Better late than never, I suppose. I usually put together my 10 Best List at the end of December. In 2008, however, more films than usual started out in limited release, meaning it takes me longer to see them. Even now, there is a lengthy list of titles I haven’t seen (thanks, grad school!), including “Milk,” “The Wrestler,” “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road.” So here are my not-quite-definitive picks for the 10 Best Films of 2008.

1. “The Dark Knight” -- I know it’s a comic book movie, but director Christopher Nolan’s second installment of the franchise is still one of the best crime dramas of the decade. More “Heat” than “Spider-Man,” the flick makes it seem completely plausible that a billionaire would dress up like a bat to fight a psycho clown. It’s two and a half hours of exhilarating storytelling with a surprisingly bleak ending, though one that feels fitting. And yes, Heath Ledger completely deserves the Oscar he’s going to win later this month.

2. “WALL∙E” -- Pixar continues their winning streak with possibly the best movie20they’ve ever done. If not, it’s certainly up there with “Finding Nemo” and “Toy Story 2.” The story of a lonely robot that has been left behind to clean up a destroyed Earth is both hilarious and heartbreaking. All he wants is a friend, and when one shows up, he does everything in his power to keep them together. The race for the Best Animated Film Oscar was over a long time ago. Heck, this movie is better than 90 percent of the live-action stuff released last year.

3. “Slumdog Millionaire” -- Currently the film to beat for Best Picture, this heartwarming fable of an Indian teen’s quest for love and riches feels like it was written by Charles Dickens. Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy have crafted a story that allows audiences, even those unfamiliar with Indian culture, to fully understand and empathize with the characters. I hope stars Dev Patel and Freida Pinto get huge careers out of this. Besides, who can pass up a movie that ends with an awesome dance number?

4. “Frost/Nixon” -- I still don’t understand why this movie isn’t more successful. It was helmed by a popular director (Ron Howard), written by a proven screenwriter (Peter Morgan, who penned “The Queen”) and give us characters whose actions still resonate to this day. It’s tense, it’s funny and the dialogue crackles. Frank Langella is amazing as disgraced President Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen, though a bit overshadowed, matches him step for step as British interviewer David Frost. Throw in great supporting performances by Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon and you’ve got a terrific film that deserves to find a wider audience on DVD.

5. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” -- Though it’s not as astounding as I originally thought, this (very loose) adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story is still a fantastic piece of filmmaking. Most of the credit goes to David Fincher, one of my favorite directors, whose top-notch use of CGI illustrates the good and bad sides of aging. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett are fine, but Taraji P. Henson, in a supporting role, is even better. One small caveat: I didn’t realize at first how similar the film is to “Forrest Gump.” The two projects share a screenwriter, and the coincidences are uncanny. Can you get in trouble for plagiarizing yourself?

6. “In Bruges” -A low-key release earlier in the year kept this movie completely off my radar until it received a handful of Golden Globe nominations. Thank you, Netflix! Colin Farrell plays a hotheaded rookie mobster and Brendan Gleeson is his older, wi ser partner. After Farrell’s character botches a job something fierce, their boss (a hilariously vulgar Ralph Fiennes) sends the duo to the titular Belgian town until things settle. Writer/director Martin McDonagh has constructed a story that is hysterical, sad and suspenseful, sometimes all at once. The tonal shifts are insane, which makes for a truly unique viewing experience.

7. “Doubt” -- This searing drama about the power struggle at a Catholic parish/school in 1960s New York features some of the finest actors around working at the top of their game. It revolves around a nun (Meryl Streep) who suspects a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is abusing the school’s first black student. Amy Adams plays a young, innocent nun who isn’t sure who to believe and Viola Davis, in a brief but powerful scene, plays the student’s mother. There’s a reason why all four of them are Oscar nominees this year.

8. “Gran Torino” -- Clint Eastwood released two movies three months apart in 2008. His first, “Changeling,” wasn’t very well received, but he hit it out of the park with his second one. As an ornery, bigoted Korean War vet who has a change of heart thanks to his immigrant neighbors, Eastwood proved he’s still one of the best actors and directors around. He’s not one for happy endings, but his movies always seem to speak truthfully about the human heart.

9. “Burn After Reading” -- Joel and Ethan Coen got a ton of love for “No Country for Old Men” last Oscar season, but some of those people were strangely subdued about the brothers’ follow-up. That’s a shame, because “Burn After Reading” is just as great and twice as cynical. Almost every character is stupid and selfish, and those who perform good deeds are rewarded with brutal violence. No one in the cast (George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, David Rasche and J.K. Simmons) is afraid of looking bad, which makes for a wickedly dark comedy.

10. “Iron Man” -- After “The Dark Knight” destroyed box office records, the other superhero movies of 2008 seemed to fade from memory. Do yourself a favor and revisit some of Robert Downey Jr.’s best work; the role of Tony Stark was made for him. Director Jon Favreau has come a long way since “Elf,” and he makes sure all of the special effects don’t drown out the best thing about the movie -- Downey. He got an Oscar nomination for his “Tropic Thunder” performance, but I think he deserved some recognition for this too.

Agree? Think I got it completely wrong? E-mail Josh8199@aol.com to share your thoughts.