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And, of course, those action sequences. Anyone who knows Children of Men knows that the film features some of the most fluid and frightening action sequences in a mainstream movie. The film's cinematography, by Emmanuel Lubezki, is flashy and stylish without ever rubbing your nose in it; a handful of lengthy scenes were shot in one take, over many minutes. The first scene, which ends not only with an explosion but a close-up of a woman who's just lost her arm in the blast, is one take. The climactic shootout in a war zone-turned-prison is also one take, even with a distracting patch of blood on the screen for a few seconds. Children of Men managed to mix technical prowess with a determined emotion personified by Owen and the antagonistic Chiwetel Ejiofor. Though underrated, this movie is a modern classic.

7. Ratatouille

Consider this the Pixar slot on my list, folks, because it's really hard to choose from such films as WALL-E, Up, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo. Still, all four of those films may be great, but they do not have one of the single greatest scenes and speeches I've heard in a film. The climax of Ratatouille, a biography of sorts of a young rat who wants to be a chef in Paris, has the main rat, Remy, and his entire family cooking a gourmet meal for a famed and freaky food critic. This is the scene, more than any, where the movie tips into silliness; that it takes 90 minutes for you to question the film's realism is a major credit. What makes the scene work is the critic's reaction: after taking a bite of the titular dish, the man is sent whooshing back to his childhood, then writes a revelatory review of the restaurant, opining on the nature of the critic. In this moment, I initially wondered how Pixar could get away with making a movie, or even a scene, that children would be baffled by.

What six-year-old is going to understand Anton Ego's review, aside from the implication that he loved the meal? Brad Bird, the film's director and co-writer, manages to make the speech to the critic in all of us, and tries to explain away the nasty stereotypes critics of all kinds are given by those who assume their opinions shouldn't matter. Whether it works or not is doubtful, but the speech is one of the most heartfelt expressions from a filmmaker to the world I've seen in a mainstream film. The rest of the movie, from Patton Oswalt's lead vocal performance (Patton Oswalt! The mind still reels) to the zippy Michael Giacchino score to the ultimately winning relationship between Remy and his human friend, Linguine, is joyful even when it asks deep questions. Ratatouille is, for me, Pixar's crowning achievement.

6. The Dark Knight

Is The Dark Knight still making money in theaters? It's been a year and a half, but the film's impact is still being felt. Aside from the countless rumors of a third film, there's the style of the action, the Christian Bale rasp, and above all else, the Oscar-winning turn from the late Heath Ledger. For those of you who have been reading my work on Box Office Prophets since last year, you know how much I loved this movie and how terrifically heartbreaking it was to not see the film get honored with a Best Picture nod. So how can I continue to wax philosophic on how unbelievably awesome this movie is? Should I even try? I mean, let's be honest, most of you already think it's a cool movie (and the others...well, we'll agree to disagree). What makes The Dark Knight a classic, a film that will give Christopher Nolan almost complete infallibility as a director (at least, meaning that I'll see anything he does), are the themes, the metaphors.

Oh, sure, the action's cool; the memory I have on seeing The Dark Knight is not of my jaw dropping as the semi truck flipped, but of the gasps elicited when Batman proceeded to ride up the wall of a building, and right himself in a second. No, what makes the movie work are the questions asked: when is something too far, even for a superhero? Batman, of course, is one of the most human superheroes, mostly because he doesn't really have any superpowers, aside from the power of having lots of money. Moreover, where is the breaking point for a person? Ledger's Joker tries to push people as far as they can go, and usually succeeds. His sly, wicked, and shrewd performance was instantly iconic, but the entire film is praiseworthy. Suffice to say, I am first in line for Nolan's next film; it may not be as good as this, but I'm very willing to give him slack. A movie like The Dark Knight tends to do that.

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