Top Ten of 2006

[Sonic Youth]

Er, the original Top Ten List thread is on page 2.

I haven't seen much, which is very unlike me. The audaciously wacky V for Vendetta is the only three-and-a-half star film I've seen this year.

The Departed, The Illusionist, Man Push Cart, Mission Impossible III, A Prairie Home Companion, and United 93 are all solid three star films. I'm not putting them in any preferential order.

Half Nelson, Hollywoodland and Inside Man are two-and-a-halfers. Superman Returns a two star film. And two misbegotten, unwatchable films are one-and-a-halfers: The Black Dahlia and Thank You for Smoking... both starring Aaron Eckhart. Hmmm...

Guys, Army of Shadows is a 1969 film! I know this is the first time it's been released in America, but... really.

[OscarGuy]

I'm beginning to get really worried. I've yet to see a solid 4-star film this year. Nevertheless, here's my current list (many changes will come when I finalize my top 10 at the end of the year)

V for Vendetta *** ½
Thank You for Smoking *** ½
Departed *** ½
Inside Man *** ½
Cars *** ½

Little Miss Sunshine ***
Over the Hedge ***
X-Men 3: The Last Stand ***
Prestige ***
Friends with Money ***
Superman Returns ***

Illusionist ** ½
Scary Movie 4 ** ½
Hostel ** ½
Poseidon ** ½
Da Vinci Code ** ½
Hollywoodland ** ½
Pink Panther ** ½
Lake House ** ½
My Super Ex-Girlfriend ** ½
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ** ½

Man of the Year **
Promise **
Mission: Impossible III **
Ice Age: The Meltdown **

Covenant * ½

Doogal *

[anonymous1980]

Here's my more updated list:

L'Enfant (Jean Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne) - ****
The Departed (Martin Scorsese) - ***½
United 93 (Paul Greengrass) - ***½
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Larry Charles) - ***½
An Incovenient Truth (Davis Guggenheim) - ***½
Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola) - ***½
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (Aureus Solito) - ***½
Monster House (Gil Kenan)- ***½
Casino Royale (Martin Campbell) - ***½
Inside Man (Spike Lee) - ***½
The Prestige (Christopher Nolan) - ***
Cars (John Lasseter) - ***
The Banquet (Feng Xiaogang) - ***
Superman Returns (Bryan Singer) - ***
Happy Feet (George Miller) - ***
Snakes on a Plane (David R. Ellis) - ***
V for Vendetta (James McTeague) - ***
Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris) - ***
Manderlay (Lars Von Trier) - ***
Flags of Our Fathers (Clint Eastwood) - **½
Mission: Impossible III (J.J. Abrams) - **½
Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Gore Verbinski)- **½
Lady in the Water (M. Night Shyamalan) - **
X-Men: The Last Stand (Brett Ratner) - **
Poseidon (Wolfgang Petersen) - **
The Da Vinci Code (Ron Howard) - *½

More titles added.

[Sabin]

I'm a sucker for an acid Western.

I like 'Tropical Malady' a lot more and have it currently at no.5 on my 2005 list. 'Syndromes and a Century' is a movie that I think shared quite a bit with 'The Departed'. One either enjoys viewing the world (or in the case of Scorsese, the other movies he's absorbed) through the eyes of the artist so much that you will follow them anywhere, or it's completely lost. Even more so than 'Tropical Malady', I see 'Syndromes and a Century' utterly baffling someone who doesn't "get it". Ultimately, the pleasures of 'Syndromes' haunted me a little. I felt almost overwhelmingly sad that the organic by-play of the characters in the first half (which was akin to watching a Malick-ian utopia with more "behavioral beauties", to coin Damien in a phrase I can't really leave behind) were not to be in the second, which was equally artistic but lacking the same joy purposefully. At this point, it's safe for me to say that Apitchatpong films are art house pleasure viewing for me, something I can just inherently dig, even though the whole of the thing is nowhere near as astonishing as 'Tropical Malady' which grows in my estimation with every viewing.



Edited By Sabin on 1161671880

[rain Bard]

I'm envious that you got to see Syndromes and a Century, Sabin. At the Chicago Film Festival, I presume? Is that your first Apichatpong film?

I don't have time to put together a list right this minute (hopefully later), but I just wanted to say that I generally agree with your ratings of most of the films we've both seen this year. The Departed is one of my favorites so far this year (and I'm not even a Scorsese fan to speak of), and Half Nelson another top pick. I also think your "brilliantly flawed" sums up Lady in the Water very well. (It's the first Shyamalan film that really let me down, but it did so in such a spectacular way that I have to have some respect for it.)

The one exception: the Proposition. Can't see how that ranks up there with the Dardennes and the Fleck.

[Sabin]

I'm going to be watching a lot more movies in the coming weeks, I can just feel it, a tiny little bender that will see updates. Just felt like seeing how the year was turning out...all things considered, not that bad.


****
1. Army of Shadows
2. The Departed
3. Old Joy

***1/2
4. Brick
5. L'Enfant
6. The Proposition
7. Half Nelson
8. Slither
9. Neil Young: Heart of Gold
10. Dave Chappelle's Block Party
11. A Prairie Home Companion

***
12. A Scanner Darkly
13. Tideland
14. The Prestige
15. The Science of Sleep
16. Mutual Appreciation
17. Syndromes and a Century
18. Inside Man
19. Borat: Cultural Learnings for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
20. Shortbus
21. Little Children
22. Snakes on a Plane
23. Bubble

**1/2
24. Superman Returns
25. Flags of Our Fathers
26. Cars
27. Thank You for Smoking
28. Clerks 2
29. An Inconvenient Truth
30. Mission: Impossible -- 3
31. Little Miss Sunshine (not really a ** film)
32. Factotum
33. Hollywoodland
34. Babel
35. Marie Antoinette

**
36. Blood Diamond
37. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
38. X-Men: The Last Stand
39. Lady in the Water (so brilliantly flawed)
40. 12 and Holding
41. Final Destination 3
42. Scoop
43. Art School Confidential

*1/2
44. The Da Vinci Code

STILL NO IDEA - Nightwatch



Edited By Sabin on 1165770324

[abcinyvr]

I don't tend to give regular movies 'star' ratings, and I have seen very few new films this year. But it's Film Festival time here in Vancouver (viff.org/) for the next few weeks so I will post updates as to what I have seen.

- Final update October 12, 06

Shortbus ****
Little Children ****

Vitus ***1/2 (Switzerland)
The Taste Of Others ***1/2 (Germany) - Winner of the People's Choice for Best film.

The Host *** (S. Korea)
Catch A Fire *** (UK) - Tim Robbins simmering with a convincing accent is supporting to Derek Luke's lead in this true story directed by Phillip Noyce. Gorgeous cinematography - no surprise.
Our Daily Bread *** (Austria)
Two Sons Of Francisco *** (Brazil)
Colour Me Kubrick *** (UK) - John Malkovich alternating between sedated and over-the-top in his portrayal of real-life con man who impersonated the great director in late 90's London. Smart and funny. Hard to believe this doesn't have a distribution deal.
Lights In The Dusk *** (Finland)
More Than 1000 Words *** (Israel)
'Tis Autumn: The Search For Jackie Paris ***
No Mercy For The Rude *** (S. Korea)

My Scary Girl **1/2 (S. Korea)
A New Day In Old Sana'a **1/2 (Yemen)
Mystic Ball **1/2 (Canada)
Border Post **1/2 (Croatia/Slovenia/Bosnia/Serbia/Macedonia)
Northern Light **1/2 (Holland)
The Great Bazaar **1/2 (Mozambique)
Rampage **1/2 (Australia)
The Post-Modern Life Of My Aunt **1/2 (China)

The Page Turner ** (France)
Obaba ** (Spain)
Lenz ** (Switzerland)
Renaissance ** (France/Luxembourg/UK) - I only began to like this near the end of film. The animation (basiacally NOT animation, just film footage that has been processed) is very distracting and annoying. Very bright high-contrast B&W that is sort of blinding. The writing and the performances are wooden and I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not.
Elementary Particles ** (Germany)
Jindabyne ** (Australia)
Unknown Soldier: What Did You Do In The War, Dad? ** (Germany)

Hana * (Japan)
Climates * (Turkey) - Very slow and unrewarding. Clearly written by a man as the female characters alternate between weeping and submission. The cinematography is stunning, culminating in the final scene - and you can save yourself having to sit through the film because rottentomatoes has the films final image, a snow scene which you would never see in any Hollywood film (real snow?!), on their site.

Never Again As Before - zero stars (Italy) - Formulaic garbage.

[Penelope]

An update, before we really head into the Oscar season (and still no 3 1/2 or 4 star movie!):


1. V for Vendetta -- ***
2. An Inconvenient Truth -- ***
3. Hollywoodland -- ***
4. Little Miss Sunshine -- ***
5. Inside Man -- ***
6. Something New -- ***
7. X-Men: The Last Stand -- ***

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest -- ** ½
9. The Devil Wears Prada -- ** ½
10. United 93 -- ** ½
11. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby -- ** ½
12. Superman Returns -- ** ½
13. She’s The Man -- ** ½
14. The Black Dahlia -- ** ½
15. Thank You For Smoking -- ** ½
16. The Illusionist -- ** ½
17. Eight Below -- ** ½
18. The DaVinci Code -- ** ½
19. Step Up -- ** ½

20. Failure to Launch -- **
21. Tristan + Isolde -- **
22. Miami Vice -- **
23. My Super Ex-Girlfriend -- **
24. The Lake House -- **
25. Poseidon -- **

26. Nacho Libre -- * ½
27. Stick It -- * ½

[criddic3]

Moved.

[dws1982]

****
1. L'Enfant (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne)
2. Flags of Our Fathers (Clint Eastwood)


*** ½
3. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (Marc Rothemund)
4. United 93 (Paul Greengrass)
5. Miami Vice (Michael Mann)
6. Clean (Olivier Assayas)

***
7. The Queen (Stephen Frears)
8. V for Vendetta (John McTiegue)
9. The Lake House (Alejandro Agresta)
10. A Prairie Home Companion (Robert Altman)
11. Unknown White Male (Rupert Murray)
12. Casino Royale (Martin Campbell)
13. Tristram Shandy: A #### and Bull Story (Michael Winterbottom)
14. Inside Man (Spike Lee)
15. When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts (Spike Lee)
16. Don't Come Knocking (Wim Wenders)

** ½
17. The Proposition (John Hillcoat)
18. American Gun (Aric Avelino)

**
19. Friends With Money (Nicole Holofcener)
20. Brick (Rian Johnson)
21. Thank You For Smoking (Jason Reitman)
22. Why We Fight (Eugene Jarecki)
23. Bobby (Emilio Estevez)

* ½

*

worthless
24. Hard Candy (David Slade)

Next: Borat; World Trade Center; The Devil Wears Prada; Apocalypto; Superman Returns; C.R.A.Z.Y.; Fateless; Little Miss Sunshine;

[OscarGuy]

Hoodwinked is considered a 2005 release, fyi.

Gee, so it is. I thought it was 2006. It's certainly taking it's time opening around the globe.

You're right. It's one of those opens-for-its-one-week-engagement-for-Oscar-consideration films that suddenly starts showing up later elsewhere. We got it sometime in January, I believe...

[Hustler]

1/5...16 Blocks (Richard Donner)

Am I the one, who enjoyed so much this movie? I think it´s a very intelligen thriller and very well constructed. Bruce Willis performance is brilliant.

[Precious Doll]

Hoodwinked is considered a 2005 release, fyi.

Gee, so it is. I thought it was 2006. It's certainly taking it's time opening around the globe.

[OscarGuy]

Hoodwinked is considered a 2005 release, fyi.

[Precious Doll]

I've added a few more films to my list that I have either seen during the last week or missed when compiling the list. They are marked with **