Publication Date: Friday, January 6, 2006

Susan Tavernetti's Picks

10. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- Tim Burton and Johnny Depp went on a sugar-fueled bender of creativity, remolding everything in the beloved Roald Dahl classic from Willie Wonka to the Oompa-Loompas. Like kids turned loose in a candy store, they left their fingerprints all over the fantasy's edgy humor and quirky look.

9. Crash -- Paul Haggis looped interlaced stories over the Los Angeles roadways, forcing stereotypes of race, class and culture to collide in unforgettable ways. He smashed into bigotry head-on, but didn't notice the wreckage wrought by his unbalanced, negative depiction of Asians. Did you? At least Haggis encouraged thinking and talking about an important American issue.

8. March of the Penguins -- Already dressed for the Oscars, these flightless birds marched across Antarctica's ice to melt our hearts. French director Luc Jacquet and his team captured such majestic footage of their migration that the voiceover narration, which anthropomorphizes the subject's survival instincts, gets a pass as poetic license.

7. The Squid and the Whale -- Noah Baumbach rummaged through his Brooklyn boyhood to find inspiration for this searing, and surprisingly funny, account of two brothers trying to stay afloat during their parents' marital battles. As the uber-competitive father, Jeff Daniels seethes and explodes against those daring to challenge his patriarchal authority. A low-key Laura Linney co-stars in this incredible ensemble piece, which qualifies as "the filet of the neighborhood" of indie releases.

6. 2046 -- If you're in the mood for Wong Kar-Wai, you'll find art cinema alive and well in "2046" -- the title of the protagonist's futuristic novel, the number of a hotel room, the year marking an end to China's promise to leave autonomous Hong Kong alone. Lensed by Christopher Doyle and demanding a big-screen presentation, the lyrical meditation on memory and romantic obsession will make you swoon in sensory pleasure.

5. Capote -- Philip Seymour Hoffman disappears in the Truman show, transforming into the flamboyant writer during the years he worked on "In Cold Blood." Bennett Miller makes an auspicious debut, directing scenes of mutual exploitation between Capote and the convicted murderers with subtlety. A history of violence doesn't come with more depth or shadings.

4. Look At Me/Comme Une Image -- What about French women who do get fat? AgnËs Jaoui's coming-of-age film observes self-image, relationships, success and celebrity through a feminist mirror. The perfect companion piece to Woody Allen's "Match Point," this sharp-witted satire is one of the most unpretentiously ambitious films to grace the cinema in years.

3. Brokeback Mountain -- Ang Lee directed the sweeping love story of a ranch hand and a rodeo rider who tried to wrangle a herd of sheep through the Wyoming wilderness and ended up wrestling with feelings for which they had no words. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal gave such heartbreaking performances that few moviegoers will know how to quit this tale of longing and loss.

2. Good Night, and Good Luck -- George Clooney earned two badges of courage: for releasing a black-and-white film and for sending a strong message about standing up against demagogues and national security acts that trample Constitutional rights. David Strathairn delivered a spot-on performance as Edward R. Murrow, whether fearlessly taking on Sen. Joseph McCarthy or exhibiting a weary distaste for celebrity puff pieces. Clooney proves that media "can teach, it can illuminate, it can even inspire."

1. Match Point -- Woody Allen is at the top of his game. The native New Yorker sets his 37th feature in London, where he pairs Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" with suspense and dark humor. Philosophical musings and cinematic skill coalesce in this accomplished drama that suggests luck -- not talent, hard work or determination -- separates winners from losers. Allen critiques Western civilization with consummate craftsmanship, making the intricate plot and elegant visuals seem effortless.

Susan Tavernetti's pans

5. Underclassman -- Marcos Siega gets an "F" on his first feature assignment, a derivative cop comedy that would be way too long even if it were a short.

4. Bride and Prejudice -- Don't mistake Gurinder Chadha's silly Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen's staple for Joe Wright's superb "Pride and Prejudice" starring Keira Knightley.

3. Unleashed -- Louis Leterrier's big-screen blood sport attaches feel-good family values to a spectacle of splatter, goading viewers to root for a kill. Jet Li's collared character may be called Danny the Dog, but the martial arts movie is the real mutt.

2. Mr. & Mrs. Smith -- "Brangelina" star power fueled this action-flick formula of high-tech gadgetry, explosions and sadistic domestic violence partnered with sexy playfulness. Armond White of the New York Press says it best: "You don't have to be Osama bin Laden to think that only a horrible culture would produce an 'entertainment' like 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith.'"

1. Last Days -- Gus Van Sant created a ghost story. Someone named Blake mumbles and stumbles around for 97 minutes: no details, no story, no reason to care about him. Is Kurt Cobain the man who wasn't there? Maybe if you fill in the blanks. But wait a minute. Aren't you paying to see this film -- not getting paid to make it?