1. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001/2002/2003)
Possibly the greatest fantasy films ever, I'm counting all three together because they are all from the same original story and are all released in this time period. It's so rare to have a cannon of films which all receive similar praise, even The Godfather trilogy has a fall with their third film, but all three of these films are deservedly considered incredibly. Along with all the best fantasy films Lord of the Rings has great acting, high tech CGI (although it's beginning to look a little dated), a good script and a wonderful soundtrack which combine to make great films but also realistic fantasy. It's rare for a fantasy film to get popular appeal and be recognised by the awards, this trilogy won 17 Oscars in total and get 8.8/8.9 on IMDb which shows that these films are successful in all possibly ways within this industry. Unfortunately The Hobbit films barely compare to Lord of the Rings, but I guess getting a good thing three times around is difficult, let alone trying to make it happen 6 times.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
These films keep rolling out but the first is still the best so they really need to stop making more. It's got a fantastic cast of characters from the memorable Jack Sparrow, to the kick-ass Elizabeth Swan but then also the bland Will Turner. Pirates are always fun, as long as they're the fictional swash-buckling kind, and this film creates a wonderfully fun and charming take on the pirate stereotype. It's one of those films where people of any age leave the cinema wanting to hop onto a ship and sail for treasure, and those are the bet kinds of films. You can't go wrong with this film, but you can go wrong with making too many pointless sequels (please stop).
3. Love Actually (2003)
The best rom-com ever, this is the rom-com to end all rom-coms, if you want to watch a rom-com this is the rom-com for you. It's got a great cast, is funny, has multiple plots for which ever type of love story you like, and it's set at Christmas time so there is always an excuse to watch it when the weather get a little cooler. I can't deny that I'm a fan of Richard Curtis, from his films to TV work he's excellent, and this is a good example of the kind of stuff he does, charming, funny and very British. This film also isn't overly sentimental, obviously there are a lot of cheesy moments, but there is also more alternative versions of love. If you want to watch a rom-com, this is the one to watch, whether for your first time or your 100th re-watch, watch Love Actually.
4. Belleville Rendezvous (2003)
A French animation with little/no dialogue but a very catchy song, what could be better? Everyone knows Pixar, Disney and Studio Ghibli but Sylvain Chomet should be another name that people who like animations are aware of. It is odd, be aware of that, there are Mafioso types who melt into each other, a tiny grandmother with uneven legs, and ageing singers who fish for frogs with bombs for their dinner. It's a typical French film where you just have to accept what you're seeing rather than questioning, because then you can enjoy it for what it is. If you're looking for a slight alternative to the more common animations, then this is amazing.
5. Moulin Rouge (2001)
Not everyone's favourite musical, but as someone who really likes cover song and Baz Luhrmann this is an amazing musical for me. It's a very pretty film with distracting costumes and colours if you don't like the rest of the film. It's a slightly flimsy plot, about misidentity and passionate love, but there is enough plot to keep you interested in between songs. Seeing Jim Broadbent singing Queen is one of the best thing you will see in the history of film. It's another film that you shouldn't take too seriously and just enjoy it for what it is, Jim Broadbent singing and a lot of bright colours. If you don't like musicals, maybe try this one, if you like musicals I assume you've already seen it.
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