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.
Noel Murray
The A.V. Club
Best Film
1 – WALL-E
2 – Burn After Reading
3 – Synecdoche, New York
4 – 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
5 – The Dark Knight
6 – Surfwise
7 – Rachel Getting Married
8 – Paranoid Park
9 – Milk
10 – My Winnipeg
Best Performance
1 – Anamaria Marinca, 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2 – Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
3 – Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man
4 – Melissa Leo, Frozen River
5 – Julianne Moore, Savage Grace
Best Supporting Performance
1 – Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
2 – Tilda Swinton, Burn After Reading
3 – Toby Kebbell, Rocknrolla
4 – Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
5 – Gwyneth Paltrow, Iron Man
Best Director
Joel and Ethan Coen, Burn After Reading
Best Screenplay
Joel and Ethan Coen, Burn After Reading
Best First Feature
Frozen River
Best Documentary
Surfwise
Best Undistributed Film
1 – Anvil, The Story Of Anvil
2 – The Good The Bad, and The Weird
3 – Still Walking
4 – Summer Hours
5 – Jerichow
6 – Tears For Sale
7 – Recycle
8 – Treeless Mountain
9 – Eat, For This Is My Body
10 – Be Like Others
Note: NOT RANKED
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