A Decade in Film 2000-2009, fondly called the...

A Decade in Film

2000-2009, fondly called the ‘noughties’ by many critics, is a decade that can be described as problematic, turbulent, and rife with events that have made their mark in history. And what was one of the remarkable plaudits of this decade was the unwavering power of cinema. Long after the first moving picture was shown in the 18^th century, films still possess a strong hold of its audience. With the advent of groundbreaking technology that further bolstered our moviegoing experience, cinema has never been this amazing. With the early sfx of Kubrick’s magnum opus 2001: A Space Odyssey, technology has evolved from granular focus into the green screen. As the decade ends, we are introduced to another stage of movie-making magic through James Cameron’s Avatar, signaling a new era of cinematic technology. It is vast, breathtaking, and unforgettable.

But that is not to take the spotlight away from the small art house gems that have found their way into the film radar. Small budget films like Primer, Donnie Darko, and Serbis have all made waves in the international film circuit, earning their share of cheers and jeers from critics and moviegoers. Most of these small independent films await screening and distribution through film festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Telluride, and New York.

Citing this sudden emergence of the independent flicks, big production houses have also caught up and launched outfits of their own (Warner Independent and Fox Searchlight). In the Philippines, just like any other pulse, filmmakers have blown up this ‘trend’ into mind-boggling proportions, as exhibited by numerous ‘film festivals’ granting seed money to burgeoning ‘auteurs.’ It was not too long until the entire scene became commercialized, populated by forgotten starlets and young and well-endowed men looking to jumpstart or revive their careers through gay exploitation films.

Blockbusters have also exploded into epic proportions, which would be an understatement if you consider The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Comic book adaptations have caught on intelligent material, especially with the emergence of formerly little-known directors such as Christopher Nolan helming these projects. Comedy has also rebounded, specifically with the gangs of Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow, Will Ferrel, and other SNL alumni. Overall, it’s been an exciting time for movie geeks.

So here we are, with our best of the decade list, presented in no particular order. Like any other list, we have blind spots, but it is actually hard to just select a handful of films from the very, very, very long array of films released within the decade. Gathering some of the most rabid film geeks in Pinoy Tumblr, we decided to come up with a list from a Filipino perspective. After much discussion, death threats, furniture hurling, and deliberation, the list was trimmed down into fifty —a select group of films that, we think, best represents the decade. Aside from this, two of us also made separate lists of the best Filipino films in the past ten years.

Violent reactions? Please use the Disqus comment boxes every after entry or simply reblog with commentary. Enjoy reading the list. Don Jaucian