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This is not a traditional Top 10 list. What were the 10 best movies of the year? I don't know. Probably a bunch of depressing stuff I hated. What follows are simply the 10 movies I liked the most. Many of them were imperfect. Some seemed so winning to me only because of a couple of great performances--or because I watched them with my daughter and saw them through her eyes. Anyway, I tried to be completely honest here, although, come to think of it, I omitted "Zoolander" at the last minute: I thought it was hysterical, but some part of me still wants to seem cool.
1. Moulin Rouge. An audacious, frenetic, genuinely moving musical with a sensational turn by Ewan McGregor. (Who knew young Obi Wan could sing so pretty?) Critics quibbled with "Moulin Rouge," then praised Spielberg's coma-inducing "A.I." That was the darkest day for film reviewers since they all banded together and pretended that "Eyes Wide Shut" didn't suck.
2. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Everything that "Harry Potter" wasn't: scary, bold and engrossing, with some of the most terrifyingly gorgeous images in years. Director Peter Jackson approached J.R.R. Tolkien's famous novels with a great deal of respect--and absolutely no fear.
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3. Spy Kids. James Bond meets Willy Wonka. An adorable, wonderfully inventive movie that managed to send cool, touching messages about race, gender and family without getting the least bit hammy.
4. In the Bedroom. Remember when acting didn't just mean showing off? "In the Bedroom" is a tense, "Ordinary People"-ish movie with subtle, riveting performances by Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek and Marisa Tomei. The movie should get a raft of Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture, and it will have earned every one.
5. Memento. A gripping--and backwards--noir glinting with bits of poetry and a hard, deadpan humor. Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantonliano all deserve nominations, but may get passed over because the movie seems to have come out a lifetime ago.
6. Amelie. Gorgeous to look at--and not just because of Audrey Tatou. This magical little love story started off a bit cutesy and precious, but ultimately there was no resisting its charms.
7. Shrek. Maybe you're sick of hearing people yak about how "Shrek" is the coolest thing ever. But it is.
8. Black Hawk Down. In case you thought there wasn't enough combat in "Saving Private Ryan." "Black Hawk" doesn't have anything new to say about war or foreign policy. Still, it's an extraordinarily visceral, and unsentimental, movie that proves very hard to shake.
9. The Princess Diaries. Answered the age-old question, Wouldn't it be nice if "Pretty Woman" weren't about a hooker? Garry Marshall, who directed both "PW" and "PD," is a pretty lame director, and this was an out-and-out formula movie with some cringe-causing moments. Still, teenaged Anne Hathaway was off-the-charts enchanting--a promising leading lady and a fine physical comic.
10. Bridget Jones's Diary. Rene Zellweger never should have gotten this part--she was the wrong nationality and the wrong body type for starters--but she utterly nailed it. Aiding and abetting her was a hilarious Hugh Grant, finally acting as roguish and debauched as you just know he actually is.
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