"Asshole. Pure and simple."
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
(2005) Alex Gibney
Let's face facts: I was an art student and am probably not the best person to consult when it comes to current events or "what's going on." But man, after I watched "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," I felt like we'd been missing the point of this past decade. Our biggest villains weren't really politicians, killers or eery Aryans like usual. The biggest bastards of the oughts were greedy and gross businessman, and "Enron" was the documentary that proved it. Director Gibney made the evils of Enron understandable enough for anyone to watch this movie. A huge selling point for people who just don't understand business, and need to how they've been screwed. Yet Gibney presents the fact in showing how Enron profited by way of the Bushes, forest fires, fudged numbers and so much more that's wrong with big corporations.
Killer Skilling: http://www.youtube.com
"Which one of these is not like the other?"
Billy Elliot
(2000) Stephen Daldry
A fairy tale about being yourself disguised as an English kitchen-sink drama, "Billy Elliot" was a strange kind of magic. Jamie Bell, in a now iconic first role is the titular, toe-tapping Billy, the younger son of an English mine on strike. What should be seemingly pat and cutesy stuff is a balancing act of gritty spectacle and the light touch of dance and music. Is it about coming out and being true? Is this comedy of gender roles? Or is "Billy Elliot" an advocate for the arts and their power to enrich and even save people? A little bit of all of that really. "Billy Elliot" is divine film. And all I know, is that "I ain't no fookin' poof."
Angry dancing: http://www.youtube.com
"F*ckin' Iguanas. How Do They Work?"
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
(2009) Werner Herzog
I've expressed my thoughts on how this commentary on institutional failure is both a supernatural tour-de-force and lead acting showcase. But here's my real argument as to why this deserves to be on more "best of" lists: This may well be the closest damn thing we'll have to a deserving cult classic from the last decade. From iguanas to dancing souls to Nic Cage on crack (on screen this time!) to Werner Herzog's willingness to go hog wild, "Bad Lieutenant" scores for its gonzo memorability. Just watch the clip below and not pull a "WTF"! Start randomly asking people about iguanas. I swear, it'll be worth it! "Bad Lieutenant" was sadly under-seen and deserves an audience, especially a cultish one. You know that general complaint about Nic Cage being a bad actor who makes bad decisions? Watch this film for some new insight on that.
Fucking iguanas. http://www.youtube.com
"They're both single, ladies."
Sideways
(2004) Alexander Payne
This might not have made the list, had I not recently re-viewed it on FX. To compare this film to fine wine is so appropriate, not only because of the plot-based metaphors (two buddies gulping it up in Napa Valley for a bachelor weekend), but because this film really has aged well. I get it much better now. "Sideways" is the ultimate thinking-man's buddy comedy. The film understands the nuances and seeming confusions that come with having best friends. You know the realtionships, where one party always has to explain and account for the other, yet the thought of two people not being friends confuses others. Miles and Jack perfectly embody being buds. Added bonus: "Sideways" also displays Payne's signature freaky and farcical humor. Can you say hilarious full-frontal nudity?
Would you like some Merlot? http://www.youtube.com
"Think Blake, just with records instead."
High Fidelity
(2000) Stephen Frears
Here's another case of a film that just gets better and better as I age. Between its recent addition to the "Frugal Theater," Mark making me piss my pants with a "Kathleen Turner Overdrive," and my just being able to appreciate this film's obsessions for pop culture and love-lives (they really do go hand-in-hand), I find that "High Fidelity" is a movie that really understands me. And hopefully, I've come to understand it too. "High Fidelity" is also probably the romantic comedy of this decade, with its self-aware wit, relatable concerns and affable characters.
We all know the funny scenes. Try this on for some self-reflexivity: http://www.youtube.com
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