The top nine!

These are in no particular order. And there are only nine because I couldn't come up with ten. It's not that there aren't ten good movies, it's that about four movies tied for tenth . So here are the top nine:

Nobody Knows - Heartbreaking tale of 4 Japanese siblings left on their own.

Sin City - Robert Rodriguez's brutal adaptation of a brutal comic. Mickey Rourke gives the most moving performance of the year after King Kong.

Howl's Moving Castle - The best love story of the year. A girl falls in love with a vain, cowardly wizard and helps him become a man.

40 Year Old Virgin - The most I've laughed all year.

Junebug - An art dealer goes to meet her new husband's family in the South. My favorite scene of the year is in the film (I don't want to give it away...).

History of Violence - David Cronenberg asks what makes us who we are and whether we can recreate ourselves.

Squid and the Whale - Along with Junebug, the best portrayal of an American family this year.

Brokeback Mountain - An epic romance against an amazing mountain backdrop. Heath Ledger gives his second great performance of the year. The other was his mumbling portrayal of a surf shop owner in "Lords of Dogtown."

King Kong - I felt no need to see a remake of this movie. Peter Jackson proved that I was wrong. The gaint ape will break your heart.