1 Best Movies of 2006

Back with yet another thrilling discussion of the top movies of a year in the 2000s.  As always, feel free to add to discussion in the comments below...

Marty:

For me, three movies standout for best of 2006.  Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth and The Departed.    All three are great in their own individual ways.  If I had to rank them, it would go like this:

3. Pan's Labryinth.  Guillermo del Toro created a fantastic fantasy world that was parallel to the real world.  Just top notch film making. 

2. The Departed.  Scorsese + gangster movie = Always awesome.  Matt Damon undercover as a cop and Leonardo DiCaprio undercover as a gangster. 

1. Children of Men.  An outstanding piece of film making and science fiction at it's best.  Set in the year 2027 in a world where people can no longer have babies.  It really forces you to think of how society would fall apart if there was no hope for the future.  Hope of the future is what society is based on.  Alfonso Curaon did a fantastic job at creating a world in the future that felt way too real.  Some of the scenes are beyond impressive and filled with tons of tension.  I absolutely love his use of long shots (http://vimeo.com/41218073).  I'm always a fan of  longer shots no matter the movie.  Hitchcock used only 10 takes for the movie Rope and he probably would have used less if he wasn't limited by the length of reels at the time.  And the opening scene of Curaon's new film Gravity is supposed to be 17 minutes long, which could be really epic.  I think longer shots just give movies a different feel.  Constant cutting can make a film schizophrenic at times.  Besides the technical aspects, Children of Men is filled with great performances by actors such as Clive Owen and Michael Caine.  So Children of Men, a modern sci-fi classic, is my choice for best movie of 2006.

Sean:

I can get on board with Children of Men. I think Departed was overrated, because of Scorcese, and it was definitely ham handed at times. Pan's Labryinth was a good movie and one of those where you could put as much or as little in and get the same amount out of it. You could read very deeply into it or just take it at face value and roll with it. I would add to your list the following:  Casino Royale. The relaunching of the Bond series with Daniel Craig. A darker take on the Bond films, very well made and well acted. The Last King of Scotland. Looking at the interplay between a Scottish doctor and Idi Amin, this would probably be my other choice for best movie of 2006. Little Miss Sunshine basically relaunched the quirky indie film genre, or at the least reinvigorated it. I think Alan Arkin steals the shoe as the foul mouthed grandfather, but overall an entertaining and likable movie.

Ed F.:

2006 was a pretty good year, and once again, I am unable to choose a single favorite. That being said, for the sake of unanimity, I too can get on board with Children of Men. It’s a great movie and one that I revisit often, although it’s not necessarily the main story that I find most interesting. Curaon’s directorial vision is so perfectly translated to the screen that I find myself just looking at what’s going on in the background and on the periphery of his futuristic London. I agree with Marty on the effectiveness of the extended takes.

Other movies I think are worth mentioning:

Casino Royale: Skyfall is great and worthy of all the attention it has received, but Casino Royale is still Craig’s best go at Bond, in my opinion.

Inside Man: Spike Lee, Denzel, and the most ingenious bank robbery I can imagine. I’m convinced it could actually work.

Nacho Libre: This might be my favorite comedy of all time.

The Fountain: A hugely ambitious project that suffered long production delays and massive budget cuts. Definitely one of the most original movies of 2006, and one that is worth watching again every so often. It’s my favorite Darren Aronofsky movie, as much for what it could have been as for what it is in actuality.

Babel: This movie is a gut-punch. 2006 was a great year for Mexican filmmakers.

Rescue Dawn: Werner Herzog cannot make a movie isn’t worth watching. Even his most massive failures are immensely interesting. Rescue Dawn, however, is no failure. The action is tense and the jungle locations are amazing. Christian Bale is fantastic. I tend to view his stint as Bruce Wayne as his sort-of performance baseline, so when I see him in roles like this and The Fighter I’m always impressed.

Miami Vice: I am a huge Michael Mann fan and a huge fan of the original series. I’ll never forget something my brother said when this movie came out: "There’s a fine line between being cool and being a douchebag." Colin Farrrell and Jamie Fox as Crockett and Tubbs walk that line. Anyway, it’s a great movie with a great look. Very underrated.