This is the second post in my countdown of my 40 best movies of the decade. You can read #31-40 here. Let’s start with #30, The Motorcycle Diaries:

#30 The Motorcycle Diaries

Probably the best road trip movie of the decade (sorry Little Miss Sunshine), The Motorcycle Diaries is a different kind of autobiography, one that gives great insight into how Che became Che, and was based on his book of the same name. The film has a great gritty feel to it while still using the vibrant colors of the South American continent.

#29 Volver

Pedro Almodóvar turns in a gripping although not too gripping film about family and loss in Volver. It is one of those films that catches you a little off guard and just seems so right for where it was made and is one of the best European films I saw this decade.

#28 Milk

Sean Penn turns in what is certainly his best performance (he was good in Dead Man Walking and Mystic River, but nothing like this). It takes about two minutes to forget that you are watching Sean Penn – after that you are watching Harvey Milk. An uplifting and still very relevant story and Gus Van Sant’s best movie in a long time.

#27 A History of Violence

There is a lot to “A History of Violence”. There are great and quick action scenes, solid acting, a great Middle America setting, and a tight script. This is a movie that – if you can stomach a few gory scenes – that can be watched over and over again.

#26 Fahrenheit 9/11

This remains the most entertaining documentary I’ve ever seen (and yes, it’s a documentary). Lots of people don’t like Michael Moore or his politics (lots of people like Jack-in-the-Box too, so no accounting for taste) but when it comes to making entertaining documentaries about the most important issues in America, he’s simply the best.

#25 Billy Elliot

A joy of a movie, with an amazing debut performance by Jamie Bell as the title character. The film really focusing on turning youthful anger into inspiration, and some of the dance scenes (along with the great soundtrack) are unforgettable, especially the Rocky-ish dancing up the streets.

#24 Tie – Batman Begins & The Dark Knight

It’s very hard for me to separate these two films. I think that overall, Batman Begins is the better movie, with a better overall cast effort, especially from Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. However, The Dark Knight has Heath Ledger, and his Joker is without a doubt the best superhero film villain ever. So they are a tie. Here’s hoping there is a third leg of the series and that it doesn’t take a Spiderman 3 tumble.

#23 House of Sand and Fog

This is one of the most underrated movies of the decade. Both Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly turn in devastating performances in what is a pretty depressing movie – but sometimes depressing can be really good too.

#22 Casino Royale

Not since From Russia With Love has James Bond kicked this much ass. Great reboot (again, this was the decade of the reboot) and while not flawless (the poker playing goes on too long and well, the sequel wasn’t all that special) Casino Royale had one of the best Bond Girls ever, and was one of the most entertaining movies of the decade.

#21 Infernal Affairs

Although I really like The Departed as well, the movie it was based on – Infernal Affairs – was just a tick better, if for no other reason than it has a better ending. Infernal Affairs is a great example of how life with cell phones changes everything (even crime dramas), especially in Asia.

The other movies on the list:

#1-10

#11-20

#31-40