before launching face first in to the list here are 25 movies that ALMOST made it. a bunch of 2009 films are on here and maybe with some more time they would move up the list but freshness does not always mean long term viability.
125. 2046
another sequel, this time to kong war wei's brilliant in the mood for love. atmospheric and ethereal and fascinating
124. X2/X-Men 2
i promise this list is more than just sequels. this x men was far superior to the 1st and 3rd
123. Jarhead
this film struck me immediately and im disappointed it never caught on. a more fitting realistic modern war movie is hard to find
122. Frost/Nixon
easily one of the finest, well crafted, and superbly acted dramas for adults of the decade
121. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The
the best of the lot. deserves accolades if only for the battle of helm's deep
120. 24 Hour Party People
an honest, funny, and often sad film about the rise, death, and rise of brit pop
119. Moon
a true sci fi mindfuck, which is becoming excessively rare in the era of cgi and blowing things up
118 Wonder Boys
curtis hanson's finest film and michael douglas best acting of the 00's. the script was very clever and entertaining
117. My Summer of Love
the little known british drama that gave us emily blunt also features a fine turn from paddie considine
116. Hotel Rwanda
it says something when an unflinching, bold, and shocking is criticized for being too flinch-ey
115. Yi Yi
edward yang's chinese family drama is long (3 hours) but is always interesting and heartfelt
114. Touching the Void
this documentary about climbing mt everest has dramatizations that were done so well, i forgot it was staged!
113. The Girlfriend Experience
for me, the standout independent film of 2009; a bleak statement on the economy and the increasingly blur line of commercialization of sex, love, and companionship
112. Children of Men
another great mindfuck of a movie. never before has a vision of the future been so realistic and frightening
111. Up
what other studio can introduce to characters, a love story, a marriage, and a death resulting in tears all within the first minutes of a movie? just pixar.
110. American Splendor
without question, this biopic on harvey pekar is the mixed documentary and shot film ever. paul giamatti was robbed of the oscar.
109. Hot Fuzz
how do you follow shaun of the dead, the greatest horror comedy of all time? by making the greatest action comedy spoof of all time.
108. Secretary
so dark. so twisted. so erotic. at the end of this, its hard to know what to feel aside from dirty and sexy at the same time
107. Rabbit-Proof Fence
this australian film about the horrific mistreatment of aboriginal peoples should be mandatory watching in all history classes. it manages to be sad and shocking without being overdramatic
106. Ginger Snaps
if there is a better analogy for a teen's sexual adolescence than turning into a werewolf once a movie, i havent seen it. great horror film (hmm...actually Teeth comes pretty close)
105. The Ring
though i prefer the original japanese version, the american remake is still of the scariest horror films ive ever seen and it still keeps it bite after all these years
104. Frida [2002]
salma hayak can act. who knew? ive always been interesting in frida kahlo but appreciated her even more after seeing this biopic
103. Lost in La Mancha
poor poor terry gilliam. all he wanted to do was adapt 'Don Quixote.' luckily, this doc about the unraveling of the production is a masterwork in itself
102. Time for Drunken Horses, A
the first of many iranian films on my list. extraordinarily subtle and real, this tale of the poor trying to survive is a tremendous eye opener as to how the other side of the world lives.
101. Adaption
i really wanted to put this in the top 100 but i couldnt justify taking anything out. its a shame because i loved this movie and forgot for a minute how awful nicholas cage is
