Honorable mention: Casino Royale, The Illusionist,
The Last King of Scotland, The Queen, and Superman
Returns.
10. Tideland: Some critics have called this film unwatchable
and said it will end Gilliam's career as a director. Indeed, several
people walked out of the screening I went to. However, Gilliam's
films have almost always divided critics and audiences, and this
film is no different. I think it's challenging, brilliant, and
one of the best films he's ever made, and one that ends with a
note of hope.
9. Clerks II: This film is not for everyone. If the mere
idea of a donkey getting a blowjob offends you, avoid this film
at all costs, or you may be forced to walk out of the film loudly
complaining about how offensive it is. If your sense of humor
is compatible with Kevin Smith's, you will laugh long and hard,
especially about a donkey getting a blowjob. I rarely rank a comedy
among the best films in any given year, but this film is a definite
exception.
8. The Prestige: Director Christopher Nolan (Memento,
Batman Begins) creates his finest film yet which, like
a brilliant magical trick, astonishes the audience while never
revealing how it's done. It's a darkly twisted look at how
obsession consumes the lives of the two main characters. This
is a film that would bear a second or third viewing to better
appreciate all the misdirection.
7. Little Miss Sunshine: Directors Jonathan Dayton and
Valerie Faris, who come from a background of television commercials
and music videos, make an impressive feature film debut. Despite
their background, this isn't a film that values style over substance.
To their credit, Dayton and Faris focus on the story and the acting.
It's part black comedy, part serious drama, and toward the end
it becomes a satire of pageants.
6. Flags of Our Fathers / Letters from Iwo Jima: With
these films, director Clint Eastwood has accomplished the unusual
feat of making two great war films about the same battle from
opposite sides. The films work as two parts of a whole, showing
the common humanity of the men on both sides of the conflict and
are both brilliant in different but complementary ways and should
be considered equals.
5. Pan's Labyrinth: This dark fantasy from producer Alfonso
Cuarón and writer/director Guillermo del Toro owes much
to the literary genre of magical realism and is truly a work of
art. It's a visually stunning and captivating dark fairy
tale that's also one of a kind. It's not like anything you've
seen before.
4. United 93: This docudrama remarkably captures the chaos
and horror of 9/11 without resorting to sensationalism or a conventional
narrative. Despite the controversy over whether it was made
too soon after the events, it's essential viewing and a moving
memorial to the men and women who died on the flight.
3. Babel: Director Alejandro González Iñárritu
follows up Amores Perros and 21 Grams with a
third film exploring the human condition through interweaving
stories, which earned him the best director award at the Cannes
Film Festival. See it and let it communicate its message
to you. Listen and understand.
2. Children of Men: P.D. James' 1992 novel is brought
to the screen as an outstanding dystopian vision. Director
Alfonso Cuarón carefully crafts a dark, visceral vision
of humanity's possible future in great detail. It's both a cautionary
tale and a thriller, but it's also firmly grounded in the human
drama.
1. Inland Empire: The prospect of seeing a new film from
a favorite director is like opening a Christmas package. There's
a lot of anticipation and you hope that once it's unwrapped you'll
find a wonderful gift. This is perhaps the strangest feature film
that writer/director David Lynch has ever made, which is saying
a lot, but it's the perfect present for his hardcore fans.
