2006: A Look Back

So 2006 is in the books and I find myself looking back at the highs and lows in the world of film. Here is a list of some of those things that stood out to me throughout the year.

FUNNIEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR:
BORAT: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakstan
Now I know that this is not the groundbreaking choice, but it just simply the funniest movie that was released in 2006. I didn’t like it nearly as much as most of the critics did and I don’ think that it is a genius film, but I do believe that it is filled with moments of inspired comic brilliance. I cross my fingers that Sacha Baron Cohen will be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar because it will show some balls that the Academy truly needs. But more than anything, this movie just made me laugh.

SCARIEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR:
THE DESCENT
This is a great horror film. The setup is simple… A group of women go spelunking in an uncharted cave, thing go wrong and they are trapped… then monsters come. It might sound a little silly, but it is amazingly effective in its use of the location, the fear, the stress and the impending danger that surrounds them. The best thing about THE DESCENT is that it would work without the monsters in the film at all. There is enough drama and character development to keep you on the edge of your seat. But you add a bunch of cave dwelling monsters that eat people to that and you get a bad ass horror film.

BEST TRAILERS OF THE YEAR:
LITTLE CHILDREN
The sound, the images, the music and the structure create a world that pulls you in within seconds. This is a phenomenal trailer that engages and captivates in a way that I hadn’t seen in most films, let alone any other trailers this year.
300
This might be a huge piece of crap or it might be a work of brilliance. We will find out in March. Until then, what we do have is a fantastic trailer. Here is link to my review of the trailer.

300 Trailer REVIEW

BEST SURPRISE OF THE YEAR:
JENNIFER HUDSON in DREAMGILRS
This is a good film, but Hudson is absolutely incredible in it. All that I knew about her going in was that it was her first film and that she was on a show (American Idol) that I had never watched. What I found out is that she is the heart and soul of this film. There are a handful of numbers that stand out, but there is one in particular that stands out. You will know this song when you see it because it will make you stand up and cheer.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR:
M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN
There was the whole mess with his fallout with Warner Brothers, the book that documented not only that break, but also highlighted the appearance that he is a spoiled child of a filmmaker. Then, to top it off, he went out and made the movie that caused the rift with Warner Brothers… LADY IN THE WATER. To say that this is a piece of crap can’t sum it up. It is a disaster. I think that he is still a talented filmmaker… I just hope that he can have the sense to pull his head out of his ass and realize that he is not untouchable and that sometimes, he is wrong. He can fail. He has failed.

BEST DVD OF THE YEAR:
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director’s cut)
I wrote about this version of the movie earlier in the year and it is one of the best movies of the decade. The 4-disc DVD is just as good, filled with hours of documentaries and several commentaries. If you like movies at all, this is a must own DVD for your collection.

Here is a link to my post about the movie/DVD…

Kingdom of Heaven REVIEW

MOVIE THAT I DISLIKED THAT CRITICS LOVED:
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Now I didn’t “hate” LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, but I do think that it is an overrated film to say the least. It is a cinematic mess that is presented as a masterpiece. I think that I said it all in my review, so here’s the link…

Letters From Iwo Jima REVIEW

Soon I will be posting my best of the year lists… aka THE HUMBY’S 2006