Top 50 Films of the Decade (00's)

Memento is one of the most sensational films I've ever had the privilege of seeing. It's a bit disheartening to see so many unenthusiastic reviews. This movie reeled me in with the fascinating opening shot and kept me hooked until the credit reel. It's hard to imagine Chris Nolan's psychological thriller being any more tightly wound nor accomplishing its goal with greater calculation. This is a very entertaining movie, yes, but more than that it's one that makes you think. To some people that's too much work - this isn't something you watch when you want to kick back and unwind. It's an absorbing, thought-provoking experience that disturbs not on a visceral level with violence or abberation but in our intellectual centers. It questions whether we really know what we know. In Leonard (played to perfection by Guy Pearce) we find an extremely sympathetic protagonist, and in a way we take his journey with him and try to solve his mystery. The backwards narration of the movie is in no way a gimmick, but is in fact of great importance. During each new scene, we are greeted as Leonard is - with the disorientation of having no knowledge of the events immediately preceeding. We get a glimpse of how he must feel, constantly deprived of the short term recollection most of us take for granted. As we gain more insight into the past, our perceptions of the characters and their motivations as well as the facts of the story shift and change in a dynamic fashion; and the movie invites several viewings at least to catch everything and try to pin down the exact nature of the narrative. Creative, ambitious, artistic, and stirring, I highly recommend Memento to anyone who likes to bring their brains to the movies.

I saw this film in theatres almost on a whim, with no real expectations going in. I was blown away. I sat for the last 20 minutes squirming in my chair because I had to go to the bathroom really badly, but I couldn't pull myself away from the proceedings. My friend and I were having discussions based on this movie for at least two weeks after seeing it. The plot is simple. John Sullivan is a cop going through a failing marriage. He stumbles on an old ham radio, and thanks to some unexplained phenomenon brought on by the aurora borealis, he begins talking with Frank, a firefighter from Queens who just happens to be John's long-dead father 30 years in the past. Impossible? Sure. But the plot is easily pulled off by the earnest, heartfelt performances of Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid who are both excellent in their respective roles. Their relationship is so real and aimiable that it grounds the fantastic premise and allows us to move forward, or backward as the case may be. What the Sullivans discover is that it's tough messing with the past. They change something and it affects something else, until they are in over their heads trying to stop a serial murderer in the past from John's vantage point in the future. The result is a tense, emotional, and mesmerizing thriller that sucks you in and doesn't let go until the final scene. If you're a fan of high-concept films in general or time-travel movies in particularly, you'll have a lot to think about there. I did. The plot is pretty tight given the time-bending theme which is always difficult to pull off. The creators take a few cinematic liberties but the story still makes a lot of sense if you follow it correctly and stands up to a lot of scrutiny. This is one of my favorite movies, and I think it is vastly overlooked and underrated. Check it out, suspend your disbelief a little, and enjoy the ride.

Christopher Nolan has done it again. If I didn't love him enough after Memento and Batman Begins, he is certainly endeared to me now that I have witnessed The Prestige. The story is that of two magicians in late 19th century England who began as colleagues but became bitter rivals following a terrible stage mishap. The narrative twists in and out, back and forth through time in a way that is effective and rarely ever disorienting. Like a great magic trick, it shows you enough to keep your interest but saves the shocker for later on. One of the great things about this movie, though, is that even if you figure out the primary twist long before the film's conclusion, it is still powerful based on the characters and their sacrifices, and the story is intriguing and watchable even on repeat viewings (I have seen it twice so far). Also, there is not only one twist, but several, and some, at least, are likely to catch you off guard - yet all make sense in hindsight. I, like many viewers, was taken out of the film by one pivotal development that I simply found too unbelievable to fit with the context of the rest of the picture. Some try to deny that this plot point is true. However, they must read into the story using clues we are not really given to reach this conclusion, so I can only assume that the story relies on a certain fantastic science fiction element. It was so outlandish that it could have ruined the final act - and yet, somehow Nolan pulls it off. To me, it is the only real flaw in an otherwise exceptional film. Performances are great all around with Bale, Jackman, and Caine all playing their parts wonderfully. Guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat whether you think you know the end or not, The Prestige is easily my favorite movie of 2006 and I recommend it highly.

Will Ferrell can be funny, yet sometimes he is not. You need only read the opposing reviews for Anchorman and Talladega Nights to see that not everyone enjoys his antics. In Stranger Than Fiction, his humor and that of the rest of the script is understated, and that is a very good thing. You appreciate the humor, but you don't depend on it. It's not heavy handed, begging you to laugh - and so it helps the story along in a very pleasing and interesting way. The story itself is the selling point, and it's a fantastic one. One day, Harold, a man living a drab life hears a voice narrating his day, and comes to discover that he is actually a character in a story that an author is writing - and she means to kill him off. This sets into motion a quaint and touching tale laced with dark wit that brings to the table some sobering questions about life and death. Emma Thompson was the highlight of the film for me and does a wonderful job as the frazzled novelist. There were also some great scenes with Dustin Hoffman as the professor who tries to determine what type of story Harold is in. I could have done without Maggie Gyllenhaal as the baker, but I suppose she couldn't be someone too affable or glamorous or else we'd never believe the developments that occur with Ferrell's character (though I had my doubts in any case). The ending seems uneven, and I think it turned rather abruptly from the tone of the rest of the film - and yet, given its context and the events that drive it, that seems perfectly fitting.