80. 20th Century Women (2016) - Mike Mill's experimental quirky family comedy, based on his own life, was a breath of fresh from the last decade. It's quirky leading trio, led by Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, and Greta Gerwig, are what make this picture soar. The story is incredibly personal, funny, honest, and a joy to watch. But it is the performances that elevate this film from a fun comedy to a must see. Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning channel the emotion, the wishful thinking, and the wide-eyed liberalism of Southern California in the 1970's. Both are wonderful younger actors, who just continually churn out quality work, now behind the camera in some cases. But Annette Bening is the core of this film. How she missed out on an Oscar nomination for this role is still baffling. She is masterful. You love her, hate her, find her confusing, and understand her all at the same time. She can break your heart one minute, and make you cry from laughter the next. Mills worked overtime to recreate the complicated nature of his mother. In Annette Bening's hands, we feel every complication, every nuance, and we can't look away.
79. The Rider (2018) - Chloe Zhao is about to follow in the footsteps of fellow indie breakout Patty Jenkins and tackle a big-budget comic book franchise entry in Eternals, slated to come out late next year. Like Jenkins, I am expecting so much, because the talent that Zhao has already shown behind the camera is remarkable. The Rider, Zhao's Gotham-winning second feature, was a masterwork of directing. Blending nonfiction and fiction in a harrowing look at a world most of us are unaware of, Zhao and her team, led by a magnificent Brady Jandreau, construct a brutal look at moving on from the only life you have ever known, to find new meaning and new reasons to keep going. Zhao brilliantly challenges the conventions of a cowboy movie, pulls more focus to Native American communities, and in the process creates an incredibly human story that leaves you breathless.
78. Widows (2018) - Steve McQueen has been the master of dark, brutal indies with films like Shame and 12 Years a Slave. Last year, McQueen took his chance at a crime thriller with Widows. But McQueen was not going to make a generic crime thriller. Sure, there is plenty of heart-pulsing action, and heist antics. McQueen proved he could do action sequences well. But there is so much more to Widows. There is horrifying death, commentary on feminism, race, crime, and even psychological terror. What really sets Widows apart from similar genre pieces is the acting. Sure you have heavyweights like Robert DuVall, Brian Tyree Henry, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, and Daniel Kaluyya. But it is the four women at the film's center, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, the amazing Elizabeth Debicki, and its lead, the always magnificent Viola Davis that lead the way. These women, their journey, and their brilliant constructed characters, were magnetic, and made Widows a knock-out.
77. An Education (2009) - Lone Scherfig's brilliantly quiet film, beautifully adapted by Nick Hornby, took 2009 by storm. It ended up being nominated for Best Picture of the year, launched Carey Mulligan's successful career, and still stands as one of the best films of the last decade. It is a coming of age tale, beautifully crafted with great characters, that not only perfectly capture the mystery, excitement, and ultimately heartbreak at the reality of adulthood, but also does an impeccable job of capturing the youth and feel of the time period. Mulligan truly is a breakthrough here. She perfectly captures the spirit and feel of the story, and she is a brilliant combination of strength and vulnerability. It's not hard to see why she has had such a successful film career in An Education's aftermath.
76. Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire (2009) - I still, to this day, cannot re-watch Precious. The little Sundance film that could, went on to win 2 Oscars, make a lot more money than anyone ever thought it could, and launched several successful careers. But Precious is not a fun film to watch. It is worse than most horror films in its brutality, because it hits so close to the heart. Poverty, rape, abuse, all in a constant horrifying cycle. But, Lee Daniels, and his team of perfectly cast actors, make us realize that while it is hard to watch, it is important to watch. It is important to see Precious grow, prosper, find herself, and finally be able to tell off her demons and move on with her life. The ending is not necessarily a happy one, but it is one that rooted in the profound belief that if you meet the right people, kind people who are willing to help, that you can make it through even the worst. At its center are two jaw-dropping performances from Gabourey Sidibe, and of course, Monique, in a role that won her a well-deserved Oscar. Their performances, inspiring and frightening, help us create the world of Precious, that, for better or for worse, demands to be seen.
75. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) - Pixar gets so much credit, albeit deserved, for their revolution of the animation genre. But in recent years, Disney Animation, separate from its Pixar family, has successfully churned out some wonderful films. At the top of the list for me, is 2012's Wreck-It Ralph. I did like the sequel, but it paled in comparison to its predecessor. Rich Moore and his team of screenwriters, lovingly pull from the nostalgia of old video games and blend it into a 21st Century story about re-capturing the magic in life. Wreck-It Ralph is beautifully animated, and blends new technology, with a wonderful imaginative and retro feel. It also creates Pixar-level characters, voiced by John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch, Mindy Kaling, Jack McBrayer, Ed O'Neill and Dennis Haysbert. The standouts though were Sarah Silverman, as Vanellope, who brings a decidedly, and much needed, feminist twist to the story, and Alan Tudyk, whose work as the villain King Candy was simply amazing. Wreck-It Ralph was a perfect family film: humorous, heartwarming, and fun, and it stands out as one of the best.
74. 12 Years a Slave (2013) - Like Precious, 12 Years a Slave is not a film I wish to see again. I was a history major in college, and took several courses on American slavery. Even reading the slave memoirs, and understanding the history, could not prepare me for the emotional gut-punch that was this film. Of course, with Steven McQueen behind the camera, I should have known better. Solomon Northup's story is not only heartbreaking, but it is also relatively unique. You don't know many stories about born freed men who were captured and sent into slavery. There is something about that twist in the narrative that makes it even more heartbreaking. The cast elevate and humanize the work, particularly the performances of Chiwetel Ejiofor and a breakout role from Lupita Nyong'o. 12 Years a Slave is so effective because it not only reminds us of a bloody, horrifying recent past, but it also makes it still feel relevant. It doesn't feel like a piece of history, it feels like a nightmare that we can't seem to wake up from. That urgency and energy in McQueens film making, make 12 Years a Slave so powerful.
73. Please Give (2010) - Nicole Holofcener has an incredible talent for writing completely honest people. Honest to a fault, some would argue, but she never writes what I would call movie characters. She writes real characters, people you could meet on the street as your walking home from work, your neighbors, co-workers, family members, etc. Please Give is about incredibly flawed human beings, both greedy and needy. It is about a family coming to odds with its own lifestyle, while poaching on the lives of others. Led by an amazing cast including Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet, and one of the final performances of the late-great Ann Morgan Guilbert, Please Give is a funny, sometimes touching, often frustrating comedy about messed up people. It is Nicole Holofcener, one of America's best, and often underappreciated filmmakers, at her best.
72. Blue Valentine (2010) - Apparently, as is proven by Precious, 12 Years a Slave, and now Blue Valentine, I have a connection with tragic stories. Blue Valentine is a tragic story that often masks its tragedy as it unfolds. It is about a couple, brilliantly played by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, who battle the ups, and eventually the overwhelming downs of their brutal, unhealthy relationship. It is, unfortunately, a portrait of love and family that too many people see in their everyday lives. Love that hurts, when it is supposed to heal. By the time the fireworks explode in the final shots of this film, you are left an emotional wreck. Derek Cianfrance, a unique and haunting filmmaker, knows that the power of this film, the power of its central relationship, lies in its brutal, and destructive honesty. Despite its sadness, Blue Valentine is one of those train wreck types. You want to look away, and yet you can't help but watch, even when you know the outcome. That is powerful film making at its best.
71. Captain Phillips (2013) - With films like United 93, Green Zone, 22 July, and Captain Phillips, Paul Greengrass, one of the most talented film makers of the last twenty years, has taken his superior action and thriller skills, honed in The Bourne trilogy, and has applied it to horrific real-life events. His films are breathtaking, pulse-pounding, and sometimes hard to watch. Captain Phillips is a perfect example of that. It is the true story of a freight ship taken hostage by Somali pirates, and its captain who works to save himself, his crew, and his ship. Led by yet another knockout performance from Tom Hanks, who truly can tackle any role, and a is a true American treasure, and a haunting breakthrough role from cab driver turned actor Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips is not just a thrilling, and terrifying action film, but it is a psychological game between these two men from different worlds, who clash under the most terrifying of circumstances. Greengrass and his team capture the gritty reality, claustrophobia, and the ultimate sadness of a world that is terrifying, and in desperate need of change. It is a stunning achievement.
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