-Amelie: Probably the foreign film that made Americans appreciate foreign cinema a little more. In the discussions I've had with 'casual filmgoers', “Amelie” is constantly on their short list of foreign films they’ve seen and to their surprise, enjoyed. Hell, I’ll admit I truly didn’t appreciate foreign films until I saw “Amelie”. Such a discriminatory attitude towards foreign films usually begins with the notion that subtitles make foreign films a hard watch. So, in many respects, it was pertinent for a foreign film to come along that had a life of its own and carried the viewer past the ‘dreaded’ subtitles. Granted, I’d be lying if I said everyone will love “Amelie” upon its first viewing, but I feel most people would give other foreign films a shot once they experience “Amelie”. Much of this can be attributed to an adorable performance by Audrey Tatou who creates a character so lovable, even the coldest of hearts would have a hard time resisting her charm. But a lot of credit has to go to director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who treats the film almost like a fairy tale. Told at a rapid pace and featuring a palette full of colorful and endearing characters, Jeunet creates a film full of wonder and intrigue. His use of the camera and colors adds such beauty to the city of love, but most importantly, he adds a zest of life to the film that is irresistible, even to those who hate reading subtitles.Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj0CK_jgNns
Clip:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqT9kA1bcVQ
-The Dark Knight: The film that single handedly changed how comic book films are not only done, but how they're perceived by the critical mass. Most films of the genre are seen as simple fodder for the summer, but Nolan’s vision was bigger than that. Instead of relying on comic book convention, Nolan raised the bar and created a film that goes beyond the genre his titular character practically owns. On the outside looking in, the film looks like all of the other costume/super hero films: man dressed up in eccentric costume fights a destructive force. Yet, at its core, “The Dark Knight” grasps on to various themes that make the film resonate on many different levels, making the film edgy and far more effective than even the "indiest" of indies. When all of its themes and turns are taken into consideration, “The Dark Knight” plays out like a Shakespearean tragedy more than it does a superhero film. Much credit must be given to Christopher Nolan who had the balls to treat his characters like humans and not Saturday morning cartoon characters. In doing so, Nolan created a film that is not only full of adrenaline boosting action, but a film that strongly addresses the duality of man and the justice system. Oh, and it certainly didn't hurt that the film features great performances, especially from the late Heath Ledger. All in all, "The Dark Knight" is just as much a crime saga or Shakespeare tragedy as it is a comic book film, and it has laid a foundation that many 'superhero' films will mimic years down the road.Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UBP2nXtRRo
Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8PxG5zvgOM
-The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: There are three separate films here, but like the book, they should be treated as one entity. From a technical standpoint, this film is revolutionary, as Peter Jackson's WETA brings to life Tolkien's magnificent world. From the epic battle scenes to the tremendous construction of 'Gollum', Jackson makes a world we once could only imagine seem tangible and within reach. It would be an understatement to say the " Lord of the Rings" films raised the bar in regards to special effects, as they pushed this production aspect to the cutting edge. Yet this is not the only feather in Jackson and company's hat. "The Lord of the Rings", one of the most successful film franchises in film history, really made it seem cool for people to wave their “geek” flag high. There was a time where fantasy films involving elves, wizards, etc. were deemed as being nerdy, but this perception seemed to change with "The Lord of the Rings". Obviously the books had an enormous fan base to begin with, but anytime a film can reach past the fan base and 'convert' those who would normally never touch the source material, it truly is a special film. Now, not only did "The Lord of the Rings" bring an epic fantasy novel to the masses (as well as inspire other fantasy films to be green-lighted), it was one of the few fantasy films to be accepted, valued , and appreciated by critics who up until this point, never really seemed to put a lot of stock in fantasy films other than they were escapist fun. Yet, with its various themes and dark nature, "The Lord of the Rings" really showed the lengths at which a fantasy film can take an audience. With its state of the art of specials effects and devout screenplay adaptations, Peter Jackson’s trilogy made it ok to venture to another world and indulge ourselves in the lives of elves, wizards, and hobbits. 
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