Freakpit's Faves of 2006 (20 to 16)

My countdown of the best of 2006 continues. The usual disclaimers about release dates apply...

20. THE HOST

This Korean monster movie was so great that I recommended it three times, and saw it twice - once at the UK premiere and once at the Irish premiere. If you've still not seen it, you're an idiot. Please rectify the situation immediately.

19. DEEP WATER

This incredible documentary tells the tale of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst and his attempt, back in the sixties, to enter the first solo round the world yacht race. After it becomes obvious early on that he is struggling, he is faced with the choice of continuing on and risking death, or turning back and being declared bankrupt. He was to pick a third option (cheat) but the months at sea gradually take their toll and the boat isn't the only thing falling apart...

While the interviews with surviving friends and family are fascinating the most haunting recollection is the recording of Crowhurst himself made while he was at sea and with the loneliness and desperation eating away at his mind. Scary, fascinating and terribly sad.

18. LES REVENANTS

This French movie played at a French film festival but as far as I can see has not yet been picked up for distribution. Shame really as it's a very intelligent look at a whimsical fantasy notion - what if everyone who had recently died suddenly came back to life. It's not a zombie movie (there's no shuffling about, no decaying corpses, no eating flesh); it's very definitely an arthouse film and a stunning one at that. It also gave me an excuse to talk about zombies and pensions, two subjects I don't think I've ever managed to combine before and probably never will again.

17. THE PROPOSITION

Nick Cave scripted this brutally violent but incredibly realised tale of vengeance and family in the Australian outback. I used it as an excuse to write about musicians on film, but it could equally have been used as an excuse to talk about the rise in popularity of the pseudo-western. By that I mean the string of recent films that are westerns but aren't really westerns. In addition to this movie, there's DOWN IN THE VALLEY, THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. See what I mean?

16. ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Another documentary and this time it's one about the failed attempt to bring soccer to the masses in the USA back in the seventies. Given the obscene amount of money that David Beckham has just bagged to go over there and play, you wonder if they've actually learned anything. One of the few decent football-related movies, which I therefore covered in my World Cup Special.

More tomorrow!