Here, in a format ripped directly off from Empire, my favourite films of the year. The top three are probably quite predictable as 3 films have really stood out this year. Among the others some choices which were highly acclaimed, a few it seemed like I was the only one who liked.
Honourable mentions also go to: Zodiac, Superbad, Ratatouille, Sicko and The Upside of Anger.
25. The Fountain - Not many critics liked this multi-stranded reflection on loss and letting go, but I really enjoyed it - beautifully shot and thought provoking.
24. Knocked Up - Mainly genuinely funny comedy, doubly so given the unlikely subject matter of an unexpected pregnancy following a
23. Venus - Peter O'Toole was magnificent lending this potentially dirty old man some grace and dignity. Newcomer Jodie Whittaker was up to the task matching him as the much younger woman who captivates him.
22. Into the Wild - Surprisingly, Sean Penn's warmest film to date. Emile Hirsch shows he can handle the leading man duties as the young drop-out heading into the Alaskan wilderness.
21. Blood Diamond - let down by going a bit Rambo at the end, but still a powerful action drama, driven Djimon Hounsou as the man trying to get his family back. Leo wasn't bad either. Not the most realistic portrait of African conflict, but it did at least serve to highlight the issue of conflict diamonds.
20. Across the Universe - Another one that didn't meet universal acclaim, but this Beatles inspired musical had some great visuals and enough of a story to hang it all together.
19. This is England - Shane Meadows powerful look at 80s skinhead culture, with youngster Thomas Turgood outstanding in the lead.
18. The Counterfeiters - An Austrian film telling the extraordinary story of Jewish counterfeiters employed by the Nazis in bid to undermine Allies economies. Powerfully acted and really moving.
17. The Bridge to Terabithia - a children's movie with both real heart and real intelligence and, for those unfamiliar with the story, one of the biggest shocks in any film this year.
16. Hot Fuzz - Simon Pegg and Nick Frost follow up Shaun of the Dead in very funny style. Frost is hilarious, only eclipsed by Timothy Dalton as the best baddie of the year.
15. Once - The low key folk musical with little plot that charmed audiences and critics alike.
14. Stardust - not quite the new Princess Bride, but one of the most fun movies of the year - puts fellow spoof fairy-tale Enchanted in the shade, plus it has De Niro and Pfeiffer hamming it up in wonderful style.
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - The best Potter film yet, from the weakest book. Imelda Staunton was chillingly wonderful as Dolores Umbridge and the final showdown at the ministry was the best of the series so far.
12. Sunshine - It gets a bit messy at the end, but from the opening shot looks amazing and i borrowing from the best in the genre, Danny Boyle creates a gripping Sci-fi tale.
11. Letter from Iwo Jima - interestingly by far the stronger of Clint Eastwood's pair of Iwo Jima movies was the one telling the Japanese side, commissioned as an afterthought, but giving us a much better sense of the horrors of the battle.
10. Lions For Lambs - The most intelligent of the batch of war on terror films released in the UK to date, with some stunning performances, especially from Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise.
9. The Last King of Scotland - a towering performance by Forrest Whittaker (fully deserving of an Oscar) and ably matched by James McAvoy.
8. Days Of Glory a stirring account of the african troops who fought to liberate France which has already gone some way to redressing historical injustices.
7. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - longest title of the year, slow moving revisionist Western, but captures the desolate landscape (both geographic and emotional) with great beauty. Combined with stunning performances from both Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck.
6. Tell No-One - the best thriller of the year, and its French (albeit based on an American novel) slightly let down by a poorly executed ending, but genuinely gripping stuff with a believable hero.
5. Babel Another multi-stranded tale from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and possibly his weakest yet, but still well done. Another good turn from Mr Pitt and jaw-dropping silent on from Rinko Kikuchi.
4. The Science of Sleep - more charming quirkiness from Michael Gondry (the man behind the lens for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).
So the top three:
3. Atonement - stunningly shot. The Dunkirk scene is possibly the best of the year. Great tense atmosphere created and wonderful performances across the board.
2. The Bourne Ultimatum a fitting conclusion to the best action trilogy in a long time with some stunning set pieces. Watch the Waterloo and Tangiers scenes again - they're worth it.
1. The Lives of Others - when this yet to be released film beat Pans Labyrinth and Day of glory to the best Foreign Language Film Oscar, there were fears that Oscar might have goofed again. No such worries - this utterly mesmerising and compelling film shows both the worst and the best of people living under the communist regime in East Germany. It represents the enduring triumph of humanity and is handled with an intelligence and subtlety you couldn't imagine Hollywood managing.
It was a good year for:
Well, Brad Pitt had a good year - strong turns in Babel and Jesse James counterbalanced by the entertaining fun of Oceans 13. James McAvoy's star continues to rise with Last King of scotland and Atonement. Matt Damon combined Bourne with being voted the sexiest man on the planet.
However the biggest breakthroughs were undoubtedly:
Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow as the men behind Knocked Up and Superbad were responsible for some of the years biggest laughs.
Linked, Katherine Heigl seems to have finally made the move to the big screen successfully after Knocked Up.
But top of the breakthroughs have to be Casey Affleck and Shia LaBoeuf. Mr Affleck finally stepped out from the shadow of his brother, almost stealing oceans 13 from his more illustrious counterparts and then going toe-to-toe dramatically with Brad Pitt in Jesse James. Mr LaBoeuf had strong performances in A Guide to Recognising Your Saints and Disturbia, before almost managing to steal Transformers from the CGI robots - next up a small, arty film called Indiana Jones. The future's bright.
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