Speak of the Devil: David Ansen's Best

David Ansen of Newsweek throws in his two cents: The Best Films of 2006. From David Ansen's post at Newsweek:

"This year may be remembered as one that blurred the lines between reality and fiction. 'Borat' wasn't just the funniest movie of the year, but the most controversial, fudging the divide between comedy, documentary and faux-documentary. 'United 93' and 'World Trade Center' came face to face with 9/11; Paul Greengrass's 'United 93' was shot in a cinema verite style that tried to distance it from Hollywood convention. The meatiest roles were often real people: Queen Elizabeth coping with the death of Diana; Idi Amin plunging Uganda into horror; the very real American and Japanese victims of the Battle of Iwo Jima saluted in two Clint Eastwood films; Truman Capote redux. Even the year's best musical, 'Dreamgirls,' was built on echoes of the true story of Diana Ross and the Supremes. Reality, it turned out, was stranger, and often more potent, than fiction."

1. "Army of Shadows"
2. "Little Miss Sunshine"
3. "The Queen"
4. "Letters From Iwo Jima"
5. "The Departed"
6. "Half Nelson"
7. "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America to Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
8. "Dreamgirls"
9. "Venus"
10. "Volver"

The Best of the Rest: "Friends with Money," "Time to Leave," "Notes on a Scandal," "Gabrielle," "The Proposition," "L'Enfant," "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu," "Inside Man," "The Last King of Scotland," "Superman Returns," "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros," "World Trade Center," "United 93," "Casino Royale," "Marie Antoinette," "Happy Feet," "Little Children," "Monster House," "Children of Men," "Kekexili: Mountain Patrol," "The Syrian Bride," "Pan's Labyrinth," "A Prairie Home Companion," "Shortbus," "Infamous," "The Prestige," "Factotum," "District B-13," "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," "The Devil Wears Prada," "For Your Consideration," "Duck Season," "Old Joy," "The History Boys" and David Lynch's "Inland Empire."

Again, David compiles a killer list. For more of David Ansen's Best of 2006, and includes David's list of the year's 10 Best Documentaries, click on over to Newsweek.