In a few days, it will be the end of the 2010s – the decade that saw the greatest advancements yet in digital formatting. Films are available digitally before you can buy them on DVD or Blu-ray. I doubt that any of us could have guessed ten years ago that entire video libraries would now reside on our computers or phones, rather than on shelves of discs.
At the beginning of the 2010s, we would spend hours in our entertainment store of choice (Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, etc.), scouring the shelves for something to watch over the weekend. I remember spending a lot of my hard-earned money on movies and music at Best Buy, but the selection has decreased over the years due to the rise of both online shopping and digital downloads/streaming.
Streaming sources also formed film distribution companies, such as Netflix and Amazon Studios. Suddenly these studios were on the list of Oscar nominees. Then they started winning, with films like Manchester by the Sea (2016) and Roma (2018). I’m sure that The Irishman (2019) will be a big winner at the upcoming Oscars.
Disney grew into the biggest film company in history after many if its releases broke box office records. It is currently responsible for seven out of the ten highest-grossing films of all time (some came from Marvel, which Disney bought in late 2009). Disney even developed a streaming service of its own with Disney+.
Here are my favorite films from this decade:
Inception (2010)
This film still resonates with me – it is one of the most original I’ve seen. I love the idea of a group of thieves stealing…well…ideas. I’m a fan of heist films, and this one brings the genre to a new level.
Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) leads the team hired by top companies to steal ideas from others. However, businessman Saito (Ken Watanabe) hires them to plant an idea, rather than take one. To achieve this, they must go deep in their target’s subconscious, by going into a dream within a dream within a dream. This film is beyond entertaining, with an ending that sparked many debates but still satisfies.
La La Land (2016)
Musicals are not my favorite genre, but La La Land is brilliant. After the opening number took place in a congested Los Angeles onramp, I knew that this film would be entertaining. The music and the choreography are phenomenal. The cinematography left me in awe – particularly the scene where Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone dance while overlooking the Hollywood sunset.
Gosling and Stone play Sebastian and Mia, two young people looking to make it big. Sebastian is an aspiring pianist and Mia is an actress. They find love while trying to achieve their lifelong dreams. This is one of the most beautiful films of all time.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) [2014]
This is a rather silly film, but still a masterpiece. The silliness comes from the protagonist having weird and random visions that nobody else in the film witnesses. Then again, it worked in The Big Lebowski (1998).
Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is a washed-up actor making a comeback on Broadway. The production is gearing up for the opening night, while Riggan faces a multitude of personal struggles. He is famous for playing Birdman, a superhero from the 1990s. “Birdman” is the visual form of his subconscious and periodically talks to Riggan. Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts constitute the amazing cast that makes this film a joy to watch repeatedly.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Even at his current age of 57, Tom Cruise is showing no signs of slowing down. He is on board for two more Mission: Impossible movies and I couldn’t be more excited. I think my excitement came from this latest chapter in the franchise because it is easily the best installment yet. Thrills and exciting action sequences abound, such as a high-altitude skydive and a lengthy rooftop chase.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) races against time to find three stolen plutonium cores. A group of terrorists, known as The Apostles, is using the cores to trigger an apocalypse so they can implement their new world order. Hunt and his team face their most challenging mission yet in this spectacle of an action film.
Argo (2012)
I didn’t know much about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis before seeing this film, but it seems to be a good depiction of world events of the time. I still think that Ben Affleck saved his career by transitioning to a directorial role. However, Affleck was not nominated for the Best Director Oscar for this film, which I maintain is a crime. The film won Best Picture, and Affleck took home the prize for being a co-producer.
Affleck plays Tony Mendez, the C.I.A. operative who plans the rescue of six American diplomats hiding in Iran. Mendez uses a fake film production as a cover, with the help of film producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman). Despite claims of historical inaccuracy, Argo’s humor and thrills make it a triumph.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
I was unsure what to expect when Disney bought Lucasfilm and announced a third Star Wars trilogy. I remember being excited when I heard that the new trilogy would be a continuation of the Skywalker saga, with the return of the original cast members.
Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is the new villain, looking to continue what Darth Vader started. Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) team up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) to bring Ren and the First Order down. The Force Awakens started a new slew of Star Wars films that, so far, have exceeded my expectations.
The Imitation Game (2014)
Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley give amazing performances in this true story of codebreaking during the height of World War II. This war has many amazing stories, and I would love to know more.
Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing, the mathematician hired to analyze a captured Enigma machine – the device that the Nazis use to send coded messages. Turing develops a machine that can decipher the messages. After struggles with funding for the machine and with his colleagues, Turing eventually succeeds in breaking the code, saving many lives. The story of Alan Turing was worth telling – and told well.
Chef (2014)
This is one of the best “feel-good” films I’ve seen. It is a good dramedy about food, friendship, and family. Jon Favreau writes, directs, and stars in this film that I’m sure inspired many people to try home cooking.
Favreau plays Carl Casper, a respected chef who works in a Brentwood neighborhood restaurant. He grows tired of the same menu and wants to do more with his skills. He quits his job out of frustration and finds himself starting over. With the support of his friends and family, Carl starts a food truck business that quickly becomes a success. From the wondrous sights of New Orleans and Austin to the many delicious dishes seen in this film, Chef is a delight to watch.
American Hustle (2013)
I love movies about con artists. The schemes are always exciting to watch, and it seldom goes exactly as predicted. I love American Hustle for its stellar cast, story, and abundant humor. It still amazes me that it’s loosely based on a true story – the Abscam operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) are small-time con artists who are caught by F.B.I. agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). Irving and Sydney make a deal with DiMaso to help him arrest corrupt politicians. Well-acted, well-scripted, and well-directed, American Hustle is a true masterpiece. Too bad it didn’t win any Oscars, though.
Boyhood (2014)
Filming a movie usually occurs within a short time frame, unless you’re Stanley Kubrick. I’d say three months is the average amount of time required to record the necessary scenes. However, director Richard Linklater took a novel approach: he spent twelve years making Boyhood. Even more impressive – he managed to keep the same actors involved in its entirety.
Boyhood is the story of Mason Evans, Jr. (Ellar Coltrane), from age six through eighteen. He and his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) live with their mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette), who can never keep their family constant. Between education and job opportunities, Olivia moves the family almost all over Texas throughout the years. This is one of the best coming-of-age films of all time, and not just because the actors literally age as the film progresses.
Happy watching!
If you missed my earlier posts, you can read about my favorites from past decades here: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
