The Best Movies of 2006
Every year, there are a select group of films
that reign above the rest, that clearly have the power to be considered as
contemporary classics. Last year, “Munich,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Capote” and
“Syriana” were among the searing films that will be remembered for years to
come, and in 2004, “The Aviator,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Sideways,” and
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” struck a nerve. 2006 was a great year
for these contemporary classics - “United 93,” “Babel,” “The Good Shepherd,” “Dreamgirls,”
and “Children of Men” all established themselves as extraordinary works of
entertainment that remain in the mind.
But there was one film in 2006 that went beyond
great filmmaking, and instead transformed the crime genre into something as
equally delicious as “Goodfellas” or “Mean Streets.” The best American film
since “Mystic River,” featuring the best ensemble cast in recent memory, and
arguably director Martin Scorsese’s finest accomplishment as a filmmaker, the
best of film of 2006 award easily falls upon the masterpiece that has everyone
talking.
1.
The Departed
With “The Departed,” Martin
Scorsese has not simply made his best film since “Goodfellas,” but
possibly the best film since “Goodfellas,” period. Few films in the past
twenty years have had the humor, surprise or power that Scorsese’s latest crime
drama contains, and the performances given by the spellbinding cast prove that
Scorsese still gets the best acting out of any director around. The cast is
uniformly excellent – Jack Nicholson, of course, steals the show as the sleazy
and sporadically violent boss Frank Costello. Matt Damon is equally good as a
complicated man torn between two sides of the law, and Mark Wahlberg ignites his
scenes with a fury that should make him an Oscar candidate. But the movie’s
standout is Leonardo DiCaprio, who, after a great performance in “The Aviator,”
unleashes his inner Brando and creates the vivid character of Billy Costigan
that drives “The Departed” along its bloody, brutal road.
2.
The Good Shepherd
The only film this year to rival
Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” in terms of brilliant filmmaking has been made
by Scorsese’s partner-in-crime, Robert De Niro. “The Good Shepherd” is a
fascinating saga chronicling the birth of the CIA, and it’s too bad that De
Niro’s film hasn’t received as many accolades as it should have – especially for
the star, Matt Damon, who practically blows away every young actor in his
respective talent pool with his impressive, underplayed performances.
3.
Children of Men
Alfonso Cuaron’s “Children of
Men” is the best futuristic thriller since “Minority Report,” but that only
begins to describe the urgency and timeliness of this film’s theme. Told in a
fascinating, rhythmic style by Cuaron, the film stars Clive Owen as Theo, a man
living in England during the year 2027, where women have become infertile and
the youngest person alive is only 18 years old. As bleak as the crumbling future
of civilization seems, there is hope – a group of renegades have found a young
woman from Fiji named Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) who is miraculously pregnant.
The future of mankind is laid in the hands of Theo and these renegades, and what
results is a breathtaking piece of filmmaking.
4.
Babel
“Babel” is a masterwork; every
bit as brilliant as director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “21 Grams” but even
more epic in scope, with four separate, brilliantly filmed concurrent stories.
Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett have been hailed for their performances, but even
more amazing is the work done by international cast members Adriana Barraza,
Rinko Kikuchi, and Gael Garcia Bernal.
5.
Little Children
“Little Children” is a
little-seen masterpiece that could’ve been a contender for a Best Picture Oscar
nomination had it received the proper awards campaign. That being said, the
performances given by Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly and Jackie
Earle Haley are stunning in this tale of suburbanites lost in the muddle of
society. Director Todd Field has made not only an extremely entertaining film,
but also an emotionally complex piece of art.
6.
Dreamgirls
Bill Condon’s “Dreamgirls” is the
kind of musical where, even if you aren’t familiar with the music, five minutes
into the film you’ll be inevitably toe-tapping along with the rhythm. This story
of the rise of a 1960’s girl triplet known as the Dreams (loosely based on The
Supremes) is brought to firey life by Eddie Murphy, but is ultimately cemented
as a dramatic masterpiece by newcomer Jennifer Hudson, whose screen presence
lends “Dreamgirls” an immense amount of power.
7.
The Queen
Helen Mirren is superb as “The
Queen,” although she is not the only great thing about Stephen Frears’ film. In
fact, the most unheralded players of this film are the royal men whose support –
or lack of support – for Queen Elizabeth II are just as important to the film’s
procedurals as anything. Michael Sheen’s Tony Blair and James Cromwell’s Prince
Phillip are two performances worth mentioning that probably won’t appear on
year-end ballots.
8.
United 93
“United 93” is a powerful movie
that outdoes “World Trade Center” in almost every aspect, but calling it a movie
doesn’t seem right. It’s more like a flashback to the ghastly day of September
11th, 2001; like a nightmare as to what it would have been like to be
onboard of the hijacked plane United 93, which never made it to the United
States Capitol, the supposed destination of the plane. Director Paul Greengrass
does this story justice, and should certainly earn a Best Director nomination at
the Academy Awards. “United 93” is a film that honors the passengers that had
strength in a time of strife.
9.
Little Miss Sunshine/ Borat/ Thank You For Smoking
“Little Miss Sunshine,” the
big-time hit from the Sundance Film Festival, takes the typical road-trip comedy
idea and creates something inventive and fresh, not unlike “About Schmidt” and
“Sideways.” With a very funny cast that includes Steve Carrell, Greg Kinnear,
Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin, “Little Miss
Sunshine” has one of the best ensemble casts of the year, and is certainly one
of the funniest films since that other Carrell film, “The 40 Year-Old Virgin.”
“Borat” and “Thank You For
Smoking” are politically incorrect comedies that exploit American culture in
completely different ways. The title character of “Borat,” excellently played by
Sacha Baron Cohen, is a clueless reporter from the glorious nation of Kazakhstan
who comes to America to improve his country with his learnings from U.S. culture
(that, by the way, is an Americanization of the subtext of the film’s title.)
“Thank You For Smoking,” written and directed by Jason Reitman, stars Aaron
Eckhart as a tobacco lobbyist who, despite his continual efforts to promote
cigarettes, still wants his young son to grow up properly.
10. Flags of Our Fathers/ Casino Royale/ Blood
Diamond
Clint Eastwood’s “Flags of Our
Fathers” is a great film. Not as great as Eastwood’s “Mystic River” and “Million
Dollar Baby,” nor as great as the World War II epic “Saving Private Ryan.” But
comparisons aside, this film deserves a Best Picture nomination at the 2007
Oscars, although that spot may end up going to Eastwood’s second Iwo Jima film
this year, “Letters from Iwo Jima,” which is told from the Japanese perspective.
The two finest action movies of
the year, “Casino Royale” and “Blood Diamond,” simply do not get enough credit
for not only their entertainment value, but also the cinematic presence of their
respective stars – Daniel Craig, the maverick hero who has taken charge of the
James Bond franchise, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who follows up “The Departed” with
an equally wrenching performance as a diamond smuggler in Sierra Leone.
Runners-Up (in alphabetical order): Apocalypto,
Bobby, Hollywoodland, An Inconvenient Truth, Miami Vice, A Prairie Home
Companion, A Scanner Darkly, Stranger Than Fiction, The Three Burials of
Melquiades Estrada, V for Vendetta, World Trade Center
The 2006 Awards
Best Picture:
The Departed
What can I say that I haven’t said already?
Martin Scorsese’s crime thriller that serves as both a Shakespearean tragedy and
a filthy comedy about underground Boston is the most entertaining and powerful
film in years. I’ve seen “The Departed” four times and the movie still shocks
and surprises.
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Between DiCaprio and Matt Damon, how do you decide the lead standout in this
brilliant film? I’m choosing DiCaprio because he is the conflicted conscience of
“The Departed;” the brooding hero caught between two sides of the law who serves
as the audience’s moral compass. His passionate, method-driven performance of
Billy Costigan is not fully appreciated until his head is unexpectedly shot open
and splattered across an elevator. Those final shattering moments of the film
reveal how much Costigan meant to us, and his fireball journey to his eventual
death is a mesmerizing glance at a troubled mind, leaving him among the many
dearly departed of this movie.
Best Actress:
Helen Mirren, The Queen
The idea of awarding this award on Helen Mirren is almost
pointless, since the actress has already won almost every other possible award
for this particular performance. But, in retrospect, Mirren really does give the
best female performance of the year in “The Queen,” with a special mention to
Kate Winslet, for her underrated performance in “Little Children.”
Best Supporting Actor:
Jack Nicholson, The Departed
The
toughest category is Supporting Actor, because almost every male in “The
Departed” would make an excellent choice. Nicholson is the ringleader of these
psychotic Bostonian cops and criminals, and his sporadically violent Frank
Costello is easily one of the most memorable characters of the year. With a
salute to Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, and especially Mark Wahlberg,
the supporting actor of the year goes to Jack Nicholson, who gives one of his
best and craziest performances since “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Don’t
laugh! This ain’t reality TV!
Best Supporting Actress:
Rinko Kikuchi,
Babel
I love Jennifer Hudson’s performance in “Dreamgirls” just as
much as anyone, but I think someone else should be signaled out here. Rinko
Kikuchi’s deaf teenager in “Babel” is the heart of this particular story, and
for an unknown actress to gather more attention than famous co-stars Brad Pitt
and Cate Blanchett, that’s some accomplishment. Kikuchi won’t win the Academy
Award, but she’s just as great as Hudson.
Best Director:
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
“Nobody gives it to you. You have to take it.” – Frank Costello
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