So it's the end of the decade.

Which I missed. For about a week I passively clicked on "Best Things Ever of the 00s" or whatever they're calling them without really thinking why this deluge of lists, besides that it makes easy features.

I was just starting high school when the decade started. It was a long time ago. So I can't weigh in the same as some of these critics (besides the fact that they are critics & I'm not.) I definitely can't keep up with, say, The New Yorker's Richard Brody, who is a fine film critic and obviously knows his shit. But, really, Knocked Up is your #8? I barely made it through that movie. I like what it did and showed, but taking that into consideration, it is more a movie to appreciate for its message and idea rather than as a fine film. Thank God Juno didn't make it on there. Again, it's awkward to object to his choices when I haven't even heard of half (most?) of them, and the one great, maybe the best, function of these things is to find out about films you would otherwise never have heard of, and in this case, will be very good.

At least Gran Torino, which I finally saw, made it on his short list.

But, hi, Total Film. You think There Will Be Blood is the best movie of the decade?

Ick. No. It was fine-- it was a good movie. Rather disturbing but also rather bloated. Everyone talks about DD-L's performance as well as Paul Dano, both of whom did a fantastic job, but the performance in the end that really got to me was Kevin J O'Connor, who was amazing. Especially when he worked to contrast DD-L's performance as. . . DD-L. With a moustache. His scenes as the mysterious maybe half-bro were some of the most menacing and elegant parts of the film.

But not the best film of the decade. It was far too long, decadent, and seemed unsure of what it was trying to do besides throw a few shocking sucker-punches your way. And shocking they were, but in the end, when that's all you remember when you walk out, it's hard to justify a film that revolves around that.

So, I dunno. I disagree with a majority of their list. I think they got it right when they say Star Trek is the best sci-fi of the decade (though I think the dark story line of Serenity makes it a neck-in-neck race) and I do hope it, especially in its role as a blockbuster, revitalizes the genre. I highly disagree that Spider-Man was "the comic book hero" of the decade now that Iron Man has hit the scene and I will always be most loyal to Hellboy. I still think Hot Fuzz is much more funny than Shaun of the Dead (not a popular opinion.) I hope LotR wasn't the epic of the decade because I really don't think they are well made films. I think they are too glossy and missed a huge opportunity. But I can't think of any other epic. And I don't even want to hear about Donnie Darko. I have never made it through that silly film.

But then what are some of the finest films I've seen this decade? I can't rank them, but my first thought in opposition to There Will Be Blood was, "Aw fuck no. The Proposition was." So here we go. I'll try to think of 5. I can't actually remember most of the movies I've seen. I'll probably change my mind in like five minutes. I think I should relabel this "my favorite films," because after all, what else are these lists. But then I would have to extend the list to 10. That's hard. But I'll post that up soon. Because I think I just changed my mind.