Richard Roeper Blog

Howard Stern says he’s not ruling out the possibility of replacing Simon Cowell on “American Idol.” Howard hates to travel and it’s hard to picture him going to all those hotel banquet rooms in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, etc., etc., but he says the idea of getting paid a kabillion dollars for working only a few months at a time is appealing–and who better than Howard to rip into those that deserve to be ripped?

And if they’re looking for a couple of judges to join Stern at the table, here’s a trio that’s worked before in a judging capacity:

We all know celebrities live charmed lives, but that doesn’t mean there are drawbacks that accompany the great stuff, whether it’s dealing with paparazzi trailing your every move as you pick up your dry cleaning, fans pestering you for autographs while you’re in the restroom—-or doing a grueling publicity tour for your movie. I’ve been a reporter at junkets where an actor will sit for 30, 40, even 50 interviews in a single day, trying to sound peppy and engaged as one entertainment journalist after another asks the same questions. (”What was it like to work with Co-Star A?” “What’s your next project?” “Did you do any research for this role?” “What was it like to work with Director B?”)

Even more soul-sucking than the in-person junketeer experience is the satellite interview tour. You sit in a small, hot room with the lights bearing down on you, staring into the black hole of a camera lens while fielding questions from the hosts of “Good Morning Topeka!” and, “How’s it Goin’ Cincinnati!”

I’ve been the interview subject on a few of those tours, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for what these people go through. (Again, I know: they’re millionaires. They wanted to be famous. They asked for this. Still doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck.) After about two hours, you’ve lost all track of who you’re talking to, which jokes you’ve already used, what your middle name is. You just can’t wait for it to end.

Mel Gibson was doing one of those tours recently to promote “Edge of Darkness,” and his plasma-screened image appeared alongside WGN-TV’s Dean Richards, who kept bringing up Gibson’s well-documented troubles.

Celebrities hate it when you bring up their well-documented troubles. Their publicists REALLY hate it when you bring up their well-documented troubles. Sometimes they’ll cut the interview short and usher you out of the room if you dare bring up the DUI or the messy divorce or the battery charge.

In this case, Gibson tried to deflect Richards’ queries, but Dean-o kept hammering away at him before ending the interview with a mention of Gibson’s movie. After they said goodbye, but with Gibson still on-camera and with his mike on, we hear a one-word comment: “Asshole.”

Gibson says he was directing the comment at his publicist, who supposedly was making faces at him. There is a moment near the very end when you see Gibson’s eyes dart offscreen, as if distracted. But I don’t know—-seems to me he’s calling Richards an asshole.

I don’t know Dean very well, but he’s always been nice to me. I’ve been a guest on WGN-TV a few times with him, and he’s always professional, courteous and fun to work with. (He’s also got great pipes. If you watch Cubs baseball or other programming on superstation on WGN-TV, you hear him doing voice-overs all the time.)

Does he push it a little bit with Gibson? Absolutely. But it’s better than the usual suck-up interview where the questioner doesn’t dare mention the elephant in the room. That said, I can see why Gibson would mutter “Asshole,” at the end of that exchange. The guy fucked up big-time four years ago, but one can understand it if he said, “That’s it, I’m done, I’m not talking about this shit in public for the rest of my life.”

We all gotta learn to let things go, whether it’s our mistakes or somebody else’s.

A few thoughts on the nominations. (That golden glow comes from the Pulp Fiction briefcase).

82ND ACADEMY AWARDS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Beverly Hills, CA — Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced today (Tuesday, February 2) by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and 2008 Oscar® nominee Anne Hathaway.

Sherak and Hathaway, who was nominated for an Academy Award® for her lead performance in “Rachel Getting Married,” announced the nominees in 10 of the 24 categories at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Lists of nominations in all categories were then distributed to the media in attendance and online via the official Academy Awards Web site, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominations are selected by vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees; this year that category features 10 nominees instead of 5, as has been the case since 1943.

Nominations ballots were mailed to the 5,777 voting members in late December and were returned directly to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international accounting firm, for tabulation.

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members this weekend at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings also will be held at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.

All active and life members of the Academy are eligible to select the winners in all categories, although in five of them – Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject and Foreign Language Film – members can vote only if they have seen all of the nominated films in those categories.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)

George Clooney in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)

Colin Firth in “A Single Man” (The Weinstein Company)

Morgan Freeman in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)

Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Matt Damon in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)

Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones” (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)

Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)

Helen Mirren in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Carey Mulligan in “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Penélope Cruz in “Nine” (The Weinstein Company)

Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)

Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)

Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)

Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Best animated feature film of the year

“Coraline” (Focus Features), Henry Selick

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox), Wes Anderson

“The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), John Musker and Ron Clements

“The Secret of Kells” (GKIDS), Tomm Moore

“Up” (Walt Disney), Pete Docter

Achievement in art direction

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics), Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, Set Decoration: Caroline Smith

“Nine” (The Weinstein Company), Art Direction: John Myhre, Set Decoration: Gordon Sim

“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood, Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

“The Young Victoria” (Apparition), Art Direction: Patrice Vermette, Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Achievement in cinematography

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Mauro Fiore

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Warner Bros.), Bruno Delbonnel

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Barry Ackroyd

“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Robert Richardson

“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics), Christian Berger

Achievement in costume design

“Bright Star” (Apparition), Janet Patterson

“Coco before Chanel” (Sony Pictures Classics), Catherine Leterrier

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics), Monique Prudhomme

“Nine” (The Weinstein Company), Colleen Atwood

“The Young Victoria” (Apparition), Sandy Powell

Achievement in directing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), James Cameron

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Kathryn Bigelow

“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Quentin Tarantino

“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), Lee Daniels

“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios), Jason Reitman

Best documentary feature

“Burma VJ” (Oscilloscope Laboratories), A Magic Hour Films Production, Anders østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller

“The Cove” (Roadside Attractions), An Oceanic Preservation Society Production, Nominees to be determined

“Food, Inc.” (Magnolia Pictures), A Robert Kenner Films Production, Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein

“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”, A Kovno Communications Production, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith

“Which Way Home”, A Mr. Mudd Production, Rebecca Cammisa

Best documentary short subject

“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province”, A Downtown Community Television Center Production, Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”, A Just Media Production, Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher

“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”, A Community Media Production, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

“Music by Prudence”, An iThemba Production, Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

“Rabbit à la Berlin” (Deckert Distribution), An MS Films Production, Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Achievement in film editing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron

“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Julian Clarke

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Sally Menke

“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), Joe Klotz

Best foreign language film of the year

“Ajami” (Kino International), An Inosan Production, Israel

“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haddock Films Production, Argentina

“The Milk of Sorrow”, A Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogrà/Vela Production, Peru

“Un Prophète” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production, France

“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics), An X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production, Germany

Achievement in makeup

“Il Divo” (MPI Media Group through Music Box), Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano

“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

“The Young Victoria” (Apparition), Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), James Horner

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox), Alexandre Desplat

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders

“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.), Hans Zimmer

“Up” (Walt Disney), Michael Giacchino

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” (Sony Pictures Classics), Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas

“Take It All” from “Nine” (The Weinstein Company), Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston

“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best motion picture of the year

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), A Lightstorm Entertainment Production, James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers

“The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.), An Alcon Entertainment Production, Nominees to be determined

“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), A Block/Hanson Production, Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers

“An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production, Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), A Voltage Pictures Production, Nominees to be determined

“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production, Lawrence Bender, Producer

“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production, Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers

“A Serious Man” (Focus Features), A Working Title Films Production, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers

“Up” (Walt Disney), A Pixar Production, Jonas Rivera, Producer

“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios), A Montecito Picture Company Production, Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Best animated short film

“French Roast” , A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production, Fabrice O. Joubert

“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” (Brown Bag Films), A Brown Bag Films Production, Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell

“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)”, A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production, Javier Recio Gracia

“Logorama” (Autour de Minuit), An Autour de Minuit Production, Nicolas Schmerkin

“A Matter of Loaf and Death” (Aardman Animations), An Aardman Animations Production, Nick Park

Best live action short film

“The Door” (Network Ireland Television), An Octagon Films Production, Juanita Wilson and James Flynn

“Instead of Abracadabra”, (The Swedish Film Institute), A Directörn & Fabrikörn Production, Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström

“Kavi”, A Gregg Helvey Production, Gregg Helvey

“Miracle Fish”, (Premium Films), A Druid Films Production, Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey

“The New Tenants”, A Park Pictures and M & M Production, Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Achievement in sound editing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson

“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Wylie Stateman

“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin

“Up” (Walt Disney), Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Achievement in sound mixing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano

“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount), Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Achievement in visual effects

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing) , Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken

“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Adapted screenplay

“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell

“An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics), Screenplay by Nick Hornby

“In the Loop” (IFC Films), Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher

“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) , Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Original screenplay

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Written by Mark Boal

“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Written by Quentin Tarantino

“The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories), Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman

“A Serious Man” (Focus Features), Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

“Up” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom Mc

Biggest suprises: Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Blind Side, An Education.

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Supporting Actor

Matt Damon, Invictus

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, Nine

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhall, Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Mo’Nique, Precious

“Cloverfield” has nothing on me LOL

When it comes to announcing the Oscar nominees, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences continues to cling to is Old World ways. They race through the lists at 5:30 a.m. PST, in order to get live coverage on the morning talk shows.

That’s just stupid.

As I’ve suggested before, the Academy should turn the nomination announcements into a one-hour special, to air on E! or some other cable channel. Build up excitement by showing clips and interviewing possible nominees. Have some cameras on set or in the homes of some contenders, to catch their reactions. If they can do it with the Heisman Trophy every year, why not the Oscars?

In any case, I just took Doc Brown’s DeLorean out for a spin to next Tuesday, and I’m back with the nominees in the major categories. Ready?

BEST PICTURE:

Avatar

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Precious

A Serious Man

Star Trek

Up

Up in the Air

Just missing: The Hangover, The Messenger, It’s Complicated, District 9

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Runner-up: Viggo Mortensen, The Road

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Just missing: Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon, Invictus

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Close but no cigar: Alfred Molina, An Education; Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Mo’Nique, Precious

Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Penelope Cruz, Nine

Just missing: Samantha Morton, The Messenger; Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds

This seems like an incredibly predictable year, even if you don’t have a time-traveling DeLorean. Bridges, Bullock, Mo’Nique and Waltz are the odds-on favorites in the acting categories. The tightest race is for Best Picture, with Avatar and The Hurt Locker just ahead of Up in the Air.

As for the nominees: if I don’t get at least 27 or 28 out of 30 correct, I’ll be thrilled, because that means there are going to be some big surprises next Tuesday.

Maybe my favorite autograph request ever:

Hello! I am the Max Maltzev. I write to you from Uzbekistan, therefore in advance I ask me to change for my errors, I badly know English language. I am yours the fan, but I can’t be the real your fan without your autograph! Whether not so?) I will be very grateful if you send to me on my post address which I will specify more low! Many thanks, I will wait for the autograph and the answer!

My Address:
Country: Uzbekistan
City: Tashkent
Home Adress: Chilanzarskaya st. Home #–. Apartment #—

ZIP/Postal Code : 100115

Only in Chicago.

As we dig ourselves out from the first big snow of the year, as we deal with yet ANOTHER parking meter increase, as we shake off the loss of the 2016 Olympics, as we deal with crime and corruption and all the other problems facing any major metropolis in the 21st century, a local alderman has his sights set on…

“Avatar”???!!!

Ald. James Balcer (11th) says the film makes U.S. Marines “look like lunatics.”

Chicago alderman hates \”Avatar.\”

Balcer is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war. He is entitled to his opinion and he deserves our respect.

But come on. First of all, the soldiers in “Avatar” aren’t soldiers—-they’re ex-military men and women hired as contractors working for the RDA corporation. The evil Miles Quaritch is the head of the security force for RDA. He is not an American military commander.

Granted, the security force looks and acts like a military unit. But (SPOILER ALERT!!!!)…

The main hero, Jake Sully, is a former Marine who changes his ways when he learns the true nature of the Na’vi tribe. Another hardcore military type, Michelle Rodriguez’ Trudy Chacon, defects from the security unit, saying, “I didn’t sign up for this shit,” when she realizes it’s more of a mass slaughter than a war.

Says Ald. Balcer: “We are a good, generous country that helps people.”

And in “Avatar,” the “good, generous” Americans that help each other and want to help the Na’vi include the aforementioned Sully and Trudi—-as well Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Grace Augustine, the head of the Avatar program. In fact most of the major American characters in “Avatar” are the good guys.

The CBS-2 story about this controversy includes a quote from the almost comically predictable ultra-conservative windbag Tom Roeser, a minor figure on the Chicago scene known (if he’s known at all) for spewing blustering, bilious streams of envy of toward journalists who are half his age and have had 10 times his success.

A line for the ages from Roeser:

“This is the only time I ever sat in a theater where people were cheering the forest and the blue people, attacking ex-Marines.”

Really? The first time? But wasn’t that the plot of “Annie Get Your Gun” too?

I just love the idea of Roeser approaching a ticket counter and growling, “One for the commie-liberal-anti-American movie ‘Avatar.’ What’s a movie cost these days, a buck fifty?”

Here’s hoping Ald. Balcer has this out of his system and goes back to meeting the needs of the fine people of the 11th ward.

In the meantime, I’ll remember the words of an actor who years ago reacted to a controversy about a major blockbuster by telling me, “It’s a fucking movie. There’s life, and there’s movies, and this is a movie. People need to get some perspective.”

Amen.

The 100 best movies I saw in the 2000s:

1. “The Departed” (2006). A cop goes undercover as a gangster, a gangster goes undercover as a cop, and from that point on we’re dealing with Shakespearean issues of identity and true self while the blood splatters the wall at every turn. Martin Scorsese’s masterful interpretation of the 2002 Hong Kong classic “Infernal Affairs” is an exceedingly violent, profane, grim, darkly funny and thrilling gangster epic, filled with juicy performances from perhaps the best ensemble cast in a crime pic since the “Godfather” movies, including Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin. Great, juicy performances, a brilliant screenplay and enough twists and turns to leave you breathless.

2. “In America” (2003). In this beautiful, heart-wrenching, fictionalized version of his own story, director Jim Sheridan explores the theme of “aliens” in America while continually referencing another alien: “E.T.” There are at least two scenes in this that will make you cry, unless you’re dead. And maybe even then. “In America” is the equal of Frank Capra’s best work.

3. “Traffic” (2000). Stephen Soderberg’s sprawling masterpiece about the myriad ways in which drugs have invaded our culture is a triumph of style and content. Soderbergh changes filters on his camera as he traverses back and forth between three equally compelling stories about the war on drugs, told from perspectives ranging from the most powerful corridors of Washington to the seediest back alleys. One of the best ensemble casts of the decade (Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Benicio del Toro in an Oscar-winning role) in a film that defines the drug culture on a grand scale and on a very personal, family level.

4. “Memento” (2001). Ingeniously inverted puzzle that goes from finish to start, like Hitchcock walking backwards. The only thing better than the first time you see it is the second time you see it.

5. “House of Flying Daggers” (2004). The most beautiful film of the decade. Set in 9^th century China, Zhang Yimou’s martial arts opera stars the achingly beautiful Ziyi Zhang in a gorgeous explosion of action, romance, music and breathtaking action sequences. The plot becomes insanely complicated, but who cares?

6. “Mystic River” (2003). If Clint Eastwood had never acted in a single frame of film in his life, he’d be an American treasure for his work behind the camera. This is a profound, authentic, devastatingly honest piece of work.

7. “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008). “The Usual Suspects” meets “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with a whole lot of 21^st century Charles Dickens as well. Danny Boyle directs with kinetic style as he jumps about chronologically and tells the story of an 18-year-old from the ghettos of Mumbai who somehow knows all the answers on the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” At times excruciatingly realistic, at other times venturing into pure fable territory, “Slumdog” survived all the hype and scored all those Oscars, every one of them well deserved. One of the most exhilarating viewing experiences I’ve ever had.

8. “25^th Hour” (2002). 8. “25th Hour.” Spike Lee’s overlooked masterpiece stands as the definitive time capsule of New York in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Works as a social commentary, a crime story, a buddy film and a story about the bond between father and son.

9. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000). Ang Lee’s most accomplished film. Epic, exotic, romantic, gorgeous—and filled with breathtaking fight sequences.

10. “Hotel Rwanda” (2004). One of the most heartbreaking and inspirational movies I’ve ever seen, based on a true story. Don Cheadle deserved an Oscar for his portrayal of a good man catapulted to perform great deeds during a time of horrific genocide.

11. “Minority Report” (2002)

12. “Gangs of New York” (2002)

13. “Syriana” (2005)

14. “Michael Clayton” (2007)

15. “Zodiac” (2007)

16. “No Country for Old Men” (2007)

17. “The Dark Knight” (2008)

18. “Brothers” (2009)

19. “Million Dollar Baby” (2004)

20. “Gone Baby Gone” (2007)

21. “21 Grams” (2003).

22. “Up in the Air” (2009)

23. “The Lookout” (2007)

24. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)

25. “Munich” (2005)

26. “In the Bedroom” (2001).

27. “The New World” (2005)

28. “The Queen” (2006)

29. “Love, Actually” (2003)

30. “The Claim” (2000)

31. “The Hurt Locker” (2009)

32. “Babel” (2006)

33. “Lost in Translation” (2003)

34.  “Finding Nemo” (2003)

35. “The Aviator” (2004)

36. “Crash” (2005)

37. “Y tu Mama Tambien” (2002)

38. “Donnie Darko” (2001)

39. “Flags of our Fathers”/”Letters from Iwo Jima” (2006)

40. “The Wrestler” (2008)

41.“Vanilla Sky” (2001)

42. “Sideways” (2004)

43. “Eastern Promises” (2007)

44. “The Contender” (2000)

45. “A Beautiful Mind” (2001)

46. “United 93” (2006)

47. “In Bruges” (2008)

48. “Nine Lives” (2005)

49. “(500) Days of Summer” (2009)

50. “Best in Show” (2000)

51. “Wonder Boys” (2000)

52. “Adaptation” (2002)

53. “Elephant” (2003)

54. “A History of Violence” (2005)

55. “I’ve Loved You So Long” (2008)

56. “Brokeback Mountain” (2005)

57. “Almost Famous” (2000)

58. “Rabbit-Proof Fence” (2002)

59. “Inglourious Basterds” (2009)

60. “One Hour Photo” (2002)

61. “Amores Perros” (2001)

62. “The Barbarian Invasions” (2003)

63.“Mulholland Drive” (2001)

64. “Finding Forrester” (2000)

65. “Capote” (2005)

66. “The Terminal” (2004)

67. “City of God” (2002)

68. “Notes on a Scandal” (2006)

69. “Gran Torino” (2008)

70. “Kill Bill Vol. 2” (2004)

71. “Cast Away” (2000)

72. “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (2003)

73. “Breach” (2007)

74. “You Can Count on Me” (2000)

75.  “The Visitor” (2008)

76. “Monsoon Wedding” (2002)

77. “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005)

78. “The Lives of Others” (2006)

79. “Up” (2009)

80. “Monster” (2003)

81. “Avatar” (2009)

82. “The Good Shepherd” (2006)

83. “Milk” (2008)

84. “Juno” (2007)

85. “Collateral” (2004)

86. “Sunshine” (2000)

87. “Happy Accidents” (2001)

88. “About Schmidt” (2002)

89. “Snow Angels” (2007)

90. “Whale Rider” (2003)

91. “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006)

92. “Dinner Rush” (2001)

93. “Frozen River” (2008)

94. “Frost/Nixon” (2008)

95. “The Deep End” (2001)

96. “Walk the Line” (2005)

97. “Blood Diamond” (2006)

98. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008)

99. “Signs” (2002)

100. “About a Boy” (2002)