Starting today and ending in the last week of every month through this November, I will be listing my 25 favorite movies of the last 25 years (five per month, listed in chronological order).
There are some excellent movies that didn’t make my final 25, and much of that is due to personal taste. As much as I respect “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the films felt interchangeable and left me cold. The same goes for the “Harry Potter” franchise and the dozens of Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks.
My criteria for picking titles is relatively simple. I have to have liked the stories, the style of presentation, and the acting. I also consider whether it is memorable, if I am better off having seen it, and if I would watch it again.
Some selections might appear to be obvious; others, hopefully not.
‘Gangs of New York’ (2002)
The first of two Martin Scorsese titles on this list, “Gangs” is set in the Five Points area of New York City in the decade leading up to the American Civil War.
In his third Best Actor Oscar-nominated performance, Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Bill “The Butcher” Cutting, the reigning crime lord. First the mentor and eventually the enemy of Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio), Cutting has an unmistakable “honor among thieves” air about him. At various points, Cameron Diaz plays the love interest of both men.
An in-development project of Scorsese and screenwriter Jay Cocks for over three decades, “Gangs” was incorrectly delayed because of the perceived connection to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This turned out to be an unintended blessing for Scorsese, who was given a full year to film some much needed reshoots.
The final version is absolutely breathtaking and provides a mostly overlooked stretch of time that provided the impetus for the Civil War.
‘Cold Mountain’ (2003)
Writer-director Anthony Minghella (“The English Patient”) adapted “Cold Mountain” from the novel of the same name by Charles Frazier, and uses the American Civil War as a central, before-and-after pivot point.
Mere days after arriving at her new North Carolina mountain home, the erudite Ada (Nicole Kidman) falls in love with the working-class Inman (Jude Law). The war starts, Inman volunteers, and Ada must deal with the fallout over the sudden death of her preacher father (Donald Sutherland).
The magic of the film is that Kidman and Law appear on screen together only for less than 30 minutes, yet this brief connection drives the entire narrative.
Renée Zellweger, Natalie Portman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Baker, and Brendan Gleeson all turn in tremendous supporting performances.
‘Syriana’ (2005)
Stephen Gaghan, the Oscar-winning writer of director Steven Soderbergh’s “Traffic,” duplicated, in a good way, the same narrative formula as “Traffic” with equally ear-pinning results.
A story with over three dozen major speaking roles and four interwoven principal plot lines, the movie is not something viewers can absorb while folding laundry. Patience and attention to detail are the keys for successful navigation. Before it’s over, viewers will feel as if they’ve made it through a Shakespearean tragedy.
The primo ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, and Jeffrey Wright, and Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner George Clooney.
‘The Departed’ (2006)
The movie that finally delivered Martin Scorsese his much-deserved, overdue (and only) Oscar, “The Departed” is based on the Hong Kong crime masterpiece film, “Infernal Affairs” (2002).
Leonardo DiCaprio is the third co-lead as Billy Costigan, an undercover detective who infiltrates a gang led by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), a character based on real-life criminal Whitey Bulger. Unbeknownst to Costigan is detective Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a planted Costello underling charged with providing highly sensitive inside information.
Had “The Departed” been released in the 20th century, it would have been considered a lesser Scorsese effort. Is it better than “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “GoodFellas,” or “The Age of Innocence?” No. But it was the best movie of 2006 and, in this reviewer’s opinion, is still one of Scorsese’s finest efforts.
‘There Will Be Blood’ (2007)
Based on the 1927 Upton Sinclair novel “Oil!” filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s scathing commentary on unchecked greed and misplaced religious fervor is an unqualified masterpiece. Daniel Day-Lewis won his second of three lead actor Oscars playing Daniel Plainview, a struggling New Mexico silver miner who accidentally discovers oil.
A little bit at a time, Plainview buys up land he believes will yield oil, yet hits a brick wall when dealing with Eli (Paul Dano), a preacher who figures out that Plainview is trying to lowball him. The result is a decades-long grudge match between the two men.
That Day-Lewis won the Oscar for this portrayal speaks volumes. Plainview is clearly the (co)villain but is so complex and multilayered that it’s impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. Although not nominated in the Best Supporting Actor Category, Dano (who played twins) was integral in Day-Lewis winning the Oscar.
All titles are available on physical home video. For streaming options, visit www.justwatch.com.
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