5. An Education

An Education is not just about a young girl becoming a woman but it’s about a changing country, a people on the verge of a cultural revolution, and it’s as well-acted as anything produced this year.

6. Bright Star

Bright Star is one of the most lyrical, beautiful love stories of the last several years, an ode to the overriding power of romance and the way it can aspire one to greatness

7. Star Trek

Pure, escapist entertainment doesn’t get any better than Star Trek. J.J. Abrams’ film is a master class in summer movie storytelling – a perfectly paced, wonderfully cast, cleverly written, and expertly designed thrill ride that works on every level.

8. Goodbye Solo

Ramin Bahrani’s Goodbye Solo is about an old man named William who wants to die and a cab driver named Solo who becomes obsessed with why and attempting to change his mind..

9. Sin Nombre

The most highly ranked debut in a year of excellent ones, Sin Nombre is as visually confident a first film as I’ve seen in years. What’s most remarkable about Cary Joji Fukunaga’s story of the interweaving journeys of a young girl looking for a new life in America and a young man merely trying to escape his awful one in Mexico is the blend of striking, nearly majestic photography with an amazing ability to tell a human story. 

10. Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds is proof that not everything needs to be spoon-fed or cross-marketed to be a massive hit and that writer/directors can express their individuality and still make audiences happy. If only there were more filmmakers like Tarantino.

Ends