Top 3 Foreign Language Films

• 3. I'm Not Scared. Here is an impressive film about a young boy who discovers his family is involved in a kidnapping plot.
• 2. Bad Education. A film you have to work at to decipher, but it's worth it.
• 1. Hero. Simply gorgeous.

Top 5 Disappointing Films

• 5. I, Robot. Here was an opportunity for an intelligent science fiction film, what we get is a one-liner filled chase film.
• 4. Van Helsing. I liked the Mummy films, but this one has no gas behind it. A great looking set couldn't save it.
• 3.(Tie) The Life Aquatic and I Heart Huckabees. I really wanted to like these, but despite the quirkiness, they were rather shallow and empty.
• 2. Alexander. Usually you can't go wrong with Stone, but this one is an overlong dreadful bore.
• The Village. I have loved each of Shyamalan's films, except this, which is a shame because there is so much to like.

Top 5 Surprising Films

• 5. Friday Night Lights. I'm not much of a football fan, so I was surprised by how entertaining this movie was. Probably one of the better sports films I've seen.
• 4. Spartan. Wonderful dialogue and a great performance from Val Kilmer combine to make an exciting thriller.
• 3. Napoleon Dynamite. Again, don't know the point of this, but it is surprisingly good.
• 2. Dawn of the Dead. Wanting to hate this didn't work, turned out to be an entertaining reimagining of the zombie tale.
• 1. Wicker Park. This was the biggest surprise this year, the commercials didn't look all that spectacular, but the film was surprisingly good.

Top 5 Actors

• 5. Tom Hanks for The Terminal. Hanks puts on a clinic here, an absolutely mesmerizing performance, that reminds me of Cast Away.
• 4. Zach Braff for Garden State. A fantastic understated performance, not what you'd expect from JD on Scrubs.
• 3. Paul Giamatti for Sideways. Following up last year's American Splendor comes an even better performance as a wine connoisseur who is also at a crossroads.
• 2. Johnny Depp for Finding Neverland. Another wonderful performance filled with a childlike innocence.
• 1. Jim Carrey for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A great subtle performance in a very moving film.
• Honorable Mention: Val Kilmer for Spartan, Giuseppe Cristiano for I'm Not Scared, and Jim Caviziel in The Passion of the Christ

Top 5 Actresses

• 5. Kate Winslet for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I am not a very big fan of her, but her job her goes far in turning me, it's a good performance.
• 4. Natalie Portman for Closer. A beautiful showing for an ugly character.
• 3. Maia Morgenstern for The Passion of the Christ. A beautiful near silent performance.
• 2. Uma Thurman for Kill Bill Vol. 2. Physically and mentally exhausting tour de force of revenge.
• 1. Bryce Dallas Howard for The Village. An incredible performance in a terribly disappointing film.
• Honorable Mention: Catalina Sandino Moreno for Maria Full of Grace and Virginia Madsen for Sideways.