LU’s Movie of the Decade

[hineyrulz]

She was seriously the best thing about watching Gotham as well.

 

[Misanthrope]

LU's Favourite Movie of the Decade - #25 - #21
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#25 - Prisoners (2013) - 182 points

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano.
Awards: N/A.

One of those movies you probably saw and loved before promptly forgetting about it, 2013's Prisoners features a number of terrific performances from the likes of Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dado, and Maria Bello.

A wrenching tale of suburban nightmare, Prisoners follows the tale of a family torn apart by the abduction of their children and the impact this has on their family & community, as well as the investigation surrounding it.

Looking back, I remember loving this movie. It might be time to dust it off and give it a rewatch.

#24 - The Martian (2015) - 188 points

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Matt Damon, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, Benedict Wong, and Aksel Hennie.
Awards: N/A

A huge critical and commercial success, Ridley Scott's The Martian features a terrific performance from Matt Damon that compliments a witty script, fantastic visual effects, and a supporting cast packed with talent.

A true sci-fi movie in an age of space opera masquerading as science fiction, the film's almost scientifically accurate depiction of life on Mars was a huge shot in the arm for NASA and public interest in space travel, while also being a thoroughly entertaining tale in its own right.

#23 - Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - 189 points

Director: Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, and Josh Brolin.
Awards: N/A.

The penultimate entry in the genre-defining cinematic achievement that was (is?) Marvel's Cinematic Universe, Infinity War managed the seemingly impossible task of uniting the MCU's massive cast of characters and bringing to a culmination the decades' long narrative that started with Iron Man and would end a year later with Avengers: Endgame.

There was something immensely satisfying and fun about seeing characters interact for the first time, and whether it was Dr. Strange clashing with Iron Man, Captain America meeting Groot, or Spiderman going toe to toe with Thanos, this was a geek's wet dream.

The 'twist' ending shocked people who weren't familiar with the comics, and set up the juggernaut that would come when Endgame wrapped up the 22-film arc the following year.

#22 - Sicario (2015) - 195 points

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Victor Garber, Daniel Kaluuya, and Jon Bernthal.
Awards: N/A

Denis Villeneuve's second entry in this countdown, Sicaro also marks something of a personal milestone: it's the first film across multiple countdowns that I've not only not seen, but had somehow completely missed.

A brutal portrayal of an FBI's agent's attempts to bring down a violent Mexican drug cartel, Sicario received three Oscar nominations and receive near-universal critical acclaim. I guess I'd better go see it.

#21 - The Irishman (2019) - 196 points

Director: Martin Scorsese.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Harvey Keitel, Jesse Plemons, Jack Huston, Domenick Lombardozzi, Stephanie Kurtzuba, and Kathrine Narducci.
Awards: N/A.

Released on Netflix (and in limited cinemas so that it could qualify for the Oscars), Martin Scorsese's love letter to gangster films and some of his favourite actors drew critical acclaim for its performances and its winding narrative, while drawing some criticism for its reliance on CGI to de-age its geriatric cast.

I'm going to be honest, I found The Irishman to be every bit as tedious as The Godfather, with the added frustration of its young-looking cast moving like they were two steps from retirement. Is the film as good as some believe? Or is its position here an example of recency bias?

The critics certainly believe it is the former, as the film has received near-universal critical acclaim and was nominated for multiple Academy Awards including best film, best director, best screenplay, best actor (De Niro), and best supporting actor (Pacino).

 

[Parra]

The Irishman is a great film. If you found the godfather slow then this is treacle . But that's on you. If you found the godfather and/or this fascinating then that'd be on you too.

 

[Misanthrope]

The Irishman is a great film. If you found the godfather slow then this is treacle . But that's on you. If you found the godfather and/or this fascinating then that'd be on you too.

f**king hate The Godfather. Absolute snorefest.

 

[From Where the Sun Rises]

f**king hate The Godfather. Absolute snorefest.

Agreed, it’s just not my kind of film. Heat is the ultimate in crime cinema.

 

[Matua]

f**king hate The Godfather. Absolute snorefest.

You're not helping dissuade me of the conspiracy!

But to be serious, I think you should give it a rewatch if it's been a while since you watched it.

Only the Martian would dent my top 25 from this lot. I like comic book movies a lot but they never make my best movies lists for some reason. Like all the others but don't love them.

 

[simmo1]

f**king hate The Godfather. Absolute snorefest.

I thought I was the only one. Struggle to get through most films of those gangster/mafia films - Godfather, Casino, Scarface, Goodfellas etc.

 

[From Where the Sun Rises]

I thought I was the only one. Struggle to get through most films of those gangster/mafia films - Godfather, Casino, Scarface, Goodfellas etc.

Yeah, I hear you. I’m not particularly disposed toward crime films - although there are five or six that are impossibly great.

 

[Misanthrope]

Goodfellas is the only exception to the above rule. I really enjoyed that film.

 

[From Where the Sun Rises]

A Simple Plan is the best crime film most people have not heard of (even though Billy Bob Thornton won an Oscar for it). Bill Paxton’s best ever performance too, IMO. Cracking movie.

 

[Parra]

Goodfellas is the only exception to the above rule. I really enjoyed that film.

Donnie Brasco?

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Sicario is an absolute belter of a movie. My #4.

The Martian - loved this. Came out at a similar time to Interstellar from memory - both with Matt Damon and naturally compared with each other. Was my #25.

I liked The Irishman a lot but didn’t make my top 30. I like a lot of gangster films but I equally get bored with a lot of others.

Not seen the others above.

On Argo, was my #5 and like someone mentioned I’m surprised it didn’t make the cut. Brilliant movie, won best picture too.

 

[From Where the Sun Rises]

Sicario is an absolute belter of a movie. My #4.

The Martian - loved this. Came out at a similar time to Interstellar from memory - both with Matt Damon and naturally compared with each other. Was my #25.

I liked The Irishman a lot but didn’t make my top 30. I like a lot of gangster films but I equally get bored with a lot of others.

Not seen the others above.

On Argo, was my #5 and like someone mentioned I’m surprised it didn’t make the cut. Brilliant movie, won best picture too.

Everything Denis Villeneuve does is a belter. Getting very close to being the best working director today for mine.

 

[Misanthrope]

LU's Favourite Movie of the Decade: #20 - #16
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#20 - A Quiet Place (2018) - 198 points

Director: John Krasinski
Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe.
Awards: N/A.

Who'd have thought Jim from the Office would not only be a great director, but a great horror director? 2018's A Quiet Place was a sleeper hit whose intriguing premise and taut, tense script captured the imaginations of the world's cinema-goers.

Its premise of a world in which humanity must live in absolute silence for fear of being eaten alive by mysterious aliens seemed to be the inspiration for the less impressive Netflix film Birdbox, in which humans must live without their sense of sight in order to survive in a world full of mysterious aliens.

Its upcoming sequel (A Quiet Place Part II) was getting huge buzz before COVID-19 delayed its release, so this exciting post-apocalyptic thriller might just be on its way to becoming a franchise hit.

#19 - Shutter Island (2010) - 200 points

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Syndow, Emily Mortimer, and Patricia Clarkson.
Awards: N/A

Based on the novel of the same name, Shutter Island is a tense noir period thriller that starts off being about one thing and ends up being about something completely different.

Wonderfully shot by the sublimely talented Scorsese and featuring a stirring performance from DiCaprio as an FBI agent looking to solve the unsolvable, it is a wonderful slow-burn film with a soundtrack that just keeps ratcheting up the tension.

Even knowing about the twist in the tale, it's a film that holds up well to repeat viewing, as you search for hints and soak in the tense weight of the film's cinematography and set design.

#18 - Dunkirk (2017) - 236 points

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy.
Awards: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

Proving that he can do more than just Batman movies and quirky thrillers, Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk established him as a director with a Midas touch. Telling the story of the evacuation fo Dunkirk might not seem like the most stirring project for the visionary director, but his use of relatively unknown actors and the way in which he captures the hopelessness and eventual triumph of the historic event has seen many laud Dunkirk as his greatest film.

The film has also been praised for its historical accuracy, and is already being spoken of alongside greats such as Apocalypse Now and Saving Private Ryan as an all-time great war movie.

=#16 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) - 252 points

Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Frank Oz, and Benico Del Toro.
Awards: N/A

The second installment in the long-awaited Star Wars sequel trilogy, Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi has proven a hugely polarizing film with the franchise's fandom. While many casual filmgoers and critics praised its more light-hearted style and twists, diehards were incensed by what they say as the film's many departures from the established tone and lore of the universe.

f**k the neckbeards, this is my favourite of the films from outside the original trilogy.

=#16 - 12 Years a Slave (2013) - 252 points

Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, and Alfre Woodard.
Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong'o), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

A stirring retelling of the memoir by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave proved to both a commercial and critical success, winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards for its sensitive and enthralling portrayal of one man's struggle through one of US history's darkest periods to his eventual emancipation.

The true story is a fascinating one, as a free man is forced into slavery and must 'earn' his freedom a second time amidst the racism and oppression of the 1800s US south.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Of those, loved 3 and got bored with 2.

The Last Jedi, Shutter Island and A Quiet Place. I thought they were all brilliant. The last 2 were really unique and tense.

12 years a slave. Watched it after it’s release for a while as mates of mind raved about it. My only memory is it didn’t grab me at all, and I can’t remember any of the story at all now. And Dunkirk had the same impact

 

[Misanthrope]

That sums up my feeling on them as well. I enjoyed Dunkirk and 12 Years when I saw them, but had totally forgotten about them until seeing them come up in people's votes.

Legit had Dunkirk confused with 1917 until I had to do the writeup.