Doug Schneider's picks...

Mischa Hayek's picks...

2006 was a weak year for movies, with only a smattering of titles that will be remembered as anything great. However, despite the low turnout of quality films, a few stood head and shoulders above the rest, and one rose high above all: writer-director Darren Aronofsky’s overlooked and sometimes misunderstood The Fountain. This wildly ambitious love story takes place over 1000 years: 500 years in the past, in the present, and 500 years in the future. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz play the couple in each period. This startlingly original film is difficult to describe; instead, just watch it. The Fountain isn’t just the Best of 2006; it’s one of the best films I’ve seen in the last ten years, and one that will hopefully be remembered as something great.

Match Point might be Woody Allen’s best film. Covering territory similar to that of his Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), the writer-director’s exploration of justice and evil suggests that if we can keep our wits about us, and ignore our feelings of guilt and the need for self-incrimination, we can get away with some pretty wicked things. Match Point tells the story of a young tennis player, Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who retires from the professional tennis circuit and takes a job as a tennis instructor at a posh London tennis club. At the club he meets Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode), a young man from a rich family, and they become friends. Chris marries Tom’s sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer), is brought into the family business, and begins living the life he dreamed of. But when he falls for Tom’s girlfriend, Nola (Scarlett Johansson), Chris realizes that he can’t have the woman he really wants without giving up the comfortable life he’s become accustomed to and the bright future that lies ahead. Match Point is flawlessly acted, brilliantly directed, and its conclusion will surprise you. Released initially to a small audience in 2005 followed by general release in early 2006, Match Point was unfortunately not eligible for the 2006 Oscars, but it’s not to be missed.