And some movies that are sort of out-there, but are the kind that might have a shot from now on:

? "Synecdoche, New York": People either loved this movie and thought it was moving and profound, or they hated it and thought it was pretentious and incomprehensible. But Charlie Kaufman's dreamy tale of a mopey theater director staging a never-ending production of his own life definitely left its mark.

? "Man on Wire": It won the Academy Award for best documentary feature this year, and deservedly so. The story of Philippe Petit, the diminutive daredevil who walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers in 1974, played more like a breathtaking heist flick and earned 100 percent positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes Web site.

? "Vicky Cristina Barcelona": Another comedy, and it's Woody Allen's best in a long time. This romp involving a pair of beautiful Americans (Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall) and a seductive Spaniard (Javier Bardem) is playful, witty, and sexy. Despite a seriously wild turn from Penelope Cruz, who earned a supporting-actress Oscar as Bardem's jealous ex-girlfriend, it never takes itself seriously.

? "Waltz With Bashir": It was nominated this year as Israel's entry in the foreign-language category, but it also could have competed as an animated film or a documentary. Why not as best picture? Writer-director Ari Folman inventively revisits hazy memories of his time as a young soldier at war in 1980s Lebanon; the results look like a graphic novel brought brilliantly to life.

? "Iron Man": If we're going to talk about best-picture chances for "The Dark Knight," we may as well throw "Iron Man" into the debate. As comic-book inspired summer blockbusters go, it's arguably as good if not better in some ways, with its mixture of brains, heart, thrilling action and a magnetic performance from Robert Downey Jr.