Best actresses of 2006

It may not have been a great year for movies in 2006, but in many ways it was a great year for women, be they young or old, familiar or new. With the proviso that I have not seen "Notes on a Scandal" or "Inland Empire," here is my list of 12 actresses in 10 movies that just made a lasting impression on me this year.

Jennifer Hudson - "Dreamgirls"
Might as well begin with the most recent one I've seen, since it's burned on my brain the brightest. I read a rather snarky critique of "Dreamgirls" which posed the question "should you be nominated for an Academy Award just for singing?" The short answer might be no, but the answer here is that the question is simply ridiculous. Ms. Hudson carries this movie on her shoulders in a cast crowded with stars, and her performance of "And I Can Tell You I Am Not Going" is simply remarkable.

Helen Mirren - "The Queen"
All the hype Dame Helen has been receiving for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II is definitely well-deserved. The challenge is in keeping the queen tightly wound while at the same time showing all she went through after the death of Diana, and she just pulls it off flawlessly.

Ellen Page - "Hard Candy"
The next three choices hopefully signal a youth movement in serious films that will contintue for some time. "Hard Candy" could have easily devolved into the typical horror-schlock that pollutes our multiplexes, but young Ms. Page, Patrick Wilson and director David Slade deserve tons of credit for instead keeping this scary tale in the realm of psychological thriller occupied by classics like Polanski's "Death and the Maiden."

Keke Palmer - "Akeelah and the Bee"
Young Ms. Palmer also appeared in the very funny "Madea's Family Reunion" this year, but she never really made an impression on me until I saw this flick. It's a fairly standard story, but she and Laurence Fishburne play it with plenty of heart, and I have to admit I throughly enjoyed this flick, even if it was produced by Starbucks.

Abigail Breslin - "Little Miss Sunshine"
If Ms. Hudson hadn't stolen the show with "Dreamgirls," young Abigail surely would have been a strong contender for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. She's just charming throughout the movie, and when she finally takes the stage at that hideous pageant, it just breaks your heart.

Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barraza, "Babel"
I expect both these actresses to make the Supporting cut, much like they did at the Golden Globes, and both would be worthy. They each made full use of quiet stretches in this fantastic flick about our failure to communicate on a global scale. The look on Barraza's face when she's stranded in the Mexican desert and Kikuchi's when she's naked, in so many ways, in that sterile Tokyo apartment are scenes I won't soon forget.

Penelope Cruz and Carmen Maura, "Volver"
Ms. Cruz has understandably been getting all the hype for this, but for me it's definitely a package deal. They have each starred in some of Pedro Almodovar's best films, and here they get to share one of his best scenes, on that park bench near the end of the flick where they lay all their burdens down. It's just two of my favorite actresses on top of their game, and a joy to behold.

Diane Lane - "Hollywoodland"
This uneven flick is at its best when Ben Affleck's George Reeves and Ms. Lane as his illicit lover are alone together. They just had a natural chemistry that might be enough to propel them each into Supporting contention.

Maggie Gyllenhaal - "World Trade Center"
"United 93" is, by any measure of filmmaking prowess, a superior film to this one from Oliver Stone, but I still have to say I preferred "WTC" mostly due to the performances delivered by its leading men and women. As the men are trapped in the rubble, its left to Ms. Gyllenhaal and Maria Bello to carry the movie, which they do with skill, but I give the nod by a nose to Maggie here.

Geraldine Hughes - "Rocky Balboa"
Along with the younguns and Ms. Hudson in "Dreamgirls," this is the other real breakthrough performance in 2006 for me. I wasn't expecting the opening of "Rocky Balboa" to have so much soul, and much of it comes from Ms. Hughes as "little Marie," who has now grown into a barmaid beaten down but not out by life. It's a perfect character for a "Rocky" movie, and her performance is just spot on.

So, there you have it. Please feel free to sound off on any I may have omitted or that just left a strong impression on you this year. And check back tomorrow for a review of Alfonso Cuaron's "Children of Men" and Monday for a list of the best leading men of 2006. Peace out.