My Top 10...and then some!

1.Bulworth-Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Paul Sorvino, Christine Baranski, Don Cheadle, Sean Astin. Why you ask? Very few films provide good social commentary while advancing the plot and developing the character, and Bulworth does all of this and more. Warren Beatty's fed p senator is a call to politicans from all over the world to just tell the truth. Halle Berry gives her best performance as a conflicted associate, and Don Cheadle does what he always does: steal the show. A must see for any policital follower, Halle Berry or Warren Beatty fan, and news junkies.
2.Batman-Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams. Batman and Burton, what more could you ask for? From the dark and brooding set design and costuming, to the dark and brooding hero, Batman is top-notch in all the important areas:plot, direction, special effects, music(the wonderful Danny Elfman), and acting. Keaton surprised as the reluctant hero, Nicholson overacted to perfection at the delusional Joker, and Basinger shined as the damsel in distress--sort of. The only flaw? The less than excellent ending.
3.The Green Mile- Tom Hanks, Barry Pepper, Bonnie Hunt, David Morse, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell, Sam Rockwell, William Sadler. A near-perfect adaptation of Stephen King's same-titled series of novellas, Frank Darabont directs a superb cast in and around a Death Row prison in the Depression-era South. Quite possibly the fastest 3-hour movie, The Green Mile is a look at crime, punishment, love, trust, mortality, and honor, with a standout performance by Michael Clarke Duncan.
4.Evita-Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce. Be forewarned, there is nothing but singing in this movie! Madonna's performance of a lifetime, she embodies everything about the honored Eva Peron, a figure already larger-than-life in Argentinan history. The rags-to-riches tale uses music to describe the difficult times in the Argentine, and the rise of President Juan Peron. Beautiful and breath-taking.
5.American Beauty- Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Menu Suvari, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Sam Bakula, Chris Cooper, Alison Janney. The classic tale of the real Suburbia, Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening lead an excellent cast of dysfunction and decadence. Spacey's midlife crisis is accompanied by that of his neighbors, and their confused son. Pulled along by vivid dream sequences, American Beauty is the definitive movie about suburban life.
6.Dick Tracy- Warren Beatty, Glenne Headley, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, William Forsythe, Madonna, Kathy Bates, James Caan. With a cast more akin to an Altman film, Warren Beatty's version of the classic gumshoe Dick Tracy is a vivid and fast-paced tale of good vs. evil with excellent makeup and special effects.
6.The Shadow- Alec Baldwin, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller, Sir Ian McKellan, Jonathan Winters, Tim Curry. This 90s adaptation of the old pulp novels and radio show is a trippy tale of a conflicted hero/playboy. Baldwin completely embodies Lamont Cranston, and does an excellent job conveying the difficult decisions he must make. Miller overacts a bit, attempting to overcome the limitations of a woman, circa 1930, and Tim Curry steals the show as a maniacal underling of true villain Shiwan Khan. Art direction alone makes it worth a see.
7.Clue- Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Khan, Michael McKean, Leslie Ann Warren, Martin Mull. A seriously underrated comedy/mystery film, you've only really seen the film if you've caught the version with all three endings--a gimmick used at the time of the film's theatrical release. Marketing ploys aside, Clue is a hilarious slapstick comedy with some of the most clever dialogue ever written, as the group of blackmail victims searches the house for the killer before the police arrive. Sounds funny, doesn't it? With the gorgeous house as a playground, the board game the film is loosely based upon becomes a lot more fun than you could imagine.
8.Dogma- Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, Kevin Smith, Alanis Morrisette, George Carlin, Jason Mewes. While his direction is a bit haphazard, the plot of the film, the dialogue, and its execution is top-notch. With an excellent cast driving the story along, Dogmabecomes a fast-paced theological ride, sparing no religious feelings along the way.
9.The Maltese Falcon- Humphrey Bogart, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre. Compared to Bogart's more ballyhooed work in Casablanca, I find Maltese Falcon a much tighter, structured work. The various twists and turns advance the story in leaps and bounds, and Peter Lorre adds some excellent comic relief. An overlooked gem, and a classic Bogart flick. A must see for any true fan of black and white features.
10.All Over the Guy- Dan Bucatinsky, Christina Ricci, Adam Goldberg. The newest film on my list, and the only film from this millenium on my list, I can't express how excellent this film is. Star and writer Bucatinsky is the lifeblood of the film , as he reveals the ups and downs of his latest relationship. Christina Ricci's extended cameo as his flighty sister adds a dimension, and director Don Roos makes this a fitting follow-up to his last feature, The Opposite of Sex.

11. Clueless
12. Batman Forever
13. Shakespeare in Love
14. Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me
15. The Shawshank Redemption
16. Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
17. Pay It Forward
18. The Broken Hearts Club
19. The Matrix
20. Casablanca