Our views on movies 10-06 are here.

10. Frankenweenie -. See our review here.

9. Beast of the Southern Wild -. Our review is here.

8. Moonrise Kingdom – A Wes Anderson gem!

7. Samsara -Ron Fricke’s follow up to the 1992 Baraka.

6. Amour – Our review is here.

5. Monsieur Lazhar – This is one of the most twisted versions of the ‘inspiring teacher’ story I’ve ever seen. After a grade (elementary) school teacher commits suicide in her class room, and is found by one of her students, they hire an Algerian immigrant as a replacement. Monsieur Lazhar’s own past is slowly revealed and also the reason for his unorthodox teaching methods.

4. The Kid with a Bike – This is a hart warming tale of a troubled young man dealing with being abandoned by his parents. He is at a state run farm, until the local hair dresser meets him and agrees to foster him at weekends. The kid (Cyril Catoul) dazzles as the young troubled man.

3. The Hunt – This is the latest addition to the list, and it nearly didn’t make it at all, due to it’s very short run in Irish cinemas! This is a tale of a man wrongly accused of child abuse, and the effects it has on his life. It is 14 years since Thomas Vinterberg’s directed ‘Festen’ and this movie is almost as good.

2. Martha Marcy May Marlene – Released back in February, I have to throw back my mind for this one, but it really captured the life of a young woman trapped inside a cult (The Master could learn a lot from this movie!). She tries to break free, but does she ever really get out, as her paranoia and fear continue. Elizabeth Olsen stars and shows where the talent went in that family! The first full length movie from writer/ director Sean Durkin and he’s certainly a name to watch for the future.

1. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia – A killer has confessed to a murder, and all that is missing is the body. It has been dumped on the outskirts of Anatolian town of Keskin, but they are not quite sure where. The killer travels find it’s location, along with a group of police, grave diggers, lawyers and others. This is a subtle film that fools you into thinking it’s something it clearly isn’t, a murder mystery. It is based around the lives of those that are in the car on the journey, and is a wonderful road movie for the most part. It’s over two and a half hours in length, so be prepared for the long haul, but it is very rewarding!