10 most under-rated English films of the decade

The article on Film.com kind of inspired me to write my own list. The reason being that I really disagreed with the article. To me, Film.com made pathetic choices. That disagreement kind of acted like a catalyst making me write my own list for the most under-rated English movies of this decade.

Now I followed certain parameters (which is followed by Film.com) while selecting the movies.

1. The film can't have surpassed $30 million, either domestically or worldwide.
2. The film can't have been nominated for/won an Oscar.

Which basically means that the movie didn't get acclaim either from revenue or awards.

So here they are, my Top 10 most under-rated English films of the decade, chronologically.


1. High Fidelity (2000)

It is useless to review the movie as most of us have seen it. For those who haven’t, go watch it! Now let’s discuss why it is under-rated.

What a soundtrack! One of the best soundtracks of the decade, if not more. Then there is John Cusack in his prime form. Jack Black with this movie made his arrival into the big league of comedians. Moments that we remember: Top 5 break-ups of all time, Evil-dead bit, the Annie Hall type dissection of a failed romance.

Because of its quirky characters, smart dialogue, and occasional bursts of penetrating humor, High Fidelity stands tall. The movie is just like the DVD back cover says, ‘a bullet’.

2. Waking Life (2001)

Richard Linklater is a genius and this film once again proves it. The film deals with the idea of lucid dreams and the nature of our existence and many other philosophical questions. What struck me about the film was the way in which the superb animation was layered over the film. What this achieves is indeed a sense of a dreamlike viewing experience. The film highlights the idea of how intertwined our dream lives and our waking lives are. Memories that we once thought to be real often turn out to dreams and vice versa.

Waking Life is a unique, cerebral experience.


3. 25th Hour (2002)

'I tattooed 'survive' on my hand the night before I went away to prison. And I did. We do what we have to do to survive.'

The film deals with 24 hours of Monty's (Edward Norton) life before he heads for the maximum security prison for the next seven years being convicted for drug possession. Knowing that he has limited time, Monty tries to spend most of his time with two of his best friends Frank (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and with Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), his girlfriend.

It is also one of the first movies to show the New York post 9/11. There is a sequence where we see workers cleaning away the debris from Ground Zero while Frank and Jacob argue about the future of their friendship with Monty. It acts as a terrific metaphor, that Monty's future is as bleak as the ground below. Such moments stay on with you.

The movie has a terrific ensemble cast comprising of Edward Norton, Phil Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. To Spike Lee's credit he extracts brilliant performances from every single person.

25th Hour lingers on your mind long after other movies have evaporated.


4. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

In my wildest dream, I never imagined to see Adam Sandler in a role like this and performing like this. But then this is a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. The person who made Boogie Nights and Magnolia.

Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love opens with his signature move: juxtaposition. Adam Sandler, handling a nice Nissan coffee mug in the early morning light on a backstreet in LA, watches as a speeding car comes carooming towards him, flips, flips again, and skids offscreen. And then in place of what ought to follow (continuity with the car accident), a cab appears, stops, and deposits an electric organ. It's the instrument with which he will learn the harmonies of love, and it arrives on the heels of trauma.

It is a joy to see the way the camera weaves around beautifully - such fluid photography and visually so elegant. There is not a lazy moment in Punch-Drunk, every frame executed to perfection.

Punch Drunk Love is a film that can easily overwhelm your senses and as the credits roll you may feel totally drained and bewildered - but wanting more.

5. Shattered Glass (2003)

Probably the most under-rated movie of this decade, this gem tells the story of Stephen Glass, one of the top reporters for The New Republic in the 1990's, whose confession about fabricating his stories created a huge splash in the media world. The movie plays like a Greek tragedy showcasing the rise and fall of Glass.

Integrity is one of the cornerstones upon which journalism is based, and, when it is called into question, we begin to doubt everything we read in newspapers and magazines and see on television. Which makes it a very topical subject, since we in India do question the integrity of our media.

Hayden Christensen gives a superb performance and it does come as a surprise since we are used watching him in movies which only highlight his physicality. Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sevigny, Hank Azaria and Steve Zahn also adds perfect support.

6. Garden State (2004)

This is my personal favorite in this list. I never expected the 'guy' from Scrubs to deliver a movie which would be so touching, funny and poignant at the same time. This movie is just like a slice of life.

Zach Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a struggling actor in Los Angeles who earns his living being a waiter. The movie is about his homecoming almost after a decade since his mother has passed away. The movie is about how he deals with his grief and how he deals with his father with whom he shares a very cold, distant relationship.

Back home he meets Sam (Natalie Portman) and re-unites with his school best friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard). The movie is about the coming of age of Andrew while Sam and Mark act as catalysts.

Natalie Portman nails the role. She is just phenomenal as Sam, the dream girl of Andrew. The movie also has a killer soundtrack which enhances the movie to another level.

The movie defines the current generation. Garden State is Indie cinema at its very best.

7. Serenity (2005)

Rarely does this happen that a show which is taken off TV (read canceled) becomes such a cult hit that the producers make a motion picture of it.

Being a huge fan of Firefly, I enjoyed Serenity even more. But that does not mean those who haven't seen Firefly will be disappointed. Serenity stands tall with all its merits as an independent Sci Fi. The characterization and the circumstances reminds me of Blake's 7. For a Sci Fi film, Serenity is pretty verbose. But of the fantastic script and its interlaced humor, it works big time.

Serenity is one of the best Sci Fi of the decade.

8. The Proposition (2005)

If we look carefully, this decade hardly saw the release of good Western movies. I only recall Open Range and 3:10 to Yuma. Even then there is a gap of 5 years between them. Western as a genre was almost non-existent. The Proposition revived it with its release.

Following the rape and murder of a colonial family, outlaw brothers Charlie (Guy Pearce) and Mike Burns (Richard Wilson) are captured by ruthless local lawman, Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone). Rather than imprisoning both fugitives, Stanley presents Charlie with a proposition (though it's really a demand) that Charlie kill his older brother, and gang leader, Arthur (Danny Huston) or else Mikey will meet his demise at the end of a hangman's noose. It is a proposition which will have karmic repercussions for all involved.

It has a stellar cast comprising Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt and Emily Watson. Evryone performs brilliantly. The film has some of the most gorgeous photography of the Australian outback ever committed to film, showcasing it's unique desolate beauty in it's dust, flies and exquisite sunsets.

The Proposition, to me is the best Western of the decade.

9. Inland Empire (2006)

David Lynch. Another mind bender of a movie. Surreal experience. Laura Dern in the performance of her life. Do I need to say anything more? I don't think so. Experience it!

10. Rescue Dawn (2006)

Werner Herzog is one crazy genius! Rescue Dawn proves that.

After getting shot down in Laos, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is captured, tortured, and eventually transported to a remote POW camp where he is united with fellow American pilots with the same problem. The film tells the story of how Dieter along with Duane (Steve Zahn) escapes from the camp. Herzog makes no attempt to pump this story up into a thrilling adventure. There is nothing thrilling about dysentery, starvation, insect bites and despair. Rescue Dawn isn't about heroism. It is about something deeper, more primitive: survival instinct.

This movie has the career best performances of Christian Bale and Steve Zahn. Rescue Dawn is one of the finest POW movies ever made in the history of cinema.

Although I have finished naming the 10 most under-rated English movies of decade, I cannot help but add one more film as recommendation.

11. The Fall (2008)

A lot of things are being told about Avatar. That James Cameron has created a new world which is breathtaking. It is rightly said so. Avatar is indeed breathtaking. But is it real? No. It is a virtual world.

How about looking at what we have and try to see if that is equally breathtaking or not? The Fall is the answer for that. This is the most gorgeous looking film in the history of cinema and that too devoid of a single frame of special effects. The Fall is what we call 'passion' - passion for cinema. Tarsem Singh shot the movie all over the world. The movie is only worth a look just for its cinematography. The colors, the framing, costumes, lighting, the backdrops, all are gorgeous; seems like a dream.

The story, screenplay could have been better. That is the reason I am keeping it at number 11 as a special mention.