I usually struggle to develop a list of the best 10 movies of the year. I always come up with 14 movies or more and have a difficult time cutting a few off the list.
However, this year, I found the perfect 10. These movies stand out above the rest as the best -- and must see -- motion pictures of 2006.
There is something for everyone on this year's list -- a family film about a beloved best friend, two comedies with the dirtiest humor to date, an eerie tale of preventative revenge and two excruciatingly disturbing features about the end of civilization.
10. "Lassie" -- This reincarnation of the tale about a boy and his dog is heartbreaking and uplifting. Anyone who has ever had a pet can relate to the characters in this beautifully shot family film.
9. "Down in the Valley" -- Edward Norton is remarkable in this independent film about a forbidden romance. Engaging and oftentimes thrilling, this motion picture is quietly absorbing.
8. "Children of Men" -- Set in the not-so-distant future, this movie about the pending end of the human race is hard to watch and highly depressing. However, a number of single-shot, uncut sequences make this feature film simply outstanding.
7. "Apocalypto" -- Mel Gibson's bloody narrative about the end of an ancient civilization is also hard to watch but its fast pace warrants your attention. This movie is nothing short of compelling.
6. "Hard Candy" -- In a time when tales of pedophilia is a daily segment on the local news, this movie about predator versus prey is gripping. Good luck trying to choose sides, though; it is harder than you think.
5. "Borat" -- Sacha Baron Cohen knows how to make Americans laugh. He also knows how to make them think. Then again, he knows how to make other cultures quite angry, too.
4. "Babel" -- Speaking of cultures, this movie's narrative layers that connect in one way or another are each extremely entertaining. Not only does Brad Pitt give his greatest performance in his career, but the entire motion picture is the most important piece of cinema of 2006.
3. "Little Miss Sunshine" -- It is no secret that this feature film delivers many laughs. It tells the story of a family to which we can all relate and, for that, you leave the theater feeling uplifted.
2. "Clerks 2" -- Some claim Kevin Smith's sequel about interspecies erotica and inappropriate nicknames is garbage. I say, I would happily go dumpster diving to laugh this hard.
1. "A Prairie Home Companion" -- Big-name actors. Stunning set pieces. Folk music. This is what going to the movies is all about.
