Golden Globes Nominations Announced

The Golden Globe nominations are out. The King's Speech leads with 7, The Social Network and The Fighter are tied with 6.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY 
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
BURLESQUE
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
RED
THE TOURIST

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Tom Hooper, THE KING’S SPEECH
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David O. Russell, THE FIGHTER

BEST SCREENPLAY
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Hart, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH
Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexander Desplat, THE KING’S SPEECH
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
A.R. Robin, 127 HOURS
Trent Reznor, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Hans Zimmer, INCEPTION

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM 
BIUTIFUL
THE CONCERT
THE EDGE
I AM LOVE
IN A BETTER WORLD

BEST ANIMATED FILM
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
THE ILLUSIONIST
TANGLED
TOY STORY

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE 
“Bound to You” – BURLESQUE
“Coming Home” – COUNTRY STRONG
“I See the Light” – TANGLED
“There’s a Place for Us” – THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE DAWN TREADER
“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” – BURLESQUE

2010 Oscars: The Winners

Here are the winners of the 2010 Oscars:

• Best Picture: “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Greg Shapiro
• Best Director: “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
• Best Actor: Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• Best Actress: Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
• Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique in “Precious”
• Best Original Screenplay: “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
• Best Adapted Screenplay: “Precious” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• Best Foreign Language: “The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
• Best Animated Film: “Up” Pete Docter
• Best Documentary: “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
• Best Cinematography: “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
• Best Art Direction: Avatar” Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair
• Best Costumes: “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell
• Best Editing: “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• Best Score: “Up” Michael Giacchino
• Best Song: “The Weary Kind”(Crazy Heart) Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
• Best Makeup: “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• Best Visual Effects: “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones
• Best Sound Editing: “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
• Best Sound Mixing: “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
• Best Animated Short: “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
• Best Live Action Short: “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
• Best Documentary Short: “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor

I did reasonably well in my predictions this year, getting 17 of 24 correct. If you count my first and second picks then the only one I was completely off on was Best Documentary Short (23 of 24). "The Hurt Locker" cleaning up both the Sound categories was a huge surprise. I really thought that the Academy would recognize "Avatar" over "The Hurt Locker" for Best Picture, but clearly (6 wins to 3 wins) they preferred the little war picture (which was excellent) to the amazing, cinematic experience from the creative genius of the unlikeable James Cameron. They both are great films but I suspect "Avatar" will be the one that is remembered more 50 years from now.

2010 Oscars: MadProfessah's Predictions

BEST PICTURE
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
"The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
"An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
"A Serious Man" (Focus Features)
"Up" (Walt Disney)
"Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)

Should Win: Avatar
Will Win: Avatar

BEST DIRECTOR

• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox) James Cameron
• "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) Kathryn Bigelow
• "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company) Quentin Tarantino
• "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate) Lee Daniels
• "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) Jason Reitman

Should Win: James Cameron, Avatar
Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTOR

• Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
• George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
• Colin Firth in "A Single Man" (The Weinstein Company)
• Morgan Freeman in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
• Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)

Should Win: Colin Firth, A Single Man
Will Win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

BEST ACTRESS

• Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
• Helen Mirren in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Carey Mulligan in "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
• Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia" (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Should Win: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Will Win: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Matt Damon in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
• Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
• Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones" (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
• Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)

Should Win: Christoph Walz, Inglourious Basterds
Will Win: Christoph Walz, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Penélope Cruz in "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
• Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
• Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
• Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

Should Win: Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Will Win: Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) Written by Mark Boal
• "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company) Written by Quentin Tarantino
• "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories) Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
• "A Serious Man" (Focus Features) Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• "Up" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Should Win: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Will Win: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• "District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
• "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics) Screenplay by Nick Hornby
• "In the Loop" (IFC Films) Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
• "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate) Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Should Win: Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Will Win: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Avatar Breaks $700m Domestic Gross Record

Avatar has now grossed a record-breaking $700 million, domestically. I guess that's just a consolation prize for writer-director-producer James Cameron, because it is looking more and more likely that his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow will win the Best Director Oscar, and her film The Hurt Locker, will win the Best Picture Oscar.

The two films went head-to-head at "British Oscars" (formally known as the BAFTAs) and The Hurt Locker won 6 awards: Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Sound. (Avatar won one, for Visual Effects.) The BAFTAs are looked at closely as precursors for the Academy Awards because often the films that are nominated there are also nominated for BAFTAs and the two award ceremonies have similar categories.

The Oscars are on Sunday March 7th. I will have my annual Oscar prediction post up within the next week. I correctly predicted 82% of the Top 8 categories of this year's Oscar nominations. Last year I correctly preidcted all 8 of the Top 8 categories (no surprises with a Slumdog Millionaire sweep) and 20 of 24 categories overall.

2010 Oscars: Nominations Announced

The 2010 Oscar Nominations were announced this morning and MadProfessah did pretty well in predicting the Top 8 categories. I got 4 categories (Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor) completely correct and overall,out of 45 possible nominations, I predicted 37 correctly, or an 82%accuracy rate.

Interesting notes: Lee Daniels becomes the first openly gay and second African American nominated for Best Director, in the same year the 4th woman is nominated (Kathryn Bigelow, who will most likely win!)

Diane Kruger and Julianne Moore were robbed!

The fact that The Hurt Locker was able to tie Avatar for total nominations at 9 is huge, because roughly 100 times more people have seen the latter.

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus An Education
Precious
Star TrekThe Blind Side
The HangoverA Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Accuracy Rate: 7 out of 10.

Best Director

• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Lee Daniels, Precious
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Accuracy Rate: 5 out of 5

Best Actress

• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Casey Mulligan, An Education
  
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Accuracy Rate: 5 out of 5

Best Actor

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Accuracy Rate: 5 out of 5

Best Supporting Actress

• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds Penelope Cruz, Nine
  
• Mo'Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Accuracy Rate: 3 out of 5

Best Supporting Actor

• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christophe Walz, Inglourious Basterds

Accuracy Rate: 5 out of 5

Best Original Screenplay

• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, The Messenger
• Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
• Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of SummerBob Peterson and Pete Docter, Up

Accuracy Rate: 3 out of 5

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
• Nora Ephron, Julie & Julia Jesse Armstrong and Simon Blackwell, In the Loop
• Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
• Nick Hornby, An Education
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Accuracy Rate: 4 out of 5

2010 Oscars: Nominations Predictions

Tomorrow morning at 5:30am PST (Tuesday February 2) the 82nd Academy Award nominations will be announced for films released in 2009 (Review my Top 10 movies of 2009 list here). After seeing the actual nominations on Tuesday I will post a more extensive post with my predictions for the winners of the Top 8 awards. In previous years, Mad Professah has done pretty well in predicting both nominations and wins. In 2008 I won an online Oscars predictions contest (by picking 18 out of 24 awards correct) that resulted in having free Netflix for 6 months! Last year, I correctly picked all of the Top 8 winners and 20 of 28 categories but since the sweep by Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire was widely expected, I didn't win any Oscar contests.

The big change this year is a return to 10 nominees for Best Picture.

Best Picture

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Precious
Star Trek
The Hangover
Up
Up in the Air

Best Director

• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Lee Daniels, Precious
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Actress

• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Casey Mulligan, An Education
  
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Actor

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Supporting Actress

• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
• Mo'Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Best Supporting Actor

• Matt Damon, Invictus
  
• Josh Brolin, Milk
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Walz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Original Screenplay

• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
• Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
  

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
• Nora Ephron, Julie & Julia
• Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
• Nick Hornby, An Education
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Total Nominations

1. Avatar, 10
   
2. Up in the Air, 8
   
3. The Hurt Locker, 7
4. Inglourious Basterds, Precious 6

Avatar Breaks Worldwide Box-Office Record

James Cameron's Avatar has now exceeded James Cameron's Titanic as the highest grossing film of all-time, with $1.842 billion worldwide after its 39th day of release. Just two weeks ago, Avatar had earned $1.35 billion worldwide and more than $400 million dollars, domestically. It earned nearly $500 million dollars worldwide and more than $150 million domestically in the interim to exceed 2008's The Dark Knight's $533 million. Box-office prognosticators fully expect that Avatar will exceed Titanic's domestic box-office record of $600.8 million in the next two weeks.

On Saturday, its 37th day, Avatar surpassed The Dark Knight's $533.3 million total to become the second highest-grossing movie of all time, though, in terms of attendance, it likely hasn't yet cracked the Top 50. At its current trajectory, Avatar will exceed Titanic's $600.8 million total within two weeks. In 38 days, Avatar's tally stands at $551.7 million, 80 percent of which from 3D presentations (including 16 percent from IMAX venues alone)

Oscar nominations come out on Tuesday February 2nd. Avatar is also widely expected to lead all films with the most Academy Award nominations. Titanic won Best Picture and 10 other Oscars. It's certain that Avatar will not reach that total but it's doubtful that it will win Best Picture, although MadProfessah called it the #1 Movie of 2009 and the #2 Movie of the Decade 2000-2009.

'Avatar' Surpasses $500m Domestic; Wins Golden Globes

Avatar (see MadProfessah review) has become the fastest movie to hit the $500 million mark in North American box-office history, achieving that feat exactly one month (32 days) after its December 18 release, on January 18.

This was one day after the Golden Globes shook up the Oscar race by awarding the film Best Picture (Drama) and James Cameron Best Director, shutting out the critical darling (and my second favorite movie of the year), The Hurt Locker (see MadProfessah review) and it's director (Cameron's ex-wife) Kathryn Bigelow.

Avatar's total is currently at $505 million and should surpass The Dark Knight as the #2 all-time domestic box-office champ (behind Titanic at $600m) by the end of the weekend.

'Avatar' Breaks $400m Domestic Box-Office Total

Avatar has now grossed $429 million dollars, domestically, and $1.35 billion worldwide. It reached the $400 million barrier domestically in 23 days, slightly slower than The Dark Knight's 18 days in 2008. Christopher Nolan's movie ended with a gross of $533 million domestic, $1 billion worldwide.

Avatar is now the #2 all-time box-office champ, behind James Cameron's previous blockbuster, Titanic, which grossed $600 million domestically and $1.8 billion worldwide. It is doubtful to surpass that number but it has a decent chance of reaching $500 million and perhaps beating The Dark Knight, depending on the upcoming Oscar race.

Top 10 Movies of 2009

For the first time, (unlike my lists from 2008, 2007, 2006 or 2005) my annual Top 10 list will only include movies that I saw in 2009, not just movies that were released in 2009 (and are eligible for the 2009 Oscar) but that actually I saw later. Anyway, here is MadProfessah's list of Top 10 movies for 2009:

10. A Single Man. The film debut by fashion designer Tom Ford, and featuring Oscar-worthy performances by Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, A Single Man is a film about loss, grief and hope.

9. Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos). It's always a good year when there is a new Pedro Almodóvar film released. Features an incredible performance by Penelope Cruz and some fun self-referential jokes in the movie within a movie.

8. Outrage. A brilliant documentary about media hypocrisy in the coverage of homosexuality in political circles by the director of This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Kirby Dick. Senator Larry Craig, Governor Charlie Crist, Governor James McGreevey are just a few of the names that are bandied about in the film.

7. The Hangover. A bawdy, ridiculous comedy about a bachelor party weekend in Vegas that goes hyperbolically, hysterically wrong. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and the apparently ubiquitous Zach Galifianakis are pitch perfect in this screwball comedy directed by Todd Phillips.

6. Star Trek. J.J. Abrams has the Midas touch. The director took the dross that was the Star Trek brand and turned it into cinematic gold with this energetic, smart re-boot of the most venerable science fiction franchise in Hollywood. Yes, the plot is a mess, but the film (and its youthful stars) are well worth ogling.

5. District 9. Who says summer blockbusters have to have huge budgets and be mindless? South African director Neil Blomkamp is able to amaze and provoke the audience with his allegorical tale of mistreatment of a despised minority group by the government, in a country which has its own unique history with state-sanctioned mistreatment of its citizens.

4. Food, Inc. After seeing this film you'll never look at dinner the same way again, but you will be happy that you did. An absolutely must-see documentary in the spirit of An Inconvenient Truth and Sicko that tells uncomfortable truths about the way our society is organized and offers suggestions for how we can stop being complicit in making things worse for us all.

3. Up. Yet another Pixar masterpiece. It seems like the geniuses at the computer animation are just messing with our heads now. They just showed how to take a curmudgeonly old man, a socially awkward, chubby Asian kid and a talking dog and make an emotionally evocative, suspense-thriller summer blockbuster out of these unlikely elements. One of the better Pixar animated films, and that is saying something.

2. The Hurt Locker. After being exposed to another ecstatic review as the summer was winding down, me and the Other Half went to a nearly empty late screening of Kathryn Bigelow's masterpiece and were unceremoniously blown away by the visceral power the film has to transport the viewer into the heart of a war zone and too close for comfort to the mind of an adrenaline-junkie bomb dismantling soldier played with devastating impact by Jeremy Renner, in a performance that is now beoming widely celebrated.

1. Avatar. The most enjoyable time I spent at the movies all year (really, in several years) was the nearly six hours I spent immersed in watching this film by James Cameron twice in three days in 3-D. It brought back the joy of going to the movies that I remember the first time I saw Star Wars. An instant class and without a doubt the Best Picture of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Terminator Salvation, Up in the Air, Julie & Julia.

Not Seen in 2009: Precious, Fantastic Mr. Fox, A Serious Man, An Education, Invictus.

UPDATE: You might want to check out my Top 10 movies for the decade 2000-2009.

MOVIE REVIEW: AVATAR (3D)

I saw James Cameron's Avatar in 3-D twice in the first three days of its release. I saw it opening day at the Arclight Cinemas Cineramadome using the XpanD 3D system and at the Regal Cinemas Alhambra Renaissance 14 in RealD 3D. I'll probably see it one more time, in 2-D to compare.

I should note that I can probably count on one hand the number of films I have seen multiple times in the theaters (Star Wars, Aliens, Tell No One, Finding Nemo). Avatar belongs on this list. It is an incredible cinematic experience, not just because of the immersive aspects of the 3-D film experience but due to the complexity and intensity of the storytelling.

The star of Avatar is the "It" boy of the moment, Sam Worthington, who plays Jake Sully, a paralyzed Marine who fills in for his recently murdered brother on a mercenary interplanetary mission to assist in the exploration and exploitation of an eden-like moon called Pandora which is rich with vast natural resources which humanity has only begun to understand. Sigourney Weaver a favorite of Cameron's from the Aliens franchise plays the head of the ecological team interacting with the 10-foot-tall, bright blue, cat-eyed alien natives called the Na'vi via the use of genetically engineered avatars. Zoe Saldana, who plays the lead alien native Neyitri captures Worthington while in avatar form and the story deepens from there. I really don't want to say any more about the explicit details of the story.

The central messages of the film are surprisingly pro-environmental and anti-militaristic and contain explicit depiction of native/tribal religio-cultural expression.

The visual impact of the film can not be overstated.

Running Time: 2 hours, 41 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 [See Full Rating] for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.
Director: James Cameron.

OVERALL GRADE: A+.

ACTING: A+.
IMAGERY: A+.
PLOT: A+.
IMPACT: A+.

My Favorite Films of the Decade 2000-2009

Here is my Top 10 list of my favorite films seen in the last decade, from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009.

1. The Lord of the Rings. The pure cinematic achievement of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings is absolutely stunning. The films were box-office blockbusters and universally critically acclaimed, even by people who had never read the book(s). I first read the book(s) at the age of 9 and loved these perfect filmic realizations even more than the original(s). Director: Peter Jackson. Released: 2001, 2002, 2003.
   
2. Memento. I still remember the sense of wonder and amazement I felt during and after watching Christopher Nolan's debut feature film. My mind was blown but I knew that I wanted to see it again, and that I would make sure to see everything this director would ever release in the future (The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Returns, Insomnia). Director: Christopher Nolan. Released: 2001.
   
3. Avatar. Yes, believe the hype! James Cameron confounded all the doubters who refused to believe that the director of Aliens and Titanic could (again!) reinvent the cinematic experience with an(other) original story. I saw the film twice in the first weekend of release and know that I will see it again several times. This is the current generation's Star Wars: a film which restores the sense of wonder to cinema. Director: James Cameron. Released: 2009.
4. The Incredibles. From the director of the instant classic The Iron Giant and the wizards at Pixar came this incredibly poignant and action-filled story of a family of superheroes. The Incredibles, like Finding Nemo, Up, WALL-E and Ratatouille demonstrate that animation can be as emotionally powerful as live-action. Whenever I see this film on TV I must stop what I'm doing and watch it all the way to the end. If I believed in God, I'd pray for a sequel! Director: Brad Bird. Released: 2004.
5. Tell No One (Ne Le Dis A Personne). An innocuous little French thriller that grabs your attention from the first scene and leaves you breathless at its satisfying conclusion. The story is adapted from Harlan Coben's thriller "Tell No One." It also does a very good job of illustrating contemporary life in Paris, subtly challenging preconceptions that ideal living standards must be American. Director: Guillaume Canet. Released: 2006 (France), 2008 (United States).
6. House of Flying Daggers. Although Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was more widely acclaimed (winning the 2000 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and being nominated for Best Picture) I think that this film is the more amazing cinematic achievement, although this is admittedly a very close and somewhat arbitrary call. Together with this director's Hero, this trio of films (all featuring the incredible Zhang Ziyi) are must watching for anyone who likes martial arts and gorgeous spectacle. Director: Zhang Yimou. Released: 2005.
7. Dreamgirls. Who said the musical was dead? Openly gay writer-director Bill Condon achieved the impossible by adapting the thinly veiled 80s-era musical about the 60s supergroup The Supremes and finding someone who could handle the tsunami posing as a song "(And I'm Telling You) I'm Not Going." Jennifer Hudson won a well-deserved Oscar in her debut movie role and Beyoncé showed that she was born to inhabit the role of Miss Diana Ross. Director: Bill Condon. Released: 2006.
8. Spirited Away. This is not a Disney cartoon! Any serious student of film in general and animation in particular knows the name of Miyazaki. The Japanese filmmaker makes emotionally resonant films with curious stories that contain heart-stoppingly strange and beautiful images that are hard tp forget. In Spirited Away Miyazaki is at the top of his game and we are all the richer for it. Director: Hayao Miyazaki. Released: 2004.
9. Far From Heaven. Written and directed by Todd Haynes but animated by Julianne Moore's heart-wrenching performance as a 1950s-era wife married to a man with a secret played by a surprisingly good Dennis Quaid, this film is like a nearly perfect confection: short and sweet and leaves you wanting more. Director: Todd Haynes. Released: 2002.
10. Brokeback Mountain. The first film to have millions of gay men leave the theater shattered at finally seeing an emotionally true depiction of homosexuality in a major motion film. The relationship between Heath Ledger's Ennis Delmar and Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack Twist is the core of the film but it is the story and beautiful direction that really twists the knife. And, yes, I'm still bitter it didn't win Best Picture! Director: Ang Lee. Released: 2005.

And since I couldn't just mention only 10, here are ten more (not in any order) that should not be forgotten.

Honorable Mentions: Pan's Labyrinth, Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit, The Prestige, Finding Nemo, Juno, Slumdog Millionaire, Kill Bill, United 93, Milk and Moulin Rouge!

MadProfessah is watching AVATAR *right now*

I'm in the 7pm showing at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Will try and write a review over the weekend. So, far the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Chicago Sun-Times have given the film rave reviews of 100/100 and Steven Spielberg reportedly said "The last time I came out of a movie feeling that way it was the first time I saw Star Wars."

VIDEO: New Trailer for James Cameron's "Avatar"