As promised, here are my ten favorite movies of this decade.
10. Pineapple Express (2008)
“This is like if that Blue Oyster shit met that Afghan Kush I had and they had a baby. And then, meanwhile, that crazy Northern Light stuff I had and the Super Red Espresso Snowflake met and had a baby. And by some miracle, those two babies met and fucked. This would be the shit that they birthed.”

This movie is by far the most brilliant thing the Cult of Apatow has ever done. One of the funniest, most quotable movies ever with James Franco and Danny McBride doing some of the best character acting ever seen in a comedy. Also, the inhuman amount of shit blowing up in this movie is an added bonus, especially if you toked up before watching it.
9. Inglorious Basterds (2009)
“Well I speak the most Italian, so I’ll be your escort.”

Quentin Tarantino’s movies have all been good but, until now, none of them had ever been quite as stellar as Pulp Fiction. Inglorious Basterds is the first Tarantino movie to challenge Pulp Fiction’s throne. I’ve been known to bash Brad Pitt for being a one trick pony but in the past several years he has proven he has a breadth of acting ability beyond what I ever thought possible for him. As Aldo Raine, Brad Pitt puts on the funniest and flat out best performance of his career, bar none. This movie is not to be missed and proves yet again that there is only one Quentin Tarantino.
8. Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside) (2004)
“A life without freedom is not a life.”

Before he was the crazy guy with the murderous propane tank in No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem was a Spanish star who played real life paraplegic named Ramon Sampedro seeking euthanasia to end his decades long struggle. This movie is beautiful, touching and wonderfully acted. This is a movie that likely slipped under most people’s radar, but I highly recommend watching it if you have the chance.
7. Snatch. (2001)
“You show me how to control a wild fucking gypsy and I’ll show you how to control an unhinged, pig-feeding gangster.”

This is in my humblest of opinions, the greatest heist movie of all time. Guy Ritchie is at his best, Brad Pitt plays a hysterical, incomprehensible gypsy and Jason Statham shows that his acting ability goes beyond just driving cars.
6. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
“This is Jason Bourne, the toughest target that you have ever tracked. He is really good at staying alive, and trying to kill him and failing just pisses him off.”

It only took three movies for Matt Damon to leave his mark on the action genre and prove undoubtedly that Bourne is smarter, cooler and better than Bond. This is the superb culmination of the Bourne Trilogy and quite simply one of the best action movies ever made.
5. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
“Gypsy, who is this woman you have shrunk?”

This movie was the most original, revolutionary piece of comedy of my lifetime. There ncver has been, and there probably never will be anything quite like Borat. While Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen’s followup to Borat, was funny too, it didn’t quite amount to the original. This movie has never gotten old for me. When I saw it the first time my face hurt from laughing so hard and still, after watching it about a dozen times, it has the same effect.
4. Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002)
“The City of God was divided.”

There have been some spectacular crime dramas in the past but none quite as eye opening as City of God. This movie is a telling portrait of the tumultuous criminal underbelly of Rio de Janeiro. While simultaneously following the stories of characters Rocket and Lil Ze this movie shows while there is tremendous potential among the people of the lower class, there are always malicious people who would prefer the power of a life of crime.
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
“Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?”

In 2004, the creative juggernaut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry created one of the most original love stories in film history. Eternal Sunshine is nothing short of extraordinary, and Kaufman shows through his muses Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, that he can take a rather absurd concept and make it interesting and easy to relate to. The movie draws you in as Carrey, while getting Winslet erased from his memory, realizes how worthwhile those memories are.
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
“Wanna know how I got these scars?”

My friends reading this list are probably shocked that this isn’t number one but it was so close in my head that I couldn’t really choose. For those of you who haven’t experienced the phenomenon, The Dark Knight is not only the undisputed greatest superhero movie in the history of cinema but it is also a commendably good crime drama and the magnificent final act of Heath Ledger’s decorated filmography. Held up high by near perfect acting performances by the entire cast (with the exception of Christian Bale’s Batman grunts) this movie keeps you glued to your seat and wanting more when it’s over. The movie is two and a half hours long but I would have gladly sat there and watched it for five.
1. El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) (2006)
“My mother told me to be wary of Fauns.”

After watching this movie for the first time, one thing was clear to me; Guillermo del Toro has an imagination to be envied. Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the most beautiful, original fantasies of our time and the best fantasy film based on original material since Star Wars. All of the characters, both human and supernatural, work in such perfect unison and create a masterpiece truly worthy of the phrase “movie magic.”