Top Ten 2006 Films
Submitted by lbangs on Mon, 05/15/2006 - 12:49
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- 1) Children of Men - Wow, despite his impressive earlier films, helming the charming A Little Princess over a decade ago, scoring an international hit with Y Tu Mamá También, and filing the best entry in the lucrative Harry Potter series, Alfonso Cuarón catapults to the leading edge of the world's best directors with Children of Men, a science fiction film that walks through tomorrow with long single-take tracking shots that are among some of cinema's greatest uncut takes. A car chase barrels by realistically without a single edit, buildings are entered and left while bullets blaze by and the camera never blinks. It is a tour de force for this director, only amplified by the fine script and terrific performances, especially the lead, Clive Owens, whose viewpoint we share and who (I believe) is in every scene of the film. It is two decades from now and eighteen years since the last human baby was born, and a revolutionary-turned-government-cog receives a baffling, dangerous request from his ex-wife. The symbolism is a little heavy-handed, but this is the lone fault in a film that is easily one of the best of the decade. See this. Now.
- 2) The Departed - Thank God the idiot Academy didn’t give the masterful Martin Scorsese a pity Oscar for either of his last two films, because when the year is up, he will most likely earn it for this masterpiece. Remaking the Hong Kong Infernal Affairs, Scorsese is on fire and in control here with a dose of precise voltage he hasn’t quite conjured up in decades. His cast does not let him down, riding every wave of the wild current. Nicholson, Damon, even the good if erratic DiCaprio all shine here, and the rest of the supporting cast follow suit. A glance at the plot, an Irish gang story involving police moles and double-crossings, might hint that this is simply a rehashing of old material or a pathetic attempt to recapture faded glories, but don’t be fooled. This is one incredible movie, and this is Scorsese at the peak of his powers. Upon release, it frankly obliterates every other film from 2006.
- 3) Curse of the Golden Flower - Zhang Yimou and the other screenwriters of this film pull an interesting trick here. They take material that could be nearly mistaken for the stuff of Greek dramas, filter it through the agnostic obsessions over duty and family examined by Confucius, and then drape it in the vibrant hues usually drenching the director’s creations. It is a bold idea that reads like an obsessed, unhinged fanboy’s fantasy on paper, but plays out as one of the best films of the year. You fluidly stalk the translucent halls of this poisonous palace as you pull on the various frayed fabrics that are quickly unraveling. Your eyes enjoy an orgasmic massage of pastels and floral tints while your mind pries open the tough shells of the characters to discover the rotting kernels within. The film was marketed as a martial arts extravaganza, but don’t be fooled; this is a tragedy, and a damn good one at that.
- 4) Pan’s Labyrinth - Here is a cinematic dream on the big screen, even if it is a nightmare. Guillermo del Toro blossoms from his early, often troubled, budding talent into a freakish force of imagination wise enough to skim the earth and to rein the power of reality to pull his phantasm of fancy. As reviewers and the studio have struggled to tell you, this is an adult fairy tale. Actually, this is an adult story that is granted glimpses into a child’s fairy tale, and as with Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures, that difference is the key to this movie transcending slight dreams and tripping the border into the power of tragedy. A young girl is captured in the chaotic corpse of the Spanish Civil War, and when the world is too hideous to be reality, she finds a door into another one. She may escape, but the film never allows the viewer to do so. You will hardly believe what you’re seeing here, whether it is insects morphing into fairies or the cruelty of Sergi Lopez’ mad sadist. This film manages to capture both worlds with equally clear vision, and the results are magic and haunting.
- 5) Tell No One - Coming on strong like a cross of a television crime procedural with Vertigo and North by Northwest, this French feature is savvy enough to take its tasty time heating up. When the first major chase scene kicks in, a simple electronic pulse sends all the coiled tension through the glass. Not every loose end wraps up, but Hitchcock's films were also always frayed at the edges. The twists are rather plausible for the genre, especially when that racing heart turns out to be a tough romantic one. The cast is killer, with the lead actor simply the brightest star in a shining sky. This is that rare beast - a word-of-mouth sensation that merits all its buzzing.
- 6) Black Book - Paul Verhoeven is a wild man, and his checkered career never fails for too much subtlety. When he sins, he sins boldly, and he always sins. Despite some good American films (Robocop pops to mind), his films made in his native Netherlands are his best. It is no surprise, then, that his return to his home results in perhaps his best film. Unorthodoxly tackling Word War II in a style we haven’t seen in decades, he treats his material as classic heated drama with liberal doses of suspense. He flaunts sex and, often, bad taste, and he doesn’t waste time with speeches or underlined morals. He is also bold enough to include sympathetic Nazis and evil resistance fighters. The long running time breezes by, stealing your breath and pounding your pulse. It is almost enough to make you forgive him for Showgirls. Almost.
- 7) INLAND EMPIRE - I have a few guiding principles I use in evaluating art. The supreme dictum is that no hard, fast rules exist. Sure, many good general guidelines are around, and they do much to settle certain conventions and to sharpen dull senses, but the history of art tends to be a parade of works that shattered all the believed rules of various times. There is not a single aesthetic commandment which has not been successfully exploded by some masterpiece somewhere, and any critic who is not aware of this fact should hang it up and retire. Another principle - this one a generality rather an absolute - is that most attempts at unifying narrative works of art around an element other than plot fail miserably. I would argue that David Lynch’s career offers many fascinating proofs of this statement, and to a large degree, his masterpiece, Mulholland Dr., works because the plot, as confusing as it is, steps up and pulls the piece together into a coherent whole. The viewer may have to work to follow the story, but it is there and offers enough help to tempt most serious viewers down the path. While very similar to that effort, INLAND EMPIRE is essentially, fundamentally different in that respect. It tosses that aspect, the attempt to weave the strands of story together with a coherent plot, clear out the window and right over the railing. I considered being cautious here - after all, maybe I’m missing an important hint or two, just like most reviewers did with Mulholland Dr. - but wimpy critics are worthless, and so I sin boldly. This film does not tell a comprehensible story. Instead, Lynch relies on emotional and thematic threads to sew this long project up, and in a very rare miracle, he succeeds. The lack of a traditional plot with easily understood movements and endings will of course force most people to hate this film, but for the few willing to let the movie move them where it will, an incredible experience awaits. Autonomy of personhood, love, the illusions of Hollywood and the television, the politics of relationships, and various other subjects are explored and used to connect patches of plot only barely, if at all, logically attached to each other, and while the viewer can never quite put it all together, the human resonances are palpable and stirring. Certain scenes here are mysterious and yet moving being the grasp of most flicks. The mind boggles while the heart swells. All this, of course, means INLAND EMPIRE joins Tarnation as one of the few excellent experimental films of the decade. Not every frame here is perfect, but enough are.
- 8) Babel - Even with my interest revving on high, I was still steeled for disappointment. It seems the shortcut to artistic status in cinema currently is to interweave yourself a few stories and muse on communication breakdowns only slightly more subtlely than Plant did. If you can snooker a marquee star to buckle up for the indie ride, all the better. This really had Pretentious Boring Rip written all over it in triplicate. As these stories slowly seep by, though, and as the material is handled with all the delicacy and sensitivity it demands, you start to participate in the pondering over our attempts and failures to reach out to others. The English dialogue, subtitles, and sign language seem to slur into an Esperanto expression of longing and loss. The bold spaces all start to fill. When the film finally floats to a finish, you're floored by the realization that Iñárritu has landed this flight successfully, moving your heart, sparking your mind, and mastering this increasingly tiring genre with grace, skill, and a sensibility that manages to be shot through with life and quiet and still all at once.
- 9) V for Vendetta - Is this pure propaganda? No. It is agitpop, sure, but it is art, and it is glorious. Extending a middle finger to demagogues who use language such as terrorism to steal rights from citizens and to inflame hatred against anybody they dislike, even if they are about are as much terrorists as George Washington and his army were, James McTeigue and the Wachowski brothers know how to start a fire. Instead of a simple blast of opinion, this film bothers to build characters and to construct an archetypal plot while, yes, capturing some naked political viewpoints. Even I do not agree with every view presented – I still think anarchy simply leads to tragedy and eventually more tyranny – but as an aesthetic experience, this is incredibly thrilling, moving, and incendiary; the visual flair, emotional impact, and stirring warnings rock. It is easy to see why conservatives are crying. This is threatening stuff. Does that worry you? Stay away. If that sounds remotely exciting, you should see it now.
- 10) Away From Her - They once dismissed Sarah Polley by sniffing she was a young Uma Thurman, as if that was in any way something undesirable. She continued her fine career as an actor and here debuts as director, and suddenly, nobody is shrugging her off anymore. She handles this wrenching, delicate tale with an understated skill rare in a first-timer, and if a few moments near the beginning lean toward a tad too precious, you won’t care. This film, studying the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on an elderly couple, will work your tear ducts overtime. Polley is wise, never going for that music-swelling emotional-overkill moment and instead allowing her cast to breathe naturally with realistic portrayals of ordinary people facing tragic circumstances. As with the best drama, it is the heroic way they choose to handle impossible burdens that makes this ultimately so moving.
- Honorable Mention
- The Lives of Others - Walking into this film knowing only that critics have festooned it with some glorious reviews and that moviegoers hate it sight unseen for beating Pan’s Labyrinth in the Best Foreign Film Oscar race, I really did not know what direction this film would veer off into. This ignorance made for many nice unexpected turns. This film takes that worn film device of using voyeurism as a plot device in a medium that inherently demands its audience watch as virtual voyeurs and applies it to East German’s surveillance spy programs of the eighties. It is an idea that plays fairly fresh and works surprisingly well, and married to a film that has a few unexpected but realistic twists, it creates a heightened experience of prying into other people’s world and finding ourselves emotionally involved. Reminiscent of another good recent film (Zodiac), Donnersmarck’s film also subverts standard genre plot structure to recreate the confused experiences of its characters and draw the audience deep inside those very emotions. It is a little soft-minded in sections, and the ending has at least one too-convenient coincidence, but this works quite well. No, it is not a better film that Pan, but it is still a good movie on its own merits.
- United 93 - You might expect exploitation here unless you've already seen director Paul Greengrass' brilliant Bloody Sunday. This does not quite hit that high level, although notoriously parochial Americans might swear it does, but that that may be the worst stone one can hurl here. Wisely selecting a cast of unknowns (and, in places, people playing themselves) to carry the dramatic weight minus marquee distractions and only in instances allowing the music to comment on the straight-forward drama, Greengrass tells a complex story with an artful lack of obvious art, even allowing flashes of humaning in the hijackers many would prefer to see portrayed as simple monsters. The final film is an odd beast, one it will be all too easy for many to snear at while also all too eacy for others to overpraise.
- Borat - It isn’t incredible Sacha Baron Cohen spins laughter from his act. The hidden camera technique scored for Candid Camera, and the idea of capturing hilarious footage out of unsuspecting people confronted by a knowing actor has been used by comedians such as Dennis Pennis for quite a spell now. Where this polevaults previous efforts, raising the entire effort to another plane entirely, is how the character of Borat is used to yank out the prejudices of so many victims, from the hateful homophobic rodeo cowboy to the gun store owner in Dallas more than happy to show our leading man which gun works best for killing Jews. This peeling of the ugly fruit of America wouldn’t matter squat, of course, if it wasn’t funny; fortunately, this film is funny, frequently very funny. He ‘accidentally’ smashes antiques in front of a shopkeeper eyes, he greets hardened New Yorkers with a kiss, and in the film’s funniest scene, he keeps a straight face while tossing a Southern dinner into utter havoc. Does he go too far? What sort of question is that for such a bold comic endeavor? If he goes too far, he takes most of the audience with him. Fox was foolish enough to listen to tracking studies and to yank this from a wider release at the last moment, yet the box office totals prove movie executives should know better than to do that. This is that rare comedy hit that deserves its success.
- Golden Door - This interesting take on a poor family immigrating from Italy to the United States of America veers from the usual course of such dramas by spending a third of the time in Sicily, a third on the boat, and a third on Ellis Island enduring the various processing and tests there. Not a single shot reveals the ‘new world’ to the audience, even though that is what the film’s original title actually translates as. This is explored at a deliberate pace. The director exchanges a quicker narrative for a poetic tone, and this allows several striking images that are some of the most beautiful, moving, wondrous sights I’ve seen on the big screen in some time. This is not novel material, but it is a unique, fresh way of presenting it. You’ll be too involved to consider how many times you’ve seen a similar scenario before.
Re: The Descent
I just wanted to thank you. "Golems in a Cave." Nice review!
But what I really want to accent is the proper use of diacritics in "déjà vu." I have the strangest feeling that I've seen it done before... but not often. I just wanted to thank you.
You are too kind. I'll take the compliments from the first paragraph and forward the second on to the people responsible for Microsoft's spell check dictionary... :)
I'm glad somebody other than myself enjoyed that first sentence, though... Thanks!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Will you IMDB-link me for the Plant you mention in your Babel review?
Whoops, sorry!
I'm talking Robert, lead singer of Led Zeppelin. They've got a trippy, stampeding song called Communication Breakdown. Certainly not a man renowned for subtlety... :)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
glad you enjoyed Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan , looks like this is gaining some great status as a posssible comedy classic
I haven't seen this sort of praise for a comedy in a loooong time...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Have you seen Children Of Men?
That's my pick for movie of the year, so far (even though there's a lot I haven't seen).
i know this question wasn't directed at me, but i have seen it. and i enjoyed it. i thought the pacing was a tad slow, but the performances and idea were top notch. well presented also.
It hasn't opened up here yet. I confess the preview has me a little worried. You dig it, eh?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I loved it. I thought it was brilliant. Rushmore's right when he says the pacing is a tad slow, but that doesn't matter, because once it picks up, it's an amazing ride.
At least, that's what I thought :P
I'll keep my eye open for it, then. Thanks!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Glad to see you loved Children Of Men :P
And I'm very glad to see I am not alone!
While the Oscar nominations this year are better than average, I still so wanted to see this film nab a Best Director nomination, although I knew chances were slight at best... Ah, well.
After all, they did give Best Picture to the hideous waste of film Crash last year... :)
And I won't cry if Scorsese finally grabs his gold.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I think Scorsese won't get it again. I personally think Clint Eastwood will probably steal all the statues from Martin again, like he did with Million Dollar Baby. But maybe the Academy will want to surprise everyone this year and actually give Scorsese what he's been deserving since the late '70s
I do have to admit my predictions almost never come true.
I think this is Marty's year, but who knows? Eastwood's film is getting a late release (I haven't had the chance to see it yet), so it could creep up...
I think Clint took that award from Scorsese fair and square, although I actually favored Leigh that year.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
hmmm maybe i'm just picking a film to crap on, but IMO Cars doesn't deserve to make the list. don't get me wrong, i love most of pixar's work, but this was bland. actually you describe it very well in your review "uninspired". i thought next to Bugs life it was their worst effort, bar the "he did what in the cups?" joke , there was very little for adults to enjoy. Pixar are usually so good and making movies that kids, teenagers and adults alike will love, this one falls short.
my key issue with this though, is it was missing the human aspect. even in bugs life there were references to humans, but for this you had to take yourself to a world you know didn't exist. i was hoping to god they would pan out at end and reveal an elaborate scale electric / toy car set in a kids room or something. but i couldn't buy into whole world of cars thingy.
Wanna know the truth?
I almost switched it out with The Descent, but I then thought, "Hey, they'll both probably get bumped off the list soon, so why bother?" :)
I do seem to have enjoyed the film more than you did, and I didn't have any problem jumping into the non-human world, but then my favorite Pixar flick probably is A Bug's Life, so...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ah, i see, i haven't seen the decent yet but want to as i enjoy horror films.
thats fair enough about bugs life. i liked bugs life more than cars, and i don't mean to be over critical of pixar. they make fantastic films. i think my issue with bugs life stems from the fact i'm more of an Antz man :) i guess this is where we differ on pixar lol i'll give bugs life another go soon, but i might wait a few years to try cars again :)
Fair 'nuff! :)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Glad to see Inland Empire here. :)
Thanks! I loved it, which was a something of a small surprise to me.
I've read a few reviews that were quite unkind.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Love your INLAND EMPIRE review. I can't wait.
Thank you! Seems this film is suffering from a severely limited release; the showing here in Tulsa had people from Boulder, Colorado in attendance. They drove down for the film only and afterward turned around and went back!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs