So here it is. Fuck the AFI and screw Rolling Stone, here is FreddieBlack’s best movies of this decade. We know that many will be shocked and appalled that we have left their favorites off the list, and we’ll apologize in advance for any unrest our selection may cause. The fact of the matter is, there were more than ten great movies made over the past ten years. There were hundreds. We tried to shy away from the obvious choices, and instead chose movies that mattered for a particular reason. So here we present, without further ado, FreddieBlack’s selections for the ten best movies of the 2000’s, in alphabetical order.

Christian Bale in American Psycho

American Psycho (2000)

Along with The Big Lebowski, probably the most cult movie of the past fifteen years. Not only did it introduce Christian Bale to many and cement his skill to others, the movie is truly fear-inducing if one really thinks about it. It’s not the blood, not the macabre references, but the cool, calm, demeanor that Bale delivers his rampage with that’s terrifying. By the end (was it all just a dream?) you are throughly convinced that a clean, wealthy, porcelain-like man could be capable of the worst kind of murder. And the truth it, it happens in real life all the time. That’s the scary part.

Apocalypto (2007)

Love him or hate him, Mel Gibson knows how to make a movie that stays with its audience. We would have put The Passion of the Christ on the list, not for it religious undertones or as any sort of statement, but more because the movie is even more intense than our selection, but it doesn’t lend itself to being watched over and over. We couldn’t keep Apocalypto out of our DVD player for the first month we bought it. Has so much ever been said, while saying so little? The movie is a chase from beginning to end, and you literally feel you’re a part of it. This is the extremely rare movie that is actually worthy of the “Edge of You Seat” title.

The Aviator (2004)

The Aviator almost sucked. Seconds before Leonardo and Martin signed on, the movie was about to become a John Malkovich directed and staring production, almost certainly only focusing on the largely false rumors that circulated Hughes’ last years. But when the mammoth star and the legendary director both signed the dotted line, history was already in the making. One of the only actors we can think of that could truly represent Hughes’ indulgent early playboy life as well as his later years filled with constant pain and paranoia was Dicaprio. He nails is perfectly, in a tribute that Hughes, as of the greatest filmmakers of all time (in his own right), would almost certainly be happy to see. Best biopic since Raging Bull, hands down.

Honorable Mention: ALI

Borat: Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

Completely and obviously hysterical, Borat is really a piece of genius. Why? The movie, for anyone who can get past the side-splitting humor, or wants to for that matter, forces people around the world to seriously take a look at themselves, their morals, and their culture. When Borat somehow engages an entire group of Southern bar patrons to join in on the chorus to “Throw the Jew Down the Well”, we really are forced to ask ourselves how far we’ve come as a species. This film completely changed comedies and movies in general.

Cast Away (2000)

Everyone knew how good Tom Hanks was before, but this tour de force shows the serious range of his talent. We cannot think of a popular star who has made more turns down more unexpected roads than Hanks. Take a look at his IMDB and its hard to believe he’s actually done all he has. If there is one performance that actually does show the true range of his talent, it would be Cast Away. How one man alone on a screen with a incredibly well-done piece of product placement can captivate our attention for an entire movie is a testament to the writing, acting, and direction of this masterpiece.

City of God (2002)

Living in the wealthy nations of western Europe or North America (excluding Mexico), the worst kind of street violence we can think of is that of south central Los Angeles or the outskirts of London. The fact of the matter is, there is a completely lawless side of this world many of us will never see. If you’ve ever wondered what absolute hell on Earth looks like, see City of God. This is the story of a group of youths in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil struggling to find an identity in a world of chaos. The direction of photography is ridiculous, the young actors do an amazing job, and most startling of all, the story is 100% true.

Iron Man (2008)

Funny-man and exceptional writer Jon Faverau (Swingers, Made) converted his name into a household one when he released this futuristic interpretation of the somewhat forgotten Iron Man comic in 2008. What he simultaneously managed to accomplish was to make a superhero movie that appealed and was appreciated by the non-comicbook crowd as well as the devoted dweebs (Sorry). We’ve sat through the Spidermans, overrated Supermans, and most the other sub-par genre fillers that littered the decade, but the real gem amongst the group is this one. With it fast-talking and faster-flying front man RDJ doing by far the best portrayal of a man with some super machinery, Iron Man is one for the ages. Let’s hope they don’t ruin it with #2, but if the same crew is in place, we’re looking forward to Cuba Gooding getting his wings.

Ratatouille (2007)

Anyone who is a frequent reader of Freddie knows we love food as well as professional cooking. No one thing since this film has done more for the future of the culinary arts since The Joy of Cooking. Not only is the little guy undeniably cute, as is the story, but intertwined with the little rat (we feel a little bad calling him that), cooking is the other main character of this movie. This is what puts this flick slightly above Finding Nemo and Shrek, both of which are absolutely fantastic. There was unprecedented growth amongst the youth market in the interest of cooking, with more kids than ever taking to the kitchen, which we guarantee will result in the most talented crop of chefs to ever take to the kitchen about 20 years from now. If a film could do this for art, writing, or music, it will certainly makes Freddie’s 2010’s list.

Running Down a Dream (2007)

Who doesn’t like Tom Petty? As American as baseball or apple pie, Tom Petty has hits that seem to ring true to almost everyone’s ears, and he just keeps on making them. Plan and simple, with the possible exception of Martin Scorsese’s No Direction Home, there has never been a better rock’ n roll documentary ever made. The reason this doc made our list and Dylan’s story did not is simple: This movie feels like a ride down hit and memory lane, and Dylan’s story feels more like a lecture in history class. Both extremely interesting, one in a slightly less textbook sort of way. We were really trying to find room on the list for both of these insta-classics, but it just wasn’t meant to be, as good ol’ Tom would say.

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Where did it start? Was it Super Troopers, or the obvious choice of Old School? Whatever the final decision may be, the film where this new breed of comedy, our generation’s comedy, hit its full stride was in this masterpiece from 2005. From the opening dialogue, it was clear this movie was not your grandfather’s politically correct hack job or even your parents Eddie Murphy type. No, this was unabashedly ours. It’s vulgar, in-you-face and proud. The thing that puts this one over the top was it has everything: The one liners, the turns from great talent (Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour), the layers that provide countless viewing while still finding new jokes, and just the right amount of heart. From top to bottom, it’s a comedy for the 21st century.

Honorable Mention: Meet the Parents

So there you have it people. Hopefully the poisonous arrowheads will stay in their pouches and we won’t be scolded too harshly, but we do ask that you let us know which ones you think should make the top, especially if there some maybe not everyone has seen. In conclusion, a look through the movies made in the 2000’s tells us that even if the world is going to Hell in a hand-basket, great flicks are continuing to be made, and we’ll bet they will for a very long time to come.