Top Ten Films of 2006

Since it's already February it's about time to finally get to this...a look back at 2006. I've had this list in mind since the end of the year but real life has a way of interfering with blogging.

One positive about the delay: it should be easier to find some of the films on this list in nationwide release now (and a few have hit, or are about to hit, DVD). 2006 was not always a great year for moviegoing but a rush of last minute high quality product helped change that. Unfortunately a lot of those titles did not immediately turn up in theaters across the country. Some are still waiting on a wider release.

But whether a film plays on 4 screens or 4000, for one week or six months, I'll take quality anywhere I can find it.

Honorable mentions:

Alfonso Cuarón’s expertly crafted sci-fi think piece Children of Men

The latest successful change of pace for Marc Forster, Stranger Than Fiction, a character-driven comedy with a strong cast led by Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson

Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center and Paul Greengrass’ United 93, two films that struck the perfect tone and style to tell their specific stories of September 11 and will hopefully embolden other talented filmmakers to contribute to the cinematic historical record

Spike Lee’s first true genre film, Inside Man, which is also the latest of his rewarding collaborations with Denzel Washington

I also have high regard for: a pair of action movies done right—Casino Royale and Mission: Impossible III; The Dead Girl, which has the feel of five fascinating short stories captured on film; the refreshing romantic comedy The Holiday; crude but funny TV refugee Borat; two thematically provocative examinations of real women, one—The Queen—universally praised and the other—The Notorious Bettie Page—unjustly overlooked; and The Good Shepherd, an ambitious spy saga that evolves into moving personal drama.

In addition, I’d like to note the more modest achievements of Akeelah and the Bee, Shortbus, Shut Up and Sing, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Little Miss Sunshine, Wordplay and Friends with Money among others. Also worth a special mention: David Lynch’s unclassifiable Inland Empire, destined to alienate many more viewers than it will ever captivate. Just consider yourself lucky if you fall under its strange spell.

The Top Ten:

• 10. Half Nelson

American narrative indies took a backseat to documentary and foreign films in 2006 but this specific slice of life from the team of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, made with equal parts energy and emotion, kept the scene alive and relevant. Ryan Gosling’s stunning performance underlines the promise of a significant career in the making.


• 9. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party

The year’s most joyful movie combines documentary, music and comedy in a unique achievement from director Michel Gondry. Everything, and everyone, is cause for celebration as comedian Dave Chappelle organizes a kickass block party where one hip-hop/neo-soul superstar takes the stage after another, and sometimes together.


• 8. Little Children

A smart, challenging movie specifically for adults at a time when American filmmakers seem deathly afraid of sexuality. No matter, since few would be able to navigate such complicated grown-up terrain as deftly as Todd Field does here. Kate Winslet is perfection as a suburban mother at an intellectual remove from responsibility.


• 7. Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima

Clint Eastwood’s dual World War II stories don’t demand to be seen together but they so brilliantly enrich each other that it’s a shame to consider them separately. Narratively distinct but stylistically of a piece, the films share a thematic concern with the emotional, psychological and spiritual tolls of war. Philosophically provocative works from a filmmaker who continues to surprise.


• 6. Volver

Since he’s delivered his fourth great film in a row it would be easy to take Pedro Almodóvar for granted, but why would you want to? His latest indispensable masterwork overflows with trademark humor and passion. A movie screen hardly seems big enough to contain Penélope Cruz, who happily thrusts herself into the role of a lifetime.


• 5. The Lives of Others

All of the qualities of a rich, textured novel are present in Florian Henckle von Donnersmarck’s remarkable debut feature. A fascinating look inside East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall centered around an intimate character drama, the film is equally successful as gripping melodrama and history lesson. Ulrich Mühe’s Stasi officer was one of the year’s most memorable screen characters.


• 4. Happy Feet

First and foremost the year’s grandest visual achievement, it’s a family-friendly action/musical/comedy extravaganza. But it doesn’t stop there. Director George Miller skillfully pushes the limits of what’s “allowed” in English-language animation and comes up with a final product that appeals to the eyes, the heart, the mind and, oh yes, the feet.


• 3. Dreamgirls

Bill Condon’s dazzling showbiz saga remains unabashedly entertaining while living up to a daunting cinematic heritage. It’s exceptional filmmaking, both old fashioned and contemporary. Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy set the bar for a flawless ensemble—how refreshing it is to see performers who can really sing, in a musical.


• 2. The Departed

If only every remake used its source material as a sturdy foundation to support deeper emotions, a grander scale, richer roles for an enviable ensemble (including playful Jack Nicholson, breakout Vera Farmiga and career-best Leonardo DiCaprio) and a thoroughly authentic new setting. Hollywood would be a better place. Of course the same would be true if Martin Scorsese simply directed a film a year.


• 1. Pan’s Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece explores and embodies the power of imagination. Set in the past, but relevant to the present, it ultimately feels timeless in the way it merges a simple, but lovingly detailed, fantasy world with the all too real horrors of war and fascism. Expert craftsmanship, compelling performances—including Sergi López as evil personified—and lyrical storytelling mark this singular creation. It's the year's most beautiful film, and also the best.

Top Ten TV Shows of 2005-06

It's become increasingly difficult to properly define a "season" of TV. Not only because the networks continue to test the boundaries of the traditional season and cable has never restricted itself to a "proper" September-May schedule, but also because the rise of TiVos, On Demand and TV on DVD have made it easier than ever for viewers to create their own schedules and watch entire seasons of shows on their own terms.

But I'm gonna stick with tradition and pay tribute to the best of the conventional TV season that ended about a month ago. That means stuff that aired between June 2005 and May 2006. After all, it's still the way the Emmys define their eligibility period (this year's nominations are due out July 6, while I'm on a break from this blog).

I could list out everything that I watched over the past year, and everything I still plan on catching, but instead I'll reserve this space for what I liked most of all. However, there are a few shows that would have made my list of the season's best, if I had more room:

-Big Love, yet another strong effort from HBO which invited viewers into a unique world (and lifestyle) in a credible way
-Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX), two cranky comedies that regularly made me laugh out loud

and first place runner-up...
-Wonder Showzen (MTV2), still wonderfully warped, if a little less fresh, in season two

But on to the real deal...

10. Rome (HBO; available on DVD)

HBO and the BBC teamed up to turn truly ancient history into an addictive soap, equal parts class and trash. The first season of this opulent epic was overflowing with raunchy sex and graphic violence, but it never felt forced thanks to its strong characterizations and extraordinary ensemble cast (with Ray Stevenson and Polly Walker especially relishing their scene-stealing roles). Forget Hollywood's ponderous period pictures, for costume drama that sizzles all roads lead...right here.

Standout episodes: The Stolen Eagle; The Ram Has Touched the Wall; The Spoils; The Kalends of February

9. Sons and Daughters (ABC)

This could have been the next great family comedy, if only people had bothered to watch. It probably should've aired on cable where the show's sharp, partially improvised dialogue, semi-serialized storylines and extensive ensemble would've been properly viewed as strengths rather than flaws. At least ABC took a chance and let ten episodes air, making network television a more interesting place in the process.

Standout episodes: Anniversary Party; BBQ Therapy; Surprise Party; The Homecoming

8. Six Feet Under (HBO; available on DVD)

The last season of HBO's signature sex-'n'-death drama started off a little weak, but by the time it hit the home stretch Six Feet Under delivered some of its finest episodes ever, culminating in a remarkable series finale that gave the show the arty/invigorating/absurd/glorious/pretentious/abundantly satisfying ending it deserved. And on a series that always honored its supremely talented cast, Frances Conroy and Rachel Griffiths finished the run as first among equals.

Standout episodes: Rainbow of Her Reasons; All Alone; Static; Everyone's Waiting

7. Extras (HBO; available on DVD)

Following up one of the greatest TV shows ever made is a pretty tough challenge. But Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant proved themselves up to the task with this unique portrait of two insecure and self-sabotaging background players in the U.K. film world. Gervais again starred, paired this time with the equally brilliant Ashley Jensen, and the result was a short season of piercing hilarity.

Standout episodes: Kate Winslet; Ben Stiller; Patrick Stewart

6. 24 (Fox; available on DVD)

It's surprise enough that such a gimmicky concept even made it to a fifth season. But watching this high-wire-act of an action drama deliver its most consistently compelling season yet was downright shocking. Bolstered by the show's strongest ensemble ever, "Day Five" raced breathlessly from one tension-filled situation to the next. Cast members dropped like flies, bold twists divided (and delighted) the audience and the clock kept ticking... making those seven days between new episodes seem like an eternity.

Standout episodes: Difficult choices for a show that's more about moments than episodes but: 7:00 A.M.-8:00 A.M. (season premiere); 4:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M. (motorcade attack); 10:00 P.M.-11:00 P.M. (the big reveal); 11:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M. (season finale)

5. Bleak House (PBS; available on DVD)

Who knew a novel from the 1800s, by Charles Dickens no less, could be turned into something so gripping in 2006? This Masterpiece Theater presentation of a BBC sensation preserves Dickens' serialized storytelling format but shatters PBS' stodgy reputation thanks to an audacious filmmaking style and passionate emotional resonance. Anna Maxwell Martin turned in arguably the best performance of the entire TV season as the radiant and intelligent Jane Austen-esque heroine.

Standout episodes: Parts 1, 4, 6

4. The Sopranos (HBO; available on DVD)

Continually setting the bar for the level of quality possible on television, the landmark drama had a fascinating sixth season. Complaints about the pace seemingly disregard the peerless filmmaking and performances. Tension mounted as the people we've come to know so well took baby steps forward, and backward, in this introspective season that explored big questions of mortality, heredity, enlightenment and the irresistible lure of a lifestyle that has great rewards but even greater penalties. Only eight more to go.

Standout episodes: The Fleshy Part of the Thigh; Mr. and Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request; Johnny Cakes; Cold Stones

3. Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi; first half and second half available on DVD)

In case you haven't heard, this is the show that single-handedly made sci-fi (both the channel and the genre) a respectable destination for lovers of quality drama. And over the course of an exhilarating and provocative 20-episode second season, split into two equally riveting halves, this re-imagining of a cheesy 70s space opera blossomed into one of TV's unquestionable best. Despite its cosmic setting, no show has more to say about the way we live now. Episodes make time for kick ass action and challenging portrayals of religious fundamentalism, terrorism, war, civil liberties and other vital topics without pandering or preaching. And damn is it fun.

Standout episodes: Home; Resurrection Ship; Downloaded; Lay Down Your Burdens

2. The Shield (FX; available on DVD)

It's a real mystery why The Shield isn't on the tip of everyone's tongue as one of TV's best dramas. This richly complex police drama gets deeper, and better, with each new season and long ago deserved the right to be mentioned in the same breath with The Sopranos, as a true contemporary classic. The problem is you've got to start at the beginning, but by the time you hit season five and see the Strike Team face off with a fiercely committed IA agent, who is determined to expose and end their corruption once and for all, you'll wonder why you ever resisted watching in the first place.

Standout episodes: Trophy; Kavanaugh; Of Mice and Lem; Post Partum

1. Arrested Development (Fox; available on DVD)

No, putting it on top isn't some statement about a great show that ended too soon. In fact part of me is glad that Arrested Development is done, finished, kaput. Yeah I said it. It's actually heartening to know that this brilliant comedy never lost its mojo. How it survived for three genius seasons without fading, becoming desperate or selling out is for wiser people than me to know. I'm just glad we have 53 episodes of these miserable bastards, and enough in-jokes to last a lifetime. Bob Loblaw. Mr. F. Oh come on. Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken? I've made a terrible mistake.

Standout episodes: The Ocean Walker; S.O.B.s; Fakin' It; Development Arrested

Top Ten Films of 2005

Runner-ups to this list are:
The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Jacques Audiard's absorbing tale of a small time crook with dreams of being a concert pianist;
Howl's Moving Castle, the latest animated wonder from Japanese legend Hayao Miyazaki, and one of his most wondrous;
In Her Shoes, another rewarding unexpected departure for director Curtis Hanson;
Judd Apatow's The 40 Year-Old Virgin, the funniest movie of the year;
Me and You and Everyone We Know, in which writer/director/star Miranda July proved quirky isn't always cloying;
and War of the Worlds, Steven Spielberg's other great film this year.

And also The Squid and the Whale, Batman Begins, Land of the Dead, Look at Me, Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The Ten:

10. Good Night, and Good Luck.

Everyone knows that Bill O'R...er...Sen. Joseph McCarthy is a big-headed, small-minded, blowhard who prefers to smear anyone who has the nerve to disagree with, or even question, him because civil discourse is for commies and traitors. By the way, when did our media become so weak? Thanks to George Clooney's taut little history lesson we can look to the past to see what's lacking in the present.

9. Millions

It's one of those cute movies from the U.K. about some plucky kids who find some money and get mixed up with criminals but are just so darned cute you can't believe how cute they are! Except it's not. Director Danny Boyle adds well measured doses of grit, wit and filmmaking polish to this family-friendly movie that is just the right combination of sentimentality and substance.

8. Mysterious Skin

The most surprising movie of the year, partly because I never expected something this mature, moving and strangely beautiful from cult provocateur Greg Araki. Working for the first time from source material other than his own warped mind, Araki spun the intriguing tale of two young men living separate lives in the same town, connected by events that have become vague, misleading, memories. Often uncomfortable, but never tawdry, it's a vivid depiction of loss of innocence and discovery of redemption.

7. Capote

Not really a bio-picture but instead a film that uses a chapter in the life of Truman Capote to work out complex ideas about the responsibilities of those who exploit others for professional gains, and the emotional prices paid. First time director Bennett Miller works from a script by actor Dan Futterman (based on a book by Gerald Clarke), and creates a stark, subtle and powerful movie that has the cumulative effect of a gut-punch.

6. Munich

Steven Spielberg didn't have to make this movie (and many would prefer he hadn't, not just for political reasons but artistic ones as well), but I'm very glad that he did. One of the great filmmakers of our time struggles with an issue that has no answer. Some people complain that he didn't take sides, but that's the point. What good does taking sides do? Nobody wins. Everybody loses. And this coming from an eternally optimistic filmmaker.

5. Junebug

A genuine American indie that doesn't strive to be hip and/or smug. Imagine that. Everything about this movie says "small" except when you actually pause to consider the full-bodied performances, Angus MacLachlan's big-hearted writing and Phil Morrison's endlessly observant direction. A Southern movie that isn't condescending is interesting enough, but a movie that thoroughly understands and expressly portrays such complex family dynamics is something to treasure.

4. Syriana

It's a fiction, but a fiction so credibly enacted that it feels like it could be real. And that's the true power of Stephen Gaghan's gorgeous patchwork of a film about the politics of oil and the Middle East. The way it unfolds may confuse but it also captivates: its message are clear. By traversing the globe and cutting between characters so frequently the film palpably conveys a feeling of interconnectedness and sweeping conspiracy. The jig is up.

3. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

The shorts are modern classics and so, finally, is the movie. One of the screen's great buddy teams receive their feature-length due with all the visual imagination and sharp wit fans have come to expect from creator Nick Park. The film retains the boundless charm of the shorts as it slyly sends up scores of classic films (especially horror and action pictures) and introduces some wonderful new characters. Cheese Gromit! Cheese!

2. A History of Violence

A Canadian director makes a Great American Movie. Shouldn't we be embarrassed, eh? It's not that movies for adults are a lost commodity, just a rare one. But few have been more consistent in delivering them than David Cronenberg. And with this masterwork he's made a film that is as visceral as it is intellectual, satisfying whether you're looking for brutal action scenes or complex themes. A movie that takes sex and violence seriously, but doesn't make them boring.

1. Brokeback Mountain

Oh man, and now a Chinese director has made a Great American Movie? And it's about gay cowboys!?! Does anyone remember when this was one of the riskiest ventures of the year? The subject matter may make it Important but it's the artistry that makes it great. Director Ang Lee, writers Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana and Annie Proulx, a cast led by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal and the rest of the supremely talented team deliver work worthy of "career best" accolades. What's really amazing is that this tiny little tragic romance packs such a profound emotional wallop.

Top Ten Albums of 2005

When it comes to making best-of lists for music I inevitably feel like I'm leaving something out, probably because I haven't heard it yet. But one of the best things about yearly top ten album lists is I discover a lot of new music to listen to.

So with that in mind, a brief acknowledgment of 2004 releases that I first discovered and/or came to love in 2005: The Arcade Fire's Funeral, Bebel Gilberto's Bebel Gilberto, A.C. Newman's The Slow Wonder, Tegan & Sara's So Jealous and Spalding Rockwell's Kate.

No doubt there were some great albums that I would really love released in 2005 that I simply haven't heard yet, but among those that I did listen to and love over the past year were: Ben Folds' Songs for Silverman, Spoon's Gimme Fiction, Martha Wainwright's Martha Wainwright, The Go-Betweens' Oceans Apart, Queens of the Stone Age's Lullabies to Paralyze, Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor, The Like's Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?, Death Cab For Cutie's Plans, Coldplay's X&Y, Carla Bruni's Quelqu'un M'a Dit, Doves' Some Cities, Common's Be and Garbage's Bleed Like Me.

But the following were my ten (plus) favorites:

10. Employment (Kaiser Chiefs)/You Could Have It So Much Better (Franz Ferdinand)

A tie between Franz Ferdinand's follow-up album that delivers on the promise of a fantastic debut and Kaiser Chiefs' fantastic debut. Although Franz's album isn't as immediately catchy as their first it's more varied (nice ballads guys!), grows with each listen and includes the best single of the year in "Do You Want To." And the Chiefs delivered what Franz did last year: a solid, fun debut album that never wears out its welcome.

Employment key tracks: I Predict a Riot; Oh My God; Saturday Night; Caroline, Yes
You Could... key tracks: The Fallen; Do You Want To; Eleanor Put Your Boots On; Fade Together

9. Illinois (Sufjan Stevens)

If the absurdly long (often exclamatory) song titles and the lyrics built around the history of Illinois (there's even a song devoted to serial killer John Wayne Gacy) make this sound overly precious, well... it is. Yet somehow it works.

Key tracks: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!; Decatur, or, Round of Applause For Your Stepmother!; Chicago; The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

8. Get Lifted (John Legend)/Late Registration (Kanye West)

There's no stopping Kanye West right now, the pre-eminent force in hip hop released a second album that was a worthy successor to last year's debut and produced a fantastic neo-soul album for protege John Legend (and a solid effort for rapper Common). You hate to feed the guy's already corpulent ego but who can resist music this good? Especially Legend's knock-out punch, the stirring ballad "Ordinary People."

Lifted key tracks: Let's Get Lifted; Number One; Ordinary People; So High
Registration key tracks: Touch the Sky; Gold Digger; Gone; Diamonds From Sierra Leone

7. Brandi Carlile (Brandi Carlile)

This debut album is as assured as it is unheralded. Carlile's voice and style have garnered comparisons to Jeff Buckley but with these ten remarkable songs she's already well on her way to carving out her own musical identity.

Key tracks: Follow; Closer to You; Fall Apart Again; Gone

6. Z (My Morning Jacket)

Although it's their fourth album, this was my proper introduction to My Morning Jacket. I've been told it's a more focused effort that has provided them with more attention then they've ever received. It's not hard to understand why.

Key tracks: Wordless Chorus; Gideon; What a Wonderful Man; Off the Record

5. Silent Alarm (Bloc Party)

Their lyrics are like deep man, but chances are you'll be too busy rocking out to the music to notice. No question, the rock debut of the year.

Key tracks: Like Eating Glass; Banquet; Blue Light; This Modern Love

4. Thunder, Lightning, Strike (The Go! Team)

Hip-hop, electronica and indie rock collide, with cheerleader chants thrown in for good measure, in the most weirdly addictive album of the year. This indie dance mish-mash borrows from the most unexpected sources and has an energy that's impossible to resist.

Key tracks: Feel Good By Numbers; Friendship Update; Hold Yr Terror Close; Huddle Formation

3. Get Behind Me Satan (The White Stripes)

The best contemporary rock band got even stronger with the summer release of this staggeringly diverse collection of songs. I'm not sure there's a musician alive today whose love of music, in all its forms, is more instantly apparent than Jack White.

Key tracks: Blue Orchid; My Doorbell; Forever For Her (Is Over For Me); Little Ghost

2. Twin Cinema (The New Pornographers)

After three albums the Pornographers seem to be reaching wider audiences and greater acclaim, but still not at the level they deserve. An unusual indie "supergroup" (of sorts) the group's main members (A.C. Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar) have all recorded on their own but their joint efforts are pure magic: power pop that is never overcooked. Twin Cinema is their most restrained effort yet but give the album at least two listens and the hooks won't leave your mind anytime soon.

Key tracks: Use It; The Bleeding Heart Show; These Are the Fables; Sing Me Spanish Techno

1. Extraordinary Machine (Fiona Apple)

For awhile I thought this project might be lost forever. Then came the news that the original recordings, produced by frequent Apple collaborator Jon Brion, had been leaked online. The Brion tracks were excellent (and remain worth seeking out) but it's the Michael Elizondo-produced form in which the album finally reached shelves that finds Fiona moving beyond the lofty musical and lyrical heights she had already reached. It's everything a serious fan, like myself, could ask for. Track for track, it's the album of the year.

Key tracks: Extraordinary Machine; Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song); Not About Love; Waltz (Better Than Fine); Jon Brion version: Better Version of Me