As we have now not only reached December, but the end of a decade as well, there will be a ton of top 10 lists released in the next month. And, of course, I always have a real fondness for the legendary French film publication Cahiers du Cinéma, which has managed to stay relevant for the better part of seven decades now.
The legendary ‘Cahiers’ has announced its 10 best movies of the decade. No surprise, if you’ve followed their tastes over the last decade, that David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return” tops their list. In fact, Lynch’s Showtime series isn’t the only TV show on their top 10 — Bruno Dumont’s “P’tit Quinquin” (#3) also aired on French television. Also, color me surprised, but they decided to choose Jean-Luc Godard’s “The Image Book” (#5) over his more critically-acclaimed “Goodbye to Language.”
Lynch is the current ‘Cahiers’ favorite it seems, as “Mulholland Drive” topped their 2000s list as well, not to mention that “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” was on their ’90s list as well.
“Twin Peaks: The Return” is the only American film to appear in their 2010s list. Snubs include no Terrence Malick, Clint Eastwood, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg, and David Cronenberg — all of whom are directors who have been championed by Cahiers du Cinema over the years.
1. Twin Peaks: The Return (USA)
2. Holy Motors (France)
3. P'tit Quinquin (France)
4. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand)
5. The Image Book (France/Switzerland)
6. Toni Erdmann (Germany)
7. My Mother (Italy)
8. Melancholia (Denmark)
9. Under the Skin (UK)
10. The Strange Case of Angelica (Portugal)