19-17.

19. Spirited Away (2001)- While not quite the epic masterpiece that "Princess Mononoke" is, Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" is nonetheless a great work of fantasy and animation. The world he creates in the film is incredibly rich and beautifully animated, complete with fantastic creatures, wonderful environments and terrifying creatures--No-Face particulary is very memorable. Miyazaki's world in "Spirited Away" sucks you in with the lush visuals and well constructed characters, but it is the situations that Chihiro, the female child protagonist, gets into that complete the film--from washing a giant spirit covered in trash to taking a ghost-train to find a cure for her friend, Haku. Miyazaki's strength as a story-teller and artist is evidenced by the domestic success of films such as a "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke", drawing big-name voice talent for the impecably dubbed English version. While Disney was failing to repeat the success of their 90's animated films, Miyazaki continued making amazing animated features, and "Spirited Away" is no exception.

18. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)- If I had made this list three or four years ago, "The Royal Tenenbaums" would undoubtedly be in the top 5. However, its placement at this spot is more of a testiment to the work that followed in the next 8 years than my diminishing infatuation with the film. After 8 years, this film still stands as the finest example of Wes Anderson's unique artistry. Perhaps I've grown tired of his unflinching style over the last couple films ("Darjeeling Limited" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" namely), but regardless, this film deserves to be mentioned among the best of the decade. Anderson's masterpiece reads more like a book than a movie, but that compliments his style of filmmaking more than anything else. His characters in the film are some of the richest of any movie this decade, and this allows his ideas to come across all the more strongly. While I find his earlier films "Rushmore" and "Bottle Rocket" to be meandering and unfocused, "The Royal Tenenbaums" sees Wes Anderson finally creating a balance between the characters, the story and the world they inhabit. Though still anything but linear and straight-forward, the story in presented in such a way that the emotions and themes of the film really resonate. "Rushmore" is a little too uncoordinated and "The Life Aquatic" has perhaps too much of a standard story arc, but "The Royal Tenenbaums" seems to successfully walk the thin line between those films. The result is Wes Anderson's crowning achievement and most complete film. Pretentious? Sure. But a great film, regardless.

17. Children of Men (2006)- I've considered putting this film both higher and lower in the list, so this spot is more of a compromise than anything else. I love this film. This is the kind of movie you can watch over and over again. I remember seeing this is theaters and expecting a high-budget blockbuster, which the marketing campaign for the film hinted at. Instead, what I got was a beautiful and gritty piece of storytelling and cinema. The first things film buffs will tell you about is the camera-work, which--don't get me wrong--is some of the best of the decade, utilizing new technology and amazing feats of tripod-free shooting. However, "Children of Men" is so much more than just a showcase of cinematography and editing. It's easy to get lost in the technical aspects of the film, but when you do look past them, you'll notice an enthralling story and an incredibly constructed future-world. This is the future, but this is a dark, realistic future. The film avoids the romanticization of other sci-fi films set in near-future Earths and bombards the viewer with a chillingly believable world. We realize that this "future" may not be so far-fetched, and worse, may not be so far in the future. While the central idea of women losing the ability to birth children is very much science fiction, it is presented in a way that makes it seem very possible. The realism and grittiness of the film is what makes it stand out among other science fiction films of the decade, and this is only enhanced by the story and action of the film, as well as the strong performances by Clive Owen, Julianne Moore (who I don't normally like), the realitively unknown Clare-Hope Ashitey as Kee, and of course the always great Michael Caine. Oh yeah, and then there's that sick camera-work...