The 25 Best Films of 2010-2014

Best Films of Decade
Slate movie critic Kevin B. Lee recently conducted an informal poll of the best movies of the decade so far. More than 260 people responded with their top ten best films, and Lee compiled the results that was made into a video of the top 25 films from the time period. While the poll is not scientific, it gives a good idea of many of the recent films most likely to be remembered after the decade’s end.

So, below is a video of the top 25 films from 2010-2014. Check it out. [Update: Unfortunately the video is no longer available.]

The Best Films of Decade So Far (2010-2014) from Fandor Keyframe on Vimeo.

There are some surprises. It was good to see Margaret (2011), a lesser known excellent movie, up at number 5. But there is plenty to argue about. For example, although I enjoyed The Master (2012), I would not put it anywhere near number 3. I understand why Tree of Life (2011) is number 1, but it was not the movie I enjoyed the most during this time period. If you prefer to read the list instead of watching the video, head over to Fandor.

While some may argue that the decade should start with 2011, it makes a better list that it covers five years.

What is your favorite movie the decade so far? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Pop Culture Roundup (9 Jan. 2012 Edition)

    Kathleen Edwards In case you have been deep in the NFL playoffs or if you live in Iowa or New Hampshire and have been too busy listening to presidential candidates, here is this week’s roundup of some of the stories about music, film, and pop culture that you might have missed.

    — Music —

    Patti Smith has written a song about Amy Winehouse and will include the tune on her next CD.

    Cee Lo Green manaaged to anger religious leaders, atheists, and John Lennon fans with a New Year’s “Imagine” lyrics change. He later explained why he changed the lyrics.

    Jump! Van Halen — including David Lee Roth — played a small club this week to warm up for their upcoming tour.

    Rodney Crowell’s website has three live acoustic songs for free download. Nice.

    Kathleen Edwards’s new CD, released later this month, was co-produced by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) w/ guest artists.

    For the first time ever, in 2011, digital sales of music topped the physical sale of music.

    Grammy-winning musician Youssou N’Dour will run in Senegal’s presidential election next month.

    Charlie Louvin’s new memoir recounts Oasis-type disharmony with his brother when the Louvin Brothers toured.

    Terry Ardolino, the drummer with NRBQ from 1974-2004, passed away at the age of 56. RIP.

    Freddie Milano, one of the Belmonts who sang with Dion on a number of classic rock and roll songs, passed away this week. After Dion left the original Belmonts behind (and a falling out and litigation followed), Milano continued to sing with the group while pursing his education. When he passed away he was working with the less fortunate, helping indigent people detained at Rikers Island jail in New York City. After Milano’s death was announced, Dion wrote a short tribute on his Facebook page, stating how Milano played an important role in his younger life: “We had our ups and downs through the years but that’s how things go in families, even rock-and-roll families. I will always remain grateful for his contribution in 1958 & 59 – may he rest in peace and rock on in heaven.” Milano was known for his great harmonies in the group as shown in this clip of “I Wonder Why.” Milano is the second from the left at the beginning of the song. RIP.

    You may also hear and see Milano (on your right) in this performance of “A Teenager in Love.”


    — Movies —

    This year in movies “might just be the geekiest ever.” — IMDb editor Keith Simanton.

    A Bridesmaids Sequel Without Kristen Wiig?

    Bridesmaids Kristen Wiig The Chicago Tribune listed 10 films to see this winter from Michael Phillips.

    The Tree of Life originally included a planned Adam and Eve sequence.

    War Horse actor Benedict Cumberbatch has signed on to be in the Star Trek sequel, perhaps as a villain.

    Red Tails — an action film produced by George Lucas about WWII African-American Tuskegee Airmen — is out Jan. 20.



    — Television —

    Betty White has a new hidden-camera TV show of seniors pulling pranks.

    Donald Trump
    announced his biggest Celebrity Apprentice cast ever.

    What happened to Ted Williams, the “man with the golden voice” who was found homeless last year? (video)


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    Tree of Life (Short Review)


    Viewer 1: “What the hell?”
    Viewer 2: “Shut up.”
    — Overheard during showing of Tree of Life

    Since I watched Days of Heaven (1978) in a college movie theater, I have been a fan of director Terrence Malick. Seeing that beautiful and poetic movie was a unique cinema experience that changed my expectations and aspirations for movies. Little did I know then, though, that twenty years would pass between the time Malick made that movie and his next one, The Thin Red Line (1998), but I would love that movie too. Although he only has made five movies in a span of thirty-eight years, they are all unique and beautiful. So I was eagerly anticipating Tree of Life (2011), and its ruminations on life and death set around a suburban 1950s family, starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain.

    Tree of Life

    I give that background to disclose my expectations for Tree of Life. As has been noted in other Chimesfreedom posts, sometimes high expectations may doom your enjoyment of a movie. Either way, I was disappointed by Tree of Life. Maybe I will change my mind after repeated viewings and further reflection, as there is a lot to think about from the film.

    Tree of Life is an ambitious movie, attempting to tie together creation, the meaning of life, memory, and maybe even the afterlife. There are beautiful scenes and big questions, as the movie ponders the age-old question of why the world was formed just to result in human pain and suffering. There is not much of a plot, but you do not go to a Malick movie looking for a story; you go looking for poetry. The film focuses on one boy and his interactions with two brothers and a loving mother and a frustrated disciplinarian father (Pitt). The movie gives you glimpses of their daily lives with occasional whispering voice-overs, but the narrating boy never whispers anything as literal as “I see dead people.”

    The acting is good throughout. The child actors, including Hunter McCracken, do an excellent job, and Pitt gives a standout performance. If you go to the movie because you are a fan of Sean Penn, you should know that he only appears in the film about fifteen minutes more than the dinosaurs do.

    Conclusion? I was not engaged for most of the first half hour and the ending, but the middle of the movie drew me into it. Overall, I wish more movies were as ambitious as this one, but I also wish this one reached its lofty goals a little more than it did. Most critics are getting this one right by saying it is an unusual movie that some people will love and others will hate, although I fell in the middle. So you should check it out for yourself if you think you might like a movie with high aspirations that may be more challenging than entertaining.

    If you want to check out some other views, Rotten Tomatoes currently has a score of 86% by critics and 66% by viewers. Also, Bill Goodykoontz at the Arizona Republic has a very good positive review of Tree of Life (“Beautiful, baffling, poetic, pretentious, it’s one big ball of moviedom”), and Roger Moore at the Orlando Sentinel has a very good negative review (“this challenging time-skipping rumination is the big screen equivalent of watching that ‘Tree’ grow”).

    What did you think of Tree of Life? Leave a comment.

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