THE LIVES OF OTHERS (Germany, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Thanks to the homogenization of American films (both studio and indie) and the dwindling money left to bring quality foreign fare to our shores, I find fewer and fewer new movies that float my boat. Thus I have to reach back to 2006 for this taut, thoughtful Oscar winner about East German spies, though it was a 2007 release in the U.S.

AFTER THE WEDDING (Denmark, Susanne Bier)
Another contender for last year's Best Foreign Film Oscar, this poetically-filmed melodrama about a social worker in India (ubiquitous Danish leading man Mads Mikkelsen), brought back to Denmark to discuss a deal with a wealthy philanthropist who has bigger plans for him, has lots of twists and pulls all the right emotional strings. An "art film" in the classic sense.

THE HOST (South Korea, Bong Joon-ho)
Rounding out my "johnny come lately" trio of foreign films, The Host, a spectacular movie about a giant monster terrorizing Seoul and the family of losers who must team up to save their daughter from the monster's clutches, hit U.S. theaters in 2007 and was a modest hit. Everything works in this exciting, bittersweet and truly unique film. Bong Joon-ho is one to watch for.

BREACH (US, Billy Ray)
Finally we go to American films with undisputed 2007 releases with Breach, a fascinating drama about the real-life case of FBI employee Robert Hanssen, a religious conservative and sexual deviant who spied against the U.S. Its early 2007 release guaranteed that it would be forgotten by Oscar time. Too bad, because Chris Cooper is fantastic, working from a smart, well-crafted script.

THE TV SET (US, Jake Kasdan)
Also overlooked, this dry comedy may not be a great film, and in a better year wouldn't have made this list. But Kasdan's satire of a TV series creator (David Duchovny, channeling producer Judd Apatow) going through the hell of pilot season is so honest and underplayed that it's more docudrama than satire. Sigourney Weaver is awesome as the pushy TV exec.

CONTROL(UK/US, Anton Corbijn)
While we're talking about great, underrated performances, I must mention Sam Riley in his brilliant portrayal of doomed Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, in Corbijn's haunting film about the life and death of the post-punk icon. Richly shot in black and white, the film is the best rock biopic I've ever seen, though it may not have as much appeal to those unfamiliar with Joy Division.

RATATOUILLE (US, Brad Bird)
After the maudlin Cars, Pixar peaks again with this adult cartoon about a gourmet rat hiding out in a Paris restaurant kitchen. It's interesting that Ratatouille was one of Pixar's lowest financial earners in the U.S., but was second only to Finding Nemo in overseas box office receipts. I guess other countries care more about what they eat.

PERSEPOLIS (France, Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud)
Iranian expat Marjane Satrapi adapted her own autobiographical graphic novels into this inventive black and white animated feature about the nightmare of living in Iran in the 1970s and '80s - especially for a born rebel like Satrapi. Funny, sad, charming and angry, Persepolis has it all. It didn't escape the Ratatouille juggernaut at the Oscars, but it is no less strong a film.

MY KID COULD PAINT THAT (US, Amir Bar-Lev)
In a year where you're more likely to see art houses packed with documentaries than with foreign or independent dramatic features, there were so many to choose from (especially those regarding the Iraq War) that few rose to the surface. But the doc that truly stayed with me was this morally complex, self-reflexive look at four-year-old art world sensation Marla Olmstead and her family.

THE KING OF KONG (US, Seth Gordon)
Surprise! Instead of No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood, I'm going with this quirky, crowd-pleasing documentary about two adult goofballs vying for the world record in Donkey Kong. And while history may show that those two other films are ones for the ages, and while I myself may one day hail them as classics, I frankly enjoyed The King of Kong much, much more.