16-14.

16. Gladiator (2000)- Not to be misogynistic or anything, but this is the "man's movie" of the decade. Some of the baddest characters, coolest fight scenes, and...fuck, it's about the Roman gladiators and takes place in fucking Rome. Of course, none of this would have made "Gladiator" a great movie unless it had been done very well, and this is certainly the case. While the Colosseum fight scenes are very awesome, the movie is so much more than just those three or four action sequences. The story and stakes are epic in themselves, and the fight scenes really act as lubricant for the rest of the movie more than carrying the movie in themselves. And for a film set in the time of Caesar, the characters and situations are amazingly believable. A big part of that is the acting. As I thought about my top 25 films of the decade, I came to realize that Russell Crowe is probably the greatest actor of the decade (Viggo Mortenson is probably second); in "Gladiator" he plays to his strengths as the ultimate badass, but the more I watch Crowe in these roles, the more I realize he transcends the image of the stereotypical man's man, which is the case in some of his other films as well, like "LA Confidential". He brings more to these roles than just brawn, and I think it's really quite a subtle and underappreciated art. As Maximus, he plays one of most memorable heros of the decade. In addition to Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix plays perhaps one of the most hateable villains of the decade as the despicable Commodus. Of course, a movie of this magnitude isn't without its faults; all too often the film seems to drag and develop very slowly. While these minor quabbles might keep "Gladiator" from cracking my top 10, it still stands undeniably as one of the best films of the decade and one of the finest pieces of high-budget filmmaking.

15. I'm Not There (2007)- This is what a biopic should be. When I watched "I'm Not There" for the first time, I was becoming more and more tired of the agonizingly boring and unoriginal biopic formula that seems to have infested Hollywood over the past 20-30 years. Critically acclaimed films like "Ray" and "Walk the Line" just slid right by, uninteresting and typical. Thank god for Bob Dylan and Todd Haynes. The story behind the making of "I'm Not There" is in and of itself a great story and a testament to a filmmaker's passion. Just getting permission from the big D to make a movie about him and have free access to his entire library is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. And filmmaker Todd Haynes did not waste his opportunity. What followed was perhaps the freshest take on a biopic in a very long time, and the execution of such a risky undertaking was nearly flawless. And this was a VERY risky film, especially from a Hollywood/investment standpoint. But he pulled it off, and not just barely getting by--this movie pulled it off with flying colors and then some. Between the unbelievable performances (namely the shockingly brilliant performance of Cate Blanchett and the wonderful portrayal of "Woody" Dylan by newcomer Marcus Carl Franklin), the impeccably written script and precisely balanced story, and original soundtrack, "I'm Not There" blew me away. For someone expecting a standard formula (or at least some variation of it), it might take a while to adjust to the style of the film, as it did for me. I won't get into everything I loved about this film (you can check out this blog post for more), some of my favorite parts were the way Dylan's songs were integrated into the film and made new, Richard Gere's Dylan segments, and just the incredible knowledge of the time period and subject matter that exuded from every aspect of the film. Todd Haynes should stand as an example for all aspiring filmmakers; the passion, determination, originality and creativity he displayed in making this film stands out, and the result is one of the greatest films of the decade and one of the best biopics ever made.

14. Oldboy (2003)- When I first started making the top 25 list, I grouped all of the films into the genre that best fit them, to make things a little easier and more organized. "Oldboy" was one of the toughest films for me to categorize, and that really is a sign of a great film. Part thriller, part Hong Kong-action move, part drama, part mystery and even part horror, "Oldboy" is as mercurial as it sounds. But it juggles all of these genre-labels perfectly, balancing each aspect to the right degree. What results is simply one of the finest pieces of filmmaking of the 00's. The second in a "trilogy" of vengence-themed movies by Korean filmmaker Chan-wook Park, "Oldboy" is not for the faint of heart. The subject matter is quite intense, the action sequences bloody and brutal, and there are plenty of scenes that will make those with the strongest of constitutions squirm in their seats. But at the core of the film is a brilliantly smart and well-told story that excutes the theme of vengence perfectly. The film has so many more layers though, adding to a complex tapestry of incredible artistry. Quite simply, "Oldboy" is an example of great filmmaking and one of most complete films of the decade in every aspect.