Films of the Decade 50-1

50. Persepolis (2007)Dirs: Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi

The first of two grown-up animations to come out of the Middle East in 2007/2008, Paranoud's film is based on the comics and life story of Marjane Satrapi growing up in the ever changing political landscape of Iran. The fact that this is an animation allows the film to twist and turn and create a great visual narrative that wouldn't be present in live action. All the voice cast perform well and the music throughout is superb, Persepolis presents a very traumatic but ultimately up-lifting story in an accessible way.

49. Once (2006)Dir: John Carney

A modern day musical set on the streets of Ireland, Once follows the story of an Irish street musician played by one time Commitment Glen Hansard and the other is an Eastern European single mother played by Hansard's real life love Marketa Iglova. The film is full of Hansard's music as he tries to make it big with help from Iglova's character who can also sing and play the piano. The film is both funny and romantic without ever being a romantic comedy it also has some very fine songs one of which one the Best Song Oscar. Once paints a lovely picture of everyday Irish life and also has one of the best on-screen romances of the last tne years.

48. Talk to Her (2002) Dir: Pedro Almadovar

Almadovar's best film of the last ten years surprisingly does not feature his 'muse' Penelope Cruz, instead it is a film of Spanish actors who are relatively unknown on these shores. The film deals with relationships, mortality and gender stereotypes. Set around a hospital two men watch over and care for two women. Even though the men are the central characters the women, a bullfighter and a dancer respectively, are percieved to be stronger. Sometimes a hard watch but always compelling, Almodovar again excels at telling a fascinating and original story in his own unique way.

47. In Bruges (2008) Dir: Martin McDonagh

A brilliantly subtle and lowkey film, In Bruges is the story of two hitmen who have been sent to Bruges following a bungled hit in which the younger of the two accidentally killed a child. A brilliantly and thought provoking story, Bruges with its ancient architecture and stunning scenery is the perfect place to tell it. The tone ranges from comic to incredibly dark and features fine performances from Colin Farrell and especially Brendan Gleeson who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the more sensible and older hitman who is at a crossroads in his life.

46. The Incredibles (2004) Dir: Brad Bird

Although Pixar produced some of the finest films in the last decade for the greater good of the list I had to cut some of them out. But I couldn't cut out The Incredibles, which was Pixar's first attempt at an all human cast all be it superhumans. The story of former superheros living in surburbia is a really good one and the animation gives the film-makes scope to play around with the various super-powers. The film has superb voice performances from Craig T Nelson and Holly Hunter as the parents but also from director Brad Bird as designer Edna Mode. This is just great family entertainment and possibly the Pixar film that appeals to the whole family the most.

45. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Dirs: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

Another little gem that came out of nowhere, this film combined the road trip movie with the dysfunctional family film to create both laughs and touching moments. First time directors Dayton and Faris were able to use their experience from directing music vidoes to create a tight atmposphere inside the famous VW Bus that the family drive on their way to take their daughter to a beuaty pageant. Meanwhile the Oscar winning script is one of the stars of the show never faletering to bring life to six very different and disparate people who belong to the same family. All six actors shine in their roles most notably Steve Carell as the suicidal gay Proust scholar, Paul Dano as the mute teenage son and Abigail Bresling as the slighty chubby beauty pageant obsessed daughter as well as of course Alan Arkin as the sex-obssessed grandad. A film that can't help bring a smile to your face it more than deserves its place on this list.

44. Touching the Void (2003) Dir: Kevin Macdonald

A great story doesn't always have to be fictional. This documentary film was gripping from start to finish as we were explored the journey of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates who almost died trying to climb the Siula Grande in the Andes. The film features the reconstruction of the events in which Simpson and Yates both nearly died and the controversial moment when Yates cut the wire that attached him to Simpson. The film also documented the return to the mountain for the first time since the incident in 1985. The reconstruction allowed us the audience to see what it felt like to be these men while hearing their shocking accoutns was almost spine-tingling. This was an example of exemplary documentary film-making and just a great all round film.

43. Sin City (2005) Dir: Robert Rodriguez

Adaptations of graphic novels or comic books aren't always well recieved for every Spider-man there's another dozen Fantastic Fours and The Phantoms. Luckily Robert Roderiguez was able to almost perfectly capture the essence of Frank Miller's graphic novel and put it on the screen. The visuals are incredibly striking as the film is almost completely black and white, a rarerity in this day and age and at the same time it is incredibly animated. The ensemble cast are almost all brilliant most motably Micky Rourke whose career resseruction began with this film, here playing the grizzled Marv while Benicio Del Toro, Bruce Willis and Rosario Dawson are all equally brilliant as is an incredibly creepy Elijah Wood. Overall a triumph its a shame that the next Miller adaptation The Spirit was so poor, let's hope Sin City 2 fairs a lot better.

42. Almost Famous (2000) Dir: Cameron Crowe

Possibly the first film I saw this decade which I thought was brilliant was Cameron Crowe's semi-autobbiographical tale of working for Rolling Stone while he was still a teenager in the 1970s. At times it almost feels you are watching a documentary as Crowe lovingly brings 1973 to life through the costumes, music and general feel of the piece. There isn't a weak link in the cast from Patrick Fugit as Crowe's alter ego William Miller, Kate Hudson in her only decent role ever as Band Aid Penny Lane, through to Frances McDormand as William's mother and Philip Seymour Hoffman as his journalistic idol. This is a great film about music, growing up and life in general and I would recommend it to anyone.

41. The Departed (2006) Dir: Martin Scorsese

The film that finally won Scorsese his much sought after Best Director Oscar, this multi-layered crime thriller based on the Japanese Infernal Affairs films may not have been his best work ever but certainly a gripping film nonetheless. Although Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are both impressive as the undercover cop working within the mob and the cop actually working for the mob it is Jack Nicholson as the creepy, violent and at some points incredibly funny mob boss Frank Costello. The film brilliantly deals with the themes of crime and redemption as well as what it means to belong. A good supporting cast also includes Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and a particularly foul-mouthed Mark Wahlberg. With its twists and turns and superbly filmed set pieces this is a great crime film that can be enjoyed on a number of levels.

40. Hidden (Cache) (2005) Dir: Michael Haneke

Cinema has always been used to fool the audience into thinking they're watching something they are not. In the opening scenes of Michael Haneke's dramatic thriller we are shown the outside of a street near an apartment block this still scene is then rewound and we find out we are instead watching a video tape. Hidden follows a couple who are under surveillance for some reason are being sent video tapes of the front of their apartment and of them going about their day to day lives. The film deals with the modern fears of constantly being under surveillance and that we are being watched all the time. It also looks at family relationships and how the past can come back to haunt us. Daniel Auteil and Juliette Binoche are brilliantly cast as the seemingly normal happy couple. A tense and taut film with a very modern message.

39. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) Dir: Quentin Tarrantino

We move from tense and thoughtful film to an unahamedly loud and brash one in Quentin Tarrantino's homage to his love of Martial Arts films. The first part of the Kill Bill saga sees Uma Thurman's Bride character seek revenge from the five people who left her for dead. For me the first part featuring the rehabilation and early revenge of The Bride are better than the second film's Western influenced conclusion. Thurman is instantly captivating in the lead and is an easy choice excelling with both the emotional scenes and enjoying kicking ass elsewhere. Of course the films conclusion in which The Bride attacks The Crazy 88 single handedly is one of the highlights but I also like the subtler scenes in which The Bride is able to rise from her hospital bed and take control. Tarantino almost never applies a less is more policy so we have plenty of blooshed here but this is one of the most enteraining rides of the last ten years and you can't deny that when he gets going Tarrantino is one today's best directors.

38. Bowling for Columbine (2002) Dir: Michael Moore

Although Farenheit 9/11 is considered to be Michael Moore's best film, I find it a little heavy-handed and convuluted. Instead I think his earlier film looking at America's gun-laws has more to offer as it doesn't involve as much of a political message or as much Bush-Bashing (which I'm not wholly against) in his later works. Instead he goes after the media who blame the Columbine disaster on everything under the sun apart from the laws which make it legal for almost anyone in the States to carry a handgun. It is a very simple story with some brilliant interviews from big names such as Marilyn Manson and South Park's Matt Stone as well as with some of the people who were deeply effected by the disaster. The climax to the film where Moore confronts Charlton Heston about the gun-laws is still shocking however many times you watch it. The mark of a good documentary is you go away more informed and maybe with your mind changed on a subject you didn't know everything about.

37. Into the Wild (2007) Dir: Sean Penn

I have to admit here that I think Sean Penn is a very overrated actor his two Oscar winning performances in Mystic River and Milk this decade were really awards that should've gone to Bill Murray and Mickey Rourke respectively. But I'm completly convinced that he is a great director after seeing Into the Wild which is the story of Christopher McCandles a priveledged teenager who gave all his money away and trekked to Alaska to live a solitary existence. What is essentially a road trip movie is greatly presented with shots of the American countryside and is interspersed with the scenes of McCandles adventures in Alaska. All the cast give it their all, Emile Hirsch is great in the lead while support comes from Catherine Keener as the aging hippy he meets on the road, Vince Vaughn as the rancher with a line in illegal cable and Hal Holbrook as the army veteran who forms a bond with McCandles. A very old-fashioned film for the new millenium, Into the Wild is just a visually stunning and emotionally powerful film.

36. Amores Perros (2000) Dir: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Three interspersing stories about dogs sounds like a rubbish straight to DVD Disney movie but Amores Perros is much more than this. The film goes deeper exploring relationships between lovers and would-be-lovers and delving into the Mexican underbelly of homelessness and dog fighting. The film is frantically shot and Inarritu's direction is top notch never letting us lose the stories for one moment. The cast is all brilliant especially Gael Garcia Bernal as the young romantic forced to resort to dog fighting and Emilio Echevarría as the former teacher turned jailbaird turned vagrat. This is a great character study and the dogs ain't bad either.

35. The Dark Knight (2008) Dir: Christopher Nolan

After completing reiventing and reimagining the Batman franchise with 2005's Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan reinvents the whole notion of the summer blockbuster with his dark and gloomy tale which makes us care about the villain rather than the hero. The film's art direction is superb as is Bale's growly Batman and Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent a man torn between good and evil. But the film wouldn't have been anything without Heath Ledger's Oscar Winning performance as The Joker. He is completely compelling as he goes about committing evil deeds with no real motive or purpose, the scene with the two boats is particularly memorable. Overall we are given a film which transcends the superhero film and instead becomes its own genre of a character study of what it means to be both a hero and a villain.

34. The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (2007) Dir: Julian Schnabel

The story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the editor of French Vogue, who after a massive stroke is only able to use his left eyelid. Through the use of a communicative system Bauby narrates his memoirs only using that eye. This is a greatly intricate tale and one that in lesser hands could've failed. But Schnabel captivates and presents a once great man who knows he has fallen on horrendous times and has to get through it as best he can. Ronald Harwood's adapted screenplay allows all the characters to come across as likeable while Janusz Kaminski's cinematography lets us see, not only the eyeball, but the soul of Bauby as well. This is a great piece of how cinema can use the visual to tell the story and is a fascinating tale on top of that.

33. Lost in Translation (2003) Dir: Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola's either love it or hate it 2003 Japanese set comedy drama really wowed me at the time of watching it. There are two reasons to love this film and one is Japan itself the way we feel the country come alive in the same way that the characters do is a testament to both Coppola's direction and Lance Acord's cinematography. The other is obviously the marvellous performance from Bill Murray as the once great action movie star reduced to filming whiskey commericals in Japan. This is the role that should've won him the Oscar as he combines his comic timing with a new low-key persona and his chemistry with Scarlett Johannsen is winning. This is just a very well crafted film about two lost souls finding each other and the city where it happens.

32. No Country for Old Men (2007) Dir: Joel Coen

Essentially a western, No Country for Old Men marked the Coen's returned to form after several flops like Intolerable Cruelty and The Lady Killers. A simple enough plot sees Josh Brolin's chancer steal a bag of money from Javier Barderm's criminal who are then both chased by Tommy Lee Jones' lawman. The film is wonderfully paced, and although at times the plot drags a little there are some brilliant set pieces. Brolin, Jones and Woody Harrelson are all great in the film but the star of the show has to be Javier Barderm who owns the film evrey time he is on screen. Just a brilliant epic film the Coens rightfully cleaned up the Oscars with this film and it was about time.

31. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Dir: Danny Boyle

Another Best Picture Oscar winner, Danny Boyle's little flim that could went from a film that wouldn't be released to an international hit and made a name out of Trainspotting helmer Danny Boyle. Boyle paints a picture of the changing face of Mumbai from the slums to the redevelopment of the area and also, along with screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, presents a compelling story of a young boy from the Slums who may just become a millionaire on a game show. All of the three principal characters are depicted by three different actors who all demonstrate maturity beyond their years. Even though it was described as the feelgood film of the year, it is in fact tough going but it does care about its characters and make us care about them as well. An example of how to turn a very good story into a very good piece of cinema.

30. Children of Men (2006) Dir: Alfonso Cuaron

As we enter the top thirty a great lesson in how to make a film look good with simple single-shot scenes. Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography is but only one of the reasons to love Alfonso Cuaron's apocalyptic epic. Another is the sombre mood and general feel of the world Cuaron has created through his direction and through his co-written script based on the novel by PD James. Clive Owen is great as the anti-leading man someone who would rather lead the quite life than get involved in anything controversial. There are exciting twists and turns along the way, shocking deaths of lead characters and Michael Caine as an aging stoner hippie. Just a great film all round.

29. Let the Right One In (2008) Dir: Tomas Alfredson

One that already cropped up in the Films of the Year but great to mention again none the less. Part coming-of-age first-romance story part scary-as-hell vampire yarn. This follows the story of a young boy being bullied and the friendship he strikes up with a litle girl vampire. Alfrdson is able to create a chilly backdrop to his film, a snow-laden Swedish countryside where blood shows up ever so easily. The two young actors in the lead are great and I just wish that the film hadn't have been so succesful then the Americans may not have wanted to remake it!

28. The Prestige (2006) Dir: Christopher Nolan

Another one from Christopher Nolan and a personal favourite of mine. The story of two Victorian magicians embroiled in a feud doesn't really sound like an interesting start to a film. But Nolan packs this full of intrigue and twists throughout transposing the busling Victorian London streets with the more eerie scenes of the early Industrial age in America and of a busy prison elsewhere. Christian Bale packs a punch as the more gruff of the two magicians being more impressive here, in my opinion, than he is in Nolan's batman films while able support is suppied by Michael Caine as the man who designs magic tricks, Rebecca Hall as Bale's wife and bizzarely David Bowie and a wondefully comic accent. This is just a good old fashioned thriller but told with modern style and panache another winner for Nolan.

27. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (2007) Dir: Cristian Mungiu

A nice story about Romanian backstreet abortions is next on the list. Set during the late eighties in Commmunist Romania abortions were illegal so when a girl became pregantn she had to arrange for the abortion to be performed a different way. In part this is a film with a politcial and social message about a woman's right to choose whether she wants a baby or not and the ethical questions that performing an abortion this way raises. But more than that its a story about the strong friendship between two girls who will do anything for her so when Gabriela gets pregnant her friend Otila sets about getting everything ready. The film is shot in a bleak cold way so the only things we warm too are the two girls. Although not brilliantly cinematic, the film is still well peformed and presents a subject to an audience who may not have had any idea about it before.

26. The Beat that My Heart Skipped (2005) Dir: Jacques Audiard

Jacques Audiard's films usually have some criminal element to them with a character who still has the choice to veer down two seperate roads. In his 2005 film we are presented with a young man who is involved with dodgy property deals and extortion who's father is also involved in the same line of business but Tom wants to be a pianist like his late mother so begins training with a virtuoso who speaks no French while at the same time carrying on a relationship with the wife of a business partner. The film looks at how relationships can be formed in different ways sometimes with no words spoken between people and also the ways in which those around us communicate. Romain Duris is a compelling lead and impresses both in his acting and his piano-playing while Audiard's direction is top-notch presenting us with a criminal underworld intercut with the more upstanding world of classic music.

25. The Wrestler (2008) Dir: Darren Aranofsky

It sounds like a traditional fable the former star looking for redemption and one last shot at the big-time, however The Wrestler really isn't anything like that. Possibly Aranofsky's most-conventional film to date, Micky Rourke stars as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson a once great wrestler who still wrestles despite a weak heart mainly because he doesn't now how to be anything else. The film deals with themes of redemption and if we can truly ever change. It featurs a fine central performance from Rourke as Robinson, a character who almost mirrors Rourke's acting success, there's also fine support from Marissa Tomei as a potential love itnerest. Aranofsky reigns in his usual directorial style to create a more grounded film but some scenes still have his usual visual flair especially the hardcore match between Robinson and real-life grappler Necrobutcher. Overall this is an example of a wellmade film that has traditional film-making mixed with a modern sensibility and the ending is still memorable after a year of first watching it.

24. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) Dir: Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood always tries to do something new with each of his features. When making 2006's Flags of Our Fathers, which explored the Iwo Jima conflict during World War 2 from an American point-of-view. To accompany this feature, Eastwood made a second film almost entirely in Japanese and that film was Letters from Iwo Jima. In my opinion, Letters is a vastly superior film to Flags, which in itself is fine. But what makes Letters such an interesting film is the side of the story that is usually told. We find out that the people we think are our enemies sometimes are just the same as us. Some of the battle scenes are amazingly filmed and as you would expect with Eastwood the film is expertly directed. But beyond that it makes us consider conflicts and battles from the side of the opposition and all in all is quite a daring film to make.

23. Old Boy (2003) Dir: Chan-wook Park

Part of Chan-Wook Park's Vengeance trilogy, Old Boy is the most memorable and arguably the most thought-provoking of those three films. It's a film where an event, in this case a man being locked in a hotel room, without a motive makes us question the reasoning behind all the characters. It is very violent in some places but the pace is steady all the way through and the story keeps us hooked enough to watch to the bitter end. Containing twists throughout the film as well as some highly inventive fight scenes, Old Boy is a great film dealing with revenge but also with feelings of regret and anguish. Park's direction never fails to amaze and if you haven't ever watched a Korean film before I suggest you start with this.

22. Waltz With Bashir (2008) Dir: Ari Folman

As with the film at No.50 on the list, Persepolis, Waltz with Bashir also is animated film concerning life during Middle East conflict. This time it is a semi-autobigoraphical account by director Ari Folman to remember what happened to him during the Lebanose war of the early 1980s. It is completely unique it is visual style combining interviews conducted by Folman to other men who were involved in the conflict but because it is an animation it is also able to mix in bizzare surreal sequences of the war and paint a better picture with its bleak colourless landscapes. The film also uses a mixture of music to create a jarring effect between traditional classical music and music of the period that the conflict took place. For me the most effecting piece of the film was the final sequence, and the only non-animated piece of the film, which gave us an idea of the scope and resonance that the conflict had on so many lives. All in all a completely unique way to make us think about war and confrontation.

21.Yi Yi One and Two (2000) Dir: Edward Yang

Themes of first-love, lost love, the ficle nature of business, the power of religion and big events seen through the eyes of a child are just some of the reasons that make Edward Yang's family drama so effective. The film starts with a wedding of the wife's brother and ends with the funeral of her mother and in between we see trips overseas, love triangles and shocking deaths. Yang is able to make the three hour runtime of the film seem a lot less by giving us well-rounded characters to follow, in particular the sequences following Jonathan Chang's troublemaking youngster Yang Yang are a joy to watch as are those in which father NJ tries to decide whether to leave his wife for the woman who he loved and lost many years previously. A brilliant cast, a brilliant script, excellently shot and wonderfully directed this for me stands out as one of the best Taiwanese films of all times. Pure genius.

20. Team America: World Police (2004) Dir: Trey Parker

As about a squillion people have seen it now we all know the message behind James Cameron's Avatar is that Americans shouldn't just barge in and go to war with any old nation without getting to know them first. However South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone told that story in a far quicker time and far more entertaining way. With the use of marionettes, inspirational showtunes and the lampooning of everyone from Kim Jong Il to MATT DAMON this film was a furiously frantic ride through the life of an American organisation entrusted with protecting the nation against WMDs. From long movie montages to actors getting involved with causes to the way the country is run the film deals with very important themes but in an almost juvenille comic fashion and that is why it is so fantastic. It also must have the oddest movie sex scene of the last ten years involving two puppets, just bizzare!!

19. Downfall (2004) Dir: Oliver Hirschbiegel

From singing puppets to the last days of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany in Hirschbiegel's recount of Adolf's ten final days. Incredibly claustrophobic and frantically dramatic we see the events through the eyes of Hitler's new secretary as Hitler marries Eva Braun and the Nazi party falls. Probably one of the best films from a dramatic viewpoint this is tough going but it also allows the viewer insight into the mind of one of the most controversial historical figures of all time and provides us with possibly the most impressive cinematic Hitler in film history. Although Bruno Ganz's portrayal has been mocked there's no denying his commitment to the role and his performance his just one of many reasons to watch this great piece of film-making.

18. Gladiator (2000) Dir: Ridley Scott

After directing flops like GI Jane and White Squall in the 1990s, Ridley Scott revived the sword-and-sandals epic at the beginning of the millenium. Gladiator could've been a massive flop but luckily people wanted to re-experience the cinematic glory of old. Luckily Gladiator provided us with huge scope for the battle scenes and the later scenes during the gladiator battles. An incredibly old-fashioned tale of revenge and redemption a great old-fashioned script was mixed with fantastic cinematography. The film also turned Russell Crowe into a mainstream name and won him an Oscar while Joaquin Phoenix also gained acclaim for his role as the villainous emperor and the rest of the cast was padded out with British greats like Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi and Oliver Reed in his final film role. Arguably the greatest historical epic of the last twenty years, Gladiator is a well performed, well-shot and well told story that is a real crowd-pleaser.

17. Sideways (2004) Dir: Alexander Payne

The depiction of middle-aged men has probably never been more apt than in Payne's film about two men who go to the Californian wine country before one of them gets married. Thomas Hayden Church plays Jack the lothario who wants one last fling before he settles down while Paul Giamatti's Miles is a jaded melancholy wine expert who has been divorced and is working on a book that will probably never be finished. The two men could not be more different but Giamatti and Church share a winning chemistry that is one of the film's main strengths. Another is Giamatti's lead performance which is captivating and given the character it could have gone the other way and Miles could have ended up seeming allienating while Church and Virginia Masden, as the woman Miles falls in love with, supply great support. The film is also a love story to the Californian wine country and features some stunning shots of the scenery. Overall though this is a comment on the choices we make and how they dictate our lives this is achieved through fine acting and a great Oscar nominated script.

16. In the Mood For Love (2000) Dir: Kar Wai Wong

Quite possibly the best romantic film of the 2000s is not Love Actualy but is in fact Wong's film about the feelings that develop where people expect it the least. The film fouses on Hong Kong in the early 1960s and a man and woman renting rooms next door to each other in the same appartment, both are married but as their spouses are away a lot they strike up a friendship. The film is very sweet as the romance between Tony Leung's Chow and Maggie Cheung's So develops through chance meetings over food and Kung Fu stories. Wong's direction is completely tight and never lets us lose focus. The film is hauntingly beatiful and the score adds to this especially the lovely Hua Yang De Nian Hua which is repeated throughout the film.

15. Lord of the Rings: Return of The King (2003) Dir: Peter Jackson

One of the most succesful franchises of the last ten years, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films are all incredily impressive and great entertainment. I've decided to pick the conclsion of the trilogy mainly because its the end of the journey and it features some great battle scenes as well as some genuinely frightening moments involving Andy Serkis' freaky Gollum and a giant spider. All three films include some stunning cinematography and shots of the New Zealand countyside which completly immmerse the audience in Middle Earth. Certainly the best epic of the noughties and a deserved winner of the Best Picture Oscar.

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

The film that first bought modern martial arts picture to a wide audience, Ang Lee's epic looks at the battle for a mystical sword. The film has an involving story about ancient China and a man who vows to give up the warrior lifestyle. Meanwhile all four leads give great performances especially Chow Yun-Fat and Zhang Zyi. But it is the stunning aerial shots and the martial arts battles which make the film a joy to watch. This is due to Peter Pau's cinematography and mainly Ang Lee, who has become one of this generation's most diverse and reliable directors.

13. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Dir: Paul Greengrass

Just like The Lord of the Rings films, the trilogy involving Jason Bourne was one of the most reliable frachises of the decade. At a time when James Bond had become a self-parody, The Bourne Identity was like a breath of fresh air. Director Doug Liman presented a coherent story and a protagonist who veered from hero to anti-hero. But it was when Paul Greengrass took over as director that the Bourne films really found their feet. Greengrass' use of extended tracking shots really made the audience part of the action and the films became more gripping. I have chosen the final film of the three as personally I feel it flows better than the two previous Bournes and it has some of the best sequences from the opening conflict at Waterloo Station to the chase over the rooftops of Tangiers to the final revelation of Bourne's identity and purpose it is utterly gripping from beginning to end. Matt Damon is once again a fantastic and low-key lead and ably supported by David Strathairn, Julia Stiles and notably Joan Allen as the tough-as-nails Pam Landy. Just a great feature, the Bourne films reinvented the action film for a modern generation.

12. The Lives of Others (2006) Dir: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Back to Germany for another slice of history this time looking at the monitoring of certain individuals who the secret police in East Berlin suspected of defecting to the West. Just like Hidden, this film looks at the themes of surveillance and paranoia but mainly looks at obsession as soldier Capt. Weisler becomes involved in the lives of the young couple who are under surveillance. The film is mainly shot in interior locations, primarily two appartments, so the film feels incredibly claustophobic. It also has one of the most compelling lead peformances from the now late Ulrich Mühe who almost makes the insular and work obssessed Weisler seem likeable. Overall an incredibly powerful piece of work which captures what it was like to live under costant scrutiny and fear.

11. Wall-E (2008) Dir: Andrew Stanton

The best Americn animation from the last ten years again comes from Pixar this time focusing a robot who has been tasked with clearin up all the rubbish left on Earth while Earth's inhabitants are floating arond in a giant spaceship come cruise liner. Already an original concept, this is made even more unique by having over 40 minutes of screentime with no actual dialogue instead simply focusing on Wall-E's world and his pursuit of the mysterios Eve. Although the obvious themes here are the wasteful nature of today and our over-relliance on technology its the fact that we are able to empathise with an animated robot that is the real reason for Wall-E's brilliance. Wall-E is a charming and thought-provoking film and a very daring venture for Disney Pixar but it was certainly a risk that payed off.

10. Donnie Darko (2001) Dir: Richard Kelly

A film with a first time director and a fairly unknown leading man is dodgy ground enough but when the cast also includes Drew Barrymore, Carter from ER and Patrick Swayze it definitely sounds a bit dodgy. That's why Donnie Darko was such a huge surprise when it arrived on our screens. This 1980s set masterpiece featured an intriguing protagonist the slightly unhinged Donnie Darko who kept seeing a rabbit everywhere, but Harvey this was definitely not. Mixing in the surreal with the everyday and fusing in several questions about life and death, Kelly gave us a truly original film but at the same time, unlike his follow-ups, this was neatly packaged and always easy to follow. Jake Gyllenhaal became an instant star following his portrayal of Donnie while the rest of the cast members were all stunning even Swayze who gave a career rejuviniating performance as a sleazy life coach. A great soundtrack and several interesting and well-filmed set pieces are the icing on the cake of one of the 2000s best films.

9. Reqiuem for a Dream (2000) Dir: Darren Aranofsky

Although this list has seen both a film about Hitler and one about Romanian adoption, Reqiuem for a Dream is most possibly the most depressing film of the decade just gone. The film's focus is on how drugs effect us in different ways and in particular a mother and son and the son's girlfried who all get hooked on drugs in someway. The film is definitely not an easy watch but Aranofsky's visual brilliance makes this a cut above other films about drug use. Jennifer Connelly and Jared Leto are great as the young couple but it is Ellen Burstyn who gives an Oscar nominated performance as the looks obsessed mother who starts to use diet pills when she finds out she is about to be on TV. Although this isn't a film that can be watched for enjoyment or escapism it is definitely and fine picture and one that is more than deserving of a top ten place.

8. There Will Be Blood (2007) Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson came to be known for big ensemble pieces such as Boogie Nights and Magnolia focusing on intertwining stories revolving around one subject such as a game show or the porn industry. So There Will Be Blood came as a complete surprise looking at the Californian oil industry of the early 20th century and in particular one man - Daniel Plainview a ruthless oilman who would use his own child to sell himself, which he does. The film looks at the conflict between greed and religion and where the lines blur as Plainview comes up against preacher Eli Sunday in his quest to drill in a particular area. The film one two very deserved Oscars one for Robert Elswit's cinematography featuring sweeping views of the Californian countryside and one for Daniel Day-Lewis who once again breathes life into a character and makes him seem incredibly real. Paul Dano also adds a sinister edge as Eli and his twin brother Paul and Anderson's direction allows the film to flow and the three hour runtime seem much less. This film is a rareity in that they don't realy get made much any more, which is a shame because There Will be Blood is a modern classic.

7. The Pianist (2002) Dir: Roman Polanski

A film about surviving the holocaust or at least trying to, despite his controversial past Polanski proved that he is still one of the greatest directors of this generation completely immersing us in the world of Szpilmans a family of Polish Jews as World War II begins. As the war continues it becomes harder and harder for Jews to survive and pianist son Władysław ends up alone and is able to live thanks to his skill on his instrument. The film is brilliantly constructed and its frantic nature is achieved through tense camerawork and an intense score. Adrian Brody is fantastic in the lead and more than deserved his Best Actor award while Polanski's direction is second to none. Another film that isn't easy to watch but one that looks at discrimination and redemption in equal measure and won't fail to make you tear up by the end.

6. Spirited Away (2001) Dir: Hayao Miyazaki

In an age of computer animation and with Pixar and Dreamworks ruling the roost, it is a film from Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli which comes out on top as the Best Animated film of the 2000s. An old fashioned hand-drawn animation with old fashioned sensibilties but at the same time feeling incredibly new. A story of the innoncence of childhood and the greed of adults has hints of Roald Dahl about him but Mizyaki's magical story transcends any comparisons and feels very original indeed. Just a lovely story wonderfully told with brilliant animation, Spirited Away defeated two Disney films and the first Ice Age picture to become only the second recipient of the Best Animated Picture Oscar and no film has ever deserved this prize more.

5. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Dir: Guiellermo Del Toro

A film that mixes fantasy adventures with a story revolving around rebellions during the Spanish Civil War. The film's protagonist is a young girl named Ofelia who is made the step-daughter of an evil Spanish Captain who's mother is pregnant with his child. Ofelia begins a mystical adventure in another world in which she feels more at home as her mother begins to suffer during pregnancy. The film looks at themes of family and war but it is the stunning visuals and Del Toro's uncomprimisingly dark direction that make the film what it is. Although missing out on the best Foreign Film Oscar the film won many accolades for its art design and visual style which is one element which makes this film completely unique and a great watch.

4. Memento (2000) Dir: Christopher Nolan

The medium of film allows the director to play around with the story structure and edit the picture any way he sees fit. Quentin Tarrantino did this with mixed success on Pulp Fiction but it was Christopher Nolan's Memento that used this formula to great success. The story is about a police officer who's wife has been killed and he sets about the task of finding the murderer and killing him. However Leonard has a memory that only last for five minutes and then resets, so the film is divided into five minute sections filmed in colour interspersed with black and white sections that preceed the story that is filmed in colour. This is an intriguing device but that on its own would not be enough to sustain the film. Luckily there is lots to enjoy from the thrilling story with its many twists and turns to the lead performance from Guy Pearce and the support from Matrix duo Joe Pantaliano and Carrie-Ann Moss as his supposed ally and possible love interest. Essentially this is an old-school thriller using very modern filmic techniques to create what can only be described as one of the best mystery films of all time.

3. Amelie (2001) Dir: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

After all the depressing films that have crept into the Top 20 its nice to have a little bit of joy and Amelie provides that joy in bucketloads. Featuring on the titular heroine, Amelie sets out to help people by reuniting them with their lost childhood treasures or matchmaking couples but at the same time keeping her own distance from forming any relationships. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film employs different techniques to tell the various stories of Amelie's handy-work and there is plenty of computer animation in the film and the cinematography adds to the air of wonder in the film. Another reason for the success of the film is Audrey Tatou who is absolutely wonderful in the lead mixing together a child-like nature with adult sensibilties she makes Amelie an intriguing character. Just a really wonderful story and a lovely film, Amelie is one of last decade's best pictures.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Dir: Michel Gondry

Just missing out on the top spot is this anti-romantic comedy drama about a couple who strike up a conversation after not realising that they were previously in a relationship and had their memories wiped. The story focuses on Joel who decides to have his memory freed of his time with former love Clementine after she does the same. Most of the film takes place in Joel's mind as he tries to cling on to some of the memories. This allows director Gondry to play around with the visuals having the scenes that are being erased crumble around Joel allows for some original scenes. Meanwhile we also see the memory erasers conducting relationships with one of the guys dating Clementine using Joel's memories to see what makes Clementine tick and the other members of the company dating but the girl has a secret. The visual style of the film, Charlie Kauffman's original Oscar winning script and Gondry's dream-like vision for the film are all what makes it totally compelling. The cast especially Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as the central couple are all fantastic many of them playing outside their comfort zones. A film that defines the technqiues that were available to film-makers in the 2000s, Eternal Sunshine will be destined to attain 'cult status' and it deserves so much more praise than that.

1. City of God (2003) Dir: Fernando Meirelles

Despite the originaliy of the previous three films it's this traditional tale of street crime that becomes the winner. Crime films have always been big business from The Godfather to Scarface to Goodfellas every decade has its own crime classic and City of God is no different. Set on the streets of Brazil its sees the origins of a gang of drug lords and is told from the point-of-view of a childhood friend of the gang members who ends up being a photographer. As the story is told through Rocket's point-of-view we are living the story with him and at times through his lens. The story is always spalling and compelling and César Charlone's cinematography allows us to delve into this world. The reason that this is my favourite film of the decade is that we are given a whole world and a whole gang of characters to follow just like the characters on Middle Earth but a lot more indentifiable. As I said the crime genre does produce some of the best films of all time, and through Fernando Meirelles' thrilling direction and the talented fairly young cast, City of God definitely keeps up this tradition being as it is the best film of the previous decade.

That's your lot I'll see you on the next Films of the Decade in ten years time.