John Michael Decker's Top Ten Films of 2006
Written by John Michael Decker
Jan 01, 2007 at 08:27 PM
Written by John Michael Decker
Jan 01, 2007 at 08:27 PM
2006 has been an interesting year at the cinema. There have been disappointments (Superman Returns and The Prestige), films that were better than I anticipated they would be (X-Men: The Last Stand and Flyboys) and some films that were just so cheesy and weird that I loved them (Snakes On a Plane and Night Watch). There was the good (The Queen), the bad (Ultraviolet), and the decidedly ugly (Abominable). But the cream of the crop -- in my very biased opinion -- were...
#10: A Scanner Darkly
Synopsis: In the not-too-distant future, the war on drugs has been lost and an undercover narcotics officer (Keanu Reeves) must deal with a split personality brought on by his addiction to a new designer drug called Substance D.
This film is very faithfully based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, and directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused). Linklater employs a technique called rotoscoping where animators trace live action movement frame by frame, creating for the viewer a very life-like animated effect. This effect adds to the feeling of paranoia and isolation that pervades this picture.
In the end the audience is asked to wonder if sacrificing human souls is worth the price of winning the war on drugs. This is an extremely deep and trippy film-going experience.
#9: Rocky Balboa
Synopsis: After the dreadful Rocky V, Sylvester Stallone's boxing saga finally gets a proper send off with this sentimental offering. At the start of the film we learn that a 60-something Rocky Balboa now owns a restaurant in his old neighborhood in Philadelphia where he spends his time reliving past glories by telling boxing tales to his patrons. When a computer simulation shows that in his prime Rocky could have defeated current champ Mason "The Line" Dixon, forces are set in motion that may give Rocky one last chance at glory.
I liked that this movie was more reminiscent of the first Rocky than of the later offerings. It's the story of a true underdog with the deck stacked against him. Also, the chemistry between Stallone and young actor Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Rocky's son, Robert Jr.) was very nice and their scenes together were quite good.
#8: Clerks II
Synopsis: Director Kevin Smith's raunchy and hilarious meditation on friendship and moving forward finds the heroes of the first Clerks -- Dante and Randal -- working at Mooby Burger. Dante is engaged and ready to move out of state, but Randal is still happy being a slacker and feels abandoned by his hetero life mate.
Smith excels at dialog and he is back in fine form after his most recent and disappointing outing, Jersey Girl. No other director can combine toilet humor and pathos so seamlessly. I look forward to more adventures of Jay, Silent Bob and the rest of Smith's Jersey gang.
#7: Hollywoodland
Synopsis: This film explores the tragic death of television's Superman, George Reeves, in a very Rashomon-like style. Burned out P.I. Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) explores the seedy underbelly of Hollywood in an effort to uncover the mystery. Although the film offers no definitive answers as to how the tragedy unfolded, it does paint a fascinating portrait of a troubled man in a town that will eat your dreams for breakfast.
I realize that it is popular to bash Ben Affleck these days, but I thought his performance as George Reeves was a revelation. Through flashbacks we see Reeves slowly disintegrate as both his professional and personal lives crumble around him. Affleck was subtle and nuanced and is a much better actor than most people give him credit for.
#6: The Proposition
Synopsis: A harsh, bleak and unforgiving Australian western written by rock star Nick Cave. In this film, outlaw Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) is given an impossible choice. Hunt down and kill his psychotic older brother or allow his younger brother to be executed.
This is a ceaselessly dark film and it is not going to be for everyone, but it is also surprisingly thoughtful and philosophical and it shows that some places on this earth are just not meant to tamed.
#5: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Synopsis: The film that pissed the most people off this year is also the funniest -- often painfully so. Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen plays rabidly anti-Semitic Kazakhstan journalist, Borat Sagdiyev who has come to America to make a documentary. Borat is backwards and offensive in the extreme, and yet he is so innocent that he comes across as endearing instead of hateful.
The brilliance of this film comes from the fact that most of the cast is unaware that Cohen is just an actor, and so through Borat's eyes we get to see Americans with their guard down. That honest look is not always pretty, but it is hilarious.
#4: Casino Royale
Synopsis: This is the best 007 flick in years, thanks to a start-from-scratch approach (similar to last summer's Batman Begins), a stricter adherence to the Ian Fleming source material, and a tour-de-force performance by the newest James Bond, Daniel Craig.
One thing I always admired about the James Bond character of Fleming's novels was the fact that underneath his suave exterior, Bond was a savage brute. He needed to be, to survive in his line of work, and Craig nailed this aspect of the character perfectly. This was a more vulnerable Bond than we've seen in the past -- a more flawed character -- but also far more human and interesting.
#3: The Departed
Synopsis: If Martin Scorsese does not win his long deserved Oscar for this undercover cop vs. undercover crook masterpiece than there really is no justice in the universe. In this film Leonardo DeCaprio plays Billy Costigan and Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan. Two sides to the same coin. Costigan is an undercover cop trying to get the goods on Irish mobster Frank Costello (played by the ever-brilliant Jack Nicholson). Sullivan is one of Costello's goons who has joined the police force and is trying to sniff out the rat in the Costello gang.
The tension generated by this simple plot device is really quite wonderful, and all of the elements (acting, writing, and directing) mesh flawlessly under Scorsese's practiced hand. There is a reason that Scorsese is considered a legendary director, and this is the work of a great film master at the top of his game.
#2: V for Vendetta
This film is an adaptation of the comic book graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Moore got into a dispute with the producers and so asked for his name to be removed from the credits of the movie. This is really a shame because it is the best adaptation of Mr. Moore's work ever produced for the big screen.
Synopsis: In a dark future where England has become a totalitarian state, a lone vigilante in a Guy Fawkes mask (known only as "V") proves that the people should not fear their government, but the government should fear its people.
Alan Moore first wrote this material in the 80s over concerns of what the world was turning into under world leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. In the era of George W. Bush this material is as relevant as ever.
And now, my favorite movie of 2006...
#1: The Descent
About a year ago I was at the video store and I found a pre-viewed copy of a film called Dog Soldiers in DVD format. The back of the DVD indicated that this was a movie about soldiers fighting werewolves. As I am a sucker for a good werewolf flick and the price was less than ten bucks, I bought the video. This film was so good that it is in contention with An American Werewolf in London as my favorite werewolf film ever.
I have since found out that Dog Soldiers was written and directed by an Englishman named Neil Marshall. Although it never got an American release, it broke box office records in England and Europe. I realized that I had found the work of a fresh new voice in horror cinema and I vowed to seek out all of the films that Neil Marshall made. Neil Marshall's second film did get an American release last summer. This film was The Descent, and it was one of the most spectacularly scary horror movies I have ever seen.
Synopsis: Six English women decide to go on an extreme outdoor adventure holiday in the Appalachians. What starts out as a caving expedition quickly goes horribly wrong. Initially, Marshall's film explores the very real terror of being underground: darkness, cave-ins, claustrophobia. But then, just when you think things couldn't get scarier, a paranormal element is introduced into the film that ratchets up the tension several more notches.
The movie's title works on many levels. This is about a descent into a cave. A descent into the darkness of the soul. And finally, a descent into madness. It is on par with Aliens as a truly intense thriller and it is my favorite film of 2006.
John Michael Decker is a struggling actor, comic book nerd, and self-avowed movie nut. For the past seven years or so he has been making a list of the previous year's top ten films and sending it to his friends. This year he's been asked to publish it on Entertainment in Review. He'll also be writing occasional film critiques in future columns. John comes to this web page not as a professional critic but as a guy who loves movies and who will hopefully steer you towards some quality entertainment.
Copyright 2007 John Michael Decker. No reprints without permission.
