top 12 films of last five years

over dinner with a trio of lovely ladies in las vegas the night before the academy awards, i was asked for suggestions on fantastic films from the last handful of years. i replied, naturally, that i could lay down a list of some doozies--maybe even a couple that they didn't expect and hadn't seen. i came home this week and pulled from my files, concocting a conglomerate of elites.

here's a list of my top 12 favorites--not Best, but Favorites--from the last five years (2003-2007), as per our dinner discussion. only the cream of the crop--ones that still Floor me, after this amount of time, with originality and execution. thank you, ladies, for the impetus to put this together:

whale rider
the magdalene sisters
eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
kinsey
sideways
brokeback mountain
hustle & flow
children of men
pan's labyrinth
once
there will be blood
no country for old men

if you haven't seen any of these, get to it. if you have, it's time for another viewing. i'm truly in awe of how they stand up.
for a more extensive list, or for a breakdown discussion of any of these films, hit me up directly anytime.