55. Good Night and Good Luck (2005) - Good luck trying to watch this film. It is boring, goes nowhere and doesn't accomplish anything. But it was filmed in black and white, oh wait that didn't help, it still sucked.
54. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Why was this film nominated? You could keep extrapolating until you get to why was it even made, but bad films are made all of the time. But no one I know likes this film, it is a train wreck, but not in a interesting way. More in a bloody mess type of way. Avoid it, not worth watching.
53. Moulin Rouge! (2001) - A flaming cat turd of a film from Baz Luhrmann, but you shouldn't be surprised. This film is a nightmare to watch unless you are a fourteen year old girl, then it's the greatest movie you've ever seen. Not to be a spoiler, but this is pretty much standard for all of his films. Somehow this one was nominated.
52. The Hurt Locker (2009) - Another one of those films that years from now people will scratch their heads and say why did this win? And anyone who was alive would shrug their shoulders and not have an answer. Not really a good war film either but the only one, so far, to win based on the Iraqi war.
51. Seabiscuit (2003) - A rather boring film, unless you love horse racing history, then you would find it a rather boring film. Goes on way too long and is filled with a lot of mindless unnecessary political commentary in between the story. Another of those why did this get nominated?
50. In the Bedroom (2001) - If you take away the three main actor and actresses, you have a movie that would make paint drying really exciting. Even with the top three stars it is still a very mind numbing film that was not very good.
49. Inglourious Bastards (2009) - The only good thing about this film is Christoph Waltz. Brad Pitt isn't too bad, a bit over the top, but that is what his character is. Otherwise this is a nightmare of a film to watch and unnecessarily too long.
48. Michael Clayton (2007) - Very stylish film that seems confusing and doesn't seem to have much of a plot, story, direction or purpose. One of those films that people will forget years from now, if they haven't already.
47. Atonement (2007) - A standard English film that is fine, but not Oscar worthy. The only claim to fame is the one continuous scene on the beach at Dunkirk, but even that wasn't factually correct either. Or most of the film too.
46. An Education (2009) - Just like the previous film, English movies, with rare exception, are still some of the weakest films made. This fell into the first expanded year of nominees, so it got more exposure than if it came out years earlier. Yet still one of the weaker films that got nominated during the decade.
45. Finding Neverland (2004) - A film that attempts to be a bio-pic which is really as far from the truth as you can get in a film based on historical events. Rather well acted and an enjoyable film, but clearly not a best picture.
44. Avatar (2009) - One of the greatest special effects film ever made. The only problem is that they ran out of money on the special effects and couldn't pay someone to write a screenplay. So you get a film that is amazing to watch and painful to try and follow the story.
43. Brokeback Mountain (2005) - If this film wasn't about two men involved in the relationship, would it have been nominated? The answer is simple, no it would not. So is it a worthy film for nomination? Only because of the controversial subject matter did it get attention. That is not what makes up a Oscar worthy film, but it was very well acted so it ranks a bit higher than other movies nominated from the decade.
42. Lost in Translation (2003) - A quirky film, rather stylish, but still not much meat to it. Bill Murray was good in the lead role and earned a nomination for Best Actor, and it won Best Original Screenplay. But it's not one of those films that you have to see over and over again, or think about once after you watch it.
41. The Hours (2002) - An interesting film that has multiple time lines occurring during the film. It does have rather good acting, but rather depressing subject matter. A good film but not great, but worthy of being nominated.
40. The Pianist (2002) - An intense film based on the true story of a Polish pianist and how he survived WWII and avoided being sent to concentration camps and was hid. Good acting, pretty good film, but it was directed by a pedophile so it does lose ranking.
39. Chicago (2002) - If you enjoy musicals then you love this movie. If you don't it ranks up there with having your toenails being pulled off. It was based on the play and was the first musical to win in thirty four years but didn't start a new pattern thankfully. The costumes were done well and it was a popular film especially that the county was still numb after 9/11. Otherwise it will be forgotten as a top movie years from now.
38. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - A rather depressing movie about a poor orphan who ends up on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and can answer all the questions even though he has no education. You find out that the reason why he knows the answers is based on usually a horrible tragedy in his life. And his brother is a crime boss, or at least a wanna be crime boss and other sappy drama. But it is in the standard Bollywood style so it is one that made it big in Hollywood.
37. Frost/Nixon (2008) - A respectable film loosely based on the interviews of David Frost with former President Nixon. Well acted, somewhat interesting, but doesn't really hit home. Good enough to be nominated but not able to win in a weak year, middle of the pack for the decade.
36. Gosford Park (2001) - Quirky film made by the great Robert Altman that wasn't great but if it was done by a different director would have been much worse. Very stylish, great scene decoration, costume design, but the story is not incredible.
35. Chocolat (2000) - A nice film about a chocolate shop opening in a small French village in the 1950's. Very well done, a good film that doesn't get much exposure, but one of the better ones of the decade.
34. Babel (2006) - An attempt to try and do what Magnolia did perfectly and Crash did somewhat well. Films with multiple story lines are generally tough to pull off, especially when they are not occurring at the same time. This is rather confusing until the film is over, which is a bit too late. Good enough to be nominated, but falls in the middle of the pack for the decade.
33. The Queen (2006) - A historic drama about the time of Princess Diana's death and how the Queen handled it. Great acting from Helen Mirren, but beyond that it becomes a rather tedious boring film. Unless you are fascinated with the lives of tyrants, then you'd rank it higher.
32. The Reader (2008) - A strange film that I'm still convinced was a soft core porno, but some good acting and rather well done. Stands out more for being nominated in a weak year, but still a good enough film to be nominated and rank rather well. As for being a great film, it wasn't, but it could have been much worse.
31. Erin Brockovich (2000) - Fine acting from Julia Roberts and a nice film.But this film is somewhat overrated. Everyone was convinced that their water was polluted after watching this film. And there is the issue of accuracy, especially when it comes to the science. But why should that matter, unless you were making a bio-pic, er um, middle of the pack.
30. The Blind Side (2009) - An enjoyable well acted film, and another bio-pic in the decade of bio-pics. This one is a bit more accurate and a nice heart-felt fuzzy movie. A film that was in the pack of ten that year but would still have been nominated if there were only five. Put it this way it wasn't the best film of the year but much better than the one that won the Oscar.
29. Up in the Air (2009) - A film that was nearly impossible for me to watch only a few months after I was laid off myself. But as time goes on I realize it was a good film. While I can never say I truly enjoy this movie, I can recognize that it was well done. Ranking it in the top thirty is a bit of overcompensating for my previous reviews, but it does fall somewhere in the middle for the decade.
28. Million Dollar Baby (2004) - A solid Clint Eastwood film about a female boxer. Well acted and took on a somewhat controversial topic, it has slowly lost it's significance as time goes on. It did finally give a long overdue Oscar to Morgan Freedman. It won best picture over The Aviator which is a bit of a mystery.
27. Ray (2004) - A really good film about Ray Charles that was well acted by Jamie Foxx and was one of the better bio-pics of the decade. But it wasn't an exciting film or something that ranks in the top eschelons of movies. Still very enjoyable to watch and hear some great music.
26. Sideways (2004) - The little film that could. One of the better independent films of the decade that spread by word of mouth. Simple story, done well with good acting makes it a rare gem in the independent film genre. Definitely worth a nomination and more recognition than it gets.
25. Traffic (2000) - A film that takes on multiple story lines, which is usually done poorly, but not this time. Add the interesting element of color tinting, something that is very rare. The only other film I can think of was Intolerance from 1916. The film is not the greatest, but for taking chances like this ranks it much higher.
24. Up (2009) - One of the better animated films of the decade and one of the few nominated for best picture. Much more than a kids movie, it is a good story that you can follow as an adult. First cartoons were just Itch & Scratchy, then they tried to install morals and values. Films like this are good movies that happen to be animated. Although it does make the story much cheaper to film without all the special effects.
23. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) - A very good foreign film, still a rarity to see one nominated for best picture. It also takes the genre of martial arts and makes it into a stylish film. Almost every other film made in this genre, especially in the 1970's, were comical and outlandish. While it is still fantasy, it's done very well and not campy.
22. Munich (2005) - A very powerful movie that may or may not be a true story. It's based on actual things that did happen and could have been done in the way the film suggests, or not. Either way it is a really good film and very intense. One of the better nominated films of the decade.
21. Gladiator (2000) - A film made in the classic action drama style like a 1950's epic movie. A Roman general ends up on the run and becomes a gladiator. I know I'm giving a very vague recap but it has been a few years since I've seen it and besides great costumes and some cool fight scenes it's a good movie that falls about the middle of the best picture pack for the decade.
20. The Departed (2006) - The one that finally got Scorsese the Oscar for best director and picture. A very intense cop film that is a remake of a Hong Kong movie from a few years earlier. This is not his best, there are at least a half a dozen better, but it's not his worst with an equal amount much worse. It was a lifetime achievement Oscar, kind of like The Greatest Show on Earth but thankfully he isn't done making movies yet.
19. District 9 (2009) - A really great sci-fi movie and a great movie overall. This is one genre that gets ignored by the academy and usually for good reasons. This one was very creative and had a good story. Worthy of the top twenty.
18. A Serious Man (2009) - Although not the best Cohen Brother's film, still better than any other film that year. Typical Cohen Brother's movie that is worth to watch and a great film. Since their standard is so high, even films that aren't amazing, they are really good films. (Think I've proven I really like their films?)
17. Juno (2007) - A very funny and well done film. Won an Oscar for best original screenplay, deservedly so, and was well acted. One of those films that would still be enjoyable fifty years from now, meaning it doesn't depend on current event gags or plot lines.
16. Milk (2008) - A very well done bio-pic with amazing acting. Sean Penn was great, he did win best actor. But Josh Brolin was incredible, even looked like Dan White. Even though he was a supporting actor, he stole the film. And yet he didn't win an Oscar?
15. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - I've thought about this film and seen parts of it again. It just seems to get better and better each time you watch it. The makeup was outstanding, really good acting and an interesting story that wasn't a bio-pic! Wonder how it got made during this decade. Inched ahead of Milk to be the best film of the year.
14. Master and Commander (2003) - A film done in the classic swashbuckling style of movie from the 1930's like Anthony Adverse. A really good adventure film, good acting, cinematography, set decoration, costume, it just looked great and was fun to watch. One of the best films of the year and of the decade.
13. Mystic River (2003) - A powerful drama that had great acting and was a very intense film, even up to the last scene. It's the type of film you would regularly see in the 1970's, very rare but enjoyable to see made during this decade.
12. Capote (2005) - One of the best bio-pics made during the decade. Great acting by the recently late Philip Seymour Hoffman who really became Truman Capote and earned a best actor Oscar. It also doesn't fall into the standard bio-pic formula of covering their entire life, this just covers his research for In Cold Blood. A very good film that doesn't get shown much but may become a classic.
11. The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - The first of the trilogy that got nominated, only the second film since The Godfather trilogy to do so. The Godfather won two out of three, Lord of the Rings only got one. Yet they are amongst the best films of the decade. The first one was a bit slow so it ranks a bit lower.
10. Precious (2009) - A surprising terrific drama with great acting dealing with a very depressing subject matter. Overall a well done film that should have been the best picture. At least it did earn supporting actress and adapted screenplay Oscars. One of the top ten films of the decade.
9. Crash (2005) - A powerful drama that shows what you see on the surface is not always what is underneath. Those who you think are racist are not and those who you think aren't really are. A very good movie that reminds us that there are differences between races, nationalities, religions and not everyone will get along but we should judge on character.
8. Gangs of New York (2002) - Another great Scorsese film that got robbed. An epic film about 19th century New York City that was so well done, acting, scenery, costumes, everything about this film was amazing. Ranks up there with his other great classics, it deserves more recognition than it got.
7. The Return of the King (2003) - This was more of an Oscar for the trilogy than specifically for this film, but it was worthy of it. Only the second trilogy to have all films nominated for best picture. Great special effects tied to a classic story and a rare feat for a sci-fi fantasy film to win.
6. There Will Be Blood (2007) - A powerful film that is so good and only gets better because of Daniel Day Lewis who clearly got the Oscar for best actor. Its just one of those films that is an instant classic. Could have won best picture if it came out a year later but it lost out to another film, the best film of the decade.
5. The Aviator (2004) - And another film that Scorsese was robbed for, kind of see why he got his Oscar for The Departed? Leonardo DiCaprio was snubbed once again with another great role. Clearly the best film of the year, even if ignored by the academy.
4. The Two Towers (2002) - The best of the trilogy but they held off for one more year to give all the films recognition. The best sci-fi movie of the decade and ranks up amongst the top of all time.
3. A Beautiful Mind (2001) - A great bio-pic from the decade of bio-pics. A powerful story of a genius who has hallucinations and develops a world of mystery that crashes around him. Well acted and a good story that stays consistent in its story telling from start to finish. One of the better films of the decade.
2. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) - I am convinced that since this was a foreign language film it wasn't going to win best picture. The conundrum is that if it was in English, then it wouldn't have been that good of a film. Seeing the battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective is something rare to see in American cinema, but was really well done. Lost out because of the makeup to Scorsese but is the second best film of the decade.
1. No Country for Old Men (2007) - A modern day classic, one of the best Coen brother's movie, a simple story that was told perfectly. The acting is amazing, Javier Bardem is the most evil and creepiest villain of all time. I consider almost of the Coen brother's movies to be the best of the year but this is one that will go down as one of the best of all time. Clearly the top picture of the decade.
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