Top 10 Films: 2000

Seems how we are at the end of the decade I thought it wise to sum of the Top 10 Films of each year within the last 10 years. Throughout the remainder of December I will be posting the Top 10 Films from the Years 2000-2009, culminating in a Top 100 Films List of the Past Decade. Kicking it off is the year 2000. See my Top 10 Films of 2000 after the break...



10. Pitch Black

One of the most unexpected great times I had in theaters in 2000 was with Pitch Black. I remember going to see it on a whim with some friends and it blew me away. The film was so good it kicked off a potential franchise. Sadly the sequel to Pitch Black was a disaster, but were not here to talk about the sequel. Pitch Black was a perfect chase scifi film that still to this day is enjoyable adventure every viewing. The film furthermore showed us the potential of Vin Diesel a potential that has never been reached it seems.


9. Requiem for a Dream

Probably one of the few films on any of my Top 10 Lists I do not care to watch often is Requiem for a Dream. The film is a one tough pill to swallow for a variety of reasons, but nonetheless it is one of the most powerful films of the past decade. Requiem for a Dream also marks one of the only times on screen Marlon Wayans shows he has an acting talent. The skill level Darren Aronofsky exhibits with his direction and imagery in the spiraling drug addicted tale is reason enough for Requiem for a Dream to earn itself a spot in the Top 10 of 2000.


8. Best in Show

Let's just say that anything Christopher Guest does, right off the bat hilarious, but Best in Show is easily his funniest mockumentary since Spinal Tap (I know he didn't direct Spinal Tap, but that is the birth of his schtick). Following various dog owners as they show their K9's at a National Dog Show, Best in Show is one of the laugh out loud films of 2000, but also the decade. Performances from Fred Willard, Parker Posey and Eugene Levy are side splitting to no end. Not to mention John Michael Higgins and Jane Lynch, who deliver performances that jump started the careers they have today.


7. Boiler Room

Boiler Room, like most of the films on this list is a film, I will stop and watch any time I see it on. Ben Affleck, Vin Diesel, Scott Caan and Giovanni Ribisi make for a talented cast and deliver director and writer Ben Younger's dialogue effortlessly. I've always been a sucker for quasi-success stories or scheme flicks and Boiler Room is one of the best.


6. High Fidelity

Records, mix tapes, relationship woe's and John Cusack make High Fidelity one of the best films of 2000. This film hit home on a variety of levels for me (and thousands of others), but like Clerks its one of those movies that captures the mind of guys in their own setting perfectly. Jack Black delivers his best performance to date and Todd Louiso provides moments of genius with his reserved demeanor. Lastly it is only natural that High Fidelity would be on my List, because Rob Gordon wouldn't have it any other way.


5. X-Men

Bryan Singer stepped on to the scene with X-Men in 2000 and changed the game of comic book movie making. He got rid of all the fluff and gave us all a serious take on the Marvel X-Men universe, something Marvel fans had been begging for. Not only did Singer deliver a realistic approach to X-Men he delivered a poignant action film that has continued to excite core fans and general audiences alike since its release.


4. The Virgin Suicides

Sophia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides is still my favorite of all her films. Coppola's thoughtful take on over bearing parents and its result on their children is stunning. Filled with a flawless soundtrack and a perfect representation of 1950s youth, there is no denying why The Virgin Suicides is apart of my Top 10 Films of 2000. Furthermore it is the only movie that I can stomach Kristen Dunst in or where she gives an non-irksome performance.


3. Unbreakable

M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable is his best film by a mile and easily one of the best films in 2000. Being an avid comic book fan I was blown away by Unbreakable. A film I actually missed in theaters, but saw on dvd soon after. Since then Unbreakable has remained one of the best and most intriguing takes on comic book lore. I always love a movie that can throw in a yin-yang reference and the character development between Elijah Price and David Dunn is perfect.


2. American Psycho

Bret Easton Ellis is a novelist that I have enjoyed since High School and American Psycho represents his best work. Not only was the novel a scorcher to read, but the film is electrified by a staggering performance by Christian Bale. Bale is a master in every regard, but his believability as Patrick Bateman is remarkable. American Psycho is one of many incredible performances by Bale, but its quirky offbeat look into pop culture and esteem in the 1980s makes it a true classic. Not to mention the dark and violent tendencies of Bateman and his delusions.


1. Magnolia

Paul Thomas Anderson is in the Top 5 of my all time favorite directors and Magnolia is a main reason why. Anderson's ability to tell such wonderfully rich and moving story through interrelated characters is fantastic. PT Anderson is a fabulous story teller in every regard, but Magnolia is my favorite film by the illustrious director. Magnolia also marks my favorite performance by Tom Cruise. His character Frank T.J. Mackey is a colossal douche and seems the closest to Cruise's real life personality. Outside of Cruise, Magnolia is dowsed with phenomenal performances by John C. Riley, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore and Philip Baker Hall. I'm sure there are those who would disagree with me on Magnolia being the best film in 2000, but for me it is the pinnacle of all interrelated storytelling in cinema.