The top ten films what I saw in 2006
10. Good Night And Good Luck.
George Clooney is a man with a long career ahead of him. Beautifully shot in black and white, this tells the story of what life was like for the media in McCarthy-era America. Clooney's biggest achievement was creating a look and feel that is one of the most authentic seen on cinema in a long time, and he also gets top marks for casting himself as the supporting actor, but blending seamlessly into the background so as to balance his actor/director duties. Good Night and Good Luck makes it painfully clear that although we think we are force-fed news and opinions half the time, it could have been a lot worse.
9. Brick
Brick was a surprise hit for me because it made a unique premise work on screen, and showed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt has come a long way from his days as Tommy Solomon in Third Rock From The Sun. It's always nice to see young actors move in to grown up cinema (even if he does play a high school kid in this one). Brick is a 1930's crime movie, deftly transplanted to a modern day high school. Although portions of the plot feel stretched to their limit, the humour is subtle yet hilarious, and the entire cast performs brilliantly.
8. Hard Candy
Any movie that makes grown men in the audience audibly squirm must be doing a pretty good job. Hard Candy is meant to challenge our compassion as human beings - we feel sorry for the man who has his testicles removed but he's a paedophile so should we feel sorry for him? And we hate the teenage girl for being so calculated and cruel and heartless for the torture she is inflicting on the guy but should we because at the beginning she was the victim of this man's depraved urges? Either way, it's a bit of a headfuck, and considering there's only two characters in pretty much the whole film, the script holds your attention and explores both characters without dragging on. Class.
7. London To Brighton
I like watching British films, and I like watching crime films. What I don't like is poorly produced ITV-style dramas, and Guy Ritchie films. Happily, London To Brighton is neither. It is a British crime movie that isn't full of cockney cliches and stereotypical dialogue. Or Vinny Jones. Each flashback in this film unravels a little more of the mystery - there's a prostitute with a black eye and an 11-year old girl on the run, but from whom, and why? - and the finale does not disappoint. Excellently paced, you are itching to find out more as the film goes on and director Paul Andrew Williams could be one to watch in the future.
6. Superman Returns
After watching Christopher Nolan capture lightning in a bottle with Batman Begins, could Bryan Singer do the same with Superman - re-invent a classic superhero after watching his good name destroyed by lacklustre sequels? The answer was a resounding yes. Never mind the special effects, which were extrordinary, and never mind that theme tune, the stars of this film were Brandon Routh who at times you felt was playing Christopher Reeve himself, and director Singer who at the same time managed to compare his hero to Jesus Christ, and poke mild fun at the franchise too. Can the forthcoming Man Of Steel do what other Superman sequels failed to do, and keep the franchise going?
5. Little Miss Sunshine
A frustrated father who constantly spouts so-called "motivational" speeches yet can't get published, a son with an obsession with Nietzche who has taken a vow of silence, a daughter who wants nothing more than to enter a beauty pageant despite the fact that she is something of an ugly duckling, a homosexual uncle with an affinity for Proust, a drug-taking grandfather and a mother trying to hold the entire unit together. Roll up for the weirdest road movie ever. Fabulous performances, especially from Steve Carell who delightfully underplays his role, but ultimately from little Abigail Breslin - one of the best child actors seen on screen in a long time. Top notch film, funny and engaging, and manages to throw in a touch of social commentary too.
4. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the funniest film of the year, and very possibly one of the funniest ever made. Up there with The Naked Gun in terms of quick-fire gags, Borat never lets up, and never fails to delight and shock either. This is a masterclass in comedy, and the perpetrator, Sacha Baron Cohen, has created a cultural icon with his moustachioed Kazakh. While Naked Gun spoofed American cinema, Borat spoofs America itself only showing real people in real situations, and how they react when their perception of what is normal is invaded by a lewd, racist dinosaur of a man. Consider the following exchange between Borat and a gun shop owner: Borat: "What gun is best for killing a jew?". Shopkeeper: "Well, that'd be a .45". As it deftly carves open an underbelly of below-average intelligence, homophobia and general narrow-mindedness in the US, consider this: Is this the film Michael Moore wishes he made?
3. Casino Royale
James Bond is so well-known, and has had so much exposure this year that there's not alot I can say that hasn't been said, but Casino Royale isn't just a brilliant Bond film, it's a brilliant film. Based on such a simple premise - British spy must beat terrorist at poker - Casino Royale shows a darker, grittier side to a universal icon, and manages to flesh out what was the shortest of the original Bond book, without deviating from the tone of the book. The film is a touch too long perhaps, and I may be old fashioned but the product placement does become slightly irritating after a while, but there's enough thrills and spills here to dismiss those complaints as nitpicking. This is a great action movie, owing much to Jack Bauer and John McClane, but ultimately to Ian Fleming.
2. United 93
Using the actual people who were involved in the event that is the subject of your dramatization might seem like a pretty risky thing to do. These people are not actors, they have had no formal training. You can make a film as realistically as you want, but it will involve some degree of acting skills. Fortunately, Paul Greengrass is such a talented director that he can make it work without professionals in front of the camera. Yet this was not United 93's greatest achievement. To make a film about such an atrocity, a mere five years after the event, when the subject is incredibly touchy anyway, is also a pretty risky thing to do. How would the potential audiences react - many could be too uncomfortable watching such a realistic account of an event they were personally caught up in - as many Americans were. Luckily for Greengrass, everyone involved thought it was an acceptable risk to take, and we were blessed with a classic of modern cinema. Of all the films released this year, United 93 is the one most likely to still be talked about in 2026. An outstanding achievement, and so delicately handled.
1. Children of Men
I think that Children of Men is my favourite film of the year because it is a realistic portrayal of a possible future, it is set in a city that I now know quite well, it is a British film that wasn't made by Guy Ritchie or Richard Curtis, and it is incredibly engaging and enthralling in equal measures. The premise is this: The human race can no longer reproduce, and the governments have all gone a bit crazy as they do what they can to survive. Civil unrest is out of control, and the military are using any means necessary to keep order. All immigrants are being deported, and the seaside town of Bexhill has been turned into a massive concentration camp where the prisoners are hardly given rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Then a pregnant woman is discovered, and she needs to be protected from the authorities by a group of outlaws. Children of Men is original, inspiring, and features some incredible scenes, such as Clive Owen emerging from a bullet strewn building with a new born baby as everyone ceases fire, only for the fighting to start again the second the child is out of harms way. A poignant dystopia, and I can't wait until it comes out on DVD.
George Clooney is a man with a long career ahead of him. Beautifully shot in black and white, this tells the story of what life was like for the media in McCarthy-era America. Clooney's biggest achievement was creating a look and feel that is one of the most authentic seen on cinema in a long time, and he also gets top marks for casting himself as the supporting actor, but blending seamlessly into the background so as to balance his actor/director duties. Good Night and Good Luck makes it painfully clear that although we think we are force-fed news and opinions half the time, it could have been a lot worse.
9. Brick
Brick was a surprise hit for me because it made a unique premise work on screen, and showed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt has come a long way from his days as Tommy Solomon in Third Rock From The Sun. It's always nice to see young actors move in to grown up cinema (even if he does play a high school kid in this one). Brick is a 1930's crime movie, deftly transplanted to a modern day high school. Although portions of the plot feel stretched to their limit, the humour is subtle yet hilarious, and the entire cast performs brilliantly.
8. Hard Candy
Any movie that makes grown men in the audience audibly squirm must be doing a pretty good job. Hard Candy is meant to challenge our compassion as human beings - we feel sorry for the man who has his testicles removed but he's a paedophile so should we feel sorry for him? And we hate the teenage girl for being so calculated and cruel and heartless for the torture she is inflicting on the guy but should we because at the beginning she was the victim of this man's depraved urges? Either way, it's a bit of a headfuck, and considering there's only two characters in pretty much the whole film, the script holds your attention and explores both characters without dragging on. Class.
7. London To Brighton
I like watching British films, and I like watching crime films. What I don't like is poorly produced ITV-style dramas, and Guy Ritchie films. Happily, London To Brighton is neither. It is a British crime movie that isn't full of cockney cliches and stereotypical dialogue. Or Vinny Jones. Each flashback in this film unravels a little more of the mystery - there's a prostitute with a black eye and an 11-year old girl on the run, but from whom, and why? - and the finale does not disappoint. Excellently paced, you are itching to find out more as the film goes on and director Paul Andrew Williams could be one to watch in the future.
6. Superman Returns
After watching Christopher Nolan capture lightning in a bottle with Batman Begins, could Bryan Singer do the same with Superman - re-invent a classic superhero after watching his good name destroyed by lacklustre sequels? The answer was a resounding yes. Never mind the special effects, which were extrordinary, and never mind that theme tune, the stars of this film were Brandon Routh who at times you felt was playing Christopher Reeve himself, and director Singer who at the same time managed to compare his hero to Jesus Christ, and poke mild fun at the franchise too. Can the forthcoming Man Of Steel do what other Superman sequels failed to do, and keep the franchise going?
5. Little Miss Sunshine
A frustrated father who constantly spouts so-called "motivational" speeches yet can't get published, a son with an obsession with Nietzche who has taken a vow of silence, a daughter who wants nothing more than to enter a beauty pageant despite the fact that she is something of an ugly duckling, a homosexual uncle with an affinity for Proust, a drug-taking grandfather and a mother trying to hold the entire unit together. Roll up for the weirdest road movie ever. Fabulous performances, especially from Steve Carell who delightfully underplays his role, but ultimately from little Abigail Breslin - one of the best child actors seen on screen in a long time. Top notch film, funny and engaging, and manages to throw in a touch of social commentary too.
4. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the funniest film of the year, and very possibly one of the funniest ever made. Up there with The Naked Gun in terms of quick-fire gags, Borat never lets up, and never fails to delight and shock either. This is a masterclass in comedy, and the perpetrator, Sacha Baron Cohen, has created a cultural icon with his moustachioed Kazakh. While Naked Gun spoofed American cinema, Borat spoofs America itself only showing real people in real situations, and how they react when their perception of what is normal is invaded by a lewd, racist dinosaur of a man. Consider the following exchange between Borat and a gun shop owner: Borat: "What gun is best for killing a jew?". Shopkeeper: "Well, that'd be a .45". As it deftly carves open an underbelly of below-average intelligence, homophobia and general narrow-mindedness in the US, consider this: Is this the film Michael Moore wishes he made?
3. Casino Royale
James Bond is so well-known, and has had so much exposure this year that there's not alot I can say that hasn't been said, but Casino Royale isn't just a brilliant Bond film, it's a brilliant film. Based on such a simple premise - British spy must beat terrorist at poker - Casino Royale shows a darker, grittier side to a universal icon, and manages to flesh out what was the shortest of the original Bond book, without deviating from the tone of the book. The film is a touch too long perhaps, and I may be old fashioned but the product placement does become slightly irritating after a while, but there's enough thrills and spills here to dismiss those complaints as nitpicking. This is a great action movie, owing much to Jack Bauer and John McClane, but ultimately to Ian Fleming.
2. United 93
Using the actual people who were involved in the event that is the subject of your dramatization might seem like a pretty risky thing to do. These people are not actors, they have had no formal training. You can make a film as realistically as you want, but it will involve some degree of acting skills. Fortunately, Paul Greengrass is such a talented director that he can make it work without professionals in front of the camera. Yet this was not United 93's greatest achievement. To make a film about such an atrocity, a mere five years after the event, when the subject is incredibly touchy anyway, is also a pretty risky thing to do. How would the potential audiences react - many could be too uncomfortable watching such a realistic account of an event they were personally caught up in - as many Americans were. Luckily for Greengrass, everyone involved thought it was an acceptable risk to take, and we were blessed with a classic of modern cinema. Of all the films released this year, United 93 is the one most likely to still be talked about in 2026. An outstanding achievement, and so delicately handled.
1. Children of Men
I think that Children of Men is my favourite film of the year because it is a realistic portrayal of a possible future, it is set in a city that I now know quite well, it is a British film that wasn't made by Guy Ritchie or Richard Curtis, and it is incredibly engaging and enthralling in equal measures. The premise is this: The human race can no longer reproduce, and the governments have all gone a bit crazy as they do what they can to survive. Civil unrest is out of control, and the military are using any means necessary to keep order. All immigrants are being deported, and the seaside town of Bexhill has been turned into a massive concentration camp where the prisoners are hardly given rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Then a pregnant woman is discovered, and she needs to be protected from the authorities by a group of outlaws. Children of Men is original, inspiring, and features some incredible scenes, such as Clive Owen emerging from a bullet strewn building with a new born baby as everyone ceases fire, only for the fighting to start again the second the child is out of harms way. A poignant dystopia, and I can't wait until it comes out on DVD.
Labels: Top ten films
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