The Best and Worst Movies of 2006

Let me preface this all by saying that I haven't seen many movies this year and also that I mostly only saw wide releases (forgive me)

My low five are (Ultraviolet almost made the list)
5. The Omen
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
3. Over the Hedge
2. The Return
1. X-Men: The Last Stand

My top five are (V for Vendetta and The Lady in the Water are up there too)
5. The Descent
4. Clerks II
3. The Wild
2. The Prestige
1. Superman Returns

The Best Movie of 2006: "United 93"

Honorable Mention: "Kekexili: Mountain Patrol", "An Inconvenient Truth"

Most-Overrated Movie of 2006: "The Departed"

The Best? Let's start with "United 93," "The Last King of Scotland," "The Illusionist," "An Inconveniet Truth," "The Departed" (sorry, Eddie), "V for Vendetta" (sorry, again, Eddie), "Cars," and I think I watched the worst just today, "Beerfest."

John

Boy, there's a long, long way to go in 2006 on the cinema calendar. Movies are so backloaded, I wouldn't be surprised if half of my eventual Top 10 list has yet to be released (or I just haven't seen it).

It's always tricky to figure out what counts in any calendar year. I saw several great films at the Toronto Film Fest, and most of them will probably never get an American release. So I'm counting them all as 2006 releases.

Best of 2006:

Offside (Panahi) - almost too perfect
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Puiu) -a masterpiece
Colossal Youth (Costa) - a film I can't stop thinking about
Syndromes and a Century (Weerasethakul) - ditto
Still Life (Jia) - Jia is the man
Opera Jawa (Nugroho) - there's pretty, then there's gorgeous
Coeurs (Resnais)
Manufactured Landscapes (Baichwal) - the only doc on my list? Bummer.
The Queen (Frears)
Bubble (Soderbergh)
United 93 (Greengrass)
This Filthy World (Garlin)
Mountain Patrol: Kekexili (Lu) - this far down the list, and we're still talking about movies I really liked!
Old Joy (Reichardt)
Marie Antoinette (S. Coppola)
Casino Royale (Campbell) - Bond as a bull in a china shop? Works for me.
Scoop (W. Allen) - hey, I thought it was cute
An Inconvenient Truth (Guggenheim) - OK, a 2nd doc, but it's just pretty good, not great


Worst:

The Omen - even dumber than the original
Art School Confidential - misanthropic and unfunny
X-Men 3: The Last Stand - at least it was short
Superman Returns - unfortunately, it wasn't short
Who Killed the Electric Car? - good subject does not equal good doc.
The Black Dahlia - I still love 'Hi, Mom!'

Oh boy, this is going back a ways.

The BEST:
United 93 (most gripping, most emotional, best produced/directed/written...)
Catch a Fire (incredibly powerful film that resonates even today)
V for Vendetta (same as Catch a Fire)
The Departed (a very well done remake...that's the key...remake)
The Illusionist (the entire production is so spot on and the plot grows organically from the story)

The WORST:
X-Men: The Last Stand (didn't even try to live up to the promise of the second film)
Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (just...horrible all around)
All the Kings Men (this one went so far off the rails it's not even funny)

Most Disappointing:
Babel (what it could have been is amazing, what it ended up as was...blah)
The Prestige (take out the last 20 minutes and you've got a winner)

Yet to DEBUT (and I'm interested in):
Blood Diamond
The Good German
The Good Shepherd
Ever Since the World Ended
Children of Men
Notes on a Scandal

I did not see many movies this year. But what I have seen:
1. Superman returns
2. Dead Man's Chest
3. Cars
4. Happy Feet

Best of 2006 (so far) has to be “United 93”.

Here are some films I’ve seen that I favorably enjoyed (films I’d give 10 to 7 on the DVDTown rating scale), but in no particular order:

The Departed
Ultraviolet
An Inconvenient Truth
Clerks II
Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest
Casino Royale
Cars
Talladega Nights
Over The Hedge
Little Miss Sunshine
X-Men: The Last Stand
Mission Impossible III
Inside Man
Brick
Thank You for Smoking
The World’s fastest Indian
16 Blocks


I’d say all the other films I’ve seen in 2006 (so far) I’d put in the mediocre category, but the ones that stand out as films I hated or I was totally disappointed with would be:

Superman Returns
Miami Vice
Little Man
Nacho Libre
RV
V for Vendetta
Silent Hill
The Benchwarmers
The Shaggy Dog
Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector (I love his stand-up, though)
Final Destination 3
Pink Panther


Tim =)

I saw "Stranger Than Fiction" today and loved it. It's a bizarre film, but it's cute and fun and sentimental and romantic, a sort of existential romantic comedy. Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman--they are all excellent.

John

john,

let's be honest here...you liked the movie because of its editing. =D

eddie

Tim, I can't believe you watched half of those movies in the disappointed list!

-Ben

Ben,

Some of those I was forced into because I have a 13-year old daughter. Like most of us, she's learning good taste the hard way. =)

Tim

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found "Scoop" entertaining.

But, the best film I've seen this year is easily "A Prarie Home Companion."

-Kurtis

Yes, "Scoop" was cute and entertaining in a light, old-fashioned Woody Allen way. In the opposite extreme, I watched "The Last King of Scotland" tonight. Strong stuff Forest Whitaker may get an Oscar nod as Amin.

John

Because of a book I am reviewing, I am currently plowing my way through much of Woody Allen's work. In general, I am not enthusiastic about him (Interiors - ugh!!!), but I find he is at his best when he keeps it light and breezy. I suppose Match Point (which I liked a lot) is the exception to the rule. But I enjoy Manhattan Murder Mystery, Love and Death and, to a lesser extent, Scoop.

"take the money and run" is fantastic.

the woodster's other movies are either filled with annoying neuroses or his creepy affection for women who are much younger than he is. (N)

I loath Woody Allen anything. I gave up on the guy many years ago and I have no desire to revisit his work just for the sake of trying again. Annoying dialog and no star presence as an actor does nothing for me. I know some people love the guy but I wish he would just go away. Yes, it's true, I don't "get him".

"Take the Money and Run"
"Bananas"
"Annie Hall"
And my favorite, "Radio Days."

John

john,

you forgot "casino royale". :-D

eddie

My favourites are "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan," but I have yet to see "Radio Days" or "Take the Money and Run."

I just finished reading a few of Dave Kehr's reviews of Allen's films. Yikes!

-Kurtis

Here are my best and worst lists for this year you'll note the absence of Descent, X3, Pirates 2, Superman, etc. Even I don't get to see everything, especially not standard studio garbage… at least not until it's been on DVD for a couple months.

Top 10 films I had the most fun at and didn't cause me to roll my eyes, check my watch or just plain fall asleep.
10. Snakes on a Plane
9. Hostel
8. Jackass Number Two
7. Grandma's Boy
6. Little Miss Sunshine
5. Feast
4. Slither
3. Brick
2. The Science of Sleep
1. Clerks 2

Proving once again that there's hardly even a reason to venture into a darkened cinema these days, here are my 20 worst films of the year.
20. Strangers with Candy
19. When a Stranger Calls
18. Ultra Violet
17. Touristas
16. The Covenant
15. The Da Vinci Code
14. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
13. Pulse
12. Underworld: Evolution
11. Silent Hill
10. Nacho Libre (Jack Black + Lucha Libre= No laughs? My math must be wrong)
9. Lady in the Water (Someone needs to stop M. Night Shallamadamadingdong)
8. Date Movie (No laughs, not even one, even Scary Movie 4 had one!)
7. World Trade Center (Just a mess, but could have been far worse)
6. V for Vendetta (Silly garbage for lazy armchair revolutionists, a waste.)
5. The Omen (Unnecessary and devoid of depth or character)
4. United 93 (Like a lifetime movie with an over produced "Thriller" style score and more praying than a Sunday School, one of the two films I walked out of this year)
3. Jesus Camp (Pro-Religious hype, thinly disguised as investigative journalism, the other film I walked out of)
2. A Scanner Darkly (Would have been #1 but I kept falling asleep, listing to junkies philosophize like they had anything worth saying, it was like I was in high school all over again)
1. The Last Kiss (Without a doubt this is in my Top 5 all time worst films. If Garden State was The Gradute: 2000, then this is Diner: 2000, without the heart or depth and ten times the unexplained misogyny. Absolutely awful anyone involved in this film should be ashamed of themselves, I'm looking at you Mr.Braff)

**Jesus Camp (Pro-Religious hype, thinly disguised as investigative journalism, the other film I walked out of) **


Wow, this movie really is a Rorshach test. Most viewers thought it was too anti-religious (or anti-Jesus Camp, at least) and made the Jesus campers look downright frightening though allegedly the people running the camp were satisfied with it. Recently, the camp closed down claiming they had received too much criticism from the movie. I definitely have to check this out.

tyler,

the praying in "united 93" was not meant to convince viewers that they should be religious. rather, it was a realistic depiction of what some of the people on united flight 93 might've done on that day. i'm an atheist but do not find prayer in general to be offensive (unless someone is praying to god to hurt me, in which case that person is missing christianity's peaceful message anyway).

as my good friend chris long and several others have noted, the christians and the islamic terrorists had something ironic in common--their prayers were unanswered, no matter how fervently or loudly they tried to reach god.

i urge you to re-examine "united 93" and distance yourself from your previous assessment of the movie's depictions of prayer/praying.

eddie

My worst movies of 2006 (and close to worst movies ever):
- Basic Instinct 2
- The Da Vinci Code

My best 'horror'-movies of 2006:
- The Descent
- Reeker

My best 'other' movies of 2006:
- The Proposition
- United 93
- The Prestige

I hardly see movies in theaters any more so I am including the best movies released on DVDs in 2006 as well. There are hardly any good movies in theaters anymore...!

Best Movies in theaters and on DVD (includes mildly entertaining movies as well)
1. Munich (I know it came out in late 2005 but I saw in Jan)
2. Double Life of Veronique
3. Seven Samurai
4. The Proposition (Great movie!)
5. MI -3 (mildly entertaining)
6. Pirates of the Caribbean (mildly entertaining)
7. V for Vendetta 8. Brick (great little flick!)

Disappointments
1. United 93 (could have been better.. choppy and sloppy...my head was spinning)
2. X-Men 3 (was good but fell short of expectations)
3. Superman Returns (good in patches... but flawed)
4. Da Vinci Code (Now what was that!)

--Ranjan

"United 93 (could have been better.. choppy and sloppy...my head was spinning) -- Rajan"

But that's exactly what made it work and why it was so effective. Think about it, was your head not spinning on the day of 9/11? I know mine was and that's what I loved about "United 93" in that it was affective at re-examining those emotions of shock and fear. And I will admit I was not ready to re-examine those emotions from 9/11, but there's no denying that this films does an excellent job, nonetheless. Not too mention this film does it flawless without big names like Bruce Willis, or Tom Hanks.

Tim,

I think it is Greengrass style that turns me off. In Bourne Supremacy, shaky camera movements made me nauseous. He continued his style in United 93. I felt the execution was poor. I don't mean to be disrespectful to people who have died on 9/11 but I felt this movie shied away from presenting more information on the attacks. The movie stayed away from controversy by not portraying right or wrong. And in this sense, United 93 achieved a lot. However that being said, we don't learn anything about the United 93 passengers. We learn a lot about terrosists though. What they were doing before boading the flight? How they boarded the flight? And how they executed the plans? If Greengrass, could show of all this in the movie, why can't he add little more on the passenger side of things (character development). It sends a wrong message to the viewer, and at one point one feels sympathetic for the terrorists.

The movie made us think that these terrorists are young, religious god fearing people, so why are they doing this to United 93? And this point for me the movie failed terribly. The last 20 minutes are most heart wrentching moments I have ever seen in any movie. But that doesn't make it a great movie.

--Ranjan

Ranjan,

Ah, I see, it’s the style that turns you off. Well, I can understand that. I never liked the handheld camera action when I first took notice to it years ago, but since then I’ve grown to enjoy it when it adds something to the mood and feel of a film. I’ll admit it doesn’t work in all movies, but there are films it works very well in. “United 93” is a great example of where I enjoyed the jerky motions because it added to the realism. Granted, a lot of directors these days like to dabble with the handheld’s probably because it helps to make a film more “artsy” and less polished and commercial. I think it’s one of the defining factors in an (using Dr. Evil quotation fingers) “independent” movie.

I’m not sure how far I could go on the religious argument—not that it is one because I really wouldn’t want to get into it. I think I will say that the young terrorists are viewed as god fearing and probably are in their own eyes. So are Christian religions thus the whole argument just gets too complex, at least for me. I think the religious angle is more of a small backdrop to the film.

It may appear that more attention was given to the terrorists—how they boarded, the night before, etc.—and I think this is so because most audiences are looking for the obvious question, “why”? Sure religion plays a roll but even so we are still curious how any human being could be cruel enough to highjack a plane and kill people regardless if they claim in the name of whomever or whatever. Plus there was plenty of time to have character development between the passengers through most of the movie, so I can’t agree that most focus was given to the terrorists.

Anyway, Merry Christmas

Tim =)

ranjan,

i think everyone is in agreement that the final twenty minutes of "united 93" is one of the most-upsetting sequences in all of cinema. however, that is the whole point--we feel like we are there, trapped in that terrifying moment of history and finality. we don't get any false thrills or cheap heroics. it is not pleasant watching "united 93", but it is unpleasant for all the right reasons.

you shouldn't hold a movie's skill against it, you know. :-)

eddie

well these are the ones i liked...not really the best films. I would include The Proposition, The Descent, and Brick but they are all 05 films.

1. Clerks 2 (funniest film i saw this year. Also has the funniest Silence of the lambs homages ive seen.)
2. A Scanner Darkly (just brings back memories of people i use to know. the point of the movie and conversations in the movie strikes home with me hearing conversations like those before. plus its visually amazing to look at. just like Renaissance with the rotoscope technique. )
3. Grandma's Boy / Accepted ( im a sucker for stoner stupid comedies and these were my two favorite of the year. )
4. Thank You For Smoking ( a nicely rounded film..both funny and dramatic.)
5. Lucky Number Slevin ( i like revenge/crime/caper films like this...and it was one of the few this year. nothing special but entertaining.)

though i havent seen them im looking forward to Pan's Labyrinth and Tideland.

i should also mention i dont get to the theaters much so there are movies like the prestige and the fountain that ill probably end up liking but i haven't seen them yet.

ya i tried to keep it to american cinema just because i havent seen to many foreign films this year. but im too damn phych'd to see pan's labyrinth not to mention it.

Some of the good films I saw this past year were, in no particular order-

The Departed
The Illusionist
Mission Impossible: III
Brick
World's Fastest Indian
Casino Royale

Also, I didn't love it, but I didn't see the huge flaws many do in Miami Vice, and I thought that Talledaga Nights was hugely overated. I've also yet to see many of what I hear are the better films of 2006, such as, Letters from Iwo Jima, Flight 93, Little Miss Sunshine, The Painted Veil, and so forth, so to some degree, I'm holding off on declaring my true "favorites."

Are there any plans for a "DVDTown 2006: Year in Film" article?

-Kurtis

Best of 2006:

Blood Diamond
Brick
Clerks II
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
Mission: Impossible III
Monster House
Over the Hedge
Thank You 4 Smoking!
United 93

Worst of 2006:

American Dreamz
Annapolis
Ask the Dusk
Basic Instinct 2
Big Mamma's House 2
Bloodrayne
Date Movie
Little Man
The Pink Panther
X-Men 3

Looking forward to 2007:

3:10 to Yuma
28 Weeks Later
300
American Gangster
Evan Almighty
The Bourne Ultimatum
Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix
The Hitcher
Hostel 2
Grind House
Live Free or Die Hard
Ocean's 13
The Simpsons
Transformers
Pirates of the Caribean: The End of the World
Shooter
Shrek 3
Smokin' Aces
Wild Hogs