Movies fall into annual cycles, and so do film critics.

We have been trained, by experience and the studios, to look toward the late-year awards season and its prestige films showcasing big stars as the chief indicators of quality levels for any year in film.

These pictures are being positioned for awards contention, so they must be the best of the year. Right?

In some years, sure, but not this one.

Perhaps the 2008 crop was diminished by a writers strike that delayed or halted production of several films late last year. But there still seemed to be plenty of awards-contending films, just not very many really good ones.

So those that were, like "Slumdog Millionaire," "Milk" and "The Wrestler," look even better by comparison. And some quality films from earlier in the year, seemingly poised to be overtaken by the awards crop, stood their ground.

(Links to movie showtimes provided for films currently in theaters.)

Here's my top-10 list for 2008, including a few films, already released for awards consideration in other cities, that won't hit Sacramento until early 2009:

1. "The Visitor": A beautifully observed tale of an American college professor (Richard Jenkins) who starts living again after encountering an immigrant couple residing in his apartment, this film by Thomas McCarthy ("The Station Agent") expands to incorporate immigration issues and pay homage to the cultural contributions of new arrivals to the United States. Expertly acted, this small film features plenty of humorous moments to accompany the poignant ones.

2. "WALL•E": Pixar Animation Studios' magic reaches new heights with an extended sequence featuring a rusty robot easing his loneliness with a cockroach pal and treasures plucked from the garbage mounds covering Earth. Then comes robot love, a fateful trip and a message about saving the planet that's powerful without being too preachy.

3. "Milk": Sean Penn fully inhabits the role of late San Francisco supervisor and gay-rights activist Harvey Milk, displaying the charisma and good humor that drew people to the man and his causes. Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black triumph as well, finding lightness within a story that ended in tragedy.

4. "Slumdog Millionaire": This modern fable, directed by Danny Boyle ("Train- spotting"), blazes like the Dickens through an Indian teen's odyssey from the slums of Mumbai to the hot seat of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire." Combining fantasy and social commentary, "Slumdog" emphasizes entertainment above all.

5. "Wendy and Lucy": Director Kelly Reichardt's tiny film about a young woman (a sublimely real Michelle Williams) whose car breaks down in Oregon and whose life starts to break down shortly thereafter succeeds on its own dramatic terms and also as a reminder of how close to the economic edge people are living these days. Plus, Lucy the dog is a sweetheart. (Opens in February in Sacramento).

6. "Happy-Go-Lucky": If "Wendy and Lucy" is a tale of a young woman losing her way, then this Mike Leigh ("Secrets and Lies") film is a testament to one who found hers via a conscious decision to remain upbeat at all times. Sally Hawkins' wonderful performance as a peppy London schoolteacher suggests her character is fully aware of the pull of despair and has willed herself to live far above it.

7. "The Wrestler": With a gentle manner belying his battle-scarred mug, pumped-up physique and bleached rocker mane, Mickey Rourke is a revelation as a washed-up professional wrestler clinging to the days when they made action figures in his likeness. Director Darren Aronofsky's film mesmerizes along with Rourke's performance, with grainy, handheld camera work enhancing the half- desperate, half-convivial vibe of low-rent wrestling events. (Opens in January in Sacramento.)

8. "I've Loved You So Long": In a French-language role far richer than any of her Hollywood parts, Kristin Scott Thomas transforms from a woman removed from the world by a long prison term into one tentatively finding her emotional way back. As the younger sister who takes the ex-prisoner in, Elsa Zylberstein displays regret about the past, hope for the future and the sustenance derived from a sisterly bond.

9. "Frost/Nixon": As Richard M. Nixon, Frank Langella seems just as smart and wily as the former president but also more vulnerable and sympathetic. As British talk-show host David Frost, who put it all on the line for the chance to interview Nixon, Michael Sheen captures the trapped look of a man outfoxed while the cameras roll.

10. "Man on Wire": James Marsh's documentary about Frenchman Philippe Petit's 1974 attempted high-wire walk between the towers of the World Trade Center brims with suspense as well as the hubris of Petit, a perpetual live wire who dramatically recounts his story for the cameras. Shots of the towers during their construction provoke strong emotions for reasons unrelated to Petit's activities.

Call Bee movie critic Carla Meyer, (916) 321-1118. Hear her discuss the week's movies at 4:40 p.m. on Fridays on NewsTalk 1530 (KFBK).