Well here we are, the annual list of the ten best films of 2006. These list are always hard to do because no matter what you put, there are going to be 1,000,000,000 people calling you an idiot for your list. But hey, it certainly gets the conversation going!
So without any further introduction, I present to you the Top Ten best films (that got wide release) of 2006.
 The Departed – Beyond any shadow of a doubt, The Departed is the single best film of 2006. Not only is it a fantastic film, but it also proves that remakes can work (as many of you know, The Departed is a remake of the brilliant asian cop film “Infernal Affairs”), and work crazy well. One of the best ensemble casts with one of the most gifted directors of our generation together were able to pull off cinematic gold. The performances by DiCaprio, Baldwin, Jack and the rest of the gang were astonishing and the beautiful pace of the film kept you on the edge of your seat without needing a car chase or fight scene to get your heart pounding. A magnificent film that should and WILL win the Oscar for best picture this year. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the best film of 2006, The Departed.
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| The rest in no particular order |
 Borat – What can be said about Borat? It’s one of those odd movie that caught me totally off guard. I knew it would be funny (as a matter of fact, Borat is the single funniest movie I’ve ever seen in my life) but what catches you is that it’s also extremely smart. A film not only filled with outrageous craziness, but also deep and shocking social commentary that holds up a proverbial mirror and forces us to look at some of the realities of our culture that aren’t so pretty to see. This movie does what 99% of other comedies fail to do… entertain and make us think all at the same time. Borat is a brilliant film, and I can say without much worry that there will probably never again be another film like it. Very nice.
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 Slither – The best film of 2006 that failed to gain any sort of audience whatsoever. Is Nathan Fillion doomed to appear in one of the best films of the year that no one goes to see (the same thing happened to him last year with the fantastic “Serenity”)??? How on earth do you tell people about a movie about zombie making slugs from outer space and get them to take you seriously? Nevertheless, Slither was one of the most fun and creative horror flicks I’ve seen in a long long time. The cast was perfect, the dialog was quick and witty, the visuals for a low budget movie were surprisingly good and the damn thing even manages to scare you at the same time. Honestly folks, if you haven’t seen this movie (and I know most of you haven’t) get out to your video store today and treat yourself.
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 Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon – I fell so in love with this movie when I first saw it at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival that it was the first film on my mind when we decided to do the Films 4 Food Fest. This movie is just pure genius. A look at the world where Freddy, Jason and Michael were all real, and a young man decides he wants to be the next great mass murderer. Hilarious from the first frame of the film, it becomes a classic slasher flick about 2 thirds of the way through, and it entertains you non-stop. See it when this film gets released later this year, or come see it on January 20th at the Films 4 Food Fest.
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 Casino Royale – I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed a Bond flick as much as I did Casino Royale. A lot of rumblings were going on when Daniel Craig was handed the role of 007, but the man pulled it off and an argument could be made that no one has ever played the super spy as well as this man did. Finally, a James Bond who looks like he could actually kick my ass instead of kiss it. Craig pulled off all the suave, yet bad-assness the role of James Bond calls for. The film was a tad too long and could have been tightened up, but over all one of the best theater experiences of the year. Action, some terrific fights, one of the best most tension filled poker scenes in film history… and oh yeah… a lot of James tapping up the honeys. James Bond is alive again.
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 Clerks 2 – Aside from Borat, the single funniest film of the year. Kevin Smith brings his talent for writing great pure dialog to this project that is an amazing blend of sophomoric humor combined with actual thoughts and situations people in my age bracket (25-35) find themselves facing and thinking about. The issues of friendship, purpose, direction in life, all delt with from a light and hilarious perspective. A simple film that for the most part all happens on one set with nothing but the aforementioned pure dialog to press it forward. I never would have thought this movie would be on my list when I was first walking into the theater to see it, but Clerks 2 really is that damn good.
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 The Descent – This is another one of those movies that I assumed was going to be mildly entertaining but entirely forgetable the moment I walked out of the theater. DAMN was I wrong! The Descent is without a doubt the single most stressful experience I’ve ever had in a horror film. The freaking tension starts almost right away when the film starts, and it grabs you by your brittle little throat and it just doesn’t let you go for a moment to catch your breath. Even when nothing is happening on screen you’re stressed beyond all measurement. The mood and atmosphere of this movie is the real star. Such a simple concept for a horror film… and yet so brilliantly executed. If you are a fan of horror films at all… you MUST make sure to catch The Descent.
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 Thank You For Smoking – This will be the film that starts the rise of Aaron Eckhart to true “A LIST” status in Hollywood. Easily the best performance of his career to date, and he showed us that he has a lot more to offer us in the future too. Thank You For Smoking has one of the most terrific concepts of any film this year… a story where the “hero” is an advocate for the smoking industry. How crazy is that? But the film goes beyond just being a pure comedy. It is constantly asking morally complex questions without offering up any easy answers and just leaves us to stew in the dilemmas it presents us with. By the end of the movie you find yourself cheering for Eckhart’s character… but you’re still not sure if you SHOULD be or not. Another one of those underviewed films of 2006 that deserved a lot bigger of an audience than it got.
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 V For Vendetta – Hugo Weaving (as the hero “V”) really shows off his stuff in this film. Giving us a compelling, passionate, complex, powerful yet fragile character who the audience believed and become charmed by… all while never showing his face once, and doing all his acting from behind a mask. That’s no easy feat, but he did it gloriously, so much so that I think the man deserves an Oscar nomination for it (but he won’t get it). Not your typical comic book movie. Sensational dialog, good action, poignant political commentary that is very relevant to our curent situation and one of the very best protagonists in any movie this year. A great movie that won’t win any awards or be remembered as any sort of classic, but certainly one that deserves to be on this list.
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 Little Miss Sunshine – Just a brilliant, smart, touching and at its core funny movie that came into theaters without much fanfare, but that I’m happy to report gradually found its audience. An engaging film that almost instantly got you to feel vested in the family and got you to genuinely care about them despite all the quirks, problems and shortcomings they so obviously possess. Steve Carell shows us that he’s much more than just the 40 Year Old Virgin, Greg Kenear is his usual brilliant self, and Toni Collete deserves an Oscar nomination in my opinion (for that matter she deserves to WIN the damn thing). |
HONORABLE MENTION GOES TO:
– The Last King of Scotland
– The Queen
– Half Nelson
So there you have it folks. I’m sure 100% of you disagree with at least SOME of my list. So hop on into the comments section and tell me what you think. Is there anything on my list you think I’m crazy to have on? Is there anything missing?
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