Presque... encore...

After much hesitation, I have finally completed my best of the year list, even without seeing The Queen. Sorry, Helen Mirren. I have crammed 20 films into the list, though of course all you care about is the 10, so I'll refrain from commenting on the latter 20 and focus on the tops. Even though I've compiled a list of 20, I still am feeling the need to mention a few other films (making this list really surprised me with the number of exceptional films I saw this year). Those other films include Jean-Marc Vallée's C.R.A.Z.Y., Caveh Zahedi's I Am a Sex Addict, Todd Field's Little Children, Asia Argento's The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, James Marsh's The King, Lars von Trier's Manderlay, and Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly. Just to get you prepared: here are the eleventh through twentieth best films of 2006.

11. Heading South (Vers le sud) - dir. Laurent Cantet - France/Canada - Shadow Distribution

12. Shadowboxer - dir. Lee Daniels - USA - Code Black Entertainment

13. Jackass Number Two - dir. Jeff Tremaine - USA - Paramount

14. Clean - dir. Olivier Assayas - France/Canada/UK - Palm Pictures

15. Dave Chappelle's Block Party - dir. Michel Gondry - USA - Rogue Pictures

16. 20 Centimeters (20 centímetros) - dir. Ramón Salazar - Spain/France - TLA Releasing

17. The Intruder (L'intrus) - dir. Claire Denis - France - Wellspring

18. Miami Vice - dir. Michael Mann - USA - Universal

19. Somersault - dir. Cate Shortland - Australia - Magnolia

20. Next Door (Naboer) - dir. Pål Sletaunen - Norway/Denmark/Sweden - TLA Releasing