Originality seems to be my theme for the top ten. Perhaps the films that are original took more thought and effort than the more conventional films or perhaps we are just experiencing a resurgence of original thought in the film industry that hasn’t been seen since the early ‘70s. Either way, this film by Australian director Baz Luhrman, best known for his modern-day adaptation of Romeo + Juliet, is indefinable in terms of a genre. It is most obviously a musical, which in itself is unique since there hasn’t been a major musical in nearly three decades. There are only a few original songs in this film with most of them being adaptations of famous pop songs like Elton John’s “Your Song” or “Roxanne” by The Police. These songs stand out in sharp contrast with the rest of the film since it is setup as a period piece set in turn-of-the-century Paris. Luhrman says he used the anachronistic songs to show what it would have been like to us if a great artist like Ewan McGregor’s character came along and enlightened the world with his music. It may or may not have the effect that Luhrman hoped for but it is certainly entertaining and, like all great musicals, provides for a very memorable cinematic experience. Of all the deeply meaningful, socially relevant, artistic statements I saw last year, I may have enjoyed this movie better than all of them simply because it left me something to remember. It made me feel joy, anguish, laughter, elation, and it let me sing along as well. I’ll take a memorable movie over a drab one any day and this movie is one that I will remember for years to come. It’s not Best Picture material, but it is a great film nonetheless and one that every true film lover should see.