Movies I Saw: 2006
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...and not a moment too soon.
Here is a list of the movies I saw in 2006. My 2006 list is considerably shorter (by almost half) than years past, but I like to think that the number of quality movies I saw was about the same. I don't quite know if it's me or the movies of 2006, but I really wasn't in a movie-going mood this year. I'll see if 2007 is any different.
As always, these are movies that I saw this year in the theater, regardless of whether or not the movies came out in 2006 or not. And as always, the movies are listed in "favorite" order, as opposed to "best" order.
Without further ado, here's the list:
1. United 93
I went into this movie highly skeptical that the material would be handled maturely. I was pretty certain that the filmmakers would over-dramatize the events of flight 93, thusly robbing the built-in drama of the flight in favor of Hollywood sentimentality and melodrama. Boy was I wrong. From his documentary style direction which put you into the action, to his tasteful choice of not filling the movie with top Hollywood stars, Director Paul Greengrass created a cinematic experience unlike any other from 2006.
What's amazing to me is that by making the movie into a kind of fictionalized documentary, he was really able to show the bravery of the men and women aboard United 93. The movie honored their sacrifice. And beyond that, it moved me like no other movie I've seen this year (with the possible exception of "V for Vendetta," which I'll get to later). And for these reasons, "United 93" was both the best and my most favorite movie of 2006.
2. V for Vendetta
Watching this movie was almost as politically awakening as reading "Johnny Got His Gun." I am a bit amazed that a mainstream movie studio would release a movie as politically charged as this movie. I don't want to turn this into a political diatribe so I'll keep this brief, but I am thoroughly concerned about a great number of things happening in our government. I honestly think that our country is in a lot more trouble than we like to think it is, so I was probably a little more custom built to like this movie than most people I know. Sometimes it takes a movie like this for me to realize that things can change, and that should the need ever arise (has it already?), a revolution can be total, absolute, and relatively un-bloody. Again, this isn't the best made movie of the year, but this is the only movie I saw all year that literally made me want to stand up and applaud at the end.
3. Borat
What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? "Borat" showed Sacha Baron Cohen at the top of his game, though Sacha Baron Cohen is *always* at the top of his game. The movie was everything I wanted it to be, subversive, dangerous, and ultimately, very very funny.
I'm always a little nervous when funny characters attempt the jump from television to screen. It's always weird seeing your favorite characters trying to navigate a feature length movie, but I really liked the way "Borat" was filmed. The movie held true to it's documentary format, yet there was just enough narrative to move the story along.
4. The Science of Sleep
Sometimes, I really get to thinking that Hollywood has truly run out of ideas and imagination, but then a director like Michel Gondry releases a movie like "The Science of Sleep," which completely takes me to another place. As I said in my introduction, this list isn't about "the best," because honestly, there are quite a few things which kind of bug me about this movie. But where the movie lacks in a cohesive plot, it more than makes up for in sheer imagination and whimsy. Whereas "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was a little more straightforward, well, straightforward for a Michel Gondry film, "The Science of Sleep" was a complete flight of fancy. The plot is very loose, to the point of being almost non-existent, but the visuals and set-pieces were good enough to not only keep me interested, but to keep me thoroughly engaged in what was happening on the screen.
5. Superman Returns
I may be alone in this sentiment, but I really dug the hell out of this movie. Was it perfect? No! Was it as good as "Batman Begins?" No! But I think the movie really succeeds in bringing Superman back to the screen for a new generation of moviegoers. This is also a movie that you can tell will produce a better sequel.
6. An Inconvenient Truth
This movie changed my life. I've always been environmentally conscious, but now, I make it a point to (almost) always live my life with regard to how it will impact the environment. The movie was quite amazing, especially considering most of it was a powerpoint presentation, but when the subject matter is as interesting and important as the environment, how could it by anything but interesting and engaging?
7. Dave Chappelle's Block Party
This movie was just fun, fun, fun. I really don't like concert films, but when you bring together the artists that Chappelle brought together, how could it have been anything but cool? It's pretty rare when movies and television showcase great hip-hop, but Chappelle has managed to showcase great hip-hop with both his television show and movie.
8. Brokeback Mountain
Wonderful movie. Here's my checklist. Good acting? Check. Beautifully shot? Check. Great direction? Check. Great music? Check. I haven't seen such a beautifully photographed movie since "Dances with Wolves."
9. Munich
Great movie, but like most of Spielberg's new movies, the message gets heavy handed in the end. I appreciate Spielberg's even-handedness, but I think this movie would have been better had it been directed by a different director, maybe someone who wasn't quite so sentimental.
10. Inside Man
One of the strangest of Spike Lee's Joints. It has the obvious racial tension that most of his other movies have, and the movie tackled the tensions and anxieties of New Yorkers like most his other movies do, yet it's by far his most commercial venture. I really liked this movie. I thought it had one of the most original twist endings that I've ever seen on a movie.
11. World Trade Center
2006 saw Spike Lee and Oliver Stone venture into more commercial terrain. I don't want to say that this was Oliver Stone's best movie, but it was very obviously one of his most heartfelt. I can tell that he really cared a lot about the subject matter, and that he wanted to make sure and honor all those who lost their lives on September 11th. Maria Bello's ULTRA BLUE contact lenses were a distraction, but little else was. I really liked how he shot all of the footage of the trapped police officers. You can tell that he really got the actors to "go there" and give the performances of their lives.
12. Cars
I'm genuinely curious: when is Pixar going to make a bad movie? The better question is, when will they make a mediocre movie? People keep saying that they're due, yet "Cars" continues the streak of Pixar excellence. Beautiful animation, wonderful voice acting (probably their specialty), and wonderful story. I dug the hell out of this movie.
13. Stranger Than Fiction
Not one of the best "meta" movies of recent memory, but I had a really great time at this movie. It had me smiling from beginning to end. I'm not entirely sold on Will Ferrell as a dramatic actor, but I think he could be well on his way.
14. Strangers With Candy
Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, and Amy Sedaris. That's all I have to say. If you like these comedians and improv artists, you'll love this movie. It's really friggin' funny.
15. Mission Impossible 3
I thought this movie was a lot of fun. It was a great popcorn action flick, but it also was a little more in-depth than the other Mission Impossible movies. Along with LOST, MI3 has made me a permanent fan of Mr. JJ Abrams. Although, fans who have seen both this and Alias say that everything he did well in MI3, he did better in Alias, so that makes me insanely curious about that show.
16. Snakes on a Plane
Fun, fun, fun. I liked that "SoaP" was just a fun ass movie. If the prospect of seeing snakes terrorize a plane sounds like fun to you, then I think you'll probably like this movie.
17. The Fountain
This is one of those movies that I'm not really sure where I stand on. It's very well made, and the movie is beautifully shot, yet I really felt indifferent about what I saw on screen. I'd like to see the movie again, because I think the themes explored in the movie are really interesting, but the movie left me a little off-put.
18. X-Men 3
X3 was a very serviceable comic book movie. It wasn't on par with X1 or X2. But yeah, the movie was just "aight."
19. TransAmerica
Felicity Huffman got robbed at the Academy Awards. I like how the movie tackled transgender issues without turning its transgender protagonist into a cariacature. It seemed to be a very honest movie, which I really liked.
20. Thank You For Smoking
Hmmm...this movie probably deserves to rank higher, but I seem to remember it being a tad more style than substance. I think that it tackled very tricky subject matter in very thought provoking and interesting ways, but I...yeah, style over substance.
21. Pirates of the Caribbean
This was one of my big disappointments of the year. I really liked the first Pirates movie, but this one felt flat and a tad bit dumb. The first movie was all about fun and adventure. The second movie took itself WAY too seriously. You shouldn't try and turn a sequel into "The Empire Strikes Back" unless the subject matter is there. This franchise doesn't have the material for a huge dramatic shift, so yeah, it felt a little bloated and self-important.
22. The Break-Up
Kinda clever, kinda funny, but not altogether memorable. The whole Vince Vaughn thing is getting a bit old.
23. The Notorious Betty Page
Well acted, well shot, but really flat. I really felt indifferent about everything that happened on screen. That's a shame, because the subject matter begged for a more personal touch.
24. The Da Vinci Code
Blah, blah, blah. Tom Hanks hair sucked. Choosing an albino as one of the main villains sucked. The movie wasn't nearly controversial or interesting enough to hold my interest. Even worse, it didn't make me want to read the book at all.
25. Failure to Launch
Matt Mac and Sarah J. Parker going through the motions. Like "The Break Up," it wasn't nearly clever or interesting enough to hold my attention. I did like Patton Oswalt's cameo.
26. The Omen
Cheese factory. Just bad and dumb and not worth the time.
27. Clerks 2
Not clever. Not well acted. Dumb. Not even in the same league as "Clerks" or any of Kevin Smith's other movies. Shit, he didn't even have a good SW reference or analysis. Congratulations "Clerks 2," I hated you more than any other movie of 2006. Take a bow.
Here is a list of the movies I saw in 2006. My 2006 list is considerably shorter (by almost half) than years past, but I like to think that the number of quality movies I saw was about the same. I don't quite know if it's me or the movies of 2006, but I really wasn't in a movie-going mood this year. I'll see if 2007 is any different.
As always, these are movies that I saw this year in the theater, regardless of whether or not the movies came out in 2006 or not. And as always, the movies are listed in "favorite" order, as opposed to "best" order.
Without further ado, here's the list:
1. United 93
I went into this movie highly skeptical that the material would be handled maturely. I was pretty certain that the filmmakers would over-dramatize the events of flight 93, thusly robbing the built-in drama of the flight in favor of Hollywood sentimentality and melodrama. Boy was I wrong. From his documentary style direction which put you into the action, to his tasteful choice of not filling the movie with top Hollywood stars, Director Paul Greengrass created a cinematic experience unlike any other from 2006.
What's amazing to me is that by making the movie into a kind of fictionalized documentary, he was really able to show the bravery of the men and women aboard United 93. The movie honored their sacrifice. And beyond that, it moved me like no other movie I've seen this year (with the possible exception of "V for Vendetta," which I'll get to later). And for these reasons, "United 93" was both the best and my most favorite movie of 2006.
2. V for Vendetta
Watching this movie was almost as politically awakening as reading "Johnny Got His Gun." I am a bit amazed that a mainstream movie studio would release a movie as politically charged as this movie. I don't want to turn this into a political diatribe so I'll keep this brief, but I am thoroughly concerned about a great number of things happening in our government. I honestly think that our country is in a lot more trouble than we like to think it is, so I was probably a little more custom built to like this movie than most people I know. Sometimes it takes a movie like this for me to realize that things can change, and that should the need ever arise (has it already?), a revolution can be total, absolute, and relatively un-bloody. Again, this isn't the best made movie of the year, but this is the only movie I saw all year that literally made me want to stand up and applaud at the end.
3. Borat
What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? "Borat" showed Sacha Baron Cohen at the top of his game, though Sacha Baron Cohen is *always* at the top of his game. The movie was everything I wanted it to be, subversive, dangerous, and ultimately, very very funny.
I'm always a little nervous when funny characters attempt the jump from television to screen. It's always weird seeing your favorite characters trying to navigate a feature length movie, but I really liked the way "Borat" was filmed. The movie held true to it's documentary format, yet there was just enough narrative to move the story along.
4. The Science of Sleep
Sometimes, I really get to thinking that Hollywood has truly run out of ideas and imagination, but then a director like Michel Gondry releases a movie like "The Science of Sleep," which completely takes me to another place. As I said in my introduction, this list isn't about "the best," because honestly, there are quite a few things which kind of bug me about this movie. But where the movie lacks in a cohesive plot, it more than makes up for in sheer imagination and whimsy. Whereas "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was a little more straightforward, well, straightforward for a Michel Gondry film, "The Science of Sleep" was a complete flight of fancy. The plot is very loose, to the point of being almost non-existent, but the visuals and set-pieces were good enough to not only keep me interested, but to keep me thoroughly engaged in what was happening on the screen.
5. Superman Returns
I may be alone in this sentiment, but I really dug the hell out of this movie. Was it perfect? No! Was it as good as "Batman Begins?" No! But I think the movie really succeeds in bringing Superman back to the screen for a new generation of moviegoers. This is also a movie that you can tell will produce a better sequel.
6. An Inconvenient Truth
This movie changed my life. I've always been environmentally conscious, but now, I make it a point to (almost) always live my life with regard to how it will impact the environment. The movie was quite amazing, especially considering most of it was a powerpoint presentation, but when the subject matter is as interesting and important as the environment, how could it by anything but interesting and engaging?
7. Dave Chappelle's Block Party
This movie was just fun, fun, fun. I really don't like concert films, but when you bring together the artists that Chappelle brought together, how could it have been anything but cool? It's pretty rare when movies and television showcase great hip-hop, but Chappelle has managed to showcase great hip-hop with both his television show and movie.
8. Brokeback Mountain
Wonderful movie. Here's my checklist. Good acting? Check. Beautifully shot? Check. Great direction? Check. Great music? Check. I haven't seen such a beautifully photographed movie since "Dances with Wolves."
9. Munich
Great movie, but like most of Spielberg's new movies, the message gets heavy handed in the end. I appreciate Spielberg's even-handedness, but I think this movie would have been better had it been directed by a different director, maybe someone who wasn't quite so sentimental.
10. Inside Man
One of the strangest of Spike Lee's Joints. It has the obvious racial tension that most of his other movies have, and the movie tackled the tensions and anxieties of New Yorkers like most his other movies do, yet it's by far his most commercial venture. I really liked this movie. I thought it had one of the most original twist endings that I've ever seen on a movie.
11. World Trade Center
2006 saw Spike Lee and Oliver Stone venture into more commercial terrain. I don't want to say that this was Oliver Stone's best movie, but it was very obviously one of his most heartfelt. I can tell that he really cared a lot about the subject matter, and that he wanted to make sure and honor all those who lost their lives on September 11th. Maria Bello's ULTRA BLUE contact lenses were a distraction, but little else was. I really liked how he shot all of the footage of the trapped police officers. You can tell that he really got the actors to "go there" and give the performances of their lives.
12. Cars
I'm genuinely curious: when is Pixar going to make a bad movie? The better question is, when will they make a mediocre movie? People keep saying that they're due, yet "Cars" continues the streak of Pixar excellence. Beautiful animation, wonderful voice acting (probably their specialty), and wonderful story. I dug the hell out of this movie.
13. Stranger Than Fiction
Not one of the best "meta" movies of recent memory, but I had a really great time at this movie. It had me smiling from beginning to end. I'm not entirely sold on Will Ferrell as a dramatic actor, but I think he could be well on his way.
14. Strangers With Candy
Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, and Amy Sedaris. That's all I have to say. If you like these comedians and improv artists, you'll love this movie. It's really friggin' funny.
15. Mission Impossible 3
I thought this movie was a lot of fun. It was a great popcorn action flick, but it also was a little more in-depth than the other Mission Impossible movies. Along with LOST, MI3 has made me a permanent fan of Mr. JJ Abrams. Although, fans who have seen both this and Alias say that everything he did well in MI3, he did better in Alias, so that makes me insanely curious about that show.
16. Snakes on a Plane
Fun, fun, fun. I liked that "SoaP" was just a fun ass movie. If the prospect of seeing snakes terrorize a plane sounds like fun to you, then I think you'll probably like this movie.
17. The Fountain
This is one of those movies that I'm not really sure where I stand on. It's very well made, and the movie is beautifully shot, yet I really felt indifferent about what I saw on screen. I'd like to see the movie again, because I think the themes explored in the movie are really interesting, but the movie left me a little off-put.
18. X-Men 3
X3 was a very serviceable comic book movie. It wasn't on par with X1 or X2. But yeah, the movie was just "aight."
19. TransAmerica
Felicity Huffman got robbed at the Academy Awards. I like how the movie tackled transgender issues without turning its transgender protagonist into a cariacature. It seemed to be a very honest movie, which I really liked.
20. Thank You For Smoking
Hmmm...this movie probably deserves to rank higher, but I seem to remember it being a tad more style than substance. I think that it tackled very tricky subject matter in very thought provoking and interesting ways, but I...yeah, style over substance.
21. Pirates of the Caribbean
This was one of my big disappointments of the year. I really liked the first Pirates movie, but this one felt flat and a tad bit dumb. The first movie was all about fun and adventure. The second movie took itself WAY too seriously. You shouldn't try and turn a sequel into "The Empire Strikes Back" unless the subject matter is there. This franchise doesn't have the material for a huge dramatic shift, so yeah, it felt a little bloated and self-important.
22. The Break-Up
Kinda clever, kinda funny, but not altogether memorable. The whole Vince Vaughn thing is getting a bit old.
23. The Notorious Betty Page
Well acted, well shot, but really flat. I really felt indifferent about everything that happened on screen. That's a shame, because the subject matter begged for a more personal touch.
24. The Da Vinci Code
Blah, blah, blah. Tom Hanks hair sucked. Choosing an albino as one of the main villains sucked. The movie wasn't nearly controversial or interesting enough to hold my interest. Even worse, it didn't make me want to read the book at all.
25. Failure to Launch
Matt Mac and Sarah J. Parker going through the motions. Like "The Break Up," it wasn't nearly clever or interesting enough to hold my attention. I did like Patton Oswalt's cameo.
26. The Omen
Cheese factory. Just bad and dumb and not worth the time.
27. Clerks 2
Not clever. Not well acted. Dumb. Not even in the same league as "Clerks" or any of Kevin Smith's other movies. Shit, he didn't even have a good SW reference or analysis. Congratulations "Clerks 2," I hated you more than any other movie of 2006. Take a bow.
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