AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures
"Letters From Iwo Jima," the second half of Clint Eastwood's two-part look at World War II, is the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures' pick as the best film of 2006. Shown here in a scene from the movie is Ken Watanabe, center, as Gen. Kuribayashi. The movie opens Dec. 20.
"Flags of Our Fathers"
DREAMWORKS
Also on the National Board of Review's list is "Flags of Our Fathers," in which Clint Eastwood shows the aftermath of war through the eyes of the military men who raised the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The rest of the National Board's best follow, in alphabetical order.
"Babel"
PARAMOUNT CLASSICS
Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, shown here, are the stars of "Babel," in which four stories are told, set in Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico, and Japan. But from among the cast, the National Board of Review singled out actress Rinko Kikuchi, citing her "breakthrough performance."
"Blood Diamond"
WARNER BROS.
Leonardo DiCaprio, right, is getting Oscar buzz for his work in "Blood Diamond," in which his character searches for a rare pink jewel in Africa. But it was Djimon Hounsou, left, who was cited by the National Board of Review for his supporting role in the movie. Jennifer Connelly, center, plays a journalist.
"The Departed"
Warner Bros. Pictures
With a cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson, shown here, "The Departed" centers on a mobster who's infiltrated the Boston State Police and an undercover cop infiltrating the city's Irish Mafia. The movie also stars Matt Damon and Martin Sheen.
"The Devil Wears Prada"
20TH CENTURY FOX
"The Devil Wears Prada" is based on a 2003 best-selling novel by Lauren Weisberger. Meryl Streep stars as a high-powered magazine editor (a character purportedly based on real-life Vogue editor Anna Wintour) who torments her new assistant (Anne Hathaway).
"The History Boys"
Fox Searchlight
Andrew Knott, Dominic Cooper and Samuel Barnett are among "The History Boys," intensively instructed by a teacher played by Richard Griffiths. As a Broadway production, it won the Tony for best play in 2006.
"Little Miss Sunshine"
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Toni Collette and Abigail Breslin star in "Little Miss Sunshine," a movie about a dysfunctional family that goes on a road trip so a little girl can fulfill a dream. It's not the gooey thing you might expect.
"Notes on a Scandal"
Fox Searchlight Films
In "Notes on a Scandal," Cate Blanchett, left, plays a teacher who has an illicit affair with one of her students. Judi Dench, right, portrays the principal who finds unusual friendship with the teacher until she is forced to become a keeper of secrets.
"The Painted Veil"
Warner Independent Pictures
Naomi Watts and Edward Norton star in "The Painted Veil," based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham that's set in China in the 1920s. Watts and Norton play a an estranged couple who find redemption in the unlikeliest of circumstances.