Best Actress Bar Crawl

If Twitter is good for nothing else, it's a fantastic place to share silly ideas with people and watch them blossom into something completely different and unexpected. After watching her on a talk show being her fabulous, charismatic, over-the-top self, I innocently commented on Twitter that my dream in life was to go out drinking with Gabourey Sidibe. My birthday twin Will jokingly responded that we were free to meet him and Jennifer Lawrence for happy hour. This spawned its own conversation as we imagined this outing which somehow grew to include a party bus and Zayn and Harry from One Direction stopping by at some point. During this fun, however, a wonderful hypothetical question came to my mind: which recent Best Actress nominees would I like to go with on a one night bar crawl? In its own way, this is a great way to get to know people, whether they are your oldest friends or a complete stranger. You can certainly tell a lot about a person who would pick Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet over Catalina Sandino Moreno and Samantha Morton (anyone who picks Renée Zellweger is certainly not to be trusted). So, in the spirit of getting to know me better--as if my life isn't already an open book--here are the five Best Actress nominees since 2000 I'd love to have a drink with:

Gabourey Sidibe

If you've ever seen Gabby on a talk show, particularly the fast and loose Chelsea Lately, you will understand where I'm coming from on this one. This girl knows how to have a good time. Plus, she's admitted that she loves to drink and she's an endless fountain of 90s trivia. What can possibly happen with her except the best damn night of drinking ever?

Jennifer Lawrence

Yes, I'm stealing this answer from Will, but once he mentioned her, I knew she had to come along as well. Jennifer may seem like an odd choice as she usually appears to be Ms. Serious Actress after Winter Bone and The Hunger Games. As with Gabby, though, if you have seen her on a talk show, you will know that this girl knows how to have fun. Besides, how can you say no to a woman who will photo bomb her own boyfriend:

I rest my case.

Anne Hathaway

As one of the only three women I would switch teams for (Penelope Cruz and Christina Hendricks being the other two), it's only fitting that I invite Anne along so that maybe we can drunkenly make out a little bit. And, unlike Penelope, there won't be any language barrier, so she'll get to be her fun, witty self all night long (Although I like to imagine that Penelope speaks better English when she's drunk).

Helen Mirren

This bitch may be 67 years old, but you know she would be able to drink everyone in the bar under the table and still be classy/sexy enough to make out with someone a third her age without looking like a desperate, pathetic cougar. God bless this Dame.

Sandy Bullock

Who else besides Sandy, with her trademarked deadpan sense of humor, is going to make fun of the losers all around us at the bar with me? If we go to the gay bar in my town, we will definitely more than enough targets to launch our barbs on.

Now, more importantly, which lovely ladies would you pick?

Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon, Class of 2010: Anne Hathaway in Valentine's Day

StinkyLulu, like Cher, is coming out of retirement for one last round of what could be called the Farewell Tour. Or, in his case, another installment of his popular annual Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon honoring the year's best actressing at the edges. This is one tradition I like to partake in every year, if only so I can talk about an undervalued performance that moved me in some way over the course of the year. In the past, I've discussed La Tisdale, La Tisdale again and Olivia Williams. This year, however, we're gonna tackle...

Anne Hathaway as Liz in Valentine's Day

The film, a multi-character romantic comedy following a multitude of couples in various stages of relationships on the most romantic day of the year, is not Nashville and director Garry Marshall is not Robert Altman, so there's not much in the way of a true "performance" in Hathaway's work here. Not that this should be taken as a slight against her or her work in the film. Sometimes, films only need an actor to give a radiant, charismatic star turn in order to be successful and Hathaway delivers just that in Valentine's Day as Topher Grace's new girlfriend with a naughty secret job.

Anne Hathaway's star persona has been built on two very different personalities. The first is the down home, realistic, everyday girl that we saw in films like Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada. The second personality is the girl with a sarcastic, dark edge who combats other characters with a biting wit and deadpan delivery. Rachel Getting Married is, obviously, her best work in this realm of her persona, but this year's Love & Other Drugs and the underseen Havoc also provide wonderful insights into this aspect of Hathaway's persona. With these two tenets of her star persona already firmly entrenched in people's minds, Valentine's Day, in its own highly commercial way, offers a way of combining them into one performance.

When we first meet Hathaway's Liz, she's taking Polaroids of her new beau (Topher Grace) the morning after a wild sexual tryst. As is normal in romcoms of this nature, the two are a bit overly cutesy and romantic for my liking, but what the scene does best is show Hathaway as the naturally charming and beautiful woman she is. She doesn't need a gimmick in this opening scene to immediately grab the audience's attention; her realness is all that's necessary.


One look at the clock, however, sends Liz scurrying out of the apartment like a bat out of hell. Topher thinks it's something he has done but really it's for a completely unrelated reason: she's moonlighting as a phone sex operator and doesn't want him to find out about it. During these hilarious, uninterrupted monologues where she portrays both a hot and bothered Southern belle and a Russian dominatrix, Hathaway quickly taps into the darker, edgier side of her persona. The humor that results from these moments--and, trust me, I was practically howling each time she came on screen--is due to the fact that you don't expect the sweet-as-pie Liz to tell a client on the phone, in a thick Russian accent, "I'm going to spank your dirty, pig boy ass." Hathaway's multiple personas work extremely well on their own, but when combined they provide some of the only genuine laughs in an otherwise mediocre film.

In her final scene, after Topher Grace has discovered her secret and breaks up with her, we see him crawling back with a cutesy, only-in-the-movies apology. This being a Garry Marshall romantic comedy, Hathaway's Liz automatically takes him back. As clichéd as the whole moment is, it works solely because the two of them clearly work together. They are both simple, real people and in an increasingly tacky and over-the-top Los Angeles, people like them are harder to find. And if this isn't the face of a woman truly in love, I don't know what is:


Hathaway isn't really giving the sort of performance that wins Oscars in Valentine's Day, but it's a fine example of the Star Turn and one of the highlights of this mixed bag of a film. If anything, Anne Hathaway's performance here is proof that there is more to this woman than meets the eye. She's continuously showing us different facets of her persona and mixing them in such a way to different, interesting results. Little ole Annie is a class act and a talent that I'm sure will be continuing to intrigue us in the future.

For more supporting actress goodness, check out the Blog-a-thon Headquarters over at Stinkylulu's bog.

Jakey & Annie Whip Their Hair Back and Forth, Whip Their Hair Back and Forth

In what is quite possible the most adorable thing I've seen a celebrity do since Andy Garfield serenaded Peter Travers & Carey Mulligan with the 'Bed Intruder Song,' here are Jakey Gyllenhaal and Annie Hathaway breaking into an impromptu version of Willow Smith's breakout hit 'Whip My Hair.' The two co-stars of the upcoming movie (full of sexy times, it appears) Love & Other Drugs prove that the chemistry they displayed in Brokeback Mountain wasn't a fluke. Their dynamic together, and the way they feed off each other, is fascinating to watch: just watch how Jakey gives a ridiculous answer and Annie is there immediately to back him up in his rendition of the song. I love these two so ridiculously much it's...ridiculous. I will not be a whole person again until I can watch these two be cute and have sex together on-screen.

Half-Way Report 2010

Top 2 Films
I could add Un Prophète, Shutter Island and Toy Story 3 for an even five, but, in all honesty, the only movies that have mattered this year so far were:

02. Prodigal Sons

Kimberly Reed's documentary about the relationship between herself, a post-op transgendered woman trying to reconcile her past as a boy, and her adopted brother who suffers from mental problem after an accident injures his brain is more surprising than a M. Night Shyamalan film. Just when you think you've figured out what Prodigal Sons is about, Reed offers curveball after curveball so extraordinary you can't make it up.

01. Fish Tank

Between Red Road and this, it's obvious that director Andrea Arnold has a thing for isolated, emotionally distant female protagonists. Katie Jarvis is the young woman here and, along with Arnold, she is lead down a confusing path of familial relationships and sexuality with no outlet other than her dancing. Fish Tank was the first 2010 film I saw and nothing I've seen has come close to matching it. The issues the film raises are issues no other filmmaker even considers and is done with sheer intelligence.

Top 5 Performances
05. Tahar Rahim, Un Prophète
Rahim subtly and unassumingly ingratiates himself into the prison and its structure to the point where you barely even notice until he practically runs the place.
04. Anne Hathaway, Valentine's Day
Meet Annie Hathaway, Comedic Firestorm. I was nearly in tears every time her storyline came on. And that Russian accent!
03. James Marsden, Death at a Funeral
His scene stealing turn as a drugged-out funeral attendee saved this remake from sheer stupidity.
02. Kristen Stewart, The Runaways
The vocal inflections are pure Kristen but physically she inhabits the hulking, brooding Joan Jett. Twilight aside, she continues to prove she's an actress on the verge of a breakthrough.

01. Katie Jarvis & Michael Fassbender, Fish Tank
An on-screen pairing of epic proportions. Together, they walk a fine line between hot-blooded lust and inappropriate sexual advances.

Top 7 Rentals
This includes re-screenings which involved drastic changes of opinion.
07. Gosford Park (Robert Altman, 2001)
I don't think I quite understood what Altman was going for in this film the first go-around (I think I expected more of an out-and-out comedy). This time, however, everything made much more sense.
06. Another Woman (Woody Allen, 1988)
One of the Woodman's most unusual collaborations, this time with Queen of Indie Cinema Gena Rowlands as a cold professor who can't gauge people's true feelings towards her. As she goes about trying to reconcile this situation and discover her own inner feelings, it becomes clear that this is another fantastic Bergman homage melded with the usual Allen themes.
05. The Collector (William Wyler, 1965)
A shy, emotionally damaged young man kidnaps a young woman and holds her prisoner in his basement. Not nearly as morbid as it sounds since all he wants from her is her love. What makes The Collector so unusual is the twisted relationship Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar develop over time and, like Fish Tank, the sexual issues the film raises. Read the fantastic book as well for even more perspective.
04. The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
A stylish take on one man's incessant desire to fit in, no matter the consequences. There's so much history stuffed into The Conformist, so much that it almost becomes integral to fully understanding the film, that it's easy to see why I didn't get this movie back in high school.
03. Tout Va Bien (Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin, 1972)
Godard and Jane Fonda unite for a spirited takedown of the political climate in early 70's France. There's no real plot to speak of and, as always, there are a lot of political monologues spoken directly into the camera, but no film since Bowling for Columbine has made me want take part in some political revolution like Tout Va Bien did. And that final long take in the grocery store is more epic than all of David Lean's work combined.
02. Applause (Rouben Mamoulian, 1929)
Groundbreaking talkie from the era of clunkers like The Broadway Melody. Read my review here.
01. The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966)
Intelligent in both film technique and politics, The Battle of Algiers and its call to arms against the oppression of 20th century imperialism is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

Top 5 Singles
This was seriously hard to narrow down since there have been at least 20 phenomenal singles released already this year. I love these songs so much I can't even explain my love for them. Just click on the link and listen (if you haven't already) to experience for yourself.
05. Diana Vickers 'Once'
04. Robyn 'Dancing On My Own'
03. Janelle Monáe 'Cold War'
02. M.I.A 'XXXO'
01. Gabriella Cilmi 'On a Mission'

Top 5 Bonus Tracks, B-Sides, Remixes and Assorted Non-Singles
05. Kris Allen 'Let It Be'
This was my contribution to the Haiti relief. Easily a more accomplished cash-in on that tragedy than 'We Are the World' and 'Everybody Hurts.'
04. Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart 'Cherry Bomb'
Surprisingly addictive given the fact Dakota and Kristen are hardly singers. I suppose that doesn't matter since punk rock doesn't exactly require a Whitney Houston voice. Still, their version of 'Cherry Bomb' has enough bite to make every other Girl Power anthem in the past few years look as antiquated as a 50's housewife.
03. Alex Gardner 'Heartbreak'
Not sure if this will be a future single but any doubt about whether Gardner could enter the super-stylized world of Xenomania was erased after this gorgeous song.
02. Britney Spears 'Telephone'
Not superior to the GaGa version by any means, and it loses points for not having the Beyoncé verse, but Brit's demo version of 'Telephone' from the Circus days is so Britney. Her growl is so distinctive and proves to be a real asset in making this version work. Now if someone can get a proper recording with Beyoncé, my life would be complete.
01. Florrie 'Call 911 (Fred Falke Remix)'
An electropop masterpiece. Florrie, current drummer for the Xenomania houseband, with the help of Fred Falke, turns this simple pop tune into a 7 minute epic dancefloor piece. Can't wait to hear what she cranks out next.

Top 5 Albums
05. Ke$ha Animal
What I love most about Ke$ha is that she seems to understand and accept who she is as an artist. Animal doesn't pretend to be anything but the drunken party album it is. And for that I'm grateful.
04. Miley Cyrus Can't Be Tamed
Miley's big FUCK YOU to Disney and her former life as a tween star only gets better for me. Glad to see that's she finally starting to embrace the pop goddess inside of her.
03. Kelis Flesh Tone
The R&B singer embraces the electropop for a stunning change of pace from Tasty years ago.
02. Alphabeat The Spell/The Beat Is...
This is Alphabeat was their throwback to the 80's. The Spell/The Beat Is... is Alphabeat's throwback to Ace of Base-style 90's pop. Needless to say, their inspirations are simply divine and help fuel this creative, constantly arresting album.

01. Robyn Body Talk Pt. 1
It took a couple listens in a row in my car to show just how brave this album is. Not immediately accessible, Body Talk Pt. 1 proves to be entrancing once you start to understand Robyn's intention with each of her songs. And, in its oddity, it feels more like a cohesive album than many others released this year.

Top 5 Music Videos
05. Miley Cyrus 'Can't Be Tamed'
Miley ditches Disney, takes notes from Britney's complicated persona and dresses like the rare caged bird she is.
04. Rihanna 'Rude Boy'
After the darkness that surrounded both 'Russian Roulette' and 'Hard,' Rihanna lightened up quite a bit with this fun, colorful clip for what is obviously the most commercial song off Rated R.
03. Mark Ronson featuring Q-Tip and MDNR 'Bang Bang Bang'
Simultaneously a throwback to early 80's New Wave videos and a parody of crazy Japanese television.
02. M.I.A. 'Born Free'
As frightening and vivid as a film like Children of Men. She also gets points for understanding how to intersperse a 3 minute song into a 9 minute video (something Lady GaGa should take notes on).
01. Alphabeat 'DJ (I Could Be Dancing)'
In the same way that Nelly Furtado's 'Say It Right' video does, the whole of 'DJ (I Could Be Dancing)' is greater than the sum of its parts. Nothing about each individual set up is particularly unique, even if it does have a great neo-80's feel. But, collectively, the images add up to a particularly arresting video. I can't quite put my finger on why, but 'DJ (I Could Be Dancing)' is a video I can watch over and over again without growing bored.

Top 3 Obsessions
03. Setsuko Hara
The Japanese actress impressed the hell out of me last summer when I saw Ozu's Tokyo Story, but two more performances in two Kurosawa flicks have proven she was an actress of incomparable talent. No Regrets for Our Youth showed her in stone-faced, taking-on-the-sins-of-the-world mode while Hakuchi was her violent, explosive Bette Davis performance.
02. Xavier Samuel
I've been in love with this Aussie hottie for awhile now, but the anticipation for his American debut in Twilight Saga: Eclipse (assessment: he doesn't let us down) was what drove me over the edge.
01. Nicholas Hoult's Bum
I mean, have you seen it lately?

Top 5 (New) Hot Guys

05. Simon Nessman

04. Dave Franco

03. Dylan Forsberg

02. Michael Fassbender

01. Alexander Skarsgard

Top 5 Favorite Posts
05. So Many Women, So Little Time: The Sexual Politics of Up in the Air and Nine
According to these films, boys rule and girls drool.
04. My Senior Thesis: Ordinary People, Spice World, Saratoga Trunk
Some of the pieces I wrote for my senior thesis that I worked on during the past semester of school.
03. People Who Can Stop Sucking It: Katy Perry
This is still the best thing that happened during the Godforsaken ninth season of American Idol.
02. Ten Essential Film Performances of the 2000's
Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and...La Tisdale? My strange collection of the most important performances of the past decade.
01. Actor Devotionals: Jean-Pierre Léaud
My look at the career and on-screen persona of New Wave icon, and my favorite actor, Jean-Pierre Léaud. I know a lot of people don't really know JPL beyond The 400 Blows, but this is probably my favorite piece I've ever written.

10 Films I'm Excited for in 2010

I realize April has now approached us, but I feel it's never too late in the year to anticipate (hopefully) good upcoming films. One thing I noticed when trying to come up with this list was that I was more drawn to run-of-the-mill studio films than any Oscar bait or prestige pictures. Also, these films are very gay; either they star a hot guy or a fabulous female. Needless to say, I think 2010 is going to be an interesting year. So, in no particular order, here are ten films I'm positively dying to see.

Special Mentions: Before we get started with the list, I have to pay a special tribute to two films I couldn't add for various reasons. The Runaways has already been released, even though it won't be anywhere near my area until this weekend. When my friends recently asked me why I wanted to see this, my response was, "Kristen Stewart, in all of her hard edged indie glory, as a drugged-out lesbian rocker is like porn for me." The Loved Ones isn't supposed to get an Australian release until summertime, so I'm not holding my breath America will get it this year (if at all). This horror film, which stars Australian hottie Xavier Samuel, received ecstatic reviews at Toronto last fall. I'm hoping that after the release of Twilight Saga: Eclipse this June, American audiences will be clamoring for more Xavier and this film will see the light of day here.

Black Swan

Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis play rival ballerinas. I'm expecting a lot of bitchiness and cat fights. Plus, Sebastian Stan plays a ballerina. Hopefully in tights. I apologize in advance to whoever sees this movie with me. There will be a lot of sighing and passing out.

Burlesque

Christina Aguilera plays a "burlesque" dancer (aka stripper). Cam Gigandet plays her boyfriend. CHER PLAYS THE BURLESQUE CLUB OWNER AND A FORMER "DANCER". What self-respecting gay man isn't excited for this movie?!

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

Zac Efron in his first serious role. This will either be great or flop horrendously. Can't wait to see which it is.

The Eagle of the Ninth

Jamie Bell plays Channing Tatum's slave boy. Channing Tatum is Jamie Bell's master. I swore after the twin disasters of G.I. Joe and Dear John my obsession with seeing every Channing movie in theatres was going to end, but I just can not say no to this movie.

The Fighter

This is going to sound incredibly shallow (even by my admittedly low standards) but I'm primarily interested in this film for Mark Wahlberg's torso. When I saw this picture around the interweb some months ago, my ticket was already bought.

Inception

I enjoy Christopher Nolan's films, but I'm mostly excited for this eccentric cast. I just can't even imagine what Ellen Page, Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are going to do in their scenes together. Their acting styles are on totally different planets so it will be interesting to see what Nolan does with them to make it work.

The Kids Are Alright

The last time Julianne Moore played a lesbian was in The Hours. Remember how I felt about that one?

Love and Other Drugs

My Jakey and My Annie reunited after Brokeback Mountain. This sounds like Jake's most promising project in ages (probably since Brokeback) while Annie has already received rave reviews for her performance as a woman with Parkinson's Disease. As with Charlie St. Cloud, this could either be majorly good or completely bomb. Either way, I'll be there supporting my loves.

Rabbit Hole

I read the original play over the summer and, if this adaptation is done properly, Rabbit Hole will be fantastic. I love Nicole Kidman long time, so it's nice to see her once again with a strong role to sink her teeth into. Plus, Dianne Weist!

The Roommate

Leighton Meester plays a psychotic killer roommate. I'm hoping that all the energy she's been sorely lacking on Gossip Girl this season has been channeled into her performance here.

Ten Essential Film Performances of the 2000's

In no particular order, here are the most essential film performances of the past decade (NOT necessarily the best, just the ones that defined to decade for me).

Casey Affleck
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
For taking his in-bred awkwardness and making it work for the character. For working in a homoerotic subtext into this butch, Western biopic. For that post-Jesse epilogue, a tragic figure on the fall.


Dame Judi Dench
Notes on a Scandal
For continuing to surprise us and, even at 75, challenge herself. For playing into the film's camp aesthetic but never descending into hopeless theatrics. For scaring the shit out of me.


Anne Hathaway
Rachel Getting Married
For producing the decade's definitive "star is born" performance. For working her way up the old fashioned way and gaining valuable experience at every pit stop. For taking a stock character and performing it in such a way that it completely becomes her own.


Nicole Kidman
Dogville
For taking her auteur lust to a whole new level. For braving a role which relies solely on her face and body language. For proving time and time again that she's the bravest actress of our time.


Heath Ledger
Brokeback Mountain
For taking a mumbling, impenetrable, almost unlikable character and turning him into the unlikeliest romantic hero in ages. For his emotional breakdown after an entire film of emotional stoicism.


Julianne Moore
The Hours
For pushing her minimalistic acting to its breaking point. For her wonderfully warm and expressive face. For being the best in show with a movie featuring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Toni Collette.


Julia Roberts
Erin Brockovich
For combining her decade-in-the-making star persona and natural charisma with a new found dramatic flair. For ditching her vanity and dropping some f-bombs. For her comedic timing on lines like, "That's all you've got: two left feet and fucking ugly shoes."


Uma Thurman
Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2
For providing the decade's one true iconic character. For trusting in Tarantino and his blood hungry vision. For having fun slicing limbs off the Crazy 88's.


Ashley Tisdale
The High School Musical Trilogy
For unleashing a comedic firestorm unlike anything Disney has ever seen. For proving that "Disney" isn't always synonymous with bad acting. For creating a tween character "type." For adding humanity to a one-note character.


Catherine Zeta-Jones
Chicago
For turning on the charisma full throttle. For matching the film's high-kicking, electric energy. For rocking a Louise Brooks bob. For proving that she, yes, can do it alone.

My Films of the 2000's: #20-1

Previous installments: #60-41 #40-21


20. Bamboozled (2000)
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Damon Wayans, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mos Def

Some people are put off by Spike Lee going off the rails (especially during the ending) with this dead-on satire of race and American television. I can see where those people are coming from, but I have to say Bamboozled's tendency to veer towards the erratic is more interesting than something technically perfect like 25th Hour which lacks a certain something special. Lee's ballsiness to tackle the painful history of blackface and minstrel shows and then turn it into a modern day critique on the connection between racism and social fads is something we should cherish and celebrate.

19. City of God (2003)
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino

A fascination with all things Meirelles was quickly born the day I saw City of God for the first time. His mix of realism, documentary-style aesthetics and a preference for rich, complex narratives are the perfect match for my usual taste in movies.

18. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Director: Andrew Dominik
Starring: Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt, Sam Rockwell, Mary Louise Parker

A visually stunning, nearly three hour Western about the final years of outlaw Jesse James and his relationship with eventual murderer Robert Ford doesn't sound like something I would usually enjoy. But, lo and behold, this movie cast a spell over me, entrancing me from the opening image to the final frame. Brad Pitt is, if nothing, solid and steady as a Jesse James struggling with getting older and keeping his place in the world. Casey Affleck, however, is the one who really makes the film, using his in-bred awkwardness and uneasy speaking voice as the vital starting off point for his characterization of Robert Ford as a love struck young man hoping to get in good with Jesse and eventually become him. Without a doubt, it's the best performance of the entire decade.

17. Dogville (2004)
Director: Lars von Trier
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Patricia Clarkson, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall

Lars von Trier's uncompromising and scathing attack against everything American, complete with no sets and a bare minimum amount of props, really shouldn't be as interesting or captivating as it ultimately is. Seeing Nicole Kidman's (in what is far and away her best performance) eventual fall from charity case to town slave is a harrowing experience. Only good ole Lars, the sadistic bastard he is, would be ballsy enough to make a movie about it.

16. Hairspray (2007)
Director: Adam Shankman
Starring: Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden

"Again, again!" my friend and I shouted at the projectionist during the ending credits of Adam Shankman's adaptation of the Broadway phenomenon both times we saw it in theatres together. I don't know how Shankman does it, but he has somehow crafted a film so infectious, so bubbly, so bright that you can't help but want to watch it over and over again. I still think screenwriter Leslie Dixon is the uncredited hero of the film, perfectly adapting the tricky Broadway staging to suit the needs of the film medium. With so many other musicals this decade slavishly devoted to original Broadway casts, staging and directing, Hairspray is refreshing in the respect that it has fun reveling in the fact that it's a movie rather than stuck on the stage. Bonus points for Nikki Blonsky, one of the best acting finds of the decade, and for providing me the perfect vehicle to start my lusting for both James Marsden (I could use a stiff one, Corny!) and Zac Efron (you are also the fella's choice).

15. Mysterious Skin (2005)
Director: Gregg Araki
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brady Corbett, Michelle Trachtenberg

Sexual abuse affects the lives of two Midwest teens in two drastically different yet equally destructive ways: one (Gordon-Levitt) becomes a gay hustler Gus Van Sant would lust over while the other (Corbett) becomes obsessed with UFOs. Raw and uncompromising, Araki's film makes the sexual abuse of children never less than horrifying, yet never comes close to the point of exploitation. Completely shocking and disgusting but never distasteful: now there's a combo you don't see every day.

14. Notes on a Scandal (2006)
Director: Richard Eyre
Starring: Dame Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy

One of the most intelligently made camp films ever made. Screenwriter Patrick Marber crafts an unique thriller out of the story of one lonely spinster becoming obsessed with her female co-worker. Dame Judi Dench, always a treat even in movies as middling as Chocolat and Mrs. Henderson Presents, really challenges herself here, focusing on the damaged, lonely woman underneath the twisted villain.

13. Ocean's 11 (2001)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts

Ocean's 11, with its slick production, all-star cast and obvious intentions of being a big popcorn hit, is not normally something I would particularly enjoy. Soderbergh, however, captures something very rare in the movies: coolness. Clooney and Pitt, decked out in stylish Italian suits and radiating old-school movie star charisma, lead their rag tag collection of criminals to pull the perfect casino heist with just the right amount of wit, sexiness and suspense.

12. Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Director: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Debra Winger

A recovering addict returns home to her dysfunctional family for her sister's upcoming wedding. Sounds familiar, right? In Rachel Getting Married, all notions of familiarity are thrown out the window. Channeling Robert Altman rather than your typical familial drama, Demme spends almost uncomfortable amounts of time on scenes like the rehearsal dinner, getting to core what makes this family tick. The acting is top notch all-around, but the revelation is truly Anne Hathaway, proving that after steadily working her way up through Havoc, and Brokeback Mountain and The Devil Wears Prada, her moment as an actor has truly arrived.

11. Atonement (2007)
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan

If I hadn't cried like a little girl during Up, Atonement would have taken the title as the film that left me the biggest emotional wreck. My friends and I literally sat in the theatre for a couple minutes after the movie ended, not saying anything, trying to compose ourselves enough to talk about the movie. I still get a little upset thinking about the horrible situation James and Keira's characters had to endure for the sake of love. And it's surprising how random shots like Keira staring off in the distance after emerging in her green dress or the shot of her spread eagle in the library getting fucked by McAvoy stick in my head a couple of years after last seeing it.


10. Mean Girls (2004)
Director: Mark Waters
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Amanda Seyfried

The most quotable movie of the decade. Don't believe me? "Oh my God Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white!" "I'm sorry I called you a gap-toothed bitch. It's not your fault you're so gap-toothed." "Oh my God! Danny DeVito, I love your work!" And those are just the ones off the top of my head. Tina Fey is the auteur at work here, crafting a teen film that, instead of avoiding clichés altogether, incorporates them and openly mocks their ridiculousness. It may sound ridiculous to the non-believers, but I think that Fey's screenplay is so perfect it belongs in a Holy Trinity with All About Eve and Network as the best screenplays ever written.

9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Director: Michel Gondry
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst

The fact that Eternal Sunshine has become one of those movies that hipsters claim as their favorite to try and prove they like edgy cinema should not distract from how amazingly original this film truly is. I can truly say I've never seen another film that discusses the journey of a relationship in such a heartbreaking yet funny and honest way. This is the one Kate Winslet performance I can get behind whole-heartedly and without any hesitation. And whenever I see Jim Carrey re-hashing his same tired schitck movie after movie, it makes me sad that he's practically given up, given how incredible he is here.

8. Children of Men (2006)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine

I first saw Children of Men with my parents and brother. My mother was offended by all the swearing (Yeah, I don't know either. I seriously should start writing down my mother's opinions on movies) and tuned out early on. My brother was ambivalent, not really saying much either way. When I said that I really liked it, my father looked at me like I had just told him I voted for George Bush. Like most folks, the massive, intricately choreographed long takes were what sucked me in. Never before (or after) had I seen a film use a long take quite as skillfully as Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki do here. They're the sick, twisted heart that makes this apocalyptic thriller all the more chilling and grave.

7. A Christmas Tale (2008)
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Anne Consigny, Mathieu Almaric, Chiara Mastroianni

Another familial drama, this time done by Arnaud Desplechin, the French master of complicated, complex emotions and relationships. I remember watching this movie, not expecting much and then totally being gobsmacked by A Christmas Tale. The family is so intricate, and Desplechin overstuffs the film with so much, the film feels more like a 500 page novel. But A Christmas Tale is smart because, like a good novel, it leaves you wanting more, never fully answering any question it brings up. This film was over two and a half hours long, and I felt like I could have watched them for five (and then hope and pray for a sequel of some sorts). And that cast! What a fantastic collection of the best French actors around (and what a perfect role for living legend Catherine Deneuve).

6. The Departed (2006)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg

One word, and one word only, defines The Departed: badass. Everything about this movie--from the acting, the characters, the story and the filmmaking--can be summed up using that word. I was on such an adrenaline high after watching this movie on Valentine's Day 2007 (see what a romantic I am?) I wanted to gun some motherfuckers down like Leo and Mark.

5. Chicago (2002)
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah

The musical is back! Moulin Rouge! may have kickstarted the film musical trend that punctuated the decade but it was Chicago, for me anyways, the one that defined it. Rob Marshall's recent failures may have somewhat diminished the fierce originality of this adaptation of the Kander & Ebb Broadway classic. The frantic editing may have given some people a headache, but it perfectly suited Marshall's overall vision of completely divorcing the film from any previous memories of the stage show. Catherine Zeta-Jones, aided by a sharp comedic timing and general fierceness sorely missing from any performance of hers before or since, completely stole the show in what is perhaps the best Oscar win of the decade.

4. Erin Brockovich (2000)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart

Every time this movie comes on, whether a friend is watching on DVD or it's on TV, no matter if I had just seen it five hours beforehand, I have to sit down and watch it again and again. Julia Roberts, in a perfect synthesis of her movie star persona and a newfound emotional depth and maturity, has never been as radiant and mesmerizing on-screen as she is here. Erin Brockovich mines new depth and even comedy from the tired "one woman fighting the system" clichés that many directors and writers would have pounded into the ground.

3. Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox

I watched this movie with my family and, of course, they all hated it. I, on the other hand, positively adored everything about it. My mother didn't understand, asking me something to the effect of, "How could you, of all people, like this? You hate violent, bloody movies!" And she was right. Up until that point, I was a big girl who cringed whenever blood came on the screen. With Kill Bill Volume 1 and its cartoonish, fake fountains of blood, I silently cheered to myself every time The Bride sliced off the arm or torso of one of the Crazy 88's. In a strange way, Kill Bill Volume 1 became a sort of milestone in my film watching, a separator between my old sensibilities about what qualified as "good" filmmaking and my newfound appreciation for films that fascinated me beyond a great story and acting. Quentin, Uma, Lucy (even Go-Go!) opened my eyes to whole new possibilities of great filmmaking and for that I'm eternally grateful.

2. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway

When Milk came out last year amid all of the Prop 8 controversy, I was happy to see many of the younger gays cheer on and become so attached to the film's ideas about equality and good ole fashioned gayness. I liked that film well enough, but I couldn't really get into it because I already had my defining movie: Brokeback Mountain. Yes, as odd as it may sound, a film about two emotionally distant cowboys in love with each other, kept apart by an oppressive society and their own repressed emotions somehow made me more accepting and confident with my own budding homosexuality. The film's incredible pop culture power--both in this country and within my group of friends ("That's so Brokeback!" became our expression of choice for gay-related moments and subjects and my friend had a cowboy looking outfit that I affectionately called her "Brokeback outfit)--was unlike anything I had ever seen and made it possible for me to experience this movie with friends and family who never would have cared in a million years if it had been stuck in the "gay ghetto." For better or worse, Ennis & Jack, their forbidden love, the shirts in the closet, Alma's crying face and Lureen's breasts have all become a part of me.

1. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Director: Michael Moore

Any political mindedness (which, admittedly, isn't very much) I gained during the 2000's can be attributed solely to Michael Moore and the impact Bowling for Columbine had on my burgeoning 14 year old mind. I had never seen anything like it: a documentary that manages to be both hilariously entertaining and cleverly insightful, a film that connects our insanely violent culture to lax attitudes about gun control and a history of using force to get what we want, a filmmaker who takes the auteur theory to drastic lengths, inserting himself and his one-sided attack quite literally into the documentary. After the film ended, I was pissed; not at the film, but, rather, at how fucked up this country was. At 14, I had never stopped to consider any of what Bowling for Columbine was telling me to think about and take action against. When I finally did, I was shocked at what I discovered. By golly, 95% of the people in my high school were ignorant hicks who worshiped Bush like he was a fucking prophet or something. I had no idea and, at that moment, realized that the small rinky-dink town I lived in was not some place I wanted to stay in. Also, for a brief time, my adoration of Michael Moore and this film led to me seriously considering taking up film in college so I could make documentaries like him. Obviously, that didn't work out, but I still admire Moore in ways I don't with many other modern directors. He may come across as smug, overbearing and obnoxious to some, but I love the fact that he's so passionate about what he's saying in his films, he'll go to any length to get his point across in the way that makes the biggest impact. If that means pushing the very definition of a documentary to the breaking point by mixing in traditional narrative devices, then so be it. Bowling for Columbine does not apologize for the hybrid that it is. Funny, thought-provoking, rebellious, bull-headed, style-bending: this film, my favorite of the entire decade, brought that and more.