I have Richard from FS poking me for a top 10 so here's a quick skim of the 'Non-Hindi' films that left a positive impact with me in 2008 .. as with before, by no means are these the most successful or the best, it's entirely based on 'my' preference.. so here goes..

Bank Job, The - The true story of a heist gone wrong... in all the right ways. Set in the early 70's this caper is about a team of Londoners who manage to (to some degree by fluke) achieve things that they never would have dreamed of. It's a well put together flick with attention given to maintaining the feel of the era its set in.

Charlie Bartlett - Popularity is a state of mind. Well, that's something that Anton Yelchin will soon be, if he isn't already. He plays Kyle Reese in the new Terminator film, & I can already picture some of the audience turning back to see what else he's done & bumping into this under-rated gem. It's the story of a bored rich kid & how he deals with his boredom when transferred to a public school.

Charlie Wilson's War - Based on a true story. You think we could make all this up? To date, the only war film that I've considered watching again. Maybe because, it seemed apologetic to me, they felt sorry that they didn't do better & sooner, as well as the mess they left behind. Considering how ignorant I can be when it comes to sbjects outside of my forte', It was quite educational for me too. Backed with seasoned actors & a sense of humour, I have to say, it came as a total surprise, impressed & stuck with me.

Cloverfield - Some thing has found us. Some Godzilla style monster that we actually never see in detail. Why?! Because, it's not a traditional hero film where Will Smith or who have we saves the world with every government agency at his leisure, it's from a more real perspective. The man on the street flee-ing, trying to save his loved one. It had a unique novelty & buzz surrounding it & it delivered.

Cottage, The - I've said it time & again, I'm not a fan of horror. Add humour to the carnage & I'm sold. This one does just that. It's your typical-fare, out in the woods, crazy in-breds hunting down the outsider type stuff, but with humour. 2 men have kidnapped a girl for ransom & headed to the cottage. It's all the bickering & pre-carnage humour that cranks this up a notch.

Dark Knight, The - Why So Serious?! It was the god-damn Batman, it was amazing & it warrants being in the Top 10 films of the year, yet it's the one I was most reluctant about. It's an excellent follow-up to Batman Begins, with Heath Ledger stealing the show as The Joker, no doubt I will end up getting it on Blu-Ray soon enough, but it's definitely over-rated in the public eye.

Gone Baby Gone - Everyone Wants The Truth... Until They Find It. This film left me thinking, what would I have done in his place?! When a film has that level of power over you, they've done something right. It follows the investigation of a missing child, but leads to answers that are morally ambiguous, though tied up logically.

In Bruges - It's in Belgium. Shoot first, Sightsee later says the tagline as these assassins hide out, in Bruges. When one is instructed to dispose of the other & doesn't, the big boss is not happy. The most quotable film of the year, no doubt. Probably also one of the funniest. It's smart, witty & will leave you wondering about what it's like to be a 'dwarf'. With the exception of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, it's the one film this year that I've seen most times. It holds repeat watching value, and time after time it doesn't get any less funny.

Iron Man - Heroes Aren't Born, They're Built. When billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is kidnapped, under bad conditions, in some cave where he is imprisoned he builds a protective suit that allows him to escape unharmed. Mark 1. Upon his return to the USA, after having a Burger King he decides that he's Batman. I mean Iron Man & goes with it. In essence it's just another comic book character origins film, but it is great fun.

Rambo - People die. A lot. Every once in a while this is the sort of entertainment you need. Switch brain off, & watch one man take out an entire country with his bare hands, well a town & with guns & stuff, but you get what I'm saying. The only complaint I had with this film is that he spent too much time on that mini-gun. More archery would have been nice, but hey I still loved it.

A couple of International films I feel I should mention: Orfanato, El (Orphanage, The) - a horror without humour that I didn't mind, liked even. There is always something refreshing about seeing things from a child perspective. I'd recommend a rental of this at the very least.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird This one when I saw it a couple of months back was set for a December release, looking it up now it seems to have shifted to February, one worth keeping your eyes open for. Visually stunning, one of the best stylised films I saw this year, without a doubt, let down only by its story. If you've seen The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, you'll see exactly where it needs to go & the way this climax is reached, seemed a little forced.