Tom Long

10 films really stood out in a year with few surprises

Batman returned with a vengeance, Iron Man flew for the first time, and 3-D films picked up momentum. Four of the year's top 10 hits were cartoons, and Indiana Jones proved he could still draw crowds.

Yet overall, it was sort of a business-as-usual year for films. Summer had the expected blockbusters; the holiday season saw a rash of Oscar hopefuls released. Box-office admissions were down a bit, but ticket prices were up a bit, so the annual box office held pretty steady. All very predictable.

Happily, into even the most blah year some good films inevitably come. Again, though, no one film seems destined to rule the awards season. Let's pretend this has more to do with uniform quality than slim competition.

Still, there were some very good movies released in 2008, and now's the time to celebrate them. Two on the following list have yet to make it to Detroit. Which means there will also be reason to celebrate in the new year.

'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'

1. One of the best pictures of Woody Allen's career (which is saying something), this story of two young American women falling in and out of love in Spain was deliciously tough to pin down, blending comedy, drama and romance while wrestling with questions of human predisposition and the fleeting nature of life. The ensemble cast -- Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Patricia Clarkson -- was superb, with Penélope Cruz injecting real fire into the proceedings in one of the year's best acting turns. A film to make you believe in film.

'The Wrestler'

2. Director Darren Aronofsky took what could have been a standard sports story and turned it into a reflection on the dangers of dreaming too hard, too long. Mickey Rourke, playing a pro wrestler whose life is on the skids, delivers the performance of a lifetime, with the agony of irrelevance etched into his face, and both Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood shine as the women -- stripper and daughter -- he tries to connect with. (The film opens in Detroit on Jan. 9.)

'Frost/Nixon'

3. It's testament to Ron Howard's skill as a director, and to actors Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, that what sounds like a dry study of a media event in the late '70s instead turns out to be grand entertainment on the big screen. This battle of wits between a British talk show host and a disgraced president is every bit as intriguing as it is informative, and the supporting ensemble -- Rebecca Hall (again), Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt -- is flawless.

'Revolutionary Road'

4. This searing look at suburban desperation in the '50s recalls "The Ice Storm," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and director Sam Mendes' own "American Beauty," but Mendes helps stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio turn the heat way up. Yes, it's quintessential Heavy Drama, but it's Heavy Drama done right. And watch for an absolutely electric supporting performance from Michael Shannon. (The film opens in Detroit on Jan. 9.)

'Synecdoche, New York'

5. Writer-director Charlie Kaufmann weaves an elaborate, surreal tale about a playwright (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who transforms his own life into a gargantuan stage production in this challenging, emotionally enormous film. The large female supporting cast -- Samantha Morton, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams, Hope Davis, Emily Watson -- may be the best ever assembled.

6. 'WALL-E'

This dazzling animated work manages to find the soul of the silent-movie era in a futuristic setting. Chaplin in this case is a small robot left behind on Earth when mankind flees its own pollution for outer space. The near-wordless first half of the film is transcendent; the second half is merely typical Pixar brilliance. A wonderful movie.

7. 'Man on Wire'

It's still hard to believe this film isn't a hoax. Back in the '70s a crazy French tightrope walker and a group of buddies managed to tie a rope between the World Trade Center buildings, and this nut walked out over New York City! What's even more amazing is that someone brought a camera along. A huge personality, a mad plan and an absolutely breathtaking feat. Wild.

8. 'Slumdog Millionaire'

Director Danny Boyle takes Dickens to Bollywood with this incredibly well-made film about an orphan in India searching for his true love and ending up a national hero on a game show. With hand-held cameras and a taking-it-to-the-streets urgency, Boyle captures the vast diversity, violence and beauty of India in a way no other Western filmmaker ever has.

9. 'Elegy'

This quiet, sensitive and sharp film about an older professor (Ben Kingsley) who falls in love with a beautiful student (Penélope Cruz, having one heck of a year) is a study of the fragile nature of love and life. Directed by Spain's Isabel Coixet.

10. 'Doomsday'/'Wanted'

The first sank quickly from sight, the second earned more than $100 million. They were both just nuts, wacked-out violence vehicles with actual ideas buried beneath all the bloodshed. It's too difficult to choose between the punk cannibalistic, post-apocalypse medieval madness of "Doomsday" and the gun-crazed, secret-society assassin fetishism of "Wanted," so let's call it a tie for this year's gonzo pick.

Almost made the list: "In Bruges," "Rachel Getting Married" and "Cloverfield"

Never had a chance: "Australia"

You can reach Tom Long at (313) 222-8879 or tlong@detnews.com.