Sundance documentaries. Four exceptional docs -- "Man on Wire," "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," "Stranded" and "Trouble the Water" -- all appeared in Park City, Utah, in January. A word should also be said for the year's other great docs: "Blindsight," "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," "Standard Operating Procedure" and the too-little-seen "A Walk to Beautiful." What a group.
"Tell No One." A space all its own for the little French thriller that could. The film no one wanted went on to become 2008's top-grossing foreign-language movie.
"Wall-E." The latest wonder from Pixar is daring and traditional, groundbreaking and familiar, apocalyptic and sentimental. How often do you see that?
"Waltz With Bashir." Provocative, hallucinatory, incendiary, this animated personal documentary about the Israeli invasion of Lebanon is unlike any Israeli film you've seen. Mention should also be made of two other excellent works from that country: "Jellyfish" and "Beaufort."
THE WORST
As for a low point, it is once again depressingly easy to pick: The continued inability of SAG and the studios to agree on a contract. Both sides would do well to ponder the thoughts of bruiser Moose Malloy from "Farewell, My Lovely" by Raymond Chandler: "Some guys has got wrong ideas about when to get tough." Words to live by.
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kenneth.turan@latimes.com
