From The Home Office in Chicago, Illinois - Part Two

The time has come, you know longer have to wonder when we here at the home office will run our 2006 Top Ten movie list. It's here and we apologize for the delay. We blame the FCC of course, but mostly we blame ourselves for spending so much time focused on our day-jobs and child-rearing that our priorities became hopelessly confused. We aim to do better in 2007 and without further adieu, we offer you our thoughts on what we liked this past year.

I. Pan's Labyrinth

Too good. Tight. Tense. Visually arresting. And beautiful. The most interesting and gripping movie of the year hands down. Next.

II. The Proposition

Quality violence. Lyrical. Ray Winston and Guy Pierce doing what they do, and while I may not be sure what that is, I just know they do it. And Danny Huston - where did he come from. Wow.

III. United 93

I thought I would be more freaked out. I didn't realize how little I knew about September 11th. I was totally engrossed. And totally moved.

IV. The Queen

I keep trying to figure why I liked this film so much, but I can't, I just did. Sorry.

V. Little Miss Sunshine

The perfect movie at the perfect time. It was the first good movie we saw all year and it came during a time when the children weren't sleeping and we needed to get out of the house. Funny. Touching. And Super Freak. Again, perfect.

VI. Half-Nelson

A whole lot of Gosling in his best role since The Believer. Enough said.

VII. Little Children

It wasn't In The Bedroom, but not much is. Todd Field rocks. Noah Emmerich killed me. And Jackie Earl Haley was hypnotic.

VIII. Borat

Naked hotel wrestling. Need I say more?

IX. The Departed

I would have liked to see DeNiro as the mob boss. Still, great music, great violence, and Vera Famiglia and her Modigliani face are great places to start. Throw-in Alec Baldwin and Mark Walhberg and it's a lot of fun.

X. Stranger Then Fiction

I'm a sucker for movies about writers. I'm also a sucker for Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Will Ferrell was great and I'm now in love with Maggie Gyllenhal. So, not bad. And all done.