Reviews: 2006

Dreamgirls
Too much singing and not enough expository scenes -- and the
songs were simply not memorable in any way, the antihesis of
Motown. Good performances all around, though, even Beyonce.
Jennifer Hudson was effective as well; the audience cheered
after her big number. C+

The Good Shepherd
Though it clocked in at nearly 3 hours, it didn't feel too long.
But we never get "inside" of Damon's character enough to care
about him. That secrecy was the point, but it doesn't make for
a very interesting movie. B

Letters From Iwo Jima
I didn't see "Flags of Our Fathers," but this Japanese telling of
the Iwo Jima battle was stirring and thought-provoking.
Eastwood hits some obvious notes, but he hits them with
astonishingly fresh eyes for material so familiar. A-

Little Miss Sunshine
Probably one of the best ensemble comedies of the year. Every
performance was pitch-perfect, and it struck an excellent
balance of funny and touching. I wish there was room in the
supporting categories for all of the cast members. B+

The Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith turns in a strong performance in an otherwise
predictable drama. The fact that we knew he going to succeed
in life from the first frame certainly dimmed my interest in the
picture. Great San Francisco locations, though. B

Apocalypto
Grudgingly, I have to admit that Mel Gibson directed a very
entertaining film. I didn't find it overly grotesque or bloody, and
I was captivated the entire time. Good ending, too --
something many movies lacked this year. B+

Blood Diamond
Entertaining, sure, but it falls apart on closer inspection. The
three lead performances were all very powerful, and the subject
was certainly noteworthy, but there's only so many intense,
cliched climaxes I could take. B

The Queen
Nothing transcendental here, just a solid drama with terrific
performances. Michael Sheen and Helen Mirren were aces, and
the rest of the royal family filled out nicely. James Cromwell
was delightfully crabby. B+

Bobby
A pedestrian first 2/3, followed by a highly emotional final
half-hour. The actual clips of RFK on the campaign trail were
too much of a tease -- they made me want to see a
documentary about him, not this fictionalized fluff. B

Marie-Antoinette
Sofia Coppola's trilogy of stories about sheltered young women
finally comes to a close. It ends with the least impressive tale
of the three -- there's no narrative thrust whatsoever -- but at
least it had some colorful visuals. B-

The Break-Up
Not funny, not romantic, not worth seeing. I love Vince Vaughn,
but he's starting to grate. C

Volver
Penelope Cruz gives the best performance of her career (hated
the lip-synching, though), but Almodovar's latest feels a little
inert. The third-act twist comes from left field and doesn't gel
well with the rest of the film. An odd addition to his already odd
canon. B

The Departed
This is probably the best of the 3 recent DiCaprio-Scorsese
collaborations. It has crackling-good dialogue, a swirling plot,
and strong performances from nearly the entire cast. It's highly
enjoyable, and one of the best films of the year. You could
crowd the Best Supporting Actor category with people from this
pic. A-

Babel
This film's disparate strands hold together less cohesively than
those of "Amores Perros" or "21 Grams," but they are
nonetheless totally intriguing and well-acted. Rinko Kikuchi's
story of desperation in Tokyo is by far the most involving, but
oddly has the least to do with the other stories. B+

The Fountain
It made no sense. The futuristic storyline had nothing to do
with the other two (and was just plain weird). The present-day
plot was well-acted but thin. The conquistador scenes were part
historical, part fantasy. Which was real? C+

Little Children
In my opinion, Todd Field took one small step back with "Little
Children." It's well-acted, sure, but offers nothing new. It
covers material that "Happiness" explored in a much more
daring manner, and there are countless other indie films that
dissect discontent in idle suburbia. B

Borat
I had been a big fan of HBO's "Da Ali G Show," and "Borat" did
not disappoint. Rip-roaring hilarious the entire way through,
and except for that brief interlude in the hotel room, a nonstop
classic. A-

The Science of Sleep
Michel Gondry charms again. His innocent love story is slightly
overstuffed with extraneous plot (and just plain visual
wackiness), but his heart is in the right place and the
relationship between the two leads feels authentic. B+

The Prestige
A highly entertaining popcorn picture with a strong performance
by Christian Bale and a riveting supporting turn by David Bowie
(didn't even know it was him until the credits). I didn't see the
summer's other turn-of-the-century magician move ("The
Illusionist"), but this one was pretty good. B

Jackass Part Two
It was pretty much the same as the first one --which I liked --
and how can you fault a movie for making you laugh out loud
two dozen times? B

World Trade Center
I really wanted to like this movie more, and it had fine
performances and a heart-string-tugging premise. But it was
just too soft, and the final wraparound epilogue seemed
implanted from some other director. B

A Prairie Home Companion
Robert Altman's swan song is a charming and light-hearted cap
to a rich and rewarding career. The entire, eclectic cast shines
(save for a too-over-the-top Kevin Kline), and there's never a
dull moment. B

Clerks 2
Just plain bad, and it tarnishes the glow of the original. Rosario
Dawson is impressive, but the whole horse thing was gross and
stupid. Who wants to see that? C

Pirates of the Caribbean 2
Way, way, way, way, way too long. But other than that, it was
pretty much the same as the first, but slightly less novel. The
ending was also too "gotcha until part three!" B-

The Devil Wears Prada
Although the movie takes place in the world of fashion, the
events will relate to anyone who's ever worked with a
domineering boss (not me, fortunately). Meryl Streep is good,
Anne Hathaway is better than expected, and Emily Blunt steals
her brief scenes. B

An Inconvenient Truth
Proof positive that PowerPoint presentations can be exciting. Al
Gore's enlightening and, yes, engrossing documentary spells
out the case for global warming with urgency and even humor.
Will he declare his intentions to run for President in 2008 while
accepting an Oscar? A-

The DaVinci Code
Absolutely uninvolving and pedestrian. I hated the book (the
100 pages that I read, anyway) and nodded off during this
lifeless "thriller." C-

X-Men 3
Again, I must give slight deference to movies set in San
Francisco. On its own merits it works as a serviceable action
flick, but it's slightly behind parts two and one in terms of
quality (in that order). It's not as bad as many critics
suggested. B

Derailed
While it fit certainly in the thriller genre mold, it was nice to see
Jennifer Aniston in a suspense picture for a change. Clive
Owen, good as always, made her a nice foe. Ultimately,
though, it strained credulity in the closing frames. B-

United 93
In some ways, the TV movie of the same events was better -- I
really liked knowing how the families on the ground reacted to
the phone calls from the doomed passengers; it gave them so
much more vitality and spirit. But I also can't complain about
this top-notch re-enactment...which, in the end, is what it is. B+

Hard Candy
A complete surprise to me. I knew very little about this movie
before seeing it, but I was completely taken aback by Ellen
Page's stunning performance and the labyrinthine plot twists.
Not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended. A-

Thank You for Smoking
Too smug by half (you're constantly aware that you're watching
a movie about how awful the tobacco industry is! Wink wink!) it
nonetheless contains a sturdy performance by Aaron Eckhart at
its center. Fans of the book would probably enjoy it more. B

Friends With Money
I enjoyed this adult comedy very much when I watching it, but it
didn't leave much of an impression afterwards. Not sure why
that was, but maybe my subconscious couldn't compute the
notion of Jennifer Aniston being a maid. Still funny, though. B+

V for Vendetta
I loved the delivery of the anti-authoritarian message int his
movie, and the two lead performances (a courageous Natalie
Portman and a wry Hugo Weaving) were terrific. The film
needed one less bombastic musical overtone to completely win
me over (subtlety works!) but I still highly recommend it. B+

Inside Man
Spike Lee has clearly done more complex work than this
by-the-numbers suspense film. But he has a top-notch cast
and an offbeat script to work with, and the ending's a surprise
enough to make up for the formulaic goings-on before it. B

Dave Chappelle's Block Party
The vibrancy of Dave Chappelle as a person, a comedian, and a
music lover comes electrically alive in this concert documentary
from Michel Gondry. The "talking" bits are laugh-out-loud
funny, and the music -- even if you're no fan of rap -- is
enthralling in its emotive power. A-

Tsotsi
Why did this win Best Foreign Film? It was formulaic and mushy
throughout. I can't imagine there wasn't a better movie from
another country in 2005. Meh. B-