#11 The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan

Here we have the debut of a filmmaker I call the Hitchcock of today's cinema. I must warn you to not watch it only as a scary movie if you must at all, but rather as a touching story about what it means to accept one's ghosts and let go. Shyamalan will be one of those directors who years from now will be looked back upon as a pioneer in storytelling and rightfully so.

#12 Children of Men by Alfonso Cuaron

A lot of people will complain about the ambiguity of the ending to this film, but thats foolish because the purpose is to make you complete the story. Children of Men challenges the viewer in more ways than just the ending, but I'll let you watch it to understand. I simply wish to say that in this film we see an extremely brilliant approach to the end of mankind in a film that has a lot to say on mankind's existence.

#13 Chicago by Rob Marshall

Chicago is without a doubt the most inventive adaptation from stage to screen as far as musicals go, but thats not all it has. This film is story with enough bounce, flare, and firecracker performances to ignite the entire town of Hollywood which it did winning it the Oscar for Best Picture. This is one of the more unforgettable film experiences I've ever had from the opening seduction of "All That Jazz" to the closing explosive "Nowadays" sheer genius and razzle dazzle.

#14 The Incredibles by Brad Bird

The Incredibles is not only one of the best movies of all time but THE best animated/cgi movie ever made in my humble opinion. How well this film appeals to both parents and children is a testament to the perfection in writing, animation, drama, comedy and downright superb storytelling(which pixar is known for). The Incredibles was undeniably snubbed for a best picture nomination.

#15 Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro

Not many people would've considered Guillermo Del Toro an oscar worthy name before Pan's Labyrinth and understandably so with movies like Mimic and Hellboy(I enjoy this movie a lot, but its just not oscar fodder) preceding this one. However, Del Toro turned the industry on its head with this starkly unique fairy tale. This film showed a movie can be violent, dark, sometime creepy, and still be a beautiful fairy tale, and moreso a coming of age tale. As usual with Del Toro the imagery is the first, most obvious note to make about this movie, and boy are the visuals inventive and wonderful. This film challenged me and then stole my heart and now its stolen the 15 place on my countdown to the best film of all time.

#16 Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino

This is the movie that made Tarantino both an acclaimed director/writer and a household name. From this movie we understand what it means to "Tarantino it" and are much more able to follow a nonlinear story structure. This film is full of smooth, unbeatable dialogue that whips you in the face as much as it caresses you. Tarantino's story is a force to be reckoned with as it tells one of the most inventive "redemption narratives" there is without reaching for the ultra-feel good ending.

#17 All That Jazz by Bob Fosse

From Bob Fosse, the visionary creator of Cabaret, Chicago, and Pippin, comes this overly self-indulgent, masochistic, and extremely unique film. In All That Jazz we watch as the Fosse double Joe Gideon destroys his life through his drugs, work, and constant womanizing, however this film is so much more both visually and thematically all topped off by a shattering performance by Roy Scheider (of Jaws fame) and Fosse's typical brilliant direction.

#18 Lars and the Real Girl by Craig Gillespie

As a testament of how great this past year in filmmaking is how many of those movies made it onto this list with Lars and the Real Girl being the first to make it onto this list. This film is a beautiful study of a lonely man and his journey to understanding life and love, Ryan Gosling gives one of the best performances of the year and was robbed of an acting nod.

#19 Blade Runner by Ridley Scott

Before Gladiator and American Gangster there was Ridley Scott and an immensely brilliant vision of our dark future called Blade Runner. With his mind Scott has created one of the most visionary and groundbreaking neo-noir sci-fi stories about robots, cops, toys, genetics, and love. This gets the number 19 spot for its entire vision constructed in flawless perfection that stands up even to this day in a post-star wars world.

The New Top 20

#20. Casablanca












Casablanca is a true giant in cinematic history that still stands up today as superb storytelling. From the introductory narrative to the final sad scenes Casablanca entombs its audience in sheer perfection. This is the oldest film on my top 20 and only one other is older than the 90s