Top 30 Films of the Noughties
My 30 favorite films from 2000-2009.
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- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.The high-point in the decade in my opinion: The Dark Knight still stands as the greatest superhero movie ever made. Growing form it's comic book roots, director Christopher Nolan plants a brilliant grittiness throughout the film that adds both the emotion and fun that many comic book movies miss. Not to mention one of the greatest performances ever put to celluloid in the form of Heath Ledger's Joker.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellBrendan GleesonCiarán HindsAfter a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.A darkly comic story of two hitmen who have to hide out in Bruges after a job goes wrong. This movie came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. The greatest thing this film achieves is really the way it blends a hilariously dark style of humor with a very likeable an emotional story. The two hitmen are played to perfection by Farrel and Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes turn as the Villainous mobster boss is also great.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsBrad PittDiane KrugerEli RothIn Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.Tarantino has been one of my favorite directors since Pulp Fiction, and here he created his best movie since that 90s masterpiece. Following the interlining stories of a cinema owner out for revenge, a horrific Nazi inspector called "the jew hunter" and a band of soldiers led by Brad Pitt, Tarantino manages to both deliver on the expected excess of over the top violence and glee-ful style, while at the same time telling his most complex and most mature story yet.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.I've never really liked the Coens, and still don't, but for one movie the brothers seemed to hit everything on the mark. The story is about Josh Brolin who just so happens to find a stash of money, and gets involved with the criminal dealings of psycho gangster Javier Barden. This movie features some of the finest directing I've ever seen with some of the most tension filled sequences I've ever witnessed in a film. And while many people are a bit angry at the very open ended ending, I think it's great and concludes the story nicely.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsUma ThurmanDavid CarradineMichael MadsenThe Bride continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd, and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle.Although I generally consider both volumes of Tarantino's revenge epic a single movie, if I had to rank them I'd say the second installment is just a tad bit better. Continuing the story of the Bride (Uma Thurman) who is after the man who once nearly killed her on her wedding day: Bill (David Carradine in a career best performance). The story concludes nicely while managing to include the emotion and complexity that the first volume was lacking.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsUma ThurmanDavid CarradineDaryl HannahAfter awakening from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.As I said above, I believe this volume is lacking a bit when it comes to story and emotion, but it makes up for it by being easily the best action movie of the decade. Uma Thurman goes on a killing spree to try to avenge the assassin squad that once shot her and left her for dead on her wedding day. The action is brilliant, and there's a really nice colorfulness to all of the sets and shots: not Tarantino's best movie, but definitely his most watchable.
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsBen StillerOwen WilsonSnoop DoggTwo streetwise cops bust criminals in their red and white Ford Gran Torino, with the help of a police snitch called "Huggy Bear".My favorite comedy of the decade stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as the title characters in this comedy version of the hit 80s TV series. Theres plenty of laughs, alot of which comes from the excellent supporting cast which features people such as Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrel and Chris Penn. The movie is a real laugh a minute, without ever seeming overdone or desperate.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HanksChristopher WalkenBarely 17 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsAdam SandlerEmily WatsonPhilip Seymour HoffmanSocially frustrated Barry Egan calls a phone-sex line to curb his loneliness. Little does he know it will land him in deep trouble and will jeopardize his burgeoning romance with the mysterious Lena.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsTom CruiseJamie FoxxJada Pinkett SmithA cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioMatt DamonJack NicholsonAn undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsJulianne MooreClive OwenChiwetel EjioforIn 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsJason StathamBrad PittStephen GrahamUnscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsJake GyllenhaalJamie FoxxLucas BlackA psychological study of Marine's state of mind during the Gulf War. Told through the eyes of a U.S. Marine sniper who struggles to cope with boredom, a sense of isolation, and other issues back home.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsLeonardo DiCaprioDjimon HounsouJennifer ConnellyA fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond.
- DirectorSean PennStarsEmile HirschVince VaughnCatherine KeenerAfter graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsBill MurrayScarlett JohanssonGiovanni RibisiA faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsBrad PittCate BlanchettGael García BernalTragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, which jump starts an interlocking story involving four different families.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsMickey RourkeMarisa TomeiEvan Rachel WoodA faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsGene HackmanGwyneth PaltrowAnjelica HustonThe eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons.
- DirectorPaul Andrew WilliamsStarsAndy SerkisReece ShearsmithJennifer EllisonA tough, cute woman is kidnapped for ransom and brought to a rural English cottage. David and two morons have way more to worry about than her crime boss stepdad, his two Asian killers and her.
- DirectorRichard KellyStarsJake GyllenhaalJena MaloneMary McDonnellAfter narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Gwyneth PaltrowTerrence HowardAfter being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGeorge ClooneyBrad PittJulia RobertsDanny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsSarah PolleyVing RhamesMekhi PhiferA nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorThree years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsTom HanksTyler HoechlinPaul NewmanA mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.
- DirectorMary HarronStarsChristian BaleJustin TherouxJosh LucasA wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.
- DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsNicolas CageHope DavisNicholas HoultA Chicago weather man, separated from his wife and children, debates whether professional and personal success are mutually exclusive.