A Decade of Film: 2000-2009

This is a transcendent piece of art that verifies the status of a master storyteller. The exquisite marriage of sound and imagery is far from being its only achievement, despite the critical responses. Coppola has been exploring the dynamics and complexities of family relationships throughout the course of his career, and he may have brought perfect closure here. He is a brave artist who disregards the confines of commercial American moviemaking and infuses his masterpiece with something as original as it is exciting. Vincent Gallo is someone whose work I am fairly unfamiliar with, but he delivers an Oscar-worthy, enigmatic piece of acting here that blew me away. The rest of the players are ideally cast as well, with Maribel Verdú holding her own opposite Gallo. This is a haunting, heart-wrenching cinema experience that needs to be seen. It pains me that a mediocre work like Inglourious Basterds gets praised to death while a legend's return to form is ignored. See this film.

This is a masterpiece that captures all the pain and claustrophobia of a crumbling marriage. The story takes place in America during the 1950s and focuses on a particular couple, but it could be about anyone at any point in time. This is an unadulterated illustration of love gone awry, full of psychological violence and inescapable loneliness. Its results are agonizing and tragic due to sure-handed direction, a just adaptation of the brilliant novel and, maybe most importantly, the performances. This is a film full of emotional breakdowns and cruel, hideous conflicts which provide room for theatrical performances. Leonardo DiCaprio's attention to detail is his keenest skill as an actor. His character exploration is the most distinct in the silent moments. His posture, facial subtleties and mental disintegration are even more vivid than the moments when he comes close to striking his wife in a fit of rage. Kate Winslet, playing his self-destructive wife, holds her own opposite one of the great male screen performers. She charts this woman's spiritual decay with all the instinct and power we have come to expect from the unbridled talent she exudes.

A film that charts the corrosion of four people's souls, the decaying of relationships and the shattering of delusions as the result of human weakness. This story shows us that there are forces more powerful than love and hope. It is a bleak examination of addiction's triumph over the mind and spirit. As opposed to many works from young filmmakers, it isn't experimental and apprehensive. This is a full-fledged, confident directorial vision carried out with utmost precision. Darren Aronofsky fills the story with a frantic energy, making use of everything from hip-hop montages to repetitive Snorri-cam shots. The whole cast is excellent, particularly Ellen Burstyn. I would not hesitate to say she delivers one of the finest female performances in cinema history.

Oh my God, we may have the next Robert De Niro. Leonardo DiCaprio is mindblowing in this highly ambitious masterpiece from legendary director Martin Scorsese. The precision behind this piece is indescribable - an epic character study that still manages to fit into the mold of modern commercial films. One of my favorite leading male performances of all time.

Bertolucci's blatant, unique film is anchored by his strikingly passionate vision and a trio of superb performances. This is an extremely strong, intelligent film in terms of writing. There's something classical and beautifully edgy about this story. On top of being a very involving experience for the audience, it is also a challenging piece of cinema that gives us characters we haven't seen and explores areas rarely explored. Meticulously shot and cast with a sure hand, this is a gorgeous film to look at. This is a spectacularly original, heartbreaking depiction of the power of love and cinema. Everything about The Dreamers oozes beauty. This is the film that got me interested in Michael Pitt as an actor, and he is now one of my all-time favorites.

This is, quite simply, the most visually stunning film I have ever seen. Terrence Malick employs his trademark cinematographic genius and poetic voice-over narration to The New World. The result is a film that is truly beautiful - a dreamlike, achingly gorgeous epic with unique narrative flow. This is a pitch-perfect film from a directorial standpoint. Everything from the sound editing to the casting to the plot structure is immaculate.

One of the best films of the 2000s, bursting with originality and incredibly entertaining. Funny, perceptive and captivating, this is one hell of a film. Rarely do you find screenplays of this quality and ambition, or direction with this much intensity. Carrey and Winslet are both remarkable.

This film's jumbled narrative is a beautiful mosaic of human agony, threaded with an unflinching atmosphere of doom. Alejandro González Iñárritu imbues this masterwork with a gritty, bleak aesthetic quality, which serves well to the grim melodrama of the screenplay. This is a painful, intricate ensemble piece full of unsettling insight and stirring character dynamics, but none of it would have amounted to what it does without the performances. To pinpoint any of the actors in this film as being a standout would be unfair. The three lead actors (Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts) do work here that is so explosively convincing that it's hard to watch. The entire supporting cast is excellent as well, in a film that I would be hard-pressed to indentify any flaws in. This is instantly one of my favorites.

Every so often, a film of vast importance and quality is overlooked by critics and audiences. The Fountain is one of those films. This is beautiful, visionary filmmaking with bright ideas about the future of cinema. Aronofsky writes and directs this masterpiece with skill and grace, weaving a complex tale full of emotional and metaphorical fibres. He tackles the universal topics of love, life and death with full-fledged vision, producing a gorgeous web of stories that everyone can relate to. The combination of Mansell's music and Aronofsky's images has a sort of poetic perfection to it, and this is some of the most incredible cinematography I have ever seen. Libatique literally conjures an original visual roadmap that subtly transitions along with the film's central theme of death. Remarkable performances all around, especially from Jackman and Weisz. There are scenes in this film that are outright heartbreaking. It cut to the core of me, and I will not soon be forgetting it. This is a step above anything I've ever seen - a visceral, passionate visual poem full of brilliant originality and timeless intrigue. Flawless.

Moody, dark and fascinating, this nifty art house film shows us that Adam Sandler is a damn good actor. Unique screenplay and beautiful visuals rank this among the best of 2002.

This film contains everything you would expect from a top-notch Scorsese feature. A complex, engaging suspense film driven by an intelligent screenplay and fierce direction, this is a genuinely great film. The entire cast is stupendous, but DiCaprio stands out in one of his best performances to date. This is one of Scorsese's grandest feats - he makes this intricate story work beautifully and keeps things moving at a perfect pace. Although Monahan's script is an adaptation, The Departed is completely a Scorsese picture. It's bursting with his trademarks and directorial signatures. One of the best films of the year, and instantly one of my all-time favorites. This is undoubtedly going to be remembered as one of the great films of our time.

The most important film of 2005, this is an impeccably shot, sensitively written and intensely acted epic that is destined to become a classic. Absolutely remarkable direction. This is a bold social commentary that doesn't make its controversial subject matter the main topic.

A ferocious and transfixing film, Gangs of New York boasts incredible performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio as well as huge directorial ambition. One of the best films of 2002, and one of Scorsese's most solid pieces of work.

Sideways finds a rare balance between the heavy and the humorous due to a terrifically intelligent screenplay. Great performances all around, but Giamatti is the stand-out with his heart-wrenchingly human portrayal.

Christian Mungiu's stark, brilliantly neutral drama heightens the tension and unease of its subject matter through ingenious visual choices and grim realism. Almost all of the scenes in this film are presented in one shot, which makes for some truly unique composition and refined movement. The performances are so phenomenally convincing that we can feel the pressure building on a visceral level. Anamaria Marinca is particularly astounding - her performance is composed of nuances and psychological understanding. A staggering, masterfully conceived movie.

This quiet, unsettling character study demands a lot of the audience and it's about as subtle as films get. Having said that, it is very clear that none of the directorial decisions are made without strong intent. Van Sant's abstract, minimalist approach to the story is haunting and effective, providing us with an unforgettably powerful depiction of silent degradation as opposed to a forcefully emotional presentation. The stylistic nature works beautifully as an illustration of loneliness, but it is Michael Pitt's chillingly convincing work on the focal character that brings it all together so well. This is one of his finest performances; nuanced, complex and textured. It is rare that a story can say so much without directly saying anything. This film has developed into one of my all-time favorites.

This intricate, brilliant screenplay weaves together character portraits and fun in a stunningly unique way. A collection of some of today's best working actors and Steven Spielberg at the top of his game certainly add to its quality. This, upon a second and third viewing, has become one of my all-time favorite films.

Absolute magic. Lost in Translation is a bittersweet story about the grey area between romance and friendship, and a fascinating glance at two people at difficult turnpoints in their lives. One of the best original screenplays of the decade, and one of the most subtly brilliant character portraits I've ever seen.

One of those complex, emotionally absorbing dramas that is so good it leaves you dumbfounded. The acting from every single member of the cast is superb, as is Mike Leigh's writing and direction. As far as films released over the course of this decade go, this one deserves a spot near the top.

Aronofsky's fourth feature is a departure from the eye-popping inventiveness of his previous work, but it is no less affecting or impressive. Photographed in gritty, documentary-like realism, this film is frequently ugly and ultimately rather depressing. It's a blunt depiction of lives led astray, compromising nothing for the sake of crowd-pleasing simplicity. Mickey Rourke's performance lives up to the hype... his work here is sure to go down in history as one of the screen's great performances. It was the right role at the right time, to say the least. Marisa Tomei, portraying a tragic supporting character, is quite strong too.

There is a brooding sense of sorrow in Elephant's monotony and Steadicam wanderings, and it contributes to the horror of the explosively violent conclusion. This is a disturbing, powerful and strongly directed film. Its aching beauty is unlike anything I've ever seen. This is an important film that deserves attention.

This is a film that finds the rare balance between subtle humanity and cinematic appeal. This is an absolutely beautifully written piece that allows Ryan Gosling to command the screen. The result is one of the finest, most emotionally stirring pieces of acting in American cinema during the 2000s. Gosling is nuanced, fierce, heartbreaking and captivating all at once - and that's without speaking.

Why have I just started to expose myself to more of Mike Nichols' work?? The man is a brilliant director, and he is at his strongest here. He draws outstanding performances from four hit-and-miss actors and brings about the full potential of Marber's truly superb script. Like Nichols' 1971 film Carnal Knowledge, Closer is a hard and emotional story about the savage cruelty of love... or the idea of love. Successful in every way, its greatness is confirmed by the fact that Damien Rice's "The Blower's Daughter" is the theme song.

I am taken aback by the lukewarm reception this movie has received. Sean Penn is a rare breed of actor, and this is a rare breed of character study. It is irrefutably Penn who dominates this picture with his meticulous examination of a broken man disillusioned by the superficiality of the world he occupies. His performance is comprised not of numerous strong choices, but of a total transformation that we rarely see. This is the type of film I really enjoy, and I was especially pleased by its echoes of the legendary character Travis Bickle. Intelligently directed, handsomely shot by Emmanuel Lubezki and written with a great actor in mind.

This is what I call drama. This ferociously cold depiction of two ruined men kicking and screaming their way through life is as engaging as it is haunting. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke turn in such jaw-dropping performances that this is required viewing for any actor. Written with a smartly intriguing structure and directed with Lumet's signature finesse, it fits in with some of the greatest crime dramas ever made. Sidney Lumet has been turning out classics for decades, and this one deserves to be a classic too. I'm in awe.

For lack of a better description of this film, it's a masterpiece. Schnabel uses visual innovation for the benefit of the story, and it works beautifully on many levels. Every aspect of this picture is a success - ontop of wowing the audience with its technical prowess, it also has a gut-wrenching emotional impact. One of the most stunning and powerful movies I've seen in a long time.

I watched it directly after the original, and it's amazing how well the two films feed off each other. This film shakes off the romance and whimsy of the first one - it's more cynical and real, but it doesn't feel bitter or depressing. Both performances are as strong as in the first, and the film leaves us feeling a sense of true resolution.

This stunning debut is a great piece of work on any scale. Woven with distinct vision, clarity and power, this is a cinema masterpiece. Packed with excellent performances and brooding throughout with effective tragedy. Iñárritu does a brilliant job of making this an uneasy experience for any viewer to watch, amplifying the immorality and cruelty of the stories at hand.

An impressively unconventional film filled with complexity and unique characterization. Painfully real and delightfully quirky, this is one of the best of the year.

To call this one of the great films of the year is a huge understatement. This is, without a doubt, one of the biggest filmmaking achievements of the decade. Paul Thomas Anderson (a masterful writer and director) has weaved one of the most complex, absorbing, original and unforgettable character studies I've ever seen. To match his deeply entrancing script, Day-Lewis' performance is utterly perfect and the film's technical aspects are jaw-dropping. This is a masterwork, through and through. Everyone should see it.

This is one of the decade's most towering accomplishments in American cinema. Adaptation is, in every sense of the word, a masterpiece. Rarely does a film provide as much emotional power and mind-bending lack of convention. This is one of those rare experiments that doesn't feel experimental. Kaufman's script is one of the finest ever written, something that breaks so many rules while still remaining in the confines of great storytelling. Nicolas Cage shows us how capable he is of top-notch acting, headlining a cast of fantastically realized performances. Absolutely astounding.

An intelligent, dark thriller with an intense amount of sexual energy. Powered by a brilliant screenplay and convincing performances, this is one of 2005's absolute best.

The first time I saw this film, I enjoyed it but I didn't love it. I was obviously in the wrong mindset. With this film, Fincher brings about the strengths of 1970s cinema classics while also injecting it with his own unique visual flair. Visually stunning, technically impeccable and acted with extreme strength, this is a truly great film.

This is a film that has bright, exciting ideas about cinema as a storytelling medium and a vessel for emotional power. Employing bold editing techniques and visual concepts, the film is a character study that gives us the internal and external view of the title character's world. Ellen Page's work is much better in this film than in her Oscar-nominated performance in Juno (released the same year). This film jarred me, astonished me, affected me and gave me something to talk about for days afterwards. Definitely a favorite.

I'm stunned... I don't know how this film ended up being the unseen secret it is. It should be a cult classic - stunningly honest and powerful, it's one of the most heart-wrenching and brutal films about teenage rage and masochism I've ever seen. Taking into account the miniscule budget, this is a very smartly directed piece. It's shot like a documentary to maintain its sense of reality, and there is never a cut-and-paste message pushed across to the viewers. I loved all of the performances, but I was especially astonished by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I'll be keeping my eyes on that guy.

I'm lost for words... This film broke my heart, and that's all I can really say. It sounds melodramatic, but this is cinema at its most painfully honest. I could comment on the performances, the screenplay, the direction (all of which are perfect), but when a movie is this powerful you have to look at it as a singular piece of art. This is a complete masterwork, and any teenager who is able to do so is obligated to see it.

One of the most fleshed out, stylized and elaborate crime-drama films I have ever seen. This is one of the most impressive masterworks in modern cinema - a thrilling, important and disturbing work that begs to be seen. Absolutely phenomenal. I'm glad I finally saw it.

For whatever reason, this movie didn't have the impact it should've had the first time I saw it. I won't apologize for responding honestly to my initial reaction, but I will admit that I was wrong. This is a calculated, impassioned piece of artistry from one of the most exciting minds in modern cinema - Spanish filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. After immediately falling in love with Amores Perros and 21 Grams, I urged myself to re-watch this and I am so happy that I did. Down to the most minor roles, every performance in this piece is realized and engaging. It is painted with achingly gorgeous imagery, deep emotional complexity and underlined by a beautiful, Oscar-winning score. This is one of the most ambitious and powerful films to be released in years.

A polished, meticulous political thriller that achieves both pathos and suspense. Director Florian Henckel-Donnersmarck emphasizes all the right areas of the story so that it cleanly transcends several genres. It's a painstakingly paced film that sheds light on a horrific component of history while exploring a group of complex characters. It's emotionally and psychologically challenging, and I would go so far as to call it one of the finest movies released this decade.

When films speak this truthfully and affect me on as deep of a level as this one did, I feel unjust criticizing them. We're used to seeing films that are primarily about the victim or primarily about the bully. Jacob Aaron Estes abandons these formulas and decides to examine both the oppressor and the oppressed on a crushingly profound level. As the story's events unfold, they hit a hell of a lot harder because of the character depth that provides foundation for them. Estes maintains a sense of reality while also incorporating a somewhat poetic sensibility. The approach provides for one of the most unnerving movies I've seen. The movie's greatness is secured by phenomenal performances from a young and talented cast of actors, and the photography is stunning despite its simplicity. As a very significant footnote, the musical score is haunting and damn beautiful.

The precision of Wes Anderson's direction is breathtaking to behold. This is a beautifully shaped piece of art - completely and remarkably original. The screenplay is a funny and emotionally rewarding one, and it's acted to perfection by one of the best ensemble casts of the decade. Definitely one of my favorite films.

Milk is, without a doubt, one of 2008's most important films to be released. Gus Van Sant's exciting vision and Sean Penn's outstanding character work bring out the full potential of this documentation. Entertaining, but also affecting.

One of the best of the genre.

The Coen Brothers' new venture is fairly straightforward and stylistically simple, and it's all the better for it. A grim, extremely eerie film filled with moody subtleties and unconventional directorial choices. Gorgeously shot, extremely memorable and equally well-penned. One of 2007's finest.

Yes, this movie will impress open-minded viewers the first time they see it. It may even blow them away. However, I think this is one of the rare films that needs to be seen at least twice in order to assess it accurately. Charlie Kaufman said that his goal with Synecdoche was to replicate, in some senses, the effects of a live theater run. Like live performance, he wanted to craft a piece of work that provides something unpredictable and spontaneous with every viewing. In this sense, he succeeded. I have seen this movie three times to date, and I come to comprehend its mastery with each successive experience. This is a depressing and open-ended analysis of life that, through its subjective and boldly personal approach, forces the audience into a place of reflection. It's not possible to summarize this piece in a brief flixster review. Watch it a few times and decide what it means to you.

Peter Weir handles this material masterfully, gracing us with an old-fashioned epic that is as entertaining as it is well-made. Not only is it enhanced by the highest production value possible, but it is emotionally rich and full of powerful subtext. Russell Crowe headlines a cast of superb performances, giving this lavishly directed piece a human foundation. Top-notch photography, sound editing/mixing, art direction, costume design, etc. A beautiful, absorbing movie.

This must-see film documents the intricate and foreboding world of drugs through an exploration of its influence on politics, business, lifestyle, psychology and culture. Steven Soderbergh crafts a brilliantly original piece out of the material provided by the script, employing the use of an awe-inspiring visual design and labyrinthine structure. The performances are excellent across the board. One of the most important, powerful ensemble pieces to be released in modern American cinema.

Jack Nicholson delivers what is possibly his best performance in this heartbreaking character study. Written and directed to damn near perfection, this is a genuinely special film full of truth and meaning.

This sadly underrated masterpiece is as beautiful as it is emotionally charged. What some critics are dismissing as a "twist ending" is so much more than that... when the film fades out into closing credits, the truth of the story really sinks in. The brutality and horror of something like this is the most unsettling when seen through the eyes of a child. Herman's screenplay and direction are outstanding and the performances are equally exceptional.

I realize that half the people who see my rating for this film are immediately going to assume that I am either pretentious or clueless. I also personally know specific people who, after watching this movie, would want to have my head for giving it such a high rating. For this reason, I feel obligated to explain my admiration for it. With this piece, Gallo disregards every conventional approach possible, which a lot of people interpret as iconoclastic self-indulgence. I see it as appropriate within the context of this movie, and I think it's a tragically beautiful work in its own right. Functioning as a distant character study in which we know very little about the person being examined, The Brown Bunny asks us to give back a lot. I was willing to give it my complete attention, and I found it to be a haunting and uniquely profound experience. This is one of the saddest films I've seen in a while, and the conclusion will leave a resounding impact on most people. If you're interested in seeing it simply on the basis of the famous blowjob scene, don't bother watching it. This isn't what you're looking for.

An edgy, intriguing tapestry of character drama framed by brilliant performances and intellectual screenwriting. This is a unique and compelling story, and the performances by the two marvelous leads heighten it to its full potential. One of the smartest and most well-crafted movies of the year.

When I first viewed this film, I hated it. I thought it was offensive, nasty and unnecessary. I was compelled to watch it again, mainly because I've developed a big liking for Michael Pitt, and I'm very glad that I did. Despite the extremely cinematic presentation of the characters and their dilemmas, there is certainly a tone of brutal honesty here that is scarcely matched. The performances are all magnificent and sensitive. Michael Pitt, in a charismatic and unsettling supporting role, stands out with his manic energy and uniquely intriguing acting style.

This movie really shook me up. A minimalist, borderline abstract depiction of two young men fading slowly away in a remote, seemingly endless desert. The photography is unbelievably gorgeous, and Gus Van Sant's visual style captures the story's poetic tone perfectly. Casey Affleck and Matt Damon deliver performances as subtle and powerful as the film itself. Amazing stuff.

I'm compelled by this film's thematic component, by the nature and contrast of its three brilliant performances, and by its stage-oriented approach in general. This is a gripping and very brave film, and the script's somewhat simple structure provides room for deeper undertones and nuanced character study. Really, really good stuff.

Coppola's fantastic directorial debut is heartbreakingly truthful and intellectually written. The acting is great from everyone, but I'm particularly impressed with Kirsten Dunst. I'm not normally a big fan of her work, but this is a sensitive performance full of nuance and carefully restrained passion. The tone is unique and richly detailed from beginning to end, and the script ultimately leaves us with an understated sense of sadness rather than a lesson to learn from. Absolutely outstanding film.

When I first saw this movie, I had a hate-out for Christian Bale and I think that tainted my view of the film. I have long since gotten over my distaste for Bale, and I am so glad I gave this a re-watch. There is so much appeal in this movie's direction and writing, with its gorgeous photography and brilliantly executed story. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are the stand-outs here, with searing tour de force performances, but it's a fantastically cast work and everyone fills their roles very well. The twists are ingenious, but the strong characters are what give it so much impact.

Never have I seen a film whose mood is so distinct and powerful. Donnie Darko is a great film because it works beautifully on every level - superb script, jaw-dropping direction and amazing performances. A seamless combination of deep character study and mind-bending thriller.

Richard Linklater's vibrantly inventive existential adventure is an almost overwhelming and undoubtedly important piece of art. Involving, stimulating and imaginative, it's a film that aptly illustrates a kaleidoscopic range of views and philosophies while also employing innovative visual techniques. It's a psychological feast and, I believe, one of the most original American films of the decade.

Eastwood's character-driven thriller relies heavily on the performances from its stunning cast, and it's all the better for it. Brilliantly written and acted to perfection. One of the best of 2003.

I love the shameless, open sensibility of this film. It's as sweet as it is shocking. It benefits greatly from the superb performances, and Cuaron's direction is full of vision and power. It's the rawest coming-of-age story I've ever seen, but its blatancy is striking and effective. One of the best films of 2001.

What a phenomenal film. The visionary direction, compelling story, breathtaking photography and superb performances contribute to its enormous power. The entire cast is fantastic, including Christian Bale (who I consider to be hit-and-miss as an actor). An absorbing, inspirational picture.

The first great film of 2007, and predictably one of the most unappreciated. I was pissed off by the audience's reaction to it when I saw it in the theater. People shuffled around, snickered and a large amount of them walked out before it finished. It's a grim, carefully structured study of two complex and heavily flawed men. The tone is set beautifully through gorgeous cinematography and a chilling score, and the performances by Pitt and Casey Affleck are nothing short of remarkable. The story is obviously tense, since the death of a lead character is evident in the title. However, the film strays away from suspense-building techniques and instead looks at the sad ruins of two murderous, self-absorbed people.

A complex character study and a very uniquely written biopic. Marvelous acting, especially from Philip Seymour Hoffman. Perhaps the direction isn't anything to marvel at, but it's certainly not weak and the film is held up by the performances and script.

Dark mob movie with stunning art direction and cinematography on its side.

Fantastic human drama boasts superb performances and solid direction from Ron Howard.

Brutally and mercilessly reminds us of the power and importance of film. Hotel Rwanda vividly depicts a hideous stain on modern North American history that will never be wiped off. Sophie Okonedo and Don Cheadle are both incredible in this film.

This is a landmark film and the best of the trilogy. Technical perfection and inspired direction make this adaptation an instant classic. This is the type of movie that reminds us how great theater experiences can be.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is truly one of the most skilled actors I've ever seen. This bizarre, funny and extremely tragic character piece is engaging the whole way through, and most of its power is due to the brilliance of Mr. Hoffman. I really, really liked it.

Much, much better than I expected. In Bruges is not another action-comedy that sucks the life out of a genre established by Quentin Tarantino. This is a well-paced, sharply written character piece that integrates elements of black comedy and bleak tragedy. The acting all around is fantastic, especially from Colin Farrell in an immensely demanding role.

This is as entertaining and as stylish as they come. A mosaic of styles spanning from spaghetti Westerns to TV kung-fu, Kill Bill is insanity and brilliance combined.

A tense, powerfully effective exercise in tonal control, this movie functions well as an entertainment piece as well as an art film. It's darkly hilarious in a style that only the Coen brothers can pull off, with phenomenal structure and a wonderfully ambiguous premise. The performances are unanimously fantastic, from a cast of mostly no-name actors. Roger Deakins' photography is, of course, stunningly beautiful. In short, this film contains the kind of quality we have come to expect from these beloved American auteurs.

An ambitiously directed epic of rare power and enormity. Absolutely fantastic movie.

Sleek, gorgeously shot character study with some fantastic action sequences. Cruise and Foxx are magnificent and Michael Mann's direction is as strong as ever.

A gloriously personal film with a crushingly bleak ending. Gracefully directed and acted with incredible conviction.

Wow. A beautiful, haunting thriller bursting with atmosphere and style. Much more romantic than Blue Velvet, this one also has more emotional roots underneath its maniacal weirdness. From what little of his work I've seen, I can tell that David Lynch is a masterful film stylist and a fiercely original cinema voice.

People can say what they want to about this film, but I don't think anyone has ever made anything quite like it. Spike Jonze has crafted a brave, ambitious, flawed piece of a rare variety. This is a big-budget project that feels both personal and pure. Instead of focusing only on the pleasantry of nostalgia, Jonze uses the wild things to represent all the aspects of the young protagonist's psyche and life. In doing so, he captures a lot of the pain and loneliness that we tend to forget about, and rarely associate with childhood. It's a moody film whose emotional texture won't work for a lot of people, but I admired its aims and it worked for me. I saw a lot of myself in the hero of the story, and it took me back to a place I haven't thought about in a long time. Visually brilliant and inventive, of course, this is something that needs to be seen on the big screen. People who say it's too dark for children are misled... this is more challenging and beautifully made than 90% of mainstream family movies.

Stephen Gaghan's masterful study of power, corruption and the tangled web that money weaves is as gripping as it is brilliant. Employing the use of an intensely convincing ensemble, Syriana pulls us into a complex story that illustrates the potentially irreversible problems facing our generation. Rather than fixating on singular issues or on connecting stories, this film instead brings a prominent theme to each segment that leaves a resonant impact once it has finished. This is a grim, chilling film that has deeply disturbing undertones. Serious, intelligent filmmaking.

This film succeeds because of ingeniously developed tension, gripping subject matter and a balance of focus both on character and plot. George Clooney is excellent in a role that seems like he was born to play, and Tilda Swinton is equally good in a fantastic supporting role. Strongly directed, written and acted. Just a very well-constructed film all around.

Noah Baumbach is a truly great writer - he replaces forced quirkiness with the weirdness of human truth and brings about stories that are equally comic and tragic. This is an absolutely beautiful film filled with memorable performances and deep ideas. Baumbach openly welcomes comparison to Woody Allen, but his work is harder and less philosophically oriented. This underrated film is by far one of the best of 2007.

I thought this was one of the best movies of the year - Bill Murray delivers a restrained, highly convincing performance that is impressively reminiscent of Lost in Translation. Moody and subtle, with a delightfully original screenplay and a style it can truly call its own.

Al Pacino isn't a director, and he doesn't propose to be, but this is a terrific little film and I'm very glad that I got the opportunity to finally see it. The acting is great, and the source play is beautifully written. There's a sense of personal connection, both with the writer and the actors, and the result is a thoroughly convincing character study.

Gosling delivers one of the strongest, bravest and most unforgettable performances of the decade in this beautifully funny and tragic little gem. The screenplay's structure and balance is extremely impressive, and it's an expertly directed piece as well. One of my favorites of the year.

One of the best films of 2003. The way Woody Allen's current work is so frequently shunned by audiences and film critics is shameful. He is a relevant, extremely skilled filmmaker, and this piece of work fits nicely into his brilliant career. It's a beautifully photographed piece - Allen's only movie to be filmed using an anamorphic ratio aside from Manhattan. Jason Biggs is charming in the lead, and he shares fantastic screen chemistry with Woody Allen. Christina Ricci is top-notch as a confused, neurotic character, and all the supporting roles are filled nicely as well. Everything I want from a romantic comedy, and so much more. Anything Else is great.

Coarse, uncompromising character piece filled with quirks and moody undertones. Basically, we watch a group of miserable young adults discuss everything ranging from sex to suicide - they fight, they gripe, they laugh and they talk to themselves into a grimy bathroom mirror. It's about the triviality and meaningless complexity of a night out between wealthy American friends. There are some unpleasant, off-putting scenes in this film that have contributed largely to its negative reception. I can see why it's such a strongly disliked movie, but I get something out of it and I really admire the performances (particularly from the brilliant Leonardo DiCaprio).

Wes Anderson is a sharp, promising director with impressively original sensibility. This film is painterly and charming, and it confirms Anderson's place as one of my favorite directors. Bill Murray is magnificent, as usual, and the soundtrack is fantastic.

I absolutely love Little Children. It's a rare film - an ensemble piece that balances complexity among numerous characters while remaining intriguing for the audience. Field's direction and writing are outstanding, and the entire cast seems to know exactly what he wants. The performances are unanimously remarkable. I'm particularly impressed with Patrick Wilson, who proved himself a talented and promising actor in the year 2006. One of the most incredible things about this picture is its combined visceral and thought-provoking effects. It had my mind working, even at the points where I was tearing up. This is a suburban tragedy in the ranks of such modern classics as American Beauty.

Conservative, moral filmmaking with a fantastic crowd-pleasing appeal. Beautiful art direction and a wholesome screenplay.

One of the best of the year. Spielberg is a master. Munich is directed with the precision of a man who knows his craft like the back of his hand, and is willing to take risks when he puts that talent up on the screen. A fierce screenplay and remarkable cinematography add to the greatness of this film.

A stunning, emotionally stirring film directed with honesty and power. Extremely hard to watch, but pure at heart and gorgeously executed.

This sadistic, daring mind-bender is successful due to strong performances and an intelligent approach to controversy. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, and it was one of those rare films to actually make me cringe. It's a gorgeously shot piece, with an unusual amount of detail paid to stylistic choices. Terrific picture.

There is a great deal of poignancy in this story, and I think that's what makes the film what it is more than anything. Sean Penn does a great job pacing the picture and illustrating it with majestic imagery, and his screenplay has very little to object to as well. It's a tightly made film, with colorful supporting performances and an engaging pace. However, it's the subject matter that makes it stand out, and I have to admit I was very emotionally moved by the conclusion.

A beautifully perceptive film filled with originality and passion - Braff's talents are in full exposure here, and I'm very impressed with what I see. One of the best of 2004.

David Cronenberg's finely crafted film is original enough that I can say it doesn't fit under one particular genre. Instead, it transcends several and combines their strengths to produce a gripping and powerful cinema experience. The direction is fantastic and Steven Knight's script is worthy of high critical acclaim. The performances were immensely impressive. Mortensen and Cassel find convincingly tragic sadness in the souls of their characters, bringing us a stunning, rare brand of acting.

Danny Boyle's crowd-pleasing new gem is, like all of his work, a rousing experience that sparks the senses and involves the audience. A classic rags-to-riches story told in an unconventional fashion, it's a stylishly executed piece that works beautifully on a multiplex screen.

Eastwood's companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers is a masterfully crafted piece of work. Bold, ambitious and potently effective. A great film.

This is an all-around impressive feat; tightly edited, shot with glorious vision and passionately directed. This is a joyously dark and intriguing science fiction thriller that has interesting ideas and presents them clearly. One of the best films of the year.

Danny Boyle's science fiction thriller breaks boundaries with its mindblowing scope and massive vision. Visually arresting, moody and even moving, this is one of 2007's strongest cinema entries.

This is not an exceedingly inventive or groundbreaking film, but it has a special tenderness to it that I found irresistible. Carey Mulligan is a brilliant lead, playing effectively on a range of emotions and proving herself to be a highly charismatic actor. Although the movie starts off as a slightly clunky comedy of manners, it evolves into a genuinely moving and morally intricate drama. It isn't forceful or insincere. It's a smartly written, well-acted and thoroughly entertaining piece that deserves mention as one of 2009's best releases.

There are questionable decisions made by writer-director Gavin Hood, but the accomplishments here are for more prevalent than the flaws. It's a coarse but visually beautiful film that potently illustrates a bad man turning good without ever feeling contrived. In some respects it is a typical redemption story, but the searing performances and professional execution deter the audience from feeling manipulated. One could argue that the character arc isn't perfectly fleshed out, but by the end of the film I simply didn't care. The impact of the conclusion is as much as I could ask for as a moviegoer.

It is my pleasure to state that Michel Gondry's new romance is one of the most delightful films of the year. Filled with conceptual innovation and strong character development, this is like an abstract map of love and dreams. Directed with flair and extremely well-acted.