Members of the Filmotomy team agonize over their top ten for the decade (2010-19).
Hey, everyone. Mackenzie Lambert, here, with my top ten films of the 2010’s for Filmotomy. I will admit, these are no means the best films of the decade, but they are films that I enjoy and represent my favorites of the decade. Without further ado…
10. Reality (dir. Quentin Dupieux, 2014)
An eclectic mix of characters – a girl who finds a blue VHS tape in a wild boar, a director looking for the perfect groan, a school principal driving a military jeep while wearing women’s clothing, a cooking show host with a bad skin rash – weave in and out of each other’s’ lives, seeming by an omnipotent director played John Glover (Scrooged, Gremlins 2: The New Batch). Not as meta heavy as Rubber, which may be why I prefer Reality more.
9. Under the Skin (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 2013)
Scarlett Johansson as an alien who has a habit of seducing men all while observing humanity. What struck me about this film was Glazer and cinematographer Daniel Landin manage to make familiar sights come off as foreign. The music score by Mica Levi will mess with you.
8. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (dir. David Gelb, 2011)
A documentary that takes a look at a sushi restaurant hidden in a Tokyo subway station that has the honor of being a Michelin Three Star winner. The relationship between the owner and his son stands as a microcosm of Japanese culture, with the younger generation under great pressure, albeit unfair, to surpass the previous.
7. Moonrise Kingdom (dir. Wes Anderson, 2012)
A charming love story between two outcasts on the remote island of New Penzance. Rich in color with an eclectic soundscape to boot. Amusing performances by Anderson regulars like Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton. The biggest surprise for me was Bruce Willis at his best since Unbreakable for M. Night Shyamalan.
6. The Zero Theorem (dir. Terry Gilliam, 2013)
A less nihilistic version of Gilliam’s other dystopian classic, Brazil, and that’s a good thing. Gilliam presents a zany world that has the quirky protagonist, Qohen (Christophe Waltz), stuck in a repetitive, unending tedium for a job. That is until he’s smitten with Bainsley (Melanie Theirry), who shows him there is more to life.
5. Logan (dir. James Mangold, 2017)
I was 17 years old when Hugh Jackman first played Wolverine as well as Patrick Stewart playing Professor Charles Xavier in the 2000 X-Men film. For half my life, Jackman was Wolverine. That is unheard of. And the 2017 western-inspired Logan brought the character to a fitting, highly emotional close.
4. The Raid: Redemption (dir. Gareth Evans, 2011)
A non-stop action fest that mixes John Carpenter with Hong Kong kung fu cinema. A simple plot of a police squad trying to take down a local kingpin. Everything that could go wrong does when ulterior motives comes to light and the unit is in way over their head. Desperate times call for desperate measures if Rama (Iko Uwais) and his team are going to make it out alive.
3. Toy Story 3 (dir. Lee Unkrich, 2010)
At the time of this film’s release, we were lead to believe that this would be final entry in the beloved Toy Story series. It hooked us all, especially those who had been with the series since the very beginning, all the way back in 1995. Much like with Andy, this was our chance to say goodbye to Woody and Buzz. Pixar have a knack for playing with the emotions of the audience, and with the ending of Toy Story 3 they went for our nostalgic jugulars.
2. Skyfall (dir. Sam Mendes, 2012)
A stylish, well-executed homage to the lengthy history of the James Bond franchise. Daniel Craig at his peak as Bond. Javier Bardem as Silva was one of the best Bond villains in recent memory. Adele knocks it out of the park with her vocals of the Skyfall theme.
1. The Avengers (dir. Joss Whedon, 2012)
If you had told me when I was a kid in 1993 that Marvel heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye would appear on the big screen in live action, I would have said you were crazy. Then, Marvel Studios proved me wrong. They managed to pull off a movie I never thought I would live to see. The chemistry between the characters, the one-liners, the execution of the action scenes. This was one of the rare instances where as the movie progressed, I became more and more excited for what I was watching.
