The WUD Film Review

James Kasombo’s Top 5 Favorites of the 2000s

5) An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
As a staunch supporter of the documentary film format, I knew I needed to include one among my top five movies of the 2000’s, and  ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is easily the most influential and significant documentary of the past decade. The director, Davis Guggenheim, saw former Vice President Al Gore delivering his slideshow about climate change, and realized the subject matter at hand would make a fantastic documentary, thus giving birth to the film. Without the vast and efficient spreading of Mr. Gore’s message via the movie format, one could debate we wouldn’t have our current “Green Movement”. When a documentary is able to alter the actions of corporations, television networks, governments, and everyday individuals, it has truly made an impact, and for that reason, it is on this list.

4) Superbad (2007)
Every generation deserves an Animal House, American Graffiti, Dazed and Confused, etc.  In other words, a film depicting the lives of modern youth will always be appreciated, and this movie definitely delivers. When it comes to comedies, the more one can relate with the characters on screen, the bigger the laughs, and with Superbad many twenty-some year olds such as myself are more than capable of imagining ourselves in the wacky situations presented on screen. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera (whose career was propelled by this film and Juno coming out in the same year) create not only the perfect comedic duo, but an all too real portrayal of friendship between members of the infamous high school lower social class. From having a crush on the popular girl, trying to get a fake I.D., dealing with college admissions, running from the cops, and so much more, the wide reaching problems of growing up make for a fantastic plotline, especially when compressed into the timeline of only one day. This movie is a wonderful self indulgent trip down memory lane.

3) There Will Be Blood (2007)
Period pieces at times tend to blend together, whether it is an atypical depiction of World War II, or yet another tale of a medieval tryst between two lovers, the genre itself can become a bit predictable. There Will Be Blood breaks the mold, delivering a tale of an oil man driven to the brink of insanity while chasing black gold throughout southern California during the late 1800’s. The acting in this film is spectacular, and the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis stands apart as one of the best character deliveries I have seen in a very long time (rightfully claiming himself an Oscar for Best Actor). The plot, vaguely based on Upton Sinclair’s book “Oil”, is engrossing and realistic, even to the point where one is convinced this is a biographical tale. For any true fan of cinema, this movie is a must see, as it embodies everything the ‘magic of film’ represents.

2) WALL-E (2008)
Time and time again, Pixar has brought us fantastic animated feature films that may very well make young children of today forget what animated movies looked like before Toy Story and Finding Nemo. As the years have passed, their films have begun to carry more significant undertones in order for parents and other adults attending these films to obtain more from the movie experience, and WALL-E may very well be a Pixar film for adults that children just happen to enjoy. In and of itself, a movie composed of large segments with absolutely no human dialogue, has a large mountain to climb if it is to become appealing to a wide audience. Not only does WALL-E captivate the viewer with its stimulating visuals and inspiring soundtrack, but the love story between WALL-E and EVE is captivating. And to top it all off, the film’s link to reality, a planet devoid of life because of manmade mountains of trash, forcing humans to fly away from their home, teaches viewers of all ages that we need to keep an eye on what we are doing to Earth. Love and a place to call home are two ideas that all humans can identify with, and WALL-E reminds us of this via two characters that are anything but human.

1) Cidade de Deus/City of God (2002)
The tagline for the movie sums it up perfectly: “Fight and you’ll never survive. Run and you’ll never escape.” In the harsh suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, a decade of organized crime is intertwined with various aspects of the human condition, resulting in one of my favorite movies of all time. Affection, violence, maturing, ingenuity, alliance, and the sheer will to live, are among the many emotional motives driving the characters of this film. Sporting an embedded international flair, created with only one professional actor, and a story arc bred in the streets of Brazil, Cidade de Deus delights the audience by showcasing the lives of those not so different from ourselves, yet the stories they have to share are so enticing and stimulating. The lead character captures these events as he evolves his photography skills, but this begs the question, who is the true voyeur of our everyday lives, and to whom do our experiences retain meaning? Hollywood never has and never will make a movie like this, and for that reason it is my personal favorite movie of the 2000’s. Go watch City of God and expand your cinematic horizons.