The Last Ten Years

A decade has come to an end, and as long as we keep consistent, I suppose that the popular idea that decades end with the nine becoming a zero is hardly worth arguing about. Psychologically speaking it is much more powerful than the 1-10 chronology.

This decade has ended on a sad chorus for me, first with the economy turning distinctly downhill and then with my dad passing the night before Thanksgiving and my grandmother on 12/29. I will miss them both, each for their own reasons. Reflecting on them, I think I managed to learn the best of their traits and avoid the less pleasant ones, although I have my own flaws and limitations.

Not being much in the mood to review a decade I would really rather have not endured, although I am glad for my friends in it, I will return to movies as a favorite subject and perhaps a mirror. I'm not going to try to list a 10 best of the decade, as I did not see many films that many people might put on such a list, and such a list is too short for the many excellent films that came out, and in any case I do not feel like judging such a list. I will instead list the films that touched me most deeply for one reason or another, and we'll see how long the list is. They will basically be in chronological order.


Cast Away

The story of a person isolated on an island, and how he survives and returns to civilization. More than anything it inspires one to never give up.

Amelie

This delightful tale of a young woman in Paris was a comfort and reminded me it was ok to just be oneself.

Possession

This was a delightful mix of romance, discovery of the past and parallel tales.

The Harry Potter films

A wonderfully done and involving set of tales set in a different world that is not so different in other ways, I have enjoyed these and the books in the series immensely.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

I liked this illustration of the power of weddings to merge not just two people, but two families and different cultures.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Although I don't have the nest egg to do something like this, the idea of starting over some place else has a powerful appeal, as much as I love Portland and the people I know here.

Pride and Prejudice

I actually saw two versions of this classic tale in this decade, as well as reading the book for the first time. I prefer the 1995 miniseries when I have the time to watch it, although the 2005 movie is also interesting. The story is a favorite in written or visual form. I think part of the appeal is that I never had any sisters in my immediate family, but that is a minor portion of it.

The Holiday

This one I enjoyed because of the mixture of travel and discovering people in new places.

Music and Lyrics

This one was really just the perfect blend of music and the lyrics of a budding relationship. My favorite moment is actually during the first part of the credits where she sweeps her stuff off of the piano as he is reaching to remove it yet again.

Juno

This movie was a delightfully funny look at an often sad subject, and I loved it because it got its laughs by letting a girl be intelligent and interact with other intelligent people without resorting to stupid pratfalls.

Definitely, Maybe

This was an enjoyable look at the choices we make in our relationships and learning what we really want.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

This one came out at about the same time as Definitely, Maybe, and it appealed for similar reasons, even though the story was rather different and set back on a day at the eve of World War II instead of being spread out over a decade or more.

An Education

This one was about smart people and the choices they make and what they will and will not overlook, with an icing of second chances and what to do with them.


And a few more out of order that should be in the list upon further reflection:

Panic Room
Flightplan
V for Vendetta

I liked these three because they were about ordinary people pushed into corners who found the inner strength to get out of them.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

This was an extraordinary tale of long-ago China, and enjoyable on many levels, even with the ending.

Bladerunner

I will include this also, as we saw another cut released to theaters for the third decade in a row. I have always liked this movie for looking at what it means to be human.

The Bourne Trilogy
Casino Royale and Quantum of Silence

These films reinvented the spy action film genre and demonstrated that one could have characters driving the action instead of simply being cardboard cutouts. The also looked at how our memories shape who we are.

Stranger Than Fiction

This was a look at the characters we are and how we make choices, and a very intelligent film that gets to its ended based on the characters decisions rather than just a formula ending.


There were a number of other very good films over the last ten years. The ones I listed were movies that looked at what it is to be human and a person in society, and feel and care and make decisions based on that rather than just greed and selfishness. They showed that what we have inside is much more important than what we look like outside. They were movies that in at least a small but significant way managed to show me something about myself or something that I admired, in addition to being entertaining.