50. American Splendor (Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, 2003)

My favorite Paul Giamatti performance of the decade comes not from the more-common-to-these-lists Sideways, but rather from the beautiful chemistry he forged with Hope Davis in this glorious comedy about the complexity of trying to live an ordinary life.

49. Moolaade (Ousmane Sembene, 2004)

The legendary Ousmane Sembene's last film is one that reaches across all cultures while telling a story very specific to his own. Sembene is the most famous African director of all time and his films should be celebrated as proof that powerful art is being made all over the world, not just from the most predictable sources.

48. Y tu mama tambien (Alfonso Cuaron, 2001)

When critics speak of the great directors of the 2000s, Alfonso Cuaron doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves. He made two films on this list and easily the best installment of the highest-grossing franchise of the decade. I think he will continue to be one of our more intriguing directors in the 2010s. Y tu mama tambien is his most personal work, a devastating coming-of-age story like no other in the last ten years.

47. Traffic (Steven Soderbergh, 2000)

Arguably the most important American filmmaker alive – particularly in the way he bent to no one in his output of the past decade – the placement of Steven Soderbergh's best film of the last ten years in my top fifty doesn't represent how crucial I think he is to filmmaking. Ambitious, flawless, riveting filmmaking, Traffic stands as the best work from one of the most influential filmmakers of the last twenty years.

46. Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001)

Very few films understand the alienation that comes with those post-graduation days of confusion and lack of direction like Zwigoff's beautiful, underrated comedy, one that features the great Steve Buscemi's best performance and stellar work from Thora Birch and Scarlett Johannson. Funny, touching, quirky, but always resonantly real.

45. Nobody Knows (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2004)

This striking drama from an internationally renowned master is an emotional wallop, a film that travels a common thematic road – the sad fact that we often ignore those who need our help the most – but does so with more honest realism than any Hollywood take on the subject. The story of a group of children being lost in a crowded city that doesn't even know they exist has impacted the way I look at major cities. Sometimes we truly don't know what's going on right next door.

44. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001)

Steven Spielberg had several misunderstood and underappreciated films in the last decade (War of the Worlds and Minority Report would have both been in the 51-100 were this list twice as big and there's another of his films higher up this list), but few had a response that baffled me the way A.I. did. Yes, the final act is a bit strange, but this is easily one of the most ambitious films of the decade, a lyrical, unforgettable commentary on what it means to be human.

43. Cache (Michael Haneke, 2005)

The great Michael Haneke's best film is one of the most effective thrillers of the decade, a riveting examination of the ripple effect of action through both political and personal channels. Cache (also known as Hidden) is the most truly Hitchockian film of the last ten years, a work that, like some of the master's best films, turned audiences into part of the experience, making us the voyeurs into a family's nightmare.

42. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, 2004)

The most delightfully unexpected sequel of all time, the great Richard Linklater's strongest film of the decade is a glorious ode to second chances; to the truth that lightning can actually strike twice and that one should never give up on recapturing or even surpassing the most wonderful night of their life.

41. Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008)

While Sean Penn’s lead performance will be remembered as one of the finest of the decade, it’s unfortunate that his virtuosity has seemingly overshadowed the overall accomplishments of Gus Van Sant's spectacular drama, a moving work that examines not just the specific story of Harvey Milk but also the movement for equal rights as a whole.

40. Oldboy (Chan-wook Park, 2003)

Park's most unforgettable film of the last ten years played with a theme common to works of the last decade – the driving force of vengeance. How far would you go to find the man who ruined your life? But Oldboy wasn't just a thematic powerhouse; it was a stylistic tour-de-force with imagery and set pieces that rank among the best of the last ten years.

39. Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000)

Rarely did I have a physical reaction stronger than the one that I felt watching Aronofsky's second film, a spiraling nightmare into addiction and pain. Aronofsky is easily one of the most important filmmakers of the last ten years, and The Wrestler and, yes, even the vastly underrated The Fountain deserve attention, but Requiem For a Dream is still his best film. Perhaps more than any filmmaker, I can't wait to see what Aronofsky does in the 2010s.

38. The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004)

If you don't think animation deserves ranking with the best live-action films, you should turn back now. The first of four animated films on this list, The Incredibles is not just subversively hilarious; it also happens to be one of the best superhero action movies of the last ten years. You won't find any Marvel superheroes on this list, but, when it comes to the heroes that made the past decade truly memorable, Frozone reigns supreme.

37. You Can Count on Me (Kenneth Lonergan, 2000)

Very few characters linger past the closing credits, much less ten years on, but very few characters are as perfectly drawn and realistically portrayed as Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney's brother and sister in Lonergan's one and only film as director. Lonergan's follow-up, Margaret, is rumored to come out this year. Let's hope it's nearly as good.

36. Letters from Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood, 2006)

The best WWII movie of the decade came courtesy of one of the era's most prolific filmmakers, the always controversial Clint Eastwood. While Eastwood's most recent work has fell a bit below the median line of his career, Iwo Jima, Mystic River, and, yes, despite the backlash, Million Dollar Baby, all deserve decade-end consideration (the other two would be ranked somewhere between 51-100). Iwo Jima stands as Eastwood’s best in part due to Tom Stern's stunning cinematography, creating some of the best imagery of the last ten years.

35. A History of Violence (David Cronenberg, 2005)

The amazing David Cronenberg delivered one of the best films of his career with this stunning examination of the shifting sand of attempting to leave a life behind. Viggo Mortensen's Oscar-worthy performance (Maria Bello deserved a nod too) is one of my favorites of the decade, a detailed study of a man who repressed his past, only to watch in horror as it slowly rose again to the surface.

34. Kill Bill (Quentin Tarantino, 2003-04)

It may be cheating to lump them into one film, so if you must make me choose, I prefer the gleeful chaos of the first volume over the studied drama of the second volume, but I think it's the way they work together that makes Kill Bill one of the most memorable films of the decade. Tarantino's most over-the-top, downright ludicrous film has been underrated due to its more extreme nature but these are technical masterpieces, two of the most alive, vibrant films of the last ten years.

33. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)

The film that has grown on me the most in the time since I first reviewed it is easily Zodiac, David Fincher's epic dissection of obsession, arguably the most technically accomplished non-fantasy film of the last ten years. Zodiac is a movie about obsession that is easy to get obsessed about itself. I know that I like to pop in the glorious Blu-ray every once in awhile and admire the unbelievable period recreation, perfect pacing, and unbelievable attention to detail. This is rare filmmaking that looks now like it will never get old.

32. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007)

The Coen Brothers’ best film of the 21st century (so far) featured two of our most talented filmmakers refining themes that they had worked with for years in films like Fargo, Miller's Crossing, and even Raising Arizona, and taking them all the way to a Best Picture Oscar. With one of the best overall ensembles, a downbeat ending (in a year full of them), and some of the great Roger Deakins' strongest cinematography of the decade, No Country features imagery that has already become iconic just over two years later.

31. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005)

It’s almost sad that Brokeback became such a cultural reference point that its dramatic power was somewhat lessened by the spoofs of its quotable lines and the controversy surrounding its loss of Best Picture to the far-inferior Crash. Thankfully, one of the most emotionally powerful films of the decade is strengthened by one of the best overall ensemble performances of the last ten years, led by unforgettable work from Heath Ledger that should have won him his first Oscar.

30. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

Possibly the most massively misunderstood and underrated film of the last ten years has already started to earn the critical following that it deserved all along, and I expect it's a re-appreciation that will continue to grow until, like so many other classic films, new viewers are stunned it wasn't beloved from the day it came out. One of the best westerns ever, Dominik's film is such a confident, compelling drama, buoyed by arguably the best cinematography of the last ten years.

29. Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002)

The best "meta" film of the decade, Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's brilliant comedy is one of the most remarkable exercises in a film and its filmmakers spinning in on each other in a glorious, refreshing way. I admire Synecdoche, New York and Being John Malkovich, but I flat-out love every crazy, enjoyable minute of Adaptation. There's a difference.

28. Far from Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002)

This amazing drama was one of the most delightfully subversive of the 2000s in that its stylistic flourishes hid a searing examination of not just homophobia and racism of generations past but of modern social problems as well. With career-best performances from Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven is just as powerful today as it was eight years ago.

27. Munich (Steven Spielberg, 2005)

Another misunderstood Spielberg masterpiece, Munich is as vital to the decade as any other memorable 21st-century film about the desire for vengeance (not surprisingly, vengeance was arguably the most common theme in filmmaking from a decade that basically started with 9/11). Ambitious, powerful, complex, daring, expertly made – I believe if anyone but Spielberg had made Munich, it would have ended up on dozens of decade-best lists.

26. In the Mood For Love (Wong Kar-wai, 2000)

One of the most visually striking films in recent memory, Wong Kar-wai's best film is more poetry than prose, a glorious work of memory, regret, and passion. This is timeless filmmaking, a movie that will have the same power it does now in ten, twenty, or fifty years.

25. Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, 2003)

The best animation is driven not by product placement or future theme rides, but rather by the passion and the honest emotion of the people who made it. Andrew Stanton turned his own fears about being an overprotective father into one of the most beloved animated films ever made.

24. The Fog of War (Errol Morris, 2003)

Considering my love for non-fiction film, it's surprising to find only one documentary on my list of the fifty best films of the decade, but Errol Morris' razor-sharp examination of the insights and demons of one of the most powerful men of the last century is simply one of the most riveting films ever made.

23. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)

One of the most influential films of the last ten years – even though the wave of "anti-chronology" thrillers that followed in Memento's wake almost all seem to fail to capture the inspiration of one of the most clever screenplays of its era. Like the best magic tricks, it’s still riveting, even after you know how it’s done.

22. Talk to Her (Pedro Almodovar, 2002)

Like a lot of masterworks, Almodovar's best film to date feels like a culmination of an already-great career. Talk to Her was the inevitable peak that we all knew Almodovar would reach. And that's not to say he won't reach one again. With the excellent Volver and the good Broken Embraces, it doesn't seem like Spain's best filmmaker is losing any steam.

21. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)

When it comes to the art of raising and releasing tension at just the right pace to keep an audience biting their nails in anticipation, Hurt Locker stands as one of the most expertly directed films of the new century. And, thanks to her virtuoso performance as the conductor of such chaos, Bigelow might (and should) become the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director in just a few weeks time.

20. The 25th Hour (Spike Lee, 2002)

Spike Lee's second-best film (after Do the Right Thing) was another look at the city he knows so well. This elegiac look at a young man (brought to life by Ed Norton's most understated and overall best career performance) saying goodbye to one life and starting another was also a brilliant dissection of how an entire city moves forward after something as devastating as 9/11. Regardless of the past, desire, or our best laid plans, we all only move in one direction – forward.

19. Where the Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze, 2009)

Daring, touching, moving, Spike Jonze's controversial masterpiece (probably the film that will divide most people on this list) is one that I will defend until my dying day. Where the Wild Things Are is supposed to be confusing, dark, and strange. Sometimes life as a child – especially in the days when you're losing your days of innocence to stark realities like divorce and a too-cool-for-you sister – is all of those things. It’s a messy, passionate landscape and, the mad, wild world that Jonze brought to life on screen is one of the most emotionally honest of the decade.

18. In America (Jim Sheridan, 2002)

Call me a sucker but I was an emotional mess at the end of Jim Sheridan's beautiful drama, an admittedly lyrical look at the powerful sway of starting a new life after tragedy. It is a glorious film about hope and family that remains one of the most dramatically satisfying works of the decade.

17. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)

Yet another film on this list that suffered more than its share of backlash after an initial wave of acclaim, Lost in Translation holds up strikingly well because its themes are timeless and its execution is flawless. We are all trying to make a connection that feels true and rewarding, no matter the age difference, language barrier, or if we're halfway around the world.

16. Moulin Rouge! (Baz Luhrmann, 2001)

The resurgence of the movie musical is one of my favorite trends of the 2000s, although the one film that stands swooning head and thrusting shoulders above all others is Luhrmann's unapologetic aria to the belief that all you need is love. All musicals should be as visually daring, thematically ambitious, and ridiculously over-the-top as Moulin Rouge!

15. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe, 2000)

The personal element of filmmaking – that "stamp" I wrote about in the introduction – is vibrantly alive in Cameron Crowe's best film, a semi-biographical coming-of-age story that doesn't turn its characters into the easy clichés that so many other films would have. So many elements of Almost Famous shouldn't work – the deflowering of a kid, the traps of rock and roll – and yet they all feel shockingly genuine. Like a lot of great filmmakers, Crowe takes clichés and makes them real again.

14. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000)

I can still remember the first time the characters in Ang Lee's best film took flight. It's that kind of awe-inspiring movie magic that I clearly hope for every time I go to the movies.

13. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron, 2006)

Movies don't get much more technically accomplished than Alfonso Cuaron's second film on this list, a devastating examination of the importance of maintaining even an ounce of hope against a wave of absolute desperation. Clive Owen's ridiculously good performance drives one of the most memorable films ever made.

12. The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006)

Martin Scorsese finally got his Oscar due for his best film of the decade, a master class in pacing and intricate storytelling from one of the most admired directors of all time. Scorsese and his ridiculously talented cast took the clichés of the cop-and-the-rat storyline and breathed new life into them in their own vividly unique way. One of the most re-watchable and consistently enjoyable films of the past ten years.

11. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

The global box-office love affair with The Dark Knight has led to an inevitable backlash of "it wasn't that good." But, here’s the thing – yes, it was that good. Daring, complex, action-packed, and as technically accomplished as anything produced in the last ten years, Nolan's second film on the list (and his The Prestige arguably deserves mention too) was a game-changer for the genre, a film that redefined the way future filmmakers will approach the issue of what it means to be a hero.

10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007)

Devastating. Simply devastating. Internal memory, external pain, the power of emotion, and, eventually, the human will, Schnabel's work isn't so much of a film as it is an experience. I wasn't the same for hours, days, or even weeks after I first saw it. It's powerful enough that I'm not sure I have the same feelings about the themes of this film as I did before I saw it. Film that transforming is rare.

9. City of God (Fernando Mereilles & Katia Lund, 2002)

Many people have turned on City of God because of the slew of half-assed imitators that followed, but imitation doesn't lessen the accomplishments of the original, a film that pinned me to my seat with breakneck originality as much as any I've ever seen.

8. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2002)

Master Miyazaki's most gorgeously conceived and rendered film is a remarkable take on Alice in Wonderland, a film with some of the most striking imagery ever conceived. I smile every time I think about Spirited Away, a film that should be required viewing for any animator trying to imagine or execute their own fantasy world. True movie magic.

7. Once (John Carney, 2007)

A personal-sized epic about the power of the emotional to impact the creative, Once is one of the most uplifting, beautiful works of the last ten years. It is one of those rare films that could only come from someplace pure – the creative will and honest emotion of its stars. If anyone set out to make "a film like Once," it wouldn't work. It's like a truly memorable musical performance – once in a lifetime.

6. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008)

Rarely have I been as slack-jawed with wonder as I was at the end of WALL-E, one of the best animated films ever made. Like so many other great films, it has become an immediate cultural reference point, a game-changer for sci-fi animation for the rest of time. It is a master course not just in visual wonder but also in emotionally resonant storytelling with or without traditional dialogue. Timeless.

5. Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006)

The decade's most original fantasy film, del Toro's masterpiece resonates in the memory with the power of the fairy tale classics of our youth – the bloody, pre-Disney-fied versions of said classics, that is. Like the best fantasy films, it seared its way into our collective unconscious thanks to del Toro's powerful imagery and the timelessness of the themes with which the movie plays. Monsters aren't just the thing of fairy tales. They're real and sometimes the world needs great sacrifices to stop them. Let’s see Walt make a musical out of this one.

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)

No film from this past decade has gotten richer with age and time more than Michel Gondry's masterpiece about regret and the powerful sway of memory and love. Is there any image more striking from the last ten years than the house collapsing into the ocean like memories being swept away by the current of time? Excuse me. I need to go watch this again right now.

3. Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)

Clearly, the romantic in me is not afraid to put films like Moulin Rouge! and Once ahead of "colder" films like No Country for Old Men and Zodiac and, at no time, did that romantic smile more like a teenage girl after her first kiss than when it saw Jean-Pierre Jeunet's glorious ode to the life-changing pull of fate and love. Who says all critics are cynical?

2. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)

Lynch's best film (at least since Blue Velvet, a work that would place high on this list twenty years ago) is unlike any other of the thousands of films released in the last ten years. A masterpiece that plays differently every time I see it, Mulholland Drive is a fever dream about not just the allure of Hollywood but also the movies itself. When the collective Hollywood unconscious dreams, it looks like Mulholland Drive.

1. The Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson, 2001-03)

Great movies create memories and, although I’ve seen over a thousand films since I first saw The Return of the King, I can vividly remember not just when and where I saw it but also the overwhelming feeling of movie magic that I felt when the credits rolled. The blend of the majesty of Jackson's epic scope combined with the ability of these films to transport you to a fully-realized world with relatable human emotion – nothing has matched that feeling in the six years since. Every time the lights go down and a movie starts, I hope to feel it again.