A Look Back at my Favorite Movies of the Decade (2001-10) -- 2/3

2003


Big Fish

Directed By: Tim Burton

"An ebullient tall tale about the magic of imagination and the power of myth."
Lessons of Darkness, Nick Schager

A truly emotional and magical masterpiece by Tim Burton

*****

Mystic River

Directed By: Clint Eastwood

"River leads moviegoers on a suspense-filled, sometimes painful adventure marked by great performances."
Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert

A powerfully-acted movie; incredible performance from all cast

*****

City of God (Cidade De Deus)

Directed By: Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund

"Easily the best gangster flick since Goodfellas."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bob Longino

One of the best gangster movies ever; full of energy and brutal viloence and above all, based on a shocking true story

*****

Finding Nemo

Directed by: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich

"...of those rare movies where I wanted to sit in the front row and let the images wash out to the edges of my field of vision."
Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert

My all-time favorite animated movie; visaully and emotionally rich, and entertaining for the whole family

*****

Kill Bill

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

"...no one combines tension and release, violence and humor, dialogue and action and music and pictures the way (Tarantino) does."
Chicago Tribune, Mark Caro

Another insanely entertaining and violent epic by Tarantino and remarkable performance by Uma Thurman

*****

I'm Not Scared (Io Non Ho Paura)

Directed by: Gabriele Salvatores

"The beautiful photography will have you booking flights to Sicily, while the unsentimental rites-of-passage drama can't fail to touch your heart."
Empire Magazine, Miles Fielder

An Italian masterpiece by Salvatores, with a very profound finale.

*****


2004


Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Directed by: Michel Gondry

"...a radical example of Maze Cinema, that style in which the story coils back upon itself..."
Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert

One of my favorite romantic movies; a fresh, clever and imaginative one with outstanding performances from Carrey and Winslet

*****

Million Dollar Baby

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

"...a masterpiece, pure and simple, deep and true."
Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert

One of my all-time favorite movies; perfectly written by Paul Haggis with great dialogues and brilliant performance by all actors

*****

The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta)

Directed by: Walter Salles

"...beautiful, with strong acting, breathtaking location cinematography and a vibrant story"
Reno Gazette-Journal, Forrest Hartman

An entertaining and thought-provoking journey with the young Che Guevara with very beautiful sceneries

*****

Hotel Rwanda

Directed by: Terry George

"...a calm, riveting ground-zero look at a terrible slice of history."
Chicago Tribune, Michael Wilmington

A personally real eye-opener for the horrible events that took place in Rwanda in 1994 and how the whole world shamefully turned its face away then

*****


2005


Crash

Directed by: Paul Haggis

"...literate, engrossing and occasionally funny look at race relations in Los Angeles."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Eleanor Ringel Gillespie

The racial issues depicted in this movie are expressed so truthfully that they can be applied everywhere in our lives not just in Los Angeles

*****

Cinderella Man

Directed by: Ron Howard

"Here is a movie where a good man prevails in a world where every day is an invitation to despair..."
Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert

A truly moving and inspirational movie by Howard-Crowe partnership, not as brilliant as "A Beautiful Mind" but definitely worth booking a place in this list

A Look Back at my Favorite Movies of the Decade (2001-10) -- 1/3

2006


El Labyrinto Del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

"...a transcendent work of art."
Boston Globe, Wesley Morris

Special movie, one of my all time favorite and a must-watch for fantasy fans

*****

Flags of our Fathers

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

"A unique, challenging look at World War II -- from the battlefield of Iwo Jima to hero worship on the homefront."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bob Longino

A great anti-war movie and another brilliant Eastwood film

*****

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Directed by: Tim Burton

"...a dark revenge tragedy with heartbreak, mayhem and bloody good meat pies."
Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert

My second best musical of the decade after Moulin Rouge, a yet-another great product of the Depp-Burton partnership

*****


2007


300

Directed by: Zack Synder

"...the "Citizen Kane" of cinematic graphic novels."
Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper

The insanely-faithful adaptation of Frank Miller graphic novel was really enjoyable

*****


2008


The Dark Knight


Directed By: Christopher Nolan

"...arguably the moodiest and most adult superhero motion picture ever to reach the screen..."
ReelViews, James Berardinelli

The best superhero movie so far, and a remarkable performance by Heath Ledger

*****


2009


Inglourious Basterds

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

"Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is a big, bold, audacious war movie that will annoy some, startle others and demonstrate once again that he's the real thing, a director of quixotic delights."
Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert

Another crazy Tarantino movie, may be his best one since Pulp Fiction .. Or hmm, may be since Kill Bill

*****


2010


Inception


Directed by: Christopher Nolan

"A devilishly complicated, fiendishly enjoyable sci-fi voyage across a dreamscape that is thoroughly compelling."
Hollywood Reporter, Kirk Honeycutt

Unique experience, and like another earlier Nolan movie "Memento", has to be watched more than once

Ithaca

Ithaca by Constantine P. Cavafy



When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon—do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your heart does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

CONSTANTINE CAVAFY (1863–1933)
translated by Rae Dalven

Greatest Movie Themes -- Rocky -- Going the Distance

One of the greatest movie themes of all-time .. Going the Distance by Bill Conti for "Rocky"