20. OASIS
 
South Korea
dir. Lee Chang-dong
world premiere 2002
U.S. release 2004
 

 
Because this movie keeps a hell of a lot of plates spinning: two high-wire Method performances at the center, including one by an unafflicted actress approximating cerebral palsy; a boldly lit realist drama with sudden splashes of magical realism; a resident's profile of a bright, nervy Seoul; and a vision of madness, all tied up in romance. Every bit of it soars.