Favorite Movies of 2006
FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2006
The following is a list of my favorite movies of 2006. Mind you, this is not a list of the best movies of the year, although I would definitely include at least four of them. Anyway, here they are:
1. CASINO ROYALE: One of the best James Bond movies I have seen in years. Daniel Craig breathed new life into the Bond role and the franchise.
2. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST: Not only was the second “Pirates” movie excellent, it provided new twists into the characters from the original movie. Johnny Depp is still in top form. But Orlando Bloom proved to be surprisingly more complex in this sequel.
3. THE DEPARTED: A new twist to the gangster genre. If this story was not about state police and the Irish Mafia, this could have easily been a top-notched spy thriller. Martin Scorcese has done it again. Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon were excellent as adversaries.
4. MIAMI VICE: This version of the old 80s television show was a hell of a lot better than many critics and film goers gave it credit for. I suspect that many wanted a simple rehash of the show, instead of a new . . . and surprisingly well-written look into the lives of Miami vice cops.
5. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III: The third movie in this franchise was better than the second film and just as good as the first movie. It was overlooked due to many viewers’ personal dislike of the movie's leading man, Tom Cruise. I found it sad that moviegoers had allowed their distaste for Cruise to prevent them from seeing a damn good movie.
6. X-MEN 3: THE LAST STAND: A top-notch entry into the X-Men franchise. It was directed by Brett Ratner, instead of Bryan Singer. And to be honest, Singer was not missed. Well, as far as I’m concerned.
7. DREAMGIRLS: A superb adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical about the rise of a female singing group in the 1960s and 70s. Directed by Bill Condon, the film featured great music, an excellent story and an unsual plot setup. The movie could also boast excellent performances - especially from Eddie Murphy as a doomed R&B singer and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson as the Dreams' talented, but scorned singer.
8. THE BLACK DAHLIA: Another adaptation of a James Ellroy novel. It was not as good as L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, but it was still well done. In fact, it was better than I had originally thought it would be. Josh Harnett was excellent in the lead role. And Hillary Swank was delicicious in her turn as a promiscuous socialite.
9. HOLLYWOODLAND: This was a captivating look at George Reeves' career through the eyes of a Los Angeles detective investigating his mysterious death. Adrien Brody (as the detective) led a top notch cast that included Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins, Jeffrey DeMunn and a superb Ben Affleck as the doomed actor who portrayed Superman in the 1950s.
10. THE PRESTIGE: This has got to be one of the most unusual movies I have ever seen in recent years. Christopher Nolan really pulled the rug from under many moviegoers’ feet and presented a twisted tale of revenge and envy between two illusionists set in the late Victorian era. Both Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman turned in some excellent performances. And they were ably supported by Michael Caine and surprisingly, Scarlett Johansson.
If you would notice, movies like THE QUEEN and INFAMOUS did not make the list. Quite frankly, I have yet to see any of these movies. I wanted to include THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, THE GOOD SHEPHERD and SUPERMAN RETURNS on the list. But these movies did not quite make it.
Two movies nearly made the list:
THE DaVINCI CODE:
FLAGS OF OUR FATHER:
