In the powerhouse you-are-there docudrama "United 93," passengers Jean and Donald Peterson (Becky London and Tom O'Rourke) comfort one another as their doomed jetliner flies into history.

It's not quite January. (Not in this time zone, anyway.)

But Janus, the Roman god for whom January is named -- the one with two faces looking in opposite directions -- seems an appropriate symbol for this maddening annual exercise.

Looking backward is the easy part; I saw more than 150 movies in 2006, but precious few proved memorable. (In a good way, that is; the stinkers always seem to linger.)

And while many of us look forward to such highly touted Oscar hopefuls as "Children of Men," "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Little Children" and "Pan's Labyrinth," they're not eligible for this list because they didn't open at local theaters in 2006. (If you can't see 'em, I won't consider 'em.)

As for those movies I did consider, from high-flying studio blockbusters to microbudget independents, here are 10 still lighting up the movie screen of my mind:

1. "UNITED 93" -- In late April, when I first saw this movie, I described it as "easily the most powerful movie of the not-so-young year." Many months later, director Paul Greengrass' chronicle of the title airliner's final minutes on Sept. 11, 2001, still resonates with haunting force. A triumph of you-are-there filmmaking, "United 93" carries the ring, and sting, of truth. And, as a cathartic, genuinely moving account of one part of one terrible, unforgettable day, it honors the victims' memories, and their inspirational actions, with a refreshing lack of bombast or manipulation.

2. "LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE" -- Putting the fun back in dysfunctional, this slyly uproarious social satire -- about a fractious family bound for the title kiddie beauty pageant -- strikes an ideal balance between humor and heart, making fun of its resident dreamers even as it gathers them (and, by extension, audience members) in a big group hug.

3. "THE DEPARTED" -- Back on the mean streets where he belongs, director Martin Scorsese transforms the Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs" into a literal blast, full of nervy, live-wire characters -- led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson -- forever threatening to short out or spark bullet-riddled mayhem.

4. "A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION" -- The late Robert Altman bows out with a beguiling backstage fable about the quirky denizens of a doomed down-home radio show (played by, among others, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin and Kevin Kline). Altman's mastery of visual, verbal and musical storytelling conjures radio's mind's-eye magic with gentle warmth and irrepressible, irresistible humor.

5. "THE QUEEN" -- Helen Mirren's justly lauded performance as the embattled Queen Elizabeth II may be the jewel in the crown, but director Stephen Frears' sly tragicomedy of royal manners rises to her regal level, balancing bracing irreverence with a suprising yet undeniable reverence.

6. "SUPERMAN RETURNS" -- A beloved movie franchise returns and lives up to its blockbuster potential, as star Brandon Routh and director Bryan Singer restore the Man of Steel's big-screen cred.

7. "THE PROPOSITION" -- A blistering Down Under Western explores the deadly pull of blood ties, generating primal, unsettling impact as an outlaw (Guy Pearce) betrays one brother to save another.

8. "AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH" -- This gripping, sometimes chilling global-warming documentary blends stunning visuals, sobering statistics and a talking head, "recovering politician" Al Gore, who's impressively informative and surprisingly entertaining.

9. "THANK YOU FOR SMOKING" -- Aaron Eckhart lights up the screen as a tobacco industry spin doctor in a smokin' satire that's an equal opportunity offender.

10. "FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS" -- The first half of director Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima doubleheader delivers an elegiac, quietly powerful exploration of an all-American myth and the authentically heroic Americans behind it.