Frascella's Top 10 Movies of the 2010s: Scorsese, Tarantino & Fincher Lead the Way

Photo Credit: Relativity Media and movieposters2

This post owes a special thanks to Mr. Alexander Tucciarone, my good friend who fires up a "Best Movies of the Decade" debate every 10 years. Much of the content below is from my correspondence with "Tucc" and others involved in the debate. Let's start off with a flashback...

Top 10 Movies of the 2000s (2000-2009 aka "The Aughts")

(Just the list, here)

Honorable Mention(s): Boiler Room (2000), Wedding Crashers (2005), The Fast and the Furious (2001), The Incredibles (2004), The Prestige (2006), Stay (2005, read my full-length review, here), Gone Baby Gone (2007), 25th Hour (2002), Knocked Up (2007), Traffic (2000), Sideways (2004) and Syriana (2005). 

As of September 7, 2009, this was what I considered to be the top 10:

10. Sin City (2005)

9. Children of Men (2006)

8. Cinderella Man (2005)

7. Memento (2000)

6. The Departed (2006)

5. Training Day (2001)

4. Crash (2004)

3. The 40-Year Old Virgin (2005)

2. Almost Famous (2000)

1. City of God (2002)

Revisionist History: Inglourious Basterds (2009) would be No. 1 on this list, now. I hadn't yet seen it when I replied to Tucc back then. Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece is one of the most complete films I have ever seen. That's "QT" at the height of his powers. 

Sin City was really unique at the time for its cutting-edge visual style, but if not for Inglourious, I would probably replace it with 25th Hour or Sideways, now. I like these lists to have a certain kind of texture - Spike Lee is an important director, and 25th Hour was an important 9/11 elegy. Edward Norton was an elite leading man at the time, too. Notice how Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Judd Apatow and Cameron Crowe all got their due on that list. Spike absolutely should have been there with them. 

Sideways holds up really well for me, too. I'm a huge Paul Giamatti guy - and to me this was his most memorable performance. Alexander Payne is a heavy hitter in the director's chair, as well. 

On to the next decade we go...

Top 10 Movies of the 2010s

Honorable Mention(s):

Steve Jobs (2015): One of my favorites of the 2010s, but "favorite" doesn't necessarily mean "best". Also, like I said, I like these lists to have a certain kind of texture - later on, you will be seeing a similar-type film near the top of my list. Don't want to have too much overlap. Nevertheless, please feel free to check out my full-length review of Steve Jobs, here. 

45 Years (2015): Don't think this film would have made my list back in the aughts. We grow with time, as does our taste in movies. This is a quiet, little film about a lifetime of marriage. How delicate our relationships really are... (full review, here). 

Zero Dark Thirty (2012): I just finished watching Homeland start-to-finish, and now I'm thinking I should probably add Zero Dark Thirty to my top 10. Go America! Fight terrorism! Dude, the bin Laden assassination scene is sick. Director Kathryn Bigelow is simply fantastic. Shout to The Hurt Locker and Point Break, too. 

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018): Best Western of the 2010s (no pun intended). The Coen Brothers really seem at home with Westerns - I was a big No Country for Old Men guy, too. I like the way they let things breathe within this genre, and their cinematography in Scruggs is drop-dead gorgeous. I really enjoyed the six-story structure; it kept things fresh and interesting. The stories ranged from screwball to action to existential despair. Really good, fun stuff. 

Lady Bird (2017): Like I said about 25th Hour earlier - this is an important film. Important for two reasons: (1) for announcing writer/director Greta Gerwig as a serious force in the business and (2) for continuing to show that Saoirse Ronan is one of the most talented actresses of her generation. And ya gotta have a coming-of-age story on your list, right? Here's my full-length review. 

A Star is Born (2018): A classic story, done before...but I found it rather moving. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga showcased scintillating chemistry, and I really enjoyed the original songs. Also, I crack up every time I read Cooper's NY Times interview about this film. The guy is really taking himself seriously these days, lol. 

Ex Machina (2014): Sci-Fi baby, Sci-Fi! Definitely not my thing. But this was a good one. Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac really ground this story with excellent performances, and writer/director Alex Garland knew exactly where he was going with this one. I don't like Sci-Fi movies or TV shows that fly off the rails - the ones that seem to be making it up as they go - but thankfully, that doesn't apply here. Ex Machina is an actors' showcase wrapped in a "message" movie. 

All right, here we go, it's top 10 time...

Photo Credit: Entertainment Wallpaper

(These write-ups are copy/pasted from my correspondence with Tucc.)

10. The Drop (2014)

My sleeper of the decade. 

Simply put...a crime drama done extremely well, featuring the final performance of the great James Gandolfini. Here's my longer review. 

Additional comments: Writer Dennis Lehane is a beast - this guy knows how to execute dark crime dramas. The Drop, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island off the top of my head. A very impressive resume, indeed. 

9. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Alejandro Inarritu got really meta with this one -- especially with Michael Keaton and Ed Norton -- and I wholly appreciate his grand-scale ambition. 

And...ambiguous endings are the way to go! (Here's my full-length review.)

Additional comments: This was an important film because Inarritu was a major player in the 2010s. This movie's critical success allowed him to secure Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Gleeson for his well-liked follow-up, The Revenant (my review, here). Birdman is clearly the better of the two films, though. Overall, you have to appreciate Inarritu's energy and passion for his medium. He's an easy guy to root for. 

8. Her (2013)

In 25 years, we'll look back at Spike Jonze's sad film and think...did he come back from the future? 

Oh wait, he stole the idea from someone else. (Here's my full-length review.)

Additional comments: I loved the look of this film, and the grand ideas behind it. If it just had a little more narrative momentum, I could have gone higher than No. 8. 

7. Django Unchained (2012)

Gotta have one Tarantino, right? 

Christoph Waltz picks up right where he left off, here, and the result is another bloody good time. 

Will Smith turned down the lead role and well...he had to do After Earth, right?

Additional comments: This film has very high replay value for me. It starts so strong, especially when Dr. Schultz is recruiting Django (a game Jamie Foxx) and developing his talents throughout the first half of the movie. If "QT" had cut this film 15-20 minutes shorter, we could have been looking at another 10 out of 10, here (like Inglourious). It runs on just a tad past its welcome; especially when Tarantino enters to do some shitty acting of his own. 

6. Midnight in Paris (2011)

Yeesh...I hope I don't get slayed for selecting a Woody Allen film. 

Annnnyway, to me, a film like this is what the movies are all about: Escaping boring, 9-to-5 life for a fun fantasy filled with refreshing characters and entertaining anecdotes. 

Allen's writing began falling off a cliff with Irrational Man (2015) and approached rock bottom in Cafe Society and Wonder Wheel; but here, he's as sharp as ever. Owen Wilson has never been better. 

Additional comments: If Almost Famous was my feel-good movie of the aughts, Midnight in Paris brings home that very same award for the 2010s. Woody is much-maligned at this point; but this was likely the last hurrah of his renaissance years as a filmmaker. 

5. Moneyball (2011)

In the 80s and 90s, the "sports comeback" and "underdog" stories were beaten to a bloody pulp. 

Thanks to innovative director Bennett Miller, old school movie star Brad Pitt and author Michael Lewis' groundbreaking source material, Moneyball reinvigorated a tired genre in 2011. 

This is a film about two men sitting in an office talkin' baseball, and yet Miller dazzles us with fresh visuals, Mychael Danna surprises us with a touching score and Jonah Hill announces himself as a serious actor worthy of an Oscar nom. 

It's awfully difficult for a sports film to hit fresh notes, but Moneyball does exactly that, and more. 

4. Bridesmaids (2011)

Harvey Weinstein's Hollywood used to fall back on a disgustingly misguided cliche: Women can't carry a comedy. 

In 2011, Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy said FUCK THAT in convincing fashion. 

I watch this movie virtually every time it's on E! or USA. There's no substitute for cast chemistry and camaraderie, and Bridesmaids reinforces that from opening reel to closing credits. 

Additional comments: Perhaps the last, great piece of the Apatow Dynasty - but this one also stands on its own. Wiig, McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and Rose Byrne simply had the collective magic necessary to create a comedy classic. Here's a fun piece on their well-documented chemistry. 

3. Boyhood (2014)

Richard Linklater is probably the most underrated filmmaker of all time. He always swings for the fences, and for that, I tip my cap. 

Sure, Boyhood's decade-long filming is a bit of a gimmick, but this is a movie that shows us ourselves. It's easy to get wrapped up in the petty ills of the present - but looking back on everything, start to finish? 

That's something that is truly worthwhile, and special. 

Additional comments: I remember being up until like 2:30 a.m. after I saw Boyhood for the first time. The exact same thing happened with No. 1 on this list. I guess, for me, that's the mark of a great film. It lingers. You think about how you arrived at its conclusion. The journey, the craft. Linklater has always been fantastic, but this is absolutely his most relatable work to date. I wonder how it will be viewed in 15-20 years. 

2. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Martin Scorsese is 76 years old, but who can match the raw energy of his controversial films? 

Wolf is a long one, but it flies by thanks to Scorsese's deft hand, Leonardo Di Caprio's bullish lead performance and Jordan Belfort's are you kidding me? source material. 

Scorsese has always been known for coaxing classic performances and exploiting explosive bursts of violence, but he can also be quite funny. We could feel that comedic side reintroducing itself in The Departed, but it bursts through the door full-bore in Wolf, on coke. 

Another strong performance from Jonah Hill here, too. 

Additional comments: This film really toes the line - is it an indictment of Belfort and his flock of felons, or an endorsement? Think near the end...Kyle Chandler's FBI man sits on the subway and looks around, dejected and defeated. Who was really living the American way - Belfort or Agent Denham? 

1. The Social Network (2010)

The phrase perfect storm immediately jumps to mind. 

We have director David Fincher at the height of his powers; screenwriter Aaron Sorkin delivering his note-perfect, pitter-patter dialogue; Trent Reznor pounding out a memorable score and young actors Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield taking their games to the next level. 

Not to mention a plot that rolls three reliable storylines into one: misunderstood genius, rags-to-riches and corporate power struggle. High replay value here, too. 

Additional comments: This just feels like THE movie of its time. You know what I mean? Silicon Valley exploded after Facebook. Every "genius" wanted to get theirs. The Social Network perfectly captured a very specific time in American (and really, world) history. Special shouts to Justin Timberlake, Dakota Johnson and Armie Hammer, too. This was a breakout film for a number of immensely talented artists. 

All right, let's go...bring on the debate!