Best Movies of 2000

For film lovers who want more from 2000 than its box-office hits: the year's finest films, from Oscar winners such as Gladiator and Traffic to festival discoveries that critics now rank among the best of the century. Much of the strongest work came from outside Hollywood, so expect Hong Kong, Taipei, Tehran, Mexico City and a frozen Hungarian town alongside American studio and independent films. The list goes by premiere year, so several of these reached American cinemas in 2001 or later. New to the year's world cinema? Start with In the Mood for Love or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. For pure entertainment, try Memento, Almost Famous or O Brother, Where Art Thou? Werckmeister Harmonies and Yi Yi reward patience, while Requiem for a Dream, Dancer in the Dark, Battle Royale, Amores Perros and American Psycho are the hardest to sit through.