Movies to See Fall-Holidays 2006 (Best of the Toronto Film Festival)

11. Stranger Than Fiction (Nov. 10)

Starring: Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman
Why We Fell For It: Ferrell expands his range (and actually makes us cry -- and not from laughter) in this dramedy about a man who discovers he's the lead character in a renowned author's masterpiece-in-the-works.

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10. Breaking and Entering (Dec. 8)

Starring: Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn
Why We Fell For It: Fine performances all around in this romantic drama, but the standout is Vera Farmiga, giving her all in a bit part as a blunt, car-dancing hooker. Does she have a heart of gold? We wouldn't go that far.

9. Infamous (Oct. 13)

Starring: Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig
Why We Fell For It: Once we got over the déjà vu, Jones' über-flamboyant Capote seemed just as expertly pulled off as Philip Seymour Hoffman's Oscar-winning turn. While 'Infamous' didn't wow us quite as much, it's a worthy variation on a Tru story.

8. Rescue Dawn (Dec. 1)

Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies
Why We Fell For It: Seems like a while since the last good 'Nam epic, and Werner Herzog's POW survival story comes packing the potency. Bale (tortured, maimed … still heroically cocky) and Zahn (perfectly delusional) could both be Oscar contenders.

7. Catch a Fire (Oct. 27)

Starring: Derek Luke, Tim Robbins, Bonnie Henna
Why We Fell For It: Luke lets us feel the outrage of a good man terrorized by a brutal government; Robbins (almost) makes us empathize with the monster who just wants to protect his own family and way of life, too.

6. Babel (Oct. 27)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal
Why We Fell For It: Alejandro González Iñárritu ('21 Grams') presents another beautifully crafted tale about universal pain, loss, suffering and other feel-good
elements. Iñárritu is the abusive spouse of filmmaking: the more he hurts us, the more we love him.

5. Little Children (Oct. 6)

Starring: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly
Why We Fell For It: Todd Field's follow-up to 'In the Bedroom' isn't nearly as depressing, but that doesn't spell relief for clandestine adulterers Winslet and Wilson. Despite frequent moments of humor, impending doom still looms. Winslet is outstanding.

4. Shut Up & Sing (Oct. 20)

Starring: The Dixie Chicks
Why We Fell For It: There are behind-the-scenes music docs, and then there's this candid dissection of a band in crisis. We can't imagine there was any footage thought too embarrassing or revealing for this intimate look at the Chicks-Bush beef and the resulting fan fallout they endured.

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3. Borat (Nov. 3)

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen
Why We Fell For It: Its dramatic portrayal of the immigrant experience, subtle look at the cultural differences of red and blue states and touching depiction of a man's quest for love ... NOT. We'd try to describe this movie's hilarity, but you wouldn't believe us.

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2. For Your Consideration (Dec. 8)

Starring: Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Eugene Levy
Why We Fell For It: Christopher Guest reunites the best improv troupe in Hollywood for a laugh-a-second look at how Oscar buzz affects the production of a cheesy indie melodrama. If only we could hear all the lines over the laughter.

1. Pan's Labyrinth (Dec. 29)

Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Why We Fell For It: Guillermo del Toro's powerful fantasy drama is nothing short of a masterpiece. Baquero's a revelation as the young Ofelia, who discovers a mysterious faun amidst the brutality of her merciless stepfather's Fascist Spain.