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| For me, the best of 2006:
#11 - Curious George
I know, I know. It's silly and childish and doesn't aim any of it's humor at adults. That's exactly what makes it great. Never before have I seen a book of any kind translated so faithfully into a film. So while I can't totally reccomend it to those who won't be watching with children, here is a peaceful, kind movie that does exactly what it does very well. It's some sort of great movie.
#10 - Lady in the Water
Here's a movie that was hated by many, and has already damaged Shymalan's career. I'll be the first to say he's not an excellent writer, but he is one of the best directors currently working. His movies are full of story and personality, and he has an eye for real things in otherwordly situations. I'm hoping he starts to directs some scripts written by others, but for me, this film still worked visually and thematicly, if not in all other areas. It excelled where and when it needed to, and it earns a spot here.
#9 - Thank You for Smoking
A genuine satire, biting and brilliant and all you'd expect it to be, also finds a bit of heart, in a really dark way. There's little to say about this movie that hasn't been said. It was about as funny as anything I saw this year, and kep true to its spirit to the end.
#8 - We Are Marshall
I really liked Gridiron Gang as well this year, but this film was, for me, a better and deeper movie, watchable whether you enjoy football or not. It is a strong, fully accomplished film that does everything it does in a very good, well-paced way. It honors the situation it is based on and is apparently the most accurate "true story" movie made in quite a while. It is lighthearted in a lot of ways and doesn't dive as fully as it could have into the despair of the town and its people, but that is not to say it sugarcoats it either. In the end, it is a sad movie, as it must be, but it depicts recovery in all its varieties in genuine ways, which could not have been an easy task.
#6 - Apocalypto
Mel Gibson misses getting the points across that he probably wanted to, but the film is masterfully constructed. I would have enjoyed more time with the Mayans and their culture, and the alleged true-to-life language seemed silly at times (i.e. I'm not sure I buy Jaguar Paw and his mates had terms for some of the words they use), but the last hour of the movie is exciting and riveting. Gibson's nothing if not a fantastic director, and the film stands up as a piece of solid entertainment, if not discussion-rendering storytelling.
#5 - Akeelah and the Bee
This movie has already been hailed as the "greatest family film ever," and while I'm not quite ready to call it that, I will certainly say that family filmmaking doesn't get a ton better. This is an enjoyable, genuinely inspiring motion picture that, while by no means unpredictable, tells a story that stays true to its main characters while allowing them to breathe as real people. The performances all around are brilliant. All movies should take themselves this seriously.
Top 4 coming later...feel free to speculate.
**
Yes.
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I don't like fantasy movies. I don't like sci-fi movies. I'm indifferent to most horror films. Somehow, I ended up sitting down in the theatre and watching Pan's Labyrinth.
And let me tell you, I am sure glad I did.
The movie is enchanting, but that word probably makes it seem too sunny. It's a dark, brooding motion picture. It's a fairy tale, but it couldn't be further from a children's movie. It's scary, more than a little gruesome, ugly, sad, and at times downright chilling. Somehow, though, it all sort of works. More than sortof, actually. The special effects are great, but perhaps even better, they're barely noticeable -- this is not the huge spectacle of a Lord of the Rings battle, this is the closed creepiness of a faun (decidedly NOT from Narnia) meeting a young girl in her bedroom in the middle of the night. This is a great film, a kind of masterpiece in the sense that it is unlike anything you've ever seen before. You needn't know anything about it to see it, and indeed it's probably a better experience the less you know. The movie needs no caveats, you don't have to like any type of genre to enjoy the film. If you enjoy great moviemaking and can handle some violence, some sliminess and a couple wince-and-turn-away moments, you can appreciate this movie. It is subtitled (is Spanish), but it would probably work fine even if you didn't bother reading the words. The movie is a brilliant ride of visuals and story coupled in a way that compliment each other instead of existing in spite of each other. Watching a movie like Pan's Labyrinth might just remind you why you bother going to the movies.
**
Also.....
Just wanted to point out that Chris Daughtry's debut album is now the fastest selling rock album...........EVER. No joke. Just saying.
**
Yep. | | |
| Yes, indeed. . Watch his right eye at the 1:54 mark.
**
MmmHmm. | | |
| Story: somethingelsenow.blogspot.com
**
Somewhere near the top of the "things you never expect yourself to say/type" list might be "the dramatic, deep, and overwhelmingly gut-wrenching performance of Justin Timberlake." I can now cross that off my list. Timberlake owns the screen and carries the 30-minute conclusion of Alpha Dog with unsettling, desperate-to-turn-away-but-unable-to force. It's not a good performance for a non-actor, it is a great performance for anyone. I look forward to what he does next. The movie is good. If you're into the whole normal people getting needlessly over their heads in crime type of thing, you can't do much better.
CLARIFICATION: I liked JT before the movie, I just wasn't sure he could act.
**
Yes.
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| So. Boise State over Oklahoma tonight. I don't know that I've ever seen a more exciting football game. Or sports game of any kind. The game, and the company with whom I watched it, were a genuine pleasure. ** Steady. ** Holler. | | |
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