10. BlackKklansman (2018) - I am simply going to regurgitate my thoughts from last year's Awards Psychic Awards when BlackKkLansman won Best Drama: First Man is underrated to say the least, Can You Ever Forgive Me? was a pleasant surprise, and Roma was expertly crafted. Yet only film this year left me literally breathless after watching it. As the end credits rolled on BlacKkKlansman, I literally sat in stunned silence. Spike Lee has always made evocative films, but BlacKkKlansman is his most potent, and most effective since Do the Right Thing. Spike has always been better when society is in turmoil. His anger, and his explosiveness as a filmmaker can truly resonate when the world around us is collapsing. Think about it, during the tensions of the late 80's and early 90's that eventually led to the LA Riots, it was Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. During the mid-2000's, with war and economic hardship, 25th Hour and Inside Man got a lot of attention. Now, in the current era, BlacKkKlansman has emerged as a voice for those who see society retreating to its dark pasts. It also helps that BlacKkKlansman is one of his best films to date. Its cast, led by John David Washington and Adam Driver, is on point, the script is sharp, helped by a great book by the real Ron Stallworth, and the message is particularly focused. But the moment that Lee really hits it home is the film's ending. As if there were not enough references to modern struggles, his ending, with live footage of Charlottesville, and his tribute to Heather Heyer, show us all how, despite all of the progress, it can take one movement, one man in some cases, to override that progress. The demons of our past are still lurking, hiding in the wings, hoping to find their moment to revive. After a triumphant last scene where Stallworth gets to tell off David Duke, you are cheering at the screen. The good guys won! Then Lee reminds us that while that particular battle was successful, we still have a long way to go to win the war.
9. La La Land (2016) - Boy has this film taken a beating since it went from Oscar front runner to the embarrassing moment at the Oscars when the producer had to announce Moonlight instead. This film that was celebrated upon its release as a modern musical marvel, was suddenly a terrible film that just took one shot after another. Well, I don't care. I stand by the fact that La La Land is an incredible film. It is an amazing musical spectacle. From its opening scene to its final moments, every frame is beautifully shot, every musical number impeccably crafted. The craft team deserves a lot of credit, they just pulled out all the stops. The dynamic duo at the center of the film, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, are fantastic in their roles and capture the ups and downs, the heartbreak of fame, love, and loss. But I think that most of the credit is owed to the visionary young director Damien Chazelle. That poor guy has made three incredible films, and has proven to the world that he is an impeccable talent. Yet the last two films have been mired in undeserved controversy. It's almost as if the world doesn't want him to succeed. His talent is too great, that it scares the establishment. That is probably just me diving into conspiracy. But I will say this: I think Chazelle is going to keep making movies, and not let detractors stop him from continuing to be one of the finest directors working today. I am also going to say this: La La Land is a hell of a film, and I firmly believe that time will prove me right.
8. Lady Bird (2017) - Every generation has its teenage angst anthem film, and this generation's might be Greta Gerwig's directorial debut Lady Bird. Gerwig had been a fantastic writer and actress for years, and finally tried her hand at directing. It was a fantastic debut. She had so much pop, so much courage, so much control over the project, which was just unexpected for the first time out. Of course, some of that success might be due to the personal nature of the story. Lady Bird is semi-autobiographical, and you can see that nostalgic energy in every scene. But none of this success of the film would have occurred if Gerwig had not cast such an astounding array of actors for her bright and beautifully drawn characters. Tracey Letts, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein, Lois Smith, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Timothee Chalamet all create a vibrant supporting cast. But this film belongs to the dynamic mother/daughter combo of Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. With Gerwig's witty and amazing script and wonderful direction, these two fine actors were able to really chew on the material, and build one of the most honest mother/daughter relationships we have seen on screen in a long time. Metcalf's hard nose, tough, yet loving character clashing with the free spinning, angst ridden Ronan is the tension, the humor, and the heart and soul of the film. It is the final scene for me that seals the deal. I had already fallen in love with this movie, and had laughed and laughed the whole way through. But the last scene did something more, it broke my heart. We were all once that rebellious teenager, who wanted to get as far away from home as possible. We thought we were invincible, that we knew better than our parents, and that if given the chance, we would show the world just how grownup we were. Like Lady Bird, we all have also had that moment where we realize that when we leave for college, we are not all that grownup, and that separation is a hard thing when you truly love your family. That moment might have been the most honest film moment of the last decade, and it took Lady Bird from great to extraordinary.
7. Selma (2014) - Ava DuVernay, Ava DuVernay, Ava DuVernay. Do I need to say it again. Sure: Ava DuVernay. This talented bold director has now made an incredible career of telling black stories, stories of injustice, and bringing to life the bold, sometimes uncomfortable, but important truths of our past, our present, and our future. On both film and television she has produced, written, and directed projects such as Queen Sugar, 13th , When They See Us, and Middle of Nowhere that have challenged the world as we know it, and talked about issues that matter to people. Her crowning achievement is Selma. Starring an amazing array of actors, Selma is a brilliant ensemble piece featuring characters from the likes of Carmen Ejogo, Andre Holland, Tom Wilkinson, Oprah, Tessa Thompson, Common, Lorraine Toussaint, Dylan Baker, Niecy Nash, Wendell Pierce, LaKeith Stanfield, Tim Roth, Stephen Root, and Cuba Gooding Jr. It is David Oyelowo that really shines though. The film could not use any of Dr. King's actual speeches, so Oyelowo had to simply channel him with tone and feel. He did a marvelous job. He didn't act like Dr. King, he was Dr. King. He showed us his passion, his flaws, his character. It was a stunning breakthrough performance. But it is Ava DuVernay who deserves the most credit. Her passion for the material, her energetic and focused direction, her incredible work with her actors, all put together a film that felt as if we were reliving history with its alive and vibrant nature. This film truly honors the brave men and women who made this world a better one by fighting for what is right. A magnificent triumph.
6. Drive (2011) - In the era of loud, brash genre films, it is a rarity to have an action thriller that is mostly quiet. Nicholas Winding Refn's 2011 film noir masterpiece still stands the test of time as one of the best, and most effective action thriller films of the last decade. Starring a haunting Ryan Gosling, whose quiet demeanor serves as a effective leading presence throughout (similar to his First Man role), Drive does not have a lot of dialogue. It also does not have a lot of action. It is a film whose beautiful cinematography and use of music showcase the emotional changes without needing too many words to make its point. Drive manages to be shocking, utilizing the silence to make the moments of violence have more impact, while also being introspective, dreamy as it unfolds, and haunting in its almost casual portrayal of horror. This is due to the stylistic choices of a director that saw a vision and executed to perfection. Of course it doesn't hurt that you also have great supporting performances from Albert Brooks and Carey Mulligan, proving that it is an acting showcase, as well as a directorial one. Since this singular masterpiece, Refn has never quite reached its heights, by not taming down some of his visual flourishes. Drive is the perfect balance of directorial overload, yet enough subtlety to give it weight. Drive is one of those films that I watched in college, when I was really starting to explore different styles outside of my comfort zone. It is one that still haunts me, entices me, and still gets a good once a year re-watch. It says something about a film that it has that effect. What it says is that it is excellent.
5. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - So, in my previous commentary, I made a comment that might have seemed like a dig at loud, brash genre films. I have a nothing against loud films, especially when they are impeccably well done. Mad Max: Fury Road is one of those films. The earlier Mad Max films are not favorites of mine. They have style, they make a point, and anything George Miller does has his signature touch. Stll, I was a bit skeptical about this new incantation of the series. Boy, was I wrong. Fury is a great word to use in this title, because this film has a furious pace. It takes off from its first frame, and it never lets up. It is a shocking, jaw-dropping, and relentless post-apocalyptic thriller that is a visual masterpiece. The cinematography, costumes, visual effects, makeup, everything came out of George Miller's brilliant mind, and his fantastic crew took his vision and ran with it in a way that is just still so mesmerizing. Mad Max though, never let its relentless action stop it from creating amazing characters. Particularly, his creation of Furiosa gave this film a decidedly feminist twist that was refreshing and emotionally evocative. Of course, a lot of credit belongs to the amazing Charlize Theron. She is finally back in the Oscar race for Bombshell, and I am thrilled because it is an amazing performance. But how in the hell she did not get recognition for her role in Fury Road is still one of those mysteries I will never understand. She is the pitch perfect balance of strength and vulnerability. She is just simply undeniably mesmerizing, and it brings a new level of depth to a visual stunner.
4. Lincoln (2012) - Steven Spielberg makes two types of films. He makes fun sci-fi/fantasy adventures and he makes historical epics. It is always surprising, and it should not be, just how well he handles both. Of his films in the last decade, Lincoln is his peak, his shining star. It is an unabashedly traditional and old school film making masterpiece. It does not have a lot of action, it is a film of words, and people. Despite that, it is also wholly entertaining, with suspense, humor, emotional impact, and historical heft. Spielberg is just a master of film, and Lincoln joins the canon of Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List in terms of greatness. It doesn't hurt that he has a roster of the best technical folks in the business that understand what he wants as a director, and consistently create amazing visual and auditory elements that elevate his films, and showcase mastery that is unmatched by many technical teams. He also has an impeccable knack for pitch-perfect casting. Let's just, for fun, list the roster of amazing actors that populate this sprawling epic: Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Walton Goggins, Jackie Earle Haley, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson, Jared Harris, Gloria Reuben, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Of course, the name that gets the most attention for this film is Daniel Day-Lewis, and there is a good reason why. He won yet another Oscar for his role as Abraham Lincoln. He was Abraham Lincoln. He studied dialects to try to perfect what he would have sounded like. He looked and felt like we were watching the real thing. In the career that he has had, it is hard to say that he gave a great performance, because he always does. But this was not just great, this was transformative, and brilliant, and it takes Lincoln to new cinematic heights that very few films ever get close to reaching.
3. Inside Out (2015) - This decade has had a wealth of amazing animated films, as more studios tackle this still underappreciated art form. Pixar, in particular, has made a name of creating animated films, geared to kids, that have such emotional heft that adults can fall in love with them as well. Of their many successful films over the last decade, it is Inside Out that, in my opinion, reigns supreme. I don't cry often in films. Even the most emotional of films, usually leave me sad, but not literally blubbering like a baby. Inside Out is one of those films, and it made me do it, twice. Twice in the same damn film, I am bursting into a snot-inducing cry-fest. Inside Out is an inventive film, creative to its core, with a brilliant cast led by Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, Richard Kind and particularly the magnificent Phyllis Smith, who joins the ranks of Robin Williams in Aladdin, Eddie Murphy in Shrek, and Ellen DeGeneres in Finding Nemo, aka voice actors who should have gotten acting Oscar nominations. For all of the imagination that is poured into this beautifully animated, visually stunning film. It is the human part that makes it extraordinary. In the end, it is a film about growing up. The sudden changes in our life that leave us breathless, confused, and heart broken. The vulnerability we all go through trying to control our emotions in an unforgiving world. That scene towards the end, where Joy realizes that she needs sadness to make everything okay again is just pitch perfect cinema. It also hits home for anyone whose ever had to grieve so that they could move on from the pain. As Pixar enters a new decade, I can only hope that they continue to reach the cinematic heights of films like Inside Out, and continue to make us all laugh, and yes, and maybe most importantly, cry.
2. Gravity (2013) - You ever sit there, thinking too much, and remember criticism of a film you love, and still get angry about it seven years later? Still bewildered that people completely missed the whole film, or clearly didn't pay enough damn attention to have the same reaction as you did? When I hear people say that Gravity, while visually stunning, did not have emotional heft, I want to throw something against the wall. First, let's tackle the big part. Gravity is the most visually stunning film of the last decade. Cuaron, Chivo, and an amazing team of art directors, visual effects specialist, and sound and music aficionados used their talents, and challenged themselves to takes risks to breakthrough to yet another phase in the evolution of cinema. It is a masterwork. Now, back to the other point. No, it was not a dialogue driven character film with tons of characters to build an emotional connection. But in its simplicity, it is a heartbreaking story about a woman who has to decide whether she wants to live, and go home. If home was just you driving to avoid the memory of your young child who died tragically, and you literally escape the planet to try to clear you thoughts, wouldn't you have a similar struggle? Wouldn't you question whether it was worth fighting? In so few words, in a short time span, the brilliant Alfonso Cuaron, and his magnetic star Sandra Bullock explore these questions. They do it with few words, but they do it in a way that makes you ponder your own existence, and eventually root for our hero to realize that there is always room for hope, for clarity, and there is always a reason to keep fighting to keep living. That is the heart of Gravity, and because of that, it takes a visual stunner, and makes it a film for the ages.
1. The Social Network (2010) - When I was making this list, I started from the top. Because for me, my top two films were easy. I knew exactly who I wanted perched at the top of this. From there, it became much more of a negotiation of where exactly these films would fall. The reason that the top was so easy, is that there is not a film that is more pitch-perfect in the last decade that David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin's The Social Network. Combining Fincher's dark, visually driven style with Sorkin's breathtakingly paced character driven scripts, made for a film that was just, start to finish, and perfectly assembled piece of art, that understood, even ten years ago, the weight of this social media craze. It realized, even then, that there is a light side and a dark side to our new frontier of technology and new levels of connectivity. I recently showed this film in my library film series, and right afterwards, one of my patrons was reading the paper about Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress about the negative impact that Facebook had on American elections. Even ten years later, the characterization, and cut-throat process of Facebook's success still rings as hollow, as scary, and as devastating as it did a decade ago. I think that decades from now, when film historians are charting this era of American film, The Social Network will go down as one of the definitive films of our time, a perfect snapshot of this decade in American culture. If that is not deserving of a number one slot, I don't what is. I would like to once again thank all of you for ten years here at The Awards Psychic, and I can't wait to join you for ten more.
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