Here is a list of my top 11 movies of the decade (who says I have to do Top 10?). I thought about it long and hard, so I’m not changing anything. I’m no movie expert, but watching movies is one of my favorite hobbies so I feel I have the right to post.

In no particular order:

1. No Country for Old Men

Best adapted screenplay. Best casting (seriously, I had never heard of Javier Bardem and figured they were going to cast some Jack Nicholson freak who would over-exaggerate Chigurh’s every move…he was brilliant). One of my favorite books and they did an awesome job.

2. The Lives of Others

Ulrich Mühe was an extremely talented actor and he was so great in this role. This is probably one of my top ten movies of all time. This story was so real, I can’t remember many other movies where I felt so connected to multiple characters.

3. Up

I cried so hard at the beginning of this movie. I’m not sure I could watch it now. But, what a beautiful movie. I have a difficult time becoming attached to animated characters— not the story with Up.

4. The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger was an incredible Joker. I’m sorry he can’t reprise the role.

5. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (suck it, I’m counting them as one)

Epic. I’ve only seen the movies in an altered state but I’m smart enough (?) to know how epic it is.

6. The Hurt Locker

Not enough people saw this movie. Your loss.

7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I don’t know what it is about this movie but I just love it. I think people think it’s pretentious but I don’t. It even has Kirsten Dunst in it and I love it, that says something.

8. Pan’s Labyrinth

Freaking depressing, but it takes place during one of my favorite times in history (favorite as in most interested in, not favorite as in I LOVE WAR!) and the costume/makeup/scene design rules.

9. Amelie

Not a huge fan of romantic movies but this one is adorable.

10. Memento

I get the feeling that most people thought this was overrated but I was 15 or 16 when I first saw it and it blew my mind. Plus, I love evil females and this definitely has that.

11. Diving Bell and the Butterfly

One of the few examples of a movie that was better than the book. Visually stunning, incredible story. There’s a scene where the main character shaves his dad’s face and it was very touching. I love, LOVE this movie.

Honorable Mentions: Children of Men, High Fidelity, Mulholland Drive, Royal Tenenbaums, Wet Hot American Summer

I just got back from seeing the movie “Precious.”

Do not go see this movie if you are wanting to feel good. It is a depressing movie, and even though it ends on a semi-positive note, you have to wade through poverty, sexual abuse, incest, emotional abuse and the messed-up system (wait, why are you going to kick someone out of school for being pregnant?) to get to that note.

All of the actors that you know (Sheri Shepard, Mariah Carey and a very, very attractive Lenny Kravitz) are dressed down and not glamorous at all. I have a lot of respect for big stars who are okay with not being the star; I can’t imagine Madonna being in a movie where she is a minor role and doesn’t wear any make-up. I know they’re doing it for the critical accolades, but still…I appreciate it. Paula Patton as the teacher Blu Rain is pretty outstanding and I look forward to her star rising.

Of course, there is Gabourey Sidibe as Precious, who does just an outstanding job. I’ve been sort of obsessed with her after reading this article. She says, “People look at me and don’t expect much. I expect a lot.” I just have a lot of respect for her and admire her confidence.

And Mo’Nique….wow. I have loved her since I first saw her on The Parkers and even enjoyed her in…ahem… Charm School on Vh1. I just wasn’t sure she had it in her to play such a serious role. But, wow. There is a scene where she is talking to Mariah Carey (a social worker) about the abuse in her home and it is just ridiculous. Her justifying the abuse and explaining it and you KNOW she believes every word she says. She’s just incredible. If she doesn’t win the Academy Award, it would be a travesty.

One more thing, the review from Slant was incredibly negative and had this to say:

“One for the Stuff White People Like canon, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is an impeccably acted piece of trash—an exploitation film that shamelessly strokes its audience’s sense of righteous indignation. “Your tongue hasn’t clucked this hard since Crash,” the tagline for the film may as well read, and the proof is in the pudding, or, rather, the hairy pigs feet Precious whips up for her sick-as-fuck mother… You watch this lurid pageantry of misery with mouth agape, mostly because Daniels solicits his audience’s guilt without rousing their consciousness.”

Another review I read called it a sociological horror show, saying that it reinforces every black stereotype imaginable.

First of all, this is Harlem in 1987. These people are real, and I think anyone who has been educated on this period of history (or maybe just educated in general) knows this. There’s a line where Mo’Nique is talking about AIDS and says that she knows she doesn’t have it because she and [another character with AIDS], “never did it up the ass, so I know.” That was just incredibly shocking, for even a subtle line, but you know so many people thought that way and had so many misconceptions about a very real health crisis. And even if you have the black mother who is obsessed with her man and a black father who is sexually abusive (I guess that’s stereotypical? That’s what a reviewer says), you also have a black woman who is a teacher and is making a difference in people’s lives and a black teenager who has chosen not to give up.

Secondly, I think Daniels does successfully rouse people’s consciousness and I still don’t think the Daniels’s focus is on soliciting white guilt. There are not any white people (well, not really) in the movie at all. There are no white villains, there are no white heroes. White people really don’t have anything to do with this story. Sure, you can argue that a white system put this family and other family’s like it in their situation but I don’t think that was the point. I think his focus was to tell this woman’s story, to raise awareness and also to give you a character to admire (someone who has gone through the worst of the worst, and still has some hope). I know that I even left wanting to be a teacher, I was so moved by Blu Rain and how much she cared for her students. I think the reviewers who keep focusing on white guilt are missing the point.

(and really, what is wrong with white liberal guilt? Should I not appreciate “black movies” or “black culture” as a white person? Would you rather me be a racist? I know that I’m being selfish in asking these things but I would actually like to know. How do you have concern and interest in a big part of America’s history and culture without it being written off as “stuff white people like” or something like that?)

Anyway, I suggest you see it if you want to see a pretty depressing movie. I know that there are a lot of people who see movies as entertainment and this is definitely not entertaining. It’s very uncomfortable to watch, but I think it’s worth it.

Spoiler alert: Stay away from this review if you don’t want minor spoilers.

If you don’t know by now, I’m a big fan of scary movies. Everything from Halloween to Psycho to Session 9 to the Orphanage…I love it all. I was super excited to see Paranormal Activity when I heard about it. I am a big (and apparently only one of a few) fan of Blair Witch Project and was ready to see a movie made in a similar vein.

You meet Katie and Micah, a couple living in San Diego, California. First of all, I need to meet a sugar daddy day trader because their house is AWESOME! Anyway, Katie has had these unexplainable occurrences happen off and on since she was eight years old. She’ll hear people talking to her, feel a strange presence in the room and find her belongings moved around. After moving into a house with Micah, these occurrences become more regular and even worse.

Now, this had the potential of being scary movie. The problem is, I didn’t care AT ALL about the characters. If I had been haunted for thirteen years of my life, I wouldn’t act as nonchalant about the hauntings or joke the way Katie does. This didn’t seem like a defense mechanism; instead, it seemed like the product of bad writing and acting. She never really convinced me that she was that scared; if anything, I felt that she was more irritated or just tired. After a while, she got on my nerves. I remember people complaining about Heather from Blair Witch Project being annoying and becoming a character that you almost hope to see dead. But Heather was at least a good actress! She seemed panicked. She was mildly annoying because she was anxious and confused and didn’t know what to do. Katie just seemed bratty and irritated. Her scenes with her friend visiting the house and her scenes with the psychic were not believable at all. Micah, while occasionally funny, didn’t convince me that he genuinely cared at all about what was happening until the last fifteen minutes of the movie.

The “hauntings” are predictable as the timestamp of the camera slows down when they are about to occur. I don’t really know how else the movie could work, but it really decreased the tension in the movie since you can expect something to happen. Only one occurrence is even moderately scary, but the rest didn’t disturb or creep me out at all. Several attempts to scare people were just things popping out at the camera which, to me, is more annoying than scary. There were also some holes in the plot (“Goodbye, Diane”) that were never explained.

Overall, I was bored and felt like the movie was way too long (even though it was only 90 minutes!) and had failed to capture my attention. By the end, I had drifted off to sleep (which never, ever happens) and only happened to catch the conclusion because screams in the theatre woke me up. The conclusion was completely expected and lazy, in my opinion, and actually made me giggle.

I appreciate that this movie had a small budget but I just felt like it was a huge letdown. I had heard great things about this movie and was very disappointed. Blair Witch Project was scary and tense and made you feel trapped, even though they were out in the open woods. Paranormal Activity was boring and predictable.