Glenn Kenny's Big Pictures

Glenn Kenny, film critic at Premiere magazine, recently wrote up his opinions on his selections for the 10 finest films of 2006. In, I suspect, no particular order, Glenn's choices:

"Army of Shadows"
"Inland Empire"
"Volver"
"The Departed"
"Clean"
"Pan's Labyrinth"
"L'Enfant" ("The Child")
"Marie Antoinette"
"The Fountain"
"The Queen"

"Army of Shadows" and "Inland Empire" still remain inaccessible. I did find (with little trouble) the magnificent beauty in "Volver" (believe me, the loveliness of "Volver" isn't difficult to endure, either) and I'll easily guarantee Pedro Almodovar's enchanter a space in The Scout's Best 10 of 2006. As for Guillermo Del Toro's war-torn "Pan's Labyrinth," oft-said his masterpiece, the two of us have yet to meet. Let it be said, though, that the fairy tale thriller, with a helpful push of powerful praise, will wind its way through the distribution maze to open considerably wider, 150 more screens to be exact ("Night at the Museum," I think, can spare a few), come Friday. Keep a look out. I credit Glenn, too, for his appreciation of Darren Aronofsky's "The Fountain" and Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette," despite either's flaws. I found each to be profound eyefuls with profound faults, courtesy of each creator's rampant indulgences, some courageously ingenious (for "Marie Antoinette," the anachronistic, angsty punk sounds of "The Cure" and "Gang of Four," and Sofia's choice to exclude the context of the revolution to, instead, trap you inside the Versailles bubble), others courageously not (Rip Torn as King of France). As for Darren, his poetic love story that transcends time has ambitions, no doubt, but the auteur trips, and not so much on his psychedelic visuals as his own narrative's grandiose design. But, I still found "The Fountain," as esoteric and showy as it was, to be a worthy meditation on death. And, like most, I worship at the throne of Helen Mirren for her exquisite portrayal as Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears' "The Queen." As for tonight, I'll rip open a panic red Netflix envelope (the only panic I feel with the envelope in hand is the panic of joy) to reveal ... Palme D'Or winner "L'Enfant."

Visit Premiere to read more of Glenn Kenny's article about the Best Movies of 2006.