Filmmakers' (and Critics') Favorite Films

“And what’s more, this year, the team at ‘Sight & Sound’ asked me to contribute a top ten for this decade’s poll in. And I am in ridiculously illustrious company. This is both a huge honour and a source of incredible pain.

Why? Because top tens are hard.

Do you go with your head or heart? Do you give further kudos to the accepted milestones of classic cinema or do you draw from your more personal list of favourite movies.

Both Roger Ebert and Michael Atkinson have written eloquently on the difficultly on writing any definitive list. I will admit that I struggled with my list (to be...