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Yes, I know. Nearly four weeks have passed since the new decade began and I am just now getting out my best of 2009, but hey, better late than never. I'm sure you will agree with my perfect list that begins, obviously enough, with number ten. I would love to hear your feedback!

10. Bright Star - In a seemingly forgotten performance, Australian actress Abby Cornish is brilliant in this tragic, romantic drama that's based upon a love affair that 19th century poet John Keats had during the last months of his short life. Richly written by writer/director Jane Campion, Cornish shines as Keats's "bright star."

9. Taken - Liam Neeson's daughter is abducted in Europe. Worse yet, it's done while he's on the phone with her. However, instead of crying and turning to the authorities, he turns the tables on those responsible, dealing out vengeance with savage precision. There's never a dull moment from beginning to end. One of the most fun cinematic experiences of the year.

8. The Young Victoria - Wonderful costume designs stand out in this drama about the years immediately surrounding the coronation of Queen Victoria, England's longest reigning monarch. Emily Blunt delivers a career-changing performance as Victoria and is a sure bet to receive an Oscar nomination. As an added bonus, the script is fairly accurate with its depiction of historical events.

7. Precious - A dark, intense drama about a Harlem teenager who's pregnant with her father's baby and is abused daily by her despicable mother (Mo'Nique). Her only life line is a teacher who does all she can to show Precious that someone does love her. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe is surprisingly good, but it's Mo'Nique's unsettling performance that will stay with you.

6. District 9 - Produced by Peter Jackson, the movie is a brilliantly written work of science fiction genius. Filmed with a smallish budget and an unknown cast, the story drips with irony as an alien spacecraft stalls above Johannesburg, South Africa, where its helpless crew is subjected to a new apartheid. The situation explodes when a government worker becomes infected with alien DNA.

5. Up - Pixar churned out another beautifully animated film with dazzling colors and detail, however, what makes Up stand out is its script. Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) fulfills the dream he shared with his deceased wife by traveling to South America in an unusual way with the help of a little boy and a talking dog. Tender and moving, Up still has plenty of fun for kids and adults.

4. Up In The Air - A trio of Oscar contenders brings to life this engrossing drama about a man (George Clooney) whose job is to fly around the country and fire people. His isolated life, which he prefers, gets complicated when he develops feelings for another traveler (Vera Farmiga) and when he's forced to train a newbie (Natalie Keener).

3. The Messenger - Woody Harrelson has never been better in this military drama about a pair of soldiers who inform family members that their loved ones have been killed in action. Ben Foster is a wounded soul who violates protocol and becomes involved with a widow (Samantha Morton), much to the chagrin of his superior (Harrelson) who's plagued by demons of his own.

2. The Hurt Locker - Director Kathryn Bigelow's superb effort ranks with war classics like All Quiet On The Western Front, Platoon, and Glory. Jeremy Renner comes through with a strong performance as a risk-taking, supremely confident bomb diffuser in war torn Baghdad. Never cliché, the story about his three-man squad, and what war does to them, is taut throughout.

1. Inglorious Basterds - This is director Quentin Tarantino at his best with the most imaginative World War II flick ever created. A squad of Jewish Americans, led by Brad Pitt, is dropped in behind German lines to terrorize Hitler's army. Golden Globe recipient Christoph Waltz stands out in a supporting role as an SS officer who takes gleeful pride in hunting down Jews.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.

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