My Top 100 Films of the Decade

A list of top movies is impossible to make. Our critique of a movie is as much decided by our expectations or our company as by the film’s direction or acting. So in no way is this a definitive list of any sort. It’s more of a snapshot into my life at this moment – how I feel and how I think, who I am and who I’m not.

So how did I make this list? Essentially, movies (well, good ones) have the ability to create “wow” moments. Sometimes, it’s something personal like how the death of Marley triggered memories of a relative’s death. Sometimes, it’s something technical like Avatar’s groundbreaking special effects. The more these “wow” moments coincide, the higher it goes up on the list.

Before I unveil the list, I will say this comes with two caveats. First, I have not seen every movie this decade (i.e. Dancer in the Dark & Grizzly Man). Second, there are movies I did not enjoy the first time around, but they definitely deserve another viewing (i.e. Lost in Translation & Pan’s Labyrinth). So this list is bound to change, but as of now…here’s a walk down the 00’s.

100. Milk
“A homosexual with power…that’s scary” – Harvey Milk

99. Once
“Falling slowly…eyes that know me” – Guy

98. Casino Royale
“Shaken or stirred?” – Bartender “Do I look like I give a damn?” – James Bond

97. The Pianist
“Food is more important than time” – Wladyslaw Szpilman

96. In Bruges
“I saw your midget today. Little prick didn’t even say hello” -- Ray

95. Frozen River
“He’s got no reason to stop us unless you give him one” -- Lila

94. Not Another Teen Movie
“You can’t start a slow clap and expect everyone to join in” – Girl at party

93. What Women Want
“Ladies and gentleman, Nick Marshall is a sex god!” – Lola’s inner thought

92. 3:10 to Yuma
“For a one legged rancher, he was one tough son of a bitch.” – Charlie Prince

91. Kung Fu Panda
“Skadoosh” – Po

90. The Visitor
“You can’t just take people away like that. Do you hear me?” – Walter Vale

89. The Wrestler
“I deserve to be alone. I just don’t want you to hate me.” – Randy “The Ram” Robinson

88. Grindhouse
(After losing leg) “I was supposed to be a standup comedian. Who’s going to laugh now?” – Cherry Darling

87. Thank You for Smoking
“Dad, why is American government the best government?” – Joey Naylor
“Because of our endless appeals system” – Nick Naylor

86. Meet the Parents
“We thank You oh sweet, sweet Lord of hosts for the smörgåsbord You have so aptly laid at our table this day day by day by day by day day.” – Greg Focker

85. Rachel Getting Married
“I am Shiva the destroyer, your harbinger of doom this evening.” – Kym

84. Murderball
“We had been calling it Murderball, but you can't market Murderball to corporate sponsors.” – Mark Zupan

83. The Incredibles
“No capes!” – Edna

82. The Last King of Scotland
“I am the father of this nation, Nicholas. And you have most... grossly... offended your father.” – Idi Amin

81. Bamboozled
“I don't want to have anything to do with anything black for at least a week” – Pierre Delacroix

80. Hotel Rwanda
“You're black. You're not even a nigger. You're an African.” – Colonel Oliver

79. Batman Begins
“You're not the devil. You're practice.” – Batman

78. Castaway
“Wilson” – Chuck Noland

77. Up
“Sometimes, it's the boring stuff I remember the most.” – Russell

76. Inglourious Basterds
“I want my scalps!” – Lt. Aldo Raine

75. Away From Her
“She said, ‘Do you think it would be fun if we got married?’ I took her up on it.” – Grant Anderson

74. Finding Nemo
“I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I died, I'm dead.” – Marlin

73. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle
“You know the Holocaust? Picture the opposite of that!” – Goldstein

72. Revolutionary Road
“You're just some guy who made me laugh at a party once.” – April Wheeler

71. Minority Report
“I'm not being set up. I really am going to kill this man.” – John Anderton

70. Wall-E
“Evah” – Wall-E

69. Bowling for Columbine
“Do you think it's a little dangerous handing out guns at a bank?” – Michael Moore

68. The Room
“Leave your stupid comments in your pocket!” – Mark

67. The King of Kong
“Work is for people who can't play video games.” – Jillian Wiebe

66. Zodiac
“I am not the Zodiac. And if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you.” – Arthur Leigh Allen

65. The Descent
“I'm an English teacher, not fucking Tomb Raider.” – Beth

64. Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
“We are cursed men, Miss Turner.” – Barbossa

63. Sideways
“I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!” – Miles Raymond

62. Juno
“I'm already pregnant, so what other kind of shenanigans could I get into?” – Juno

61. Cloverfield
“Nobody ever listens to me, then when they do... we're gonna die...” – Hud

60. Tropic Thunder
“Everybody knows you never go full retard.” – Kirk Lazarus

59. Star Trek
“Watch your Vulcan language” – Leonard McCoy

58. Shaun of the Dead
“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.” – Shaun

57. Before Sunset
“Memories are wonderful things, if you don't have to deal with the past.” – Celine

56. American Psycho
“I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane?” – Patrick Bateman

55. Hot Fuzz
“Ever fired your gun in the air and yelled, 'Aaaaaaah?'” – Danny Butterman

54. Enchanted
“How does she know that you love her?” – Jamaican Man

53. Hitch
“Any guy can sweep any girl off her feet, He just needs the right broom.” – Hitch

52. Iron Man
“Yeah. I can fly.” – Tony Stark

51. Mean Girls
“Hell, no. I did not leave the South Side for this!” – Mr. Duvall

50. Saw
“He doesn't want us to cut through our chains. He wants us to cut through our feet!” – Lawrence Gordon

49. Borat
“You telling me the man who try to put a rubber fist in my anus was a homosexual?” – Borat

48. Knocked Up
“You old, she pregnant. Can't have a bunch of old pregnant bitches running around.” – Doorman

47. Superbad
“Here's McLovin, a 25 year-old Hawaiian organ donor.” – Evan

46. 40-Year Old Virgin
“Yooooooooow, Kelly Clarkson!” – Andy Stitzer

45. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
“Can you hear me? I don't want this any more! I want to call it off!” – Joel

44. Catch Me if You Can
“Knock knock” – Carl Hanratty “Who’s there?” – Earl Amdursky “Go Fuck yourselves” – Carl Hanratty

43. 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days
“How much?” – Otilia Mihartescu

42. Team America: World Police
“I’m so ronery” – Kim Jong Il

41. The 25th Hour
“No. No, fuck you, Montgomery Brogan. You had it all, and you threw it away, you dumb fuck!” – Monty Brogan

40. A History of Violence
“In this family, we do not solve problems by hitting people” – Tom Stall

39. Avatar
“Everything is backwards now, like out there is the true world and in here is the dream” – Jake Sully

38. Where the Wild Things Are
“Now you are king and you will be a truly great king.” – Carol

37. The Hangover
“Toodooloo mother fuckers!” – Mr. Chow

36. The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum
“Everything I found out, I want to forget.” – Jason Bourne

35. Shrek
“He hooffed und he poooffed und he... signed an eviction notice.” – Little Pig

34. 500 Days of Summer
“No, Paul, no jobs. I'm still unemployed. We just kissed.” – Tom

33. There Will Be Blood
“One night I'm gonna come to you, inside of your house, wherever you're sleeping, and I'm gonna cut your throat.” – Plainview

32. The Prestige
“They'll beg you and they'll flatter you for the secret, but as soon as you give it up... you'll be nothing to them.” – Alfred Bordon

31. About a Boy
“Once you open your door to one person anyone can come in.” -- Will

30. Gladiator
“Are you not entertained?” – Maximus

29. High Fidelity
“All my romantic stories are a scrambled version of that first one.” – Rob

28. Children of Men
“This is the first baby born in 20 years and you want to name it Froley?” – Theodore Faron

27. Man on Wire
“If I die, what a beautiful death!” – Philippe Petit

26. This Is England
“That's what this nation has been built on, proud men.” – Combo

25. City of God
“You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas.” – Rocket

24. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
“Riddikulus!” – Professor Lupin

23. 28 Days Later
“Plans are pointless. Staying alive's as good as it gets.” – Selena

22. Spiderman 2
“Everybody loves a hero” – Mary Parker

21. Kung Fu Hustle
“You may know kung fu... but you're still a fairy” -- Landlady

20. The Fountain
“Together we will live forever” -- Isabel

19. Kill Bill Volume 1
“Silly Caucasian girl likes to play with Samurai swords.” – O-Ren Ishii

18. District 9
“When dealing with aliens…always remember that a smile is cheaper than a bullet.” – Instructional Voice

17. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
“My precious” -- Gollum

16. A Beautiful Mind
“You are the only reason I am... you are all my reasons.” -- Nash

15. Synecdoche, New York
“Each of us knowing we're going to die, each of us secretly believing we won't.” – Caden Cotard

14. Diving Bell and the Butterfly
“Hold fast to the human inside of you, and you'll survive.” -- Roussin

13. Moulin Rouge
“Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love.” -- Christian

12. Brokeback Mountain
“There ain't never enough time, never enough...” – Jack Twist

11. Adaptation
“You and I share the same DNA. Is there anything more lonely than that?” – Charlie Kaufman

10. Momento
“You don't want the truth. You make up your own truth.” -- Teddy

9. The Dark Knight
“Why so serious?” – The Joker

8. The Departed/Infernal Affairs
“I told you I want my identity back, you two-faced faggot.” -- Costigan

7. No County for Old Men
“Call it.” – Anton Chigurh

6. United 93
“We have to do something.” – Thomas E. Burnett, Jr.

5. Vengeance Series
“Revenge is good for your health, but pain will find you again.” – Dae-su Oh

4. Ratatouille
“If you are what you eat, then I only wanna eat the good stuff.” – Remy

3. The Hurt Locker
“If I'm gonna die, I want to die comfortable.” – William James

2. Slumdog Millionaire
“I'll wait for you at the train station every day at five.” – Jamal

1. Requiem for a Dream
“I'm somebody now, Harry. Everybody likes me.” – Sara Goldfarb

20-Something Ruins

I have all the time in the world, just not enough to start over. So coddle my fears and my worries with girlfriends and alcohol and paychecks till I remind myself I'm an adult. Dreams are too hard to follow, so promise me the mortgage and kids and pension funds till I find myself laying on a beach in Boca Raton.

Everyday is a junior high school day, trying to figure out this or that. The questions change, but the spirit stays the same. Where do I fit in life? What do I want to do when I grow up? Somebody...love me. The pimples, the awkward frames, and the crackling voices were markers of our insecurities inside. But now, all we have are clear-skinned facades, hiding the 7th grader waiting to be unmasked.

Missed Chances

There are certain events in a man's life that he cannot miss. Your wedding. The birth of your first child. Star Wars: A New Hope. For me, it was three words and then you'll understand.

Federer vs. Nadal.

The worse part of all this was that I planned my day accordingly. I came home late from work at 9:30am and was ready for the match. But when ominous storm clouds appeared in London's sky after two sets, I convinced myself to take a nap.

You know the rest of the story and the rest of the match better than I do. I woke up at 7pm and hoped to God that the first thing I hear is "Nadal wins in straight sets in the most overhyped matchup of all time." Instead, I hear the following:

"Nadal took the first two sets, and then...that's when the fun begins. In the longest match in Wimbledon's history and quite possibly the greatest match in Wimbledon's history, this instant classic went to Nadal in five sets."

If you don't understand the pain of my experience, you've never been a sports fan. But for the few of you who form this minority, it's like playing the lottery everyday of your life. And on the day that you don't have any cash, your lucky numbers win the jackpot.

Sorry for the misleading title, but there's nothing EMO about this post. It's more like a terrible Alanis Morisette song come to life.

Except there are no ugly lesbians singing along.

Potential

I am Bill Gates without a computer. I am Paris Hilton without a nightclub. A printer without ink. A pair of chopsticks without food. You get the point.

Unrealized potential: a recurring nightmare for the majority of post-collegiate 20-somethings trying to find the gray area between changing the world and living like a Kardashian.

We studied Nietzche and 13th century European History and Microbiology -- all before lunch. They told us how we were the key to change and we worked our asses off because well -- we believed them.

And now...we're living on measly salaries in the unromantic sense. No lives to save or pride in our work. Simply treading through the "paying your dues" mentality while your health, optimism, and vibrancy pass you by.

Religion or beer, love or sports, The Office or Grand Theft Auto, they're calling out to me.

And who knew -- one year after receiving my diploma -- I'm ready to turn around and answer it.

Creativity for Love

In the first 21.5 years of my single life, girl after girl slipped away from my grasp. And in my mind, I would always curse them and say you don't know what you're missing. One day, I will show you what you passed over -- like Tom Brady to the dozens of teams that said no to him over and over and over again.


Choose the jackass over the sweeter boy. Choose the 6-pack over the heart of gold. Choose him over me. Or choose me.

And now -- it's gratifying. Two whole hours just to make sure one date is amazing -- now, that's perfect. All those ideas I stored up for that special someone weren't meant to spent on anyone but the one i have now. They wouldn't have been worth it. They wouldn't have appreciated it. They wouldn't have responded to it.

And to be honest with you, one of my deepest regrets was to give some girls a sneak preview of what I had in store. To give up ideas to those who were never worthy.

But I've learned from my mistake and they can forever remain in the purgatory of "What if?" while I find the great position of "Thank God that never happened."

I Can See Clearly Now

I was sitting in Ms. Campbell's class and the moment of truth came. I tried to do it without anyone noticing. But there it was, I had to put it on. I grabbed the plastic by the sides and let it slide on top of my nose. And then I waited.

Laughter. Lots and lots of laughter.

It took me a year to realize that plastic glasses with 2 inch frames were not exactly in style. And it took me another 4 years to realize the exact octagonal shape that fits my face well.

And from that point -- I stuck to the same type of frames and the same type of eyewear because I was used to it, because I liked to look intelligent, because I liked have a shield from the rain, because I wouldn't dare think about sticking something in my eye.

But then last Thursday -- the screw in my glasses fell out and I tried fixing it myself. But one thing I found out again was that I am not a handyman. So I said -- this is it. This is the moment where I need to do something about it. I went to the optometrist the next day and by Monday, I put them on. It was a new chapter for myself and more importantly, my eyes.

Two soft, clear lenses to stick into my eyeballs. It took me 35 minutes just to get one contact into my right eye. And when it happened, I jumped up for joy like I did during SuperBowl XLII.

And the journey begins of putting specks into my eye. Of pushing the glasses closer to my nose when there isn't anything there. Of wanting to chew on something with nothing to chew on. Of no longer trying to take off my glasses for dramatic effect. Of scrounging on the floor to find the contacts that I dropped. Of blinking repeatedly when I'm trying to convince myself that it's natural to put stuff in and out of my eye.

But at least now -- I can see clearly -- with two eyes.

Outsider

It wasn't like this before, and I have been warned. I believed the stories half-heartedly, and I guess because of that -- I wasn't surprised when I stepped into a church all by myself and felt lonely.

There I was -- in a community of so-called family 4 life brothers and sisters, and I haven't felt so disconnected. It was partly my fault and partly theirs. But if I had enough balls to say it, it was mostly my fault. The shell of me didn't want to open up next to anyone around me, hoped they didn't ask that I raise my hand if it was my first time there, wished the music would fade up the awkward hellos with the people next to me, and prayed for an opening to leave before the service was over and fellowship begins.

So what does this have to do with the series of "doing something I'm proud of/doing something different" idea? Well -- it's so easy to get back into the Christian fray of things, so easy to step into that bubble that I comfortably ran in my college years, unable to understand the outsiders who felt excluded. For once -- I needed to understand the other side of the story that prompts the non-Christian response: "If none of my friends are going to be in heaven, why should I even go?" Absurdity becomes clarity, and I need that.

On a side note -- there was plenty of great words of wisdom from the speaker, Tony Campolo. But the blog won't be a page full of empty promises and unaccomplishable commitments. They'll be words of action -- a testimony to what I've done. So until I have the courage to take Mr. Campolo's words and sell all my possessions to the poor and walk the earth unashamed to be a Christian, I will keep my thoughts and my raging dreams inside -- for now.

There's nothing worse that commitments that go unfulfilled. But there's nothing better than great dreams that come to life.

Tabula Rasa

No more -- no more. Let's start out clean. Clean slate. Tabula Rasa.

Today, I paid off my entire credit card bill even though another payment wasn't due for 38 days. A credit card bill that was made of bare neccessities and foolish purchases. A statement that I'd rather forget as soon as tomorrow. A credit card bill that has been a thorn in my back for too long. Could any other action feel so debilitating and freeing at the same time?

And now -- I'm poor, yet rich. I'm on my bare bones -- but owe no bones to no one else.

There is no road to brand new day. It is a brand new day.