1. Garden State - Zach Braff (TV's Scrubs) makes an auspicious debut as writer, director and star of an eccentrically charming film. Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard co-star in a "dramedy" evoking memories of The Graduate.
2. Maria, Full of Grace - A pregnant teen in Colombia works as a heroin transporter in an impressive debut by writer-director Joshua Marston.
3. Hero - Zhang Yimou's epic martial arts adventure stars Jet Li as a warrior recalling for a king how a trio of assassins was defeated. Comparisons to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are inevitable and favorable.
4. The Manchurian Candidate - Denzel Washington stars in a gripping overhaul of the classic 1962 political thriller. New, improved in some regards, and definitely worth seeing.
5. Collateral - Cold-blooded hit man (Tom Cruise) takes a cabby (Jamie Foxx) hostage for a night of murder in Los Angeles. Director Michael Mann's movie floors it for 90 minutes before running out of gas.
