Best of the Decade: 20-16

Munich - 2005

Speilberg shot this movie essentially a few months before its release and Tony Kushner was writing segments of dialogue on set. "Munich" has to be one of the most successful rush jobs in cinematic history. Dissecting the harsh, vengeance-laden aftermath of the Israeli hostage situation at the Munich Olympics, "Munich" deftly balances dramatic thrills and unsettling themes. How much effect do these revenge assassinations have on the Hydra-like enemy hierarchy? And what effect do they have on the souls of the assassinators?

Bend it Like Beckham - 2002

"Bend it Like Beckham" is unlike any other movie that involves teenagers and misunderstandings. Watch the way that several of Jesminder's troubles--fear of showing her legs, sister's in-laws thinking she's a floozy--get solved by rational discussion. Any other movie would drag out these dramas, but "Beckham" loves its characters too much to let them suffer zany antics more appropriate for a Shakespeare-in-high-school comedy. "Beckham" also feels like this decade's most successful attempt at teenage feminism, richly lacing it with sports and melting-pot cultural divides but never making it about girls who just want to be "like the boys." They're proudly feminine.

In the Bedroom - 2001

About as emotionally wrenching as any drama about grieving parents should be, "In the Bedroom" separates itself from similar films because of how richly textured that grief becomes, the many ways it manifests itself in the lives of Matt and Ruth Fowler. They go through their stages apart from each other until one mutual feeling--revenge--brings them momentarily together. Based on an Andres Dubus short story, "In the Bedroom" is a surprising and harrowing take on how destructive the act of coping can become.

Slumdog Millionaire - 2008

As the internet continues to strengthen the overall feeling of global interconnectedness, American audiences seemed perfectly primed for the arrival of a high-concept, familiarly-themed, excitingly-made film from a major but distant country like India. (The way the public enthusiastically embraced it reminded me of all the Beijing Opening Ceremonies talk from earlier that year.) And "Slumdog" was perfectly timed, the right movie at the right moment; but Danny Boyle's masterpiece is, even out of its historical context, a brilliant and affecting piece of filmmaking. Tracing Jamal's quest through the slums and a (too?) rapidly developing urban India tingles the senses and grips the heart.

Inside Man - 2006

With its New York street corner dynamism and murky social politics, "Inside Man" seems at first like a sleek remake of a 1970s heist movie. Even Denzel Washington's hat seems fashionably plucked from an earlier era. Spike Lee's (until then, unseen) masterful touch for high-stakes boiler room tension, though, spins the story into a modern context. Everyone around our hero (Washington) plays mind games and makes power grabs, complicating a bank robbery that's a brain-teaser to begin with. Lee and writer Russell Gewirtz (his first feature!) never waste a line or even a frame; every moment provides deep character insight, plot twists, and winking modern social messages. It's so crafty and satsfying, it's one I always want to watch again as soon as it's ended.

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