Top 10's Flashback: 2004

10. Hotel Rwanda

An emotional powerhouse of a movie. Don Cheadle gives his career best performance in a film about overcoming and surviving reckless hate. A modern-day Schindler's List, if you will.

9. Sideways

A smart, funny comedy that seamlessly walks the line between laugh-out-loud hysterical, and thoughtful existentialism. All four leads are pitch perfect in a film bound to bring out the wine enthusiast in all of us.

8. Downfall

These days, this film has been reduced to a very funny internet meme. But behind that meme is a very dramatic, suspenseful film about the final days of Adolph Hitler. It makes no attempt to humanize or justify his actions, but rather presents a candid portrait - thanks in part to a stone cold performance from Bruno Ganz.

7. Kill Bill: Vol. 2

The epic conclusion to Quentin Tarantino's two-part genre-mash. While the first film was more of an old-school kung-fu/samurai flick, this one pays more of an homage to the Western. It takes a knowledgeable film aficionado to point out the many similarities between these films and obscure-to-the-West Asian cinema (not stereotyping - Chinese, Japanese and Korean are all there), but the presentation is flawless and the film is endlessly entertaining.

6. The Aviator

Martin Scorsese may not have been the first choice to direct this Howard Hughes biopic, but after watching the film I couldn't imagine it being done by anything else. With its grand scale and less-than-modest running time, The Aviator evokes a tradition of biographical filmmaking that was much more prevalent in the 1960's. But for the sake of the film, it works. Great work by Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett.

5. Million Dollar Baby

Million Dollar Baby could have very easily fallen into the old underdog story cliché. At first glance, it would be easy to write this film off as Rocky with a woman... "Rockette", if you will. And it does almost begin that way, but it veers off into a very unexpected direction. Clint Eastwood's morally conflicted character adds a nice touch, as well.

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Who says no one makes original movies anymore? Charlie Kaufman, one of modern cinema's most gifted screenwriters joined forces with Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth to put together a refreshingly original, quirky, funny and even thought-provoking romance. Watching memories unfold as they're being erased is pure magic.

3. Collateral

Tom Cruise gives one of his best performances in a rare villainous role. Collateral is a brisk, intelligent thriller that is shot in a way that turns the entire city of Los Angeles into a living, breathing character (metaphorically speaking, of course). It brings up interesting philosophical moral questions (and leaves them open for the viewer to decide), but it never stops entertaining.

2. The Incredibles

Disney and Pixar join forces with former "Simpsons" writer Brad Bird to bring a whole new meaning to the term, "nuclear family". The Incredibles has a unique backdrop as far as "superhero" movies are concerned, which complements an equally unique story (as could only be imagined by the good folks at Pixar). It's a successful send-up to the old-school serials, it's highly quotable, and it's seriously one of the most "fun" motion pictures you will ever watch.

1. The Passion of the Christ

Controversy aside, The Passion of the Christ was an incredibly well-made film. Oddly enough, it helps to NOT view it as a religious film, but to view it based on its own merits. It's easy to shrug it off as an allegedly anti-Semitic film (which I do not believe it is) or a "snuff film" (although I can see why that would come up). Not to offend the faith-based community either, but the entire fantasy genre strives on structure that is derived from the story of Christ (although much of it is metaphor - and not always overt like Narnia). I was impressed by the film's use of Aramaic to tell the story, the incredible cinematography, John Debney's Earth-shattering score, and some very strong performances - particularly by Maia Morgenstern, who acts as the film's emotional center.

I should also point out I'm not exactly the most religious guy in the world (there are many members - not all, but many - of the faith-based community who have me facepalming on a regular basis). I appreciate Mel Gibson's personal reasons for making the film, and also the technical perfection that was put into it. As far as "Christian" movies go, you literally cannot do better than The Passion of the Christ.

Honorable Mentions:

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War

Closer

Shaun of the Dead

Ray

Team America: World Police

Top 10's Flashback: 2005

10. Transamerica

As fun as it is enlightening, Transamerica explores a transsexual woman who finds herself having to bail out and watch over a son she didn't know she had from her previous life as a man. Felicity Huffman's performance stands out as one of the year's best - not only is she quite believable as a man on a steady diet of estrogen, but the emotional aspect of her performance is all there as well.

9. Walk the Line

At the Oscars, Jon Stewart jokingly referred to this film as Ray with white people. While he's not entirely wrong, Walk the Line boasts some wonderful writing and incredible performances. It thrived in spite of the fact that the drug-addicted-musician story was beginning to become a cliché, and managed to become an enjoyable film from start to finish.

8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Shane Black's wit knows no bounds. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a smart, incredibly well-written movie that can take credit for helping Robert Downey Jr. get his career back. Val Kilmer gives one of his career best performances. The movie is a hilarious thrill-ride. Can't really expect anything less from the writer of Lethal Weapon.

7. Good Night, and Good Luck.

George Clooney is one of modern cinema's most gifted actors, there are few who will argue with that. However, he also is an incredibly skilled director. Good Night, and Good Luck shows just what Mr. Clooney can do with a good screenplay and a good cast. David Strathairn is flawless in the lead.

6. Crash

It was ridiculous that this film won the Oscar for Best Picture, but that doesn't take away from it the fact that it is a great movie that shines a light on a side of ourselves we like to pretend doesn't exist. Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco wrote a very impressive ensemble piece. It definitely is the type of film everyone should watch.

5. King Kong

Peter Jackson and his LOTR team got back together for his passion project, the King Kong remake. What I found remarkable about this film was not only its state-of-the-art visual effects, but the fact that it took the original 30's classic and added depth to it. Ann Darrow became more than just a screamer, and Kong became more than just a monster. We are allowed to empathize with this creature (thanks, in part, to another thankless performance by Andy Serkis).

4. Sin City

Say what you will about Robert Rodriguez, but that man is one ambitious filmmaker. Sin City is what happens when you cross a 1940's film-noir with today's ADD-style filmmaking. The result is a match made in heaven (made possible by Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller and special guest director Quentin Tarantino). The cast is (mostly) perfect, and the visual appeal never lets up. There truly is nothing else like it (although Frank Miller tried to recreate it for The Spirit - unsuccessfully, I might add).

3. Batman Begins

Eight years after Joel Schumacher made a mockery of Tim Burton's adaptation, Christopher Nolan came back and created a comic book film anyone can take seriously. Batman Begins transcends its original medium and becomes a great Crime/Drama with a really twisted psychological aspect to it.

2. Munich

Call it my Spielberg bias, but Munich was a genuinely suspenseful film with a thought-provoking message about the negative aspects of retaliation.

1. Brokeback Mountain

One of the films that defined the decade, Brokeback Mountain isn't the first movie to explore a love between two men, but it certainly did remove all the stereotypes and preconceived notions about homosexuality and showed the world that they are, in fact, human. It's about a love that's stronger than the social taboos that would try to prevent it from happening. A beautifully-shot, well-acted drama through and through. It's more than just a "gay" movie. It is one of cinema's greatest love stories.

Honorable Mentions:

War of the Worlds
Cinderella Man
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Match Point
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Top 10's Flashback: 2006

10. Babel

A very effective, emotional, incredibly well-shot ensemble piece about understanding beyond language barriers. The stories span three different parts of the globe, yet they all fit together like pieces to a puzzle. The acting is incredible from start to finish, particularly from Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi.

9. A Prairie Home Companion

Robert Altman's final film, as well as a very appropriate send-off for the veteran director. A Prairie Home Companion very much maintains Altman's unique directorial style in a wonderful, Nashville-esque ensemble piece. Don't be scared off by the fact that Lindsay Lohan is in this movie. This is the last good thing she was ever in (unless you count her involvement with Machete). She also joined by a spectacular cast, including Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Kevin Kline, Tommy Lee Jones, and so on and so forth. It is a smart, funny film that was designed to make you feel right at home whenever you watch it.

8. Little Miss Sunshine

Another quirky "indie" comedy? You bet. Little Miss Sunshine does indulge in the fact that it feels like an indie flick (in spite of having an all-star cast), but it does have an extremely well-written screenplay, and is also one of the year's funniest, most heartwarming films.

7. The Proposition

An under-appreciated masterpiece of Australian cinema, The Proposition has the distinction of being an "Outback Western". No detail was spared in making the film look as authentic as possible - from the constant presence of flies regardless of where the characters are to the fact that none of them look like they've ever seen a toothbrush in their lives (which would be accurate, considering the time in which the movie takes place), The Proposition thrives in its authenticity and the fact that it's just an all-around great film.

6. Dreamgirls

Easily the best non-animated thing Eddie Murphy has done in the last decade. Dreamgirls might not be an intellectual flick, but it certainly is a beautiful, entertaining film with some surprisingly breathtaking performances - namely from Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. It's simply a marvel to look at - cinematography, sets and everything. Great songs, too.

5. The Queen

Peter Morgan brings himself to the forefront as one of cinema's best screenwriters, and Helen Mirren gives one of the most iconic performances ever captured on camera.

4. United 93

I'm aware this is the third list in which United 93 was featured. That just goes to show how great of a movie it is. Paul Greengrass had to walk a thin line when making this film, as it was released only five years after 9/11. But he very effectively captured the seriousness of the situation without upstaging it or over-dramatizing it. Simply incredible.

3. Letters from Iwo Jima



The second part to Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima saga, and easily the better of the two. Letters from Iwo Jima explores the Historical battle from the perspective of "the enemy". Especially when it's put together with its predecessor Flags of Our Fathers, it tells a wonderful story about the pain and horrors of war. Although unlike Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima holds its own ground as a great film - as opposed to just a good one.

2. The Departed

One of the few Hollywood remakes that's so good no one seems to know (or even really care) that it's a remake. Martin Scorsese proved yet again why he's one of the greatest directors in Hollywood with an extremely well-written screenplay by William Monahan.

1. Children of Men

It's dark and depressing, but there is a constant aura of hope that holds the movie together and keeps us watching. Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography is phenomenal - seriously, this film has some of the best camera work I've ever seen. Clive Owen is amazing as always, as is the rest of the cast. From start to finish, Children of Men is just a great film.

Honorable Mentions:

The Prestige
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Pan's Labyrinth
Happy Feet
Cars

The Curse of the Genre Mash-up: In Defense of Cowboys & Aliens...

It's okay, Daniel. I hate analog watches too.

From Rotten Tomatoes' tomatometer consensus:

"Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford are as dependably appealing as ever, but they're let down by director Jon Favreau's inability to smooth Cowboys & Aliens' jarring tonal shifts."

After watching the film for myself, I have a pretty good retort:

WHAT "jarring tonal shifts"?

When I read that, I began to fear for the film. I mean, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci (the guys behind Star Trek) co-writing with Lost's Damon Lindelof and co-writers of the amazingly brilliant Children of Men, Mark Fergus and Hawk Otsby... could they have possibly half-assed the screenplay? Did they really awkwardly slap two genres together for a quick buck? Say it ain't so! It can't be! And would producer Ron Howard and executive producer Steven Spielberg allow such a sloppy screenplay to be filmed?

I like to pretend these never happened.

And what of director Jon Favreau? The brilliant, brilliant man who brought Iron Man to life and made Buddy the Elf a permanent resident of our hearts? He... FAILED to smooth out the screenplay's "jarring tonal shifts"? It can't be. Not THAT Jon Favreau. Surely, you're speaking of a different man.

Hey, it may be Jumanji in space... But who said that wouldn't be awesome?

Then I watched the movie. Possibly... a different movie than what the Tomatometer critics saw? See, here's the problem. When you have a movie called Cowboys and Aliens, that sets up two different kinds of expectations. See, I went in expecting a Western with aliens.

Excuse me, I failed to set up my point properly. Here's where I'm coming from.

Whenever you have a genre mash-up... it's never really two genres. It is always one genre. The other "genre" isn't so much the movie's genre as it is another twist on the movie's REAL genre. For instance, Shaun of the Dead. It's technically referred to as a Horror-Comedy. But let's get real here. Shaun of the Dead isn't really a Horror film. It's a Comedy with zombies. No one is going to watch Shaun of the Dead because they think it'll scare them. They'll watch it because it's utterly hilarious.

"I loved that movie, Young Frankenstein... Scared the Hell out of me!"

Now when you have a mash-up of any two particular genres, the trick is to find out which one is the film's actual genre, and which one is the gimmick. With Shaun of the Dead, Comedy is the genre and Horror is the gimmick. With Scream on the other hand, it's the other way around. And both work extremely well.

Cowboys & Aliens isn't the first time the Sci-fi and Western were mashed up. We already have Star Wars, Serenity and in some cases Star Trek. However, with those three films it's clear that Sci-fi is the main genre. If you view Cowboys & Aliens this way, however, you're in for a major letdown. Because Sci-fi is only the gimmick. Cowboys & Aliens, at its core, is a Western.

The Sci-fi twist on the Western is not done quite as often as the Western twist on the Sci-fi. The only other movie I can think of that attempted it... didn't fare so well.

His name is Jim West. Get it? There's more where that came from.

If you're watching Cowboys & Aliens as a Sci-fi, of course you'll see some jarring tonal shifts. I'd be annoyed too if my Sci-fi kept getting interrupted by long stretches of Western. Get your John Wayne out of my Pandora! I wanna see blue people fuck shit up!

Cowboys & Aliens works beautifully as a Western. Sprawling landscapes (not CGI'd in, like The Warrior's Way), a man with no name, cowboys, indians, the whole shebang. And aliens. A couple of the critics who "get it" compared it with The Searchers (by saying it's that meets Independence Day - which isn't far off, mind you). It's about people trying to find the ones they love. Instead of indians, however, it's aliens who have taken them.

Is it preposterous? Of course it is! But you don't go to a movie called Cowboys & Aliens looking for realism, do you? The minute any writer embarks on that path, anything goes. The question is, how far can its audience suspend disbelief? I did just fine.

I have further proof that this was a much better film than the Tomatometer would have you believe.

Um... okay?

"Big deal", you might say. "Lots of movies have kids in them. And some of them are great actors. Look at that girl from True Grit." I know. I know. I don't doubt that. This kid drew applause at one point from the audience. Applause. Keep that in mind, because your jaw is about to drop. Look at this kid again. Closer. Doesn't he look a tad bit familiar? Just a tad.

You ready?

AHHHHH! KILL IT!

That's right. A year ago, the same audience wanted to strangle this kid with a kendo stick. Tonight, they applauded him. To me, a director who can pull that off didn't fail at jack shit. On the other hand, it shows the difference between a good director who obviously cares about making a good movie - Jon Favreau - and a formerly good director who seemed to stop caring altogether.

Whatevs. I'm rich, beeotch!

Maybe it was a collective decision by most critics. Maybe they felt they've been too lenient on movies, and can't very well like everything that comes out. Aesthetically, Cowboys & Aliens was actually better than many recent films that got passing grades. Unfortunately, it just came along at the wrong time. Some people weren't in the right mood. Or in the right mindset. In any case, it's an awesome film from start to finish. Not a great Sci-fi by any means, but a wicked cool Western. Go see it!

5 Simple Steps to Being a Good Film Critic

Ever since Rotten Tomatoes added a feature where you can comment on a critic's review, critics were subjected to three types of comments:

1. The fanboys attempting to invalidate said critic's opinion by shining a light on a less popular opinion. On some occasions, they'll actually post a glaring blemish on that critic's record, like a negative review on The Godfather or a positive review on Vampires Suck. But for the most part, they'll cite middle-of-the-road movies that you can actually see why someone would actually like or dislike. Example: "He gave Priest a positive review and Horrible Bosses a negative review so his opinion means nothing".

2. The defenders who call out fanboys for attacking the critic's opinion. While in many instances they're in the right, their posts come across as Holier-than-thou and often times they'll come off as more pretentious than the critic they're defending. It gets problematic when they'll defend a particularly poorly-written review (they're out there). It's not uncommon for them to accuse fanboys of being "studio plants".

3. Douchebags. Take #1, turn the volume way up (as displayed by their tendency to write in all caps) and the intelligence way down (as displayed by their inability to utilize correct grammar). These posts only exist to insult the critic in the most juvenile way possible.

All three cases of this are actually quite sad, because for the most part NONE of the commenters have yet seen the movie they're attacking and defending. All we have are the critics' words to go by. But there are so many, and Rotten Tomatoes slaps 'em all together in a big ol' concensus, and if that consensus goes below 60, the film is automatically considered "bad".

But who's reviewing these movies? What are they basing their reviews on? Most of all, is anyone really listening? Take, for instance, the Transformers trilogy. Blasted by critics from start to finish. But everyone still showed up to those movies. Everyone shelled out the cash, defying the critics' warnings. Did anyone die? Nope. Did society crumble and fall? Nope. Everything was fine. There wasn't too much of an audience backlash with those movies. They were generally well-regarded by non-critics. People obviously kept coming back for more, in spite of the tomatometer telling them there wasn't much to see.

Upon reading reviews for Cowboys & Aliens (which at the time are more-negative-than-positive), I began to wonder if critics are viewing these movies with the correct mindset. I know that when you spend your time watching movies, particularly if you've gone to film school or have seen all the avant-garde classics and Godardian masterpieces... that sort of thing can change the way you watch movies. But where do you draw the line? At what point can you tell whether the movie is bad or the critic is being a pretentious twat?

There are some who know what they're doing. I don't always agree with Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper and Peter Travers, but they are good writers. They know what they're talking about, and they all have valid reasons for forming their opinions. Check out their reviews. They're actually good reads. Even if you don't agree, you see what they're saying. It's clear, it's concise, and you can make a pretty good judgment on whether or not you want to see a movie from reading their reviews. That's the kind of critic everyone else should strive to be like.

The sad thing is many of these critics aren't quite aware of why their reviews seem so out-of-touch. Some will go on the defensive, as if their opinions are scripture. So I set up a list of rules that I go by. People tend to trust my opinion.

1. Don't judge all movies on the same criteria. I watched a video last year where one film critic recommended that all aspiring film critics do this. I'm sorry, that critic is an idiot. It's impossible, and simply unreasonable to put a movie like Captain America up to the same standards as Schindler's List.  All movies are different. Even within their genre, they're different. Die Hard and The Lord of the Rings are both action movies, but they're so different that judging them on the same criteria is simply asinine. Each movie should get its own criteria based on your expectations of the movie. Going on that point...

2. Know what to expect. I find it mind-boggling that critics have not become accustomed to Michael Bay's style of directing yet. They know who he is and what he does, yet still get appalled when they see him do more of it. Few of them acknowledge that he does it well, only that he does it. And that bothers them. Trailers often set up expectations for a movie. Don't ignore that! If the movie fails to live up to those expectations, that's a weakness of the film and you can go on that. But if you expected it to be "just good", and you got a movie that was "just good", then the movie should still be considered "just good". This issue came up with Pixar's most recent film, Cars 2. The trailers promised a movie that was "just good", yet critics let the Pixar brand build it up to something bigger than it was, and that hurt its score. Don't second-guess your expectations.

3. It's one thing to form an expectation of a movie before you see it. It's quite another to form an opinion on it. If that's the way you're gonna be, don't even watch it. Although there are those of you who kind of... you know... have to. Because it's your job and stuff. In which case, I suppose it would be difficult to avoid this scenario. If there is a genre you do not like, you should absolve yourself from becoming a professional film critic. Do something else. Try to make movies instead. Nothing is more annoying than a critic who hates Science Fiction and gives a negative review to a sci-fi film. If you've already decided that it sucks, that's it. Your opinion is formed, and there will be nothing in the movie to change your mind.

4. Your opinions are not objective. Get over it. Opinions are the most subjective thing in the world, and no one has a more valid opinion than anyone else. You can shoot me every reason you can find as to why TRON: Legacy was a bad film, and I'll shrug it off tell you how many of those points I disagree with, allege that you did NOT see the same movie I did, and I'll get over it. I'm not wrong. Likewise, neither are you. But don't act all snobbish around me because I liked the mindless action film and you didn't. These are just the types of movie I'm into.

5. If your name is Armond White, please select a profession that does not involve movies.

That's about it. Happy critiquing!

Top 10's Flashback: 2007

10. Once

A quasi-Musical drama about songwriting. Made on a very low budget, this little movie is filled with a certain magic that is missing from many higher-budget films. "Falling Slowly" has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever written for a movie. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová perform their songs with passion. It really is beautiful.

9. Enchanted

Marks the beginning of Disney's comeback. Enchanted was a clever throw-back to the old-school Disney classics, a deconstruction of the old-school Disney classics, and an old-school Disney classic itself. Amy Adams is perfect as Giselle, the studio's first live-action "princess". The music is as bright and charming as ever, and the screenplay is smart and funny.

8. Juno

Considering the subject matter, it could have easily been another TV-movie about pregnancy. Thanks to Diablo Cody's astounding screenplay and quirky characters, Juno ended up being so much better than that. It's hilarious! Yes, I'm aware nobody talks like that. But Ellen Page is so endearing, I didn't really care.

7. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Stephen Sondheim is a Musical Theatre legend, there's no doubt about that. But it does feel like Sweeney Todd had been created so that Tim Burton could eventually adapt it into a movie. A few vocal surprises came up, but none as surprising as Johnny Depp. Helena Bonham Carter's voice was throaty, but that was appropriate for her character. The film basks in set pieces that could only be dreamt up in a Tim Burton film. It's dark, it's bleak, and it's sinister... but it never loses its sense of fun.

6. No Country for Old Men

A deliberately-paced thought-provoking film that only the Coen Brothers could pull off. A reflection on good, evil and the in-between. Life and death. Javier Bardem is cold and frightening in this film.

5. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

A very interesting take on the Western. While most Westerns embrace a vast, open environment, we watch the environment in this film get smaller and smaller. It humanizes the infamous outlaw, but never drops his intimidating demeanor. Casey Affleck gives his career best performance as Robert Ford. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful, as well.

4. Into the Wild

Whether you consider Christopher McCandless a philosopher or a raving lunatic, Sean Penn approached this project in a way where it won't even matter. It's a celebration of nature and of a man who was brave enough to try to live in it. It briefly touches upon what drove him to such a wild task, and it allows you to experience his genius as well as his madness. Whatever the case, Into the Wild is a profoundly human drama.

3. Hairspray

Bright, colorful, unapologetically silly but all together... In 2007, there was no movie that was more fun to watch than Hairspray. That's right, I said it. The Musical numbers were great, the singing was flawless, the choreography was a thing to behold and the actors were all in top form. It's the kind of movie that will have you smiling from start to finish.

2. Ratatouille

Who says you can't make something original anymore? To be fair, it takes a uniquely interesting person to come up with a story like this. A rat that wants to be a chef? Who thinks up a story like that? The good people at Pixar, that's who. Ratatouille is a remarkably mature family film. Kids may not appreciate its originality quite as much as adults will, but it truly is a perfect film.

1. There Will Be Blood

Its deliberate pacing and Jonny Greenwood's unsettling score set a very menacing tone which keeps the audience on its toes. This is accentuated by Robert Elswit's static cinematography, and Daniel Day-Lewis' iconic performance. His character has a very clear descent into madness, which hits the audience like a ton of bricks in one of the most well-acted monologues in the history of film.

Honorable Mentions:

Hot Fuzz

Knocked Up

American Gangster

Gone Baby Gone

3:10 to Yuma

Top 10's Flashback: 2008.

10. Changeling

Angelina Jolie gives one of the best performances of her career as a grieving mother searching for her lost son. Changeling is a very tragic, unsettling tale of deception and corruption, and a woman who would stop at nothing to find the truth.

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A very strange film indeed, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a visually impressive story with great acting and incredible cinematography. We're never actually told why Benjamin ages backwards, but it does present an interesting way of telling the story as well as a rather unique look at the world.

8. Revolutionary Road

Back together for the first time since Titanic, Kate and Leo explore a different kind of relationship. We begin to watch as this couple begins to unravel due to the pressures of society and parenthood. Revolutionary Road has some of the year's best performances, and brings director Sam Mendes back to a level of angst not seen since American Beauty.

7. Frost/Nixon

Ron Howard pulled out the big guns when he made this film. It wasn't the uplifting underdog he's used to telling... well... it IS an underdog story, but it certainly isn't the same kind of movie as Cinderella Man or A Beautiful Mind. This time, Ron Howard went Oliver Stone on this movie. Frost/Nixon is an unforgettable battle of wits, and Frank Langella has a commanding presence throughout.

6. In Bruges

A sharp, funny, incredibly well-written dark comedy. In Bruges was a bit of a turning point in Colin Farrell's career, as it brought the respectable actor out of him. It's difficult not to laugh it the absurdity of the dialogue, but the darker, more sinister story is always looming underneath, and it comes out full force by the end of the movie.

5. Slumdog Millionaire

Whereas Ron Howard opted not to make the "Hollywood" underdog story, Danny Boyle went ahead and made the "Bollywood" underdog story. Slumdog Millionaire is very clever, using the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as its backdrop. Newcomer Dev Patel is endearing in the leading role, and A.R. Rahman's score is unforgettable.

4. The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke delivers one of cinema's most iconic performances in recent years. The Wrestler is a very interesting character piece, which not only examines its subject's life as a pro wrestler, but how it has affected his personal life and his family.

3. Milk

Sean Penn once again proves why he is one of cinema's most gifted actors, stepping into the shoes of Harvey Milk. Milk came at a very politically poignant time. California had just passed the discriminatory Prop 8, and Milk was a very inspiring movie, bringing hope to all who are different from societal "norms". As uplifting as it was tragic, Milk is more than a biopic about some gay politician - it's an inspiring story of overcoming adversity and helping build a better future. "You gotta give 'em hope..."

2. WALL-E

It's definitely saying something when your protagonist doesn't really have any dialogue, but your audience is still able to feel and emote for him. Such is the magic of WALL-E, one of the most lovable characters in movie history. WALL-E is like a dream to watch. You're introduced to this bleak future where Earth has been totally abandoned, but this little trash compacting robot wins you over right from the start. It seriously has to be one of the greatest screenplays ever written, and in my opinion it is Pixar's ultimate triumph.

1. The Dark Knight

With his Batman movies, Christopher Nolan opted against creating another comic book. The year already had Iron Man, so he had to make something different. And he did. Christopher Nolan turned the Batman mythology into some kind of neo-noir experience. He brought Gotham into the realm of the real. And that was just with the FIRST film. The second film took that same idea and brought it to a whole new level. Heath Ledger's Joker was as frightening as he was entertaining to watch. The scale of this movie was just so big and epic, but also very dark. It truly is The Godfather of comic book movies. And it's more than a comic book movie. It's just simply... a great film.

Honorable Mentions:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Gran Torino

The Fall

Doubt

Iron Man