The New York Film Festival came to an end this past weekend. The event often showcases some of the best films of the year and makes the unofficial start to awards season.

Here are some of the best films at the festival, in no particular order:

Two Days, One Night

The Dardenne brothers love depicting the stories of the common man in dire straits. Grand gestures do not seem to be in their cinematic vocabulary, but emotional truth and naturalism is a signature. "Two Days, One Night" is yet another terrific effort from the Belgian auteurs and features a wondrous performances (one of her best) from Marion Cotillard. The film tells the story of a woman who must ask her coworkers to choose to dump a raise in order for her to keep her job. The film's structure is repetitive, but is wondrous in its ability to analyze humans without ever judging them. Every single character in the film gets a chance to state his or her case, without the Dardennes every taking sides. It is a thrilling film with a perfect conclusion.

Gone Girl

David Fincher is one of the masters of the modern era. But since 2007's "Zodiac," he had seemingly lost some steam. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Social Network" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" were far from exemplary works in his oeuvre. But "Gone Girl" is a massive return to form. It is a sprawling novel that could have transformed into a trainwreck of a film. However, Fincher manages to maintain the focus on its two central characters, while creating a Hitchcockian world around them. Rosamund Pike is a revelation in what will be her breakout performance. This thriller is filled with a tremendously dark outlook on marriage, but its pace and detail make the viewer marvel.

Mr. Turner

Mike Leigh's attempt at a biopic is filled with tremendous nuance and emotion. The imagery is unforgettable, but the real takeaway here is Timothy Spall's quirky performance. Unlike most period biopics, which are massive and unfocused, this one analyzes the challenges of a great artist as he tries to reinvent himself amidst his own popularity and celebrity. In some ways, Leigh reinvents himself here, but fans will be thrilled by trademarks of the auteur's style that manifest throughout the film.

Foxcatcher

Bennett Miller's best film is an ambiguous portrayal of human interaction. Based on real life events, Miller takes the responsible stance of not trying to impose his own opinion on the reasons for the eventual murder of David Schulz. He presents the events as he knows them and allows the audience the opportunity to intuit and analyze why they feel things went the way they did. This could be seen by some as lacking in commitment or perspective, but the perspective is actually quite clear -- Miller does not feel that he has the right to judge, but simply observe. And he is asking us to consider this while watching the film and talking about it afterwards. The tone is ambiguous, the performances are ambiguous -- even the film's overall structure lacks a central character. The reality is that in real life, unlike cinema, nothing can be absolute. The only thing absolute about this film (and many will undoubtedly question that statement) is that this film and the performances by Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo are excellent.

Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Alejandro Gonzalo Inarritu's fifth feature is a massive contradiction. It is his most all-encompassing film, but it is also his most sparse. Most sparse in terms of style, his time and space, his characters and many of his themes. This is a truly complex film, but it might be his easiest to explain. Superheroes are on its mind and yet this is about normal people with normal problems. Put simply, "Birdman" must be watched and experienced to make any true sense of it. This is a film that will be talked about for years to come and will go down as one of Innarritu's best films (if not his best).

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