indieWIRE CRITICS' POLL '08 | J Hoberman

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.

J Hoberman
Village Voice

Best Film
1 - The Flight of the Red Balloon
2 - Razzle Dazzle
3 - Paranoid Park
4 - Che
5 - Silent Light
6 - 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
7 - In the City of Sylvia
8 - Waltz with Bashir
9 - Wall-E
10 - Wendy and Lucy

Best Performance
1 - Juliette Binoche, The Flight of the Red Balloon
2 - Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
3 - Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
4 - Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
5 - Sean Penn, Milk

Best Supporting Performance
1 - Ann Savage, My Winnipeg
2 - Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
3 - Ken Jacobs, Momma's Man
4 - Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
5 - Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Director
Steven Soderbergh, Che

Best Screenplay
Guy Maddin, My Winnipeg

Best First Feature
Jellyfish

Best Documentary
Waltz with Bashir

Best Undistributed Film
1 - United Red Army
2 - I'm Gonna Explode
3 - Tony Manero
4 - The Headless Woman
5 - Four Nights with Anna
6 - 24 City
7 - Afterschool
8 - Bullet in the Head
9 - Chouga
10 - The Northern Land
Note: NOT RANKED