ãThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringä

As one of the pioneers of the modern fantasy novel, Tolkienâs trilogy is on a pedestal of its own. What could potentially have been a terribly disappointing film seemed to impress all who saw it, making the world of Middle Earth come alive.

ãMulholland Driveä

Itâs always difficult to make a coherent, solid film. To make one that is utterly unintelligible, yet totally mesmerizing, is near impossible. Lynchâs movies are like morbid paintings, which inspire conversations and confusion for weeks after seeing them. You either loved this movie or walked out after the first 10 minutes.

ãTraining Dayä

Although the ending was a little disappointing, the film had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It didnât pull any punches (at least I donât think it did) in its portrayal of inner-city crime and race relations. Never has a movie given me this sense of urgency and fear. I loved Ethan Hawkeâs character, but Denzel is worth his weight in gold.

ãThe Brotherhood of the Wolfä

Now here was a weird movie. Imagine a cross between ãThe Last of the Mohicansä and ãThe Matrix,ä and you have ãThe Brotherhood of the Wolf.ä This French film had a huge budget, elaborate design and was beautifully shot ÷ truly an example of how the cinematic grass is always greener on the foreign side. Cheesy at times, but fun.

ãWaking Lifeä

Whatâs most interesting is this filmâs look: floating sections of animation painted right onto live-action celluloid. While viewers might have to check their attachment to plot at the door, the filmâs sense of calm and its sensory approach to lifeâs deepest questions deliver a new and refreshingly beautiful film experience.

ãBlack hawk Downä

This film shows that producers are still interested in making huge films the hard way. In the midst of George Lucasâ descent into computer-generated madness, itâs good to see that producer Jerry Bruckheimer is willing to make a movie about war by actually staging a war. If only MSNBC could have director Ridley Scottâs knack for objectivity.

ãThe Time Machineä

H.G. Wells could never have imagined what a cool movie his little book would become. Remakes fail like Firestone tires these days, but this one makes an exciting yet thoughtful ride through time out of a pretty stuffy old novel.

ãMonsters, Inc.ä

Not only is computer animation looking better all the time, itâs getting more and more fun. Clever humor and a perfect blend of playfulness and sentimentality make this film great from start to finish. The outtakes at the end are so much fun the theater parking lot looks like hell for grownups.