12. Interview - It's not often that a movie that features two characters talking can maintain your interest for 90 minutes. Richard Linklater has been able to do it, and Steve Buscemi proves that he's right up there, as he and Sienna Miller face off in a riveting look at journalism and the entertainment biz based on Theo van Gogh's film of the same name. In some ways, this talking heads film was typical of this year's Sundance Film Festival, as many of the movies I enjoyed featured the relationship between two strong characters, though this was one of the few that had the benefit of known actors in the key roles.

11. Teeth - Gotta admit that I was sucked in by this horror film's Vagina Dentata premise, which was funny and gory, often at the same time. Filmmaker Mitchell Lichtenstein is well on his way to achieving the cult status of Eli Roth, while Jess Weixler should get a lot of work after this movie, even if it's a while before she's able to get any dates.

10. The Great World of Sound - Coming from behind the checkbook on David Gordon Green's films, Craig Zobel examined the music biz through the eyes of two regular joes who get caught up in a music publishing scam while having to audition hundreds of really bad musical acts. Pat Healy and Kene Holliday are quite convincing, as their relationship drives Zobel's low-budget buddy comedy.

9. Resurrecting the Champ - Filmmaker Rod Lurie is back in a big way with a drama set in the word of boxing that said more about journalistic integrity and finding the balance between the truth and fiction. Driven by great performances from Josh Hartnett, Alan Alda and Samuel L. Jackson, this sharply-scripted character piece is likely to do well once it's released by the Yari Film Group.

8. The Savages - Tamara Jenkins takes on aging in this dark comedy starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as brother and sister who find themselves having to take care of their aging dementia-suffering father. The influence of Jenkins' husband and exec. producer Jim Taylor (co-writer of "Sideways") was evident, but it didn't hurt that Jenkins had an impeccable cast bringing her unique take on a very real life situation to life.

7. Waitress - Adrienne Shelly's tragic death last November didn't mar my enjoyment of her joyous take on the romantic comedy genre starring Kerri Russell as a pie-baking waitress, who is horrified to learn that she's pregnant by her abusive husband (Jeremy Sisto), whom she no longer loves. Russell is great, but it's the entire ensemble cast of characters and their interaction that makes this such a wonderful crowd-pleaser, whether it be Nathan Fillion's sheepish gynecologist or Andy Griffith as the cranky restaurant owner. Studio execs who keep greenlighting awful formulaic romantic comedies (like the ones out this week and next) should take note.

6. Nanking - This shocking, graphic documentary about the WW2 invasion of China's capitol by the Japanese and the atrocities they committed, killing thousands in a mere two weeks, is the type of classic documentary filmmaking that we just don't see anymore. It features a talented cast of actors playing the roles of outsiders who were present to witness the horror firsthand, combined with interviews with actual survivors on both sides telling their stories.

5. Away From Her - Sarah Polley's feature film directorial debut is an incredible character drama in the vein of On Golden Pond, looking at love and aging through the relationship of a couple married for 50 years (played by Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent), whose relationship is torn apart when she develops the early stages of Alzheimer's. After convincing her husband to put her into a health facility, her condition (and her memory of him) starts to deteriorate. It's a heartbreaking drama that really grabs you and stays with you, and I'd be amazed if Christie and Pinsent weren't remembered when it comes to next year's awards season.

4. Joshua - Another great surprise and a movie that would have fallen under-my-radar if not for a colleague's recommendation, George Ratliff's narrative feature is the kind of movie that I just love when done well, a creepy kid thriller set in the real world with great cast and performances that are able to sell the premise. Vera Farmiga is amazing as a mother suffering from post-natal depression, Sam Rockwell is hilarious as his clueless husband, but it's newcomer Jacob Kogan who steals the movie as the title character, a strange kid with stranger habits who isn't too happy about a little competition for his parents' love in the form of a baby sister. George Ratliff proves a theory of mine that documentary filmmakers make great dramas in what may end up being the wisest buys at the festival. Bought for $4 million by Fox Searchlight, I strongly believe that this is the kind of word-of-mouth sleeper film that can make a TON of money.

3. War/Dance - This really is one of the most skilled docs I've seen in a long time, and it's very likely to end up on my Top 10 list for the year, just because this amazing story of three Ugandan youths who find escape in music, song and dance is filmed in such a skilled and unique fashion by co-director Sean Fine. However it does in this year's documentary competition, it's a real winner.

2. Once - The festival's biggest surprise was this film I saw first thing on Day 2, and though I saw five other movies that day, this one really stuck with me due to its combination of characters, storytelling, music and the type of true heart that you just don't find in movies these days. Real-life musical duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova play a down-on-his-luck Irish busker and the adorable Czech girl who helps him to follow his dreams and find love again in John Carney's ultra-low-budget musical dramedy that has won the heart of just about everyone who's seen it.

1. Son of Rambow - As much as I loved Once, Garth Jennings' coming of age tour-de-force may be one of the funniest and most entertaining movies I've seen in a long time, combining hilarious visual gags and a wonderful cast of unknowns and first-time actors to tell the kind of coming-of-age story that guys of my generation will immediately be able to relate to. More than anything else I saw at the festival, this is one that I've been itching to see again and I expect it to ultimately wind up on my DVD shelf.

An honorable mention goes to Anthony Hopkins' Slipstream, which was such an amazing achievment in Lynchian storytelling, while taking what can be done with the cinematic medium to an extreme that hasn't been seen too often. It's not the greatest movie in terms of writing or acting, but it's so entertaining and artistic. The fact that such a top-notch actor can also be such an inventive filmmaker (he wrote most of the music in the film, too!) is beyond belief.

The movies I missed that I hoped to see but didn't get a chance to include Grace is Gone, Dedication (both picked up by the Weinsteins), Parker Posey's flicks Broken English and Fay Grim (both released soon by Magnolia PIctures), David Gordon Green's Snow Angels, Jake Paltrow's The Good Night and the upcoming Lionsgate release Trade. Yeah, I also didn't see Zoo but I guess I'll have to someday.

There are also a few movies I've seen that I haven't had much chance to write about, though one can expect they'll be showing up in my weekly column, The Weekend Warrior sometime later this year. Look for a bunch of interviews from Sundance on ComingSoon.net in the next week or two, which will also be included here eventually.