This was no-one�s fault really; it was just another dull, movie-of-the-week version of 9/11 that was almost Beckett-like in its set-up. It�s a tough subject sure, but see �Best Movies of 2006� for a more effective way to document national tragedy.

    

A major problem in lots of movies this year was tone; what movie are we watching? This swung wildly from tragedy to comedy, with fancy on-screen tricks thrown in for no apparent reason. It was a clever idea, but was infuriatingly unengaging.

 

Famous actress goes crack-whore for indie flick, shows her breasts a lot. Nominate her for an award! And ignore that fact that this movie took a long time to go nowhere, gave us an unsympathetic character, and started when it ended. 

 

I was shocked at how bad this was; it was a clich�d, movie-of-the-week effort that gave me three characters I didn�t care about, lazy flashbacks, and the exact tribute I am sure they would have disliked. See �Best Movies of 2006�.

 

Despite Sean Penn and Jude Law�s best efforts, first-time director Zallian was so heavy-handed that his ham-fisted efforts actually detracted from what was a powerful story to start with � way to go!

 

The Matrix is over, and so are the Whack-chowski Brothers; this was an action-empty dud, despite the cool look. All style, no content.

 

Utterly cringeworthy �romantic comedy� that was as limp as limp can be; shockingly clich�d and pedestrian � play spot-the-same-scene-from-Meyers-movies. Ugh.

 

A woefully-judged idea that must have sounded like a black comedy, but was neither black comedy, comedy, satire, farce or drama � just slid between all the cracks and oozed away.

 

A long, dull, expensive series of commercials. It was pointless in execution, and the much-vaunted 80�s soundtrack was utterly uninspired. Rich people who do nothing by eat, drink and gamble are always the first ones for the chop, and hers seemed well deserved.

 

A truly execrable mess that weaved all over the place, was barely coherent and filled with performances so woeful you wonder if the actors knew what movie they were in. Director�s fault there, and he totally blew the chance to bring one of Hollywood�s most famous mysteries to the screen. Unwatchable and best forgotten.

 

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I just hope Nolan doesn�t waste what he has got. Memento, Batman Begins, The Prestige: three quality movies, different genres, tight scripts, and some great visual images. This magician vs. magician seemed so-so to start and I got the twist straight away, but when the electricity and the real magic started flying, you didn�t want the story to end.  

 

A surprising choice, maybe. There seemed to be an endless slew of animation movies this year, and whilst this one wasn�t a shooting star, it did well at the box office for weeks on end. Maybe it caught me on a good night, but I laughed long and loud throughout at the antics of these animals.

 

Forget the hoo-ha over Pitt and Blanchett, who are fine: it�s the other performances that are wrenching and hold the eyes and the heart. It�s a fine story that weaves in the lives of many different people, is beautifully shot, and it�s themes pretty much summed up a year of conflict very well.

 

Clint�s known for working with the minimum of fuss, under budget and ahead of schedule: this movie had less of everything than �Flags�� and was by far the better piece. Whilst this story is no more or no less as tragic as the other side of the coin, I was emotionally engaged with the characters from the first second, and it�s this that is the defining war movie of the Pacific campaign.

 

Forest Whitaker�s performance as Idi Amin was so charismatic and enthralling that you were utterly with him all the way. You wanted to be by his side, and you were terrified (but guilty) when it all went wrong. A movie without a hero � again, a tone that is tough to pull off.

 

Whip-smart and laugh-out loud, this black comedy � the toughest of them all to get right � hit the right tone, and kept it there for a perfect 90 minutes.

 

Utterly engaging and enthralling, this was like watching the proverbial train crash, but it managed to imbibe the emotion of a horrific event into one plane that was carrying around 50 people. In many ways it was the thriller of the year, and hit just the right tone without ever being too emotional or exploitative.

 

Looked a little made-for-TV, but Helen Mirren�s performance at HMQ � plus an excellent supporting cast � gave us a compelling and believable insight into a clash of cultures and traditions that the world was watching

 

A boiling hot thriller with larger-than life characters AND an engaging story, not just Scorsese�s usual razzle �em dazzle �em film school stuff. Maybe the best adaptation of the year; you just couldn�t take your eyes off the screen.

 

Marvellous performances in a tightly written movie that spun the dysfunctional family idea enough to provoke laughter and tears. One that can stand up to repeat viewings, and a crowd pleaser across the board