Over the weekend The Times of London jumped the gun by posting their list of the top 100 films of the decade. We agree with ArtsBeat’s Dave Itzkoff, who noted that their roundup, while diverse, feels “more provocative than definitive.” (In fact, if this kind of sweeping survey tends to get you worked up, you might be better off reading GreenCine’s list of the 25 most disturbing movies instead.) After the jump, we’ll reveal their top 10, along with a few films we think got the shaft.
Their picks:
10. Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008)
9. The Queen (Stephen Frears, 2006)
8. Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006)
7. The Last King of Scotland (Kevin Macdonald, 2006)
6. Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008)
5. Team America: World Police (Trey Parker, 2004)
4. Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, 2005)
3. No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, 2007)
2. The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum (Paul Greengrass, 2004, 2007)
1. Hidden (Caché) (Michael Haneke, 2005)
Who we think got shafted: Amelie (not ranked); Brokeback Mountain (17); The Dark Knight (43); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (16); Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (not ranked; Lost in Translation (39); The Pianist (not ranked); There Will Be Blood (63); any of the Lord of the Rings films (The Return of the King was the only one on the list and ranked at 50);
But these are just off the top of our head. Who do you not see on their list who deserves to be there? Are you surprised the Bourne movies made it so high up? Or that Team America cracked the top five, and topped Slumdog? Do you think it’s just a difference between British and American tastes? That would help explain Casino Royale… Most importantly, do you feel like all ten of their selections will be just as watchable in twenty or so years?