We’ve already recalled the biggest disappointments and surprises of the year. Finally the time has come to reveal the movies we enjoyed the most.
The war in Iraq; the life of a gay political activist in San Francisco; the origins of the nazi mentality; a refreshingly contemporary look at the vampires’ myth in Sweden and racial conflicts in French jails and schools were the locations of some of the most rewarding film works of the last 12 monts. After the jump, the Top 40 Best Pictures of 2009.
 | 1-THE WHITE RIBBON (LA CINTA BLANCA) Michael Haneke |  | 2-LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (DEJAME ENTRAR) Tomas Alfredson |
 | 3-THE CLASS (LA CLASE) Laurent Cantet |  | 4-A PROPHET (UN PROFETA) Jacques Audiard |
 | 5-SYNECHDOCHE, NEW YORK Charlie Kaufman |  | 6-THE HURT LOCKER (EN TIERRA HOSTIL) Katryn Bigelow |
 | 7-MILK (MI NOMBRE ES HARVEY MILK) Gus Van Sant |  | 8-DISTRICT 9 (SECTOR 9) Neill Blomkamp |
 | 9-THE WRESTLER (EL LUCHADOR) Darren Arronofski |  | 10-A SERIOUS MAN (UN TIPO SERIO) Coen Brothers |
 | 11-SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Danny Boyle |  | 12-AN EDUCATION (ENSEñANZA DE VIDA) Lone Scherfig |
 | 13-FROZEN RIVER Courtney Hunt |  | 14-FISH TANK Andrea Arnold |
 | 15-AVATAR James Cameron |  | 16-THE MESSENGER Oren Moverman |
 | 17-THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX (EL FANTASTICO SR. ZORRO) Wes Anderson |  | 18-DOUBT (LA DUDA) John Patrick Shanley |
 | 19-UP John Lassetter |  | 20-THE ROAD (LA CARRETERA) John Hillcot |
 | 21-RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (LA BODA DE RACHEL) Jonathan Demme |  | 22-IN THE LOOP Armando Ianucci |
 | 23-THE COVE (LA CUEVA) Louie Psihoyos |  | 24-A SINGLE MAN (UN HOMBRE SOLTERO) Tom Ford |
 | 25-WENDY Y LUCY Kelly Reichardt |  | 26-ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD (ENCUENTROS EN EL FIN DEL MUNDO) Werner Herzog |
 | 27-FROST/NIXON (LA ENTREVISTA DEL ESCANDALO) Ron Howard |  | 28-SUGAR Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden |
 | 29-MOON Duncan Jones |  | 30-UP IN THE AIR (AMOR SIN ESCALAS) Jason Reitman |
 | 31-ME & ORSON WELLES (ORSON WELLES Y YO) Richard Linklater |  | 32-PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE Lee Daniels |
 | 33-MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT/PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER 1 (INSTINTO ASESINO/ENEMIGO PUBLICO No 1) Jean-François Richet |  | 34-KATYN Andrej Wajda |
 | 35-INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (MALDITOS BASTARDOS) Quentin Tarantino |  | 36-BRIGHT STAR Jane Campion |
 | 37-MOTHER (MADRE) Bong Joon-Ho |  | 38-NOWHERE BOY Sam Taylor-Wood |
 | 39-STILL WALKING (CAMINANDO) Hirokazu Kore-Eda |  | 40-REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (SOLO UN SUEñO) Sam Mendes |