JohnDoe
Bryn
BrentonJohn Doe’s Top 20 Favourite films of the Decade – Part 3 of 3.
January 12th 2010 00:05
JD’s Favourite Films of the Decade - From #20 to 1
Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 40 - 21
Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 41-60
Frank, Gretchen and Donnie doing what JD loves most.
Thank you readers for your Ghost Dog like patience.
1. Donnie Darko (2001)
“Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?” - Frank
Donnie darko the film that engaged JD emotionally and intellectually with a deft balance that no film has ever achieved.
2. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
“Purple in the morning, blue in the afternoon, orange in the evening. There's my three meals, Mr. Smartypants.” - Sara Goldfarb
Jennifer Connelly lives through the dissection of all addiction.
3. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
“Me, I don't talk much... I just cut the hair” – Ed Crane
The Coen Brothers manage homage that is unfaltered in originality, atmosphere and character.
4. Apocalypto (2006)
“I am Jaguar Paw, son of Flint Sky. My Father hunted this forest before me. My name is Jaguar Paw. I am a hunter. This is my forest. And my sons will hunt it with their sons after I am gone.” – Jaguar Paw
5.Wall-E (2008)
“Wall E” - Eve
6. Children of Men (2006)
“I can't really remember when I last had any hope, and I certainly can't remember when anyone else did either. Because really, since women stopped being able to have babies, what's left to hope for?” – Theodore Faron
7. Let The Right One In (2008)
“What happens if you walk in anyway?” – Oskar
8. Mysterious Skin (2004)
“I was bleeding, I kept passing out, I wet my bed, and you never asked why!” - Brian
9. Wonderboys (2000)
“So there it was. Somewhere in the night, a Manhattan book editor was prowling the streets of Pittsburgh; best-selling author at his side, dead dog in his trunk.” – Grady Tripp
10. No Country For Old Men (2007)
“What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss.” – Anton Chiguhr
11. The Wrestler (2008)
“The only place I get hurt is out there…The world don't give a shit about me.” – The Ram
12. Memento (2000)
“Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts.” - Lenny
13. Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2008)
“Well, I'm sorry to hear you feel that way, as I put such stock in your opinion. As for me being a gunslinger, I've just got this one granddaddy Paterson Colt and a borrowed belt to stick it in. But I also got an appetite for greater things. I hoped by joining up with you, it'd put me that much closer to getting them.”– Robert Ford
14. There Will Be Blood (2007)
“You're a bastard from a basket.” – Daniel Plainview
15. Old Boy (2003)
“If you stand aimlessly at a phone booth on a rainy day, and meet a man whose face is covered by a violet umbrella, I'd suggest that you get close to the TV.” - Dae-su Oh
This hammer battle alone would have placed Old Boy in the Top 60.
16. Zodiac (2007)
"I Need to know who he is. I need to stand there, I need to look him in the eye and I need to know that it's him." - Robert Graysmith
17. A History of Violence (2005)
“Yeah? Well, why don't you ask "Tom" about his older brother Ritchie in Philadelphia? Ask "Tom" how he once tried to rip my eye out with barbed wire. And ask him, Edie... ask him how come he's so good at killing people.” – Carl Fogaty
18. Love’s a Bitch (Amores Perros) (2000)
“You know what my grandmother used to say? If you want to make God laugh... tell Him your plans.” -Susana
19. Sin City (2005)
“I love hitmen. No matter what you do to them, you don't feel bad.”- Marv
20. The Incredibles (2004)
“No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!” – Mr Incredible
Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 40 - 21
Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 41-60
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I'd certainly have Memento, No Country For Old Men, Amores Perros, Oldboy, Let the Right One In, WALL-E and Requiem For A Dream up there though.
Seems everyone's doing best of the decade lists ... Sheesh, now I might have to do a Horrorphile one, 'cept it will require a bit of time.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
John Doe, we agree on Wonderboys, Mysterious Skin, and Sin City
Donnie Darko is an interesting no.1, its got some great qualities, but essentially i dont really like time travel movies much, the whole schizophrenia aspect is interesting though
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
movies that leave enough space for you to sit there and dwell on the paradox usually arent enjoyable to me . . . unless they contain a Flux Capacitor
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
movie quote time . . .
Dr. Emmett Brown: [reads the "Save the Clock Tower" flyer and reacts with hope] This is it! This is the answer. It says here... that a bolt of lightning is going to strike the clock tower at precisely 10:04pm, next Saturday night! If... If we could somehow... *harness* this lightning... *channel* it... into the flux capacitor... it just might work. Next Saturday night, we're sending you back to the future!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Sorry I haven't commented on your own best of the decade but i will shortly.
As for the adventures of Donnie Darko...
The quality that Donnie possesses over all the others is that emotional engagement to match the intellectual intrigue. The tangeable storyline really let's you find what ever sort of film your looking for in it's framework. All character narratives arc to a conclusion or purpose.
Depending on which thread you take it morphs into a study of life, death and grief. Human psychology and yes the concept of time itself. Or you can be emotionally engaged with individual characters and there place within the films lexicon.
I guess what I'm saying is look for a high school comedy and you will find it. A romantic drama, science fiction fable, a mind screw horror all the different ways to view Donnie Darko.
Wow that was a little outburst, i have purposefully not reviewed the film here because I can't be remotely objective nor form coherenet sentences to describe why Richard Kelly's debut feature enthrals me so much. A Hypnotic melding of sound and vision is probably a good place to start.
See, can't help myself when it comes to this film....the secret is out.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Sorry I haven't found time to visit your own 40 of the decade yet, but i will.
Glad we agree on a few here, every one searches for different things in film.
It amazes me Wonderboys isn't lauded more, it has such a perfect script in my eyes. The entire cast bring the dialogue to life and the direction has passion. Robert Downney jnr goes beyond his own high benchmarks here with impish glee he corrupts and liberates. Michael Douglas plays his age and is happy to linger in his characters faults. Frances McDormand, superb...even Tobey Maguire and Katey Holmes bring something.
Sin City is a comic book transposed to screen with unseen loyalty.
Mysterious Skin challenged with care and amazing empathy...a powerful topic that is imploding with insight instead of exploding in obvious melodrama and exploitation.
As for Donnie, see the above comment to Bryn for more information.
Thanks for reading Morgan.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Original cut all the way for me. Though the idea of his pills being placebo capsules of water was cool they give to much away about the plot in the Director's Cut. That restricts enjoying the film as a participant. The soundtrack changes also irked.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
JD - nice 20! Donnie's a very worthy number 1 - would probably be in my top 5. Good calls on Wall-E, Amores Perros, Old Boy, Memento and The Man Who Wasn't There. Once again reminds me that there is always so much more to see.
Always much more to see, but its also fun to rewatch favourites too.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Give me Echo and the Bunnymen over INXS anyday! The soundtrack choices severely changed the mood and tone of the scenes they went over...instead of illicit a similar feel.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Yay Donnie Darko!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bloody LOVE that movie!!
And Mysterious Skin just missed my list!
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Morgan is a legend for doing the links, I really need to repay the favor and put links up for yours and hers too....but i am a lazy man so it is nothing personal if I fail.
Knew i would not be alone in my love of Mr Darko...