Cinematic Fantastic

This year may be remembered as one that blurred the lines between reality and fiction. "Borat" wasn't just the funniest movie of the year, but the most controversial, fudging the divide between comedy, documentary and faux-documentary. "United 93" and "World Trade Center" came face to face with 9/11; Paul Greengrass’s “United 93” was shot in a cinema verite style that tried to distance it from Hollywood convention. The meatiest roles were often real people: Queen Elizabeth coping with the death of Diana; Idi Amin plunging Uganda into horror; the very real American and Japanese victims of the Battle of Iwo Jima saluted in two Clint Eastwood films; Truman Capote redux. Even the year's best musical, "Dreamgirls," was built on echoes of the true story of Diana Ross and the Supremes. Reality, it turned out, was stranger—and often more potent—than fiction.

Army of Shadows Yes, it was made in 1969, but the late Jean-Pierre Melville's fatalistic masterpiece about the French Resistance, starring Lino Ventura and Simone Signoret, was never shown in the United States until now. An instant classic.

Little Miss Sunshine Pure pleasure—a smart, sweet and edgy comedy about our cultural obsession with winning. This indie movie succeeds in something Hollywood used to be able to do, and rarely does anymore: appeal to everyone.

The Queen Tony Blair vs. Her Majesty, perfectly pitched by director Stephen Frears and writer Peter Morgan between satire and sentiment. With the sublimely subtle Helen Mirren in the title role.

Letters from Iwo Jima Clint Eastwood's devastating look at the war through Japanese eyes is a companion piece to the fine "Flags of Our Fathers." As good as that was, this one's even stronger, and the rare antiwar movie that never falls into the trap of getting you to root for someone's death.

The Departed Scorsese's supercharged, profanely funny, wonderfully plotted tale of two moles, with an ensemble to die for.