In the words of Agent Smith, “It is inevitable...”

Alright, so I guess I've been holding this one off for a while, but being the list-frenzied movie-critic douchebag that I am, I simply have to do it. So here we go, in reverse order, my 10 favorite movies of the 2000-2009 decade with a short description why for each:

10. The Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson, 2001-2003), for bringing a new scale to fantasy movies and David Lean-esque epics, and giving our generation a worthwhile trilogy to revisit for the rest of our lives.

9. Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007), for being the best and most pervasive indie flick to pin itself into pop culture.

8. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006), for giving the sci-fi genre the neo-realist kick it has needed for years.

7. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008), for proving that blockbusters can still be daring and successful, and epitomizing the Joker as the ultimate badass villain.

6. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001), for setting new standards of imagination and animated storytelling (a standard that Pixar has thankfully upheld for American audiences).

5. Yi Yi (Edward Yang, 2000), for striking the perfect balance between drama and art-house, giving meaning and beauty to every little detail of life.

4. City of God (Fernando Meirelles/Kátia Lund, 2002), for being the best blend of style and substance since Tarantino's “Pulp Fiction.”

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004), for giving Hollywood's most perfectly imperfect couple, redefining love and relationships in a time when both need to be reexamined.

2. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007), for putting a modern lens on the American classic and giving one of the most memorable characters in modern cinema – Daniel Plainview.

1. Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch, 2002), for giving a surrealist pop dream that is as irresistible as it is confounding, raising a huge middle finger to Hollywood conventions while never compromising entertainment.

Others I Liked (in no particular order):

The Royal Tenenbaums - No Country for Old Men - Lost in Translation - The Hurt Locker - Kill Bill Vol. 1 - Amélie - Before Sunset - Y tu mamá también - Cache (Hidden) - Pan's Labyrinth - Brokeback Mountain - In the Mood for Love - Adaptation - The New World - Memento - Donnie Darko - The Incredibles - Primer - Knocked Up - Casino Royale - United 93 - Man on Wire - Almost Famous - Grizzly Man - Ghost World - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Oldboy - Black Hawk Down - Elephant - 28 Days Later... - Capturing the Friedmans - Inland Empire - The World