Your Top Ten Films of 2006- Page 3
Your Top Ten Films of 2006
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#50Okay...
Posted: 12/31/06 at 2:11amI saw LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA the other day and found it remarkable. I've never been a fan of Eastwood's work (unlike, it seems, everyone else), but I think this film is his masterpiece. IMO it's one of the finest anti-war films ever made that ranks with PATHS OF GLORY, GRAND ILLUSION, FULL METAL JACKET and ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
geekgirl06
Featured Actor Joined: 11/9/06
#51Okay...
Posted: 12/31/06 at 11:13pm
Okay, so I haven't seen Letters from Iwo Jima yet or Little Children or Half Nelson or The Last King of Scotland (yeah, I'm a little behind), all which I expect will be great, but since the year is almost over, I will post what I've seen:
10. Akeelah and the Bee
9. The Prestige
8. History Boys
7. Flags of our Fathers
6. The Queen
5. The Devil Wears Prada
4. Casino Royale
3. The Pursuit of Happyness
2. Dreamgirls
1. Little Miss Sunshine
Dancing through life...
For the next ten minutes
#53Okay...
Posted: 1/1/07 at 1:47am
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1. Dreamgirls
1. Notes on a Scandal
2. Little Children
3. United 93
4. A Prairie Home Companion
5. The Queen
6. Little Miss Sunshine
7. The Last King of Scotland
8. Volver
9. The Devil Wears Prada
10. The Departed
Still planning to see: Charlotte's Web, Children of Men, The Painted Veil, and Pan's Labyrinth.
Updated On: 1/1/07 at 01:47 AM
Marquise
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/1/04
Wildcard
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
gustof777
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/8/04
#59Okay...
Posted: 1/4/07 at 1:43pmI can now add Pan's Labyrinth to my list. Gorgeous and disturbing film likely to win the Oscar for Foreign Language Film and possibly for Art Direction. I hope the screenplay and director get nods as well.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
touchmeinthemorning
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/3/04
#60Okay...
Posted: 1/5/07 at 10:23pm
1. Pan's Labyrinth
2. Shortbus
3. Little Children
4. The Queen
5. Half Nelson
6. For Your Consideration
7. Iraq in Fragments
8. Children of Men
9. Jesus Camp
10. A Prarie Home Companion
Need to see: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Venus, Old Joy, The Proposition
Seriously overrated movies:
Borat, Apocalypto, Thank You For Smoking, The Departed
Best performances of the year:
Cate Blanchett (The Good German), Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland), Helen Mirren (The Queen), Will Smith (Persuit of Happyness), Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Abagail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration), 1. Pan's Labyrinth
2. Shortbus
3. Little Children
4. The Queen
5. Half Nelson
6. For Your Consideration
7. Iraq in Fragments
8. Children of Men
9. Jesus Camp
10. A Prarie Home Companion
Need to see: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Letters from Iwo Jima, Venus, Evil, Old Joy, The Proposition
Seriously overrated movies:
Borat, Apocalypto, Thank You For Smoking, The Departed
Best performances of the year:
Cate Blanchett (The Good German), Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland), Helen Mirren (The Queen), Will Smith (Persuit of Happyness), Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Abagail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration), 1. Pan's Labyrinth
2. Shortbus
3. Little Children
4. The Queen
5. Half Nelson
6. For Your Consideration
7. Iraq in Fragments
8. Children of Men
9. Jesus Camp
10. A Prarie Home Companion
Need to see: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Letters from Iwo Jima, Venus, Evil, Old Joy, The Proposition
Seriously overrated movies:
Borat, Apocalypto, Thank You For Smoking, The Departed
Best performances of the year:
Cate Blanchett (The Good German), Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland), Helen Mirren (The Queen), Will Smith (Persuit of Happyness), Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Abagail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration), Kazunari Ninomiya (Iwo Jima)
"Fundamentalism means never having to say 'I'm wrong.'"
-- unknown
Cruel_Sandwich
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/30/05
#61Okay...
Posted: 1/25/07 at 3:30pm
But first, a few ancillary lists.
MOVIES THAT WERE ACTUALLY RELEASED IN 2005 THAT I WISH I COULD PUT ON THIS LIST:
2) SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE - Brutal, bloody, and cold. This was the first film I saw in college and I loved every second of it. This is as good a revenge film as I've seen in years proving, once again, that Asian cinema is still amazing.
1) THE LIBERTINE - This would have been in my top three had the Weinsteins not botched the marketing so horribly. Johnny Depp's best performance of all time in a moody, atmospheric, and rather sickening display of the pain and loneliness that often comes with debauchery and hedonism. The cinematography has proved to be quite controversial, and for good reason because not everyone enjoys cloudy skies and dank swamps, but I found it to be elegantly moody. This is one of the few films I could meditate to. I loved every second of it and I am saddened that Depp's performance has not gotten the hosannas it deserves.
WORST OF THE YEAR:
5) CLICK - Bad comedy that gives way to EXTREMELY bad drama. Some movies grow on you over time. This film infests on you over time. The insulting "twist" ending is the rancid icing on a maggot-laced cake.
4) NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM - As soullessly dead a family film as you're likely to find all year. The comic talents of Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs, Mickey Rooney, and ESPECIALLY Ricky Gervais go to an almost obscene amount of waste here. There is no story and there are no characters. It's just a bit of CGI cotton candy that fades from memory as soon as you watch it. It's like staring at a well-polished machine for two ungodly hours.
3) PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST - Another soullessly dead film that raises particular ire with me due to the complete waste of the talents of Johnny Depp. He seems bored in this, not willing to even phone in a decent performance. Add in boring special effects to witless action sequences in place of a plotline, and you have one of the most unearned successes of the year. What does it say about a two and a half hour film without an ending? What does it say about a film that expects you to be entertained by such a lack of all the elements that make a film great? What does it say about a film that actually makes you HATE Johnny Depp?
2) HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL - Ugh ugh and ugh. You know you're in trouble when the film you're watching makes you long for GREASE.
1) DEATH OF A PRESIDENT - A completely unneccessary and offensive film that turns into something laughably mundane as the endless running time drones on. Taking footage that is so badly edited, DOAP (Never has a movie acronym been more astute) takes a potentially interesting premise to cliched conspiracy-theory movie heights. It doesn't even TRY to raise any issues. Whether you agree with Bush or not, you have to admit that the way it uses his nonexistant death as a gimmick is cheap and lazy.
THE BEST FILMS OF 2006
10) FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION - Christopher Guest's most searing film leaves a strong impression. He changes his approach with this film by finding comedy in failure and hurt instead of wrongheadedness and arrogance. While it alienated many of his fans, I found FYC the funniest and most incisive comedy of the year. Not since Robert Altman's THE PLAYER has a film so completely detailed what is ruining the artistry of moviemaking.
9) THE PRESTIGE - I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this film. What could have been a shallow entertainment turns into a powerful psychological drama in the hands of Christopher Nolan. On top of that, it's just damn entertaining. With twists, turns, doublecrosses, and Bowie, THE PRESTIGE is just a damn fine story. This is a film to watch if you want to see everyone involved at the absolute top of their respective games.
THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED - Best doc I saw all year. Director Kirby Dick makes his points about the MPAA and censorship in general in hilarious ways. One of the most entertaining films I've seen all year, Dick's film managed to pack enough of a punch to cause the MPAA to change their policies in a huge way. Proof that art is still capable of social change.
7) PAN'S LABYRINTH - A dark fairytale for adults, PAN'S LABYRINTH exposes the darkness and chill of real life and the sweet release from it. With amazing cinematography and one of the best performances by a child that I've seen in years, Guillermo Del Toro proves that he is a master of mood and atmosphere capable of so much more than HELLBOY. Its harsh reality could potentially be a drag for many, but for those in the mood, an excellent cinematic adventure awaits.
6) THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP - Michel Gondry takes everything that worked about his music videos to the next level. While ETERNAL SUNSHINE had the shared fingerprints of Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry, THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP is all Gondry. Finally coming into his own, Gondry creates a playfully whimsical fairy tale that makes you feel like you're floating on air. While not universally loved by all, THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP is funny and fresh for those with an adventurous cinematic appetite.
5) LITTLE CHILDREN - More than just an excuse to gaze lovingly at the ravishing nose cartilage of Kate Winslet, LITTLE CHILDREN explores the child within us all. It exposes how no one can really "grow up", still prey to the prejudices and impulsive feelings that one would normally associate as child behavior. In a way, this is a coming-of-age film for adults. At times horrifying, at times saddening, and at other times, quite erotic, LITTLE CHILDREN is a suburban drama about the malaise of a rapidly approaching middle age.
4) UNITED 93 - Not a film that you could watch over and over again, UNITED 93 is nonetheless a powerful and terrifying memorial to all 9/11 victims and their families, not just the ones in the planes. Not intruding in their lives or their stories in cliched "disaster movie" fasion, UNITED 93 instead takes a look at the events with an eye of authenticity and realism. It's not an easy film to watch. You will, at times, be watching through your fingers. Yet, Paul Greengrass' accomplishment is hard to deny. Making a film like this is so extraordinarily difficult that for it to be a success on THIS level is absolutely amazing. At the end of the film, the audience broke out into rapturous applause. For once, I believed it was deserved.
3) BABEL - Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu is shaping up to be one of my very favorite directors. With BABEL, Innaritu completes a trilogy of films that explore several aspects of human need and desire. With AMORES PERROS, it was the human need for love and companionship. With 21 GRAMS, it was the human need for spiritual enlightenment. With BABEL, it's the human need for brotherhood and unity in a world that seems to be against it. Deeply cynical at times while profoundly optimistic at others, BABEL is a beautiful film that really strikes a nerve. I loved this film more than my own children.
2) CHILDREN OF MEN - Alfonso Cuaron has finally fulfilled his early promise. This is an extraordinary film, the most original sci-fi epic in quite a while. The great premise is milked for all its worth, turning into something truly heartbreaking. The final twenty minutes of this film are a wonder, with a tracking shot so amazing it widened my urethra.
1) THE DEPARTED - Martin Scorsese is at his peak. This will go on my short list as one of the five best films he has ever made, mixing a stew of violence, family, and Boston street politics. It is an amazing film. It is all at once tense, relentless, gripping, surprising, and heartbreaking. So many movies over the two hour running mark this year fell apart in its final act. THE DEPARTED actually grows stronger. Leaving the theater, you have just oen thought: This is cinema. Period.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#64Okay...
Posted: 1/30/07 at 1:32am
My top:
1. United 93
2. Pan's Labyrinth
3. The Queen
4. Letters from Iwo Jima
5. Little Miss Sunshine
6. Volver
7. Babel
8. Dreamgirls
9. A Prairie Home Companion
10. The Last King of Scotland
11. The Departed
12. The Illusionist
13. Little Children
14. Blood Diamond
15. Notes on a Scandal
16. Children of Men
17. The Painted Veil
18. Apocalypto
19. Thank You For Smoking
20. The Devil Wears Prada
21. Flags of our Fathers
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
being.jeremiah
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
#65Okay...
Posted: 1/30/07 at 4:07am
There's still a lot of movies I haven't seen, don't ask me why. But of all that I saw last year, I was pretty much impressed by, in alphabetical order:
[01] Apocalypto
[02] Babel
[03] Blood Diamond
[04] Borat: Cultural Learnings of America...
[05] Casino Royale
[06] Happy Feet
[07] Little Children
[08] Pan's Labyrinth
[09] A Prairie Home Companion
[10] The Prestige
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