indieWIRE CRITICS' POLL '08 | Michael Atkinson

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.

Michael Atkinson
IFC.com, The Boston Phoenix, Moving Image Source

Best Film
1 - My Winnipeg
2 - Ballast
3 - Wendy & Lucy
4 - Silent Light
5 - Still Life
6 - Waltz with Bashir
7 - Flight of the Red Balloon
8 - The Wrestler
9 - Synecdoche, New York
10 - My Blueberry Nights

Best Performance
1 - Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
2 - James Franco, Pineapple Express
3 - Michelle Williams, Wendy & Lucy
4 - Andrew Garfield, Boy A
5 - Sean Penn, Milk

Best Supporting Performance
1 - Tarra Riggs, Ballast
2 - Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
3 - Ann Savage, My Winnipeg
4 - Olivia Thirlby, Snow Angels
5 - Sarah Adler, Jellyfish

Best Director
Guy Maddin, My Winnipeg

Best Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York

Best First Feature
Ballast

Best Documentary
Encounters at the End of the World