V For Vendetta

Alan Moore hates this movie. The Dark Wizard's comic was a masterpiece, but the film version, which is less about Thatcher's Britain than it is about Bush's America, is a very strong piece in and of itself. The story of the terrorist/freedom fighter V and Evy is, at once, a love story and a massively troubling story of abuse as pathfinder. While Natalie Portman is pretty good, it's Hugo Weaving who handles the entire heart of the film, and manages to do so without ever showing his face. That kind of physical acting is so difficult he should have won an Oscar! The story is dark, violent, sad, and triumphant, all in equal measure. The story of tyranny and the lone, brave soldier who stands against it is as moving as they come. In a way, he's Batman; V is all the training and dedication towards what is right, though without that whole moral code to keep his perfected human form in check. Why it's on the list: A powerhouse of a film, with a great cast, a brilliant script, and some of the prettiest cinematography in years.