"My mother told me to be wary of Fauns."
Perhaps the most depressing movie I have ever seen, and yet, one of the most magical, Pan's Labyrinth is the masterpiece we suspected Guillermo Del Toro had in him all along (no disrespect to Blade II, which is the shit). Containing images that would make Apocalypto blush, the film nevertheless composes an almost sentimental paean to the imagination of youth in the midst of the most brutal of circumstances, in this case, Franco's Spain. Sergi López gives an Oscar-worthy (but likely to be ignored) performance as the manifestation of that brutality, the rigid, self-loathing Capitan Vidal, and Ivana Baquero caps what's been a particularly good year for child performances (Abigail Breslin, Shareeka Epps) as the impulsive Ofelia.
6. Dreamgirls
"You know why I made you the lead? Because your voice has no personality."
The hype was true. Most of it anyway. Critics saw 20 minutes of this flick at Cannes and started raving. Eddie Murphy was getting Oscar buzz. In May. By the time the film finally came out, the buzz survived and, post-screenings, was only slightly diminished. Yes, the film is essentially a collection of great performances, but the Supremes/Motown allegory still gives them a compelling backbone. And Eddie Murphy earns every bit of that Oscar buzz. Ditto Jennifer Hudson, who single-handedly commands the most applause-inducing scene in recent memory.
"I want you to kill your brother."
This simple declaration spawns the most shades-of-grey dissertation on violence since, well, A History of Violence and perhaps the most conflicted Western of all time. As I described it when I first saw it, it's like Unforgiven without all the moral clarity. John Hurt has a compelling turn as a bounty hunter but the real magic here belongs to Ray Winstone who portrays one of the most complex characters I've ever seen.
"If our children can live safely for one more day, it would be worth the one more day that we defend this island."
Speaking of morally ambiguous treatises on violence (funny how those come up during wartime), Eastwood's second film of the year would have been an awesome idea even if the film itself sucked: A companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers telling the story of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. Fortunately, it did not suck and in fact surpasses its powerful predecessor.
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1 - Lisa McKay
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