Paul Haggis, 2007 (8*)
This surprising mystery is a terrific small film that got absolutely no PR at all. It quietly slipped past most people apparently. Tommy Lee Jones turns in perhaps his finest performance, garnering a well-deserved Oscar nomination for best actor as a dad hunting for his AWOL son who's returned from Iraq and immediately disappeared. Charlize Theron is also excellent, in little makeup, brown hair pulled back in a bun, as a no nonsense police detective - also one of her best performances. Susan Sarandon doesn't have a lot to do in this, as the mother of the missing, Tommy Lee's wife, but still, an excellent cast of three Oscar winners!

This is a story that slowly unfolds yet remains engrossing. It's also a real mystery, the kind you don't often see anymore, as we normally know who the killer is, and when there's no mystery it becomes a crime/suspense story, such as The Silence of the Lambs. This one is not only very well made, but is based on a true story as well.

Note: in the same year, Jones was also up for best supporting actor in the best picture winner, No Country for Old Men