Top 50 movies of the decade (part 1)

With just a month left in the first decade of the 21st century, I thought it was time to reflect on the last 10 years of cinema. I’ve seen somewhere between 1,300 and 1,400 films in the past 10 years – a lot of great films and plenty, not so great.
So for the next few weeks I thought I’d reflect on the past decade with my picks for the Top 50 of the 2000’s. Numbers 50-11 I will unveil on this blog, while the top 10 will be unveiled in a later edition of the Bowling Green Daily News.

So here we go with Numbers 50-41

50. Before the Devil Knows Your Dead (2007)
Director Sidney Lumet’s crime-drama about two brothers (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke) who rob their parents’ jewelry store, triggering a series of tragic events is a hard film to watch, but features fascinating work from Hoffman, Hawke, Albert Finney and Marissa Tomei.
Lumet is the real star though, taking the uneasy subject matter and creating a tense thriller that is also an amazing study of a very dysfunctional family.

49. Amelie (2001)
This charming French import, about a young woman who decides to devote her life to ensuring the happiness of everyone around her, made a star of Audrey Tautou. I defy anyone to watch this film and not leave it feeling warm and fuzzy. This is one big Hallmark greeting card, anchored by Tautou’s great performance and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s beautiful direction.

48. Chicago (2002)
This Best Picture winner gets credit for reviving the musical. While I will dispute that later on during this list, I will say this did at least make the musical mainstream again. From Richard Gere’s underrated performance to solid work from Renee Zellwegger and Oscar winner Catherine Zeta Jones, director Rob Marshall stages a visually engaging film with a pair of show-stoppers. “We Both Reached for the Gun” could be the best scene in any musical this decade.

47. Half Nelson (2006)
Sometimes a film comes completely out of left field and this drama about an inner-city junior high teacher (Ryan Gosling) with a drug habit who forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students is one of those films I still like to catch up with from time to time. This is one of those films that could have gotten too sentimental for its own good, but it stays grounded in some difficult subject matter – making the material that much stronger.

46. Garden State (2004)
Sometimes a film just clicks an emotional chord and that is the case with this film from Zach Braff about a man who returns home for his mother’s funeral after being estranged from his family for years. Braff’s material doesn’t cover any new ground or anything, but strong supporting work from Peter Sarsgaard and Natalie Portman make this way better than it probably should have been.

45. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
I had a chance to see this again the other day and Guillermo Del Tero’s fantasy set in a war-torn 1944 Spain still wowed me with it’s stunning visuals and floored me with it’s surprising human depth.

44. The Queen
What could have been a standard bio pic about how Queen Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) turned to Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) to help heel the wounds of a country after the death of Princess Diana is much more thanks to Mirren, Sheen and director Stephen Frears. The film is funny, informative, insightful, and most of all entertaining.

43. Syriana (2005)
“Traffic” set the standard, but this political thriller about corruption in the oil industry is just as complex and entralling – with George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, and Matt Damon among the standout performances.

42. Far From Heaven (2002)
I have long been a fan of Julianne Moore, but the fact that she didn’t win an Oscar for her role in this film – as a housewife whose picturesque 1950’s marriage is shattered when he husband reveals he is gay. The hurt and anguish Moore’s character endures, as well as the courage shown in her friendship with her black gardner (Dennis Haysbert) is so complex – is so astounding that a believe only a select few actresses could have pulled this off.

41. Maria Full of Grace (2004)
Another film anchored by a strong female performance, this story of a pregnant Colombian teenager (Catalina Sandino Moreno) who becomes a drug mule to make some desperately needed money for her family is a powerful drama that gets its strength from Moreno’s aching performance. Moreno is so good here, I’m surprised she hasn’t made the transition to higher profile work (although she does have a role in the next “Twilight” film)

So there is my first 10. Do you agree or disagree? Send me comment and let me know what is your pick

WKU women get national attention

In his weekly top 10 midmajor poll, ESPN’s Graham Hays has WKU No. 10

Here is his comments

10. Western Kentucky (3-0)

Ball State and South Dakota State aren’t easy places to win, even as those programs adjust to new personnel, and Western Kentucky took care of business at both places. A Thanksgiving game against Duke is another step up, but don’t discount the Lady Toppers. Amy McNear is averaging just less than 18 points and six assists per game.

Middle Tennessee was No. 8, while Gonzaga – who lost in overtime at South Dakota State was ranked second.

for the complete poll visit
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4681818&name=hays_graham

WKU- South Dakota State pregame

I’m not in South Dakota today, so I won’t be providing as many updates as the previous games.
Here is what to look for if you are listening to the game.

* Can WKU handle another road pressure cooker?
WKU handled a test Monday at Ball State, but the Jack Rabbits have been almost unbeatable at home – 55-3 in the last 58 games. SDSU feeds off a frenzied home crowd, so WKU must find a way to keep the crowd out of the game.

* Can WKU’s defense keep SDSU off balance?
The Jackrabbits have four players averaging at least eight points, with senior forward Maria Boever a solid presence on the inside. WKU can’t let South Dakota get too many players involved on the offensive end and must limit Boever’s looks.

* Rebound, rebound, rebound
WKU turned a deficit around on the boards at Ball State and can’t afford to get in a similar position today. They have to rebound from the start and do it well.

Prediction
Another tough road test, one I think WKU can win – but I think they’ll fall short. I say SDSU pulls away for a 10-point win.

Another WKU–Ball State tidbit

Look for more on WKU’s 61-58 win over Ball State in today’s BG Daily News or at www.bgdailynews.com, but here is a little extra insight on a halftime adjustment that helped WKU get off to a solid start in the second half.

If you have any other Lady Topper questions feel free to ask. I’ll try to give you insight on what I’ve seen the first few weeks.

A halftime adjustment proved to be just the spark to allow the Lady Toppers to break a 32-32 tie.
WKU opened the second half with an 11-3 surge fueled by a play designed to free up either McNear or Brown.
On the first two possessions, McNear drove into the lane and scored a pair of baskets. Brown then scored seven straight after the defense started to focus on stopping McNear.
“In the first half, they cut me off in the middle so we decided to bring Arnika up and set the screen,” McNear said. “That way I got good penetration. If her man jumped out, I would flip it to her and she’d get a layup.”
Cowles said it was a play that WKU hadn’t run until Monday, but she liked what she saw out of it.
“We had never gone over that play that we ran,” Cowles said. “It was something we drew up at halftime and said this is what we’re going to go with. It was tremendous the way they executed it and really gained some momentum right off the bat.”

WKU 61, Ball State 58, Final

WKU survives a 3 at the buzzer and holds on for the big road win.
Kenzie Rich missed a front end of a 1 and 1, but an offensive rebound by LaTeira Owens gives Rich another chance and she drains a pair.
Lady Tops shoot 29 percent in second half, but wind up outrebounding for the game 43-41.
Arnika Brown has 13 points and 15 rebounds to lead the way. Amy McNear added 12 and Rich finishes with 11.

WKU 56, Ball State 54, 3:47 left

WKU opens a seven point lead after a 3 from Courtney Clifton, only to watch it whittle back away.
Ball State gets a 3 from Emily Maggert and a jumper from Patrice King to cut it to two. Audrey McDonald will be at the line looking to tie the game after the timeout.

WKU 51, Ball State 47, 6:58 second half

A 3 from Kenzie Rich has given WKU a little bit of a cushion, but game still far from over.
While both teams are shooting in the mid 30 percent range, the rebounding margin is pretty close now -35-33 for WKU.
Ball State ball when we resume.

WKU 46, Ball State 45, 11:33 left

Ball State scores 10 straight to get its first lead since early in the game, but freshman Lashay Davis hits a 3 to answer.
Shooting is about even, with both teams a shade under 40 percent. The turnover gap has closed too – 18 for Ball State, 17 for WKU.
WKU has also closed the rebounding margin to 29-27

WKU 43, Ball State 37, 15:56 left

Amy McNear and Arnika Brown has kick-started the offense in the second half.
McNear is driving to the basket, picked up four paints, which is freeing up Brown – who has seven straight.
The lead has been as high as eight.

WKU 32, Ball State 32, halftime

Ball State scores seven straight to end the half – erasing WKU’s seven point advantage.
WKU goes 5:32 without a bucket and is now 13-for-32 from the field.
The rebounding margin is 23-14 in favor of Ball State.
Emily Maggert has 15 points to lead Ball State.
Amy McNear, Hope Brown, Arnika Brown, and Dominique Duck all have six points for WKU.