My Top Ten of the 21st Century

1. The Producers (2005, Susan Stroman)



Hilarious, bold, brilliant. Mel Brooks's classic Broadway musical is finely turned into a terrific motion picture adaptation by stage director Susan Stroman. The cast is in perfect form, particulary Nathan Lane who plays the sad-sack producer Max Bialystock with the right amount of humour and pathos. Matthew Broderick gives Leo Bloom a nice sense of innocence, even while pulling off the ultimate scheme. Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Gary Beach and Roger Bart also pulls off their parts brilliantly. Coupled with fantastic songs, amazing song-and-dance numbers and a show-within-a-film that has to be seen to be believed, The Producers is without a doubt the best film of the decade.

2. Spirited Away (2001, Hayao Miyasaki)



Quite possibly the best animated film of all-time, Hayao Miyasaki fills this wonderous story full of beautiful colour and fantastic characters. The main character of Chihiro is an independent young girl, who tries to make it in this world, and even though she's a drawing, Miyasaki makes her feel like a real personality. Joe Hisaishi's score combined with Ghibli's animation (probably the best animation unit in the world) created a seamless blend of perfection that only Disney can even come close to.

3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003, Peter Jackson)



A incredibly epic adventure and a brilliant conclusion to a very good trilogy, The Return of the King is amazing entertainment from start to finish. Its three hour running time doesn't hinder the film in the least. Everybody in the cast succeeds, particularly Andy Serkis as Gollum and Ian McKellen as Gandalf. The special effects are absolutely brilliant and the best of the modern film era. A compelling story, this is Peter Jackson's finest hour (make that three hours). It may just be about people walking to a fucking volcano, but hell, I enjoy it a lot.

4. Capote (2005, Bennet Miller)



A pitch-perfect performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman helps make this film more than just your typical "true story." He embodies Truman Capote, not just doing an impersonation, but actually transforming into the neurotic author of In Cold Blood. Bennett Miller's only other previous credit is of a documentary and that is quite evident with his direction here. The film feels real, like we're watching Capote at work and not necessarily Hoffman at work. Dan Futterman's screenplay shows the pains that can happen when writing a real figure and how far a man can go for a book, even if it destroys him. Catherine Keener also does some great work as Harper Lee with the other big actor of the picture, Clifton Collins Jr, giving a chilling and intense performance as the infamous Perry Smith. Slow and calculating, Capote is already a classic in my eyes.

5. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Wes Anderson)



Wes Anderson's very funny character study on the family unit, this isn't just another film about a dysfunctional and quirky family. This is a comedy that brings upon the idea of how one major event (whether true or not) can bring them together. Filled with an impressive ensemble cast, a clever screenplay, an un-pretentious direction and a splendid soundtrack, this is a film that is both very entertaining but also causes one to think about how family is important. Godard would be proud.

6. The Departed (2006, Martin Scorsese)



An example of an American remake that can be miles above the Oriental original film, The Departed is an intense thriller that isn't afraid to pack any punches. Martin Scorsese's direction is perfect and despite taking place in Boston, his New York intellect is still intact. William Monahan's screenplay may be profanity-laced, but it's perfect to boot with its odes to Shakespeare sprinkled throughout and wonderful to spot and one of the best endings in years. Plus, there's DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson, Wahlberg, Sheen, Baldwin, Winstone, Farminga. Who could ask for a better cast?

7. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001, Jan Harlan)



A fascinating and well edited look at the impressive career of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, this documentary is not just a smattering of praise. It looks deep into what made his films so interesting as well as the persona he kept so hidden from the public. Jan Harlan (the film's director), Malcolm McDowell, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, Christiane Kubrick and a batch of other interesting interviewees supply plenty of thoughts on Kubrick himself as well as his films. This is a special documentary that should be seen by any Kubrick fan. It's that essential.

8. The Last Shot (2004, Jeff Nathanson)



Featuring two fantastic lead performances and a hilarious screenplay, The Last Shot is un under-rated gem. Matthew Broderick is perfect as Steven Schats, an aspiring director. He fills him with enthusiasm, creating an incredibly relatable character. In fact, this character reminds me so much of myself, it's insane. Alec Baldwin also does incredible work as the under-cover FBI agent posing as a film producer. He adds plenty of warmth to his performance, instead of going for a tough guy routine that other actors might have given him. Baldwin is touching and his chemistry with Broderick is pitch-perfect. Toni Collette, Tony Shalhoub, Joan Cusack and James Rebhorn also do some fine work in their smaller roles. Jeff Nathanson's screenplay captures the wide-eyed wonder of Hollywood terrifically, bringing plenty of hilarious one-liners and jokes. This certainly stands as one of the best of the decade so far.

9. The Dreamers (2003, Bernardo Bertolucci)



Bernardo Bertulocci takes an erotic angle on the minds of film aficionados with this well-roven drama of an American teenager and the two French twins he befriends in Paris during the period of the Student Revolution. Eva Green gives a perfect performance as the lead female as she blends naturally into the part. Michael Pitt and Louis Garrel do fine work as the other two leads (though they're no match for Green). An essential for any film fan, this is also educational as it talks about an important historical event and could even lead some people to watch some Chaplin, Keaton and Godard as well.

10. Catch Me If You Can (2002, Steven Spielberg)



Yet another terrific film from Steven "The Man" Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can is a fun journey through the world of a young man doing every person's dream. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale, Jr. with a charm that echoes Johnny Depp and Matthew Broderick, among others. And in the film's more dramatic moments, he delivers just as well. I would probably say this is my favourite DiCaprio performance. Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken and Amy Adams also do fine work in their roles. Everything else is top-notch as well. The screenplay, the cinematography, the costumes, the soundtracks, the art direction, the editing and of course, Stevie's direction. Incredible that even at 60 years old, it seems as if Spielberg hasn't gotten older (though he's certainly matured).

Honorable Mention: Match Point (2005, Woody Allen)



For many years, Woody Allen shot his films in New York, showing neurotic characters discussing that they "would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member", quoting the old Groucho Marx quote. With Match Point, the clarinet-playing, Marx-quoting Allen moved to a totally different city: London, England. And thus, there is a change of pace from nervous, neurotic individuals to confident people looking to climb the social ladder. As typically happens when an American filmmaker puts his lens on Britain, audiences are treated to the upper-crust of English society and for Match Point, it works. Match Point also lacks the feel of a Woody Allen film, which makes it even more fascinating as he allows the actors to work on their terms, reading his written lines with enough of their own feel. And particularly what sets this film apart from previous Woody fare is the darkness of the production. While he has tackled dark films before with the Bergman-inspired Interiors and Crimes and Misdeamenors (which this film borrows heavily from), never has he attempted to make a psychological thriller. Match Point isn't like, say, The Silence of the Lambs, but it does have a suspenseful feel lurking around it.