indieWIRE CRITICS' POLL '08 | David D'Arcy

This is the latest ballot in indieWIRE's 2008 Critics Poll, continuing the tradition of a national survey of critics by calling attention to the year's best -- and, in many cases, most overlooked -- films, providing a meaningful counterpoint to much of the year-end hoopla. Note that some lists are unranked at the discretion of the critic. For all categories except Best Undistributed Film, eligible feature films had first-run theatrical engagements in the U.S. during 2008. Films without a U.S. distributor, screened anywhere (festival circuit, one-off screenings, etc.), are eligible in the Best Undistributed Film category. The full list of critics poll ballots is available here at indieWIRE and tabulated results are being published by indieWIRE later this month.

David D'Arcy
Screen

Best Film
1 - Waltz with Bashir
2 - Frozen River
3 - Hunger
4 - The Band's Visit
5 - Baghead
6 - Tropic Thunder
7 - Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
8 - Ballast
9 - Slumdog Millionaire
10 - The Dark Night

Best Performance
1 - Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
2 - Michael Fassbender, Hunger
3 - Melissa Leo, Frozen River
4 - Jeff Goldblum, Adam Resurrected
5 - Heath Ledger, The Dark Night

Best Supporting Performance
1 - Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
2 - Lucy the Dog, Wendy and Lucy
3 - Jack Black, Tropic Thunder
4 - David Kross, The Reader
5 - Michael Caine, The Dark Knight

Best Director
Ari Folman, Waltz With Bashir

Best Screenplay
Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen, Tropic Thunder

Best First Feature
Frozen River

Best Documentary
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Best Undistributed Film
1 - Little Moth
2 - Blind Loves
3 - The Donkey of Lahore
4 - C'Est Dur d'Etre Aime par des Cons
Note: NOT RANKED