The QueenStephen Frears’ tale of the British royal family following the death of Princess Diana is both poignant and funny, following the titular character as she fights to maintain dignity and tradition in a monarchy that is falling apart in front of her stubborn eyes.
Helen Mirren is simultaneously infuriating and moving, while James Cromwell’s hilariously icy performance makes an argument against global warming. If only Tony Blair was as likeable in real life as Michael Sheen’s version in this film.
Expect Oscar to look toward this one.
Aaron Burdette
Entertainment Editor
Children of Men
Even though “Children of Men” is still playing in theaters nationwide, it was originally released last year and definitely qualifies as one of the year’s top films.
Clive Owen gives a masterful performance in the film, whose plot is so simple, it’s actually believable and frightening. The movie takes place in 2027 amid a world on the brink of annihilation because no child has been born in 18 years.
Everything about this film is top-drawer, including cinematography, plot and camera work. The supporting cast in this film deserves special recognition for its superiority. I think this heartfelt, thought-provoking cinematic masterpiece is easily an Oscar-worthy film released in a year full of miserable movies.
Nathan Gregory
News Editor
The Departed
When Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” hit screens in October, with it came unforgettable performances by Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and arguably a career-best performance by Leonardo DiCaprio. The trio embodies both of Boston’s seedy worlds: one occupied by the Irish mob and the other by the Massachusetts State Police.
The film revolves around the importance of loyalty, whether it be to oneself, an organization or cause, and the consequences of deception. And boy are there consequences … namely getting shot in the face.
But that’s one thing that gives Scorsese his directing edge. You may think you know what’s about to happen, but trying to predict the unpredictable makes what really happens more of a surprise. Each character is volatile, and though each one erupts, “The Departed” is the perfect formula when it comes to filmmaking.
Tyler Stewart
Editor in Chief
United 93
Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, “United 93” was a rollercoaster that captured the myriad of emotions many Americans felt on Sept. 11, 2001.
The movie shown in real time and takes the audience through the experiences of the passengers of United 93, who overtook their hijackers and crashed their plane in rural Pennsylvania, killing all on board but saving thousands of others. It is interspersed with scenes from Air Traffic Control, which makes for a more comprehensive view of the day’s events.
Going into this movie, I was skeptical. It seemed like a convenient way for Hollywood to exploit on a legitimate historical event for financial gain. However, unlike “World Trade Center” (which did exactly that), “United 93” is almost gritty and real enough to be called a documentary (The passengers’ actions are based on known cell phone conversations and the pilot’s cabin log).
The editing is exceptional (Clare Douglas, Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson are up for an Academy award for their work), and after watching the movie it was clear that exploiting 9/11 – as so many do – was never the filmmakers’ intention at all. Instead, it’s a well-written tribute to a tragic chapter in American history.
R.J. Morgan
Sports Editor
Borat
Many documentaries explore racism, anti-semitism, sexism and xenophobia, but only one does so while giving the American people what they really want – full-frontal male nudity. With “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev has made a documentary that puts Michael Moore to shame.
Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen, who’s already proven an unparalleled ability to keep a straight face on HBO’s “Da Ali G Show”) traveled across America to investigate our customs and share some of his own.
Whether trying to kiss strangers on New York streets, “accidentally” smashing all the merchandise in an antique shop or handing a plastic bag of his own feces to a conservative dinner party host, “Borat” thoroughly illustrates the differences between modern American society and an outdated eastern European stereotype. It also demonstrates just how much Americans are willing to put up with in order to appear respectful of another culture.
Jocelyn Marcus
Online Editor
Brick
If Humphrey Bogart and other 1940s film noir stars ever talked about heroin and high school cliques, “Brick’s” anachronistic yet modern dialogue lets us know how it would have sounded. With the exception of two fantastic films, “Children of Men” and “The Proposition,” this picture feels more like a filmmaker’s unique vision than any other movie this year (well, I still haven’t seen “Pan’s Labyrinth”).
“Brick” is a nonstop jack-in-the-box. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, formerly involved in sissy and moronic efforts, almost sets himself beside the other great detectives of the film world, like Jake Gittes and Sam Spade. There’s a footchase scene so amazing that I’m actually talking about a footchase scene. And writer/director Rian Johnson reinvents classic film language and utilizes every trick he knows. Too many films are stylish for the sake of style, but Johnson manages to always have a good reason to be unorthodox.
Jed Pressgrove
Opinion Editor

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United 93