11. United 93 (2006, Paul Greengrass)
United 93 is Paul Greengrass’ masterpiece based upon the true events surrounding one of the hijacked planes involved in the 9/11 attack, which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. The film is utterly devastating and coming only 5 years after the attacks, many critics were very apprehensive about the film, myself included. Many thought it was too soon and it was still a very tender subject that America was still quite troubled with. There are some very powerful images here, reconstructing the actual flying into the towers with astonishing authenticity and bringing back the terrible memories of that eventful day. It’s a film of true, raw emotion that leads to a deeply cutting and powerful ending. Most importantly though, the film brings back a chance to talk about and educate future generations on one of the most important events in recent history.
10. Grizzly Man (2005, Werner Herzog)
Grizzly Man is a documentary edited from conservationist Timothy Treadwell’s own footage, a man who spent 10 summers with the grizzly bears in Alaska before being eaten by the same bears he wanted to protect from the park rangers and the poachers. It is interesting that Treadwell is so similar to meglomaniacs which have featured in Herzog’s previous work, driven by a crazy ambition which he almost cannot fulfill, particularly drawing comparisons with Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre Wrath of God. The film doesn’t glorify Treadwell at all, in fact quite the opposite.
Herzog (who narrates the film) often disagrees with Treadwell’s sentimentalised view of nature in that Herzog feels the world all boils down to ‘chaos, hostility and murder’ whilst Treadwell gives the bears names like Mr. Chocolate and Rowdy. He is an idealistic nutter who you could easily laugh at and who can easily get on your nerves. Herzog exposes that, playing it up for all it’s worth. There are times in which you feel that the documentary footage shot by Treadwell himself is faked and that the whole film is faked, but I don’t think that Herzog could ever be that coy or less than sincere. Things like the bear fight, the foxes, the dead bee who comes back to life, a lot of it is awe inspiringly beautiful. Herzog edits and balances the documentary wonderfully, making this is a film that you should not miss.
9. Slumdog Millionaire (2008, Danny Boyle)
Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire is a triumphant celebration of life, with all the frivolity and joy of his previous Millions and the edgy darkness of work such as Trainspotting, colliding it together with style and a perfectly constructed story, giving us one of the decade’s finest films. Boyle’s direction is nothing less than spectacular, working with digital cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle they create a terrific sense of vibrancy and joy, particularly in capturing the city of Mumbai (all shot on location).
Boyle has said that the film is a celebration of a city, and he is absolutely right. It shows the city for the colourful and alive place it is. The film rightly swept the board at the Oscars, beating off the overrated and hotly tipped favourite The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. If nothing else, it shows that the Academy woke up and celebrated the decade’s most poignant and beautiful film about life and love.
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