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Irene's Top
10 of 2006
Since the late 90s, my movie-going experiences have had a dearth
of truly memorable movies. However, 2006 was an interesting year,
as my list below indicates: it contains two animated features
(!), a few bookish flicks, and shockingly, three Hugh Jackman
movies.
Honorable mention: Notes
on a Scandal, The Prestige
10. Little
Miss Sunshine: Unlike many dysfunctional family movies,
which often wallow in irony and self-deprecating humour, Little
Miss Sunshine is both funny and genuinely sweet. Moreover,
while I'd watch almost anything starring Toni Collette, Abigail
Breslin's the one who steals the show.
9. Happy Feet: Although
I usually cannot tolerate animated movies for children, I find
that this jukebox musical is almost impossible to dislike.
So what if its environmental message is a little heavy-handed,
and it stars the insufferable Robin Williams? This movie is
the guiltiest pleasure on my list for 2006.
8. A Scanner Darkly: As
with Waking Life, this film employs rotoscope animation, enhancing
the already trippy narrative. Though some critics have expressed
a dislike for its removed tone, I find myself passively--hypnotically--immersed
in the story, which is perhaps the point.
7. Pan's Labyrinth: This
is one of the most impressive fantasy films that I've seen in
a while. Guillermo Del Toro's film is both a mesmerising study
of Fascist Spain and a perceptive examination of childhood.
Though the movie has plenty of dark fantasy elements, the very
real Capitán
Vidal is by far its most terrifying character.
6. Brick: Thrilling
and darkly humourous, Brick is an intriguing depiction of modern-day
noir. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who cemented his indie cred in Mysterious Skin,
is understated and affecting in this contemporary potboiler.
I look forward to seeing more of his films in 2007.
5. Little Children: When
you've seen one movie on suburban angst, you've seen them all,
right? Not so with Little Children, an ambiguous tale of the
deluded middle classes. Kate Winslet is always fascinating,
and her performance here is solid. Winslet is supported by
a strong cast, and the well-developed characters lift the movie
above the level of melodrama.
4. Stranger Than Fiction: I
never thought that Will Ferrell would star in one of my top
ten movies, but 2006 held a number of cinematic surprises.
The excellent screenplay and the undeniable charm of the movie's
lead actors create a witty and entertaining experience.
3. Inland Empire: David
Lynch has mastered the art of showing the seediness--and sometimes
the evil--that resides in the all-American heart, but Inland
Empire is probably his oddest film in recent years. It's
saved from being too inaccessible by the motley cast of Lynch's
regulars, whose performances keep the film surreal and compelling.
2. Children of Men: Alfonso
Cuaron's adaptation of the book by P. D. James is a gripping
thriller, substituting James's paternalistic vision of Britain
with an all-too-real depiction of apocalypse. Few movies frightened,
yet moved, me as much as this one did this year.
1. The Fountain: Darren
Aronofsky's third feature film is a thoughtful meditation on
the nature of mortality. Additional to its technical achievements
(such as cinematography and score), Hugh Jackman and Rachel
Weisz help convey an emotionalism and spirituality that Aronofsky's
previous movies lack.
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