I was gonna do a couple of blog posts Sunday but got distracted, in classic ADD style, by another venture: choosing my favorite movies of the last decade, writing a wee bit about them and sending the list to film-loving friends.

Since one of my picks, the great-from-start-to-finish "Sideways," easily made the cut -- it probably would be in my top three if I ranked them that way  -- I have an excuse to share the list with you. Other excuses: Wine aficionados tend also to love movies, and I'm going to be writing here about celluloid efforts throughout the week.  

This is not intended to be a "greatest films of the Aughts" list but rather a look at the ones that really hit home for me. I won't apologize for the preponderance of "popcorn movies," and I certainly won't pretend that I have seen nearly enough movies overall. The biggest holes: foreign films and the kind of serious, depressing movies that I'm just rarely in the mood to watch; I've still never seen "Philadelphia," for example, or many Oscar-nominated films from this decade.

To make it interesting, challenge myself and not be limited to 10 movies, I did them in pairs (and yes, some of the couplings might make sense only to me). And to make this more wine-centric, I'll recommend something to sip while viewing. 

*``Children of Men'' and ``The Lives of Others": Which is more dystopian, the Eastern Bloc past or the barren (in more ways than one) future?  Tough call, terrific viewing. Sip: a hearty, bracing syrah.

*``Sideways'' and ``High Fidelity": For someone who is passionate about wine and song, these masterfully written and drawn tales nailed the natures of love and obsession. Great endings, too. Sip: anything but merlot.

*``Far from Heaven'' and ``Wonder Boys": Ineffably but indelibly evoking a certain chapter in American life, these dramas were somehow both wrenching and beautiful. Sip: a sturdy older cab, from Bordeaux or Napa.

*``O Brother Where Art Thou?" and ``Across the Universe": Fun from opening to closing credits, each was phantasmagorical in its own way. And sweet baby Jesus, what music! Sip: a low-alcohol riesling, early and often.

*``Casino Royale" and `` The Dark Knight": They revived moribund franchises but also stand alone as powerful, original works of art. Great "popcorn movies," Dark & Engrossing Division. Sip: vintage Port.

*``Ghost World'' and ``Pan's Labyrinth": If anyone needs convincing that the growing-up process is far more interesting among the fairer sex, these gems provide it. Sip: a spritely but sturdy albarino.

*``Gosford Park" and "State of Play" (BBC version): Nobody does mysteries like the Brits (or maybe Robert Altman channeling them), as these marvelously layered, riveting sagas show. Sip: a red Burgundy that starts a bit closed up and unfolds and evolves over several hours.

*``Ratatouille" and ``The Triplets of Belleville": Animated in every way, but filled with life and love, Paris-style. (And what locale, after all, has more life, love and style than Paree?). Sip: Champagne or cremant.

*``Moulin Rouge" and ``Amelie": OK, so I'm a Francophile. These looky extravaganzas utterly  transported me to another place and time, equal parts Paris and an auteur's imagination. Sip: Champagne or cremant.

*``Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and ``Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban": Some "Empire Strikes Back" darkness elevates the fairy-tale grandeur of these timeless sagas. Sip: a hearty, complex nebbiolo.

Close ...: ``Syrianna, ``Star Trek," ``Memento," ``The Departed," ``Spiderman 2," ``No Country for Old Men," ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," ``The Bourne Identity [and sequels]," ``Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," `` A Serious Man"

Have to catch up with ASAP: ``Y Tu Mama Tambien," ``Spirited Away," ``Slumdog Millionaire," ``There Will Be Blood," ``Brokeback Mountain," ``Up in the Air"