FAVORITE FILMS OF 2007
Friday morning I will embark on a 12:01 AM viewing of SPIDER MAN 3, the film that will jump start what could potentially be the most successful summer in box-office history. But before we get into summer movie mania, it is time to finally put 2006 to bed.
It still saddens me though that Hollywood still favors objective and cynical storytelling over stories that don't beat you over the head with their blatant agendas. CHILDREN OF MEN was a powerful film about hope, yet the filmmakers kept making references to the cruelty of "Homeland Security," and how awful the (our) government really is; I even felt at times that the film was mocking the obvious allegorical reference that it made to a messianic child that would be born and ultimately change the world, even though that is what the film hinges itself upon. HAPPY FEET was an exercise in how manipulative children's movies are becoming with its fickled social commentary on how awful humans are treating the planet, and its contorted view of the dominance of religion in the world. What would we do without PIXAR?
Even though 2006 was a much better year at the movies, I still look back and find myself having not been wildly entertained by many of the films that were released. Most of the films on my top ten list I most likely will not buy on DVD because they just aren't the kind of films you really want to submit yourself too on an ongoing basis. Even though they have very powerful messages at their core, they frankly just hit too close to home, and sometimes taking a trip out of the reality of our daily lives gives us the chance to hope that somewhere out there one will find the opportunity for a greater life. In short, the reason why PIRATES 2 was the biggest blockbuster of the year is simple, it was a great time at the movies, and it doesn't hurt that every female on the planet goes bananas over Jonny Depp, that teenage guys salivate over Keira Knightley, or that Orlando Bloom is pure teen girl eye candy! Yes, some people still want to have a good time at the movies these days, and can we blame them when all they see on the news is one dreadful thing after another? Must the cinema reflect such a negative outlook on life when there are so many things to be thankful for? Frank Capra, where are you when we desperately need you?
Here are my top 10 movie picks of 2006:
Mel Gibson has proven once again that he is a fantastic director. Some continue to think that he is flat out crazy, shooting another film in a dead language about an ancient culture, with his own money, and using all no-name actors, sounds pretty crazy to me. However, the result is a wild ride that sucks you in and won't let you go until the credits role. This film was the most exhilarating movie going experience of the year, and aside from his personal life, Gibson continues to make a believer out of me.
(Caution: This film has scenes of extreme brutality.)
#9: THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Will Smith gives one of the best performances of the year, and one of the best performances of his career. Also, you can't deny the magical charisma going on between real life father and son. This is a film abut persevering through the toughest trials in life, and realizing that you just can't make it on your own. It is not a perfect film, but it is a film that will touch your heart, and inspire you to discover where happiness truly lies.
Can PIXAR ever go wrong? They just get it, they get story, they understand what memorable characters really are, and they are never afraid to take us to a place that we would never imagine, but that fits the mold of their characters so perfectly. On the surface this is a film about cars and a love letter to an age in which a road trip down old Route 66 couldn't be beat, but underneath it all is parable about friendship, forgiveness, selfishness, and how life isn't just about the destination, but the journey that it takes to get there.
Harold Crick may be the world's most boring person, but the moment he realizes that his life is being written by an author who he can hear in his head he finds himself, and he begins to come alive. This is a film about cherishing every moment that you have, about finding fulfillment in the smallest of things, and realizing that sometimes it takes facing death to bring out the greatest qualities in each of us.
#6: CASINO ROYALE
What, a bond that bleeds, who questions the kind of life that he should lead, who actually has a soul. Every one thought that Daniel Craig would be the worst Bond of all, with his blond hair and short resume, but in CASINO ROYALE he forever silenced all those who denied him. Daniel Craig has brought a new gravitas to the character of James Bond that makes CASINO ROYALE the most real and gritty bond of all them all. The cheesy one-liners are gone, the contrived gadgets that get bond out of every sticky situation are gone, and the ditsy seductress Bond Girl is gone, leaving a film that is riveting to behold, with a sense of charm and whimsy that leaves its viewers fulfilled, even in the face of tragedy. CASINO ROYALE just might rival GOLDENEYE and GOLDFINGER as one of the best Bond movies ever, and Daniel Craig may even rival Connery as one of the best actors to ever suit up in the famed black tux, or to drink his martini's shaken and not stirred.
#5: PANS LABYRINTH
In the vein of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Guimero Del Toro, the director of BLADE 2 and HELLBOY has given us the best foray into the fantasy genre since LORD OF THE RINGS. PANS LABYRINTH is the story of a little girl name Ofelia who discovers a ancient labyrinth where a faun gives her three tasks to perform. Not only must Ofelia face the horrors of the fantasy world that she has stumbled into, she must also face the horrors of her tyrant stepfather who is a man of unmistakable evil. Underneath the films adult content, for this is no children's tale, there is story about facing your fears, hope for a better world, and self-sacrifice.
(CAUTION: This film contains some intense moments of brutality.)
#4 CHARLOTTES WEB
What is it about farm animal stories that is so enduring. First there was BABE and now EB White's classic tale of friendship comes to life in a vivid realism. The film follows the story of Wilbur, a runt pig that was rescued from the slaughter house by a little girl that saw something wonderful in him. Wilbur soon befriends a spider named Charlotte and the adventure begins to save the Christmas dinner fate that awaits Wilbur. Walden Media, the makers of NARNIA, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, and HOLES, have presented themselves as the premiere producers of enduring family entertainment, and CHARLOTTE'S WEB is no detractor.
#3: LITTLE CHILDREN
Two small town stay-at-home parents find themselves trapped in an adulterous love affair they they willfully condoned. Both come from marriages that are for the most part non-existent. The title says it all, we may find that our children do childish things, but in reality adults can be just as selfish, just as feisty, and just as manipulative as "little children." In the end this is a film about how the fulfillment of lustful desires can only leave you empty, and how it can only hurt the ones that truly need you attention, your commitment, and you love.
(CAUTION: This movie contains some brief moments of intense sexuality, and some nudity.)
Two port authority police officers find themselves trapped under the debris of the collapsed World Trade Center buildings. Oliver Stone brings all the elements of his 30 year film career to showcase this story of true courage, hope, and bravery. The surprising part of this film is Oliver Stone himself. For years he has been consistently labeled as one of films most controversial directors. His Vietnam trilogy (PLATOON, BORNE ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, HEAVEN AND EARTH) gave us plenty of reasons why the Vietnam War was one of the biggest mistakes our country ever made, JFK explores the conspiracy theories behind the assassination of President Kennedy, and ANY GIVEN SUNDAY is an exploration of the power struggles that plague professional sports, specifically football. But with WOLRD TRADE CENTER, Stone has set his ego and his agenda aside to present us with a story about enduring the most horrific obstacles, and how faith, family, and hope can conquer any act done out of hate and evil. This film is nothing short of a triumph in a time when their are little triumphs to be seen.
#1: UNITED 93
When word that Hollywood would be adapting stories from 9/11 to the big screen, I thought to myself that it was just too soon to do so. We are still a nation trying to cope with the continuing pain and despair of that monumental day in history, but as it turns out, the timing could not have been better. UNITED 93 is a story about loss, pain, and terror, but it is also a story about courage, strength, hope, and ultimately self-sacrifice. How many more lives would have been lost if the folks on UNITED 93 had not banded together, risked their own lives, and given them willfully away? This is a film that is shot so real that it feels like you are actually seeing the events unfold before you, and the images still haunt my thoughts to this day. This film is not about the government, it is not about the terrorists, it is about a day when a group of strangers gave there lives in order to stop hate, in order to stop evil, and in order to stop destruction. It is a moment in history that will never be forgotten, and never should be.
NOTABLE MENTIONS (In no particular order):
- The Queen
- Blood Diamond
- The Prestige
- The Illusionist
- Letters From Iwa Jima
- Dreamgirls
- Little Miss Sunshine
- The Painted Veil
- Pirates 2
- Over The Hedge
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