My personal list of movies I enjoyed / open new windows to the world:

The Circle - 2001 - Excellent film re: life in Iran for seven women in trouble from the law. Freedoms taken for granted would not be in Iran.
If you liked this one, you'll also like The Day I Became a Women.

42 UP - 1999 - (and 35 UP - 1992) - part of the clever British documentary of taping several people every seven years from age seven on - "Give me the boy at seven and I'll show you the man".

The Lovers on a Bridge - 1991 - Another great film by Leos Carax featuring his beautiful wife Juliette Binoche and his favorite actor Denis Lavant as two homeless people in Paris. If you like this one, you'll also like Boy Meets Girl.

Amores Perros (Life's a Bitch) - 2000 - Blockbuster Mexican hit showing three different stories which are all interrelated.

1999 Releases - AfterLife, Lovers of the Artic Circle, The Apple, Buena Vista Social Club, Hillary & Jackie, Run Lola Run, Nothing, The Personals, Love Will Tear Us Apart.

1998 - Un Air De Famille, The Sweat Hereafter, The Thief, Xiu Xiu - The Sent Down Girl.

1997 - Ponette, Breaking the Waves, Le Promisse.

1995 - Les Miserables

I also love the great Polish / French trilogy Red, White and Blue by Krzysvtof Kieslowski.

If Hollywood made films like these, I'd be going to the Cineplex more often.

Good American Movies over the past several years include: Mulholland Drive, Dinner Rush, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Being John Malkovich, American Beauty, American Movie, Smoke Signals, Something About Mary, Chasing Amy, In The Company of Men, Fargo, The Usual Suspects, Shawshank Redemption, Seven.

All Four Stars and Thumbs Up.

Enjoy!!!