Funny, too, because my friends and I were just discussing Inside Man last night. My good pal has a thing for when Denzel yells, "This ain't no robbery!" -- and for some odd reason, he's always saying it (in Denzel's voice). Everyone has THAT quote-crazy friend, ya know? But anyway, The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Spike Lee is moving forward with a sequel to Inside Man over at Universal -- a project that's been in the works for awhile now, but took a backseat when Lee decided to make Miracle at St. Anna. The director would return to the film in the same role, with Terry George (Hotel Rwanda, Reservation Road) currently in negotiations to write the screenplay.

Universal and Lee made a killing on the first Inside Man, which, in my opinion, was one of the more enjoyable heist flicks of the past few years, and so it's no surprise they're looking to dive in for more. Though they're not signed on yet, both Denzel Washington and Clive Owen are interested in reprising their roles -- and THR says the sequel will "continue the relationship between the two man characters but in a new high-tension situation." Not a big fan of the "it made $175 million so we have to do the sequel" thought process, but if there's a duo I'd like to see reunited on screen, it would be Clive and Denzel. Both were excellent in the first film.

What do you think? Down for more Inside Man? And where could you see them taking these characters?

Christopher Plummer gives a black hole of a performance in Man in the Chair, which opened in New York last week and in Los Angeles this weekend. Every time he appears, he inexorably sucks attention away from anyone else on screen. Eventually, everything revolves in orbit around him, even when he's not present. Somehow, though, even as Plummer merges his soul with his character at the molecular level, he does so in a modest manner. The seams between actor and role are not readily apparent. It's a pity that the film as a whole doesn't rise to level of his magnificent performance, but he elevates the material by his grizzled presence.

Plummer plays Flash Madden, a retired gaffer with a permanent scowl etched on his face. We meet him in a darkened cinema, muttering to himself, talking back to Orson Welles in Touch of Evil, and flashing back to his moment of glory when he was fired, then instantly rehired, on the set of Citizen Kane. He's a moviegoer's worst nightmare, the annoying old guy who keeps up a running commentary while you're trying to enjoy a classic, so our sympathies run toward the man who asks him to shut up. Flash tells the man off, which amuses Cameron Kincaid (a wisely subdued Michael Angarano, who also served as associate producer), a high school senior who wants to win a film school scholarship contest.

Flash puts on a great show of being irascible and irritable, but doesn't seem to mind very much when Cameron begins stalking him. Having overhead that Flash used to work in the movies, Cameron seizes on the thought that the old guy might be able to help him make his student film. From the movie posters hanging in his room and snatches of conversation with his only friend, we get the message that Cameron loves movies. (When he decides to steal a car for a joyride, he insists that it be the same make and model as the titular automotive character in John Carpenter's Christine.) Apparently in common with many young filmmakers today, Cameron wants to make his own movies but doesn't really have anything to say.

Yes, 2006 is winding down, so that means pretty much everyone who writes about movies is making lists of their best and worst movies of the year. I like to make lists too but it's often difficult to because I simply don't have enough time to see every movie that comes out. So, I'm sure I miss some really great and some really terrible movies. Consequently, I don't always feel fully qualified to make these types of lists.

Even so, I can go on record with several movies I did like this year and will do so for your reading pleasure. Even though this year was pretty dismal for Hollywood movies there were still a few that made the cut. Fortunately, those outside the mainstream of Hollywood continued to do good work this year and were able to fill in some of the holes in my list left by the major studios.

Not that every film out of the Hollywood machine was total crap -- not at all. It just seems like more often than not, Hollywood doesn't give audiences anything new or particularly innovative but instead, gives audiences the same thing wrapped in shiny new packaging. More explosions, louder music, more CGI and sequel after sequel have become the norm rather than the exception. But as this article is not really about the sad state of affairs in current Hollywood, I will stop my rant before it goes too far.

Instead, getting back to the real purpose of this article, I present my picks of the top ten movies of the year -- with one caveat. This list is made up of movies I've actually seen so I'm sure one or two great films have slipped through the cracks and don't appear here. Still, try to enjoy the list anyway and happy new year. Oh, one more thing -- the list isn't in any particular order either. Ok, that's it. Enjoy.

Between the hoards of self-conscious message movies and piles of garbage that didn't screen for the press, I saw, about two dozen films in 2006 that showed any kind of cinematic artistry. The movies that made my top ten list are movies that don't hand over any easy answers and have thus largely gone ignored this year. Moreover, these were films that used the form in a visual way, rather than simply unfolding a story on film like a big book-on-tape. The cinema isn't dead; it's just hiding...

I should note that my two favorite movies this year, Terrence Malick's The New World and Claire Denis' The Intruder officially count as 2005 movies, even though they opened in most theaters in 2006. So, with a broken heart, I leave them off the list. I also want to include a caveat that the year's most anticipated movie, David Lynch's Inland Empire, has only opened in New York and Los Angeles. No press screenings or screener DVDs have been available in any other city, so I have not been able to see it.

1. Three Times (Hou Hsiao-hsien)
One of the world's greatest filmmakers has been working for over twenty years. Yet only two of his films have received U.S. distribution. Each starred the beautiful Shu Qi (known in this country for her role in The Transporter) and each lasted about a week in theaters. Three Times, a triptych about two lovers in the 1960s, the 1920s and the present day, isn't one of Hou's very best films, but the first segment alone -- set in the Vietnam era -- is arguably his most heartbreakingly lovely achievement. It towers over everything else released this year.

Last year, AFI dove eagerly into a sea of drama and politics. They cuddled with Brokeback Mountain and got whiplash with Crash. With only an old virgin to keep them afloat, it seems that the AFI powers-that-be started to sink into the drama, and were happy to be rescued by the smiling lifesaver of 2006. Unlike the heaviness of the groups previous choices, this year's choices are ... different to say the least.

First comes the familiar -- the films that aren't surprising. There's some overseas drama with Letters from Iwo Jima and Babel. For home flavor, there's the indie teacher drama, Half Nelson, Spike Lee's Inside Man, United 93, and some music with Dreamgirls. So far, so not surprising. It's a decent range of dramatic choices, although by no means complete.

Then comes the smiling life saver. There's a penguin with Happy Feet, for starters. Top that off with two huge indie hits -- Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan and Little Miss Sunshine, and you hit some mainstream, some satire, and one hell of a Miss Sunshine performance. But then -- and this is where I get really confused -- there is The Devil Wears Prada. When I wiped away the eye-rolling feelings of superiority from her friends, the fat comments (which may be accurate, but are still scary), and a few other too-cheery moments, I liked the film. I wasn't sad to have seen it, or to have even spent the extra coin to see it in a cushy theatre with seat service. However, that being said, is AFI so desperate for relief from last year that they went a little too far in the other direction?

Most American audiences know Chiwetel from his small part in Love Actually; he played the groom to Keira Knightley's blinding ultra-white toothy smile. Americans who don't know him from that probably know him from playing the antagonist in Serenity, where he almost single-handedly managed to outshine Nathan Fillion and crew. He played the lead in last year's Sundance hit Kinky Boots, where he literally walked away with the entire film. If you haven't seen Kinky Boots, I can't recommend it enough, last year I found myself liking it despite the predictable storyline and the hit-you-over-the-head message. This guy has so much charisma that he should be marketing and selling what's left over.

Although classically trained as a Shakespearean actor in the UK, his first film role was in Spielberg's 1997 Amistad. Since then he's also been seen in Dirty Pretty Things, She Hate Me, Four Brothers and Melinda and Melinda. He had four major film roles in 2005, and so far this year he's been in both Inside Man and Children of Men, which isn't too shabby. He has four big projects lined up in 2007, including two that pair him with Don Cheadle, and he can be seen in HBO's Tsunami: The Aftermath on Sunday, December 10.

Chiwetel ("Chewie," to his friends and Han Solo) is one of those actors who can be difficult to describe. He really has a commanding screen presence, but he doesn't have the forced "I'm the star!" quality of someone like Russell Crowe. He's more quiet and imposing without chewing up the scenery. He's played both a a cross-dressing drag queen (is that redundant? Like, a drag queen who dresses like a man? I think I just confused myself) and an interstellar bounty hunter in equally convincing and different manners. It's hard to be the Scene Stealer when you're not someone who tries to completely fill the screen with your presence, like Alan Rickman and Parker Posey do pretty well, but Chiwetel (I know that sounds like I'm on a first-name basis with the guy, but it sounded better than typing Ejiofor over and over) pulls it off in every role he's been in so far. Here's hoping he'll keep his streak running.

Besides, when's the last time we've been rooting for someone named Chewie that wasn't covered in fur?

It seems like a big budget Hollywood film about the 1992 L.A. Riots was almost destined to happen, and who better to take on this monster of a film than one of the most prolific African-American filmmakers out there -- Spike Lee. The director will once again be teaming up with Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment (he also worked with them on Inside Man) to bring this true-life tragedy, simply called L.A. Riots, to the big screen.

While the director is also hard at work on an Inside Man sequel, it appears Universal is making L.A. Riots its top priority, as they want the script (which is being written by Undercover Brother's John Ridley) in their hands before Christmas. As most of you are probably already aware, the 1992 riots were sparked when four white police officers were acquitted of beating up black motorist Rodney King, even though the entire event was captured on videotape. The subsequent riots in Los Angeles caused the death of 55 people, along with thousands of injuries and a whopping $1 billion in damages. Yeah, it was a pretty big deal and, at the time, I was happy I wasn't in L.A. On how he plans to approach the touchy subject, Lee said: "This isn't about some cavalcade of stars, but rather a truthful and realistic examination of what happened, what the ramifications were and where we are now, in hopes that something like this doesn't happen again."

Lee was actually in L.A. during the riots, as he was screening an early cut of Malcolm X. What did he do? "I went straight to LAX, and my ass was on the red eye." It should be interesting to see how this film turns out, and whether or not it will be nominated for an Oscar before production even begins. Ya know, Hollywood's way of saying, "We're so sorry this happened, but here's a shiny gold statue for you to put above the fireplace." And since they're demanding a script right away, could they be itching to get this puppy into theaters late next year? If that's the case, then it's going to be awhile before Inside Man 2 sees the light of day.

Call me cynical, but I have a really hard time getting excited about any film that Brett Ratner is involved with. Although, I guess I should give him a break because he's done some good work on films like, um, wait a minute, ah, well I'm sure there has to be one. Oh yeah, I enjoyed X-Men: The Last Stand. He directed that one, right? Although, that film was pretty much director-proof at this point in the franchise and if I know my Brett Ratner (and I do) I'm pretty sure he phoned that one in.

However, It seems someone must like what he's doing because they keep giving him films to direct -- and now, he's got another one. According to Production Weekly, Ratner, who is currently shooting the much-anticipated Rush Hour 3, has attached himself to an as yet untitled heist drama cleverly known as The Untitled Brett Ratner Project. And that's not all. Try to follow me here and I promise to do my best not to let the sarcasm come through too much. Joining Ratner in this new film, which is being written by Inside Man scribe Russell Gewirtz and tells the story of two Trump Tower janitors who plan an elaborate heist to steal from the building's luxury tenants, are Chris Rock and -- wait for it -- Eddie Murphy. Yes, you read that right -- Eddie Murphy. Apparently, Murphy will be segueing into Ratner's film right after he finishes up starring in The Untitled Eddie Murphy/Romeo and Juliet Project. Yes, I'm serious.

I'll admit I'm a little conflicted here because I did think Inside Man was a very well written film so The Untitled Brett Ratner Project has that going for it. And, I'm a fan of Chris Rock's stand-up and HBO show. However, when you throw Brett Ratner and Eddie Murphy into the mix and combine that with a story ensuring the inevitable cameo appearance by Donald Trump and his bad rug -- all I can say is "Ratner, you're fired!" The UBRP (which sort of sounds like "burp", doesn't it?) is scheduled to start production this March in New York with an inevitable appearance at your local Blockbuster soon after.

When you think about independent filmmakers out there doing their own thing, one name has to come to mind: Spike Lee. From his first film She's Gotta Have It (way back in 1986) through Do the Right Thing, 25th Hour and up to his recent Inside Man, Lee has demonstrated his impressive skills. When you watch a Spike Lee Joint you know you're in for an innovative and interesting experience. That's what makes him such a virtuoso filmmaker -- he tries to do something unique with each of his films -- unlike most of the cookie-cutter product coming out of mainstream Hollywood these days.

Unfortunately, commercial success has, for the most part, eluded Lee -- up until recently with Inside Man. It was Lee's most successful film to date, earning over $180 Million worldwide. Plus, it was an extremely well-done bank heist thriller that featured standout performances by Clive Owen, Jodie Foster and Lee regular Denzel Washington. Now, according to Variety, Lee is "doing the right thing" and returning to familiar and successful ground for a sequel to Inside Man that he is developing with Imagine Entertainment and Brian Grazer. At the moment, things appear to only be in the development stages. But in true Lee style, he's already begun working on a script for the film with his Inside Man co-writer Russell Gewritz.

It's great to see a filmmaker with Lee's passion for storytelling and obvious talent finally getting the big-screen success and support he deserves. I might not always love his films, or agree with his politics, but at least he's never boring. Which is more than I can say for many other "directors" working today. No word yet on the return of any stars from the first film, a start date or other casting.

Anyone else out there a Spike Lee fan?

When you're as big a star as Tom Cruise, a little thing like Paramount giving you the boot probably won't affect your career all that much. People will still come to you, trying to convince you to be in their movies. Prime evidence of this fact is that, according to Variety (via Coming Soon), Cruise now has three projects from which to choose his next acting gig.

The first pic competing for Cruise's attention is the drama The Ha-Ha for Warner Bros, adapted by Chuck Leavitt from the novel by Dave King. In the pic, Cruise would play a mute Gulf War vet who is forced to take care of a 9-year old when his mother disappears. The next possible choice for Cruise is the indie political drama Lions For Lambs, written by Matthew Carnahan, which tells the story of a platoon of U.S. soldiers and what happens to them in Afghanistan. Cruise would play a U.S. Congressmen in the film investigating said platoon. Additionally, Robert Redford seems likely to direct the pic and may co-star as well. Plus, Meryl Streep is currently in talks to join the cast playing a reporter working either with, or against, Cruise's character.

Cruise's third potential gig is the film Selling Time for Fox which tells the story of a man who because he wants to go back and re-live the worst day of his life, hopefully making it better, must sell other parts of his life to anyone who wants them. This horror-thriller is being written and directed by Spike Lee and reportedly Lee has met with Cruise about the project several times, trying to get him to commit.

All in all, three pretty interesting choices. If I were Tom Cruise, I would pick either Spike Lee's joint Selling Time or Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs. These two films seem better, story-wise, and Cruise would definitely benefit from working with directors who have a strong vision like Lee or Redford. Really, either film would probably be a good choice for Cruise given the material and other elements involved.

But I guess if I had to pick one or the other, I would probably go with Spike Lee because he's an extremely talented director who's proven he can handle material like this -- especially with his recent and very well done Inside Man. Plus, I think Cruise and Lee would work well together and something interesting would come out of their pairing. So there you go Tom, problem solved.

How about you? What do you think Cruise's next film should be?