Like most people, I don't get around to seeing all the films released in a given year until sometime after the year ends (thanks to the rush of Oscar contenders released in the final weeks). But I think I've seen enough now to have my mind made up. So, in order, here's my list:
1. Children of Men: the best crafted film I've seen in some time, a study in the development and release of tension.
2. Pan's Labyrinth: beautiful, terrifying, and bleak (depending on whether you believe the other world is "real").
3. Letters from Iwo Jima: does for war movies what Unforgiven did for Westerns.
4. Little Miss Sunshine: yes, everyone likes it, but still.
5. Stranger Than Fiction: a surprise on many levels - a comedy that uncovers something important about the gap between reality and fiction. Great performances from Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, and Will Ferrell.
But there are a few contenders I haven't seen yet: The Lives of Others, Little Children, Notes on a Scandal, Half-Nelson.
