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>1 Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky)
A beautiful and horrifying film that still cuts like a knife. A spare-none examination of the dangers of addiction that looks beautiful and feels like getting kicked in the gut. I think great film should move you, and I don't know anyone who has seen this film that didn't feel emotionally struck by it.
>2 Punch Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Bringing it down a notch to tell a simple story, PTA examines the concept of love bringing strength. Sandler as Barry was a brilliant casting choice, Jon Brion on the keys. We get taken into the bruised, lonely, anxious world of Barry Egan and watch his emotional transformation as he becomes loved, and therefore empowered. Sweet, beautiful story.
>3 Primer (Shane Carruth)
I can't think of a single film that so rewards repeat viewings. Finally, a sci-fi film that doesn't dumb down a single detail, presenting a challenging, creative and fragmented narrative that keeps you guessing even after the film has finished. That it was done on a $6000 budget on *film* is just remarkable in its own right, but the movie is great independent of that factoid.
>4 The Proposition (John Hillcoat)
Nick Cave takes a turn at screenwriting and turns in this brooding, nihilistic story of the taming of the savage Australian outback. Powerful characters, an interesting plot that never takes the easy way out, and Scorcese-esque realism when it comes to violence. Invigorating.
>5 There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Electrifying.
>6 No Country for Old Men (The Coen Brothers)
Tight as a drum. I've said much about both of these films on here.
>7 Anchorman (Adam McKay)
Also a film that rewards repeat viewings. Every time I watch this I find humour in a new line/situation. Goofy, hilarious and ridiculous while not sloppy like so many Ferrell films that followed.
>8 Adaptation (Spike Jonze)
A playful, brave and thoughtful lark. Charlie Kaufman begins to reveals himself as more than just a goofy writer of idiosyncratic tales to someone with keen mind with his finger closely measuring the pulse of modern man.
>9 Good Night and Good Luck (George Clooney)
Sometimes simple wins. There's something to be said for telling a good story well. The jazz interludes and the old school black and white were nice touches, and the message was timely. A film about strength and resistance, the way to my heart.
>10 Hunger (Steve McQueen)
Powerful, visceral and uncompromising. Probably the most impartial film I've seen about the IRA, and the silence was deafening.
>11 The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry)
Again Kaufman delivers a powerful and thoughtful script unlike anything a man has written. He examines about the value of unhappiness, the importance of pain and the folly of a quick-fix culture. Strong and delightful, Gondry came through with the look that matched the surreality of the story.
>12 The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)
Again, a good story told well goes a long way. Creative and interesting characters are sympathetic and easy to watch as we see Anderson again examine an unconventional family structure.
>13 The Fog of War (Errol Morris)
The best Morris doc I've seen. The reflections on the mistakes of a once powerful man are important words worth hearing.
>14 The Dark Knight (Chris Nolan)
What's not to like? Ledger sends off his career with will be his defining role, creating one of the greatest villians of cinema history. Rambled on a bit at the end I thought, but overall an enthralling and satisfying blockbuster that never really pussied out.
>15 Ichi the Killer (Takashi Miike)
I love Miike. This insane, blood drenched examination of violence and sex is a hilarious romp due to Miike's dark sense of humour and fearless approach to cinema. I'll suit up to watch Miike do anything, but rarely do the pieces all come together like this...he's just too damned crazy for this to be more than an exception.
>16 O Brother Where Art Thou? (The Coen Brothers)
Man I thought this movie was great. I don't know too many people who did, I guess it requires a mix of different things from the viewer. Loved the look, the characters, the dialogue and the sound. If you're going to say nothing, you should at least make saying nothing as fun to experience as possible.
>17 Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarentino)
Unhinged and brave, I couldn't believe Tarentino pulled this off. This movie is hilariously over the top and could have been terrible but somehow (and I don't know how actually) he managed to pull this off.
>18 Knocked Up (Judd Apatow)
Consistently hilarious script and principals in a clever script that manages to appeal to both sexes while never pussying out.
>19 A Serious Man (The Coen Brothers)
I like the goofy Coens and I like the Oscar Coens, but I love the thought-piece Coens the most. Dense, powerful, unforgiving and refreshing.
>20 The Fall (Tarsem Singh)
An ambitious visual masterpiece that rooted its wild story in a one-sided friendship between a suicidal stunt-man and a five-year-old girl. Filmed in 30 countries. Word? 30? You can see all the passion and inspiration Singh lacked with The Cell.
>21 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (George Clooney)
Fuck y'all if you slept. I think this script more than Adaptation or Eternal Sunshine that really sold me on Kaufman as a great writer. The examination of the central emptiness of the american dream.
>22 Hustle & Flow (Craig Brewer)
Simple story told well. Good script, good actors, great characters. Brewer really created an entire world for his characters to live in. I'll give him props for making challenging, multifaceted characters who it was hard to ever feel one way about.
>23 The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky)
Aronofsky is a genius, and to see him focus on such a simple and unique story was interesting and refreshing.
>24 Momento (Chris Nolan)
You all know why this is good.
>25 The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky)
To this day I don't get why people hated on this film. A brave and interesting examination on the philisophy of immortality.
>26 Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Quentin Terentino)
Different film, different pace, different sound and different look. Still worked, still fun, ridiculous, brave and hilarious. David Carridine is a motherfucking pimp.
>27 City of God (Fernando Merielles)
If you haven't seen this, see it. Shit's crazy yo.
>28 The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson)
Bringing it down to Earth after the indulgent and unfocused Life Aquatic, Anderson again tells a simple story of three brothers remembering how to be happy. A few trite images aside (literally throwing away your baggage in slow motion? C'mon son), it was a nice and heart-warming film.
>29 Half Nelson (Ryan Fleck)
Powerful actors brought this unhappy and interesting film to light. I like how unapologetic Fleck was in his choice of how to represent Dan Dunne.
>30 Solaris (Steven Soderbergh)
Why the fuck didn't you like this film? Oh, you wanted aliens? Then watch Aliens.
>31 The Departed (Martin Scorcese)
Shit's funny yo. Balls out, brash and gritty. Marky Mark kills it, but there was some great acting all around. Ray Winstone is a force of nature, and Jack was so over the top.
>32 Spy Game (Tony Scott)
I think Tony is a fucking hack, but this film is pretty damned tight. Good leads in an interesting thriller about CIA agents in Beirut, Vietnam and West Germany.
>33 Avatar (James Cameron)
#1 with a bullet. That shit is aesthetically pleasing. Cameron creates an entire world, we get to know the flora, the fauna, the geography and the mysticism as well as the customs of the tribes that inhabit it. Forcefully creative, it's refreshing to see something so unique on the screen.
>34 Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)
This movie had to grow on me. The ambitious long (action!) shots alone make the film worth seeing, but they add to the film, in that they flesh out the invigorating dystopian vision of the world into which we're dropped.
>35 Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)
Shit was subversive as hell for a Disney flick. A great film for the collective conciousness of the next generation. Might actually measurably affect the world.
>36 Che Part 1(Steven Soderbergh)
I understand why people didn't like these films. I thought they were great. Benicio loses himself (as does Soderbergh). Interesting choices made all around. There may be another Che movie, but it won't look anything like this.
>37 Little Miss Sunshine (Dayton & Faris)
>38 Snatch (Guy Ritchie)
>39 Casino Royale (Martin Campbell)
THIS is how action movies should be done. The decision to get less gadgety and super-heroey was a good one, too bad they didn't stick with it.
>40 Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Sidney Lumet)
Man. What a terrible experience it is watching this movie. It just keeps getting worse. (The situations, not the movie). Tight and powerfully depressing.
>41 The Prestige (Chris Nolan)
Points mainly for creativity. This was a very creative script, and they made it work. It was nothing mind-blowing, but so many choices were made that were completely unique that it deserves a place on the list.
>42 Star Trek (J. J. Abrams)
The man knows action. I didn't believe his casting choices would work but they all did. I was very impressed.
>43 The Hangover (Todd Phillips)
The anti-Will Ferrell movie. Rather than some sloppy "okay we'll be step brothers that live at home, it'll be hilarious" writing process, they spent some time working out a tight plot that revolves around a constant barrage of revelations until it reached fever pitch.
>44 Che Part 2 (Steven Soderbergh)
A lot of people hated this one, but it was really interesting to see the failure I thought.
>45 Mission Impossible 3 (J. J. Abrams)
This came out at the peak of Cruise hate, but man fuck alla dat shit. This was a tight-ass action movie. Excellent villian, high-tension non-goofy action scenes, shit was tight. After that I paid attention to JJ Abrams.
>46 The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson)
These movies weren't great, but they were good. I think in a lot of ways they worked better on the smaller scale of the first film.
>47 The Bourne Ultimatum (Paul Greengrass)
Dynamic.
>48 The Rundown (Peter Berg)
Fuck y'all. This shit was entertaining. Chris Walken steals every scene he's in, the Rock is a fun action hero and this is his best action movie. I generally find Stiffler brings his own unique sense of value to his characters and good god damn if Rosario didn't look fine.
>49 Control Room (Jehane Noujaim)
People slept on this doc. Interesting examination of the filters through which our news passes before we recieve it.
>50 Shawn of the Dead (Edgar Wright)
Consistently goofy and clever. Great film, great lead, great fun.
...says Wrongthink
Real talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12JJv6yCk7Q
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