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The Academy Awards are quickly approaching and with just about two months left until the most prestigious awards ceremony the film world has to offer, a small cluster of films have already begun to emerge as surefire bets to be named amongst cinema's elite. Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and the record setting The Dark Knight have all at one time or another been awarded prizes and nominations by various critics' groups around the country as the best of the best. Yet while all these titles are being tossed back and forth in discussions and debates, one film has slipped under many people's radar. With the exception of the praise for its leads, Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler has been vastly overlooked for end of the year accolades. However, just because the film critics' circles of New York or Los Angeles aren't bending over backwards to heave superlatives at the film, doesn't mean it's not worthy of inclusion in the pantheon of this year's or even this decade's best films.

Danny Boyle may very well be one of the most versatile filmmakers working today.  From dark comedy (Shallow Grave) to horror (28 Days Later) to family friendly (Millions) to science-fiction (Sunshine), Boyle has shown a remarkable and rare versatility that allows him to transition from one genre to the next, executing the rules and conventions to perfection while simultaneously infusing and enhancing each film with a trademark style that perfectly toes that line between indie sensibilities and mainstream appeal.  Slumdog Millionaire is another notch on the British filmmaker's belt and yet another sensational display of his ability to work within any context; an accomplishment even more impressive considering the film was shot entirely in India and is infused with perfectly executed conventions of a genre that has been vastly unexplored by both American audiences as well as Boyle: the Bollywood film.  A celebration of human vitality and resilience, Slumdog Millionaire is already being included on many critics' lists, Yours Truly being one of them, as one of the best films of the year. 

With the release of Saw V and its $30+ million box office opening weekend, the house that Jigsaw built is now the most lucrative horror franchise in film history. Much of that success is due to Darren Lynn Bousman, who took over the directing reins for Saw II through Saw IV. In the process of building such a lucrative legacy though, Bousman and the Saw series have suffered slings and arrows of critical scorn; many of which were directed at the director personally. Repo! The Genetic Opera is Bousman's attempt to prove to himself and to his critics that he's no one trick pony. Repo!, a rock opera set in the future, has been a passion projector for Bousman for the past eight years and emulates past iconic titles like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Tommy more than it does the Mid-westerner's previous horror titles. A bold and unique chimera created from an agglomeration of different genres, Repo! is unquestionably a niche film - sushi for a meat and potatoes audience. What succeeds as an experiment falls short as a film and will polarize viewers into fiercely dedicated cult followers and fiercely dedicated scorners. Count me among the minority middle ground of those who aren't completely convinced of the film's success, but entirely respectful of Bousman's drive to create something original.

Editor's note: This review initially ran upon the film's premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Beginning August 22nd, the film will see national release in ten cities with gradual rollout to other cities in the proceeding weeks. For more information on public events and screenings near you, visit the film's official website.

A poignant, terrifying and engrossing look at a topic normally relegated to powerpoint presentations by polyester suit clad professors, I.O.U.S.A. is a powerful documentary that makes no qualms about espousing its point of view. Centered around the "Fiscal Wake Up Tour" of current U.S. Comptroller General David Walker and The Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert Bixby, the film provides historical context for the ever increasing national debt and commentary on its economic, political and social ramifications.

The Apatow Company, apparently unsatisfied with releasing another heart-warming/raunchy/pop-culture spouting comedy that they've honed so well, decided to partake in a cinematic experiment with their latest release, Pineapple Express. The steps of the experiment can be broken down like so:

Editor's Note: This review is a re-posting. The review was original published in January during the film's premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

It’s rare when a filmmaker can shift gears from project to project, varying tone from one film to the next and still being able to master the different conventions. And yet, that’s exactly the position Brad Anderson finds himself in after completing Transsiberian.

For those of you who remember Will Ferrell's last film, Semi-Pro, you'll probably agree that there wasn't much worth remembering about it.

Raise your hand if you went to film school. Come on, raise them up, don't be shy; I went there too.

Everybody knows Guillermo del Toro is first and foremost a visual filmmaker. That's not to say he can't add some substance to his eye candy, but from his dark, atmospheric American debut with Mimic, all the way up to his critically lauded Pan's Labyrinth, the Mexican filmmaker has proved that the visions dancing in his head - no matter how dark and twisted they may be - are much more interesting than the vast majority of his peers.

The Sundance Film Festival has always helped bridge the gap between the independent and the mainstream.