2006 Year in Review

As promised, and only a couple days late, I'll be posting my review of the movies I saw in 2006. For the record, I saw 38 movies this year in theaters (less than usual). I saw some of them (Blood Diamond) more than once, and I also saw several 2006 movies on video at home. For the purposes of this year end review, we’ll be looking specifically at movies that I saw in theaters during the 2006 movie year.

Here you will find a countdown of my top ten films of 2006, plus three honorable mentions that almost made the cut.

Honorable Mention
The Guardian
This film went back and forth between on and off this list. Originally I wanted to cut it because I’ve really seen the plot in this film a hundred times. There’s a mentor and his protégé, immense amounts of talent and a will to succeed, they both overcome personal obstacles and something dramatic happens at the end. This movie fits that to a tee. But two reasons are convincing me to put it back on the list. The first, is that I, and most other people, love this genre. It’s compelling, as we love watching people overcoming in triumph at the end. The second, is that the acting was fantastic. Kevin Costner these days tends to play the same basic role, that of the cool old guy, usually pretty grumpy in some way too. He’s still a cool old guy, but his role is a lot darker than usual. He’s dealing with some heavy personal demons, and takes out some of his aggression on the class at the Coast Guarding school he starts teaching at. Ashton Kutcher is an actor I’ve grown to respect a lot more this year. He can play a goofball, an idiot (yeah there’s a difference), and a serious young adult with his own demons. His character has personal tragedy, and it’s given him a rather selfish resolve to be the best. He craves praise and recognition, but Costner teaches him humility. The only unnecessary character I felt was Sela Ward as Costner’s wife, who served more as a useless plot device than actual character in the movie. Kutcher and Costner carry the movie, and really make an old genre new again with a great performance.

Honorable Mention
Thank You For Smoking
Aaron Eckhart plays a great con man. The truly scary thing about this movie is its basis in truth. Cigarette companies of the 80’s and 90’s really did try and stuff their faux science down our throats, tricking us into poisoning ourselves while paying them billions in profits. This leads to a inevitable preachy nature in the movie, but as an almost mockumentary, it’s to be expected. He pulls off the role as a conniving teller of half truths and is a master of spin, until he’s tripped up by Katie Holmes, who plays a reporter out to take him down. In one of the movie’s more interesting scenes, Eckhart is kidnapped by a group of anti-tobacco protestors, stuck with dozens of nicotine patches, and almost dies of an overdose. Ironically, the fact that he smokes actually saved his life, which he spins to the benefit of the industry. The main story is Eckhart’s journey from unfettered, immoral man who’d sell his soul for a buck to guy who feels a little bad maybe but tries extra hard to be an unfettered, immoral man who’d sell his soul for a buck. He’s a member of the MOD Squad (Merchants of Death), which include representatives of the tobacco, alcohol and firearms industries. They get together at regular weekly meetings to discuss the week’s trials and tribulations. His lack of repentance is a different take, when you consider that’s usually the part in the movie where he’d realize the error of his ways and go back to the light. The movie ends with the MOD Squad adding three new members, oil, nuclear energy and fast food. It’s a little unorthodox, but it has a great message, good acting, and it’s funny. Try to catch this one if you can.

Honorable Mention
Hoodwinked
The last of the honorable mentions was maybe the oddest CGI movie take I’ve seen to date on a classic fairy tale. It’s billed as the true story of Little Red Riding Hood. It takes a lot of classic fairy tales then flips them all on their heads. From a singing Billy Goat to a snowboarding granny, nothing is what it really seems in this whodunit that I think takes the now traditional standard of using old fairy tales with a new spin and takes it to the next level. They are bringing them up to date, instead of leaving them as period pieces and using that for the source of comedy. That and the slightly darker, rougher animation in some places had this movie stand out a bit from the rest.

Now on to the real winners:

# 10
An Inconvenient Truth
The only documentary to make the top ten this year, Al Gore’s legacy turned movie is eye opening and scary, but at the same time filled me with a sense of hope. The movie is basically a film version of the same presentation Gore has given all over the world for several decades now, with updated information. The only thing I didn’t like about this movie was that it was tied in with background story, an autobiography really, on Gore’s life. I don’t blame him for the free publicity, and it actually was interesting hearing about his struggles for the environment, but it was a jarring transition every time. The movie is full of scary facts and figures, and quite a bit of doom saying about what is to come, but that isn’t the impression they leave us with. Above the scare tactics, this movie is about empowerment. Gore is telling us to get up, stop being lazy, and to take command of the world around us, being forces for positive change rather than letting the world spiral out of control. He tells us where the pollution is coming from, what we can do to help, and what the grave consequences are for inaction. It was a bit annoying to have to pay eight bucks for what amounts to a PSA, but I’m still glad I saw it, and recommend this to every one that even owns a television.

# 9
Snakes on a Plane
Let’s not kid ourselves, Snakes on a Plane is one of those sinfully deliciously horrible movies. It sucked. But it was also one of the best times I’ve had at a movie in months. No one is pretending this was a seriously good movie, it was a farce, and it was meant to be a farce, perhaps one of the best ever. Samuel L. Jackson gave really the only performance worth mentioned, as a tough talking FBI agent whose name I honestly don’t remember. It was hysterical, it was brutal, it was vulgar, and jaw dropping. Half the fun of the movie was the people I saw it with. The collective shouts and screams, together with the cheers, applause and laughter made it an experience as much as just a day at the movies. I’ve seen it again since I saw it the first time, and was surprised to find I still like it. It was perhaps the most hotly anticipated movie of the year among my group of friends, and it didn’t disappoint. Save this one for a large gathering of friends, and don’t hesitate to scream at the screen and wildly gesticulate, trust me, it’s that kind of movie.

# 8
Over the Hedge
This was the most star studded of all the casts for CGI movies this year, and I think it paid off. Bruce Willis plays the lead, and comes off as a great mischievous raccoon. William Shatner is always a treat, here as an overacting possum. Steve Carrell was perfectly cast as the over-caffeinated squirrel. It’s much like the typical spate of CGI movies, funny little talking animals get together, a lesson is learned, the lead character grows, and with some amazing visual effects. But paying too much attention to a popular formula from the point of view of the viewer makes it very hard to enjoy an honestly hysterical and entertaining film. The voice acting was top notch. Those acting in this movie were chosen to fill niches, and the choices in casting were phenomenal. It was easily the best CGI movie of the year, and I’d be hard pressed to pick a better comedy for the year either. Over the Hedge wins hands down.

# 7
A Prairie Home Companion
This was one of the more unique films of the year. Conceived by and starring famed radio show host Garrison Keillor, Prairie Home is about the fictitious last showing of the real life show. The star laden cast work beautifully together, in what I would easily call the best ensemble cast of the year. Kevin Kline is hilarious, in a role he does best: straight man who is really an idiot. Woody Harrelson complements John C Reilly as a singing/comedy duo. Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep play their female counterparts, as the singing sisters Yolanda and Rhonda. They harmonize well, and I believe them as sisters who’ve had a long life together. There’s something delightfully folksy and real about them, and they really sound good together singing. It’s just an all around great movie. These people know it’s the last show, but they don’t so much go out with a bang as they do go out in style, doing the best show they can, like any other night but with a bittersweet undertone and memories abounding. It’s an offbeat movie, not in the mainstream, but you’d be wise to take a step out of line to watch it.

# 6
Click
Adam Sandler has long been the king of low brow comedy. There’s nothing intelligent about Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison. But we never cared because at the end of the day, they were funny. Which is no one ever really criticizes Adam Sandler as an actor, because he plays those dumb, low brow roles so well, the fact is we don’t ask any more of him, so we really don’t have any room to criticize. But with Click, Sandler rose above all his previous material. The Sandler comedy isn’t completely done, and he makes what looks like a gratuitous homage to his old immature humor (which really wasn’t even funny), but most of the movie is his transition into serious actor, or at least serious comedian. This movie is a roller coaster of emotion, especially the end, and I left wonderfully surprised by how drawn into the movie I was. It wasn’t just him and crazy antics involved with the remote (given to him by a hysterical Christopher Walken), it was his relationship with his wife and kids, and the price a father pays by being absent from those interactions. It tells the story of the cost in coasting through life, and how late we realize the things we really want out of life. It had my best friend in tears at the end, and I was a little misty eyed myself. It was a nice melding of comedy and serious drama, with fantastic acting, a good moral lesson, and a stunning crossover performance by Adam Sandler.

To say that the top five this year were hard to place is an understatement. All five of the following films were fantastic. The acting was superb, the plots largely original, the directing fantastic, and the movies themselves worthy of the highest praise. If I had it my way, I’d call it a five way tie (well, maybe not that drastic), but keep in mind when you see the numbers above the film titles that there is very little separating these films for the most part.

# 5
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
Oh no! A sequel? Yeah, usually that’s the same thing as signing a death warrant for a movie. Sequels are hit or miss. Either they’re born of the sort of squalor that breeds direct to DVD home movies, or they rise above their material and become better than the original. This movie had its flaws, such as what I think is 30 minutes of unnecessary footage of sailing and general shipboard stuff that I could have done without, and unnecessarily long sword fights. Don’t get me wrong, I love sword fights, but I’m watching a movie, not a fencing tutorial. The soundtrack was captivating, like the first one, and only the main themes were recycled by Hans Zimmer, leaving more than an hour of fresh new music. As always, Jack Sparrow as played by Johnny Depp was amazing. It’s a role that few could have envisioned before actually seeing him play it. Bill Nighy is a great addition to the cast as Davy Jones, and the CGI effects used to create his raiment are so good I was constantly wondering what was CGI and what was makeup (it’s all CGI). Nighy’s acting is easy to spot, as he often plays the same character, or at least different characters with the same vocal mannerisms, and is always spot on. This movie, like the first one, is fun, let me say that again, it’s fun! And it’s funny. It doesn’t have to be well acted (though it is) and it doesn’t have to have great effects (it does) if it’s as fun as this movie. The comedy as with its predecessor is golden, and the supporting actors do a very adequate job of backing Depp up. Many complained that the ending is a cheap shot, with the cliffhanger leaving us all in suspense for the final third movie, but May is right around the corner, and can anyone really complain that they didn’t get their money’s worth in this movie? Kudos to Verbinski and Depp for a great movie well made!

# 4
The Da Vinci Code
I admit to having never read the book, so I don’t know what inaccuracies may lie within this movie, but I have to say, it was a great ride! The fun with this movie, which plays out like a modern day Indiana Jones (only with fewer physical stunts than say, National Treasure), is that new revelations are always coming to the surface. New clues are always being discovered and unmasked, even to the last few minutes of the movie. Now as an historian in training, I can say that at least some of the history behind the movie is utter garbage, but if I can brush my niggling annoyances under the rug, I’m left with a fantastic piece of historical fiction. It’s funny, it’s shocking, the revelations about the history of Christianity and the results of multiple “what if” scenarios are mind boggling. And with each new shocking revelation, the movie turns viewers on their heads but doesn’t give them much time to figure it out before launching into the next set of clues and mysteries. The film is about the legacy of Leonardo da Vinci, and a secret passed down through two thousand years of Templars and their descendents. Tom Hanks plays the lead role, trying to avoid a secret Catholic sect called Opus Dei who are trying to stamp out the truth, and gets himself involved with something far larger than he ever could have suspected. His accomplice Audrey Tautou plays a French government cop who helps him get around another cop who is on their tale, a legion of duplicitous people who are never really friend or foe, and in the end discovers a new truth about herself as well. I was excited all through this movie, on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen, and nothing ever really disappointed me. What’s scary is the implications of this particular “what if,” that Jesus fathered a child with Mary Magdalen, and what repercussions it would have for the world. I can’t recommend this film enough.

# 3
Lucky Number Slevin
I have to admit I was slower than usual in guessing the outcome of this movie. I did get it, far before it was over, but even when the truth came out I was still a little bit blown away. This movie has a star studded cast, and none of them really disappoint. It features Josh Hartnett as misidentified Slevin, wanted by two different mob bosses for money he supposedly owes them. Both mob bosses give him a job to do, in order to erase the debts, but he’s also being followed by a very famous assassin. In the end, Slevin has an agenda of his own, which is complicated by the fact that he’s fallen in love with the real Slevin’s neighbor, played by Lucy Liu. The plot is fantastically original, and the acting is stellar. The end throws a few twists at the viewer that many might see coming, but they’re still fun to watch unfold. I should also mention the rather odd, yet appealing set design. The apartments in the movie all have their own distinct feel, which seems to scream 1970’s art deco, but there’s still something appealing about them that fits in with the feeling of the movie. Slevin gets high marks for acting and plot originality, and most important of all, it was just plain entertaining, which is all you can really ask from a movie.

# 2
V for Vendetta
V is the story of a weird futuristic Britain, ruled by a totalitarian lord who apparently finally got his way after being stymied by John Goodman in King Ralph. In this future, some songs are banned, there’s a curfew, there’s no freedom of speech, America is locked in a civil war, and government agents can break the law at will without fear of reprisal. The current government apparently took over after several outbreaks of a deadly disease that killed thousands before it was cured. It was blamed on terrorism, but that wasn’t where it really came from. Dissidents are cruelly repressed, but there’s one who stands out above them all. His name is V. His accomplice is a young girl named Evey, who after being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time is saved by V, and she subsequently saves him, and ends up an unwilling guest in his home. Meanwhile, V isn’t idle. His goal is to overthrow the corrupt government through any means possible. He mocks the government openly, and slowly over the course of a year convinces many people, through his acts of terrorism, to rise up against the government, while simultaneously killing several people that fit into his own private agenda. Evey is trapped in the middle, not wanting to be a part of it all, knowing what had happened to her parents, and knowing what would happen to her if the truth were discovered. The end is a stunning culmination of the movie’s events. Personally I was close to tears upon seeing the display it was so moving. The movie is artsy in a way, which I guess you might expect coming from a movie adapted from a comic book, but it’s also an amazing story of triumph, of using immoral acts to achieve a most moral and noble goal, and of one girl’s journey from terrified orphan to a woman without fear. The acting, mostly carried by the voice of Hugo Weaving and the terrified crying of Natalie Portman, is superb, as is the story itself. It’s a feel good movie, but of the darkest sort.

# 1
Blood Diamond
I can’t say enough about this film. It probably won’t be first on the list of any one else, but no other film this year had such a combination of fantastic acting, stunning effects, and a plot that makes me glad to be a human being. Leonardi DiCaprio gave an Oscar worthy performance as Danny Archer, a diamond smuggler in war torn Sierra Leone. Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly also gave stunning performances. Many complained about the preachy nature of the film, but I didn’t see it. I was too busy getting lost in the plot. A diamond smuggler who gets caught and ends up having to escort a poor fisherman whose family has been captured by blood diamond rebels to where he hid the mother of all diamonds. They fight there way through a brutal civil war, with a treacherous mercenary colonel, and everyone has their own secret, or not so secret, agenda. In the end however, they all change, not in the feel good fuzzy ending sort of way, but just enough make the best of a poor situation. None of them get everything they want, and some of them get nothing at all, and that’s part of the magic of the movie. It’s raw, and it’s real. There’s something agonizing in the way the diamond smuggler without morals is redeemed at the end, but the price he pays is also a price to the American reporter (Connelly), who in the end cares less about her vaunted story and more about the man she aims to get it from. But she gets her story, not the man. It’s heart wrenching, it’s captivating, and at the end of the day it’s a well put together story that never seems to end, though not in the drawn out sort of way, but rather in the way you never really want it to end, not until everything can come together perfectly. Like I said, Blood Diamond won’t be first on the list of probably any other reviewer out there, but of anything I’m looking forward to buying on DVD this year, this movie tops my list, and I wish heaps of awards on the team that put it together.