Cinematic Fantastic

Half Nelson A smart, wrenching inner-city teacher/student tale that avoids every cliché of the genre. Ryan Gosling's performance as a teacher who is both inspiring and self-destructive is about as good as it gets.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan How long has it been since YOU laughed this hard? Sacha Baron Cohen has come up with a watershed comic event. The backlash just proves how deep a nerve the faux Kazakh journalist has hit.

Dreamgirls An exuberant reminder of why we love musicals. Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy bring down the house in Bill Condon's grit-and-glitter showbiz epic.

Venus Peter O'Toole dazzles as an old actor in this funny and heartbreaking May-December almost-love story, smartly written by Hanif Kureishi and deftly directed by Roger Michell.

Volver Almodovar continues his remarkable run of triumphs with this serene melodrama about murder and maternal love, with a voluptuous performance from Penelope Cruz.

Some other highly recommended movies of the year: "Friends with Money," "Time to Leave," "Notes on a Scandal," "Gabrielle," "The Proposition," "L'Enfant," "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu," "Inside Man," "The Last King of Scotland," "Superman Returns," "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros," "World Trade Center," "United 93," "Casino Royale," "Marie Antoinette," "Happy Feet," "Little Children," "Monster House," "Children of Men," "Kekexili: Mountain Patrol," "The Syrian Bride," "Pan's Labyrinth," "Prairie Home Companion," "Shortbus," "Infamous," "The Prestige," "Factotum," "District B-13," "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," "The Devil Wears Prada," "For Your Consideration," "Duck Season," "Old Joy," "The History Boys" and David Lynch's baffling, mesmerizing, maddening, haunting "Inland Empire."