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    1.07.2010
    I like films. I like them a lot. I like the stories they present, and how a director/actor decides to portray those stories, whether it be through aesthetics, audio, omission, or manipulation, humor or tragedy, stark truth or utter fabrication. The past decade (2000-2009, for those of you slow on the uptake) has been chock full of fantastic films. I was inspired to pick my Top 50, but before you glance through my list, I want you realize several things. First of all, the criteria for my choices. a) I have to have seen the film. I missed several reputedly great films in the past 10 years, and while they are on my ever-growing list of films to see before I die (I swear I really have one, there's a shortcut to it on my desktop), they were not considered for this list for obvious reasons, namely, I haven't seen them. Okay, on to b) emotional reaction. I had to have an emotional reaction to a film for it to be on this list. Whether that reaction was enjoyment, horror, empathy, glee, mind-boggledness, or dysphoria, has no effect on placement. Now, c) art. I consider films to be an obvious form of art, as I mentioned vaguely above. Art can be something as simple as witty banter, a tragic view of a world shot to hell, a convoluted and all too realistic 'love' story, all the way through the use of existential cinematography. Many different factors that all boil down to the creation of an artist(s), an expression of someone's self. So, here's my list, for what it's worth. My Top 50 of all time would likely be entirely different, but I am happy with this list. Finally, d) I couldn't decide how to number these, and so rather than waste MORE time, I am going to say, DISCLAIMER: THE NUMBERING OF THIS LIST IS COMPLETELY RANDOM AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE FACT THAT I LIKE ONE FILM OVER ANOTHER. If you'd REALLY like to know which of a couple/few films I prefer, please ask me. Otherwise, here you go:

    1. Inglorious Basterds
    2. I'm Not There
    3. Up!
    4. Avatar
    5. Once
    6. Children of Men
    7. Finding Neverland
    8. Punch-Drunk Love
    9. Paris, je t'aime
    10. The Ringer
    11. I Heart Huckabees
    12. Across the Universe
    13. (500) Days of Summer
    14. School of Rock
    15. Night at the Museum
    16. Juno
    17. Finding Nemo
    18. Star Trek
    19. The Incredibles
    20. Hairspray
    21. Batman Begins
    22. The Brothers Bloom
    23. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
    24. Memento
    25. Public Enemies
    26. The Dark Knight
    27. Sweeney Todd
    28. V for Vendetta
    29. Pirate Radio
    30. Love Actually
    31. The Holiday
    32. Moulin Rouge!
    33. Rent
    34. The Royal Tenebaums
    35. Runaway Jury
    36. The Pianist
    37. High Fidelity
    38. Mirrormask
    39. Donnie Darko
    40. Hot Fuzz
    41. WALL-E
    42. Watchmen
    43. Big Fish
    44. The Count of Monte Cristo
    45. Up in the Air
    46. Evening
    47. The Prestige
    48. The Emperor's New Groove
    49. Elf
    50. LOTR (all three, and yes, it is cheating...sorry about that)