2000s documentaries

Documentaries are a funny thing. They all claim to tell the truth, but they are, of course, all full of shit. The ability to manipulate through editing kind of discredits any possible truth a film claims to present. Take The King of Kong, for example. It's a fantastic story of an underdog getting his due against a big bad. Any further research reveals that almost none of it actually took place the way it was presented. None the less, it's a fantastically crafted and immensely enjoyable film.

Because of this, I am skeptical of all documentaries. One has to be really fucking engaging for me to sit through it, and this decade has produced many of them.

Here is my list of the best documentaries released in this decade that I've seen:

(Sorry to all the Michael Moore lovers. All of his films this decade have been worth watching, but these were all better. And as always, I'm fucking right.)

16. No End in Sight (2007)

Honestly, the super serious political documentary is not something I usually go for. They tend to be the most boring, and the all-to-obvious political agendas of most of these filmmakers often feels in the way. I got past all that for No End in Sight. It's all about the Bush Administration's handling of the Iraq war and occupation, and how as long as his policies stand, the U.S. ain't ever getting out. More than just talking heads, and featuring a top-notch score are only a couple of the reasons why this is a must-see.

15. Fuck (2006)

This one is just really fun. Fuck is all about how the word became such a bad one, and the it's taboo status in major media outlets. It's really funny, and even thought-provoking. It's fun pondering who decided fuck was so evil.

14. Standard Operating Procedure (2008)

Errol Morris is undeniably a master filmmaker. His classic The Thin Blue Line is one of the greatest docs ever made. Here, he turns his focus to the prison torture photo incident in Iraq at Abu Gharaib a few years ago. Academy award-winning Taxi to the Dark Side tackled the same subject, but in a boring, style-less way. Standard Operating Procedure uses an intense visual style, incorporating real footage and recreations, to tell its story.

13. Wordplay (2006)

This entertaining doc was seemingly made because of the hype surrounding similar Word Wars about the competitive scrabble world. Wordplay takes place in the world of big crossword tournaments. It focuses on a couple of guys trying to win the title, and intercuts that with celebrities and such talking about their love for doing crosswords. It's probably as silly as it sounds, but it works.

12. This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)

Kirby Dick's condemning investigation of the very secretive MPAA is informative and frustrating. Learning how much the MPAA really is bullshit is infuriating, but Dick keeps it fun and humorous. He even includes footage of his appeal of this movie in front of their council.

11. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)

This is a look into the famous cult songwriters life. It's full of joy, pain, tears, laughter, and beautifully simple music. I'd never heard of Johnston before seeing this, but I knew I loved him immediately. There might not even be anything terrifically speacial about this movie, I don't know. It just really worked for me.

10. Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Probably the most thorough study of anything fucking ever, Thom Anderson's three hour look at Los Angeles' portrayal in films throughout history is totally exhausting, but very much worth the time and effort. Anderson is obviously in love with his home town, but is deeply critical of the face it has shown in film. Of all the films on this list, this one is the least capable of bullshit, not trying to show anything but film clips showing Los Angeles. Because of the hundreds of clips shown, it will never be released properly on dvd or any other format, but it is available legally online for free.

9. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. Macnamara (2003)

Errol Morris finally won an Oscar for his 2 hour interview with one of our countries most hated politicians, Robert Macnamara, the man blamed for Vietnam. The film portrays a normal man thrown into a conflict he didn't know how to handle. The man understands why he was so hated, and that makes it even sadder. The guy might be lying about everything, but for the run-time of this film I'm totally engaged in Macnamara's confessions.

8. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2009)

This played the festival circuit unsold for well over a year, and I really don't get how. The saga of Anvil, a band struggling to make it big since they formed in 1972, is a wonderfully uplifting tale of the bonds of friendship and the strength of dreams. Sure, it's about metal, and has some metal music in it, but it's really not about that. Seeing what they go through day to day is heartbreaking, but their unflinching optimism and spirit bring tears of joy by the end.

7. Grizzly Man (2005)

Werner Herzog's chronicle of Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived with and was eventually killed by bears, is a fascinating look at obsession and its power. Herzog really knows what exactly to show and not to show the audience, keeping us intrigued the whole way through. Seeing a man lose himself to his obsession, and knowing he was actually killed by it, is horribly painful.

6. Man on Wire (2008)

James Marsh's doc is another one about an obsessed asshole, except this one,Phillipe Petit, wants to tightrope between the WTC towers. Petit's interviews are a highlight. His narcissism is somewhat endearing and his eccentricities are entertaining. But the greatest part is the Rififi-style break-in and rope set up over night. It's tense.

5. The Five Obstructions (2003)

Master provacateur Lars von Trier turns his focus away from hating women and America to famous Danish short-filmmaker Jorgen Leth. He challenges him to remake his famous short film "The Perfect Human" five different times, each with different and stingent restrictions. The idea of revisiting art so many years later is compelling, and Lars von Trier is such a fucking asshole, it's wonderful.

4. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about His Father (2008)

The story of a man killed by his wife whom is not brought to justice is horrifying and sad. Watching the deceased's parents forced to be social with their son's murderer just so they can see their grandchild was almost too much. This was made by his best friend, and is one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had watching any film. It's a little flawed, poorly paced in parts, but its emotional honesty is too sincere to for its flaws to hurt the film.

3. The King of Kong (2007)

As I wrote above, this is an underdog story. It's total bullshit. It features an evil, rich tyrant with loyal henchmen, and a nobody hero just trying to get what he has earned. It's also about a man trying to get credit for getting the highest donkey kong jr. arcade score. Yeah, that's right. It's put together perfectly. By the end you'll literally be yelling and cheering for our hero.

2. Jesus Camp (2006)

This is the story of an evangelical summer camp for evangelical children. It's one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. Religion is scary. These children believe whatever their parents tell them. But what's really scary is that an evangelical person could watch this same film and see it as something praising their beliefs.

1. Lake of Fire (2007)

Tony Kaye's first film since American History X, is a indepth look at abortion and the two sides surrounding it in America. Brilliantly filmed in black and white, Kaye has no problem showing both sides at their ugliest, but also at their most moderate. He seems to truly understand the gray area surrounding the issue. It's also a truly informative experience, even having the guts to show us an abortion, uncut. It's my favorite documentary of the decade, and possibly ever. I could never look at abortion the same way again. It is truly a perfect film.