The Good ShepherdA richly-colored and detailed work of faction, documenting the history of the CIA. Under the brilliant direction of Robert DeNiro (with a verve not seen since Francis Coppola's Godfather epics), this is a thoughtful and suspenseful film about espionage--and a man's secretive, troubled soul.
The PrestigeA splendidly well-acted and well-written drama-thriller about magic, rivalry, deception -- and obsession. A mostly British-cast lends this film, based on a novel by Christopher Priest, a classical vibe. Directed by Christopher Nolen of Memento fame, The Prestige is smart, stylish and spellbinding movie-making.
United 93A taut, documentary-style retelling of September 11, Paul Greengrass's film is respectful and convincingly devoid of stars and sappy melodrama (for that, see Oliver Stone's World Trade Center ). Instead, the film forces us to live that fateful day as it was -- a crescendo of horrifying, almost surreal events. Confusion reigns, mistakes are made, shock and fear take hold -- until passengers on Flight 93 decide to fight back, driven by desperation, rage and hope.
Little Miss SunshineWith an ensemble Hollywood cast that nearly strips this film of its indie cred, Little Miss Sunshine is a high-octane "road movie" fueled by family disorder and dysfunction. The movie crams an extended clan of six -- including a suicidal Proust scholar (Steve Carell, at his deadpan best) and a heroin-addicted, horny Grandpa (Alan Arkin) -- into a rickety VW bus for an unplanned trip to a California beauty pagent. The hilarious and heartwarming results make Little Miss the Napoleon Dynamite of 2006.
The QueenHelen Mirren delivers an Oscar-caliber performance in this witty docudrama about royal posturing in the aftermath of Princess Diana's death. Torn by her fealty to protocol and the public's demand for an act of healing, Mirren depicts a modern queen transformed by events, politics and, ultimately, the powerful pull of self-preservation.