"What's that? Worst film you ever saw? Well, my next one will be better. Hello? Hello?" The unflagging optimism at the heart of Depp's portrayal of Ed Wood, one of the worst filmmakers to ever make a mark on the world of movies, is enormously charming, and he brings a very real sweetness to the potentially creepy relationship between Ed and his idol, Bela Lugosi. For mainstream audiences, this may be the least seen of his collaborations with Tim Burton, but it is the canniest comedic role he's ever played. You can tell how much Depp and Burton fell in love with Ed by the way the chose to end the film before the sordid later years of Wood's life. They leave him on a note of triumph and hope, and in making the film, they may have restored Wood's reputation in a way that his own films never could, a triumph for anyone playing a real-life figure.

- Drew McWeeny