10. Little Miss Sunshine
Out of all the films of 2006, I felt that this was one of the funniest and most touching films that I saw. "Little Miss Sunshine" is all about a dysfunctional family, who in support of their daughter,
Olive, go on a road trip to enter her in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Steve Carell, who plays Uncle Frank who has just attempted to commit suicide, is hilarious with his subtle humor. His conversations with Dwayne, the son who has taken an oath of silence, which involved Dwayne(Paul Dano) gesturing and writing things down on paper, cracked me up. The two made for great laughs, as did Alan Arkin, who plays Grandpa, who gives the most random advice to his grandchildren, and while being a loving grandfather, he is also a coke addict. Little Miss Sunshine took home the Actor at the SAG Awards this year for Best Cast, while up against other big competitors such as the casts of "The Departed," "Dreamgirls" and "Babel." "Little Miss Sunshine" manages to be sweet, silly and deep at the same time, defining family values and is unlike any other film of the year.9. The Illusionist
Edward Norton works his magic in this film, along with Paul Giamatti. The film is all about the illusion, as expressed in the title. Norton plays Eisenheim the illusionist, a famous magician, who manages to attract a woman who is way above his social status, and of course problems arise. As a first time viewer, I couldn't even figure out the difference between reality and illusion until the films Hitchcockian conclusion. Being a huge fan of Hitchcock's work usually allows me to predict almost all movie endings, however, not even I caught on to how big the illusion really was in "The Illusionist," which made the movie even more impressive.
8. Casino Royale
Despite that it did not live up to the 007 hype, I was very impressed with Daniel Craig's performance as the new James Bond. The film was lacking in action, but the acting was better than ever, setting up for more James Bond films to come. Pierce Brosnan may have looked the part more than any other Bond, but Craig owns the character, and I can't wait for the next 007 installment, "Bond 22," set to come out in 2008. Get excited!!!
7. Dreamgirls
A great movie that will get anyone rocking in their seat to the catchy numbers. The characters are great, and Jennifer Hudson is a smash in her film debut. Eddie Murphy also hit a grand slam with his portrayal of Jimmy Early, a spunky and hilarious performer. However, this is a different role for Murphy, having a character with a dark side, and depth...and what a voice! You'd figure Beyonce would steal every scene with her phenomenal voice and stunning looks...NO WAY! Jennifer Hudson rocks every scene that she's in and her performance as Effie White is brilliant.
6. The Devil Wears Prada
I expected Princess Diaries, some kind of Disney movie, that would only half satisfy me, but
what I got was much more. Tons of laughs and brilliant performances by Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt. This is Streep in one of her best roles, playing a cold bitch, who happens to be the editor in chief for Runway magazine (a.k.a. the equivalent to Vogue), while Hathaway is the smart, but odd girl next door, who is at her beckon call along with Blunt. Blunt, a new face to American cinema, is also a scene stealer alongside Hathaway. Just an all around entertaining movie, definitely not the chick flick I thought it'd be.5. Cars
Up their with "Finding Nemo," "Cars" is a great Pixar film. A fun-filled family film (love the alliteration?). With a great story and great CGI the film is a smash. Luke Wilson, Bonnie Hunt and Paul Newman provide their voices for the three main characters.
4. Blood Diamond
A great film about the diamond trade, takes place in Africa, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. "Blood Diamond" has a thrilling plot that doesn't let up for a minute, keeping your eyes glued to the film. Danny Archer is one of DiCaprio's best roles, which
got him a Best Actor nod for the upcoming Academy Awards. Hounsou plays Solomon Vandy, a devoted father who is separated from his family and most importantly his son, who was taken from him by the R.U.F. as a recruit. The two join forces in search of a huge diamond and Vandy's son, making for a great and exciting film and becoming one of my all time favorites.3. Babel
Definitely one of the years top contenders for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. With an extremely complicated plot, "Babel" manages to get its message across quite clearly, without confusion. The cast is phenomenal and so is the directional style of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Babel has a whopping seven Oscar nods, and also comes out this week on DVD.
2. Pan's Labyrinth
I felt "Pan's Labyrinth" got shafted this year with its late release. What should have been a big contender for Best Picture was not nominated for that category, although it managed to pick up six other nominations, including Best Foreign Film, which it should win hands down. Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth" is stunning visually with amazing costume design, with characters such as Pan the mythical fawn and the Pale Man, both played by Doug Jones. The characters are
both beautiful and frightening, which makes us wonder whether or not they should be trusted. "Pan's Labyrinth" also takes place during the Spanish Civil War, bringing us into a very violent time and mixing it with a little girls' fantasy world. It's a fairy tale for the adults and something entirely different from anything else I've ever seen.1. The Departed
As a Bostonian, I have to say "The Departed" was all around my favorite film of the year. Recently out on DVD, it has been flying off the shelves so quickly in Best Buy and Blockbuster, I
have yet to see an available copy in Boston that wasn't a bootleg. "The Departed" also got 5 Oscars nods this year including Best Picture and Best Director for Martin Scorsese, who has earned an Oscar many times over but just hasn't gotten lucky. "The Departed"is a thriller of a movie, and with its all-star cast, attracts anyone and everyone to see it and I haven't met one person who hasn't loved this movie (then again, this is Boston, I don't know if that's allowed). DiCaprio, Nicholson, Damon, Wahlberg, Sheen...it doesn't get much better. "The Departed" is definitely one of my all time favorite movies. It has action, drama, love story, scandal and a bad ass attitude! You can't not love this movie!
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