An exquisite work of cinematic art that also happens to be the funniest, most touching, most exciting and most entertaining movie released so far this year.

May not have the starry casts of the Coens' more recent films, but it has plenty of heart and soul.

One of the year's best films and so tapped into the zeitgeist that it's positively scary.

Nolan blurs the distinction between dreams and reality so artfully that Inception may well be a masterpiece masquerading as a summer blockbuster.

Quite possibly the first truly great fact-based movie of the 21st century.

This eye-popping, inspired and often-demented (in a good way) cross between "The Red Shoes" and "All About Eve" channels horror maestros David Cronenberg, Brian De Palma and Dario Argento.

Like all great movies, 127 Hours takes us on a memorable journey. Which is not easy when 90 percent of the movie takes place with a virtually immobile hero in a very cramped setting.

Old-school filmmaking at its best.

Everything a summer blockbuster should be but rarely is - a whip-smart, slam-bang piece of entertainment where we deeply care about the fate of the central characters.

Expertly mixing tears and laughs with the sort of alchemy not seen since "Terms of Endearment," this superbly written, directed, acted, and yes, Oscar-friendly movie perfectly captures the blackly comic insanity that can overtake a family forced to confront an impending death.

The best reason to wade into this (let's be honest) challenging but hugely rewarding film is Quvenzhané Wallis.

Christopher Nolan's dramatically and emotionally satisfying wrap-up to the Dark Knight trilogy adroitly avoids clichés and gleefully subverts your expectations at every turn.

A blue-chip Oscar contender that's also a rousing popcorn movie, Ben Affleck's Argo offers plenty of nail-biting thrills as well as funnier scenes than you'd ever imagine possible in the grim context of the Iran hostage crisis.

The very sex-positive The Sessions treats intimacy with an explicitness and honesty that's very rare in movies. It may be the first film that doesn't turn premature ejaculation into a punch line.

Like the fictional Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs,'' Maya is a consummate professional who brilliantly performs her job in an often hostile work environment.

Not a film for all tastes, but it's a considerable artistic achievement.

This is a beautifully acted chamber piece --especially by the magnificent Blake, who is married to Norris in real life.

Altman and Rapp skirt the fine line between satire and caricature, stopping just short of ridiculing the women who pack Dr. T's office.

The kind of stand-up-and-cheer movie Hollywood is supposed to have forgotten how to make.

Packs a dramatic wallop that makes it one of the year's best movies.

Cannily weaving cross-cultural comedy with we-can-do-it humor in the spirit of "The Full Monty," the film builds to a rousing climax.

Rarely since the tale of the Corleones has a movie presented such a compelling, sympathetic portrait of a criminal lowlife.

A real high in a season filled with unfunny comedies.

More than lives up to its clever positioning as the first movie of the new millennium.

The ideal date movie for the Passover-Easter season and beyond, guaranteed to keep audiences rolling in the pews.

An expertly crafted, deeply moving film.

The most devastating spoof of reality TV since Albert Brooks' 1978 "Real Life."

Such astounding computer-generated effects you'll suspend disbelief and root for the hero, a 3-inch talking mouse.