Since I’ve been writing for Inside Pulse, I have sort of adopted the mantra of one of my co-writers. “I don’t drink and I don’t do drugs I watch movies.” But like drugs or alcohol, movies can give you highs and lows. The highs being something like The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine, the lows being the cinematic excrement that is Date Movie and Ultraviolet. I’ll freely admit that I have seen more bombs both monetary-wise and overall enjoyment factor in 2006 than hits, but thankfully out of the 170-plus films I have seen, there are at least 30 worth mentioning.

Some films are meaningful but one can’t quite classify them on a list for some reason. Guilty pleasures, emotional wrenches and films that are warranting special mention deserve special recognition in any film awards ceremony. Major Film Festivals give films that deserve attention but didn’t qualify for any rewards a “Jury Prize,” and as such these are the films that deserve one for 2006.

Glory Road was one of the early releases of 2006. Unfortunately, it arrived at a time when the box office was at its most dismal. And with NFL playoff fever in full effect, many people didn’t want to see a sports movie about college basketball. Josh Lucas stars as a man who goes from coaching girl’s basketball, to a man who changes the face of basketball forever. From producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the film follows the same “Based on a True Story” formula as Remember the Titans (another Bruckheimer production) and delivers at both ends of the court. Out of all the sports-related movies I saw in 2006 the ones that come to my mind quick are Invincible and We are Marshall Glory Road illustrates the turbulent times of the 1960’s, emphasizing both social and political change, while juxtaposing that with heart, soul and laughter.

Another unbelievable true story-to-screen treat was The World’s Fastest Indian. The hero in this tale is neither native to America nor is he from India. The Indian is a 1920 motorcycle. Anthony Hopkins plays an old coot named Burt Munro to a tee. With all the accolades that have been thrown his way, it’s nice to see Hopkins in a more relaxed state. No straightjackets or faceguards required. With beautiful photography of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, Roger Donaldson succeeds in completing his dream project, which has been on the backburner for some twenty years. The material is easily digestible and worth the ride.

For 2006, I think I saw more documentaries than I have in any other year. Some were purely entertainment Wordplay, about the New York Times crossword puzzle. Others make you think about the environment (An Inconvenient Truth) and what we drive (Who Killed the Electric Car?). But for me Kirby Dick’s This Film is Not Yet Rated, a guerrilla-filmmaking stylized attack on an organization that is more secretive than the CIA, stands out on top. While some may argue that Dick doesn’t drive the point home about the MPAA (the Motion Pictures Association of America), his documentary is definitely food for thought for those who look at movies that get stamped with R ratings versus those that don’t quite fulfill the requirements of netting such a letter grade.

And with that, I will quickly segue to my next honorable mention. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is a mockumentary, but not in the Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show) sense. Sacha Baron Cohen is a comedian who is a hot commodity is England, but is a stranger to most of us in the United States. Unless you have HBO or have seen clips of Da Ali G Show on YouTube, you probably don’t know about Cohen’s Borat character. A reporter from Kazakhstan, he makes his way to America and interviews those who inhabit the country in attempts to understand their sensibilities. As it turns out, Borat is a scathing look at the United States and the ill-conceived prejudices held by select citizens. It’s an interesting movie, but after awhile the jokes become tasteless and it becomes easier to spot situations that are scripted. Nevertheless, the movie is worth a single viewing for those not familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen’s crazy antics.

These next two movies are the best entries of 2006 for romantic film buffs: Something New and The Lake House. The former has a bit of role reversal, with the female as the well-to-do and the male being the one scraping by. Well, scraping is a bit harsh; he’s a landscaper. And did I mention that she’s black and he’s white? This film was released on the cusp of Valentine’s Day and nobody cared. They either didn’t want to see an interracial couple or there wasn’t any (or enough) star power to make them want to buy a ticket. This is a shame, because Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker have great on-screen chemistry.

Not unlike Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in The Lake House. But their interaction is a bit more complicated as these two star-crossed lovers communicate with the written word, thanks in large part to a magical mailbox. The film’s premise while unbelievable is an interesting concept to say the least. It’s a romance that doesn’t veer into rom-com territory where stupid situations reside. Thank goodness. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock have amazing chemistry though they are an enigma to each other for the longest time.

These next four are genre-defined and that’s okay. Sometimes you need to revel in films like these. Last year it was Sin City, which was comic book noir displayed on the silver screen. That movie help create a small boom in hard-boiled/crime-related movies. (Later in 2005 we got gems like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and The Matador.) This year we get Running Scared and Lucky Number Slevin.

Running Scared tries not to be anything other than a visual potboiler. With each scene director Wayne Kramer leaves you cringing in your seat, wondering what will happen next. The dialogue is so hard that you would think the words must have been printed on sandpaper and raked across the faces of the actors. The number of expletives use will blow you away. As of today is it at or near the top of the list of movies with an overabundant use of the F-word. Take that for what it’s worth.

Lucky Number Slevin is the latest in the resurgence of crime thrillers. Not just crime thrillers but funny slices of noir. Josh Hartnett gives a breakthrough performance as Slevin. Lucy Liu gives her best acting performance to date. Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley are more than window dressing. They are the antagonists in this tale of mistaken identity gone badly.

Other genre-related titles that were of particular interest to me in 2006 were Jet Li’s Fearless and Snakes on a Plane. If you are familiar with Li’s Once Upon a Time in China films or Fist of Legend, then you know what to expect with his so-called final martial arts epic. Lots of fist-flying, leg-flailing action. With skillful choreography by Yuen Wo Ping, the story is a visual bonanza.

Snakes on a Plane falls into the awesomely bad category of moviemaking. Unlike Borat, which succeeded by word of mouth and being ostentatious, Snakes became a hot property on Internet forums. But its hotness was lukewarm. A flash in the pan. When bloggers are the ones who interject changes to the action and dialogue, um, then you know Hollywood is hanging on by a thread. Director David Ellis, who has orchestrated cringeworthy decapitations in Final Destination 2 and on-the-run action in Cellular, is a competent director, albeit his movies vary in quality. Sam Jackson seems to be having fun with movie, not taking it too seriously. At least with this movie, the title specifically, you don’t have to ask, “Gee, I wonder what this is about?” Now how many movies from 2006 can say that?

Moving on with the honorable nominations here are two of my faves with women as the main attractions. The Notorious Bettie Page has Gretchen Mol as a pin-up beauty, in a film about pornography during the 1960’s. Like the character she plays, Mol is uninhibited while exemplifying her demure quality. Shot mostly in black and white, Mary Harron (American Psycho) follows Bettie Page as she goes from being a sweet, if not promiscuous, southern beauty to becoming a cult figure. Bettie Page is a very good movie because of Gretchen Mol. Her depiction of the adult Bettie Page seems so natural, it could be her birthright.

Akeelah and the Bee is all about Keke Palmer. As a young actress on the rise, she stars as Akeelah Anderson, a Crenshaw middle-schooler who is endowed with the gift of spelling hard to spell words. So, of course, her gift gives her an opportunity to compete in a national spelling bee. The movie has its fair share of detractors, who cite the clichéd underdog story and stale character personalities as the biggest complaints. But while the story is clichéd, the characters shouldn’t be. Writer-director Doug Atchison writes from experience, having tutored many kids at a youth center in L.A., and being a spelling bee contestant. Keke Palmer’s performance, and the acting reunion of Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett (last seen together in What’s Love Got To Do With It), compensates for the schmaltziness. And the conclusion will make you want to stand up and cheer.

Will Ferrell’s comedic talents may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when he attempts to ditch his shtick in favor of drama he turns quite a few heads. Myself included. His performance in Stranger than Fiction is introverted, not outlandish. Combine his bookish personality with the acting talents of Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, not to mention Maggie Gyllenhaal and Queen Latifah, and you have quite the eclectic cast. Screenwriter Zach Helm, who is compared to Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) because of his unique story structure, fires on all cylinders mixing comedy with shades of drama.

If it weren’t United 93 (more on that later), World Trade Center would be the best film of 2006 about 9/11. Oliver Stone delivers a by-the-book account of two Port Authority policemen who were trapped in the rubble, after the World Trade Towers collapsed. The conversations that take place between the officers John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) weren’t figments that Stone pulled out of thin air in order to service his political agenda. There are no conspiracy theories to be had here. The two actors more than support the film, even though they are trapped underneath thousands of pounds of steel and sheetrock. While the bulk of Stone’s movie is these two men, we also see how their predicament makes their spouses (Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal, respectively) suffer. This is definitely not a film for everyone, but it is an important reminder of our human spirit and how 9/11 is the day that changed America forever.

If you ask me what The Fountain is about I couldn’t give you an honest answer. Part philosophical study, part time-traveling odyssey, all I know is that it is a beautiful-looking picture. You stare in amazing at this film and meticulousness of director Darren Arronofsky. Hugh Jackman continues a string of good performances in films where he doesn’t have claws poking out of his skin. Rachel Weisz is easy on the eyes and a damn good actress to boot.

Recognizing that there were more than just 10 films to see in 2006, these are the films that were excellent but just not quite great enough to warrant inclusion on the absolute best films of the year.

This next film, The Illusionist, can only be described as a magical romance. Magical in the sense that the protagonist is a magician (Edward Norton) and his ladylove (Jessica Biel) is a woman who is desired by an evil Prince (Rufus Sewell). With trickery and slight of hand, this surprise hit of the summer of 2006 is an interesting period piece. And with the combined talents of Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, not to mention a good performance by Jessica Biel who da thunk? you will want to watch this again and again, and marvel at how it unfolds.

As far as overall entertainment value goes, you can’t do much better than Dreamgirls. Writer-director Bill Condon is no stranger when it comes to musicals, having penned Chicago. Well, that was good. This is great. Everything from the songs to the production value is top-notch, and we get a surprise performance from Eddie Murphy. Even better is seventh place American Idol contestant Jenifer Hudson and her vocals overpowering those of Beyonce Knowles.

Having grown up in the eighties Monster House reminds me of my childhood. Saturday mornings spent watching cartoons. Movies like The Monster Squad and The Burbs. It is a children’s movie, but definitely darker than one might expect. There are no pop culture jokes, which seem to proliferate many of today’s computer-animated comedies, and instead makes us remember what it was like to be a kid and get into trouble.

While director Yoji Yamada may not be a household name in the States, he is a legend in his native country. I was lucky enough to see The Hidden Blade, and for the longest time it remained in my personal top 10 of 2006. The hero, Munezo Katagiri, is a low-ranking samurai of a small communal village. Trying to achieve love that is unobtainable and overcoming sorrow are central to the story. They are themes that appear not only in films such as this, but in westerns and other genres. From the set design and cinematography to the art direction and on-screen chemistry between actors Masatoshi Nagase and Takako Masu, it’s tough to find fault with Yamada’s picture.

My final honorable mention is Blood Diamond. Some have criticized Leonardo DiCaprio’s accent, believing it not to be legit, but this is not true. He nails his performance. And it’s one of the best of the year. As a trafficker of illegally obtained diamonds, he tries to keep a low profile, but with thousands at stake it is a tricky situation. Opposite DiCaprio is Djimon Honsou (In America) in a great supporting role. After rebel forces ransack his village, his son is held captive. DiCaprio comes to his aid and offers to help him get his boy back. This is because he has heard it through the grapevine that Honsou has found a magnificent diamond with no imperfections. Full of action and intrigue, Blood Diamond is at times hard to stomach, and certain scenes seem to meander too much, but it is an experience worth watching.

and now my Top 10:

10. The Prestige

The Prestige is an intricate mystery full of magic and suspense. Director Christopher Nolan can do no wrong. Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, and now this. His filmmaking know-how and the star power of Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Caine help expand a simple story about rival magicians into something greater. Repeat viewings are definitely warranted.

9. The Proposition

Last year a local theater had a one-week engagement of The Proposition. And it’s a good thing I saw it when I did. This Western transports us to the frontier of 1880’s Australia. It is a tale of three brothers, one of which is being held captive by a local law enforcer. Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) presents Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) with a proposition to save his younger brother Mikey from certain death. The captain wants Charlie to track down and kill Arthur, Charlie’s older, more sadistic brother. The moral quandary that follows is uneasy, as is the climax of blood, bullets and sorrow. Director John Hillcoat and rocker-turned-screenwriter Nick Cave presents us with a Western where clean shaven men are non-existent. Instead we get scruffy, long-haired reprobates and action sequences that make me conjure up images of Sam Peckinpah Westerns (especially The Wild Bunch).

8. Flags of Our Fathers

Clint Eastwood is a great filmmaker. I could write that he is a great actor-turned-director, but his filmmaking abilities are far greater than his acting caliber. With films like Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby he has proven he can transcend genres. He is also a master of roping and doping his viewers, making them think they know what is to be expected then giving them something else. This is evident in Baby as well as my number eight pick of the year: Flags of Our Fathers. The film is about those men who are credited with raising the flag on Iwo Jima. But it is also about hero worship and the interpretation of what it is to be labeled a hero. In many ways this film stands as a metaphor for the American press and how quickly they pounce on stories, only to devour and forget about them.

7. A Scanner Darkly

At number seven is A Scanner Darkly. Appreciated by few, it is a cautionary tale of a world where drug addiction and paranoia go hand and hand. Richard Linklater faithfully adapts Philip K. Dick’s 1977 science-fiction novel. The themes discussed constant surveillance, tapped phone conversations are prevalent now as they were then. Utilizing an animation technique called Rotoscoping, Linklater fills this world not unlike our own with mind-bending images and disconcerting dialogue.

6. Casino Royale

Like Dreamgirls, Casino Royale is filled to the brim with entertainment. Just like the comic book character Batman was reinvented last year with Batman Begins, so is the suave spy James Bond. While the blonde locks irked many Bond aficionados, Daniel Craig proves he is the right man to order a martini. With an opening that is worth the price of admission, director Martin Campbell gives us plenty of depth-defying action, full of peril and excitement. Though a reinvention, Judi Dench is back again as M. Her linguistic sparring with James in the beginning is a hoot, and she maintains her status as the most domineering female in spy movie history. (Yeah, like there was a long list to begin with.)

The little movie that could. That is the best way to describe Little Miss Sunshine. With a great comedic ensemble, we get the combined talents of Alan Arkin, Steve Carrell and Greg Kinnear. And that’s just some of the men. For the females, there’s Toni Collette and the precocious Abigail Breslin. Throw in a Volkswagen van that’s a real clunker and some madcap situations not to be outdone is a dance number that not even Dreamgirls can surpass and you have the makings of a memorable comedy. Not bad for first-time filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who make the easy transition from directing music videos (having worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers) to making movies. It’s a good thing this movie is now on DVD, because instead of laughing too hard and rolling down the aisles, you can hit pause and take a breather.

In a year of remakes, sequels and retreads, it is hard to create something truly original. In 2005, Brick was recognized with a Originality of Vision award at Sundance. Unfortunately, originality doesn’t pay the bills its widest release in 2006 was 45 theaters. Unlike Snakes on a Plane where the title clues you in what to expect, a title like Brick does not. It is film noir set in high school. But these aren’t kids who speak the verbiage of noir just to sound cool; the students assume the personas of browbeaten and nefarious types from a much earlier time, and play it straight. Writer-director Rian Johnson, working on a shoestring budget, is able to take full advantage of camera angles and shot selections. Resourceful, he even created the movie’s brooding score by using common household items the clanging of kitchen utensils. I loved everything about this film and it is something worth discovering.

With my honorable mentions I wrote that World Trade Center was the second best film of the year about 9/11. The best is United 93 and it is my number three pick of the year. At the time of its release some were adamant believing that it was “too soon” for Hollywood to be releasing films about the events that occurred that fateful day in 2001. But this animosity arose without having seen the films. Don’t jump to conclusions so hastily. Director Paul Greengrass does not take sides or point fingers. He simply illustrates the events that transpired that day on Flight 93. There is no aftermath. Using mostly unknowns and a few persons playing themselves performing the same tasks as they did on that day United 93 is a tribute to all those men and women who banded together and gave their lives so that others may live. To call it a movie is doing it a disservice. This is an experience, and one that you can’t help but be emotionally drained.

2. The Departed

If ever there was a movie that was tailor-made to be awesome because of its star power, it is The Departed. The line-up is a venerable who’s who of Hollywood heavies: Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon. But star power can only get you so far. If the script doesn’t work, then the film will show it. Thankfully, with great actors, directing and an intricate story, you can do far worse than The Departed. While other crime thrillers, especially those I have already mentioned, failed to make a dent at the box office, Martin Scorsese’s film is able to rise above that of a typical crime thriller. At nearly three hours it is an epic tale of a game we used to play as kids: Cops and Robbers. But with a twist moles in both Boston P.D. and a crime syndicate. Despite the heavies mentioned, it is Mark Wahlberg who steals the show as a brash State Trooper who never encountered an expletive he didn’t like. Great stuff.

1. Thank You for Smoking

Oh, this was a tough decision. Both my #2 and #1 picks could easily flip-flop. And as much as I enjoy a good crime story, it is hard to top a satire. Thank You for Smoking was the first, great movie I saw in 2006 and as the year progressed nothing could surpass it. Well, there were a few weeks in which I was in awe of The Departed. And like that crime saga, this comedy has its own all-star cast: William H. Macy, Maria Bello and Robert Duvall. But it is Aaron Eckhart who gives a once in a lifetime-type of performance. As Nick Naylor, Eckhart’s mannerisms and narration set the tone of the flick. And for a movie with smoking in the title, it’s not really about smoking at all. More like the art of spin control. A first-timer to the world of writing and directing, Jason Reitman delivers a sarcastic look at how advertising influences people’s perception. At a time when laughter is good medicine, and good comedies are in short supply in Hollywood, leave it to 20th Century Fox to deliver three of the best of the year: Smoking, Little Miss Sunshine, and Borat. If you don’t like this movie, you’re better off buying a pack of cigs.