I don’t like holiday movie previews, and I’m glad The Post doesn’t do them. Such sections require writers to puff a movie they already know isn’t all that great, or you have good reason to suspect will be disappointing or worse. So instead, I’m going to offer a couple of short lists (which arbitarily do not include documentaries). The first consists of movies I’ve already seen at festivals (and written about, if you follow the links) that I can recommend more or less unconditionally:

The Savages (Nov. 28)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (above) (Nov. 30)

Juno (Dec. 5)

Atonement (Dec. 7)

Grace is Gone (Dec. 7)

Persepolis (Dec. 25)

The Orphanage (Dec. 28)

The second list consists of flicks I haven’t yet seen, but I am anticipating to varying degrees based on things I’ve heard or read, and/or the talents involved:

Enchanted (Nov. 21)

Sweeney Todd (Dec. 21)

The Great Debaters (Dec. 25)

Charlie Wilson’s War (Dec. 25)

There Will Be Blood (Dec. 26)

Honeydrippers (Dec. 28)