James Cameron's passion project, Avatar, is the most expensive movie in 20th Century Fox's history. And, if the official figures are ever released, it could possibly be the most expensive movie in film history. But Cameron knows a thing or two about delivering movies that sell, having created the biggest grossing movie of all time. Titanic brought in $1.8 billion worldwide, a figure most people believe will never be surpassed. But those people haven't seen Avatar.

Avatar is the event movie of the decade, a film you absolutely must see in theaters - in digital 3-D - to believe. Cameron employed technology created just for Avatar, and the end result is a groundbreaking, spellbinding, brilliant piece of art.

(500) Days of Summer is one of the smartest romantic comedies in quite some time. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom, a greeting card writer who totally supports the theory that there's one person out there for each of us and that you'll recognize the person you're fated to be with as soon as you meet them. The adorable Zooey Deschanel is Summer, the girl Tom thinks is meant to be his one and only. The nonlinear storytelling takes audiences back and forth throughout 500 days in the life of Tom as he falls in love with a girl who tells him straight out she's not looking to settle down in a steady relationship. It's a simple tale, but a witty, well-acted and thoroughly enjoyable one.

Pixar continued on its winning streak with Up, another absolutely gorgeous, genuinely entertaining animated comedy. What Pixar does so well is they have the ability to create animated films that engage audiences of all ages. They understand that it doesn't matter how beautiful a film is to look at if the story lacks substance. Up isn't just a comedy or a coming-of-age tale or a...SQUIRREL!...story about love, loss, and living life. It's about following your dreams, about opening yourself up to new adventures, and it's about never giving up. And if that isn't enough to draw in audiences, Pixar included a talking dog as one of the main characters. What more could you ask for?

An Education is in a class by itself. Carey Mulligan tops my Top 10 Actresses of 2009 list with her breakthrough performance as a 16 year old English schoolgirl who becomes involved in a romantic relationship with a man in his 30s.

Jenny (Mulligan) is an intelligent, extroverted high school student who can't wait for her life to expand beyond the borders of her suburban London neighborhood. When a wealthy and socially connected gentlemen takes an interest in her, introducing her to his glamorous lifestyle, Jenny feels her sheltered life opening up. Watching Mulligan as Jenny go through a full spectrum of emotions is simply fascinating, andAn Education is one of the more memorable movies of 2009 thanks in large part to her performance.

Quentin Tarantino's back, baby, and he returns with a vengeance.Inglourious Basterds is his best work since 1994's Pulp Fiction. Quoting from my review, Inglourious Basterds is "crazy, nasty fun, and pure, unadulterated Tarantino. It's also a glorious love letter to film that goes as far as to literally use film stock as a means to try and wipe out Hitler and his high command."

Brad Pitt does a bizarre Tennessee-ish accent and Hostel director Eli Roth steps in front of the camera to play a baseball bat-wielding killer of Nazis. But the most audacious aspect of Inglourious Basterds is how Tarantino plays with history. He kills off the leaders of the Third Reich in one fantastic frenzy of bullets and fire. What's not to like about that?