2005 was a politically charged year for film but wasn't a great year for the auteurs. The reemergence of the talent in 2006, on the other hand, was certainly impressive. I wasn’t as affected by many movies this year, but I was always thrilled with the best in the business working all at once, whether it was a commercial endeavor or otherwise.
Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Sophia Coppola, Stephen Frears, Spike Lee (twice), Robert Altman, Darren Aronofsky, Stephen Soderbergh, Bryan Singer, John Lassater, Clint Eastwood. These are just the filmmakers I love personally who all produced fine works this year. The story for everyone else will rightfully be that of three Mexican filmmakers — Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo Del Toro, and Alfonso Cuarón. (Don't worry. I love them, too.) While two of those filmmakers are not represented in my top ten (one I saw, one I didn’t), the one who is historically the strongest of the three made my number one pick.
1. Children of Men – In a year short on substantial work, Alfonso Cuarón made a film emotionally, cinematically, and philosophically superior to any since City of God. It’s a film I’ll revisit for years to come because it serves as a reminder of our fragile existence.
2. The Queen – When I first saw this film in Pittsburgh, I thought it would be my number one of the year. It isn’t, but it is the only other film worthy of being called a masterpiece. Essential viewing for every citizen, no matter the country.
3. The Departed – It’s called a return to form, but Scorsese’s newest gangland epic is something different. Scorsese acknowledges that every time I hear him talk about it. It’s certainly his most entertaining film, even more so than Goodfellas. The auteur is not dead, though, and that’s why The Departed is here.
4. Half Nelson – The breakthrough film of the year for director Ryan Fleck and his star Shareeka Epps. It’s also the only film in the Top Ten to capture the indie spirit that I love to see in films. If I wasn’t such a cynic, it would be the film that makes me believe in Sundance again. My number nine is the reason I don’t.
5. The Fountain – Darren Aronofsky's flawed sci-fi epic is captivating in spite of all its setbacks. A true achievement if only because it actually got made in a climate that doesn’t allow for films like it to come from a studio.
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