I decided to make my Best Films of the Decade list at a standard 100 count, as opposed to the arbitrary numbers I've used for other lists. And I'll be giving my thoughts on each in the form of one or two sentences.
100. The Matador (Richard Shepard, 2005) - Pierce Brosnan was born to play this deliriously hilarious hitman with a midlife crisis in beautifully shot Mexico.
99. Up (Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, 2009) - This is Pixar's least tightly constructed plot so far, but it doesn't suffer for its rambling structure. Every beat is totally character driven. It's a beautiful film that brought me to tears more than once. The first time being during its first 10 minutes, some of the best 10 minutes of my life.
98. Half Nelson (Ryan Fleck, 2006) - Ryan Gosling's perfect, gut-wrenching performance is complimented by a wonderful soundtrack from Broken Social scene.
97. Priceless (Pierre Salvadori, 2008) - The closest thing you'll ever see to a Lubitsch comedy, plus a half naked Audrey Tatou.
96. Junebug (Phil Morrison, 2005) - Great dramedy about going back home with a perfect Amy Adams.
95. Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt, 2008) - A sad, minimalist tale of poverty and best friends with a heartbreaking performance from a dog.
94. Collateral (Michael Mann, 2004) - Another fantastic crime thriller from Michael Mann.
93. Sparrow (Johnnie To) - Still unreleased in the U.S., To's loveletter to French cinema is a wonderously enjoyable fairy tale love story.
92. Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007) - Pixar's best. A funny, heartfelt ode to great food. Anton Ego's face when he tries that ratatouille is priceless.
91. Twilight Samurai (Yoji Yamada, 2004) - A samurai epic in the vein of Kurosawa's films. A retired swordman is forced to fight again. Contemplative and mesmerizing.
90. 21 Grams (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2003) - Fragmented chronicle of tragedy and revenge. Dirty and sad, but hits with a powerful force.
89. The Motorcycle Diaries (Walter Salles, 2004) - Gael Garcia Bernal is pre-revolutionary Che Guevara on a motorcycle roadtrip through South America.
88. Into the Wild (Sean Penn, 2007) - Penn's biography of adventurous but lost soul Chris McCandless champions a selfish asshole, but is full of great performances and is visually astounding.
87. Serenity (Joss Whedon, 2005) - Perfectly recaptures the spirit of its dearly departed source "Firefly".
86. Gangs of New York (Martin Scorcese, 2002) - Can we forget about the miscasting of Cameron Diaz for just a second. This is a masterpiece of epic proportions. Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the greatest villians of American cinema.
85. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007) - Magically puts you inside the head of its crippled protagonist. Max Von Sydow's short scene is absolutely devastating.
84. George Washington (David Gordon Green, 2000) - Green's debut wonderfully captures the feel of adolescence.
83. Gosford Park (Robert Altman, 2002) - A great upstairs/downstairs murder mystery from one of cinema's great masters.
82. House of Flying Daggers (Zhang Yimou, 2005) - A moving painting full of romance and amazingly choreographed violence. The visuals are truly awe-inspiring.
81. Once (John Carney, 2007) - A beautiful love story told as an ultra-realistic musical.
80. Reprise (Joachim Trier, 2008) - A story of two author best friends that find varying degrees of success. It recalls French New Wave in its rapid-cutting style.
79. Ponyo (Hiyao Miyazaki, 2009) - Miyazaki's simple children's tale is full of heart and is a great return to completely hand-animated filmmaking.
78. Little Children (Todd Field, 2006) - Immaturity, temptation, and inadequacy. A great combination with Kate Winslet.
77. The Fall (Tarsem Singh, 2008) - A fantastical story with some of the most beautiful cinematography from locales around the world.
76. The Host (Bong Joon-Ho, 2007) - An especially powerful combination of horror, comedy, and family drama.
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