Top 15 Movies 2000-2009

1) 1.)Up - just way too good, funny, sad, visually stunning, and has characters that somehow seems so familiar without being cliche. The best example of this from the movie is the scene at the end where the old man gives the kid the "Ellie" patch - the speech he gives is so heartfelt and so pure and thought that that scene had to be cliche but instead it became one of my favorite scenes....sigh.

2) 2.) City of God - what movies should be like; funny, well written and directed, emotional, and has a complete sense of purpose about it and is not afraid of doing whatever it has to to fulfill that purpose (like the little side stories about the apartment, history of the gang at the beginning) and is structured brilliantly by starting near the end and going back to the beginning - just awesome.

3) 3.) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Again what movies should be like - it also knows its purpose and does whatever it wants to in order to accomplish that purpose - what I am really saying when I say that is the story is excellent and strong and doesn't wander (well...it DOES wander but it feels like it is supposed to wander - which is exactly the point)

4) 4.) Slumdog Millionaire - I just love how I felt after watching this movie...coming from a background in Cross Country I have always been a bit of an idealist and really truly believed that anything is possible - this movie celebrates that idea as purely as any movie I can remember seeing.

5) 5.) Wall-E - It is about a robot. Falling in love with another robot. And I cared so much. And it was so beautiful, and lonely and cute and daring.

6) 6.) Shaun of the Dead - The running theme of this list is "what movies should be like" and this movie fits the bill completely - incredibly funny, fantastically acted, wonderfully directed and just so well thought out...they really care about making a good movie and it shows.

7) 7.) Finding Nemo - I remember the first time I saw this was at Purdue in a theatre that was packed full of college students and I remember at one point in the movie I looked around and EVERYONE in the theatre was absolutely glued to the screen...you really CARE about this little clown fish and you want him to find his son.

8) 8.) Hot Fuzz - The first time I watched this the first 2/3rds of the movie I remember barely laughing or moving...they set up the mystery so well and I couldn't figure out what they could possibly be doing - it was so different than Shaun and the characters were so different and...then they get to the end with all the shooting and I was laughing, HARD the whole time. Just a brilliant film.

9) 9.) LOTR Trilogy - ridiculous. So massive and epic and glorious. It is this generations Star Wars.

10) 10.) V for Vendetta - Just eminently rewatchable and Hugo Weaving is brilliant in it. What takes this movie from really really good to "on this list" is his acting and the scene with the dominoes...just amazing. Plus there are so many ridiculous good quotes.

11) 11.) Requiem For a Dream - probably the most emotionally draining movie I've ever seen. Similar to Saving Private Ryan in the emotional impact but different because I'm not sure if I was sad after Requiem...I didn't really know how I felt after seeing it.

12) 12.) Oceans Trilogy - Way too much fun.

13) 13.) Good Night and Good Luck - Love it, love the actors, love the writing, love the directing - again a movie made by someone who cares about making a great movie.

14) 14.) The Incredibles - See any of the other Pixar descriptions. But again the emotional impact of the movie is what sets this (and other Pixar movies) apart - the scene at the end where they are about to fight the robot and Mr. Incredible says that he has to do it alone and him and his wife argue and he talks about how he isn't strong enough...just amazing stuff.

15) 15.)Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - Sam Rockwell is a genius probably. And George Clooney, again, had such a clear idea of what he wanted in this movie and simply goes for it with all guns blazing.