the decade in films, part 3

50. The Proposition (John Hillcoat, 2006) - Disgusting and dirty, yet beautiful western with a great score by Nick Cave

49. 2046 (Wong Kar-Wai, 2005) - One of many of the director's masterpieces featuring the lush, beautiful cinematography of Christopher Doyle

48. Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (Kazuhisa Takenochi, 2003) - The masterful Daft Punk anime feature.

47. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007) - A beautifully shot, deliberately paced character study with fantastic performances and Nick Cave's greatest film compositions.

46. Good Night, and Good Luck (George Clooney, 2005) - A simplyand lovingly told account of Edward Murrow's campaign against McCarthy with a career defining performance from David Strathairn.

45. Ratcatcher (Lynne Ramsay, 2000) - A deeply personal and punishing account of youth in poverty.

44. Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, 2000) - Heartbreaking and beautiful lo-fi musical. It's the weirdest idea ever but Trier makes it work.

43. Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho, 2003) - A sprawling and obsessive crime procedural set in a small town with an inept local cop, cold city cop, and mentally challenged tag along all hunting down a local serial killer. It resembles Fincher's later Zodiac in more than a few ways. It maintains a surreal and uplifting sense of humor throughout.

42. Still Walking (Hirokazu Koreeda, 2009) - More than just an Ozu imitation, tells the story of a family full of conflict and tension without actually having to show any of either.

41. 25th Hour (Spike Lee, 2002) - Edward Norton's best performance, and easily Spike Lee's best this decade.

40. Traffic (Steven Soderbergh, 2000) - 3 masterfully interwoven drug tales with such a seemingly simple color coordinated dynamic that would be impossible to pull off in the wake of this film.

39. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Peter Jackson, 2003) - What I initially forgot. Yeah, I'm an idiot. This is my favorite of the trilogy. Suck it.

38. American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2003) A beautifully satirical portrait of 1980s urban culture. It remains faithful while adding its own bent on Bret Easton Ellis' original text.

37. The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2007) - A quietly devastating thriller/drama set in Eastern Germany. Donnersmarck perfectly recreates the cold, colorless feel of Communist rule.

36. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) - Daniel Day Lewis gives the best performance of the decade in this sprawling epic of greed.

35. A Serious Man (Coen Brothers, 2009) - The banalities of life, the realization of mortality, and the mysteries of the universe are all subjects in the Coens' masterpiece of being lost in your life and searching for answers in the Jewish faith.

34. The Best of Youth (Marco Tullia Giordana, 2005) - A beautiful, sprawling tale of siblings going in different directions in Italy. 6 hours. Worth every minute.

33. The Station Agent (Thomas McCarthy, 2003) - All about loneliness, new friendships, and train conductors. Impossibly heartfelt and emotional. It feels like people have completely forgotten about this movie.

32. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2001) - Everyone's favorite backwards moving crime thriller is Nolan's greatest achievement. Its gimmick surprisingly doesn't wear off on repeat viewings.

31. Everything is Illuminated (Liev Schrieber, 2005) - A beautiful road trip through rural Ukraine is the centerpiece of a quiet, emotional little film that introduced the world to the charismatic and hilarious Euguene Hutz.