Not such a good year at the movies if compared to 2005 and 2006, and there's isn't even a single masterpiece.
movie of the year
Nothing this year has had as much impact on me as has Mel Gibson's Apocalypto given its gruelling tale of cruelty, the sort I never witnessed before.
enchanting
Polar Express was made a number of years ago but it still packs a punch in many of its moments especially the near-accident of the magic train, the dance sequence of chocolate presentation, and the North pole environment. These are possibly the most magical ever sequences in movie history. Ratatouille, another fantasy, is a very enjoyable runner-up, even given its formulaic touches, typical of so much animation out there.
cinematography
Munich can't be beaten in this category for its flawlessly-polished look. It is followed by a much smaller movie, Three Colours Blue, for its beautiful usage of lighting.
production design
It's rare that an old movie would impress this much due to its visual aspects, but the design of the alien environment in Alien was breath-taking. The runner-up happened to be District B13 for its rotting and crime-ridden urban setting.
cast
What helped make Apocalypto feel so real is its cast of unknowns; I did not notice any misplacement or annoying performance. The runner-up is the cast of American Gangster (and that does not include the two leads). Hot Fuzz wins the title for comic cast.
performances
The best female performance is that of Anne Parillaud, who plays the lead in Sex is Comedy, portraying a tough yet lovely movie director. The performance is enhanced very well by her limp. The best male performances is Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland. Mark Ruffalo's subdued but highly-focused character in Zodiac is runner-up.
characters
The best villain is Josh Brolin's dirty cop found in American Gangster for its unflinching acts of corruption, while the most exotic character is Angelina Jolie's demon in Beowulf. The most desirable character is a tie between those of Vera Farmica in The Departed, Ana Claudia Talancón in El Crimen del Padro Amaro, and Kerry Washington in The Last King of Scotland. Julianne Moore in Next is the year's best detective given her unrelenting focus in getting the job done. A special mention should go to John Heder's goofy and kind-hearted ice skating champion in the delightful Blades of Glory. The best character design is the child-killing monster in Pan's Labyrinth.
visuals
The year's greatest spectacle, Transformers, is also the year's best visual effects showcase, and should have tied with the runner-up, Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End, had it not been so exciting. That runner-up would have won had it come up with something more interesting than the stormy battle. The Number 23 wins the year's best imagery/visual design, due to its gorgeous fantasy-like scenes. The most horrific/shocking imagery emanates from The Last King of Scotland, a scene that showcases the aftermath of the cheating wife.
action
The best action sequence is to be found in the final battle in The Kingdom. The best chase sequence is to be found in the very first scene of District B13, where the very athletic hero saves his neck from some very unloving fellows.
miscellaneous
Munich ties with Cars as regards the best sound. There's a tie between The Number 23 and Lucky Number Slevin (presentation of textual info and the slick murders) as the best opening credits sequence. The runner-up is The Kingdom. Next wins both most romantic scene (the definition of beauty) and most painful scene (wheelchair explosion) even though both their impact was painfully reduced on a revisit. The movie also offers best concept (seeing the future in a mere 2 minutes). Runner-up happens to be Solaris, whose concept is reminiscent of that of Sphere and therefore not so fresh. Solaris is also runner-up for most surreal, winner by far being the unbearably weird The Fountain. The Last King of Scotland had the best music, Apocalypto had the best costume design, and Five Fingers had the best twist. The most overrated movie turns out to be Vertigo, which frequently appears in many elevated lists of the all-time greatest movies. Instead of a landmark, I saw a badly-acted old-time thriller, not a bit better than those Humphrey Bogart flicks. The runner-up is The Searchers which lacked anything commendable, bar some nice images during the final battle.
special mention
Something like Alpha Dog has not quite been done before and therefore maintains amazing levels of freshness given various moments (the angry telephone call, Justin Timberlake's cool) even though it remains pointless. Another special mention should go to Devil's Rejects for its crazy storyline of killers-for-fun and gruesome violence, reminiscent of Natural Born Killers.
best first-time viewing experiences
As anyone knows and as seen many times above, movies never offer the same experience when revisited. So here's a listing of those which were most impressive on first viewing in order of which had the most impact: Apocalypto, Fearless, and Next.
For a complete list of the movies I reviewed for the year, visit this tag.