According to Jimbolaya: The 10 Best Movies of the Aughts

I had such a good time writing about the best television shows of the aughts that I decided, with my vast reservoir of trivial knowledge and pop culture references overflowing, to do yet another "best of" list for you, my faithful reader, and this time we're going to the movies.

The aughts have definitely been one of the better decades for film, and in my opinion, it ranks only behind the game-changing film making of the 1970's for overall quality and innovation. But, for every The Man Who Wasn't There there were 5 Transformers 2: The Revenge of the Fallen like films clouding the public's perception by raking in more money at the box office than the far superior films that always have trouble making money. In that respect, the aughts was a unique era for film. We saw terrible movie after terrible movie make millions of dollars week in and week out, but quietly, off to the side in art house theaters and independent cinemas across the world, small, touching movies of staggering ability slowly but surely made their way into the mainstream.

Which brings us to number 10...

10. Memento (2000)
After the insane success of The Dark Knight, Batman Begins and The Prestige, it's easy to forget that way back in 2000 Christopher Nolan directed and co-wrote the movie that changed the aughts forever. Memento, was and is a movie that, upon further review, is so groundbreaking in it's approach to storytelling that it boggles the mind on a level so profound there are literally few words besides "breathtaking" and "phenomenal" available to describe it. It is equal parts murder mystery, character study and romance, but it's less about the story than how it is told, and Nolan and star Guy Ritchie (in a career defining performance he has never lived up to since) wove a tale from finish to start so mesmerizing and often times confusing that 10 years later it is still riveting to watch and all the surprises and twists still hit home like a hammer to the back of the head.

9. Block Party (2005)
I'm sure Michel Gondry's ability to be an artistic voyeur played a large part in the force and feel behind Block Party, but the movie is so dominated by the presence of Dave Chappelle that it is truly his movie. Mr. Chappelle is such a warm, caring person who honestly wants to give back to the community and fans that made him the outrageously successful stand up comedian and television star that he once was, that one day he decided to throw an impromptu block party in Brooklyn, NY for 5,000 lucky (and random) people; and, obviously, he filmed it. What happens during the course of the film is nothing less than absolute magic as we go from the budding idea at the very start to the absolutely stunning concert performances that play throughout, all of which are connected by personal vignettes that explore the hearts and minds of those involved in the process; from fans to the crazy family that lives in the "broken angel" house to man who got the whole thing off the ground in the first place. It's a happy movie with a powerful message about the true nature of a community seen through the eyes of the finest, most endearing story teller of our time.

7.The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
It isn't easy being Daniel Johnston, and that is made incredibly clear in 2005's The Devil and Daniel Johnston; which portrays it's titular character as a musical genius saddled with the mind of a mad hatter. Johnston's music is pure brilliance, as anyone who has taken the time to listen to any of his crudely recorded tapes will attest, but outside of a small circle of trusted friends and family members and musical cohorts that were allowed on the inside, too little was known about this mysterious Svengali. The Devil and Daniel Johnston changed all that, as the raw talent and pure heart of a man with manic depression are put on full display for the world to see, the images are endearing, heartbreaking and enraging all at the same time. To watch the life of Daniel Johnston chronicled in such painstaking detail is like watching a roll of toilet paper unravel into a trash can full of water. We, the viewer, are looking through an all to honest portal into the head of a man who, despite his mental issues, is so full of love and intelligence that his charisma (even behind the stained sweatshirts and greasy, glossed over look in his eyes brought on by his medications) shines through as if it can't be stopped. Such is the brilliance of the damaged mind of Daniel Johnston, he is a legend in his own right and The Devil and Daniel Johnston does his legacy proud by never excusing his behavior, only explaining it and showing the world that once upon a time there was a boy named Dan who just wanted to love and be loved and used all his joy and suffering to write some of the finest music of the past 50 years. Even if you've never heard it.

6. Gangs of New York (2002)
This is a highly personal choice. I am a sucker for great performances, but I am doubly a sucker for great performances by Daniel Day-Lewis (as you'll see later on), because I honestly believe that Mr. Day-Lewis is far and away the best actor on the planet, and perhaps the best of all time. That being said, Martin Scorsese's long sought after dream job (legend has it he tried to make this movie in each decade from 1972 on) finally came to life in 2002 and it is a brutal, but beautiful, portrait of a fledgling New York City that is governed not by law and reason, but by the all too powerful presence of the myriad gangs that patrol the 5-points neighborhood. Less than stellar performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz (seriously, Scorsese?) take away some of the impact of the films message, but thanks to his amazing turn as Bill the Butcher, Daniel Day-Lewis more than makes up for it. DDL is truly a forced to be reckoned with in Gangs of New York, and his menacing presence is evident in every single frame of film shown on screen. From the gut wrenching opening scene (in my opinion, the best opening to any movie I've ever seen), to the mind numbing final battle between DiCaprio and Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York is a visually striking tour de force reminder of the way NYC used to be, and how, sadly, it isn't that different today.

5. WALL-E (2008)
How is it possible that a movie starring an animated robot with no speaking parts for the entire first third of the movie is able to be so stirring a message about love, environmental carelessness and hope? It's all about the execution. In a not too subtle homage to the work of the late great Buster Keaton, Pixar's WALL-E is a throwback to a time when movies didn't need loud explosions and plot twists to keep the audience entertained. Made even more captivating by the juxtaposing of classic movie music (I get giddy just thinking about the beginning of the film's choice of music), knee slapping physical comedy and timeless movie staples like the quest for love, over a futuristic, desolate Earth that is covered in the refuse of the human's that have long since abandoned it. It's a cautionary tale hidden in a love story that, despite it being between 2 robots, is as touching a romance that has ever been portrayed on screen; and, even though WALL-E stumbles home in the final third of the film it is still an ever optimistic reminder that it is never too late to make things better than they already are. As an aside, it is quite possibly the finest animation ever put to film, and the stunning beauty of WALL-E would have been enough for me to place it in my top 5 on its own, but couple that with an incredible story and imaginative film making of the highest level, and WALL-E transcends its genre to become something much, much more.

4. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
"No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It's sort of like the abortion issue."-Billy Mitchell, star and antagonist of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. To truly love The King of Kong is to embrace the assholish nature of Billy Mitchell, and nothing epitomizes his delusional opinion of himself more than the quote up above. Mr. Mitchell is a man obsessed with himself and his legacy as the greatest arcade gamer of all time, and when his beloved Donkey Kong score is in jeopardy of being broken by a relative newbie in the competitive gaming world named Steve Wiebe, the gloves come off. While most documentaries attempt to be objective about the subject matter they cover, The King of Kong does no such thing as it very much paints a picture of the good (Steve) and the bad (Mitchell), and the film makers have no problem painting Steve Wiebe in the best light possible, while casting a long, dark shadow over Billy Mitchell and the way he goes about securing his legacy. But, in all honest, neither man is right nor wrong and they each display their faults individually; which illuminates the film's hidden message that obsession and ego will lead people to do very, very strange things.

3. Shaun of the Dead, (2004)
Many [citation needed] have attempted to make a horror/comedy/romance, but until 2004's Shaun of the Dead no one got it right. It's truly a testament to the creativity and genius of director Edgar Wright and star/co-writer Simon Pegg that Shaun of the Dead is rife with moments that are equal parts terrifying and hilarious without sacrificing any of the plotting or pacing of the film. It's no less stunning that the movie is ridiculously re-watchable and packed with so many call-backs, Easter Eggs and circular themes that each time it's viewed the audience can pick up on something they didn't notice before, but really, all you need to do is watch the opening 20 minutes and the entire movie is spelled out for you in full; you just have no idea that's what they are doing, and when it kicks in that all the editing, all the quick cuts and sound effects and story lines have already been announced to the audience, the effect is staggering. I've never seen a movie so fully aware of it's purpose and place in the world than Shaun of the Dead, it is far and away my favorite film on this list (not the best, just my favorite), and the only one that I will stop whatever I am doing just to sit down and soak it all in time and time again.

2. No Country For Old Men, (2007)
The Coen Brothers have been the best thing to happen to Hollywood since Bogart and Bacall for almost 20 years, it just took a nearly perfect movie for the entire world to fully embrace and award their wry, subtle genius, and No Country For Old Men is that movie. Aside from being painfully beautiful to look at, No Country tells the story of a nation that has moved far past the ideals it once held so dear and has begun a tailspin into a sort of limbo from which it needs more help than is readily available to pull out of. It is chilling, it is hilarious at times and best of all it tells a story so well it's almost too good to be true. Staring Josh Brolin, in his best role to date, as a quiet, but deep cowboy who stumbled upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong only to find a bag full of money that could change his life, No Country heads off in several distinctly different directions. The least of which is the ever present menace of Javier Bardem's portrayal of Anton Chigur and his relentless search to recover the bag of money Brolin took at the beginning of the movie, no matter what it takes; and Tommy Lee Jones "old man" Sheriff who is tasked with putting the pieces of several disturbing homicides together only to realize his country and the ideology it once held so dear has, in fact, left him by the wayside ages ago brings to the forefront one of the Coen Brothers most striking abilities: which is to say their ability to get the most out of their actors without ever creeping into over the top parody or Nicolas Cage like overacting. As the movie slowly converges the plot lines into one fantastic parable about greed and the death of the American dream in favor of quick cash and easy living, it's hard not to scratch your head and wonder where we all went wrong; and as Anton Chigur limps away in one of the films final scenes, you get the creeping suspicion that no matter how hard we try to fight it, he's always going to be just around the corner waiting for someone to steal that next bag full of money. The Coen's are master story tellers of the highest degree, and No Country For Old Men finds them firing on all cylinders to create an epic masterpiece that will be impossibly difficult to top... but, the crazy thing? The Coen's are so good they will probably prove me wrong.

1. There Will Be Blood, (2007)
Whoever had the idea to combine the force of nature acting style of Daniel Day-Lewis with the unrelentingly inventive and beautiful direction of P.T Andersen should be given a medal, or at the very least a milkshake, because I have never witnessed a performance or a film so brutal in it's execution, and so honest in it's message than There Will Be Blood. What starts as the epitome of the American dream with Daniel Day-Lewis chipping away at the walls of a gold mine, ends with a twisted, maniacal representation of a man who sold his very soul for a wealth and power without ever stopping to think of the consequences. It is truly an allegory for the current miasma America has found itself in, and how greed when combined with power can corrupt even the most devout man, as is evidenced by the scheming preacher Eli, played wonderfully by Paul Dano (honestly, people, wake up and recognize this young man's talent, for it is formidable) who, when money is dangled in his face and the promise of a new church and, yes, a road leading to that church are too much for even his most pious soul to bare. In the now infamous final scene, the torturous, lonely life of Daniel Day-Lewis' Plainview is made obvious, and it should serve as a cautionary tale for those among us with greed in our hearts to stop forfeiting the small pleasures in life in favor of something as trivial as the pursuit of power and money.