1) United 93
–Captures the harrowing events of 9/11 in eerie fashion, placing you right back where you were when the news broke. Done by the director of the Bourne series, it’s an edgy movie that makes you wonder the final outcome even though you of course know the movie’s ending. Should be a must watch in High School classes across the nation in the coming years. It is difficult to watch, but also necessary to reflect upon.

2) The Departed
–Only not #1 due to emotional allegiance to 93. Scorcese’s Boston mob-epic surpassed my expectations. You never once feel bored in the 2+ hours of back and forth edge-of-your-seat exhilaration this story and characters provide. Only qualm is the ending, which I feel was unjust for such a movie. I just wanted one side to come out on top, but it wasn’t meant to be. It’s understandable that the ending was more realistic, but just my opinion. Jack is amazing as always, and Damon and DiCaprio further shrine themselves as the top young actors of our generation. Step aside Pacino and DeNiro.

3) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
–Cohen’s new brand of uber reality based comedy may be a coming trend in American movies. Movie crudely uncovered the abrasive nature that America’s heartland still represents. As well as exploiting American stereotypes regarding underdeveloped nations of the world. Very funny, and I wish Cohen future success, but I fear he may have peaked too soon and too fast. His next movie will be done in the same format as Borat, yet future his over-the-top cliche gay stylist Bruno and his reality based escapades.

4) Little Miss Sunshine
–Awesome surprise intelligent comedy that features a family that puts the fun back in dysfunction. Reminiscent of humor relative to something like Sideways, I enjoyed this movie from start to finish. What makes it work are the incredibly complex and intriguing range of characters, specifically Steve Carell’s character and the mute son Dwayne. You’ll definitely like this movie and acquire some important, if not common, life lessons while doing so.

5) Inside Man
–Spike Lee’s early 2006 movie hasn’t gained much steam in Top 10 lists but it instantly became on of my favorite movies of all-time. It’s incredibly rare to find a caper flick that is original and delivers the most important lesson often overlooked in today’s fast-paced world, that is that respect and nobility trump any currency of man. Denzel is great, Clive Owen remains one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, and Jodie Foster delivers a perfect bitch role to satisfy the movie’s characters and their development throughout the movie. Everyone loves a crime flick, and along with Departed, Lee’s joint delivers a gift to 2006 movie-goers.

6) Jesus Camp
–Surprisingly unbiased documentary that centers its soul on children being pushed by their parents to fulfill the conservative right-wing political voice for generations to come. Disturbing and enlightening, you’ll undoubtedly be visibly troubled by the first 4 year old crying uncontrollably while praying in tongues. Again, I stress the fantastic unbiased making of this film, as we can clearly see both sides of this heated debate. On one side, it undoubtedly can be made a case of child exploitation to children’s fearful mindset and obedience of parents and authority, and all the while comfort for these families as the children find solace and comfort in their faith. Certainly an issue that will continue to be a major political force for the duration of all our lives, as more and more Americans are leaving their Catholic and Protestant denominations to join Evangelical super churches that are popping up at an overwhelming rate. These ultra conservative right-wingers are the new base for the Republican party and will be throughout our lives.

7) Casino Royale
–Daniel Craig as Bond certainly has a optimistic future, so long as producers don’t dump the Blonde Brit due to this being the only Bond ever to not open at #1. The movie’s action took an old-school approach to realism that has escaped the series in the past few renditions, a much appreciated blast from the past. Villian is sufficient to the series, and apart from awkward moments of 007 falling in love and the worst poker scenes ever, quite a movie. I hope Craig retains the spy role for the next adventure in the 007 series.

8) Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
–The first time I saw Anchorman, I was very unimpressed. Shortly thereafter, along with watching it 25x or so, it is one of my favorite comedies ever. This I believe will be the case with Talladega Nights, just to a lesser degree. I was remotely amused the first viewing, but now wiht owning it and seeing it a handful of times, it is easy to see this recipe for comedy (quotable one-liners throughout with random plot twists) can sustain successfulness. I don’t really like putting this movie in the Top 10, but I liked it better than other comedies like Clerks II and You, Me, and DuPree.

9) Mission Impossible: III
–As a devout scientologist, aliens will enter my brain and plague my soul with depression if I don’t include Tommy C in my top 10. In all seriousness, it was a roller coaster year for Cruise, who; got engaged, got married, had a baby, was dumped by his long-time studio Paramount, enjoyed success as Ethan Hunt, and garnered national media scrutiny for his outlandish defense of his new ‘religion.’ Anyway, MI3 was the best in the series and actually proved to be a decent movie. Hoffman as the villain was a huge plus to the movie, and as loopy as it is to see Cruise cracking the halls of Vatican City and jumping rooftops in Asian metropolis’, it is supremely entertaining, and that is what movies are supposed to be.

10) The Devil Wears Prada
–This movie sucked and it’s a disgrace to be in my Top 10. That said, I utterly enjoyed it, fully aware that my machismo will suffer from my endorsement of suchhh an estrogen infused movie. Every girl will love it for the fashion and chitty chatty girl shit throughout, but I gathered from it the important balance that is professional life versus personal life. Plus my boy Vinnie Chase from Entourage was homegirl’s boyfriend, even if he was a little emo in this flick, he is still the balls.

10.5) V for Vendetta
–This Orwell ’1984′ style movie centers around, what I think, Great Britain in the near future if the West had lost World War II. America is ravaged and the shining example of failure in the world, while England takes on the totalitarian ‘Big Brother’ regime described in Orwell’s classic. Yet while our hero here takes a far more aggressive vigilante stance against the government than Winston Smith did, the movie works for the better because of it. A underdog hero of the people that fights against oppressive authority. Solid movie, I dug it.

Movies That I Haven’t Seen
(And more deservedly belong on this list)

Babel- Can’t wait to see this movie, I loved this style storytelling in 21 Grams.
The Queen- Looks awesome, can’t wait for the time to see it.
The Good Shephard- A bit lengthy with strictly dialogue, but with DeNiro, Damon, Peschi, and Jolie in a spy movie…simply can’t go wrong.
An Inconvenient Truth- Haven’t seen the movie, but I read the book, and if the flick did the book a justice, I’m sure is was well done and very influential. Gore gaining credibility with the first annual media-dubbed ‘Global Warming Christmas.’

Biggest Disappointments
(What could have been….)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest- Biggest disappointment of the year in my book. Lost edge that made the first such a hit, and exposed huge gaping plot holes that left even the most creative and imaginative moviegoer utterly perplexed. Surely enough, it was the top grossing box office movie of 2006…

Miami Vice- Michael Mann, Jamie Foxx, and Miami should have been an unbelievable combination. But throw in a weak script and Colin Farrell, and you’re left with the remnants of a savaged epic. Cinematography was amazing, and it can be fun to watch. But the story and Farrell are too awful to salvage this too-long Bad Boys II-esque movie.

Clerks II- I liked the movie, but a sequel a decade in the making should have been tackled better by this team. Quite funny, but the moral storyline downplayed to the watcher that hasn’t been custom to this pack’s movies in the past, and that was an unfortunate sellout. Still recommend it, but a personal letdown nonetheless.

The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown’s mega popular spy-history-thriller novel turned motion picture didn’t near capture the excitement that made Brown’s storytelling an American phenomenon. Hanks as Langdon was a poor choice, and if you didn’t read the book, I don’t know how one could follow this movie.