Top Ten Films of 2006

**DISCLAIMER**

I would like to state before getting to my list that I missed a number of films that I really wanted to see this year. I am almost positive that a number of these films would have made this “Top Ten List” if I had seen them. Please excuse the fact that I did not see these films: Notes on a Scandal, The Queen, Volver, Last King of Scotland, The Pursuit of Happyness, Blood Diamond, Half Nelson and Letters From Iwo Jima among others…

LIST IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

10.       Children of Men

I just wanted to put this film on the list simply because technically it is a marvelous work of art. Its selling points included stellar directing from Alfonso Cuaron and unbelievable cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki. It was enjoyable to watch Michael Caine in a role he obviously had fun with, and of course Clive Owen was great as usual. I didn’t really get into this film the first time because I was paying attention to the cinematography rather than the film, but I look forward to sitting back and taking it in a second time.

9.         The Prestige

I must say that I was very excited when I heard that Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman would be portraying dueling magicians in a film directed by Christopher Nolan. Being somewhat of a Batman buff, and enjoying Nolan’s other film Memento quite a bit, I was interested to see what he would do next. Now this film isn’t perfect by any means. At certain points it may be confusing, but like its title The Prestige which is the last part of a magic trick, it entertains. The performances are good all around especially from the leads. These two actors are really in a league of their own. They have some of the most diverse resumes around, and show some pretty good acting chops in this film. It also doesn’t hurt to have the great Michael Caine, and Scarlett Johansson in a corset either. 

8.         Little Miss Sunshine

A quirky, well written, well acted and well directed independent film. This is a true Ensemble film. Each performance is both unique and crucial to the success of this film. Stick a bunch of very different characters in a yellow VW bug that doesn’t work well and have them go on a road trip, and you sure have the ingredients for a fun film. It is not only funny, but truly has a heart.

7.         Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Some people may say this film is inferior compared to the others because it is a comedy. It is not only one of the funniest films of all time, but its lead Sacha Baron Cohen is so convincing in this film that you sympathize with his chauvinistic, racist foreigner Borat. It would have been funny if everything was scripted, but the fact that it was all real minus a few key parts makes it even more outstanding. This film surprised everyone by making millions of dollars and creating lawsuit after lawsuit. Whether you were a fan of Da Ali G Show or have never heard of this reporter from Kazakhstan, it is an experience not to be missed.

6.         Hard Candy

This is a small film that I think many people just simply didn’t notice. The entire film is more like a play than a conventional movie. It almost entirely takes place between two characters. Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page give two absolutely riveting performances as a sexual predator and his prey. It raises many questions, and forces the viewer to contemplate whose side they are actually on. It is suspenseful, the writing is tight and powerful, and it leaves you with one of those wide eyed expressions on your face when it’s over. This is a film not to be missed. Just take a look at the poster and tell me you aren’t the least bit interested.

5.         Pan's Labyrinth

First let me say that this is one of the most innovative and beautiful films in the last ten years. Guillermo Del Toro has essentially made a fairy tale for adults. It is dark enough to make you cringe, but has enough heart to bring out the child in you. Wonderful special effects, art direction, and cinematography take this film to a new level. I jut wish more people would go and see this film. To prove my point, I will end my comments with an exchange between to men in the bathroom following the movie.

GUY 1: “Dude, I can’t believe that movie had subtitles….If I wanted to read for 2 hours I would have gone to school!”

GUY 2: “Totally man, I mean…you couldn’t even understand what they were saying…if I knew it was in subtitles I wouldn’t have seen this movie.”

GUY 1: “Yeah, I think it was in Spanish? Yeah…I am pretty sure”. (NOTE: The film opens with SPAIN 1944)

GUY 2: “No dude, I think it was Portuguese or some crap”. Sorry Guillermo.

4.         Apocalypto

Say what you will about the guy, but Mel Gibson is a good filmmaker. I think a lot of people refused to see this film for a couple of reasons: The first reason is that it has no stars, it is in Mayan with subtitles, and deals with a civilization not often looked upon. The second and most likely is the films director. I think in order to be a lover of films, you have to be able to separate the lives of the people involved with the work. Let me give you two examples. Buddy Rich in many people’s opinion is the greatest Jazz Drummer of all time. I share this opinion. Although, he was also known to be a racist, bigot, and all around mean human being. Does that take away from his talent? Of course not. My Second example is Ty Cobb. He was one of the meanest baseball players to ever play the game. People would throw things at him from the stands during games because of their hatred of this guy. That doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the greatest players of all time. Now back to Apocalypto. This film is not only beautiful (nod to cinematographer Dean Semler) but actually has substance. I didn’t think that I would care about these characters going into this film. I heard comments and reviews saying that the gore was “too much” and it was “ultra violent for no reason”. I could not disagree more. The action in this film is tremendous, and I recommend that you see this film. For 2 hours, just forget who the director is, and enjoy a unique film.

3.         Babel

Babel is a film that manages to weave 4 storylines together involving two Moroccan boys with a rifle, an American tourist couple, a Japanese teen girl who is deaf/mute, and a Mexican nanny with two American children who go to Mexico. Sound confusing? Well, the film is not. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is used to this type of film. He made Amores Perros and 21 Grams in the same style and both those films were strong as well. Babel has two well known actors, and a mix of newcomers all coming together to create one unforgettable ensemble. Those two well known actors are Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett (Along with Kate Winslet, the best actress working). They both give great performances but it is the performances of the other actors who really stand out. My favorite performance is from the young actress Rinko Kikuchi. Above all, the reason this film works is because of the writer and the director. This is the third collaboration between Inarritu and writer Guillermo Arrianga. They both worked on Amores Perros and 21 Grams. It is obvious that when they come together for a film, each time something special is created.

2.         The Departed

Scorsese. DiCaprio. Damon. Nicholson. Baldwin. Wahlberg. Sheen. Best Scorsese film since Goodfellas. Remake of a good Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. Takes best parts of original, adds new elements in the mix, puts them in a blender, adds some alcohol, sex, and violence, and blends it up into one great Protein Shake of Awesomeness. Check out the original for a nice companion piece. 

1.         Little Children

I remember seeing the incredible trailer for this film, but never getting around to seeing the film. One night I just decided to see it and boy was I disappointed I didn’t go sooner. I really loved this film. The subject matter is dark, it can be depressing at times, and isn’t exactly a film you come out of smiling. It’s the sophomore effort from writer/director Todd Fields who helmed the film “In the Bedroom”. Little Children is based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta who also co-wrote the screenplay. It stars the brilliant Kate Winslet in an Oscar Nominated performance. She is so good in this film, and proves once again why she is one of the best actresses around. Also in the film are great performances from Jennifer Connelly, Patrick Wilson, and Noah Emmerich. Also there is a great performance from Oscar Nominated Jackie Earle Haley. You might remember him as the punk kid who joins the team in Bad News Bears. SEE THIS FILM: Plain and Simple.

HONORABLE MENTION: Casino Royale

Aside from being a little too long, this may be one of the best if not THE best Bond film to date. Daniel Craig steps into the 007 role like he trained for it since the womb. The critics all cried that a blonde Bond would ruin one of the most famous characters in history. After a viewing of this film each critic positioned their foot inside their mouth, and proceeded to slowly put their head up their ass. Finally, to answer the question of whether or not Daniel Craig IS bond, I can only quote a line from the film that my friends will all recognize: “Yes… Considerably.”