The Best of the Year... So Far

Usually on Thursdays I offer reviews of the films I saw during the week. Unfortunately, due to travel commitments and fatigue, I haven't seen anything new since my reviews last Thursday. So this week, as we near the golden period when all the award contenders are dumped on the world, I thought I would offer you my top five films I've seen this year so far. A couple of them are still in theaters and the rest will come to DVD soon enough.

So here's the list in ascending order.

5. "Get Low"

Starring: Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Bill Cobbs, Sissy Spacek, and Lucas Black

Why I like it: This film has a great, intriguing message, strong performances, and some humor. It's a great story and director Aaron Schneider does a nice job putting the whole thing together. This was one of the hidden indie gems this year, and could earn Duvall a Best Actor nomination.

Rating: PG-13 for some thematic material and brief violent content.

4. "Toy Story 3"

Starring the Voice Talents of: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, and Ned Beatty

Why I Like It: It takes a lot for me to get into a cartoon movie, but that's how good this film is. In a year where I've been disappointed with the glut of sequels and the over use of 3-D, this is a 3-D cartoon sequel that I found to be one of the most compelling films of the year. This series clearly hasn't lost its juice. This is the rare, emotionally compelling cartoon film, that reaches audiences of all ages. While kids will love it, adults will be touched by the compelling themes about the times in life when we have to leave our childhood behind. I am not ashamed to say I welled up at the end. The film is that powerful.

Rating: G

3. "The Town"

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Rebecca Hall, and Jon Hamm

Why I Like It: I love Affleck as a director. This is his second feature film. While I loved his debut film, "Gone Baby Gone," more, this is an equally strong effort. Affleck is the star in front of and behind the camera, but the heavy lifting in this film is really done by Renner, fresh off his Academy Award nomination. This is a gritty crime drama in the vein of "Heat" but it doesn't try to simply rip off a formula, it offers plenty of new wrinkles. Hamm does well in a more dramatic role and Affleck does a great job of carrying the plot. This is an engrossing, well-made film.

Rating: R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use.

2. "Inception"

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, and Marion Cotillard

Why I Like It: Writer-director Christopher Nolan is perhaps the best filmmaker working right now. He has been in a zone with his past few films and, while I like the "Dark Knight" more as a complete film, this is pretty darn good. No film inspired more heated debate than "Inception" because of its trippy plot and open-ended conclusion. Add in some fantastic acting and the kind of first-rate filmmaking that has been missing most of the year and you have something special. Let's hope Nolan finally gets his due this year with "Inception."

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout.

1. "The Social Network"

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake.

Why I Like It: This is the best written film I've seen this year. I love Aaron Sorkin as a writer, and this film captures his talent for dialogue and pairs it with actors that can really sell the unique pattern. Director David Fincher continues to deliver well-crafted films, and this one is not only topical — about the origin of the social networking site Facebook — it is well made. This should earn Fincher another glut of award nominations. This is an incredible and engrossing film and, to this point, is my favorite movie of the year.

Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language.