Best of 2008 (45-41)

45 GONE BABY GONE
This terrific thriller should have been in the 2007 list but its UK release was delayed until the new year because of certain events in the news.

44 NOTE BY NOTE: THE MAKING OF STEINWAY L1037
I missed this when it played at Stranger Than Fiction, but at least caught it when it appeared at the inaugural Illuminations documentary film festival at Filmhouse. Come to think of it, I saw half a dozen films at that festival and forgot to write about any of them. Oh well, it's not the last one from that festival to appear in my top fifty. The film's about how Steinway make a piano, by the way.

43 THE MORSE COLLECTORS
Haunting Northern Irish short film which I saw at a couple of festivals in 2008.

42 THE THIRD PINT
South America, a man with a dodgy beard, some holiday footage on 8mm and some weirdly hypnotic synth music. This oddball entry might never be seen anywhere again and even if you do see it you might very well hate it. I was entranced.

41 LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
Ryan Gosling gives another terrific performance as the emotionally unhinged loner who falls in love with an inflatable doll... who promptly wins over the local community.