Ten Deep 12.31.09: The Top Ten Film Characters of the Decade

Posted by Mike Gorman on 12.31.2009

It is Mike Gorman’s first week at the helm of Ten Deep and he is welcoming in the New Year with a look back at the top ten characters on film from the past decade.

Welcome to my inaugural edition of "Ten Deep" for the 411Mania Movie & TV zone. Owain Brimfield left some pretty big shoes to fill in this column and I hope that I am up to the challenge. You may know me from my Tuesday News Report, "Babes, Bombs and Blockbuster" but if not I hope that you will enjoy my take on the exciting medium that is the Top Ten List.

You might not always agree with my selections but my purpose is not to present a list you'll always love but one that will get you talking. If you have any suggestions for future lists please leave me a comment here or drop me an email at [e-mail].

That said, it's time to get this countdown started. Coincidentally my debut here comes on the day most associated with countdowns across the globe. Thanks for taking a few minutes on your New Year's Eve to stop by and I hope that you will enjoy this column for many weeks to come.


"The Top Ten Film Characters of the Decade"

When populating this last I decided that what I was looking for in a top character was the perfect storm. Not only did they have to be brilliantly written, but also superbly acted and well directed. I wanted to identify the characters of the past ten years that leapt from screen and brought magic to their respective films.

Several of the characters selected have existed in other mediums before this past decade but I felt that I could not exclude them because for each of them, it was during this time period that I think they truly came to life in the medium of film. Sure that did give a few of them a leg up on the other original creations but I think that it was more than just rich history that contributed to making most of them great.

The ten characters that made my final cut come from a wide variety of film genres and in my opinion are representative of what can be created when writers are allowed to express their creativity, actors stretch themselves, and directors understand that it is the character who makes a story live, not vice-versa.



10. Borat from Borat

Borat is, as he might say, a great success! The film pushed many buttons in its audience but no one can deny being captivated by this unique being created by Sacha Baron Cohen. The greatness in Borat comes from his veracity and desire to find understanding. Sure he is a bundle of stereotypes and offensive behaviors, but he also became a great mirror to reflect the not so pretty side of those he encountered. This is clearly a character forged to make controversy and I think that caused him to be written off by many people as a one dimensional "device" for Cohen to use. Instead I think Borat's success in riling people up came from how his realness led to him first being embraced, almost instantly trusted by those he visited. This "Trojan horse" side to his nature allowed him to be on the inside when he would launch his "attacks." Borat is far from beloved but in my assessment he is indeed one of the tops.




9. Peter Parker from Spider-Man

Alive for decades in the comic books, it took 2001's Spider-Man for him finally to swing into our lives as a living being man. That magic of Peter Parker is that he is an ordinary man pushed into an extraordinary circumstance who emerges a hero because he makes the right choices. There is innocence to his nature contrasted by the maturity thrust upon him when his choices led to losing one of the most important people in his life. Tobey Maguire embodied this geek hero perfectly. Peter Parker is not built like the Hulk or as striking in appearance as say the Norse god Thor, but Maguire's compact frame was able to make him believable and powerful at the same time. He also had the acting chops to portray accurately Peter's sense of guilt and responsibility. His eyes became Peter's during the scene where he realizes that by not stopping the thief he inadvertently caused Uncle Ben's death. In that instant I saw exactly what I had always imagined would flash across Peter Parker's face during that realization. I believed him and rooted for him to be victorious in the end. I ached for him when he made the hard choices that embody his character. Peter Parker needs no angel or devil on his shoulder giving him advice, he lives to walk the straight and narrow regardless of the costs to himself personally.




8. Frank Costello from The Departed

Many times you see him on film it can feel like Jack Nicholson is just playing himself or the caricature of himself that has developed over the years. This was not true when it came to The Departed's Frank Costello. He is unique, not just because he was playing an Irish mob boss, but because he was more than just a stereotype or a one trick pony. Frank Costello was a fascinating villain to watch as he passes through moments of violence, caring, and tradition. He is honest with himself about his nature and not afraid to embrace the dark path that his life has taken. His life is rife with betrayal and chaos but as he is a creature of situational ethics and morals, he can still look at himself in the mirror each morning. In the end we learn he may have been betraying some of those people closest to him in his organization while still maintaining protection of others. What is it that allows him to him to apparently walk these gray lines so effortlessly? What is it inside of him lets him keep his cool even in the end when he lies bleeding before one of those men he did care for? Honestly, I don't know but I believe him anyway. He is a fascinating study in contradictions that finally caught up to him eventually.




7. The Bride from Kill Bill, vol.1 & 2

She is a living Timex, in that she takes a licking and keeps on ticking… and kicking, and punching, and slicing… and whatever she needs to do to seek revenge on those who turned on her when she was most vulnerable. The Bride is almost Shakespearean in nature the way that she embodies the tragic figure and the woman scorned. She is the widow and mother whose bright future was ripped away from her, literally. For most of her time on screen we don't know her name and we don't need to because she more akin to a force of nature. And let's face it, she is damn cool. She kicks butt and looks great while doing it. Uma Thurman's body is lithe and her limbs cut long lines. She is a somewhat non-traditional beauty who brings grace to each movement exerting a palpable sense of control. One can see the fierceness in her character as she struggles to regain her mobility and leave the hospital in the first film just as this is contrasted by her humanity when you almost see her literally melt as she discovers that the child she thought was dead was indeed alive. Driven and strong, The Bride is the ultimate female action hero.




6. Wall-E from Wall-E

How on earth (or in space) did a tiny animated robot that only uses a few words turn out to be one of the most fully developed and emotional beings created on film this decade? Wall-E taught us all that we can rise above our mundane lives, our designated "purposes", and find fulfillment and true love. This little recycler took us along with him on his adventure and showed that when humanity loses touch with its roots, it may take something not so human to bring us back down to earth metaphorically and literally. Wall-E embodied wonder and joy, and for many years those have been two things missing from our cinema. With those wide binocular eyes he gave us perspective and with a tilt of his head he brought insight. Wall-E's character was transformative and a gift to movie audiences young and old.




5. Ron Burgundy from Anchorman

Ron Burgundy is not your run of the mill news anchor. He is EVERY run of the mill news anchor rolled into one larger than life package. By this I mean he is made up of the worst bits of every person ever to sit in front of a camera and read from a teleprompter. He is arrogant, smarmy, self centered, and as shallow as a puddle but you know what? It all works. His quirks are entertaining so you forgive his chauvinism and ego flare ups. I mean, he does learn a lesson by the end of the film but does it really seem like it will stick? Not really and that is what is great about Ron. He is the "man's man" that we aspire to be and hope we don't end up like. How is that dichotomy possible? It just is because he makes it so. Ron is however more than just two dimensional he has feelings buried in his layers and does have lucid moments every so often that endears him to those around him. In Ron Burgundy Will Ferrell found a role that he could take over the top and not come off as played out like many of his SNL characters. I am honestly not his biggest fan because I find that his performances usually tend to all stay at one level and never deviate but I he broke that mold here thanks to some really strong and fun writing.




4. Juno from Juno

Who do we thank for one of the most self actualized teens to ever grace the big screen? Is Juno awesome because of the writing of Diablo Cody who brought a new voice to a generation written off as disaffected? Or is she amazing because Ellen Paige knows that sometimes the truest moments come from stillness and breath? That sometimes a whisper is as powerful as a scream. If Ron Burgundy is a caricature of the man we wish we could be, I think Juno is the embodiment of the girl we wish every teenage girl would be. Sure she has made some dubious choices but she is true to herself and does not shape her goals or life view solely around those of her peers. She calls things as she sees them in a way that most people cannot. She stands outside the norm and instead of wallowing in this fact she is empowered by it.




3. Jason Bourne from the Bourne trilogy

He is not your typical action hero. When it was first announced that Matt Damon would be playing the titular hero most fans of the novels did not see success in his future. Far from an Arnold or Bruce, Damon seemed more cut out for a buddy movie or sensitive role than the fast paced action that surrounded Jason Bourne. In the end, those opinions could not have turned out to be further from the truth. From the very beginning of the first film, Damon leapt from the screen as the amnesiac assassin on the run from the people he used to work for. My love for Jason Bourne is born, no pun intended, from the character's ability to keep you off balance. When you expect him to go left, he dives right, and when you think all is lost he emerges victorious. Bourne explores the existential nature of what has happened to him as effortlessly as he snaps into action against those who betrayed him.




2. The Joker from Dark Knight

It is somehow fitting that the Joker makes his appearance at the top of this list because he is the greatest accomplishment of an actor whose life was cut short. Heath Ledger dove head first into the Joker and truly plumbed the depths of the character's soul. We have seen the Joker before, on television and portrayed by the great Jack Nicholson, but as a long time fan of the Batman comic book world I can say that until Ledger's performance we had not really seen the definitive Joker. He is chaos with a smile, plain and simple; exemplified perfectly in the scene with the mob henchman and the pencil. I will not spoil it if you have not seen it yet but once you do you cannot help but think, "Oh S**t, who the f**k is this guy!?" Too often films try to give the villain a sympathetic backstory or an explanation for their behavior, even if that explanation is self delusional; not this time. There is no rhyme or reason to the Joker and you have to love him that way. Perhaps my favorite moments in the film come when the Joker is telling his "origin" story, which falls in line completely with what we have heard before. We quickly realize though that he is pulling our leg. Is it true, is it not true and does it matter? The Joker is a new animal entirely and the saddest thing of all about him is that we will not get to see him in action again.


And finally…




1. Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean series

When I first heard that they were making a movie based on a Disney ride I was dubious in my beliefs about its success. Then I heard Johnny Depp was attached and I grew curious. He was not known for taking on light rolls but still wondered what substance could come from a movie about Pirates. I was proven wrong when I found myself enjoying the "ride" that these films took us on and even more so I saw the development of a character who stood out like none other I had seen in years. He was swagger personified and tossed his ego around like he owned the ocean, and it worked. You care for Jack Sparrow because he cares for no one but himself. Or does he? I think that is the key to what makes him amazing. He pushes you away as an audience, making every choice he can to paint himself as an unlikeable rogue and then just when you're ready for him to walk the plank you see the weak spot in his façade. He teases us with his redemption yet never fully gives in. Jack Sparrow is the prime example of a character that leaves you wanting more. Like many of the other characters he encounters, the audience thinks that they want to see Jack make a turn for the good but then they are even more satisfied when he does not. Some characters tell their story and move on. Jack Sparrow tells a story and then makes you realize that there is another story already going on that you're locked into. Even when the main storylines of his films got weaker, Jack was still a scene stealer who deserved more of the spotlight than he was given towards the end. Perhaps this will be rectified when Disney embarks on their next series of Pirate films.


There you have my Top Ten Film Characters of the Decade. Who did I miss? Who tops your list? Let me know and come back next week for a new adventure Ten Deep!