Chris Tilly's films of the year

'Borat' makes the cut, but 'Hidden' doesn't.

Dec 22 2006

'Pan's Labyrinth'
Set soon after the end of the Spanish Civil War, 'Pan's Labyrinth' is the masterpiece that Guillermo del Toro has been threatening since 'Cronos' first burst onto cinema screens in 1993. A companion piece to his 2001 ghost story 'The Devil's Backbone', the film addresses the aftermath of the war through a beguiling fairytale that mixes fantasy and reality in horrifically expert fashion. There wasn't a more beautiful or emotionally devastating film released all year.

'Volver'
When, in early 2005, Penélope Cruz told Time Out that she was working on a ghost story with Pedro Almodóvar, it seemed like an unlikely choice of genre for director and muse. As it turned out, the supernatural element was little more than a maguffin in 'Volver', Almodóvar's sumptuous celebration of womanhood. The title literally means 'to return', and this was a return to form for both director and star and the result is a film of immense compassion and humanity.

'Three Burials'
Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut was a revelation that deserved to be seen by more people when it was released in March. Based on Guillermo Arriaga's finest script to date, this beautifully shot film takes place on both sides of America's border with Mexico, and is a tough yet touching tale of loss, friendship and redemption. Jones' performance is immense and his direction channels Ford and Peckinpah yet nevertheless find a powerful voice of its own.

'Goodnight and Good Luck'
Not one, but two director-turned actors on my list, but their films could not be more different. George Clooney's 'Good Night, and Good Luck' is an unflinching examination of TV newsman Ed Murrow's attacks on Joe McCarthy and his communist witch-hunts of the 1950s. Clooney's subtle direction is matched by David Strathairn's perfectly understated portrayal of Murrow, and while the parallels with today's political climate are obvious, the message never seems heavy-handed or preachy. A classy affair.

'Borat'
So wrong but so right, Sacha Baron Cohen's film is flawed on many, many levels, but has made me laugh more than any film I've ever seen. Simple as that.

Those that nearly made the cut: 'Hidden', 'Flags of our Fathers', '13 (Tzameti)', 'Perfume – The Story of a Murderer', 'The Proposition'.

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