Ok, I realize that this is a little late. (Out of respect for my #9 pick, I followed the Mayan calendar.) Nevertheless, here are my top-10 movies of the last year, rendered in the traditional haiku form.

1. Brick
Hurt high-school Hammett
Should’ve been cutesy, but ain’t
Dead solid shamus

2. Pan’s Labyrinth
Cliché as it sounds,
Just pure sheer movie magic
That’s one Grimm fairy

3. Perfume
Unfilmable? Feh.
Adapts, adopts, and improves
Shame about Hoffman

4. The Descent
Tight, controlled chaos
Jesus, that night-vision part!
The end makes it sing

5. 13 Tzameti
Neck hair stood up straight
For a solid freakin’ hour
Pepsid sales explode

6. Edmond
Macy with Ginsu
Mamet at his prickliest
Why am I laughing?

7. United 93
Strip away the real
Still a tremendous glimpse of
men at work, pressured

8. Deliver us from Evil
Doc form’s getting stale
But the anger breaks on through
A must-see, sadly

9. Apocalypto
The dude’s a loon, but
ace on the primal level
Ugh, me like. Jaguar!

10. Casino Royale
Begone, Moonraker
Driving, shooting, and screwing
all seem cool again