2009 was an exemplary year for movies and this year, the Academy will nominate ten instead of the historic five. Although only one will win, and it should probably be Avatar because of its magnitude and colossal effect on the business, the members will have their hands full with extremely tough decisions. Hopefully the following will find their way onto their lists or at least get their powerful nods via the various peripheral award nominations.

As usual, the studios saved their best for last, with the exception of The Hurt Locker. Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, Point Blank), has conceivably made one of the most powerful films of the year starring Jeremy Renner (Lords of Dogtown), who plays an adrenaline junkie addicted to disarming deadly bombs in Iraq. She remarkably achieves her searing suspense through very little actual violence.

A 2009 top ten list would not be complete without Precious, based on the novel Push by Sapphire. This film opened on 18 screens and made $1.8 million—that’s an incredible record-breaking $100K+ a screen! Having made Monsters Ball and The Woodsman, director Lee Daniels never shies away from tough and provocative material. For me, his razor sharp work is reminiscent of Oliver Stones Natural Born Killers, one of my all time faves. Once it has garnered several Oscar nominations, Lions Gate is certain to widen it up much like Fox Searchlight’s Slumdog Millionaire.

A relatively unknown gem is Me and Orson Welles, starring Zach Efron and Claire Danes. Incredibly enough, it is directed by Richard Linlater, Austin’s own creator of School of Rock and Dazed and Confused! This one is just a delight for anyone and chronicles Orson Welles’ antics while producing a modern version of Julius Caser at his own Mercury Theater. England’s Christian McKay plays an outstanding Welles, having jumped into his skin in the off-Broadway play about him. Zach Efron is the real deal in this one and it has one of the most tensely anticipated production climaxes of any movie surrounding a play rivaling Springtime For Hitler!

Another obscure ditty is Troubled Water, a Norwegian, festival gem from acclaimed international filmmaker Erik Poppe. Reminiscent of George Sluzer’s Vanishing (remade in the US with Kiefer Sutherland), this is a chilling portrait of crime, punishment and repentance. The gargantuan church organ scenes are scrumptious and this one is so good that it is rumored to be remade with big Hollywood stars.

Much like prior year’s The Visitor, Ramin Bahrani’s Goodbye Solo is another yummy independent about a friendship between a Senegalese cab driver named Solo and an ornery 70-year-old man. This one stars the familiar character actor Red West (Glory Road), and newcomer Souleymane Sy Savane. You will fall in love with this movie and its multidimensional characters.

The Israeli film Lemon Tree by Eran Riklis (Syrian Bride) also grabbed me by the neck. It tells the story of a 45-year-old widow whose passion and living is her lemon grove. It just so happens that it is situated on the impending last slab of the bifurcating border wall. Trying to make a political statement and encourage others to pioneer Israeli land, the Israeli Minister of Defense builds a house on the other side of this green line. The lemon trees now present a so-called national security risk and are in jeopardy of being destroyed. The real story of humanity develops between the minister’s wife and the Arab woman who observe one another on either side of the fence.

If I had to choose my favorite film of the decade it would have to be Springer-Berman and Pulcini’s ingenious, ground-breaking American Splendor. The filmmakers brilliantly layer the comic book illustrations of Harvey Pekar, a relatively unknown crony of Robert Crumb, along with the actual creator and actor Paul Giamatti, the actor playing him. This movie uniquely pieces together animation, stills, documentary and scripted feature. A scene which typifies this is when we see Giamatti nervously in the green room of “The Late Show with David Letterman.” He exits the room whereby we then see the priceless footage of the actual Pekar sitting down and chatting with David. Hilariously imaginative!