67. THE PIANO TEACHER
 
Austria/France
dir. Michael Haneke
world premiere 2001
U.S. release 2002
 

 
Because while Haneke has made more thematically ambitious and formally complex works, neither he nor virtually anyone else has offered such a resolute study of such an imposing character, whom it's impossible not to call "frightening," though one comes to pity her for this. Huppert's performance makes a strong bid as the best of the decade. Top ten, easily.