ALMOST FAMOUS - a highly enjoyable, smile-inducing semi-autobiographical story about Cameron Crowe's teenage exploration of the world of rock 'n roll; Kate Hudson's career, unfortunately, peaked here
BEFORE SUNSET - the most unlikely triumph of the decade; a real-time rekindling of an unfulfilled romantic encounter
CITY OF GOD - a bleak look at the lives of gangsters (and citizens) in Rio's slums; ultra-violent and ultra-stylish
COLLATERAL - Mann's first true foray into filmmaking using HD cameras; moody and atmospheric night spent with a hapless LA cabbie (Foxx) and an ultra-cool, ultra-smooth contract killer (Cruise); great chemistry
THE DARK KNIGHT - the ultimate superhero movie that strips all boundaries of that genre of film; it's HEAT for Gotham City
ESPIONAGE/SPY THRILLERS (The Bourne Trilogy & CASINO ROYALE) - three cheers for the rebirth of the thinking-person's action film; Damon and Craig are great in their respective roles
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Gondry takes a wonderfully bizarre script by Charlie Kaufmann and turns it into a trippy adventure into our memories of love
KILL BILL (Volumes 1 & 2) - Tarantino returns with his first outing of the decade with a fun and hilarious concoction of spaghetti westerns, martial art flicks, and revenge stories
THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy - no one thought it could be done; grand and glorious fantasy filmmaking; the genious move of filming all three films at the same time for rapid release
RATATOUILLE - Pixar could've had a number of entries on this list, but I had a constant smile on my face during this charming animated film
