2009 Acclaimed Films

The NewYork Film Critics Circle: Best Picture: "The Hurt Locker"; Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker"); Best Foreign Film: "Summer Hours"; Best First Film: "Hunger" (Steve McQueen); Best Animated Film: "Fantastic Mr. Fox"; Best Actor: George Clooney ("Up In The Air"); Best Actress: Meryl Streep ("Julie & Julia"); Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz ("Inglourious Basterds"); Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique ("Precious"); Best Cinematographer: Christian Berger ("The White Ribbon"); Best Screenplay: "In The Loop"; Best Documentary: "Of Time and The City"

The film critics of the New York Times have indicated those films they consider the most significant of 2009:

A.O. Scott (lists 19 movies): "Where the Wild Things Are;" "The Hurt Locker," "In The Loop," "Summer Hours," "Of Time and the City," "Up in the Air;" "Funny People," "Bright Star," "Medicine for Melancholy," "Precious," "Coraline," "Avatar," "District 9," "A Serious Man," "Anvil: The Story of Anvil," "Goodbye Solo," "Sugar," "Gomorrah," and "The Baader-Meinhof Complex."

Manohla Dargis: "Gomorrah," "Tulpan," "Summer Hours," "The Hurt Locker," "The Beaches of Agnes," "Public Enemies," "Beeswax," "Ponyo,""The Informant," "Where the Wild Things Are," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "The Sun," and "Avatar."

Stephen Holden:"Up in the Air," "The White Ribbon," "Still Walking," "The Messenger," "35 Shots of Rum," "The Hurt Locker," "The Headless Woman," "An Education," "Summer Hours," and "Disgrace."

Roy's 10 Best Viewed in 2009: "Inglourious Basterds," "Doubt," "Milk," "District 9," "Revolutionary Road," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," "Reprise," "Live and Become," "Frost/Nixon," and "Julie and Julia." Honorable Mention: "Up," "The Reader," "Tell No One,""I've Loved You So Long," "A Woman in Berlin," "Notorious," and "Happy-Go-Lucky."

Dave's 10 Best of 2009: “The Hurt Locker;” “An Education;” “A Single Man;” “The Fantastic Mr. Fox;” “Inglourious Basterds;” “Everlasting Moments;” “Up;” “Where the Wild Things Are;” ”District 9;” “Sin Nombre.”

Honorable mention (in alphabetical order): “Away We Go;” “Black Dynamite” “Coraline;” “Drag Me to Hell;” “(500) Days of Summer;” “Food, Inc;” “Gomorrah; “In the Loop;” “Summer Hours;” “Whip It.”

Director: Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”); Actor: Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”); Actress: Carey Mulligan (“An Education”); Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”); Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique (“Precious”); Foreign Film: “Sin Nombre;” Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino (“Inglourious Basterds”); Adapted Screenplay: Nick Hornby (“An Education”); Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd (“The Hurt Locker); Original Score: Abel Korzeniowski (“A Single Man”); Film Editing: Bob Murawski and Chris Innis (“The Hurt Locker”)

Ten best films of the past decade (2000-2009): “City of God;” “No Country for Old Men;” “Wall-E;” “Downfall;” “Pan’s Labyrinth;” “Amores Perros;” “In the Bedroom;” “The Lives of Others;” “The Departed;” “Far From Heaven.”

2008 Acclaimed Films

The New York Film Critics Circle: Best Picture: "Milk"; Best Director: Mike Leigh ("Happy-Go-Lucky"); Best Foreign Film: "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days"; Best First Film: "Frozen River" (Courtney Hunt); Best Animated Film: "WALL-E"; Best Actor: Sean Penn ("Milk"); Best Actress: Sally Hawkins "Happy-Go-Lucky"); Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin ("Milk"); Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"); Best Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle ("Slumdog Millionaire"); Best Screenplay: Jenny Lumet ("Rachel Getting Married"); and Best Documentary: "Man on Wire."

The film critics of the New York Times have indicated those films they consider the most significant of 2008:

A.O. Scott: "WALL-E"; "Silent Light"; "The Secret of the Grain"; "Man on Wire"; "The Edge of Heaven"; "Happy-Go-Lucky"; "Wendy and Lucy"; "Milk"; "Rachel Getting Married"; and "Cadillac Records."

Manohla Dargis: "Happy-Go-Lucky"; "Synecdoche, New York"; "Alexandra"; "Flight of the Red Balloon"; "Silent Light"; "Paranoid Park"; "The Dark Knight"; "Encounters at the End of the World"; "Still Life"; and "Wendy and Lucy"

Stephen Holden: "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days"; "The Edge of Heaven': "WALL-E": "Milk"; "The Last Mistress': "Happy-Go-Lucky"; "A Christmas Tale"; "Tell No One": "Frozen River"; and "The Visitor." Honorable Mention (alphabetically): "Alexandra": "The Class'; "Man on Wire'; "Paranoid Park"; "Rachel Getting Married'; "Trumbo"; "Up the Yangtze"; "Vicky Cristina Barcelona'; "Waltz with Bashir"; and "The Witnesses."

Roy's 10 Best Viewed in 2008: "WALL-E," "The Visitor," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "There Will Be Blood," "Persepolis," "No Country for Old Men," "Into the Wild," "Juno," "Charlie Wilson's War," and "The Edge of Heaven." Honorable Mention: "The Savages," "In Bruges," "Mongol," "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days," "Encounters at the End of the World" and "Mamma Mia."

Dave's Best of 2008: "WALL-E;" "Revolutionary Road;" "Milk;" "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days;" "Let the Right One In;" "The Visitor;" "Doubt;" "Snow Angels;" "The Dark Knight;" "The Wrestler." Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order): "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button;" "Frost/Nixon;" "I.O.U.S.A.;" "I've Loved You So Long;" "Mongol;" "Rachel Getting Married;" "The Reader;" "Slumdog Millionaire;" "Tell No One;" "Wendy and Lucy." 

 Director: Sam Mendes ("Revolutionary Road"); Actor: (tie) Sean Penn ("Milk") and Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler"); Actress: Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"); Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight"); Supporting Actress: Viola Davis ("Doubt"); Foreign Film: "Let the Right One In;" Original Screenplay: Thomas McCarthy ("The Visitor"); Adapted Screenplay: John Patrick Shanley ("Doubt"); Cinematography: Roger Deakins ("Revolutionary Road"); Original Score: Thomas Newman ("Revolutionary Road" and "Wall-E"); Film Editing: Chris Dickens ("Slumdog Millionaire").

2007 Acclaimed Films

The New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Picture: "No Country for Old Men;" Best Director: Joel and Ethan Coen "No Country for Old Men;" Best Foreign Film: "The Lives of Others;" Best First Film: "Away from Her," Sarah Polley; Best Animated Film: "Persepolis;" Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis "There Will Be Blood;" Best Actress: Julie Christie "Away from Her;" Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem "No Country for Old Men;" Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan "Gone Baby Gone;" Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit "There Will Be Blood;" Best Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen "No Country for Old Men;" and Best Documentary: "No End In Sight."

The film critics of the New York Times have indicated those films they consider the most significant of 2007:

A.O. Scott He names some singularly and others in groups with common themes: (1) "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days;" "Ratatouille;" (3) "There Will Be Blood"and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street;" (4) "I'm Not There" and "Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten;"(5) "No End in Sight" and "The Terror's Advocate;" (6) "12:08 East of Bucharest"and "Live-in Maid;" (7) "Into the Wild" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," (8) "The Lives of Others" and "Michael Clayton;" (9) "The Savages" and "Away From Her;" and (10) "Knocked Up," "Superbad," and "Juno."

Manohla Dargis: She names two significant films: "There Will Be Blood;"and "Zodiac." Her other favorite releases: "Into Great Silence," "I'm Not There," "Killer of Sheep," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Eastern Promises," "Michael Clayton," "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," "I Don't Want to Sleep Alone," "Lady Chatterley," "Colossal Youth," "Monika," "Superbad," "Southland Tales," "No End in Sight," "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," "This is England," "The Savages," "Year of the Dog," "Paprika," "The Host," and "The Kingdom."

Stephen Holden:"There Will Be Blood," "The Lives of Others," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "Persepolis," "Starting Out in the Evening," "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," "Atonement," "Across the Universe," and "Juno." Runners-up: "Avenue Montaigne," "Away From Her," "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," "Breach," "Eastern Promises," "I'm Not There," "Lady Chatterley," "Lust, Caution," "Ratatouille," "The Savages," "This is England," "2 Days in Paris," and "The Wind That Shakes the Barley."

Roy's 10 Best Viewed films during 2007: (Since I see virtually all films on home video-DVD, Blu-ray and HD-DVD-I'm usually a little behind, having seen many films in the first half of the year which were actually from the previous year. My method of selection is to choose primarily the films viewed during the year that were truly memorable for their excellence regardless of the year of issue): "The Lives of Others," "Curse of the Golden Flower," "Letters from Iwo Jima," Away from Her," "The Queen," "Pan's Labyrinth,""Once," "The Departed," "Sweet Land," and "The Good Shepherd." Honorable Mention: "Water," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Eastern Promises," "Paris, Je T'Aime," "After the Wedding," "Avenue Montaigne," and "Venus."

Dave's Best of 2007: “No Country for Old Men;” “The Lives of Others;” "Persepolis," “Away from Her;” “Into the Wild;” “Michael Clayton;” “Ratatouille;” “There Will Be Blood;” “Juno;” “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.” Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order): “Black Book;” “The Bourne Ultimatum;” “Breach;” “The Dead Girl;” “Gone Baby Gone;” "Knocked Up," “The Lookout;” “3:10 to Yuma;” “Waitress;” “Zodiac.”

Director: Ethan and Joel Coen (“No Country for Old Men”); Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (“There Will Be Blood”); Actress: Julie Christie (“Away from Her”); Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”); Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan (“Gone Baby Gone”); Foreign Film: “Persepolis;” Original Screenplay: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (“The Lives of Others”); Adapted Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”); Cinematography: (tie) Roger Deakins (“No Country for Old Men” and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) and Robert Elswit (“There Will Be Blood”); Original Score: Stephane Moucha and Gabriel Yared (“The Lives of Others”); Film Editing: Ethan and Joel Coen (“No Country for Old Men”).

2006 Acclaimed Films

The New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Picture: “United 93;” Best Director: Martin Scorsese “The Departed;” Best Foreign Film: “Army of Shadows;” Best First Film: “Half Nelson” Ryan Fleck; Best Animated Film: “Happy Feet;” Best Actor: Forest Whitaker “The Last King of Scotland;” Best Actress: Helen Mirren “The Queen;” Best Supporting Actor: Jackie Earle Haley “Little Children;” Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson “Dreamgirls;” Best Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro “Pan’s Labyrinth;” Best Screenplay: Peter Morgan “The Queen;” and Best Non-Fiction Film: “Deliver Us From Evil.”

The film critics of the New York Times have named their best of 2006 as follows:

A.O. Scott: “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “L’Enfant (The Child),” Days of Glory (Indigénes),” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Three Times,” “51 Birch Street,” “Volver,” “Little Children,” and “A Prairie Home Companion.” Scott said that the following 11 films tied for 11th: “The Aura,” “Children of Men,” “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu,” “Fast Food Nation,” “Flags of our Fathers,” “Half Nelson,” “Iraq in Fragments,” “Marie Antoinette,” “Our Brand is Crisis,” “The Queen,” “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story.”

Manohla Dargis: “Army of Shadows” (originally released in 1969); “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Inland Empire,” “Our Daily Bread,” “L’Enfant,” “Children of Men,” “Three Times,” “Miami Vice,” “Brand Upon the Brain!,” and “Borat.”

Stephen Holden: “Babel,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Heading South,” “The Queen,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “United 93,” “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu,” “Volver,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” Runners-up: “Borat,” “The Departed,” “Dreamgirls,” “The History Boys,” “Little Children,” and “Notes on a Scandal.”

Roy's 10 Best Viewed films during 2006: The Best of Youth, Cars, The Constant Gardener, Don't Come Knocking, V for Vendetta, Walk the Line, Good Night, and Good Luck., Brokeback Mountain, Wah-Wah, Capote.

Dave's Top 10 for 2006 and other awards: “Pan’s Labyrinth;” “Children of Men;” “The Departed;” “United 93;” “The Three Burials of Mequiades Estrada;” “Babel;” “V for Vendetta;” “Tsotsi;” “Little Children;” “The Queen.” Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order): “Akeelah and the Bee;” “Caché;” “Cars;” “The Good Shepherd;” “Half Nelson;” “Letters from Iwo Jima;” “Little Miss Sunshine;” “Monster House;” “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer;” “Volver.”

Director: Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth"); Actor: Presley Chweneyagae ("Tsotsi"); Actress: Helen Mirren "The Queen"); Supporting Actor: Ken Watanabe ("Letters from Iwo Jima"); Supporting Actress: Rinko Kikuchi ("Babel"); Foreign Film: "Pan's Labyrinth"; Original Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth"); Adapted Screenplay: William Monahan ("The Departed"); Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki ("Children of Men"); Original score: Alexandre Desplat ("The Painted Veil"); Film Editing: Stephen Mirrione and Douglas Crise ("Babel")