Turan Names Bright Star and Hurt Locker Tied for No. 1

Thanks to reader Andrew for pointing out Kenneth Turan’s top ten. As follows:

1. Bright Star and Hurt Locker

I’m going to split my No. 1 pick between two films that have a lot in common even though they seem quite different. While “Bright Star” is an emotional love story and “The Hurt Locker” is an overwhelming, tense saga of men at war, the two share — in addition to an increasingly rare female director — impeccable filmmaking skills.

Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” also share a commitment to telling stories with the kind of artful ironclad restraint that gets maximum effect out of emotional material.

An Education

I’m putting the rest of my list in alphabetical order. “An Education” is invariably funny and inexpressibly moving in the way it looks at a young girl’s journey from innocence to experience. Other largely British adult dramas worthy of mention include the soccer-themed “The Damned United” and the Helen Mirren-Christopher Plummer Tolstoy tale, “The Last Station.”

Avatar

Say what you like about James Cameron — and people have — he has given us something spectacular to see in the 3-D extravaganza “Avatar,” and attention must be paid.

Children of Sundance

Sundance was the launching pad for “Amreeka,” shown here, “Adventureland,” “Big Fan” and the Oscar short-listed doc “Sergio” (not to mention “An Education”). Last January’s festival was the gift that kept on giving.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is as unusual as its title. This product of Terry Gilliam’s fantastical visual imagination is the director’s best film in years.

Julie & Julia

“Julie & Julia” is a consummate entertainment that echoes the rhythms and attitudes of classic Hollywood.

Music and Sports Docs

This was a banner year for music and sports documentaries: in music, consider “Afghan Star,” pictured here, “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” and “Soul Power,” while sports offered “Harvard Beats Yale 29-29,” “More Than a Game” and “Tyson.” And though it didn’t fit in any category, “Unmistaken Child” took your breath away.