Top Twenty Films Of The Decade: Part 2

Children Of Men (Alfonso Cuaron, 2006)
Possibly the bleakest sci-fi movie ever, 'Children Of Men' presents a near-future Britain where global infertility, mass poverty and terrorist activity are standard. Features great support from Michael Caine as a Lennon-esque hippy, but this is Clive Owen's show, bringing believability to the everyman saviour escorting the only pregnant woman on Earth to safety.

Anchorman (Adam McKay, 2004)
As I said, not all the films on this list are perfect. 'Anchorman' isn't the most original movie, but for sheer comic brilliance, it hands-down beats every other comedy made since 2000. It's also the most quotable comedy ever made (forget 'Airplane' and 'Withnail And I') and is a literal laugh-a-minute from beginning to end.

The Bourne Ultimatum (Paul Greengrass, 2007)
Ditching the thin premise of the previous 'Bourne' films, Greengrass here throws plot to the wind, replacing it with a deftly executed series of chase sequences for the adrenaline-rush of the decade. The visceral and brutal action is exemplary, but the film isn't without substance - the government is the shady villain, making this a perfect paranoid thriller for our times.

Half Nelson (Ryan Fleck, 2007)
Although 'Half Nelson's story is quietly, tragically mesmerising, it's Ryan Gosling as the young, idealistic teacher sinking further into drug addiction that makes the film so watchable. It'd be indecent to label it a 'performance'; that is a living, breathing person we're watching on screen. As an intimate character study, 'Half Nelson' is absolutely heartbreaking.

Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
Fincher presents the true story of the attempt to capture San Francisco's 'Zodiac' killer as a decades-spanning drama on the destructive nature of obsession. The period detail and case research is immense, while the performances, from the likes of Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr, are note-perfect. Expertly filmed as a '70s paranoid thriller, it's the director's best to date.

Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2009)
A Swedish vampire movie that's not scary enough to be a horror, the film is perhaps best described as a love story between disenchanted schoolboy Oskar and the mysterious Eli, both of whom are brought to life by a pair of extraordinary performances. Almost Kubrickian in its hypnotic quality with a story that keeps you gripped throughout.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
From the mind of scriptwriter Charlie Kaufman comes one of the most deliriously inventive films ever written. It's almost impossible to categorise - it's sci-fi, comedy, fantasy and thriller all at once - but fundamentally 'Eternal Sunshine' is an excellent bittersweet romance, featuring a shattering performance from an understated Jim Carrey.

This Is England (Shane Meadows, 2007)
What begins as a comical coming-of-age story soon takes a turn for the much darker as disillusioned young Northerner Sean is brainwashed by National Front propaganda into a bigoted thug. A powerful British drama with a devastating pair of performances from Stephen Graham as a troubled skinhead and a 14 year-old Thomas Turgoose as Sean.

Atonement (Joe Wright, 2007)
Although featuring some fine acting, the real stars of 'Atonement' are original novelist Ian McEwan and, most crucially, director Joe Wright. McEwan's story of how a young couple are torn apart by one young girl's misunderstanding and the onset of World War Two is turned into something ethereal, vibrant and heart-wrenching by Wright. Also delivers one heck of a gut-punch ending.

There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2008)
A turn-of-the-century epic about one man's quest to find oil and get-rich-quick features a musical score that ranks among the best ever created, a wonderfully written script, and elegant framing courtesy of Anderson. Best of all though, Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the greatest performances of all time as vampiric oil man Daniel Plainview.