As the 2006 year in movies comes to a close, I give you lists- best, worst, disappointments and surprises. If people actually read this and enjoy it, maybe I'll make it an annual thing. If not, hell, I'll probably still do it because I love movies that much. Here we go!
10 best movies:
In all honesty, the best movie of this year is a movie called United 93. This movie, though, transcends regular movies because of the emotion infused within the making of and the watching of this movie. Therefore I am not adding it to my actual top 10 list. However, everyone in our country should see this movie because it marks one of the most courageous and tragic moments in the history of our country.
10. Wordplay- This was a fun enlightening documentary about crossword puzzles. John Stewart really steals the film, but overall it was just a really good movie.
9. Lucky Number Slevin- Not enough people saw this incredibly well scripted movie. Yes, the plot twists can be seen from miles away but when the dialogue is this funny and this fast, you can overlook such things!
8.Clerks 2- No it isn't for everyone but this is Kevin Smith at his very best. I was unsure he could outdo Clerks, but seriously the script for this film is probably one of my 5 favorites ever. Plus, any argument over LOTR and Star Wars is one I am voting for!
7. Flag of our Father- I am not the biggest war film guy, but this one really stuck with me. The time switching, the story, the acting and of course, Clint, make this a fantastic film.
6. Casino Royale- Bond is back and better than ever. Gritty, bloody and filthy seems to suit the new and very improved Bond. Close action and no over the top invisible cars, make this the single best action movie of 2006.
5. Little Miss Sunshine- On paper it was a bad SNL skit, but on screen it was magical. A delightful take on a road trip movie featuring some great performances all around.
4. Thank you for Smoking- The comedy in this film has some serious bite and it all works because of Aaron Eckhart's fantastic performance. The movie moves, is hilarious and makes you think, even if just for a second.
3. Blood Diamonds- Leo had himself quite a year, didn't he. However, he was not the sole reason this movie worked. It was bloody but not in a glorifying way. It had a bit of that bleeding heart liberal bias, but it was so good it didn't matter.
2. The Departed- I have been disappointed in Scorcese's last 2 movies and so this was awelcome breath of fresh air. Everything about this movie works and works perfectly. The performances are mesmerizing, the story interesting and Scorcese moves at the perfect pace for this intense piece of art.
1. The Prestige- I have not enjoyed a non hobbit movie this much in many years. Director Chris Nolan gets the most out of his actors and don't be fooled by everyone saying they saw the twist coming, because 90% of those people are lying! The movie is basically perfect filmmaking and nothing more needs to be said about it
5 worst movies:
5. The Da Vinchi Code- Everything that was wrong with the novel was wrong on screen as well. It was sluggish with horrible dialogue and Tom Hanks is at his Tooner and Hooch like worst here.
4. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift- The only good thing about this movie is the fun Erik and I had making fun of it the entire movie. It is worthless and even amazing looking cars and even more amazing looking girls couldn't save this garbage.
3. Grandma's boy- The least funny movie I have seen in a few years with some of the worst casting choices and even worse script decisions. They rip off Dane Cook, and don't do it well and nothing in this thing is even watchable in any way.
2. The Grudge 2- I didn't even make to the end of this movie, yet it only ranks number 2, which goes to show how much I hated the movie that comes in at number 1. There is no story here and the deaths are not interesting. Horribly un scary in every way.
1.Pirate of the carribean: dead man's chest- One of the biggest disappointments I have ever witnessed in a movie. It is over wrought trash, with Johnny Depp obviously slumming and even more obviously just picking up a pay check. It is long, unfunny, uninteresting, it is boring beyond belief, makes no sense, goes nowhere, resorts to bad slapstick and I cannot say enough bad things about this piece of crap.
Some movies I missed: The Illutionist, Borat, Children of men, The Good Shepard, The Good German, Notes on a Scandal and Letters from Iwo Jima
A few movies that just missed the top 10 cut: Babel, Pursuit of Happyness and Happy Feet.
Here are a few of the surprises of my movie going year:
The Bond Flick, Ben Affleck in Hollywoodland, Leo De Caprio's year, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, Hugh Jackman's monster year(Prestige, The Fountain and Happy Feet), Steve Carrell in Little miss sunshine, Kevin Smith's Clerks 2 script, The Descent (easily the scariest movie of the year0 and Rob Lowe's cameo in Thank you for smoking.
And finally a few of my disappointments of the year:
Pirates and everything and everyone involved in this god awful excuse for a movie, Miami Vice, Colin Ferrell, Superman ( Singer should have made a better movie) and The Black Dahlia.
Well, there you have it, my end of the year movie blow out, please feel free to add your own list or say why I am wrong or right. Enlighten me if I missed a movie I should have seen because for a few months I didn't get to see too much. Be warned though, if you do decide to try and tell me why Pirates wasn't one of the biggest disgusting pieces of crap in the history of cinema, you will probably be made fun of.
3 comments:
Pretty damn good lists. I'm surprised you put The Prestige that high. It was very good, but I wouldn't rank it above The Departed, which is what I felt was the best picture of the year. I'm glad Clerks II made your list, cause it is my 2nd favorite movie of all time (I'm a Kevin Smith fan boy and this story of friendship hit me at the perfect moment in my life, but my first is Raging Bull.) I really want to see Lucky Number Slevin. Your worst of list is pretty close to mine also, Pirates was definately the worst movie I saw all year (well, that or Fast and the Furious, I haven't decided yet). I was dissappointed in The Black Dahlia too, but I did throughly enjoy it simply because I'm a big fan of Noir films. I would have put Brick on my top list for this year though (even though it techinically premiered at Sundance in 2005, but it didn't get its wide release until 2006).
I enjoyed Black Dahlia as well because of the film nopir look, but I was expecting better, just like I enjoyed Superman, but it should have been better. Brick had slipped my mind because I tought it had been released last year. It would have made at least the "almost top 10 list" if not the actual top 10 list.
As for Clerks 2, if I look at it as a whole movie with the acting and everything it slips down to number 8 but if I look at it purely for dialogue and laughs it is the funniest comedy of this yr and probably the funniest movie in a few years.
Well I did not see all the movies that you did this year, but just to put my amen on your top pick, you already know I agree that The Prestige was the year's best.
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