Without further ado, here are the best movies of 2010, ranked from last to first (the links lead to the film’s trailer). Also, I criticize some of the films at the top of this list mostly to justify their worse ranking; but all films on this list are still worth seeing and at least partially exceptional.

(18) The Way Back

Although the film fell short of my high hopes, Peter Weir’s latest is still worth a spot on this list. Based on a true story of escapees from a Siberian prison camp who walked over mountains and deserts, as well as through history, all the way to India for their freedom, “The Way Back” could have been as epic as the story it portrays. Unfortunately, the characters are stoic and largely expressionless for most of the film (until a young woman joins their ranks), leading to a pervasive lack of real connection to their individual plotlines. And too much time was spent early in the movie regarding their escape, when it would have been better spent focusing on the trials of their inspiring journey. Nevertheless, this film will inspire you.

(17) Fair Game

Well done, accurate dramatization of the Valerie Plame leak scandal, and how WMD ‘evidence’ used to bring the USA to war with Iraq was done so fraudulently and deliberately. Bush administration apologists will undoubtedly find some fault with it. Sean Penn delivers a fantastic performance.

(16) Never Let Me Go

The depth of the content of this film can be far better appreciated in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel of the same name, which the film is based on. The film seems to border on this depth throughout, but never seems to shove the viewer fully in. Instead, the movie has a slow pace and a depressing payoff which will likely leave a lot of viewers feeling let down. This is a depressing movie, and it does seem to be missing something essential that’s difficult to articulate, but Carey Mulligan puts together a fantastic performance and the film has subtle, beautiful connection to the human condition that will impact you long after the credits roll. You will probably forget that this is a sci-fi film entirely.

(15) Kick-Ass

This film might seem out of place on this list, but for me it was quietly one of the biggest surprises of the year. It’s a bit of a spoof of the comic book/superhero genre, and much in the spirit of the charming ’99 movie, “Galaxy Quest,” it manages to be incredibly funny and entertaining, with a genuine heart, despite its outlandish premise. Though it is meant as a spoof, this film may quietly be one of the best superhero movies ever made. You heard me right.

(14) Rabbit Hole

A movie about dealing with grief, “Rabbit Hole” is a well-constructed script and Nicole Kidman delivers a fantastic performance. The film can be difficult to watch in parts due to its content; it’s a film about learning how to move on without completely having to let go. I’m still not really sold on Aaron Eckhart, but overall he does a pretty good job here.

(13) Barney’s Version

A delightful script and excellent performance from Paul Giamatti make Barney’s version of his own passionate life shrewdly entertaining and, in parts, touching.

(12) Biutiful

Beautiful cinematography pulls this character study and story of atonement together. Javier Bardem delivers one of the best performances of the year.

(11) True Grit

When the Coen Brothers make a movie, it’s almost always a shoe-in for my top 10 of the year. Though True Grit falls just outside of the top 10 this year, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t still a damn good flick. It just means it’s not up to snuff for the Coens. Jeff Bridges, one of the best actors in the business, offers a fantastic performance which might have landed him the Oscar for Best Actor this year if it weren’t for a certain stuttering Brit (to be mentioned later in this list). Hailee Steinfeld also delivered one of the best performances from a young actress of all time, as the sharp-witted, and revenge-driven Mattie Ross.

(10) Hereafter

This was one of the best constructed films of the year. The subtlety and pace of the character development is pure poetry– and I mean that with the highest praise possible. That character development is the movie’s shining strength; the film only falls short in its rather bland payoff in the end and the seriousness with which it takes its metaphysical and spiritual aspects. Those aspects would have been just fine as metaphors, but ultimately the film’s payoff seems to rely heavily upon its viewers taking its metaphysics literally. Nevertheless, don’t let this discourage you– the way this film develops its characters is like a subtle, elegant, perfectly paced dance. Really beautiful.

(9) The Fighter

This film probably contains the best overall acting of the year. Look for “The Fighter” to sweep the Oscars for all the supporting actor/actress awards this year. Christian Bale is almost certainly going to win the supporting actor award, and Melissa Leo is probably going to take the supporting actress award. Amy Adams is also nominated here; outshined only by Leo. These are fantastic characters, and they make the movie what it is.

(8) Winter’s Bone

One of the indie film surprises of the year, “Winter’s Bone” is a very real film with excellent performances from everyone involved, particularly Leo and Lawrence. Chilling, frightening, intriguing and brave, the movie will takes you into the corrupt culture of meth dealing, economically depressed Appalachia, a culture just as sick the addicts it manifests.

(7) 127 Hours

I’m still surprised an entire feature film could have been made from this story, but Boyle pulled it off. Brilliantly directed and edited (this film deserves to win the Oscar for best film editing), with a great performance from Franco, “127 Hours” is an inspiring testament to life. It’s worth at least one of your arms to see.

(6) Somewhere

Don’t get me wrong, this is no “Lost in Translation”, but anyone that enjoyed Sofia Coppola’s masterpiece will immediately find “Somewhere” recognizable. Coppola is simply a master at subtlety. The beauty found in the most ordinary and simple moments throughout this film not only make it exceptional, but those unexpected scenes are also the places where its characters make the most sense. Like with “Lost in Translation”, Coppola somehow finds an untranslatable, subtle understanding in what almost seem like accidental moments. She lingers on those moments, once found, as if to let them speak entirely for themselves. To me, it demonstrates incredible conceptual control.

(5) Blue Valentine

This film piqued my interest when it was initially given an NC-17 rating– a sign that it was quite a bit braver and more poignant than the cheesy hipster romance I first assumed it would be. Even though Gosling’s hipster lameness was painful to endure in parts, this film impressed me in every other way. Of course, it’s not really a film about romance– it’s a film about a relationship, and a marriage, that has run its course. It’s brilliantly real and poignant in its portrayal– a very well constructed film. Michele Williams makes up for Gosling’s woes– it’s time to recognize her as one of the best young actresses in the business.

(4) The King’s Speech

Colin Firth should easily win the Oscar for best actor for his exceptional portrayal of stuttering royalty in this incredibly well-constructed film. There are really no flaws in this movie at all, and it is one of only three real competitors for the best film of the year by Oscar measures (along with two others to be mentioned later in this list). The speech at the end of the film is truly breathtaking, and so well acted that this might actually be one of the best performances of the decade. Firth should finally get recognition from the Academy for this role.

(3) The Social Network

I never thought a film about Facebook could draw such a great script and such great talent, but somehow this might be the first iconic film that belongs solely to the 21st century. This is Fincher’s best work since “Fight Club” and “Seven”, a great improvement over the disappointing “Benjamin Button”, and probably the best movie of his career. He should win the Oscar for best director. Although I personally rank it as the third best movie of the year, I predict that “The Social Network” will also win the Oscar for best picture.

(2) The Kids Are All Right

My favorite movies usually have the best scripts– I’m a screenplay-oriented movie goer– and “The Kids Are All Right” had the best script of the year. It helps that all of its actors delivered brilliant performances– the best overall acting of the year, maybe only behind “The Fighter”. Annette Bening is a serious contender to win the best actress Oscar, and Julianne Moore deserved (though didn’t get) a nomination too. Mark Ruffalo is also deservedly nominated for supporting actor, and he was superbly cast. But this film truly shines in its script and its story; it is endlessly witty with extremely well-imagined characters, and genuine heart.

(1) Black Swan

Not only the best film of the year, “Black Swan” is also probably one of the best films of the decade. I’m not sure everyone who sees it will fully appreciate the ambition of what this film is doing artistically. The film ends with its main character experiencing “artistic perfection”. For that to work, the film itself needs to portray that sense of artistic perfection too– and it succeeds. Surrealism done to perfection, this movie is also the best horror film in years. Portman delivers the best performance of her career, and deserves to win the Oscar for best lead actress. I didn’t think Aronofsky could ever outdo “The Wrestler”, but now I think it’s time to consider him one of the best directors in the business. He, and this film, deserves to win at the Oscars, but I suspect it will go to Fincher and “The Social Network” instead.

Moreover, as always, I like to include a few disclaimers before getting on to the rankings: (1) I don’t include documentaries in my lists, simply because I think they’re a completely different kind of film and can’t be rated alongside feature films. Having said that, this year was actually a very good year, relatively speaking, for documentaries (‘The Cove’ and ‘Food, Inc.’ are must-sees!), and my condemnation of 2009′s movie class doesn’t carry over to documentaries. (2) I try to see all the movies which I think qualify that I can each year, but I haven’t seen them all. Most notably– many of 2009′s foreign films are not always easily accessible this early into the next year, and I simply haven’t seen a wide variety of critically acclaimed foreign films this year. (3) This list is always subject to change and revision.

Now on to the list (links are to each film’s trailers)!

(10) Sin Nombre

Although the gang sequences were filled with a number of cliches, the personal and cultural subplots are woven together well to deliver a gritty, moving and very real film. This was the only foreign language film I’ve seen this year which moved me at all, though my selections this year have been limited.

(9) Precious

Fantastic acting from unexpected talent is this film’s greatest highlight. The filmmaking joy here lies in the juxtaposition between dream/fantasy sequences and reality, and the way transitions are made between them. But the film flounders overall thematically, promising to portray a harsh reality, but often times just leaving the audience with perverse racial stereotypes. Those stereotypes are redeemed only briefly with hints at commentary on social perception– and, frankly, those moments are far and few between. I’m not so sure how much reality is really contained in this supposedly ‘real’ film.

(8) The Messenger

This is a good complimentary movie to this year’s much superior film, “The Hurt Locker”. While the film shines in portraying the psychological struggles and burdens of a soldier returning home from war, and in showing the grief of dealing with what was lost from it, “The Messenger”‘s real strength lies in the performances of its supporting actors, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton. Harrelson delivers confident, witty dialogue which is only a veneer for a lonely, desperate man, and Morton superbly plays a grieving housewife in an unconventional casting of a romantic lead.

(7) Avatar

If 3D ever officially crosses over from being the latest trendy, Hollywood ploy to gaining mainstream notoriety, then it will have Avatar to thank. Visually, the movie is enthralling and otherworldly, a real masterpiece. Where the movie goes wrong is in its script. Let’s face it, this script is mediocre at best. While I quite enjoy its overall themes of nature worship, environmentalism, anti-militarism and anti-corporation, this film isn’t likely to move any cultural mountains– at least, not in any sophisticated way. But as a compliment for anyone who already shares its sentiments, Avatar is a visual treat and an exceptional moviegoing experience which genuinely pulls the viewer in and makes them wish they never had to take the 3D glasses off.

(6) An Education

Carey Mulligan deserves to win the Oscar for her nomination as best lead actress here. She’s my pick. Although the film seems to struggle in finding– and delivering– its occasionally ambiguous message, Mulligan shines in portraying an intelligent young woman’s coming of age.

(5) A Serious Man

The Coen Brothers never disappoint, and ‘A Serious Man’ is the first film on this list which doesn’t warrant any sort of substantial disclaimer or criticism to weigh against its highlights. Executed rather flawlessly, this existential film over Jewish angst only really falters in that it’s occasionally rather boring. That flatness, however, is nevertheless a shining example of great tonal control– something the Coens excel at. This isn’t going to be your favorite Coen Brothers movie, but it won’t be a let down either.

(4) A Single Man

A stunningly well put together film from Tom Ford, ‘A Single Man’ might be the first movie on this list which has a decent chance of finding its way on any year’s top 10. Colin Firth is perfectly casted and delivers a striking performance, and the film’s dialogue walks a near flawless tightrope between being over-intellectualized and being visceral and deeply emotional. Rather, the movie is intellectual in the most genuine way– as a complex, existential, aesthetic, abstract and layered character story touching in equal parts with sensuality and despair.

(3) Inglourious Basterds

This is Tarantino’s best work since his masterpiece, Pulp Fiction. Although the film is far more playful than poignant, a problem which plagues the whole Tarantino’s catalogue other than ‘Pulp’ and perhaps ‘Jackie Brown’, it’s easy to forget these flaws amid its brilliantly escalating dialogue. The opening sequence is so wonderfully executed that I was nearly prepared to declare it as Tarantino’s finest moment while in the middle of it. Extremely entertaining film. I wouldn’t mind if it won for Best Picture, though it isn’t my first choice among the nominees this year.

(2) The Road

I’m a bit surprised by the fact that this film has been largely overlooked among critics this year– perhaps they missed its deep layers in the film’s subtlety. It was one of only 4 movies I considered as a candidate for best film of the year. Well acted, particularly by Mortensen, though there’s also a noteworthy role played by Robert Duvall too. The film undoubtedly struggles to compete with the book, but taken on its own merits, it touched me more than any other in this year’s class.

(1) The Hurt Locker

This is a movie about the thrill of war, yes. But it’s more about the thrill than it is about the war. The story will touch you in a far deeper and more abstract way than its gritty, intense war scenes would at first imply. Walking away from this film, it’s difficult not be struck with an echoing undulation and, frankly, acute sense of banality with one’s life– that, or a longing for something more. The film’s most poignant moment does not come during any of the intense battles and suspenseful moments, oddly enough, but rather in a few short scenes that happen when Jeremy Renner’s soldier returns home. A short scene in a supermarket and another cleaning out a gutter, while seemingly out of context from the whole rest of the film, are actually the moments that give the film its character and meaning. Subtle, though extremely powerful, the juxtaposition that is established in only about 5 minutes of this feature length film show incredible control by its filmmakers and writers, shaping ‘The Hurt Locker’ into the best movie of 2009.

1. Immanuel Kant: My listing here doesn’t deviate at all with the list posted by Leiter. I don’t think there’s any reason to debate Kant’s place at #1 on any list.

2. Martin Heidegger: Heidegger is the only philosopher in the modern era who comes close to having as comprehensive a philosophical system as Kant. This is the first and possibly most substantial deviation I have from Leiter’s list. Notice Heidegger doesn’t even make that list. Unbelievable!

3. Edmund Husserl: The father of phenomenology is also not mentioned on Leiter’s list. That list isn’t even trying to hide its incredulous analytic bias. Phenomenology is kind of an important movement in the modern philosophical era– and without it, it’s probably doubtful you have a Heidegger.

4. Isaac Newton: One of the most influential thinkers and natural philosophers in history, let alone the modern era. Since he isn’t classically taught as a philosopher, per se, I can’t fault Leiter’s list for perhaps not even putting him up for consideration. I can only assume that’s the reason Newton wasn’t included.

5. David Hume: The most important and advanced of the British Empiricists, impossible to ignore his influence on anglophone philosophy, let alone on the #1 philosopher on this list, Kant (it’s also no surprise he gets placed #2 on Leiter’s posted list– so this isn’t a controversial ranking). Hume also gets points for essentially defining what it means to be intellectually honest (this is entirely my own categorization).

6. Karl Popper: Totally underappreciated. Philosopher with incredible scope, from philosophy of science to political philosophy. I’d say that he was the most important philosopher of the 20th century aside from Heidegger (Husserl lived most of his life in the 19th century). He’s essentially the uber-Hume. I think history will rank him much higher in influence and import than the credit he seems to get today (I imagine most people’s lists would not include him there). Also not mentioned on Leiter’s list.

7. Søren Kierkegaard: “The father of existentialism” is a fair label– though I think you could include Nietzsche in on the label too. His influence as a precursor for postmodern thought shouldn’t be understated either. Made Leiter’s list at #15– far too low.

8. Ludwig Wittgenstein: I struggle with how to rank Wittgenstein. I think his personal journey through philosophy essentially amounts to getting it totally wrong and then ultimately crawling his way back to square one. His genius is unquestioned and his work has been an unmatched catalysis for creative thought in the 20th century. I list him more for his later work than his earlier stuff; I’m certain that Leiter, who ranks him at #4, prefers him for the early work.

9. John Locke: Locke’s influence is pretty undeniable. As the first British Empiricist, he influenced Hume and Berkeley. His notions of the social contract and the self influenced everyone from Rousseau to Kant. Leiter’s list had him at #5, undoubtedly for most of these reasons. I’m fine with throwing him in wherever.

10. Friedrich Nietzsche: Like Kierkegaard, big early influence in existentialism and postmodernism, critical thought, etc. His influence as a cult-like figure is also worth noting. Leiter ranked him at #13, so not a big difference.

11. Jean-Paul Sartre: Sartre didn’t make Leiter’s list either. It’s a joke to me that someone like Kripke makes Leiter’s list, but not Sartre. Sartre’s influence in philosophy is well-established and he should also be noted as a cult-like figure. He basically defined existentialism (insofar as he coined the term, I mean). He loses some points because the vast majority of his major work is just a derivative of Heidegger’s– which Heidegger essentially took for rubbish. I disagree with Heidegger though: Sartre is a personal favorite. So he prominently makes the list!

12. Rene Descartes: I wouldn’t mind if someone wished to rank Descartes higher. His importance in the modern era is paramount– most historians mark Descartes as the “Father of Modern Philosophy”. So he probably at least deserves mention in the top 5, right? I ranked him lower because I think you could as easily paint Descartes as the villain of the modern era as anything else. His influence was more for the sake of rebuttal. Thus, it’s unfortunate that he is often the starting point for discussion of philosophical issues in the modern era, since in my opinion his thought lacks sophistication. Leiter ranked Descartes more predictably at #3, though.

13. Karl Marx: I don’t think it’s uncalled for to consider Marx the most important political and social philosopher of the modern era. You might make a strong case for Rousseau, Hobbes or maybe if you stretch it, Mill or Rawls too. Though Marx’s thought seems to have moved history in a way that still can’t be measured. Leiter put him at #14, so no big difference there.

14. Baruch Spinoza: Evoked by Wittgenstein, revered by Hegel and highly regarded by Nietzsche, Spinoza’s place on this list could be much higher. He might be the modern era’s most important early rationalist. Leiter placed him at #11.

15. Maurice Merleau-Ponty: Appreciation for his philosophical contributions are growing rapidly; and this is a personal favorite. Not really surprising that he’s not included on Leiter’s list.

16. Arthur Schopenhauer: One of the biggest influences on a number of names already mentioned– like Nietzsche and Wittgenstein. The quintessential pessimist, Schopenhauer is also one of the widest ranged systematic thinkers on this list– his philosophy is relevant to everything from psychology to politics, art and sex. Somehow he also avoided mention on Leiter’s list.

17. G.W.F. Hegel: I really, really dislike Hegel. But as one of the creators of German idealism, he’s been remarkably influential. I’m definitely with his detractors (Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Peirce, etc), but here he is anyway, at #17.

18. Charles Sanders Peirce: The founder of pragmatism. Difficult not to list the influence of pragmatism in the 20th century, especially in American thought.

19. Thomas Hobbes & Jean Jacques Rousseau: Yes, I’m ranking them both at 19. I don’t know which to choose. Both monumentally influential with political philosophy, but also with notions of human psychology and motivation.

20. Michel Foucault: I feel like I should include a deconstructionist somewhere on this list, and I don’t have the heart to include Derrida. Foucault is a personal favorite, particularly for his critical studies of the human sciences, and psychiatry in particular. I think he’ll be lent a lot of influence when history looks back.

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The first things to clarify are the names not included on this list, but which were included on Leiter’s list: Frege, Mill, Leibniz, Russell, Berkeley, Quine, Kripke and Rawls.

First of all, Frege ranked #6 on Leiter’s list. I don’t think he belongs anywhere in the top 50. That one is the biggest joke on his list. If anything, that name at #6 is the best evidence of the list’s supreme analytic bias. As for Leibniz and Berkeley, I find most of their philosophical contributions to be patently absurd, so they don’t belong there.

I like Mill, but a top 30 list would be better fitting for him. Rawls is too specialized, only really being a political philosopher. But he’d probably make a top 30 list too.

Quine and Kripke are analytic/academic favorites, but I hardly suspect they will have enough influence to be seriously remembered with these other names as history unfolds.

That leaves an explanation for leaving off Russell: Let’s face it, Russell was more of a popularizer of philosophy than anything. In considering him, I felt more like his inclusion would be like including Carl Sagan as one of the greatest physicists of the modern era. As a logician, put him in the top 5. But logic isn’t philosophy. To Russell’s credit, he at least tried to connect the two enterprises– albeit in vain. He talked a lot about just about every other topic too, though he was hardly a system builder for any of it.

So there you have it; there’s my list. How would your list be different?

Kind of an exciting time for one of my articles over at Ecoworldly. The article, titled “11 Extinct Animals That Have Been Photographed Alive“, has gone absolutely ballistic. It has somehow attracted well over 230,000 viewers since being posted, so I thought it’d be worth referring from here. Crazy!

If the content sounds depressing to you, wait until you get to many of the comments. You may find some cynical amusement in reading them. The internet is an amazing thing, but it sure can be a compository for idiocy too. Ah well. Check out the article!

The picture above shows the extinct Tasmanian Tiger, one of the 11 featured in the article.

For future reference, you can succinctly keep updated with all of my articles with Green Options Media at my author profile here.

You can also check out the original article here, which was titled, “Japan Airlines’ 747 Flies More Efficiently with Biofuels than with Jet-A Fuel“.

And make sure to keep up with all of my articles over at EcoWorldly and around the Green Options Media network.

Next, this list will be subject to change. I’ve been known to expand it to the top 20 films, and I reserve the right to edit this list frequently as I see the movies a second time, or just have second thoughts.

Now, the list.

If you click the links, you can view the film trailers…

15. Let the Right One In (Låt den Rätte Komma In)

An entirely original take on the vampire/horror genre, this genre-bending Swedish film (a Swedish vampire movie?) is an isolationist coming-of-age story with loads more heart than creepiness and gore. Definitely worth seeing even if you’re not usually a fan of vampires.

14. Wendy and Lucy

There’s nothing minimal about this minimalist film– filmed locally right here in Oregon. Its extremely low budget gave this film some real limits, but its subtle tones and implicit emotional underpinnings make this lonely character study particularly poignant for our economic times.

13. Happy-Go-Lucky

Mike Leigh, usually known for his cynicism, makes his commentary on optimism here. Loaded with irony and tongue-in-cheek looks at its ceaselessly cheerful (and terribly annoying) main character, Poppy, this film is ultimately about how far she’ll go to maintain that optimism. The film’s real magic comes out during Poppy’s interactions with her driving instructor, Scott, who offers the biggest challenge to her optimism– and ultimately brings out the worst in her cheer.

12. In Bruges

Clever, witty, entertaining– I was surprised by how tightly well written this script was. As a cynical comedy, it was bested this year by only ‘Burn After Reading’.

11. Milk

Sean Penn is brilliant in his portrayal of Harvey Milk in this true story of the first openly gay man elected to public office, a Gus Van Sant film. This movie isn’t breaking any new ground as a film, but it’s a well-acted and an inspirational tribute, not just to Milk, but to the power of political will and activism.

10. Frost/Nixon

Ron Howard directed, this film is best as a character study of Richard Nixon, played brilliantly by Frank Langella. Frost’s story is mostly a banal backdrop to Nixon’s personal and intellectual motivations. Nixon is portrayed as an intellectual mastermind, though deeply troubled and disconnected. Don’t be mistaken, this is a character study before it is a political commentary, but it’s difficult to avoid making comparisons to current political environments.

9. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Perhaps more a criticism of passion than an endorsement for it, this Woody Allen film is endlessly witty and cleverly woven together. This is easily the most gripping film from Allen in the last decade, and I’m definitely digging the Johansson/Allen match– a chemistry which was missing in the horrible ‘Match Point’. These Allen-designed characters, always biting, complex and explicit, have the potential to bring out the best in actresses, and the best performance here comes unexpectedly from Penelope Cruz.

8. The Visitor

Richard Jenkins is stellar in this role, of a bored and uninspired old professor, who discovers himself again when he becomes open to seeing life anew through the eyes of others. A touching, relatable film that at times alludes to larger, cultural commentary without losing its heart as a simple character story.

7. Frozen River

A gripping, real film which subtly touches on struggles at so many different levels, whether institutional, cross-cultural, racial, educational, economic, familial or personal. A wonderful performance from Melissa Leo here caps off one of the better scripts of the year.

6. Burn After Reading

The Cohen Brothers do it again, this time more playfully than in last year’s ‘No Country for Old Men’, but equally as poignant and entertaining. This is easily the best assembled cast of the year– an intricate cultural commentary, alight with confusion, stupidity and conflict which ultimately results in a shallow, simple woman getting a boob job to help inspire her self-esteem. Brilliant.

5. Synecdoche, New York

If I had to pick one movie from last year ahead of time as my favorite to be the best of the year, it was this one. As many know, I’m a huge, huge, huge Charlie Kaufman fan and I’ve been waiting for this film for around 4 years. While it was brilliant– in the scene with the priest giving a speech, Kaufman may have had his ‘Hamlet moment’– it had its flaws too. This was Kaufman’s first directorial attempt, and in parts we’re reminded that every great writer still needs an editor. Still, this film is an all-encompassing masterpiece which continues Kaufman’s march into legendary screenwriting status. You can read a fuller review I wrote on this movie at my blog here.

4. Slumdog Millionaire

Every once in a while there’s a movie that, despite its absurdities, hovers in a realm of otherworldly scrutiny; a film that romances you with its ideals and heart, which touches you on such an inscrutable level that you become utterly hypnotized by the world it posits. That’s the idea behind Slumdog Millionaire. Can you believe a lowly slumdog could win one million dollars? Ultimately, this is a film about what’s really important– and its main character never lost sight of that, no matter what kind of shit he had to crawl through (literally). What made Jamal truly rich was something inside of him which he refused to lose sight of, even when everyone else around him floundered or sold out. Indeed, it was written.

3. The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke is pretty much a shoe-in for best actor of the year for this role. An astonishing real, touching, remarkable character study which never lost site of its subject. This might be the ‘truest’ film of the year.

2. Doubt

Doubt vs. Faith. Orthodoxy vs. Liberalism. Sternness vs. Compassion. This film ultimately settles in the gray area that muddles these false catholic dichotomies; it settles among ambiguity, the realm where all our defining choices are really made. It is perhaps particularly poignant for those who, like me, grew up surrounded by the Catholic institution. The acting all around is superb, and the script– based upon the pulitzer prize winning play– is the best script of the year.

1. Revolutionary Road

Despite some directorial wrinkles, this was easily the most poignant film of the year. And I’m happy to admit a thematic bias here, too. Kate Winslett was shafted by being nominated best actress for ‘The Reader’ instead of her role here– she was stunning in this film. The best performance of her career, easily. This criticism of the American Dream and suburban psychology brutally challenges its squeamish, escaptist American audience. Pure delight for me, but probably gritty torture for them.

I’m beginning as a writer on one of their blogs, EcoWorldly, which is part of the Guardian Environment Network, and which offers news on sustainability and ecological successes and failures from around the world, to offer advice to those with a green and innovative conscience here in America.

My first blog was just posted, and it would help out a lot if you clicked on this link and checked it out (the more hits I get, the more success I’ll have blogging there): Caterpillars Devour 45 Towns in Liberia: Climate Change Possibly to Blame.

Also, bookmark the site or subscribe to their feeds, and help me out with further posts too. I’ll be posting there pretty regularly.

Liz was able to secure the funding and sponsorships necessary to purchase and maintain her own sailboat, which she wittily christened Swell, and has already sailed down the West Coast of Central America and out across the Pacific into Oceania, on her way around the world. One of the central themes of her journey is to do it slowly; there’s no rush. She’s a surfer and the voyage is, symbolically as well as literally, an exploration of the world’s waves and swells. She also writes delightfully well, and you can read her updates at the iWend blog.

A few things resonated from her presentation. First of all, I really wish I was on that boat! The themes of her journey embody how I think people ought to live, and she’s definitely not wasting any of the incredible opportunities that life has handed her.

Most of all though, I was overcome with a great sense of peace and freedom while imagining her voyage. There’s got to be a feeling of emancipation you can get from sailing around the world that you can’t get any other way. Bobbing out there, in international waters, left entirely responsible for one’s own existence, you’re your own navigator and you’ve got to be intimately in touch with how the crescendos of the world undulate all around you.

I realized, living vicariously through her many photographs, just how jealous I was for that. Perhaps for some it’d be seen as a frightening and ragged abandon, but for me it’d be all too easy. For me the sensation is more of a vulnerable competency, an amplified uprising desire that surges and yanks at my diaphragm in a profound, primal way that’s been impossible to shake off since the presentation.

If I’m being honest, her story made me ask of myself what any truly good piece of music or writing will implore of its audience: While the world swells, how much longer can I stand to linger, stick around and feign?