2006 Top Ten Response

After reading Nick's list of his top ten movies of 2006, I knew that I wanted to respond in my own post. I, however, did not want to respond ignorantly so I waited until the last of his top 10 worked their way to the top of my Netflix queue. All ten of Nick's choices are very good movies; as he already stated, 2006 was an excellent year in cinema.

So here's Nick's Top Ten if I were to rank them:
1) United 93
2) Apocalypto
3) The Departed
4) Little Miss Sunshine
5) The Prestige
6) Pan's Labyrinth
7) The Queen
8) Letters From Iwo Jima
9) The New World
10) Children of Men

Now, I'm only going to say a few words about each because Nick has probably already said most of what I would say, so here it goes.....

United 93 is one of the most incredible movies I have ever seen. But it is not a movie that could get you excited to see again and again. Everyone knows the tragic story but the realism brought to the event leaves you angered, moved, and amazed that someone was able to put a something so powerful on film. You're emotionally drained but it is an experience needed to be seen. Nick is right on with this pick.

Apocalypto is sheer entertainment that movies are meant to be made for. Beyond having the best action I've seen in a movie in a long time, this is more than just a fun adventure flick. It may be a simple capture-and-chase plot, it is touching with great performances that allow you to really identify with the characters. It also is showcase for Mel Gibson's excellent filmmaking skills. Visuals alone are worth watching it for. It doesn't look like a movie version of the Mayans, but rather like real life Mayans. I watched this movie 3 times and another time with director commentary in a week and could easily watch it many more times.

Scorsese is a master, and The Departed is no exception. Great style, great performances, and a great story make this a crime classic and well deserving of all the Oscars it won. As much as I loved United 93, I think Nick is shortchanging Scorsese by calling his win a "sentimental pull." It may not be GoodFellas but he deserved every inch of that Oscar weaving together that complicated plot with great style and entertainment. Excellent direction in an excellent movie.

Little Miss Sunshine is an hour and a half of pure fun. It's a sweet story with great characters and many hilarious moments without getting too slapsticky. And a castful of excellent performances make it feel real despite have many zany events that happen.

With The Prestige, Christopher Nolan is becoming a director where you are counting the days until his next release (Memento, Batman Begins). A cool story with great twists, but not the kind that make it impossible to follow. Also a good performance by someone who I think is one of the coolest actors in the business in Christian Bale. Now I can't wait for The Dark Knight next summer... you know it's going to be great.

Even though Pan's Labyrinth is a little lower on my list than Nick's, it is in no way a knock against the movie. Guillermo del Toro is able to bridge together a magical fantasy world with a horrifically realistic war zone in Spain in a fascinating way. A beautiful movie that gets more rewarding with each time you see it.

Everyone knows about Helen Mirren's superb performances in The Queen, but what gets sometimes overlooked by it is the interesting movie she gives it in. Watching England's struggle to unite the old traditions with the modern culture during a chaotic time is an interesting story that doesn't get much attention here in America.

Letters From Iwo Jima is Clint Eastwood's second Iwo Jima film of 2006, and I feel that it is the better of the two (that isn't meant to take anything away from Flags of Our Fathers, a good film on its own). The thing that made Letters so special was being able to see this story we know in someone elses shoes. Watching and sympathizing with the enemy sends the message that no matter the details of a war, we're just human beings on both sides of the line.

The New World is a beautiful treat for any patient movie buff. It may be slow, but getting wrapped up in the visuals is very special. It really feels like colonial Jamestown. And knowing that the actress who played Pocahontas was only 14 years old makes her performance even more worthy of taking notice of.

Children of Men is sci-fi done right with an interesting and unique story. But as Nick already stated it is the incredible cinematography that makes this special. Look into what he wrote about it because I agree 100%.

So there are my thoughts on Nick's list. My list, however, would have one addition to knock Children of Men to #11 (also Blood Diamond is a very close #12). So this is what my Top Ten looks like:

1) United 93
2) Apocalypto
3) The Departed
4) Little Miss Sunshine
5) *Stranger Than Fiction
6) The Prestige
7) Pan's Labyrinth
8) The Queen
9) Letter From Iwo Jima
10) The New World

As you can see, I added Stranger Than Fiction. That crazy romantic comedy where Will Farrell becomes the character is an author's newest tragedy. This is the more reserved Will Farrell and it is filled by other great performances by Emma Thompson and the lovely Maggie Gyllenhaal. I don't know exactly what made me like this SO much but I really did. It is very touching but not sappy and very funny but not silly. The story is unique, unpredictable, and very interesting with different turns that only improve then improve again on the movie. Everything you could want in a comedy is here, and it can be enjoyed by anyone. A sweet story and an enjoyable film; I loved it. (*also, the music is excellent... mostly done by the band Spoon. They were a band I had heard of, but it wasn't until I saw this move when they really peaked my interest. It's been very rewarding since because I have two great Spoon albums now, and saw them put on a very good show this year at Summerfest. Great band.)