Sorry Batman, Matt has just seen a better movie this year...

For my money the best movie of the year is also the one that features the best performance I've seen in 2008. Gus Van Sant's extraordinary MILK featuring the amazing Sean Penn... Easily the best movie of the year. Without any doubt. I believe Mike Edwards is writing a review this week and he is better at this gig than me, so I will let him tell you how great it is. Fom the movies I've seen this calendar year, this is what I think simply HAS TO BE NOMINATED at this year's Academy Awards (bearing in mind I haven't had access to the majority of films being spoken about for Oscar consideration yet, so by the end FROST/NIXON might be one of the best films of the year but at the point I'm not getting that "jeez, this is incredible" feeling from it that I got from the three I've named, or the likes of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, MICHAEL CLAYTON, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, ONCE and SWEENEY TODD from last year)...

Best Picture - THE DARK KNIGHT, MILK, WALL*E Best Direction - Christopher Nolan (THE DARK KNIGHT), Gus Van Sant (MILK) Best Leading Role (Male) - Sean Penn (MILK... hands down), Ben Kingsley (ELEGY), Josh Brolin (W.) Best Leading Role (Female) - Keira Knightley (THE DUCHESS) Best Supporting Role - Frank Langella (FROST/NIXON), Heath Ledger (THE DARK KNIGHT) Best Original Screenplay - Joel and Ethan Cohen (BURN AFTER READING) Best Adapted Screenplay - Jonathan Nolan and Christian Nolan (THE DARK KNIGHT) Best Documentary - MAN ON WIRE

Now somehow I need to find a cinema near me that is showing the following before the end of the year so my end of year list is accurate. Boy it's been tough this year (although I know some of these are on DVD already, so there's no excuse for me not to catch up on those)... THE CHANGELING, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE VISITOR, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, CHE PART I (THE ARGENTINE), DOUBT, THE WRESTLER, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, THE EDGE OF LOVE, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE READER, SYNECODOCHE NEW YORK, SEVEN POUNDS, CADILLAC RECORDS, IN BRUGES, BODY OF LIES, REDBELT, TRANSSIBERIAN, THE WACKNESS, WHAT DOESN"T KILL YOU, AUSTRALIA, VALKYRIE, NOTORIOUS, DEFIANCE, THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. If anyone out there (studio reps, etc) can help me get hold of any of these movies for review then do get in touch with me. I'm desperate for an accurate list I can publish on Jan. 1st (I plan on having it up just after I've seen THE SPIRIT which opens that day). Is their anything not on on the list of movies I haven't seen, that you think I'm doing a disservice by not mentioning?