1. Oldboy (2003)

A Korean everyman is kept in jail overnight for drunkenness and, upon release, is kidnapped and confined in a room for 15 years. Upon being mysteriously released to find his wife murdered and daughter missing, he embarks on a mission of revenge that brings to realization all the wrong he has done in his life.

Director Park Chan-Wook’s film is an absolute masterpiece that will affect the viewer emotionally and physically. The plot-twist is mind-blowing, the action is visceral, and the overwhelming sense of confusion and anger builds to one of the best movie climaxes in recent memory.

Anyone who has not seen “Oldboy” owes it to themselves. It is the best movie of the last 10 years.

2. Memento (2000)

A man with no short-term memory attempts to track down his wife’s murderer, without ever being sure who he can trust, and having to figure it out again every day.

The film’s structure is mind-bending and brilliant, and requires at least two viewings to figure out entirely, unless a loudmouthed friend spells it all out. The performances, particularly by Joe Pantoliano and Guy Pearce, are absolutely spot-on.

“Memento” is a thinking man’s movie if there ever was one, and first cemented Christopher Nolan as a director to watch for years to come, a distinction he has continued to deserve.

3. The Wrestler (2008)

Darren Aronofsky’s tale of a past-his-prime professional wrestler and the repercussions his lifestyle has had on himself and his loved ones is the most straightforward, plot-driven film the director has ever made. However, the bare-bones independent film is wrought with emotions, mainly due to a trio of world-class performances by Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke.

Rarely does performer and material mesh as perfectly as Rourke did with this script. The story of Randy “The Ram” and his quest for a comeback echoes Rourke’s own attempts for silver-screen redemption.

The result is a film that captures genuine emotions in a way few can. “The Wrestler” is quite possibly one of the few films that a grown male can cry at, without having to explain himself to a taunting friend afterward.

4. The Departed (2006)

Directing legend Martin Scorsese’s remake of 2002 Hong Kong thriller “Infernal Affairs” manages to improve on the original, which was already a must-see.

The twisting tale of cat and mouse between a cop undercover in a gang and a gangster undercover in the police department is highlighted by a no-frills script by William Monohan. The film deftly deals with duality, right and wrong, and the nature of father figures and fatherhood.

There is not an underwhelming performance in this film, but it is highlighted by Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon as the moles in each organization, Jack Nicholson as a mob boss, and Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg as superiors in the police department, all of whom turn in career-making performances. Never once does this movie let off the tension or pull a single punch.

It provides cinematic satisfaction of the highest degree. Keep the film at a high volume, so the sound is not drowned out by the thud of jaws hitting the floor at the climax.

5. Amelie (Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain) (2001)

An isolated and awkward girl in Paris tries to spice up her own life by enhancing other people’s lives in strange and inventive ways. Through her antics, Amelie eventually finds the love she has lacked her entire life. Featuring a classically endearing performance by Audrey Tautou as the title character, “Amelie” is an uplifting and unmistakably French movie that shows just how much good one person can do in the lives of others.

6. The Dark Knight (2008)

If every summer blockbuster was as cinematically significant as “The Dark Knight,” the heads of film reviewers and historians alike would explode.

A deep moral movie that takes a film noir approach to fate and doom, and personifies it in Heath Ledger’s seminal portrayal of The Joker, Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie is one of the best noir films in recent years. As far as crime films of the last decade go, it pales only to “The Departed.” As far as superhero movies are concerned, it doesn’t get better, and even Nolan may not be able to top himself in that regard.

7. WALL-E (2008)

Many gripe the second half of this movie lags desperately, essentially once human characters are introduced into this tale of flirtation and romance between two robots on a desolated earth.

However, it could be argued that anything would pale in comparison to the first half of “WALL-E,” 45 of the most wonderful minutes ever projected onto a movie screen. Director Andrew Stanton and his Pixar crew managed to do so much with so little, turning what is essentially a cube with eyes into one of the most endearing and lovable movie protagonists of recent memory. Whether the message of the film is regarded as heavy-handed or not, anyone who leaves a viewing of “WALL-E” without being emotionally affected would have the existence of their emotions questioned.

8. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

It may not be possible for one to watch this film without falling in love with it. The Coen Brothers’ adaptation of the Odyssey features a stellar cast headed up by George Clooney and a fantastic and memorable soundtrack. A true must-see for anybody who claims to be a movie-lover.

E-mail the author: Brad Canze