To
be completely honest, we didn't see every movie released
in 2006. Nevertheless, our staff saw quite a few good
films over the past year, while unfortunately catching
a few duds along the way (cough, "The Lake House,"
"Lady in the Water"). Because the Oscars
and other award shows generally honor dramatic, more
serious films with the highest artistic merit, we've
decided to both consider those movies (aka "The
Best") and those that made us smile, cheer and
count down the days 'till their DVD releases (aka
"Our Favorites").
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Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Directed by: Alejandro González
Iñárritu
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett,
Gael García Bernal, Kôji Yakusho,
Rinko Kikuchi
Much
like "Traffic" before it, "Babel"
shows how a global web of initially unrelated
people, events and stories can be deeply interconnected.
It tackles intensely dramatic subjects—random
violence, suicide, gun control, the death of
children, racism, even international terrorism—with
a relentless viewpoint that is both gripping
and disturbing. From the Moroccan and California
deserts to the streets of Tokyo, "Babel"
will keep you thinking about it long after the
final credits roll—and isn't that what
great films do? |
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Genre: Comedy
Rated: R
Directed by: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen,
Ken Davitian
With
the second-longest movie title in history (and
possibly the funniest), "Borat: Cultural
Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious
Nation of Kazakhstan" is wildly hilarious
from beginning to end. The only reason not to
see it is if you have a heart condition that
can be worsened by excessive laughter. Baron
Cohen's brilliant improvisational skills, originality
and keen ability to push the envelope just enough
make this one of the best comedies of all time.
It also received the most votes from our staff. |
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Genre: Animated Comedy
Rated: G
Directed by: John Lasseter
Starring: Owen Wilson, Paul
Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry The Cable Guy, Cheech
Marin, Tony Shalhoub, John Ratzenberger, Michael
Keaton, Richard Petty
True,
it's not "Toy Story" or "Finding
Nemo," but Disney-Pixar's latest is a great
movie that can be enjoyed by adults and kids
alike with its mix of beautiful visuals and
multi-layered humor. An all-star cast of voices
power this heart-warming, colorful tale of anthropomorphized
automobiles who teach a young, hot shot race
car how to slow down and appreciate the smaller
things in life. Anyone who ever gave their car
a name, or who treats it like part of the family
will especially have a soft spot in their heart
for "Cars." |
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Genre: Action
Rated: PG-13
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva
Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffery Wright
James
Bond movies always provide a fun theater-going
experience, but very few could be described
as a great film—"Casino Royale"
is. This 21st entry rises above most of its predecessors with a thrilling mix of innovative action, intense
performances, ingenious plot twists and intriguing
characters, including Daniel Craig's fantastic
wet-behind-the-ears Bond who reminds us why
we've loved this character since Ian Fleming
first created him in 1954. Many have said this
is not only the best Bond film ever, but also
the best movie of the year. |
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Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio,
Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin
Sheen, Alec Baldwin
This
was our highest-rated (most stars) film of the
year and it's also a favorite for the Best Picture
Oscar. With striking visuals, an A-list cast
and directed by Martin Scorsese (will this finally
net him that elusive Oscar?), it is a film about
honor, truth, betrayal and revenge among men.
It all adds up to a movie so emotionally wrenching—and
fascinating—that you’ll be thinking
about “The Departed” long after
you’ve, well, departed the theater. |
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Genre: Documentary
Rated: PG
Directed by: Davis Guggenheim
Starring: Al Gore
The
man many considered too boring to be president
is the star of one of the year's best movies?
Well, yes, but it's not Al Gore's charisma (which,
he actually shows more of than in his eight
White House years) that carries this film, it's
his passionate and deeply thorough warning about
our planet's dangerous environmental state of
being. Gore systemically tackles every conceivable
logical question or doubt about global warming
in a manner that is neither partisan, belittling
nor too hard to understand. As Roger Ebert said
for the first and only time, "You owe it
to yourself to see this movie." We couldn't
agree more. |
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Genre: Action / Drama
Rated: R
Directed by: Spike Lee
Starring: Denzel Washington,
Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer,
Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Because
it came out in early March, many people have
forgotten about this smart Spike Lee joint that
keeps you guessing and captivated until the
very end. Denzel Washington is his usual energetic
self, while Clive Owen delivers yet another
layered, captivating performance even though
he spends most of the movie behind a bandana
and a pair of sunglasses. By playing on the
audience's many expectations for heist films,
"Inside Man" simply keeps you on the
edge of your seat trying to figure out what's
going on, what just happened and who exactly
is the inside man robbing the bank. |
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Genre: Comedy
Rated: R
Directed by: Jonathan Dayton
and Valerie Faris
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve
Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin,
Abigail Breslin
This
serio-comic gem follows the adventures of the
Hoover family as they pile into a raggedy, old
yellow VW bus to take nine-year-old Olive (the
inspired Abigail Breslin) to compete in the Little
Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Mixing moments of
real pathos with gut-wrenchingly funny scenes,
the film sets a tone that is clever yet real,
sometimes pathetic, usually ironic, often sad,
and all together completely engaging. Steve Carell
of "The Office" and "The Daily
Show" proves he has serious acting chops
as the depressed uncle Frank, while the rest of
the cast turns in award-worthy performances. |
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Genre: Drama
Rated: PG-13
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael
Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms, Alex Jennings
Helen
Mirren has been nominated for Golden Globes for
playing queens Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II in
the same year. That's pretty cool. Trivial minutiae
aside, Mirren's delicate portrayal of Britain's
sitting monarch is layered and worthy of the praise
she's been garnering. In the wake of Princess
Diana's death, the queen is torn between generational
differences, royal tradition and the grief of
both family and nation. Mirren brings life, compassion
and even humor to a woman everyone has seen, but
few truly know. |
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Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Penélope Cruz,
Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo,
Yohana Cobo
To say “Volver” is a chick flick simply
because it revolves around women of several generations
and their issues of family, partnership, incest,
motherhood, death (and ghosts!) would cheapen
this beautiful picture. In typical Almodóvar
fashion, you can take it as a comedy with dark,
playful notes, or you can look into a whole universe
that speaks volumes about who we are and why we
are that way. Cruz proves that she’s a high-caliber
actress and along with her colleagues, highlights
how refreshing a foreign film can be, where actresses
do not look actressy and botoxed and where dialogues
are fresh, surprising and cliché free. |
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