Though the best films of the year tend to come at the end of December, just in time for awards season, these are A&E’s staff-voted top 10 films of 2006, based on what we’ve seen so far:

1. “The Departed” Winning over film critics and moviegoers alike, “The Departed” shines as Scorsese returns to what he does best: the mob. Thanks to gritty dialogue, a truly suspenseful script and one of the best casts in recent memory (led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson), “The Departed” is an easy pick for the top film of 2006.

– Kate Stanhope

2. “Little Miss Sunshine” There is something about the little movies made on a tight budget, with real characters, that is so appealing. “Little Miss Sunshine” is this year’s indie breakthrough, following an Albuquerque, N.M., family’s journey to California. The family, including a suicidal, homosexual uncle (Steve Carell, playing it pretty straight, excuse the pun), is so oddball and entertaining that it somehow still feels as though they could be people you know.

– Ana Heller

3. “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” Very nice, how much? Over $200 million in worldwide box-office grosses, several lawsuits, barrels of laughter and one very famous Sacha Baron Cohen. Aside from aiding tourism in the previously obscure country of Kazakhstan (yes, it’s a real place), “Borat” showed us that a blatantly offensive comedy could actually be funny.

– Devon Dickau

4. “Children of Men” Director Alfonso Cuarón (“Y Tu Mamá También,”) returns with what may be his best film yet. Starring Clive Owen, “Children of Men” portrays a future where women are infertile and no children have been born in 18 years. Dystopias have been portrayed in stories such as “1984,” but the world of “Children of Men” may be the most frightening one ever filmed, a terrifying world lacking the cries of children to restrain the most violent of urges.

– Mark Humphrey

5. “V for Vendetta” As a product of the Wachowski brothers (“The Matrix” trilogy), “V for Vendetta” lives up to its promise. The film visualizes the power of the collective effort of citizens rising up against an oppressive government, resulting in a powerful story presented with captivating cinematography and gifted actors. A memorable performance from bald-headed Natalie Portman contributes to the film’s overall appeal.

– Karen Leano

6. “Volver” Penélope Cruz leads the excellent cast of “Volver,” Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s rumination on death and womanhood. The film – whose title literally means “to return” – deftly jumps through a mélange of styles, going from soap opera to comedy to melodrama to ghost story without ever hitting a false note. The film’s vibrant colors and playful spirit make “Volver” irresistible.

– Teddy Phuong

7. “Casino Royale” This latest Bond film takes us to the beginning. “Casino Royale” depicts a more human, less robotic hero and so turns a story that everybody knows (Bond kills the bad guy, then gets the really hot girl) into something intriguingly different and refreshingly new.

– Amy Crocker

8. “The Science of Sleep” “The Science of Sleep” plays like a dream: disjointed, weird and sometimes confusing. Director Michel Gondry’s story of Stéphane, an illustrator who has trouble distinguishing dreams from reality, is full of not only eye-popping stop-motion animation, but also genuinely funny dialogue (“I like your boobs; they are simple and unpretentious.”) and a series of truly poignant moments.

– Nick Rudman

9. “Thank You for Smoking” A witty and satirical comedy about the chief spokesman for The Big Tobacco Company (Aaron Eckhart) and his battle against a senator (William H. Macy) hoping to poison labels on packs of cigarettes, “Thank You For Smoking” is sure to inspire guilt for cracking us up with the realization that the movie mirrors our country’s real-life tobacco crisis so accurately.

– Heather Laird

10. “Little Children” Todd Field’s (“In the Bedroom”) sophomore directing effort, “Little Children,” shows no signs of the infamous second-film slump. Kate Winslet’s portrayal of Sarah, a woman trapped in the clutches of suburban malaise, is one of the best performances of the year.

– Teddy Phuong

Honorable Mention: “Snakes on a Plane” “Snakes on a Plane” is not a specimen of quality filmmaking, nor a film for which we are proud to have paid $9. But ask half of America if they can hear the word “snakes” without thinking “on a plane,” and you will understand the rationale. Now that’s the power of movies.

- Devon Dickau