My Favorite Movies

Although it can be quickly and easily dismissed, this contemporary Shakespearean adaptation is far above a typical teen romp. Loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew, intricate characterization and solid performances make 10 Things not only tolerable, but thoroughly enjoyable. The cast is loaded with talent: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larry Miller, and Allison Janney, to name only a few. Ledger and Stiles have chemistry, and even this early in their careers, it was clear that they were destined for greatness. Ledger's ridiculously romantic scene where he serenades Stiles over the public address system in the middle of soccer practice, singing The Four Seasons' classic "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" is simply icing on the cake.

A childhood fave!

An absolute classic. Some of the smartest/stupidest laughs ever put on camera, from the ridiculous sight gags ("Otto" pilot), cameos (Kareem Abdul Jabaar as the co-pilot) and memorable quotes ("don't call me Shirley") -- this is a perfect comedy!

Hanks and Howard at their peak.

This is epic storytelling at its finest. With what director Baz Luhrmann calls "The Feast," he offers everything anybody could want in a movie: drama, comedy, action, romance, music, history, and mystique. Not to mention some of the finest imagery taken from one of the most beautiful and vast lands in the world.

Australia is an original story, but it cleverly and faithfully incorporates real historical events, even ones that until recently had not been talked about. The cinematography serves as a loving travelogue to the country.

While Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman drive the love story and the drama with electric chemistry, the supporting cast is equally excellent. Particularly good is David Gulpilil as King George, who, with virtually no lines, still carries incredible presence. And a remarkable discovery is Brandon Walters as young Nullah. Discovered in Broome, his remote hometown, Walters had no acting experience and didn't even know who Nicole Kidman was before photography, and yet he carries the entire film effortlessly.

Trying to cater to everyone is a dangerous game, and critics often find many excuses not to embrace these kinds of films. But Baz a rare talent, with an ability to bring together all of the ingredients and create a true feast for the eyes, heart, and soul.

Possibly the most romantic movie ever made, and thankfully, it's completely devoid of any studio-approved cliche plotlines. It's so simple and organic, a near-perfect film.

This is the stuff timeless masterpieces are made of. Though it garnered huge critical acclaim and box office success, the true impact of this film probably won't be recognized for many more years. Anyone familiar with the original short story can attest to the flawless expansion of the film's feature-length narrative, without sacrificing the integrity of the characters. Ang Lee's direction is simple, yet striking. The film depends entirely on the performances, and at the time, none of the four leads were particularly well known for their prestige roles, having come from the likes of Disney franchises, cult thrillers, teen-targeted blockbusters, and a primetime soap opera. But the young cast proved to be more than capable. Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway each make an impression, despite limited screen time. But of course, it's the men here that are the main attraction, and they don't disappoint. Jake Gyllenhaal is outstanding as Jack, while Heath Ledger is simply transcendent as Ennis, so nuanced here that even the short story's original author Annie Proulx was impressed.

I wasn't expecting much, but this was a pleasant surprise. More than it's face value drama, this is a sort of satire and analysis of who you let influence your voice and being. Kate Mara appears to play a supporting character, but she is actually the lead, while Noah Wyle and Illeana Douglas play her subconscious "angel" and "devil" characters. You get to decide which is which. It feels a bit unfinished in the end, and it's lack of detail in some of the plotlines make it not very believable, but overall these are minor complaints. It's a fun watch.

Alfonso Cuarón is possibly the best director working today. Children of Men covers so much ground in two hours, creating a depressing, but at the same time beautiful world in the not-so-distant future. It's dark, dramatic, and action-packed, but it also infuses a little bit of hope and humour into appropriate moments, and it's always entertaining, never preachy or pretentious like it could have been with another director. The camerawork and editing is so mind-boggling, you'll watch it many times over and still wonder how they did it.

Awesome soundtrack. The scene with Bowie's "Space Oddity" (my all-time fave) is worth the price of admission alone.

After its explosive summer release, during which I saw it twice on the IMAX screen, I wasn't sure if the Oscar buzz would hold up long enough to see the awards season. But as 2008 comes to a close, I'm noticing a trend: even The Dark Knight's biggest critics can't help but mention Heath Ledger's Joker.



While the film overall is definitely worthy of the wide acclaim it's received, it is clear that it will be remembered for the late actor's mesmerizing performance. It's sad to think that Ledger's premature death is what led to all the buzz. I'd like to think that he would still be noticed if were alive today. After several comparisons to Marlon Brando for his Brokeback Mountain role, he is now being associated to the tragic James Dean. The hardest part of all is knowing all the lost potential, that we'll never see Ledger's brilliance on screen again.



Of course Heath was not the only person involved in making this film. The entire cast and creative team deserves some praise as well. The script is immense, but manages to fit a lot of story into two and a half hours without losing the audience to confusion or boredom. A lot of reviews have pointed out the length of the film as a negative, but I was completely enthralled the entire time. The dialogue is sharp, a bonus for the comic book genre, and much darker and more complex themes prove how the production managed to secure such a sophisticated cast. The visual effects are out of this world. Usually such features don't interest me, but here they are the icing on the cake. Several major action sequences and wide-angle cityscapes shot on large-format film look spectacular on the IMAX screens.



Even though Ledger's passing is indeed tragic, his final work here is worth celebrating, and I personally take great comfort in noticing that he loved his profession. Heath immerses himself in the character, and it's quite apparent that he had a blast doing so.

Pure fashion porn. Fab acting all around, especially from Streep, as expected. Best Chick Flick of 2006 for sure. That's all.

When I first saw this in high school, I was in love with Alan Rickman. It wasn't until I saw it again just recently, almost five years later, that I fully understood all the jokes. There are so many cheesy lines in this flick, thrown in at the oddest times, pure genius! The laughs are more entertaining than the action. And Hans Gruber is still the best movie villan of all time.

What can you really say? One of the most romantic movies of all time.

This one takes me back to childhood; I watched it every time I went to Grandma's house. As someone who has never really been to a wedding -- a few as a kid for distant relatives, but none recently, and never for someone I'm close to -- the movie is almost surreal, and (I hope!) satirical. The genius is the way the story is told from the clueless father's point of view. Steve Martin's facial expressions are pure genius.

Nobody expected this to become a cult classic, but Matthew Broderick's endearing and relatable high schooler made the film a huge success for every generation. The oh-so-simple and innocent storyline makes it a perfect little film to cheer you up on a bad day, offering a complete package of silly plot, fun characters, quotable lines, and overall adorableness. A Chicago setting and cheesy 80s new wave soundtrack only add to the experience. This one will never get old.

Though it follows the same formula of every other romantic comedy, this one wins me over every time with it's abundance of charm. Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon are adorable as the court each other and develop a relationship over the frosty winter months in Boston, but then as spring arrives, he dumps the devastating news on her. He's a hard core Red Sox fan. The team of course wrecks havoc on the relationship, testing them constantly as Barrymore has other work and social commitments and Fallon has trouble giving up his tickets to accommodate her friend's birthday party, a last minute business trip, and so on. But of course like all romantic comedies do, they prevail in the end, and so do the Sox. Shot during the summer of 2004, the filmmakers changed the ending of the film when the Sox actually won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. Now, if we could get a sequel about the Cubs ....

The premise is admittedly ridiculous, but it's executed remarkably well thanks to some genuine performances and an infectious pop soundtrack that is easily one of the best in recent movie history. Great work from John Lithgow and the entire supporting cast as well, and it's always amusing to see a young Sarah Jessica Parker in a cameo. Kevin Bacon offers a charismatic and incredibly sweet anti-hero. He was my mom's favourite actor -- now I know where I got my great taste from!

This one was way ahead of it's time!

So many quirky plots, great acting all around.

A fun thriller on the first viewing, a subversive and twisted drama on the second, and all cleverly disguised as a shiny studio venture. The violence is intense, but also has the cartoonish appeal of Cronenberg's earlier biological horror flicks. Somehow, it's crude and polished at the same time. The casting is perfect. As husband and wife, Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello look and act like a real American family. They have great chemistry, particularly in two key love scenes that reveals just as much story and character as any straight dialogue would. Ed Harris and William Hurt have a blast at chewing the scenery which works in a brilliant contrast to Mortensen's subtlety. With a total runtime under a hundred minutes, each scene is finely crafted and executed, creating an energetic and thoroughly entertaining film that never overstays its welcome.

Though simple in its construction, there are plenty of details hidden throughout this fun little film. With only two characters, one setting, and no-frills production values, the tone is indeed experimental, yet the narrative is strong throughout, and the action plays out almost like a stage production more than a movie. Neither character is particularly likable, but charisma can go a long way sometimes, and you still end up enthralled in their debates, no matter how serious or silly the topics, which range from civil unrest to plastic surgery. Steve Buscemi (who also directs) manages to create a character that is both smarmy and captivating, while Sienna Miller, a highly underrated actress, is perfectly cast as a borderline bipolar superstar, sly and seductive one moment, then hysterical and violent the next. Both are manipulative at every turn, and it's hard to choose who to side with.

Awesome, awesome, awesome flick, making the most of the often misused "mock doc" genre. A fictional story told as fact, the Frankie Wilde character is hilarious, heartbreaking, inspirational, and an unlikely romantic hero all at once. Beautifully shot on the Spanish isle of Ibiza, clubbing mecca of the world, with Canadian funds and a mostly British cast, the movie mixes both international and American sensibilities together flawlessly. For a fan of house music, the soundtrack is wicked, and this remains one of the only films I've seen to get the look and feel of a nightclub exactly right. Makes me want to go out and dance until the sun comes up!

Alfred Kinsey is a man whose name you may not know unless you studied him in school, but his research in the 1940s revolutionized science and culture. It's hard to believe in today's world, where it can sell just about anything, sex was once a completely taboo subject. Kinsey set out to change that with his own in-depth survey, collecting stats from thousands of volunteer subjects. In addition to his academic achievements, the film explores Kinsey's complex personal life, including his troubled relationship with his father and an open marriage with his wife and one of his protégés. Liam Neeson leads a top notch cast, which includes Laura Linney, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Lithgow.

This romantic comedy defines quirky -- a word I try to avoid when critiquing movies, being the go-to descriptor for that ominously trendy independent film -- but this one works beautifully, because the eccentricity is not a gimmick, but embedded within the characters' personalities. The film explores a fairly controversial topic: can you choose your sexual orientation, or is it an attribute you're born with? The film is never political or preachy with this idea, but rather innocent and sweet. It explores the differences between friendship and romance and the general perplexities of the dating scene, which both gay and straight audiences can identify with.

Funny, poignant, and one of the best casts ever assembled. Some great Canadian iconongraphy here. In what other film can you see the shameless derailing of a Toronto streetcar? As everyone's tries to make the most of their final hours before the world ends, Don McKellar captures some truly human moments. Hollywood blockbuster fans beware, this is not an action flick like Armageddon. Instead, McKellar sticks to the subtle drama, focusing on the emotional aspects of various characters as they tie up the loose ends of their relationships with loved ones. An incredibly intelligent work of art.

It may look cheesy on the outside, but it isn't trying to be anything more than a really fun movie, and it excels at it. Beneath all that shiny blonde hair, Reese Witherspoon delivers a breakout performance that is full of charisma and heart. The "never give up on yourself" theme may be a cliché, but thanks to Reese, it doesn't feel forced. The supporting players exaggerate their characters to the max, which works just fine with the film's spirited tone. Not many flicks make me cry out of happiness, but the ending to this one does it for me every time.

A childhood fave. I named this movie as my favourite in my 8th grade yearbook.

Genius. Funny, dramatic, sexy, tons of tension! Amazing acting all around, great writing. Kate Winslet must get an Oscar nomination for this. *edit* She did! And she would have won if it weren't for Helen Mirren's mimickry of the Queen. :P

The first movie ever owned and loved, and also the movie that turned Disney animation around and brought upon the second Golden Age of classic animated films. No Pixar computer-generated movie can hold a candle to this masterpiece for me. To this day, I see so much of Ariel and her story in myself. If my life could be a fairytale, I'd want it to be this one.

Between viewings, I often forget how great this film really is. I often consciously shun the more popular "arty" films, considering them generally overrated if they appear on everyone's favourite lists. But this is one of the ones that truly deserves the recognition. It's funny, poignant, and romantic, yet very subtle, nothing like your average romcom with over-the-top gestures of hokiness. Scarlett and Bill have great chemistry, despite the obvious age difference, and their characters' personal crises feel normal and real as opposed to the usual whiney and self-indulgent. To top it off, the film is beautifully shot and comes with a really fun soundtrack.

A smart and funny teen flick with well-developed characters who actually act their age. While the cliques are slightly exaggerated for comedy, they are also very close to the way it really is in high school. My school was just like this. Though she's better known for her personal life, Lindsay Lohan proves here that she really can act. Rachel McAdams is hilarious in the role of evil Regina, showing great promise just months before her breakout movie, The Notebook, came out. Writer Tina Fey and several of her Saturday Night Live co-stars round out the supporting cast. Tim Meadows is fantastic as the school principal.

Hardly award worthy, but definitely one of my favourite comfort movies. A classic guilty pleasure. Sandra Bullock has a certain appeal in these cheesy roles, and William Shatner just plain rocks.

One of those movies you either love or hate. Dynamic, rich, intentionally gaudy, and absolutely brilliant. I admit, it took me a long time to warm up to it. Baz Luhrman is an acquired taste, but once you're hooked, you can't get enough. The man is one of the most visionary (and perhaps misunderstood) directors working today. If you listen to the man speak for five minutes, even if you don't like the movies, you have to appreciate him for the love and energy he puts into his work. I can't really sum up this film a few words, but I encourage everyone to see it themselves.

A thoughtful drama, if a little too earnest at times. Though a tad slow at the start, the story finds it's feet as soon as Peter Sarsgaard arrives, saving grace of indie film once again. He breathes life into a dull script with a character that is flawed and immensely fun to watch. Not having read the novel, I'm led to believe that his character is a hybrid of two different characters from the source material, and it works beautifully, I can't really imagine how the story would go if he was split into two people. The three main characters, each a point of a twisted love triangle, build tension that simmers slowly to a boil. Jon Foster and Sienna Miller aren't quite as interesting to watch individually, but play important roles in a story that belongs entirely to Sarsgaard. Why this man doesn't get more lead roles is the biggest mystery here. The secondary plots involving Foster's overbearing father and sort-of-but-not-really girlfriend are forgettable and horribly acted, but even a few of those moments have some so-bad-it's-good value. While I won't call this top-notch cinema, it's definitely an overlooked gem and worthwhile for Sarsgaard alone.

Classic. It just isn't Christmas without it.

The very best baseball movie ever. Robert Redford is the only one who could have pulled off the dynamic lead role, and he's surrounded by a fabulous supporting cast. The lenswork is too gorgeous for words. And what can be said about the score? The only word that comes to mind is iconic. It's criminal that this movie didn't win any of the four Oscars it was nominated for, but only proves that the Academy has been wrong for decades. This classic, as Roy Hobbs says in that famous final scene, is a definite winner.

PC Load Letter? What the f--- does that mean?!

I admit, it took me a few viewings to really warm up to this movie. There was an overwhelming amount of hype around it, and the first few times I saw it, I thought "is that it?" But thankfully I gave it another chance on DVD (with subtitles, so I could understand those thick accents!) and I finally fell completely in love. The simplicity really is what makes it such a perfect movie. The low-low-low budget camerawork and natural lighting, not to mention the performances from the non-professional actors, make the whole thing feel so real, like you're watching someone's actual love story unfold before you. And in a way you are, as the two leads began dating after their collaboration on this film, awwww. The script doesn't waste time with backstory or subplots, it's set entirely in the present, and you can speculate everything else yourself. But most of all, it's the music that will win you over. Just beautiful, it leaves me speechless everytime I listen. Easily the best movie soundtrack in a very long time.

I always loved movies as a kid, but this is probably the one that introduced me to the intoxication of the cinematic experience. I didn't go to the theatre a lot when I was young. It just wasn't that interesting. In my hometown, there were never big crowds to see anything, and to say that the two theatres we had were dingy would be polite. But the summer this movie came out, my family went to Chicago. We had tickets to a Cubs game at night, and it was simply too hot to do anything during the day. So we decided to head to the movie theatre at Water Tower Place, right around the corner from our hotel. The screening was nearly sold out, and the buzz in the house was awesome. I was only thirteen, but the experience has stayed with me for over ten years, as very few other movies have outside the festival circuit. The movie itself isn't that bad either. Say what you will about Lindsay Lohan's crazy personal life. The girl can act, and this humble little family remake is the one that put her on the map. The adult cast is just as capable, and clearly having fun.

This movie is so f---ed up, I'm not even going to pretend to understand it. Yet in spite of the twisted story and overwrought symbolism, this movie is incredibly watchable and re-watchable, with some unexpected and intriguing performances, a beautiful score, and enchanting cinematography featuring a vivid palette of saturated primary colours. It probably isn't for everyone, but it's definitely worth a look if you're up for a little risk-taking.

At only 81 minutes, this is as tight as thrillers get. Colin Farrell delivers one hell of a riveting performance that is wicked fun to watch. The supporting cast is good in very limited roles, with Kiefer Sutherland being the only problem. He's fine as the sniper on the phone, but his voice is just a little too recognizable. A lesser-known actor might have served the story better.

An underrated drama/thriller that was completely overlooked by critics. Gwyneth Paltrow is phenomenal here as Katherine, the daughter of a once-brilliant mathetmatician (Anthony Hopkins), wrestling with the possibility that she might go crazy just like he did. Hope Davis is the estranged sister who means well, but doesn't believe Katherine is the author of a genius piece of work found among their father's things, and Jake Gyllenhaal is the lovable geek caught up in everything, not sure what to think. A powerful four-character piece both on stage and on film. You don't need to like or even understand numbers to enjoy it. A few technical terms are thrown around, but the real fun here is the intrigue and the relationships forged and broken down.

Watching the film Rachel Getting Married is like attending a real wedding with your own family. It's raw, haunting, and tangible and is more complex and intimate than any other film this year.



It's awkward and painful, but also a huge adrenaline rush. The entire cast, mostly complete unknowns, are incredibly strong. The show stopping performance is Anne Hathaway as the bride's sister Kym. Officially graduating from her kiddie roles and locking herself into the race for Oscar gold, Hathaway also secures her future as a truly talented actor and a force to be reckoned with. She keeps Kym restrained, damaged, and incredibly human, and although she is an aggressive character, we love her in spite of it all. Rosmarie DeWitt as Rachel is just as excellent, and plays off of Hathaway beautifully. If I didn't know better going into the film, I'd think they really were sisters. Also worth mentioning are Debra Winger as the girls' estranged mother, in a small but nuanced performance; Bill Irwin as the slightly goofy father hopelessly caught between his daughters' constant battle; and Mather Zickel as the best man, who becomes fast friends with Kym through their shared troubles.



We meet just about every guest at the wedding at one point or another. Several scenes seem to go on forever with various family members giving speeches, toasts, and musical performances. Tunde Adebimpe's groom Sidney plays a music producer (and is also a musician by trade in real life with experimental rockers TV on the Radio), and so a whole variety show worth of musicians are each given a moment to shine at the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. At first this felt like a stumbling block in the film's pacing, but on each subsequent viewing, it just gets better. Director Jonathan Demme refuses to take you away from the action for even a moment. You are present for the entire wedding, as if you were a guest yourself, just as you were caught up in the conflict between family members during the preparations.



Demme uses shaky handheld cameras and tight close-ups to put you right in the middle of the action all the time. Images rush past and creep in and out of focus like a home video. Many principles of the Dogme '95 manifesto are followed, including the use of only natural and practical lighting and music.



There isn't a tidy conclusion where everyone kisses and makes up. Several scenes at the end of the film feature the family saying good-bye to each other as they go their separate ways after the wedding. The uneasiness is as captivating as it is painful to watch. The open wounds are left that way, much like they often are in real life, and the film is all the more resonant for it.

Probably the best modernized Shakespeare film, and definitely the most accessible. It takes awhile to get into the story as it follows the original text verbatim. But once you meet the star-crossed lovers, you can't take your eyes away. Even though the story is ridiculous -- love at first sight, death matches, exile, it's all there -- the cast and Baz Luhrmann's strange but alluring visual style draw you in and won't let you go until the final credits.

The Chicago Cubs, World Series champs? Ha! It must be a movie. This one brings out the kid in me. Even with some technical inaccuracies, some gimmicky jokes thrown in for kids, and a tiny bit of overacting, the movie is too charming to put down. It realizes every kid's dream of being famous, while still including themes about friendship and growing up and mostly avoiding the cheesiness. Even the adult characters get their own moments, giving parents and my more mature self a little something to enjoy.

What would you do if you found your flat mate one morning, dead in his room, with a suitcase full of cash under the bed? This sly and comic little thriller from Danny Boyle, his feature debut, considers that very question. The feisty cast is lead by Ewan McGregor (a frequent collaborator with Boyle in their early days), the most charismatic of the three friends who share an Edinburgh apartment. How they deal with the situation affects each of them differently, to the point where paranoia and deception take the place of sincerity and trust. The plotting is deliberate and the humour is dark and cynical, a fun watch that doesn't lose its edge after one viewing, as most thrillers tend to do.

Most movies about writers are pretty self-indulgent, and quite often also boring. But this true story about Washington journalist Stephan Glass is anything but. Events unfold like a mystery as the editor of the New Republic discovers his star writer may have fabricated one of his pieces. Hayden Christensen plays the accused, and proves he can actually act. We watch the whole thing from his point of view. Throughout, flashback and voice-over -- devices I normally loathe -- are used to great effect to win sympathy for a rather unlikable character. Glass points out his strategy early on: act humble and you'll go far. But he takes his own advice a little too far. At staff meetings, he describes his outrageous ideas with great enthusiasm, only to talk himself down at the end, desperately seeking encouragement and approval from his peers. The magazine's support staff are all well-cast, especially Peter Sarsgaard, who subtly steals every scene he's in.

I wish more Canadian flicks were like this one! Despite a tiny budget, the cinematography is gorgeous. Part of that is of course due to the beautiful Slocan Valley where the movie is set, but beyond that, rookie director Aubrey Nealon has managed to get some exquisite aerial shots -- and even incorporated a sea plane into the plot -- that take the whole movie beyond the typical "funded by the Canadian government" aesthetic. Nealon's script feels like it was written by someone with way more storytelling experience, and features finely nuanced characters, obscure historical details, and mature relationships we don't get to see enough in movies today. The casting is perfect -- Kris Lemche, Michael Hogan, and Matt Craven feel like they are these characters, not just playing them.

This is the most underrated film of 2006. Excellent, excellent performances all around, especially Sigourney Weaver. Alan Rickman proves he's still got it at 60. Yes, it's a little bit cheesy, but the story is really heartfelt there's enough honest humour to balance out the sentimentality.

This Showtime telefilm shares many story elements with Shakespeare's tragic Romeo and Juliet, but it takes it several steps further than even the Bard would dare to go, and it's a also a true story. In 1999, a US infantry soldier was brutally murdered for his love affair with a transgendered club performer. Rather than focus on the obvious politics, the filmmakers create a beautiful and intimate love story. With the co-operation of the real-life subjects, the script is handled tastefully, and the performers refuse to exploit their characters, instead exploring their complexity and developing electric chemistry in each of their relationships.

A childhood fave

Since childhood, I've been fascinated with the mythology of mermaids, and Splash has been a staple of my life longer than I can remember. Only as an adult though have been able to truly appreciate the whole film; even though its plot is pretty basic, I was too young to fully understand it when I was seven. The story perfectly blends elements of comedy, drama, romance, adventure, and fantasy, while maintaining a realistic and modern New York sensibility. The casting is spot on, and it's amusing to think of the impact this film had on each of them so early in their careers. Tom Hanks in particular had only a failed TV series under his belt. Who knew?

Sugar is a young man from the Dominican Republic. Like so many others in his hometown, he is chasing a nearly impossible dream, to play baseball in the American Major Leagues, to help his family out of poverty. He gets his first big break when he is invited to spring training, and then lands in rural Iowa to play for a Kansas City farm team.



The film follows Sugar as he tries to adjust to his new life. Along with the pressures of the game and being the best, he is completely isolated from his family and friends back home. The language barrier is especially difficult to get over. He has trouble ordering food in a restaurant, and even though he wants to, and is encouraged by his incredibly patient host family, he can't carry a conversation at the dinner table.



Algenis Perez Soto delivers an inspired performance as Sugar, which is all the more remarkable considering he's never acted before. A former aspiring ballplayer himself, Soto was discovered by the filmmakers among six hundred others in auditions and scouting across the US and Dominican. We get to know Sugar on a profoundly intimate level, even with very little dialogue, thanks to Soto's expressive eyes and presence.



The rest of the cast is just as outstanding, it's hard to single out any one of them. Some are professionals, but many of the baseball players and smaller roles are actual prospective or former players rather than actors, which adds authenticity to the scenes on the field.



Writer-director team Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden have developed artistically since their feature debut, 2006's Half Nelson. Considering how great that film was, any improvement is most impressive. They have honed their skills just tiny bits here and there, but have maintained the overall style of their first film. They continue to use lots of focus pulls and vibrant colour, a nice touch that adds punch to their very naturalistic stories. Though with their storytelling talent, it's impossible for audiences to lose interest, it's still nice to have that little extra something that reminds us visually we are watching a real movie and not an amateur home video. It's kind of the opposite effect of the Dogme movement. As far as the writing is concerned, the script deftly avoids clichés and never goes where you expect it to.



Sugar is easily the best film of 2009 so far. I know it's only April, but it's going to be very difficult to top this one.

One of my favourite surprises from TIFF, a film I bought tickets for despite knowing nothing about it, and then delighted in seeing it earn a few Oscar nominations a few months later. One of a rare breed of quirky little indies that can be watched again and again without getting tired. Great mix of humour and drama and fabulous performances all around.

Pure genius. Possibly Jim Carrey's greatest performance and one of the best flicks I've seen in a long time. Fabulous supporting cast, along with a fascinating premise that could have fallen apart entirely in the wrong hands.

Insanely sexy drama/thriller! Fabulous cast, I love Diane Lane's scene on the train. Beautiful imagery and cinematography. I *love* the ending!

This is about as high-concept as it gets. And about as Canadian as it gets. What other society could come up with a plot involving office workers placing bets on who could stay indoors the longest? Amazingly enough, the movie works like a charm. It's definitely quirky, perhaps an acquired taste that may not translate for international audiences, but there are some hilarious performances here, both of the over-the-top and understated kind. The direction and editing is just as unorthodox as the story, which some sly moves you might not notice or "get" the first time around. Definitely needs to be watched at least twice.

... They defied the conventions of the romantic comedy and their story became a true classic. Can men and women really be "just friends?" This film ponders that, following the title characters from college to their 30s. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan play off each other effortlessly and have superb comic timing. Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher as their respective best friends are equally brilliant. Trying to name a favourite scene is impossible. Harry's theories on relationships and Sally's quirks are original and adorable, never forced or pretentious like so many characters who strive to be like these two today. Oh, and it's one of the most quotable movies ever. I'll have what she's having.

One of the sexiest movies ever made. This one brought Alfonso Cuarón to the top of the directors-to-watch list, and he has continued to impress ever since. The story is simple, a coming-of-age road movie that avoids the clichés of both genres. The acting is completely natural and the chemistry between all three leads is electric. The occasional voice-over commentary is both smart and sassy, and the final scenes are possibly the hottest ten minutes in the history of cinema.