I consider myself quite a movie buff, but I’ve never created a list my favorites anywhere. Actually trying to sit down and think of my top 10 movies of all time would be impossible for me. Most of my favorites cannot be compared, which is part of the reason they are so highly regarded. Anyway, I came across Kevin Smith’s top 10 list for 2006, which includes a great list of the year’s movies. I’ve seen 58 of them and narrowed it down to my own top 10.
1) The Departed
No question, this was the movie of the year. Never have a seen so many top actors fit so well together. Great action and storyline, funny and brutal, just top-notch all around. Scorsese should finally get his Oscar this year.
1b) V For Vendetta
I just couldn’t bring myself to calling this movie #2. It was easily #1 until The Departed came along. Hugo Weaving’s voice acting is better than most normal acting that Hollywood has to offer. Vengeful and sweet, you cheer for V as he systematically kills people with class.
3) Borat
Funniest movie of the year, hands-down. I’ve been watching Ali G and Borat since even before he landed his HBO special so I couldn’t wait for this movie. There was so much hype surrounding this movie and it still exceeded expectations. Sacha’s genius is all about setting up the perfect situations and feeding off strangers’ reactions.
4) The Fountain
“Wow” is the best word I can think of to describe this movie. The Fountain’s love story is so inspiring, depressing, happy, and sad that it’s hard to put into words. Darren Aronofsky’s visionary movie also goes out of its way to redefine science-fiction by refusing to use any computer graphics. The space scenes will just blow your mind. It’s too bad that most moviegoers won’t understand the plot.
5) Clerks II
Kevin Smith finally returns to his roots after the misguided Jersey Girl and overacted Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Virtually every scene can be repeatedly reenacted at the lunch table or party (hopefully not the donkey show) and get laughs every time. Randall is in prime form and the new characters fit into the original cast well. Pillow Pants.
6) Casino Royale
I was not expecting this movie to be very good, but it’s the best Bond movie I can recall; maybe even too good to be a Bond-movie. Daniel Craig fits the role of the over-confident, pompous, smart ass assassin almost too well. Great action movie with a mix of hi-tech and low-tech scenes that can make you cringe.
7) Little Miss Sunshine
Surprise hit of the year. I went into this movie before the buzz started without seeing a single preview and was reminded how great indie movies can be. Dysfunctional family movies can be hit or miss, but the acting is superb from the underutilized older actors to the younger newcomers. I was literally in tears laughing during the final scene.
8) The Break-Up
This movie got some horrible reviews and it’s not doing very well on IMDb either. On the contrary, I think this is Vince Vaughn in his prime. I’ve seen this movie over a dozen times and still laugh just as hard as the first time. The biggest complaint is that this movie has too much realistic fighting in it. They are breaking up, that’s the whole point! If you feel uncomfortable watching this with your loved one, it may be time to move on yourself.
9) Mission Impossible 3
Tom Cruise continues his streak of great movies ever since Vanilla Sky. Exponentially better than M:I-2, and although it doesn’t bring back the mystery from the first one, it’s still a damn good movie. Gritty, fast-paced action from beginning to end along with excellent acting from supporting Hoffman pushed this movie onto my top 10.
10) Children Of Men
Clive Owen has been making some great movies lately, but he’s still not getting fully appreciated. This movie has a great storyline and it does a good job of juggling the very personal story with its global consequences. The refugee camp scenes are simply stunning and the ambiguous ending is meant to make you think about the possibilities for yourself.
Honorable mentions go to Apocalypto, The Prestige, and Miami Vice (minus the Cuban scene).
>>netflix
D
February 3rd, 2007
Thank you for sharing!
Wahoo
October 6th, 2007