13-11.

13. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)- What's not to love about this movie? When I first made the list, I wasn't sure this was an 00's film, so I was psyched when I found out it was. Anyone who knows my taste in movies knows my love of the Coen Brothers. However, "O Brother" is hardly just a testament to that. The movie takes a classic story and piece of literature and completely turns it on its head, giving it a fresh new taste. The classic Coen Brothers signatures are there--the epic sarcasm and dark humor, the quick, crisp dialog and strong cast of supporting characters. Joel and Ethan Coen have always been known for their tight scripts, preperation, and adhereance to detail while shooting, and this is certainly the case for "O Brother". But it's those little bells and whistles that really make this movie shine: the incredible award-winning soundtrack, the dust-bowl imagery, and of course the incredible supporting cast. John Goodman in particular shines as the "cyclops"--in this case a con artist bible-salesman--and other amazing performances are given by Charles Durning, Michael Badalucco (as Babyface Nelson), Wayne Duvall (as Homer Stokes) and Ray McKinnon. Despite the great performances of the leads (Clooney, Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson), it is these supporting characters that carry the film and really complete the film's dust-bowl/depression-era imagery.

12. The Prestige (2006)- Christopher Nolan is another of my all-time favorite directors (and it's no coincidence he is one of two--or three depending on how you look at it--directors with two films on this list, the Coen brothers bring the other). I tell people the reason I like Nolan so much is because he almost single-handedly carries the modern noir genre, as evidenced by films like "Following," "Memento" and even "The Dark Knight" (trust me, this film is undeniably modern noir in so many ways). However, his noir vision is perhaps best executed in "The Prestige", a film that recieved slightly less fanfare than it should have, as it bridged the gap between "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight". I'll be honest, though, one of the main reasons the Prestige is here is because it combines two of my favorite genre elements: film noir and magical realism. The result is an incredible story somewhere between mystery, thriller and science fiction. Like a noir, the film is cast in an eerie and somewhat sinister mystery and does not follow a linear timeline, but the film takes another dimension altogether when the little bit of "magic" is introduced--and it's this element that makes the film so great for me. Truly and simply one of the most enthralling films of the decade, I could watch this film 100 times and not lose interest. (Also, David Bowie has an amazing cameo as Nicolai Tesla...and Scarlett Johansson is really fucking hot. Oh, and Michael Caine again.)

11. There Will Be Blood (2007)- This one will probably draw some raised eyebrows for where its positioned. Before you start crying "blasphemy!", let me just say this: I have only seen this film once, and it did not blow me away the first time. For many of the films on this list, it look more than one viewing to really fall in love (I even hated "The Royal Tenenbaums" the first time I watched it). This is definitely the kind of film that will take subsequent viewings to fully appreciate, but that being said, I'd say its place at number 11 speaks to the strong initial impression. While it's true "There Will Be Blood" did not blow me away, it was clear that this was a great work of filmmaking. There is no doubt that Paul Thomas Anderson directed Daniel Day-Lewis in probably the finest individual performance of the decade. Simply put, Day-Lewis was absolutely bone-chilling in his portrayal of oil mogul Daniel Plainview, and Anderson's style and subtle touches perfectly complimented the performance. And "subtle" really is the word I'd choose for this movie. Despite the dark subject matter, the film does not come off as heavy-handed: the soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood and gorgeous cinematography by Robert Elswit are both eerily beautiful, but they hardly dominate the film (well...maybe the cinematography at times). Both the soundtrack and photographer are well-balanced and subtle enough as to not take away from the real centerpiece--Day-Lewis--but they are never lost completely, which is quite impressive, considering the performance in question. Who knows, five years and a few more viewings from now this may become one of my all-time favorites, but for now you'll have to take solace in its place at number 11 on the list.