The Last Site On The Left: Patrick's 100 films of the decade: 10

So here it is the top ten. Just to keep it in context here’s the previous countdown of 100 – 11.

100. Shotgun Stories (Jeff Nichols, 2007)
99. Snow Angels (David Gordon Green, 2007) 98. Mongol (Sergei Bodrov, 2007)
97. In Search of a Midnight Kiss (Alex Holdridge, 2007)
96. Man From London (Bela Tarr, 2007)
95. 21 Grams (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2003)
94. The Dreamers (Bernardo Bertolucci, 2003)
93. Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008)
92. Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
91. Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt, 2008)
90. Serenity (Joss Whedon, 2005)
89. Bad Education (Pedro Almoldovar, 2004)
88. Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007)
87. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron, 2006)
86. A History of Violence ( David Cronenberg, 2005)
85. The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009)
84. Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin, 2007)
83. Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007)
82. 500 Days Of Summer (Marc Webb, 2009)
81. Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes, 2002)
80. Science of Sleep (Michel Gondry, 2006)
79. Dogville (Lars Von Trier, 2003)
78. Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007)
77. Goodnight and Good Luck (George Clooney 2005)
76. Man Who Wasn't There (Coen Brothers, 2001)
75. The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006)
74. Gommorah (Matteo Garrone, 2008)
73. Frost/Nixon (Ron Howard, 2008)
72. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigalow, 2008)
71. Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008)
70. Wristcutters: A Love Story (Goran Dukic, 2006)
69. All About Lily Chou Chou (Shunji Iwai, 2001)
68. Angel-A (Luc Besson, 2005)
67. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005)
66. Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, 2003)
65. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson, 2004)
64. Broken Flowers (Jim Jarmusch, 2005)
63. The Wrestler (Darren Aronofski, 2008)
62. Infernal Affairs (Wai-Keung Lau, 2002)
61. In The Mood For Love (Ka Wai Wong, 2000)
60. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (George Clooney, 2002)
59. Dancer in the Dark (Lars Von Trier, 2000)
58. Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton, 2006)
57. The Piano Teacher ( Michael Haneke ,2001)
56. I'm a Cyborg But That's Okay (Chan-Wook Park, 2006)
55. The Host (Chui-Hyun Baek, 2006)
54. Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess, 2004)
53. American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000)
52. Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006)
51. Oldboy (Chan Wook Park, 2003)
50. The Proposition (John Hillcoat, 2005)
49. The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Jacques Audiard, 2005)
48. Battle Royal (Kinji Kukasaku, 2000)
47. The Machinist (Brad Anderson, 2004)
46. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppolla, 2003)
45. Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009)
44. Monsters Inc (Pete Docter, 2001)
43. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant, 2007)
42. Up (Pete Docter, 2009)
41. Punch Drunk Love (P.T Anderson, 2002)
40. Blame It On Fidel (Julie Gavras, 2006)
39. Amelie (Jean Pierre Jeunet, 2001)
38. 13 Tzameti ( Gela Babluani, 2005)
37. Squid & The Whale (Noah Baumbach, 2005)
36. Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, 2005)
35. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001)
34. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
33. Wall-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008)
32. The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky, 2006)
31. Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)
30. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008)
29. Brick (Rian Johnson, 2005)
28. Friday Night Lights (Peter Berg, 2004)
27. Watchmen (Zack Snyder, 2009)
26. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
25. Superbad (Gregg Mottola, 2007)
24. Beaufort (Joseph Cedar, 2007) *currently on bbc iplayer
23. Anchorman (Adam McKay, 2004)
22. Goodbye Lenin (Wolfgang Becker, 2003)
21. Les chanson D'Amore (Christophe Honore, 2007)
20. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
19. Amores Perros (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2000)
18. City Of God (Fernando Meirelles, 2002)
17. The Fall (Tarsem Singh, 2006)
16. Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
15. The Lives Of Others (Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck, 2006)
14. Elephant (Gus Van Sant, 2003)
13. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
12. No Country For Old Men (Coen Brothers, 2007)
11. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

10. Requiem For a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000)

Focusing on the effects of addiction through the lives of four New Yorkers, Aronofskys follow up to his much acclaimed debut Pi was a cult hit. Its fast paced editing techniques started a new direction in independent film making. The score by Pop Will eat Itself’s Clint Mansell was one of the films main highlights. These two achievements combined created one of the most visually stunning, and intence films of the last decade.

9. Hidden (Michael Haneke, 2005)

It is only as the decade draws to a close that it becomes clear just how presciently the Austrian director Michael Haneke tapped into the uncertain mood of the last ten years. In a time surrounded in a sheet of fear Hidden’s twin themes of national guilt and foreign policy resonate perfectly with the defining concerns of our time. in the film it’s France’s occupation of Algeria, but it’s not hard to piece together the parallels with more recent conflicts that involves us all on a global scale. Plus, as round-the-clock surveillance became a part of our daily lives, here was a film that captured the creeping paranoia that resulted from the eyes of unseen strangers invading private life.

8. The Motorcycle Diaries (Walter Salles, 2004)

A dramatization of a motorcycle road trip Che Guevara went on in his youth that showed him his life's calling. However this film is more than an insight into the life of one of history’s most famous faces. Instead its high position in this list is more down to life changing effects it has on you the audience. I dare you to find anyone, who after watching this film doesn’t want to radically change their life from the mundane of the ‘9-5’ and do something different and worth while.

7. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)

Miyazaki, Japans master storyteller and animator creates a deliciously loopy adventure for ten-year- old Chihiro, the central character of this, his thirteenth production for studio Ghibli (Japans Walt Disney) when a tedious drive to a new town is interrupted by a deadly detour into the spirit world, the audience is taken on a magical journey that shows the true meaning of family. Like the Wizard of Oz for the naughties. Although not his best work it helped open the world of studio ghibli to a much wider audience.

6. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)

Head-tripping sci-fi set in an Eighties high school environment. This psychological thriller with dark Lynchian overtones came from indie obscurity to take over the mainstream. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lead a paranoid schizophrenic who may just have the key to time travel. The film opened the eyes of many to the burgeoning American indie film makers that now litter the box office

5. Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

The naughties saw something of a resurgence of the ‘western’, with films like ‘The Proposition’ and ‘3:10 to Yuma’. None though were done with such panache as Dominiks beautifully shot Jesse James. Although staring Brad Pitt this films main strengths lie with its supporting cast. Noteably the performance of Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell and Paul Schneider. Perfectly scored by Nick cave and with some of the best cinematography seen in recent years, this is truly a film that deserves more credit than the modest acclaim it got on release

4. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)

Daniel Day Lewis singlehandedly showed Hollywood the importance of acting in this P.T Andersons interpretation of Upton Sinclair’s ‘Oil’. This devastating movie, about oil prospecting in the early 20th century, is endlessly re-watchable. Johnny Greenwoods suspense fueled soundtrack, combined with Andersons eye for a perfect shot and Day Lewis’s Oscar winning spin as Daniel Plainview created an instant classic.

3. Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008)

Provocative London-born artist McQueen directorial debut is not just a great film, but a piece of art in itself. Michael Fassbender shines as Bobby Sands in a movie that’s almost empty of any dialogue, instead focusing on visuals to tackle the infamous 1981 IRA hunger strikes. McQueen doesn’t takes sides, instead deciding to show you an unbiased view from both sides of ‘the troubles’. A bold move by a bold director in an even bolder film. So effecting is the film it’s not one you’ll want to watch again, but one you’ll never forget.

2. Pans Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006)

The darkest era of Spanish history, combined with the darkness of a young girls imagination weave a wonderful mythical adventure. Every shot of this beautiful film is done with such style it’s hard to not be drawn into the magical kingdom Del Toro has created. This film opened up foreign cinema to a whole new audience, which can’t be a bad thing. Truly stunning!

1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007)

The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who, after a stroke, was left paralysed and able to communicate only through blinking his left eye. Despite this affliction he managed, through the use of a speech therapist to dictate the book he always meant to write. The film takes us inside Bauby's wrecked mind, at times making you feel as locked into his body as he is. Schnabel charms us with Bauby’s rebellious wit and moves you to tears with this well crafted biopic of one man’s trials to overcome the impossible. Like McQueen and Hunger this is another film created by an artist, and it shows. Visually this film is a joy to behold, it pulls you in and never lets go. Some of the most beautiful images put too film you’ll ever see.

Next they’ll be a scientific breakdown of the top 100 and Matthews Kleebauer definitive list. After that we’ll be able to announce the ‘true’ winner of film of the decade from the ‘Last site on the left’ staff.

Until then please enjoy some trailers from the top ten.

Hunger: