Michael Shannon in Jeff Nichols' 'Take Shelter' (Sony Pictures Classics)

1. Take Shelter (dir. Jeff Nichols)

In Jeff Nichols’ carefully-composed, immensely powerful, and absolutely riveting ‘Take Shelter,’ Michael Shannon gives a towering performance as Curtis LaForche, a loving husband, doting father, manual laborer, devoted son, and all-around good guy who fears that he may be losing his mind. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 14.) My review. 

2. A Separation (dir. Asghar Farhadi)

Moments. Director / writer Asghar Farhadi understands that life is composed of moments, one following the other. Sometimes those moments lead to wonderful pleasure. Sometimes those moments lead to gut-wrenching tragedy. A married couple’s separation has far-reaching, unexpected consequences in modern-day Iran. (Opens in Dallas on Feb. 3.)

3. Shame (dir. Steve McQueen)

In an extraordinary performance, Michael Fassbender bubbles forth with emotional pain. ‘Shame’ is not based on true events, but it has the powerful veracity of real life, and is all the more powerful for being so realistic and harrowing in its depiction of an all-consuming addiction. (Now playing.) My review.

4. Drive (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)

The film, a character study dressed in the wrapping paper of a stylish thriller, unfolds like an acid-tipped rose, its petals spitting poison with unsettling, violent flourishes. Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed motorist, a Hollywood stunt driver by day and a getaway driver by night. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray on Jan. 31.) My review.

5. Carancho (dir. Pablo Trapero)

A desperate, exhausted lawyer (Ricardo Darin, superb and moving) might better be described as an ambulance-chaser, but he wants nothing more than to change his life forever. A film noir from Argentina that burns its way into your brain and burrows through the back of your head. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

6. Attack the Block (dir. Joe Cornish)

A British creature feature that combines science fiction with social commentary in a rousing action picture that features a disreputable group of hoodlums as its unlikely heroes. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

7. The Tree of Life (dir. Terrence Malick)

Achingly gorgeous and incredibly confounding, this is nothing less than an attempt to understand grief and loss through a close examination of the meaning of life. It’s an experimental film writ large, with Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain battling for the souls of their children. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

8. Young Adult (dir. Jason Reitman)

An acutely-observed, acidic character study, ‘Young Adult’ features an outstanding, nuanced performance by Charlize Theron, a strong supporting turn by Patton Oswalt, and the best script yet by Diablo Cody, well-served by Jason Reitman’s direction. It’s a very funny picture, and dead-on in its depiction of a mercurial woman who is just waking up to the idea that she may need to make changes in her life if she ever wants to be happy. (Now playing.) My review.

9. The Descendants (dir. Alexander Payne)

Suffused with sadness and an overwhelming sense of melancholy, ‘The Descendants’ explores yet another corner of Alexander Payne’s United States. It’s a cinematic country notable for the beauty of its landscapes and the exquisite anguish of its inhabitants. (Now playing.) My review. 

10. Margin Call (dir. J.C. Chandor)

Superior ensemble drama, imagining greedy maneuvering by investment bankers on the eve of the 2008 financial crisis. What price integrity, eh? The film is not terribly interested in the mechanics of financial manipulations; far more fascinating are the decisions made by very intelligent people when presented with the opportunity to make an insane amount of money. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

Thomas Horn and Tom Hanks in 'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'

1. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (dir. Stephen Daldry)

Moving, touching, endearing, and all those other adjectives that describe how a movie affects us profoundly apply to this post-traumatic stresser about a family dynamic put on hold after the horrific events of 9/11. It’s also a crackerjack mystery story, played out against the backdrop of New York City and its polyglot denizens. Full of terrifying realities, challenging truths, and cathartic outcomes. Youngster Thomas Horn and oldster Max von Sydow shine brightly. (Opens in Dallas on Jan. 20.)

2. Midnight in Paris (dir. Woody Allen)

I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to find Woody returning to the sort of manic tomfoolery he orchestrated so well in his “early, funny stuff” days. This madcap time traveling romance — complete with appearances by Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pablo Picasso — is a pure delight to watch. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

3. Win Win (dir. Thomas McCarthy)

Leave it to offbeat genius writer/director McCarthy (The Visitor; The Station Agent) to turn the story of a high school wrestling coach and his unlikely protege into the most heartwarming odds-against sports drama of the year. It’s also an odds-against family drama, one that will leave you with a great big smile on your face when you walk away from the theater. (Or, at this point, I suppose, the DVD player.) (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

4. Melancholia (dir. Lars von Trier)

Hands-down the most visually arresting movie of the year and one of the most thematically disturbing — starting with its first several minutes, during which we see a woman in bridal regalia running in extreme slow motion across a golf course, while vines appear to be pulling against her. Before this Wagner-accompanied sequence is done, we’ll see one planet collide with another. And wait ’til you meet the wedding guests! (Now playing.)

5. The Artist (dir. Michel Hazanavicius)

Given the level of contrivance employed in its production (black & white cinematography; silent, subtitled dialog), this movie should never have worked. But we leave it feeling ennobled instead of manipulated, thanks to a good-hearted script and illuminating performances by a pair of international actors with whom we were previously unfamiliar (Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo). Simply charming.  (Now playing.)

6. War Horse (dir. Steven Spielberg)

Spielberg-style sentiment at its most epic, here applied to the heartwarming tale of a boy and his horse. Throw in an ill-fated cavalry charge (mounted swordsmen against machine guns), a lonely girl living in the countryside with her grandfather (shades of Heidi), and quiet on the western front (the trenches in WWI) and you’ve got yourself a horse story for the ages. (May be too intense for younger colts.)  (Now playing.)

7. Hanna (dir. Joe Wright)

I can’t tell if I’m more impressed with Saoirse Ronan as a bio-engineered killer adolescent, Cate Blanchett as a bleeding-gums control-freak villain, or The Chemical Brothers for constructing the most whimsical score ever for a Bourne-like thriller that never lets up from start to fabulous finish. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

8. Beginners (dir. Mike Mills)

Ewan McGregor quietly underplays one of the sweetest and most affecting roles of his career as an emotionally stunted fellow whose father (played by the great Christopher Plummer) embraces his gayness just as he’s coming to terms with a grim medical diagnosis. Mélanie Laurent charms as the woman who threatens to break the ice composing Oliver’s (McGregor’s) lonely shell. Best talking dog movie ever. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

9. Crazy, Stupid, Love (dir.s Glenn Ficarra, John Requa)

Don’t be fooled by its comedic trappings: This relationship-savvy romantic drama has more heart (and intellect!) than most of the “serious” films that released this year. Steve Carell demonstrates why his brand of funny ought to be patented, while Ryan Gosling builds on his “actor who excels at everything” credentials. Emma Stone’s portrayal of the hopeful, courageous Hannah is irresistible. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

10. Contagion (dir. Steven Soderbergh)

From beginning to end, this multi-threaded chronicle of the relentless spread of an infectious virus commands our attention — and gives us pause to wonder whether a scenario like this might actually be in the cards for the oh-so-cosmopolitan human community that we have become (for good and — in terms of this story — ill). Terrifying and fascinating “what if” stuff, expertly presented. (Available on DVD and Blu-ray Jan. 3.)