As the 2010s draw to a close we're putting together a new series on 'The Rewind' where our team of writers pick their five favourite movies of the past ten years. These are not definitive 'five BEST movies' selections but are rather personal preference, with a myriad of different selection reasons that each writer will detail.
Today's top five comes from Mark Farrelly.
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This was a really tough task. In fact there are a hell of a lot of movies I struggled to leave out so I think that before we go any further we should take a moment of silence to reflect on the honourable mentions. In no particular order commiserations to: Get Out, A Quiet Place, Interstellar, Inception, Nightcrawler, Inside Out, Edge of Tomorrow; and Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.
There are penty of other reported masterpieces that I have unfortunately yet to see, having spent frankly too much of the decade watching Cavan football but of those I have seen, here are my five favourites.
Prisoners
It has been a hell of decade for Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman, with the former producing a string of great movies in quick succession while the latter has proven himself not just to be a top actor but also a fantastic all round performer.
While Gyllenhaal's Nightcrawler, Enemy and Nocturnal Animals are all worthy of a mention, his stand-out movie of the decade for me has got to be Prisoners. For Jackman and director Denis Villeneuve it is not their only appearance on this list and for Villeneuve in particular, Prisoners was a sign of things to come throughout the decade.
Let's not forget Paul Dano either, he was equally brilliant in this 2013 drama.
Django Unchained
Full disclosure here, I have yet to see Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and judging by all reports, when I eventually do it will trump Django as my Tarantino movie of the decade. But for the time being, it still makes the list.
It's bloody mad. As someone with a soft spot for westerns and Christoph Waltz I was always going to be drawn to it, and Tarantino does not disappoint. It may not have gotten quite the critical acclaim of some of his other movies but it's just such an entertaining ride, and the whole "Bags on or off?" scene is the funniest movie scene of the decade for me.
Logan
If I was writing a piece on the five best movies of the decade Logan probably doesn't make it but as personal preference this was definitely one of the most memorable movies I've seen over the past ten years.
In an era where you can't go to the bathroom without accidentally watching a comic book movie, Logan stands out as a genre almost entirely onto itself. It was completely different from what had gone before, with Deadpool its closest relation but even at that, the two movies are barely comparable.
Jackman, Stewart and young Dafne Keen are all superb, while Johnny Cash's 'When The Man Comes Around' is one of the best movie-closing music choices I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying.
Arrival
Arrival saw arguably the standout actor of the 2010s team up with the standout director, as Amy Adams and Denis Villeneuve came together to create a brilliant piece of work.
Yes, it's technically a sci-fi movie but it's actually so much more than that and those who aren't generally fans of the genre should not be put off by the alien premise. It's really a philsophical film that is emotive, challenging and one of those movies that will leave you thinking about it long after the end credits roll.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Absoutely insane. Five stars!
Any questions?
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