The 10 Best Movies of 2006

With his customary daring and assurance, Clint Eastwood followed Flags -- which tells the bloody story of this 1945 battle through the prism of three American soldiers who survived, only to be exploited by their government -- with Letters, a tale of the same World War II battle, told from the Japanese side. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles, hardly a sop to draw the Saw crowd. But what Eastwood has done is extraordinary, uniting two films into a single, stinging portrait of war that honors the men who fought while nailing government for fobbing off hypocrisy in the name of patriotism.

4 Volver
Directed by Pedro Almodovar

Yes, it's in Spanish with English subtitles, but no one rivals Pedro Almodovar for speaking the language of love in all its permutations, from filial to sexual to lethal. Penelope Cruz, never more ravishing, claims the screen by divine right as a daughter whose problems with her mother (the superb Carmen Maura) only start with the fact that Mom is dead and may be out for revenge. Cheers to cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine for the film's shimmering beauty and to Almodovar for showing that love has no intention of stopping with death.

5 Babel
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

Don't buy the rap on this movie. Some people call it pretentious, when the intent of Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga is to reach high by taking on a world divided by terrorism, race, money, religion and language. I guess unpretentious would be taking on Big Momma's House 3. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi shine in the ensemble cast. But as the film builds to a shattering climax, you'll be in an emotional grip that won't let go. Gonzalez Inarritu is a world-class filmmaker.