Matthew Wisniewski's Top Ten Films of the Decade:


1. Mulholland Drive (2001) - Mulholland Drive is part knock of the Hollywood lifestyle, part knock of the American Dream, part Noir-thriller and all
David Lynch. Don't expect a coherent story or even to "get it" fully upon a first viewing, but trust me in that it demands a second viewing and
rewards with everyone thereafter. Rich with visuals and everything we have come to consider "Lynchian", this film is about hope and just how
crushing of a force it can be. It tells the story of an endlessly enthusiastic small-town girl who goes to Hollywood with the intention of hitting
it big, falling in love in the process. It's as devastating as it is intoxicating, with some remarkably effective scenes that I have trouble
articulating why exactly they work as well as they do. It is sexually charged, violent, and at times borderline incomprehensible.
Work through it... it's worth it.

2. Mister Lonely (2007) - Harmony Korine has a visual flair and a sense of humor all of his own. While I was turned off by many of his other films,
this one struck me as much easier to swallow and ultimately much better. It's refreshing to see a film with two alternate story-lines that don't
feel the need to connect in some "oh wow, the humanity of it all!" type finale. What do a group of nuns in a third-world country and celebrity
impersonators who live on a commune have in common? I'm not sure but I would love to discuss it with you. This is a film with moments of such
arresting beauty that it is difficult to knock the aspects of it that fall flat. Korine is a director that takes chances and a film like this is
the payoff for the ones that don't quite work. A bold and beautiful achievement.

3. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - Known largely for it's soundtrack, this barrel full of belly-laughs is one of the Coen Brother's finest efforts
and while it may not have the intensity of the more recent and more critically praised, 'No Country for Old Men', it makes up for it in sheer
entertainment value. The performances are pitch-perfect (though Clooney didn't do his own singing) and the writing is classic Coen Brothers. An
all around romp with colorful characters, a knee-slapping soundtrack and cameos by all of our favorites. Not exactly a "bonafide" representation of
the time period but it's a fun as film-making gets.

4. Grizzly Man (2005) - Werner Herzog's commonly explored theme of man and his place in the natural world pairs wonderfully with Timothy Treadwell's
real life footage of the Alaskan wilderness and the bears that were his inspiration as well as his downfall. A documentary that does a remarkable
story justice, Herzog neither glorifies Treadwell nor patronizes him, instead presenting the audience with the opinions of many, and letting the
viewer come to their own conclusion on his sanity. A bit heavy-handed at times but it needs to be. You could have given this footage to a baby and
it would have made a great film and in the hands of Herzog it turns into something special.

5. A Prairie Home Companion (2006) - Robert Altman's last film is an endlessly clever poke at radio show Prairie Home Companion and its undeniable
staying power. Altman and his all-star cast are having a blast with this one and it's obvious from the get-go. Garrison Keillor plays Garrison
Keillor and Meryl Streep reminds us once again that she might be the most natural actress in the business. Some might consider this film too
"light" for a list of this sort, but it's so damn enjoyable that it makes my cut. A more than worthy tribute to an American radio staple and the
music is excellent as well (Be-Bop-A-Re-Bop, Rhubarb Pie). For fans of the show and newcomers alike.


6. The Devil's Rejects (2005) - Long-haired rocker, Rob Zombie hit the nail on the head with this one (maybe a little too hard for some tastes.) The
film is a relentlessly violent horror-comedy-tribute to 70's films like 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and it captures the spirt and perhaps most
impressively the aesthetic of those type of films with style and soundtrack to spare. Zombie displays a real knack for the repulsive and knowledge
of the classics here. Certainly not for all tastes, and the director's cut is even more difficult to stomach, but if you can get past the vile
nature of it and embrace that very thing in the same way that Zombie seems to, it will show as a skillfully made thriller and most importantly, a
hell of a ride.

7. Waking Life (2001) - Visually, this film was groundbreaking at the time (though the technique has been frequently bogarted since) and the content is
nothing short of enthralling. Richard Linklater's film plays out more like you're sitting in on a series of philosophy lectures than an actual
movie at times, but the end result is something profound and undeniably unique. Not bad from the guy who made Dazed and Confused.

8. Straight Story (2000) - Walking the line between 1999 and 2000 is David Lynch's heartwarming collaboration with... Walt Disney?
That's right folks, the guy that made surrealist cult-classic Eraserhead collaborated with Disney for this G rated tale about 73-year-old
Alvin Straight who drives his lawn-mower some 300 miles to reunite with his brother. Lynch, known for knocking the wierd ball out of the park,
never goes for the kill with this one, but instead stays true to the story and lets it do the work for him. Like most things Lynch, Angelo
Badalamenti contributes a bizarre and beautiful score and perhaps the most remarkable thing about the film is that it manages to feel like a Lynch
without all the inexplicable plot twists and characters that claim to be in two places at one time. A humble masterpiece.

9. Cidade de Deus, City of God (2002) - This unforgiving depiction of the slums of Rio De Janeiro through the 60's, 70's and 80's makes 'Blow' look
like powered sugar and has a few scenes in it that you will take to the grave. Based on the true story of two friends, one who becomes a
photographer and one who becomes a drug dealer, this film gets everything right that the drug movies normally get wrong - it doesn't glorify the
culture as ultra-cool or anything like that but instead gives us the cold, ugly reality of the situation and it's a rather unpleasant one. Don't
expect to enjoy the rest of your day.

10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - The first of the trilogy and the best, Fellowship embraces story more than the following
two and seems to rely less on the slam-bang computer effects that (to me) always seem to fall short. While the Academy waited for the third to
honor the trilogy, I'll point to the first. Really the only one of the three that can stand on it's own, Fellowship boasts some great storytelling,
remarkable scenery, and action scenes that are smaller in scale and ultimately more impressive than the ones that followed. Some great
performances and nearly impossible not to get wrapped up in. The other two ain't bad either.



Honorable Mention:
(in no particular order)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Three Burials of Melquidas Estrada
Old Joy
Lost in Translation
Minority Report
Cast Away
Children Of Men
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
High Fidelity
Almost Famous
Mighty Wind
Unbreakable
Batman Begins
Memento
Finding Forrester
8 mile
Adaptation
American Spendor
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
Sideways
The New World
Gangs of New York
I'm Not There
Into the Wild
Superbad
Pineapple Express
No Country for old Men
The Man Who Wasn't There
Once Upon a Time In Mexico
She Hate Me
Royal Tenenbaums