Up in the Air 
The year's best film is a wicked indictment of disaffected 21st century culture. It's also sharply written, well-acted, and features the performance we always knew George Clooney had in him: smart, smug and deeply, unforgettably sad.
The Hurt Locker
The 21st century finally has its war movie in Kathryn Bigelow's relentlessly tense study of a bomb disposal unit. By boiling the story down to three men on, essentially, a suicide mission, the film (like 2006's little-seen "Letters from Iwo Jima") speaks to the plight of all soldiers. If you like it, don't forget to check out HBO's equally incisive "Generation Kill" series.
District 9 
In a year of great sci-fi ("Avatar", "9", "Star Trek", "The Road"), Neill Blomkamp's low budget entry - featuring a wonderfully off-kilter performance by newcomer Sharlto Copley - shines through. It's everything great sci-fi should be: simple, original, thrilling, and only mildly-veiled social commentary.
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Yes, the direction is choppy and there are plenty of cliches, but you're not going to find a more brutally effective portrayal of youth in crisis this year. This one will stick with you. Each performance is well rendered but Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe and Mo'Nique deserve the hype, and the Oscar gold, this year.
I Love You, Man
The year's most memorable comedy (sorry, "The Hangover") is also its most original. A bro-mantic comedy that finally gives Paul Rudd the spotlight. We love him, man.
