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the united, the departed, the little, and the labyrinthine: the best films of 2006Mar 01 '07 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Watch these films. The worst ones are supreme entertainment, the best ones will change your life. Probably. There are those that, when writing about film, will often claim some sort of dismissal of the films of one year being "better" than the films of another. I would have agreed with this school of thought until 2006 rolled along: comparing this year to last, I find that the top 10 or 12 movies on this list are actually better than my favorite movies from last year, which is an encouraging step upwards in quality, you must admit. Perhaps it's because the lines are being blurred. Consider that the chasm between "indie" and "mainstream" has all but been bridged, what with "Little Miss Sunshine" pulling off a surprising level of success (box-office success and Oscar nods), foreign filmmakers (especially Mexican directors) gaining an unprecedented amount of pull, and good films reaching the mainstream. In 2005, the best films were all major studio releases; as one not likely to give short shrift to either the big-budget *or* the obscure, I'm kind of surprised it worked out that way. But those films were good *for* such mainstream fare; in 2006, several of the year's most popular movies were genuinely good, whether they saw coast-to-coast multiplex releases or crept, low-profile-like, into a few select screens, and that's a cool thing. It feels like we're getting closer to reconcile the indie art-house crowd and the AMC and Regal filmgoers; all things considered, it's an exciting time for movies. I guess we won't know if it's stuck until after the early winter dumping ground of 2007 passes and good releases start trickling in; but damn if the prospect doesn't excite me all the same. All that said, here's a partial list of 2006 films that I didn't see: "Volver", "Babel", "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu", "Letters from Iwo Jima", "Old Joy", "Apocalypto", "Notes on a Scandal", "The Illusionist", "Sherrybaby", "Shut Up and Sing", "A Scanner Darkly", "Venus", and "Date Movie". 20. HAPPY FEET--The cutesy look of the trailers belied the gravity of this one: God help me, I went to see it because I can't resist cute little dancing penguins, and I was tickled pink to receive them, but I was ill-prepared for the film's artistry, and the fever-dream darkness that runs through much of its final act. Mind you, the cute little penguins are there en masse, but director George Miller injects this film with several sociological messages - including an unprecedented kiddie-film stance on gay acceptance - unable to be derailed by any amount of "Moulin Rouge"-esque pop hit montages or Robin Williams ethnic stereotyping. Now that everyone makes computer-animated films, it's rare to see one that's this vivid and substantial. 19. ROCKY BALBOA--It seems surreal to have this movie on a list like this, considering how rote and unwatchable a cash-in I thought this would be. That was the film nerd in me squawking, of course--the guy in me saw the trailer and thought, "well, hell, there's no way I'm missing this one: it looks awesome!" That the film took the time to appeal to both sides of my film-appreciating brain I think speaks to a level of artistry that this series never really aspired to before. "Rocky Balboa" may be the only true successor to the original "Rocky", a movie finally not defined by overwraught melodrama or the fighter's outlandish opponent, but by quiet reflection, melancholy, a twinge of regret, and an overwhelming amount of pure, wistful nostalgia. Nothing in "Rocky Balboa" is manufactured. The events of the movie unfold naturally, with a refusal to romanticize things (for example, the city of Philly, which is shown in all its grubby, unadorned glory), and a desire to tell a simple, moving story. I'm surprised to say it, but this film is exceptional. 18. THE FOUNTAIN--Unlike many of the other films on this list, "The Fountain" is hard to watch. It's not just emotional content that renders it that way - although Rachel Weisz's cancer story arc and Hugh Jackman's utter inability to cope with it provide moments of utter devastation - it's the fact that "The Fountain" is flawed, difficult, polarizing, cerebral, and absolutely impossible to wrap your head around. Is the film an attempt at dramatizing human grief and acceptance of death? An argument for reincarnation? A face-value tale of a conquistador careening through the dimensions, breaking laws of time and space? It's frustrating, difficult viewing, that would be utterly obtuse and useless if it didn't use it's fantasticism to appeal directly to the emotional core like no movie since "Eternal Sunshine" has bothered to do. It doesn't hurt the film that it features two artists coming into their own: director Darren Aronofsky crafts his first picture that really feels like it means something, and Hugh Jackman delivers one of the year's most pained, emotionally complex performances. Wolverine my ass. 17. MONSTER HOUSE--So there are movies so cerebral, emotional, and well-made that you can't *not* lionize them in some sort of list. And then there are those that are so entertaining that you simply must shower them with accolades. Gil Kenan's "Monster House" is an animated film, but unlike most other animated films, it was written for live action, and still feels like a live action film. The animated medium just seems to offer it some depth of scope and possibility of action, but all told, this just feels like a really good, kid-friendly scary movie that happens to be a cartoon. It's that rare kid-friendly film that doesn't need to pander to its audience, doesn't assume that it's entertaining a whole army of braindead lowest-common-denominator tots and Hillary Duff-loving tweens. Most of all it's genuine: genuinely spooky, genuinely intelligent, and genuinely entertaining in every aspect. Oh, and fifteen years ago it would've genuinely scared the shit out of me. 16. INSIDE MAN--Spike Lee has redeemed his recent glut of cinematic iffies with "Inside Man", a film that feels curiously conventional even as we assume that there's a greater sense of purpose beneath it all. The familiar Spike themes are there, but this time, they're skirting the edge of the frame, as opposed to existing dead center a la "Do the Right Thing" (great) and "Bamboozled" (not so much). His themes inform the movie this time round, as opposed to being the movie, and Spike's decision to assemble a fantastic cast for a snarky hostage thriller and actually focus on the cool stuff is a good one. Jodie Foster's throwaway character - given far too much screen time for her actual importance to the story - threatens to derail the whole thing, but then you've got Denzel, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe, and Chiwetel Ejiofor butting heads, and realise this is a caper flick as much as it is a petition to bring the fun back into watching great actors share screen time. 15. STRANGER THAN FICTION--Rare is the movie that can wholly validate and justify the lofty expectations projected by a near-perfect premise. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" did it a few years back, taking a story with infinite possibilities into every realm you could possibly want it to go, resulting in an unusually satisfying movie that feels unusually complete. "Stranger Than Fiction" does the same thing, and I'm beginning to think that it takes a comic actor to pull off lead roles in romantic fantasies like this: Jim Carrey as a man running through the caverns of his own mind to get his true love back and Will Ferrell as a man who finds his life inexplicably - and accurately - narrated by a real-life novelist? These are such absurdist situations that, perhaps, it takes someone who has experience with the absurd to feel comfortable playing these roles straight. With Ferrell, it helps, because we have a lead actor prone to playing things straight: in his comic roles, Ferrell seems to live in the script completely, unaware that he's part of any sort of joke. He plays his comic roles as straight roles, and his willingness to dive headfirst into utter absurdity should the script call for it is what makes him so funny; this is also what makes him convincing as a straight man, because, against all odds, Will Ferrell is just as good at playing it straight in a dramatic role. The fact that Maggie Gyllenhaal and the unimpeachably great Emma Thompson pop up here makes for greatness all 'round, a fully realized, sweet, touching, unaffected, and entirely satisfying motion picture. 14. DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY--Exhilarating, sweet, and overwhelmingly positive: "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" is the simple, unadorned story of a man who set out to do something good, if just for one day, uniting the masses through art. It won't appeal to those looking for easy catchphrases - no "it's a celebration, bitches" (okay, one of those) or "does Wayne Brady have to choke a bitch?" - but it's artistically thrilling, and above all, wholly and purely fun. The music is fun to listen to, the comaraderie these artists show towards one another is fun to watch, the concert is fun to pretend you're in attendance, and, perhaps most of all, Mr. Chappelle is FUN, coming across as someone spontaneously and supernaturally funny, but unaffected by his gift, able to be down-to-earth and genuinely nice in the process. I suppose what's so appealing about this movie - besides the music, of course - is the realization that artists aren't all uptight pricks, that good artists and good people aren't mutually exclusive. 13. THE PRESTIGE--A film that has mastered the art of plotting, "The Prestige" boasts what is missing in a lot of mainstream filmmaking: incredible acumen and a gift for intricate, adept storytelling. "The Prestige" is intensely cerebral stimuli, as noteworthy for its sumptuously gloomy design as its braid-tight story. When it's all over, you get the impression that you understand it to an extent, but still need to see it again to make sure. It's the rare film that leaves you wanting more, a lot more. Rare indeed is the film that sticks to the walls of your mind in such a way. 12. HALF NELSON--I'm constantly amazed by the ability of the independent film scene to churn out variations on material that, in the hands of Hollywood, would be painfully treacly; in the capable hands of debut director Ryan Fleck, "Half Nelson" becomes a film of uncommon power, simply because it doesn't go overboard trying to be a film of uncommon power. See "Dangerous Minds" and "Freedom Writers" enough, and you're going to be turned off by the notion of a white teacher teaching black kids. The difference with "Half Nelson" is that Ryan Gosling's Dan Dunne doesn't have some sort of God complex - he acts with knowledge of a personal demon that makes him just as fallible as the kids, and teaches as though he's just having a chat with his students. They're receptive to this, and "Half Nelson" is an understated, non-flashy look at this unusual dichotomy. Also: Shareeka Epps and Anthony Mackie being overlooked for supporting awards disgraces the names of most major award ceremonies. 11. LITTLE CHILDREN--Ever since "American Beauty" swept the Oscars and made satirical looks at the seedy underbelly of suburban life en vogue, films have been struggling to live up to the promise of that film. Not that they're true equals - really, most films aren't as good as "American Beauty" - but "Little Children" comes damn close, and does so using the same techniques. "Little Children" is dark, awkward, uncompromisingly funny; nigh-unparalleled in this microgenre for its humour and sheer care of craft. When Jackie Earle Haley takes the screen as a pedophile who may or may not be sympathetic, this film absolutely grows wings. One of the few films of '06 to truly go for the gut. 10. THE DESCENT--Speaking of going for the gut, those who thought that the visceral, harrowing horror film experience died sometime around the Kevin Williamson onslaught of the late 1990s need to look nowhere but to this diabolical film from the UK. It, much like "28 Days Later" from a couple years back, zeroes in on a group of imperiled thirtysomethings that already one-up most modern horror movies by being defined characters, rather than flimsy caricatures; when blown up to life-size and plastered across the wall of a movie theater, this experience becomes utterly terrifying. "The Descent" is the rarest of horror films: it concerns itself with the characters in question, first, making it connect when they are imperiled and connect even harder come their inevitable expiration, and when the first scare finally flickers across the screen, it connects hard, and it connects often. "The Descent" is uncomprimising, deeply horrifying, and the sort of visceral experience that, it is important to stress, any fan of the cinema deserves. 9. SUPERMAN RETURNS--I thought it would be impossible to sell this film short, but sure as shit, there it is, everywhere I see it: "Superman Returns" wasn't quite a flop, but it would appear that most critics don't exactly see the brilliance in it. A sad thing, as I'd thought this film would be certainly received well in the wake of its very similar revisionist counterpart, "Batman Begins". As art goes, "Superman Returns" is easily the only film to truly do justice to the Man of Steel - normally painted in big, colorful swaths of savior-of-man-isms, Bryan Singer and Brandon Routh's Superman is easily the best stab at humanizing Superman on celluloid. Not only that, but "Superman Returns" as a film is extremely artful, thoughtful, intelligent, and - here's a shock - deeply, deeply emotional. In an era that finds Hollywood returning to (for the first time, let's face it) the idea that a superhero movie can actually be a substantial artistic venture, "Superman Returns" is the best film of its kind. Better than the "Spider-Man" movies, better than "Batman Begins" (as much as I, an ardent Batman lover, hate to admit it), sure as hell better than "Fantastic Four" but nobody was comparing in the first place. 8. BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN--At this point, I'm not sure that any paragraph I could tap out would really do justice to the cultural phenomenon that has become clueless Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev. I'm not gonna write some lengthy screed about how Borat holds a mirror up to our bigoted culture - not because it's not true, but because, c'mon, everyone does that. I'm just going to tell you this: I love comedy deeply, but comedy needs to earn its keep with me, because I have high standards for it. A film at which I break out in actual laughter is a rare breed. There's scene near the end of "Borat" involving the titular reporter and his manager, and everyone knows what scene I mean. I can recall sitting in a theater, doubled over, heaving with great peals of braying laughter. That was the third time I saw "Borat". 7. THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND--I suppose it's true that "The Last King of Scotland" is overshadowed by Forest Whitaker, and I suppose it's almost fair: Whitaker's performance is unmistakably, titanically evil, frightening even, a long shot for a performer known for his on-screen benevolence. But from this performance springs a singular film - one of great suspense and great brutality, of great evil and great humanity. There is no faulting "The Last King of Scotland" - it is a singularly affecting affair, pulling the covers off not only the depths of evil, but the turmoil of individual decision. Post-script: did anyone else find echoes of Jonathan Glazer's "Sexy Beast" in this? 6. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE--What else be said about this remarkable little-movie-that-could? The fact that a film of its kind was even briefly a Best Picture frontrunner in this year's Oscar race speaks volumes about the way the industry is moving towards rewarding artistry. This is a film of uncommon joy and power, about how we relate to ourselves and relate to others; more than that, it's a film made in the familiar indie dysfunctional-family mold that doesn't allow itself to be overrun with its considerable quirks (the atrocious "Me and You and Everyone We Know"). Going in and expecting a bleak satire, I was quite surprised to come out having seen a movie that's life-affirming and even pleasant. And yes, little Abigail Breslin is a revelation, as is a remarkably subdued Steve Carell. 5. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING--Sly and unrelentingly funny, "Thank You For Smoking" is a rare beast - an American comedy that rewards intelligence, appreciates the value of words, and lends a great deal of credibililty to the espousing of personal rhetoric. In that sense, there's no reason that any of us who write about our opinions should find fault with this film, because it sides firmly on the side of intellectually-expressed, cogent thought. Aaron Eckhart may be the best actor of his generation working these days. 4. UNITED 93--Paul Greengrass's remarkable 9/11 treatise avoids any and all emotional agenda, which just might make it work as well as it does. There's a reason "United 93" works so well; it's because it doesn't feel speculative and manipulative. It feels raw and in-the-moment. I was worried that "United 93" might turn tragedy into thriller fodder, which would be something that this notoriously irreverent reviewer couldn't even condone. "United 93" is suspenseful, yes, but more than that, it hits hard. It reaches deep into one's body and squeezes, expelling the lungs of all air, making the heart beat jackhammer-fast. More than any other film this year, "United 93" is extremely visceral, extremely hard-hitting, and extremely emotional. Consider yourself warned: this film will wreck you. 3. PAN'S LABYRINTH--Much like my top three films this year, "Pan's Labyrinth" exemplifies why we love going to the movies. We marvel at technical achievements like special effects and cinematography, but Guillermo Del Toro does so much more than this: he breathes incredible life into this story, injecting it with such feeling and humanity that it's damn-near impossible to remain unmoved by the time the final reel rolls around. "Pan's Labyrinth" is as breathtakingly fantastic as it is deeply moving: it boasts a hero and a villain that will both go down in history, the former for her remarkably pure spirit, the latter for his spiteful pitch-black heart. It sounds silly to say, of course, but "Pan's Labyrinth" is a truly magical film. 2. CHILDREN OF MEN--Much like "Pan's Labyrinth", Alfonso Cuaron's remarkable "Children of Men" illustrates a lot of what's good about the movies, except that it's bleaker, denser, reads as borderline apocalyptic until a late-in-the-game message of hope enters the picture. "Children of Men" is a difficult picture, almost grueling - not because it's not entertaining (it is), but because it doesn't adhere to convention, because it tells us early on in the game all bets are off. We are left off-guard, unsure what to think, and occasionally unable to cope. "Children of Men" is the kind of movie that transcends cinema - there is a part at the end, and once you see it you'll know exactly of which I speak - in which, in the middle of a dark, grimy, excruciatingly intense movie, there's a scene of such immensely overpowering beauty that to dwell on its implications is to sit in a darkened movie theater and weep. There are two movies that I've seen this year that I would call perfect films, and "Children of Men" is one of them. 1. THE DEPARTED is the other one, and I'm as shocked as you are that the film that was actually the best movie of the year ended up being recognized by the Oscars as such. We're all film geeks to some extent here, and I'm sure I don't need to stress to anybody the depth and brilliance of Martin Scorcese's work over the years, nor the fact that if history were fair, Martin Scorcese would have ten or twelve Oscars by now. But as pleasing as it is, I'm not here to dwell upon the Oscar victory; "The Departed" reminds of "The Prestige" in its depth of pacing, character, and plotting. With "The Departed", we're treated to the work of a master clearly not past the expiration date, turning in a film that, if it isn't his best, ranks right up there with the rest of 'em. "The Departed" is pure moviemaking, pure and simple. It is cinema personified, as palatable to the everyman as it is to the film geek nestled deep within our souls. It is a work of genius, a work of art, and the best film of 2006.  |
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- Top 500 by Stephen_Murray
by lindaohio
