By Joules Dellinger
We’ve been examining a different decade of film each month this year. For November, we are looking at the 2010s, so I thought it would be fun to count down my favorite movies from each of the past 10 years!
Synopsis: After leaving Iowa with stars in her eyes, Ali arrives at a Los Angeles burlesque lounge with dreams of taking the stage with her soaring voice. Club owner Tess is about to lose the place and thinks Ali may help business.
Be honest, you totally forgot about this movie, right?!
But how could you have forgotten about this *masterpiece* with Christina Aguilera and Cher? Kristen Bell and Julianne Hough were even in this one… and it’s about burlesque! Sure, the movie is um… not an Oscar winner. But dang is it entertaining. And the soundtrack is perfect for belting out in traffic!
I mean, COME ON. When Christina unleashes her pipes in the trailer, you’re like YASSS GIRL.
Synopsis: Named her best friend's maid of honor, down-on-her-luck Annie's competition with a fellow bridesmaid, the wealthy and beautiful Helen, threatens to destroy the wedding. Meanwhile, a local cop takes a liking to Annie.
With all the gross-out boy movies, this one is one for the girls! Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy are pure gold in this movie and there is laugh after laugh after laugh. There are so many relatable moments dialed up to a 10 for comedy sake and this movie is a total winner!
Synopsis: In a dystopian future ruled by a totalitarian regime, resourceful Katniss and her partner, Peeta, represent their district in the lethal Hunger Games, a televised survival competition in which teenage contestants fight each other to the death.
Do you remember the absolute fervor about this movie? For months and months we were all waiting with baited breath to see who would be cast in the rolls of each of our favorites. When the movie finally came out, I was practically screaming to see the amazing book on screen for the first time. Was it perfect? Well… no. But wow did they create a whole world in the movie. This is one of those rare movies that didn’t disappoint after loving the book!
Even re-watching the trailer gives me the chills!
Synopsis: After her triumph in the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen begins a new life and confronts more danger in this sequel to the postapocalyptic fable. As Katniss travels through the districts on a "Victor's Tour," a rebellion gathers steam around her.
After the first one, we were ALL ready for the second one to come out the following year!
Just add all four to your queue now and you won’t have to wait!
Synopsis: On the run from intergalactic warlord Ronan, hotshot space pilot Peter Quill unites a ragtag band of oddballs to form a team of unlikely heroes. Soon, the Guardians discover that they alone stand between Ronan and the galaxy's destruction.
In the midst of the Marvel brewhaha, this one was one of the first movies that I watched and was like OOHHH THIS I LOVE. The entire ragtag team of Guardians was hilarious and I loved the banter between Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and more. Out of Guardians 1 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), this one would be the winner… but I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us for Guardian’s 3!
Synopsis: Unassuming CIA analyst Susan Cooper is far from being a James Bond type, but when she's thrust into the field to investigate the disappearance of her partner, she turns into an improbable superspy.
There was some real competition in 2015, but this Melissa McCarthy comedy takes the cake! I actually have this loaded on my Kindle and I watch it on every flight I take, because it is just THAT FUNNY. You can watch it over and over again! My husband and I rewatched this probably 10 times in a row:
Synopsis: This wizardly spin-off from the cinematic world of Harry Potter relates the wondrous and exotic life of "magizoologist" Newt Scamander, who wrote the Hogwarts School's textbook on magical creatures decades before Harry Potter would lay eyes on it.
As a self-proclaimed Harry Potter nerd, I was super excited to see this one but had no idea what to really expect. Within the course of the movie, I totally fell for Eddie Redmayne as Newt and all of his amazing friends. This one was a great watch for adults and kids, even though there were a couple scary parts for my 7 year old.
Synopsis: Behind "The Greatest Show on Earth" was one of history's greatest showmen, P.T. Barnum. This musical biopic centers on Barnum's creation of the three-ring circus and his infatuation with Swedish songbird Jenny Lind.
As a musical theater girl, I was immediately sucked in to the drama and musical numbers in the Greatest Showman. Hugh Jackman is a damn treasure and I could watch him sing and dance every day! I also really enjoyed Zac Efron and Zendaya’s love story and love song.
Here is a little taste:
Synopsis from Disney.com: The magic continues in Disney's classic as Mary Poppins helps the Banks family remember the joy of being a child. Together with her friend Jack the lamplighter, fun is brought back to the streets of London in a celebration that everything is possible… even the impossible.
It was hard to guess how they’d follow up the total perfection of Mary Poppins (1964), but this movie was an absolute delight. Emily Blunt’s take on Mary was practically perfect in every way and I loved the addition of Lin-Manuel Miranda as well!
It was wonderful and it was magical:
Synopsis from Disney.com: Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel is an adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. When a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.
Oh my, 2019 was a GREAT year for movies. But my winner was Captain Marvel because over Halloween nothing made me happier than to see the little girls dressed up as Carol Danvers. I thought that the 90’s setting was super fun and I loved the strength and sass of our new lady superhero!
And this moment may have brought a little tear to my eye:
Joules Dellinger has been blogging since 2011 at Pocketful of Joules on everything from fashion, travel, parenting, thrifting and lots of lots of silliness.
She likes movies where the women kick butt and the men are goofy (and shirtless). She doesn’t care which Kardashian is pregnant and thinks Beyoncé is overrated. Follow her on Twitter at @JoulesDellinger or on Instagram at @PocketfulofJoules.