Crash (2004)

Candy coated look at the intersecting lives of several hundred people in Los Angeles. Melodramatic and carefully constructed to remind to the viewer that racism is terrible. Lives intersect repeatedly, and so on occasion to brilliant editing, performance, and music to form several powerful tear-jerk moments. Better title: Hate Actually.

Iron Man

Elf director Favreau pits RDJ against Bald Lebowski in original and entertaining comic adaptation. First superhero film of the decade to employ comic book camp and action gravitas in perfect harmony. Suffers from Batman Begins syndrome where second half villain fight doesn’t quite live up to first half creation story.