1. Naussica of the Valley of the Wind-- The Miyazaki movie that best expresses his philosophy of humanity and nature.
2. American Splendor-- Brilliant characterization, great changes of the point of view. I felt that I really knew this likable couple.
3. The Man Without A Past-- I found this by a wonderful accident. Funny, realistic, Finnish homeless people living in storage containers. What else does anyone need?
4. Lars and the Real Girl-- Charming. You really felt for Lars by the end of the movie. I really felt like cheering for the whole town.
5. Schizopolis-- A great experiment in filmmaking. Not much in the way of plot, characterization or acting, but still riviting, asking oneself, "What in the heck is Sodenburgh going to try next?"
Honorable Mention:
The Mission-- Robert DeNiro and Jeffery Lions in the best religious film ever. Too few people have watched it. One of my top ten movies, and it won the Cannes in its time, so I don't know how 'overlooked' it really is. It feels overlooked.
The Emperor's New Groove-- Easily the funniest Disney movie, IMHO. A suave Warner Bros. where the non-sequitors never end. Now, I think a lot of people have watched it and panned it, so maybe it's not 'overlooked' either. But folks, give it another chance!