Decade of Film - 2010 to 2019 - A Retrospective
The 2010s marked my first full decade of adulthood. In terms of film, this meant that it was the first decade in which I was able to appreciate the films of the decade in their own time, as I was no longer inhibited by the MPAA. This was the first decade in which I actively attempted to see as many films in a given year as possible, aided by AMC’s Best Picture Showcase, the ability to find pretty much anything on the internet, and the advice of the stellar film podcast, Filmspotting. I also attended a couple of film schools, which expanded my horizons as a film viewer, and, of course, introduced me to my film buddy, Sarah. All in all, it’s been a great decade of film for me.
It was difficult to choose what I consider the best film in each year of the decade (because I’m still catching up on this year’s films, and thus I consider my 2019 pick to be tentative). However, I feel that the films that I chose did what I want every film to do for me. Each of my following choices did at least one of the following for me in the 2010s: showed me something new, taught me about life, changed my expectations of film, and/or challenged me as a viewer. Here are my favorite films from each year of the ‘10s. - Bailey
The 2010s marked a period of change for me. I graduated from college, then graduated from grad school, and have navigated a series of challenging career changes, pre, post, and during my time spent in school. If you had asked me in 2010 where I saw myself in 2019, I certainly would not have answered: ‘writing a film & TV blog with my friend Bailey.’ I’m grateful for each of the experiences the decade has brought me, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the coming years.
In selecting films from the last decade, 2010-2019, my aim was to choose films that have an inherent re-watchability. To me, one of cinemas biggest features is its ability to entertain, so my picks represent the films that I found to be that ‘just right’ combination of artistry and entertainment; films I know that I will watch again in the coming decades. Enjoy! - Sarah
2010
Bailey – Black Swan (dir. Darren Aronofsky)
This movie had one advantage going in for me: being centered in the world of ballet. Add in the simultaneous breakdown and liberation of a woman striving for perfection, and you’ve got everything I wanted in a film to start out the decade. Aronofsky employs tricks to provide visual foreshadowing, subversions, and reversals that remind me of what Stephen Sondheim does with music. Practically every shot contains a little hint into the internal world of Nina (Natalie Portman). This is possibly the only film that I have ever had to stop at times to watch literally frame by frame.
Sarah – Easy A (dir. Will Gluck)
A teen comedy, a la John Hughes, but loosely based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter? Yes, please! This film is one of the best teen comedy films, and really resonated with me, given some of my high school experiences… Let’s just say, rumor mills can be vicious, and you can’t always believe what you hear... Easy A is hilarious, features a wonderful supporting cast, and helped launch Emma Stone as a star.
2011
Bailey – A Separation (dir. Asghar Farhadi)
Watching A Separation was one of the tensest viewing experiences of my life. Farhadi presents a cast of some of the most complicated characters ever put to screen. He forces audience loyalties to shift from person to person until you don’t know who you are or what is right anymore. In one small story, Farhadi takes the idea that ‘someone out there has it worse that you’ and then adds on ‘but you also still kind of have it worse than them, too,’ in an unending circle of thought. The film ultimately questions ideas of choice, and who to consider, and with what degree to consider them when making those choices.
Sarah – The Artist (dir. Michel Hazanavicius)
The Artist is a celebration of black-and-white photography, silent films, and the emergence of the talkie. Set in Hollywood between the years of 1927 and 1932, the plot of the film focuses on an older film star, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), who grapples with the rapid changes happening in cinema, whilst also falling in love with a rising starlet, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). The Artist is a truly well-done French film, which explores the glamour of traditional Hollywood cinema, and is one movie that I see myself revisiting and appreciating for years to come.
2012
Bailey – Frances Ha (dir. Noah Baumbach)
I relate a little too closely to Frances in this movie. This is probably due to the fact that I caught up with this movie at one of the most vulnerable points in my life: post-grad school. Like Frances, I was shaken by the slow and painful rejection of everything around me and felt stuck in a place of refusing to give up on my dreams, while also inside realizing they were pretty much dead. Like Frances, I felt like an alien around my successful friends and acquaintances, or, rather, that they were the actual aliens and didn’t realize it. This film made me realize just how natural my position was, and watching Frances make adjustments and pull herself out of her slump was an inspiration. It’s a movie that made me embrace my moment in life, and I hope in the future to look back on it, in it’s nostalgic black-and-white, and sort of miss those days.
Sarah – Moonrise Kingdom (dir. Wes Anderson)
I don’t think I could talk about the best films of the decade without having a least one Wes Anderson film make the cut. His direction, mise-en-scène, use of superb ensemble casts, and overall unique approach to film aesthetics, particularly his use of color, is captivating. Moonrise Kingdom is a great example of Anderson’s auteurist approach to filmmaking, as you know you are watching a Wes Anderson film from the moment the film begins, even if the storyline revolves around a simple coming-of-age tale involving runaway children and the search party organized to find them.
2013
Bailey – Only Lovers Left Alive (dir. Jim Jarmusch)
You know when you’ve lived for hundreds of years and you feel that existential dread creeping in, so you have to call your wife to come from overseas to listen to some music and have some quality philosophical discussion whilst sipping on the finest O negative? Man, this movie is awesome.This was a hilarious, beautifully shot, masterfully acted critique of humanity’s impact on, and place in, the world over the past century, or so, from the eyes of those who have been here forever.
Sarah – Frozen (dir. Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee)
For me, this may be the film of the decade. I do not think that any other animated film has had such a major impact since the early days of animation. Whether you love the film, or hate the film, Frozen will go down in history as a cultural phenomenon. From the gorgeous animation to the catchy songs (such as: “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “Let it Go”), this ‘Snow Queen’ inspired tale became an instant classic and will delight audiences, both young and old, for generations to come.
2014
Bailey – Whiplash (dir. Damien Chazelle)
I love a good movie about mind games. Like Black Swan, Whiplash’s main character is an artist striving for perfection without being able to truly define it. Drummer, Andrew (Miles Teller), abandons himself entirely in order to meet the expectations of conservatory conductor, Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a looming, indecipherable figure with nearly-impossible standards. The entire film consists of Fletcher badgering and abusing his students, all the while the audience wonders if it is all to a purpose, or if he’s just having fun... The final scene in the film is spectacular, containing some of my favorite extreme close-ups that I have ever seen.
Sarah – Into the Woods (dir. Rob Marshall)
I’m a sucker for a good movie musical. “Into the Woods” is one of my favorite musicals, and this take on Sondheim’s 1986 hit Broadway musical does not disappoint. I couldn’t help but compare this film to the 1991 American Playhouse recording, starring Bernadette Peters as the witch, but quite enjoyed the 2014 film, particularly the performances of Meryl Streep as the witch and Johnny Depp as the wolf. In a time when musicals are a rare occurrence at the cinema, I appreciated Into the Woods’ attempt to bring the joy of musicals back to the big screen.
2015
Bailey – Inside Out (dir. Pete Docter)
This was another film that hit me on a very personal level. Inside Out is wildly imaginative, clever, and fun. However, what makes the film stand out is its truly affecting dramatic turn. Leave it to a Pixar film to explain to me the complexity of human emotion. This, along with Zootopia, is a movie that I’m so grateful that kids are able to grow up with nowadays. It’s a story that can only make us more understanding, more open, and just plain better people. Films like this geared toward young audiences give me a little bit of hope for the future.
Sarah – Jupiter Ascending (dir. The Wachowskis)
I firmly believe that this feminist space opera is on its way to becoming a cult film. Many critics hated it, calling Jupiter Ascending in-coherent, but I think that it makes just as much sense as Star Wars (1977) or The Fifth Element (1997), but with a Dickensian level of complexity. This can be seen best in the scene where Jupiter (Mila Kunis) attempts to claim her inheritance, visiting desk after desk in attempt after attempt to transverse the bureaucratic eccentricities of an alien planet (akin to the long running legal case in Dickens’ Bleak House). Each time that I have watched the film, I appreciate it more and more. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is certainly entertaining.
2016
Bailey – Hunt for the Wilderpeople (dir. Taika Waititi)
I had already been a big fan of 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows, but it was in Hunt for the Wilderpeople that I saw the true brilliance and heart of Taika Waititi. I can do nothing but love a person who can make a movie like this. Everything - the silliness and sweetness drawn from such small moments, the breathtaking circular panning shot in the wintery bush, and the broad-stroke supporting characters that enhance the humanity of the central characters – was clearly written and directed by a soul that knows true love and wonder.
Sarah – Train to Busan (dir. Yeon Sang-ho)
This has to be one of the best zombie films I have ever seen. Train to Busan is a South Korean zombie-apocalypse-action-thriller, which I watched on a lark, and was not prepared for the high-octane ride that this film is from beginning to end. The final scene, with little Su-an (Kim Su-an) singing “Aloha ‘Oe,” is so moving and powerful, something I was not expecting of a zombie film. If you haven’t watched this film, please do, it is surprisingly good.
2017
Bailey – The Florida Project (dir. Sean Baker)
Sean Baker blew my mind in The Florida Project. This movie depicts a summer for the residents of a motel outside of Disney World. With a cast of mostly unknown and nonprofessional actors, the film captures life, particularly childhood, in the most authentic manner I have ever seen in film. This is due both to Baker’s direction of the actors, allowing a masterfully controlled improvisation from all of his actors, but also in his direction of the camera, allowing the children to ignore the visual space that he creates in the frame. In my opinion, The Florida Project is the best film of the decade.
Sarah – Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (dir. Angela Robinson)
This film sent me on a bit of a research spiral that included reading early (uncensored) “Wonder Woman” comics, as it is a thought-provoking look into a piece of American cultural history. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is a very well-acted and directed biographical drama that explores the polyamorous relationship of William Moulton Marston, the ‘creator’ of ‘Wonder Woman,’ and his wife, Elizabeth, and his student (also their lover), Olive Byrne. This enjoyable film cements Wonder Woman’s place in popular culture as the ultimate icon of female empowerment.
2018
Bailey – The Favourite (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
Did somebody say more mind games? I’m in!!! Starring Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, and Olivia Coleman, The Favourite pits three compelling and cutthroat women against each other. Sure, there are men in the film as well, but they’re pretty much just frivolous pawns in the game of the three leads. Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his bizarre sense of humor, his removed, almost clinical perspective of sexual activity, and his consideration of the positive and negative consequences of human relationships. In The Favourite, we get all of this in spades, plus some hilariously surprising anachronisms for a period film that allow an irreverent yet insightful attitude toward the complexity of relationships and power.
Sarah – Crazy Rich Asians (dir. Jon M. Chu)
I usually hate book to film adaptations, but Crazy Rich Asians is the rare exception where the film is (dare I say it?) just as good as the novel (gasp!). The opulence described in the novel is expertly crafted and brought to life in this film, which skillfully plays up the humor and social nuances between the characters without going overboard or deviating too far from the original text. This is that ‘Goldilocks’ of page-to-screen adaptations, where everything worked out ‘just right.’ Crazy Rich Asians is a funny feast-for-the-eyes, and one of the best romantic comedy films in years.
2019
Bailey – Hustlers (dir. Lorene Scafaria)
Like I said, I have not yet seen even half of the films from 2010 that I will have in the next few months (Booksmart and The Lighthouse are two films that I most regret having not seen at this time), but, for now, Hustlers has been the movie that brought me the most joy and satisfaction in 2019. It’s a fun, funny, cathartic look at the divide between the rich white men who spend with reckless abandon on self-indulgences, and the struggling women who, while also spending the money they steal with reckless abandon, do so with a sense of responsibility and care for each other. It’s certainly up there for me on my all-time list of revenge films.
Sarah – The Dead Don’t Die (dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Choosing a film for 2019 was hard, as there are so many films from this year that I still want to see, but am patiently awaiting their being released on DVD… With that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Jim Jarmusch’s comedic take on the zombie flick. The Dead Don’t Die was the slow but hilarious take on the current zombie craze that I didn’t know I needed. The subject matter and deadpan humor might not be for everyone, but the cast, including Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Danny Glover, Chloë Sevigny, and Carol Kane, does an excellent job at providing some believability and levity in an otherwise unbelievable scenario.
I cannot wait to see what films are released in the coming decade! What are your favorite films from the past ten years? What do you think of our choices? What are you most looking forward to watching in the coming months? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to check back later this week for our January Film Club Pick! Thank you for reading!
Happy New Year!!!
Copyright © 2020 Sarah Crane & Bailey Lizotte
