10 for 10

The end of 2010 is upon us, as is, therefore, the end of the decade. I thought it would be interesting to consider this past 10 years from a cinematic perspective. We've had the digital revolution, 3D cinema, loads of real world events for movies to get political about, and the advent of the 'TV Box-Set' - all of which has had an effect on cinema.

I wish i wasn't so hard on myself. I wish i could allow 10 lists of 10 movies each - maybe 10 movies per genre or something. But, alas, i'm too cruel and hard of heart. The task i have asked of myself is to come up with the best / my favourite 10 pieces of cinema from the past 10 years. Not necessarily a film from each year, but 10 in total. It has brought me joy to think back over films that have thrilled and moved me (maybe even films that have helped shape my thinking), but it's been really painful to leave so many out. Like, i'm talking about a real, deep, stinging pain.

So, bearing in mind our potentially different tastes, and the different things which were happening in our lives when we saw these films; and also bearing in mind that i haven't seen everything that's come out in this time (in fact there are some highly acclaimed pieces which i haven't caught), here's my 10 (in no order whatsoever):

• The 'Bourne' trilogy (Doug Liman, 2002 and Paul Greengrass, 2004 + 2007)

(Ok, so i may have taken a liberal approach to conjouring my list, but 10 films from 10 years isn't very many at all, also the rules said "pieces of cinema", NOT 'films'.)

"Do you even know why you're supposed to kill me? Look at us. Look at what they make you give."

• Batman Begins / The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2005 + 2008) 

(I haven't cheated with every one, i promise)

"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain"

• Munich (Steven Spielberg, 2005)

"We are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul"

• Pan's Labyrinth (Guillmero Del Toro, 2006)

"Many, many years ago in a sad, faraway land, there was an enormous mountain made of rough, black stone. At sunset, on top of that mountain, a magic rose blossomed every night that made whoever plucked it immortal. But no one dared go near it because its thorns were full of poison. Men talked amongst themselves about their fear of death, and pain, but never about the promise of eternal life. And every day, the rose wilted, unable to bequeath its gift to anyone... forgotten and lost at the top of that cold, dark mountain, forever alone, until the end of time"

• Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows, 2004)

"You, you were supposed to be a monster - now I'm the fucking beast. There's blood on my hands, from what you made me do"

• Into The Wild (Sean Penn, 2007)

"Happiness only real when shared."

• Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005)

"You ever get the feelin'... I don't know, er... when you're in town and someone looks at you all suspicious, like he knows? And then you go out on the pavement and everyone looks like they know too"

• Lost In Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)

"Let's never come here again because it will never be as much fun"

• The Lives Of Others (Florian Henckel van Donnersmarck, 2006)

Bookseller: 29.80. Would you like it gift wrapped?
Gerd Wiesler: No. It's for me.

• Anchorman (Adam McKay, 2004) = Shaun Of The Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)

(Try as i might, i cannot seperate these two.)

"It's 'AnchorMAN', not 'Anchor-Lady'!"

"Look, I don't care what the telly says, all right? We have to get out of here. If we don't they'll tear us to pieces, and that is really going to exacerbate things for all of us"

2004 and 2005 appear to be the biggest hitting years for me, with 7 films between them. If we discount the multi-featurings of actors and directors in franchises, Heath Ledger and Paddy Considine would then seem the biggest hitting stars, cropping up twice (The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain, and The Bourne Ultimatum and Dead Man's Shoes respectively).

So, confronted with my list, i observe in these films the running themes of violent retribution and associated guilt, the struggle for freedom in oppressive contexts, and the realising of one's self and one's power (for good or for ill). Most of these stories are stories of men, and even one of the two that are stories of women is about men not dealing very well with women's changing place. The irony is that Anchorman had to be set in the 70's to get it's message across, where, judging by my list, it's still just as relevant an issue now as it was then. Look at the gender of the directors of these films, for example.

This could all be down to me and my choices, and probably partially is, but i look at these themes and issues raised and i have to ask what the balance is of what these films say about me for selecting them, and what they say about this past decade which has produced them.

What about your favourites? What does your mental cinematic landscape of this past decade look like?

Ok, honorary mentions for those most narrowly missing out: Joyeux Noel, There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, Let The Right One In, United 93, The Darjeeling Limited, Moon, Primer and Stranger Than Fiction.