Freakpit's Faves of 2006 (10 to 6)

Continuing my countdown of my favourite films of 2006, my next choice is...

10. V FOR VENDETTA

Based on the classic comic strip from the 1980s by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, this intelligent action romp tells the story of a girl who falls in with a rebel modelling himself of Guy Fawkes in a dystopian vision of Britain in the future.

A lot of people, knowing it was being adapted by the guys who made THE MATRIX and that Alan Moore's great comics have been let down by their screen adaptations (FROM HELL, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN), expected this film to be crap. I know I did. But no, it turned out to be surprisingly good and, even more surprisingly, captured the feel of the original comic strip very well.

There were some changes made (the original strip was a depressing extrapolation of all that was bad about Thatcher's Britain, while the film has been slightly fine-tuned so it's more in line with current events) and there are some minor weaknesses (Natalie Portman, otherwise terrific in the role, does let the English accent lapse into a strange Australian-sounding hybrid occasionally), but overall the film's a triumph.

And in this day and age it's refreshing to see a film in which the hero is essentially a terrorist.

9. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

This hilarious satire stars Aaron Eckhart as a lobbyist for the tobacco industry, his job being to improve the image of smoking despite the established facts about its danger to your health. There are pops at other death-dealing industries as well, however it's the cigarette makers who are at the centre of the story. How do you sell cancer-sticks to people with a smile on your face then return home and set a good example to your child? Find out by watching this, the funniest movie of 2006.

8. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

It's a tale of forbidden love between two people who know that society will not condone that love. The fact that those two people both happen to be men is what grabbed the headlines, but it detracts from the fact that this is just a wonderfully told tale of romance and heartbreak that could just as easily have been told about a man and a woman in other circumstances.

The fact that their society will not accept their love is the issue at the heart at the story; the reason for that (anti-gay sentiment in this case) is completely irrelevant.

It may have ended up missing out on most of the Oscars it was tipped for (though Ang Lee did pick up one for directing it) but it's still one of the highlights of 2006 for me.

7. PAN'S LABYRINTH

I would expect to see this nominated in the foreign language category at this year's Oscars. Guillermo Del Toro's masterpiece is a visually stunning and emotionally charged story of a young girl in Franco-era Spain who escapes the guerrilla warfare into a fantasy world guarded by a strange faun, who gives the girl three tasks to perform to prove that she is the long lost princess who rules over the land.

It's a fairy tale and contains many things that would appeal to kids; but this is no kids' film. The battle scenes are horrific and the girl's stepfather is as nasty as they come. You won't be able to let your kids watch it, but who cares; you should be watching this for yourself. It's mind-blowing, and the Irish premiere was a highlight of the 2006 Horrorthon festival.

6. THE U.S. VS JOHN LENNON

Another film I saw at the London Film Festival, this one didn't do too much business at the cinema, which is a shame. It's a fascinating documentary that shows the human and humorous side of John Lennon like you've never seen him before, while offering a gobsmacking look into the thinking of an American government who saw him and his politics as a threat to national security.

Whether you're a Lennon fan or interested in the crazy antics of Nixon's government, this is a must-see.

The top thirty of 2006 concludes tomorrow!