Best Movies of 2001

Remember those people in high school who listened to Morrissey before you did and they wanted you to know it? But they also couldn't hold down a job at a movie theater so it didn't really hurt your feelings too bad? Such is the case with the main character in Ghost World. Although at times you want to shake her for her jadedness, you still kind of want her to end up alright. More

For starters, you probably hate Pixar. But that's just jealousy talking because they're better than you. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll think Billy Crystal's not all together washed up. The perfect popcorn film for children and adults alike, don't let your kid see weakness -- they will overthrow you. More

A precursor to his later masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro's Spanish-language horror-fable The Devil's Backbone is a beautiful, terrifying and strangely moving affair. As much a drama as a horror film, it clearly sets the genre-bending foundation from which Guillermo would continue to build throughout the decade. More

In a decade where remakes and relaunches were a dime a dozen, one of the first and best re-tools of a film was Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven. Replacing Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack with a Who's Who of the Hollywood elite (headed up by George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon), Ocean's Eleven was a fun experience which entertained both film-going audiences and critics alike. More

Take two attractive stars like Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, stir in a passionate romance based on Greek literature and classic opera, mix with lively renditions of contemporary songs and drop it all into the dreamy, frenetic setting of turn-of-the century Paris. The result: a post-modern musical of epic proportions. More

Ridley Scott (that's "Sir" to you) still gets it right some of the time, as is evidenced by his inclusion on this list on more than one occasion. Black Hawk Down, from 2001, is a rock 'em, sock 'em depiction of the real-life Battle of Mogadishu that makes for a gripping movie experience -- and a stark reminder of the harsh realities of war. More

As a whole, 2001 was a great year for film. So it's high praise to say that The Royal Tenenbaums was our favorite comedy of the year. As absurd, off-beat and pretentious as all Wes Anderson films, Tenenbaums places that quirky personality on a dysfunctional family torn apart and brought back together by Gene Hackman's patriarch, Royal Tenenbaum. More

This mind-bending, nonlinear thriller heralded the arrival of future Bat-director Christopher Nolan. The first of several psychological features from the director, Memento became an indie sensation and boasted a strong lead performance by Guy Pearce. Nolan and brother Jonah re-teamed to script The Prestige and The Dark Knight. More

Loyal fans of the original books were skeptical at first, but even they were eventually won over by Peter Jackson's relatively faithful retelling of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy series. The first installment set the stage for what would become a grand three-part epic, pushing the boundaries of what could be done within the film medium. More