I saw several decent movies in 2006, such as The Good Shepherd (Well acted, interesting subject matter, way too slow), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Pretty much the right amount of stupid), Superman Returns (Admirably crafted but wallows in the superhero movie pit of too many special effects and not enough real action) and X-Men: The Last Stand (Entertaining but unfocused and far from the greatness of the second). I consider the five below to be the best of the year.
Best of 2006
5. A Scanner Darkly
They've made a bunch of movies based on Phillip K. Dick's writings, and they usually seem to turn out pretty good. Paycheck didn't turn out so hot, but I loved Total Recall and Minority Report, and I still haven't seen Blade Runner but from what I heard that was good too. A Scanner Darkly is a little different though, instead of just being a normal science fiction movie, it's a much more personal story, as it's based on Dick's own experience dealing with drug addiction. It has some cool futuristic ideas like the suits that distort the wearer's appearance to be unidentifiable, but instead of having big action scenes, it focuses on Keanu Reeves' character and his internal struggle.
Near the end the plot gets a little tighter and actually has a twist or two, but most of the movie is the discussion between him and his boss and doctors, and humorous interactions with his drug buddies Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey Jr., who both excellently portray uniquely hilarious and disturbed characters. They're more outwardly crazy than Reeves, but his character's addiction to the drug that's filled the streets is deeper, and he handles his role well for someone whose acting is so universally derided. You can't mention the movie without pointing out the animation that's applied over the entire picture, and I think it doesn't only look cool but also serves to illustrate the strangeness of Reeves' world. It was mostly overlooked, and I think that's a shame.
4. Little Miss Sunshine
What's interesting about this movie is how, despite the somewhat depressing state of dysfunction this family is in, it still manages to come out in the end with a good feeling. I love well-executed dark humor, and this movie is filled with sometimes painfully hilarious jabs at how crappy normal life can sometimes be. You can feel this family's frustration with each other, but they are all able to stick it out in order to bring some happiness to their youngest member. I really liked the acting, everybody seemed perfectly cast in their roles and did them well. I'm not sure Alan Arkin's work was really Oscar worthy, but he was the source of a lot of the best laughs.
3. Casino Royale
This is, in my opinion, the best James Bond movie. In my opinion, that's also not saying a lot, but it's still a good film. The James Bond series has always been about stupid fun, big action scenes, some good-looking women, cool gadgets and a few laughs. This tries to be a little more of a real movie, and it's still got a lot of the James Bond silliness, but I still think its style fits in more with the current era. I was a bit skeptical of Daniel Craig as Bond, as he didn't look the part to me, but that's kind of the point. The new Bond has a rougher edge and maybe's a little more brutal than he used to be, and is very well handled by Craig's skills. The plot is differently paced than usual as well, there are some solid action scenes, but a lot of it is focused on the characters, and the entire last act is a little unusual. Some of the characters' actions don't make much sense in retrospect, but I'd say overall the writing is pretty solid, and it's nice to look at too. Secret lairs in exotic locations will always have their place, but this is what today's James Bond should be.
2. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Question: How does a movie that's based on improvisation and real people who haven't even seen a script get an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay?
Answer: By being insanely hilarious and popular to the point that they probably felt they should recognize it somehow. I never really saw Sacha Baron Cohen's Da Ali G Show on HBO, but I feel like I probably should, since it's where the Borat character started. Cohen's a comedic genius, his ability to riff on people and get the perfect reactions out of them is amazing, in addition to just being great at creating a hilarious character. The movie has decent amounts of both planned out jokes and goofs on normal Americans that are played by ear, and it adds up to comedic gold. The theater was full and laughing its ass off the entire time. It's not the kind of movie that you talk about for its direction and contributions years later, but that's not what it wants to be.
1. The Departed
It's not the kind of movie I'd hang my hat on as a true, amazing, undisputed best picture of the year type thing, but it's still very good and deserving of this year's honor (Noting that I don't see a ton of movies every year). I'd like to see Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong movie it's based on, and see how much of The Departed really came from that directly. The plot is a rock solid crime movie filled with double-crosses and whackings, and it's set in the gorgeously filmed city of Boston. Everyone pulls of their accents well, and manage to create one of the strongest ensemble casts I've ever seen. DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson, Sheen, Wahlberg, Baldwin, and a good group of smaller names all bring their A game, and it's really just an exceedingly fun to watch affair. The world needs more movies featuring likable, good actors betraying and beating the crap out of each other.
Delayed Entries
Again, these are movies worth mentioning that were released before 2006 but I didn't see until then.
Citizen Kane
I wouldn't go so far as others as to call this the greatest movie ever made, although I can see where that distinction would come from. The directing and cinematography are amazing, every shot is beautifully planned and rendered. It really is a how-to video of interesting and meaningful filmwork. It's also brilliantly acted, all of the main players are good, and Orson Welles is great as both a young entrepreneur and an old curmudgeon. I think it definitely drags in the latter half, and I can't bring myself to honestly say I like it more than some less stately, but more enjoyable other movies.
Annie Hall
I've never been a huge Woody Allen fan, but this is definitely a terrific movie. The dialogue is very funny, and it creates a whole lot of things that will become staples of off-beat comedies in the future, like subtitled translations of what people are really saying, and breaking the fourth wall as the star directly confers with the audience. It's not just a comedy though, it's a well-filmed and acted story of love and how it can go wrong. It's not your typical story where everything turns out right in the end, it's a realistic examination of human relationships, and really admirable in its execution.
My guess is there's other movies that belong here that just haven't come to mind.
