Posted on 12/29/2006 11:25:58 PM PST by L.A.Justice
The most striking distinction between the prestige pictures of 2005 and those of 2006 involves an unmistakable effort on the part of Hollywood to step back from in-your-face leftist politics.
Last time, radical message movies like “Syriana,” “Munich,” “Broke Back Mountain,” “North Country,” “Good Night and Good Luck,” and “Paradise Now” dominated many year end “best” lists. This time, even Oliver Stone stayed away from political preaching with his compelling 9/11 melodrama “World Trade Center.” Some of the better movies of 2006 certainly touched on significant contemporary issues (“Blood Diamond,” “The Queen,” “United 93,” “The Last King of Scotland” and others) but they did so without aligning themselves with a partisan point of view. This year, documentaries (“An Inconvenient Truth,” “Shut Up and Sing,” “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, “Jesus Camp”) did the cinematic dirty work of promulgating leftist messages, while major movies returned to their traditional role of engaging the emotions and providing an artistic (rather than hectoring) experience for the audience.
Herewith, my list of the Ten Best of the Year, in ascending order of excellence---
10. BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN- Sure, it’s crude and rude and occasionally mean, but it’s also hilarious – providing more raucous, uncontrollable laughter than any comedy of recent years. The lawsuits and complaints that followed release of this startlingly original effort only underlined the unprecedented comic genius of Sacha Baron Cohen, who also happened to create one of the year’s most vivid, engaging and fully realized characters.
9. FLYBOYS. The fact that nobody saw this rousing, richly entertaining, crowd-pleasing gem helps to explain the shameful lack of broader recognition. Director Tony Bill showed extraordinary devotion, dedication and flair in re-telling the true story of the Lafayette Escadrille – the volunteer American pilots who fought for France before our own country entered World War I. In addition to creating a dozen endearing, indelible characters, the film provides the most thrilling scenes of aerial combat ever captured on film.
8. LASSIE. Not only the best family movie of the year, but one of the great dog movies of all time. Peter O’Toole makes a memorable appearance in this lovingly crafted retelling of the original 1930’s tale of “Lassie, Come Home,” in which a courageous Collie successfully traverses hundreds of miles of gorgeous highlands scenery to reconnect with her master, the young son of an unemployed coal miner. Among female stars this year, only Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep showed more emotional range than this intelligent, complex and luminous Lassie—an incomparably charismatic canine super star.
7. THE DEPARTED. You expect great performances from a Martin Scorsese film but you can’t necessarily count on a smart script or taut pacing or a satisfying plot. This triumph, however, delivers on all counts and represents one of his finest efforts since MEAN STREETS some thirty years ago. The twisty, complicated story keeps you guessing till the very end about fates and intentions of its dazzlingly diverse characters, played by the distinguished likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen.
6. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA. Clint Eastwood’s heart-breaking vision of the Japanese side of one of the great battles of World War II, this subtitled battlefield classic exceeds the acknowledged excellence of its American-perspective counterpart (”Flags of Our Fathers”). Through directorial alchemy and consistently capable performances, Eastwood makes the suicidal intensity of the doomed Imperial defenders look believable, if not comprehensible. Far from a whitewash of a fanatical enemy, the film highlights both the best (with a compassionate commander played by the great Ken Watanabe) and the worst of the Japanese militarist traditions.
5. APOCALYPTO. If his drunk-driving arrest and its accompanying comments hadn’t rendered him radioactive among his colleagues, Mel Gibson would be heavily favored as an Oscar nominee both for Best Picture and Best Director. From its opening shot, “Apocalypto” grabs you by the neck and plunges a syringe full of undadulterated adrenalin into your blood stream as one of the great chase movies of all time. The recreation of Mayan savagery of 500 years ago challenges every notion of political correctness in the interest of breathtaking, unforgettable historical recreation. Gibson deserves kudos not only for the emotional satisfactions of his stirring tale but for capturing the singular, sci-fi strangeness of ancient Mesoamerican civilization.
4. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS. Leave aside the spelling error in the title (based on a real-life graffiti quirk on a San Francisco wall in the ‘70’s), because this heart-tugging classic makes almost no errors in its captivating story telling. Will Smith will win an Oscar nomination for his performance as Chris Gardner, a frustrated salesman who copes with abandonment by his disapproving wife (Thandie Newton) and a painful spate of homelessness with his son (played by Smith’s irresistible off-screen seven-year-old son, Jaden). This true story ultimately affirms fatherhood, faith, hard work, optimism and the American Dream while inspiring free-flowing affection for its heroic characters.
3. THE QUEEN. This filmic passport into the private world of Queen Elizabeth II provides such an unblushing, intimate glimpse of the aging monarch that you almost feel like a guilty spy. Helen Mirren’s performance qualifies as one of the indubitably great achievements by any actress in any film: she not only imitates Elizabeth’s speech, appearance and mannerisms with altogether uncanny accuracy, but seems to capture her richly appealing essence and her noble, ultimately selfless soul. Michael Sheen also captures the essential decency of Tony Blair, highlighting his eminently useful, constructive role as the new Prime Minister who helped to save the monarchy in the turbulent week after the death of Princess Dianna. “The Queen” counts as one of those rare films where you sincerely, passionately regret the end of the picture, because you’re suddenly separated from the admirable, fully-realized human beings with whom you just shared an unforgettable experience.
2. UNITED 93. It took five years before Hollywood offered a serious cinematic treatment of the darkest day in recent history, and it took a British director (the superb Paul Greengrass) to recreate the experiences and emotions of 9/11 without the slightest hint of political bias or ideological axes to grind. The scenes of Air Traffic Controllers struggling with unimaginable realities, and of Air Force officials trying to respond to unprecedented multiple hijackings, emphasize the well-intentioned, fatal and totally predictable confusion that afflicted the only Americans who could have counteracted the implacable terrorist murderers – who are also brought to life here with conviction, complexity and suprirsing humanity. Among contemporary films, only “The Passion of the Christ” can rival “United 93” in delivering overwhelming emotional impact with a story whose conclusion we all know in advance.
1. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. Hysterically funny, deeply touching, occasionally shocking, this wildly original ensemble comedy highlights film’s amazing ability to create an on-screen family that seems as demented, demanding and endearing as your own eccentric relatives in real life. Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette take this seven-year-old daughter (the amazing, Oscar worthy Abigail Breslin) on an ill-fated road trip to participate in a tacky kiddie beauty pageant. Along the way, Collette’s suicidal gay brother (Steve Carell) and teenaged, vow-of-silence son (Paul Dano), interact with the porn-and-drug addicted grandpa (Alan Arkin). Despite salty elements that make the film appropriate only for adults, “Miss Sunshine” conveys an unmistakable pro-family message: the members of your clan may count as maddening and dysfunctional, but you ultimately need and love each other as irreplaceable, essential and life-giving. The vivid, vibrant characterizations provide enough fully-realized, expertly rendered individual portraits to populate a half-dozen excellent movies: concentrated in this spell-binding, laugh-out-loud adventure, there’s an overflow of rewards and abundant “Sunshine” (through some tears).
HONORABLE MENTION: “Flags of Our Fathers,” “Babel,” “Barnyard” (Best animated film of the year), “Blood Diamond,” “The Devil Wears Prada.”
AND NOW (as they say in Monty Python land) for something completely different….
THE TEN WORST OF 2006---
… in ascending order of awfulness
10. PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (never before in Hollywood history have so many Oscar winners and nominees collaborated on a film that offers so little to its weary audiences— an crushingly dull, utterly empty farewell to the late director Robert Altman)
9. JACKASS NUMBER TWO
8. THE HILLS HAVE EYES
7. ALEX RIDER: OPERATION STORMBREAKER
6. THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT
5. LADY IN THE WATER
4. JESUS CAMP
3. THE GOOD GERMAN
2. LARRY THE CABLE GUY: HEALTH INSPECTOR
1. DECK THE HALLS—Even worse, more tasteless than Danny DeVito’s appearance on ABC’s “The View” --- one of the very worst Christmas movies ever made.
May the New Year bring us better news, more compelling politicians, and more entertaining movies……
Michael Medved is, IMHO, the smartest guy on the radio today. He absolutely kicks the @## of anyone who is stupid enough to debate him. He does it without invective, and without ad hominem attacks. He does it purely with facts and logic. I always pity liberals who are foolish enough to argue with him, because they're slap boxing with a lion.
>>>I would include CASINO ROYALE in my best 10 list for 2006.<<<
Absolutely. It is one of the best action films of all time, IMO.
I agree with Medved on The Departed, Apocalypto, and Flyboys -- all excellent movies in every way. But his choice of Little Miss Sunshine as the best movie is bizarre. His choice of Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector in the bottom 10 is also strange (I personally love slapstick humor). I would have included that film and Blood Diamond in the top 10.
>>>What about "Cars?"<<<
Good movie.
I saw Shepherd. It's a much better movie if you're actually familiar with the history of that era, as it makes some interesting allusions to real stories and figures such as James Jesus Angleton, Allen Dulles, and Kim Philby. If those stories interest you, the movie can be considered "ok." Otherwise, the movie is extremely slow, not much actually happens, and most plot twists are left to allusion. I really wish Deniro had went deeper into some of the history, such as preparation for the Bay of Pigs, that sort of thing. It definitely is a trying movie, but if you have a prior interest in the CIA/KGB battle in the early part of the Cold War I think you will approve of it.
And the torture scene concerning the Russian spy was, in reality, much worse....the real episode lasted about three years.
>>>The Illusionist<<<
I almost forgot about this one. It is an excellent movie.
I also liked Inside Man and RV.
bttt for later
I enjoyed "A Good Year" with Russel Crowe, directed by Ridley Scott. It was just a light hearted bit of fun.
If anyone but Oliver Stone had laid a stinkbomb like Alexander on the box office, his career would be in utter ruins. But of course, being a leftist tool allows one to make unlimited numbers of staggering failures with no consequences.
I refused to see World Trade Center when it came out, no matter how good or unpolitical people said it was, because I just knew (and still do know) that Stone will more than make up for it with some outrageous piece of leftist garbage at some point down the road. And I will not support that in any way.
It'll be interesting to compare/contrast this film with The Prestige.
BTW, The Illusionist is based on Steven Millhauser short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist". It looks like the collection that story's in is back in print (for awhile it sold for over $150.00!) and it's also in Datlow /Windling's Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Third Annual Collection for even less.
Absolutely, and then some... then again, it's probably the funniest movie I have ever seen in my life. I honestly have never laughed so hard.
>>>I enjoyed "A Good Year" with Russel Crowe, directed by Ridley Scott. It was just a light hearted bit of fun.<<<
I have not seen that one, but every Russel Crowe film I have seen to date has been excellent. I particularly liked "Gladiator", "Master and Commander", and "The Insider".
Apocalypto - my fave movie of this year
I'm sure I'll like "Blood Diamond" even though it's probably the liberal take on things. Have not seen it yet
It definitely deserves to be in the top 10, and would make my top 3.
I would have included Happy Feet in that list of best movies.
It's official. We cannot be movie partners. I HATED "Happy Feet".
= )
It's not an action flick, but more a romantic comedy. Amusing, but in an adult way, not the sophmoric humor one usually encounters.
Stars Matt Damon and Alec Baldwin sewed it up for me.
Won't spend my money to support them.
I know it was from last year, but skip the Clint Eastwood with the made up scenes of compassionate Japanese soldiers and rent "The Great Raid". It's excellent.
My uncle who was in the Bataan death march and POW camp said it was very true to life of what he experienced.
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I don't get it either. I hear that a lot of what happens in Hollywood involves pleasing people who somehow hold the purse strings but know nothing about making movies. So, a meddlesome studio rep will change a script or mess with the editing or just make everyone's lives miserable because they can.
There are some directors with the tact and force of will to keep these yahoos at bay, but then that doesn't mean you'll get a good product-- just the imprint of another strong personality.
George Lucas is an interesting case: Fans hoped that when he started the Star Wars prequels, it would just be "pure Lucas. No interference from the suits." Well, Phantom Menace was pure Lucas all the way and it begat Jar-Jar Binks; an annoying kid; a see-through villain, a wonky story; "midichlorians" to explain The Force; and a bunch of pissed-off fans.
Not that it mattered. The movies were still hugely popular with a lot of people all over the world that made hundreds of millions apiece at the box office. And that's before we get into the merchandising! In terms of money, the ony thing that matters in Hollywood, Star Wars—warts and all—is huge and will probably always be. If only we could all fail so well!
If it's still playing in town, go see "For Your Consideration." It's a comedy about a how a film and the surrounding buzz is generated. You'll get a much better understanding about how a movie is put through the ringer.
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