The Best Movies of The Decade (2010-2019)
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By Anthony “Zute” George
2010-2019 ends another decade. Does not feel like it? I concur. Nevertheless, a decade is coming to an end, therefore, here comes the lists. End of the year lists are one thing, but end of the
decade, well, that is like when Stanley Kubrick released a film. Well, not really. Personally, I hate lists. While I realize lists are great clickbait, I believe that lists are lazy writing. With that said, allow me to be lazy.
I put forth to you my ten favorite films of the decade. It was indeed an interesting decade for cinema. At times significant breakthroughs were made. Cultures that did not have a huge voice in the past indeed did in this decade. At the same time, there were way too many sequels and reboots dominating screen time. And since these films perform great at the box office, it does not appear to change anytime soon. Since that is the case, allow me to propose a Barney Miller film reboot. A guy like Todd Phillips would do a great job with such a project. Make it happen.
Back to the business at hand. Here are my ten favorite films of the decade. My favorite does not necessarily mean the best, so think about that before you criticize. Then again, if they are indeed my favorites, why not call them the best?
10. Inception- Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece started the decade off, and few films have been better. Leonardo DiCaprio was never better. It is an in-depth look into people’s psyches and the layers of dreams and where they take us. If psychoanalysis is your thing, this film is a must.
9. Hacksaw Ridge- Mel Gibson might be a kook, and if you feel that he should not even be able to make films, that is indeed a valid statement. But one thing he knows how to do well is make films. Hacksaw is hands down the best war film ever made. Since war pictures are not typically my cup a tea, I admit I am a bit of a novice rating such movies. Or perhaps that makes me an expert. Since Mel Gibson made this film, I do not feel it has been given its proper credit.
8. Birdman- I loved this movie, while many loved to hate it. Michael Keaton was brilliant as Riggan. Anyone who ever felt their time has passed, or desperately tried to hang on to past glory should love this film. A satire that won the Best Picture of the year, beating out heavy competition such as American Sniper, Boyhood, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Selma. The fact that the voters got it right that year is miraculous, and unfortunately rare.
7. Fences- Denzel Washington directs August Wilson’s amazing playwright into a cinematic masterpiece. The acting in this film is so grand, you feel like it just started when it finishes. Viola Davis could act out the telephone book and is the driving force here. A film that provides evidence that a simple set and storyline can turn into a big chase thriller in its own right when given to the right people.
6. Moonrise Kingdom– Wes Anderson is a master director, and Moonrise Kingdom is his shining achievement as far as I am concerned. He brings New England to life in a genuine way, where Spy Gate and Deflate-Gate cease to exist, but it is not without problems. Anderson is also a great director with actors, as he gets so much out of Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, Harvey Keitel, and Tilda Swinton, with very little screen time. And then there is Bill Murray. Who is always an ace in the hole. Wes Anderson has always been smart enough to take advantage of his genius.
5. Black Panther- Groundbreaking is so many ways. A Marvel film with courage. A film smart enough to know that only fools build walls, both literally and figuratively. As a comic book fan in his late ‘40s, there was a time where the thought of seeing live-action superhero films is such a competent way was fools gold. Black Panther is pure gold.
4. Phantom Thread- Paul Thomas Anderson is the other Anderson guy who is a fabulous filmmaker. Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest actor who ever lived. How can this film fail? A fashion designer who creates dresses for high society folks would not be the kind of source material one would think as foolproof, even with these heavy hitters. But character development and the human condition is always more exhilarating to me than a shootout, or buildings blowing up, and watching Mr. Lewis as an obsessive-compulsive worker, among the backdrop of Anderson’s beautiful cinematic choices may never be duplicated in films again.
3. Get Out- Jordan Peele took on subject matter that nobody wants to talk about, that nobody wants to admit could be true. The kind of truths that are barely whispered, but always there. He pulls this off in the form of a horror film. Brilliant. In many ways, Get Out is a bit tragic, as Peele gets great recognition as a filmmaker and storyteller, but I am not so sure how many people take the subject matter as serious as it should be. It is sort of like seeing the Planet of the Apes as a great achievement in science fiction but ignoring all the politics and oppressive acts being put forth right in front of your eyes. At the very least, Peele created a narrative that people are discussing. Not nearly enough, but it is a start.
2. Lincoln- Daniel Day-Lewis has never been better as Honest Abe, and he has always been excellent. Steven Spielberg, who I do not always love, does a masterful job of telling a story we all know the outcome beforehand. He makes you care about the legislative process and creates a fast-paced tale of quid pro quo. I typically do not love performances from actors of real-life people, but Lincoln is the gold standard of that dynamic, along with DeNiro in Raging Bull. Supporting performances such as David Strathaim, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, James Spader, and Tim Blake Nelson drive the film well, but get very little credit for it. Lincoln lost out for the Best Picture Oscar, and with Michelle Obama presenting, many people were ecstatic that she did not get to congratulate Lincoln for best picture. Proving that not much in the way of hatred and racism ended once the slaves were free.
1. Django Unchained- Quentin Tarantino is a brilliant director, and he outdid himself with this masterpiece. For some, it may be too gory. And I get that, as I do not usually love a movie that features guns so prominently. But everything about this film is perfect. It is brave, and smart enough not to take itself too seriously all the time, the scene with Jonah Hill is the stuff of genius. The cast is brilliant, as nobody gets more out of his actors than Super Q. Like all timeless films, no matter how many times you watch this movie, you find something new and refreshing about it.
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