this is a must see.

(Honourable Mentions - No Country for Old Men, Into the Wild, Zodiac, Juno)

2008

The Wrestler (Dir. Darren Aronofsky)

Probably the personal film by character on this list, The Wrestler deals with Mickey Rourke's character coming to terms with not being able to wrestle any more. What follows is a man's mission to really discover himself and right his wrongs. With only two Oscar nods I think this is the movie that really made the Oscars go to 10 best picture nominations, not The Dark Knight.

(Honourable Mentions - The Dark Knight, In Bruges, Gran Torino, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

2009

Enter the Void (Dir. Gaspar Noe)

Easily one of the most psychedelic movies of all time this seizure inducing movie adds a whole new dimension to the craft of the possibilities of film making. Of all the movies on this list it's the film I would've like to have seen at its premier at Cannes, no one would've seen it at that point and no one would've expected what was to come. This movie is not for the weak hearted, dealing with topics many still consider to be taboo. If you have a strong stomach this movie is a must see as it's equal parts thought provoking as it entertaining to watch.

(Honourable Mentions - The White Ribbon, Dogtooth, Mary and Max, Inglourious Basterds)

#DarrenAronofsky #DavidLynch #SpikeJonze #PeterJackson #AlfonsoCuraon #MichaelHaneke #CristianMungiu #GasparNoe