In which I talk about the best films of the noughties: Volume 1

A little introduction...

I've come across many a list lately about the best films of the decade from 2000 - 2009, and quite frankly, I'm sick of them being filled with movies I don't like. The logical step seems to be to make my own list of the 50 best films that I've seen over the last decade. There are, naturally, problems:

1) I haven't seen all the films, ok, and that's why you won't find "Up" on this list, among others.

2) This is an opinion piece. These are MY favourite films. I shall attempt to describe why I like them so much, but I'm not asking for a dissertation about why Kill Bill should be on here. Mostly because I haven't seen it. If it's not on the list, in fact, just assume I haven't seen it. I would, however, LOVE any recommendations.

3) Some decades seem to have a lot fewer candidates than others. I can't explain it, and quite frankly I don't know what I was doing in those years, movie-wise. Hmm.

2000

1. Best In Show (2000)

This is Christopher Guest’s best mockumentary, possibly helped by all the puppies. Five dogs compete for the title of Best In Show at the Mayflower Dog Show in Philadelphia, while the audience is invited to judge the behaviour of their owners. Each dog is matched with an appropriate owner (the uptight yuppies own a high-maintenance weimaraner, the poodle belongs with the upper-upper-class), but as Guest just lets his actors run with their dialogue, true neuroses and characters are revealed. The documentary style works perfectly along with the parody, and the performances are spot on (Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock and John Michael Higgins in particular).

Best scene: the yuppies detail how they met.

"We met at Starbucks. Not at the same Starbucks but we saw each other at different Starbucks across the street from each other."

2. The Dish (2000)

Doing what the Australian film industry has the capacity to do best, this quiet little movie has a great big heart. Telling the story of the first moon landing from the antipodeans’ standpoint, four men strive to bring the photographs to the world while trying to sort out their own problems – high winds, power blackouts and not letting anyone realise that they’ve lost Apollo 11. These writers are experts at creating beautiful and endearing characters, especially of the small-town variety.

Best scene: Glenn demonstrates how satellites work, using a basketball.

"Imagine the earth is a basketball."

"This'll be good."

"And on top of the basketball there's...what's the name of the thing you put the pump into?"

"A hole."

"Yeah, but it's got a name."

"The valve?"

"The valve! Imagine on top there's a valve, and on the bottom there's another valve, and..."

"You know, basketballs only have one valve, Glenn."

"Well, what's something that's got two valves?"

"Tuba?"

"It's gotta be round."

"Tambourine?"

"That doesn't have valves!"

"Coconut!"