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Movie Lists

Best of 2006

Bit late for this, but then I'm still catching up with a lot of 2006 movies.

Best 2006 dramas

1. Children of Men. It's stealing from a professional critic, but true: This film is that very rare breed, the intelligent action movie.
2. United 93. Too bad so many were afraid to see this excellently made film, which told a story worth telling without manipulating emotions.
3. Pan's Labyrinth. Darker and more violent than you might expect, but a beautifully told story.
4. The Queen. Helen Mirren was deservedly praised for this, but I think the actor who played Tony Blair and the scriptwriter who so plausibly imagined what might have been happening behind closed doors at that time deserve equal credit for how well this one works.
5. Shortbus. This movie's a bit hard to categorize, and I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but I really enjoyed this exploration of the search for human connection. The soundtrack for this is also recommended.

Best 2006 comedies

1. Little Miss Sunshine. Whether derivative or not, it is funny, it is well-acted, and the ending just has to be seen to be believed.
2. Kinky Boots. A tad predictable but very much elevated by Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance in the lead.
3. The Devil Wears Prada. Great fun, great clothes, great cast. A girl movie even the guys will like.
4. Snow Cake. Not completely, but enough to fit it in this category, I think. Definitely a worthwhile little film with good performances by Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
5. Bon Cop Bad Cop. While not expecting documentary realism, the inplausibility of the plot is a bit distracting. But certainly a fun and funny movie, particularly for the bilingual.

Best 2006 documentaries

1. An Inconvenient Truth. Probably not much more to say about this one—that's one heck of a slide show, and it seem so to have created the tipping point necessary to get global warming on the global agenda.
2. Manufactured Lansdscapes. A very different sort of look at the environment, through the eyes of a photographer who makes scenes of devastation beautiful. Kind of messes with your mind. Most amazing opening shot of the year.
3. Shut Up and Sing. Just when you're getting a bit tired of the scenes with the Chicks and their families, the scene switches to the protests against them, and you realize how important that contrast is.
4. Wordplay. You wouldn't think a movie about crossword puzzles could possibly be interesting—but you'd be wrong!
5. Who Killed the Electric Car? Filmwise, not as strong as the others on this list, but still worth seeing if you don't already know the story of California's ill-fated electric car.

Food-themed movies

The Star channel did a list of food-related movies recently, and I thought their picks were really lame. So here's some of my suggestions for movies to avoid if you're trying to diet.

1. Big Night. The story of two brothers trying to run a "real" Italian restaurant in the 1950s, when Americans weren't ready to venture much beyond spaghetti and meatballs. The multi-course "big night" meal of Italian delicacies is bound to cause much drooling, but almost as amazing is the simple scene of omelet preparation. Maybe the ultimate food movie.
2. Like Water for Chocolate. The sisters' sexual awakening is reflected in their cooking—a movie to make you hungry in more ways than one.
3. Chocolat. Celebrating pagan sensualism over Christian asceticism, largely through the medium of chocolate. Rarely has that delightful food stuff looked as great as it does in this movie, which also boasts good performances and lively characters.
4. Eat Drink Man Woman. The changing family dynamic of Chinese chef Chu, his wife, and his three daughters is explored through the elaborate Sunday dinners he prepares for them. "Eat, drink, man, woman. Food and sex. Basic human desires. Can't avoid them! All my life, everyday, all I do. It pisses me off."--Chu to Old Wen
5. Le Déclin de l'empire américain. The elaborate dinner the men prepare for the weekend gathering is reflective of the characters's indulgent lifestyles. And looks great.
6. Sideways. The main "food" in question is, of course, wine, but it's practically a character in the story. And possibly single-handedly responsible for the fact that every wine region is now trying to develop the perfect Pinot noir.

Best of 2005

Our favourite movies of 2005 (including a couple released late in 2004, so we saw them only in 2005):

1. A History of Violence. Cronenberg's sparse, sexy, and thought-provoking look at whether a man can change.
2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Not all of Tim Burton's movies work, but when they do, they're delightful. A perfect match of filmmaker and story.
3. Saint Ralph. Very charming Canadian movie about a boy who trains for marathons to save his ailing mother.
4. Crash. Not always comfortable but certainly worthwhile look at racism in a Los Angeles setting.
5. Good Night, and Good Luck. Set in the 1950s, but resonate today: one man can make a difference in fighting injustice.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The Harry Potter series grows up and presents its best film ever.
7. Kinsey. Interesting story of a man dealing with a taboo subject in a repressive time.
8. C.R.A.Z.Y. Québecois movie that effectively mixes family dynamics and pop culture history to produce an enjoyable movie.
9. Hotel Rwanda. Difficult but worthwhile film about the Rwandan massacre.
10. Serenity. A little too much action and not quite enough character, but still held together with wit and an interesting premise.

Best of 2004

1. Finding Neverland—Sweet but not sappy movie about the creation of Peter Pan, with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.
2. La Grand Séduction (Seducing Dr. Lewis)—Absolutely hilarious French Canadian movie about a small Québec community trying to lure a big-city doctor.
3. Super-Size Me—Morgan Spurlock's entertaining yet alarming documentary of his 30 days of living on a diet of nothing but McDonald's food.
4. Fahrenheit 9/11—A bit depressing now, but a look back at the Bush first term in office.
5. Shrek 2—Maybe not quite as good as the first, but very good all the same. You have to love Puss in Boots.
6. The Fog of War—Year of the documentary, I guess. This one was a regretful look back at tactics in the Second World War, from one of the major tacticians.
7. The Door in the Floor—Based on John Irving's A Widow for One Year, at time very moving, at time hilarious.
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—Interesting film whose premise is a time when you can get memories of a bad relationship erased. But what if you decided partway you don't want that?
9. Control Room—A fascinating look (yes, another documentary) at the Al-Jazeera network.
10. Touch of Pink—Very fun little Canadian movie about an East Indian/Canadian gay man trying to hide his sexual orientation from his family.
11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkahan—Best-executed Harry Potter movie to date.

Dumb comedies we love (alphabetical order)

1. American Pie
2. American Pie 2
3. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
4. Clueless
5. Legally Blonde
6. Wayne's World
7. The Wedding Singer

Sexy movies (no particular order)

1. Y Tu Mama Tambien. Two teenage boys and an attractive woman on a beach-filled road trip in Mexico. Steamy in more ways than one.
2. Don Juan deMarco. “Have you ever tasted a woman until she believed that she could be satisfied only by consuming the tongue that had devoured her? Have you ever loved a woman so completely that the sound of your voice in her ear could cause her body to shudder and explode with such intense pleasure that only weeping could bring her full release?” Given the Johnny Depp is sexy even when not trying to be, imagine when he is...
3. Like Water for Chocolate. Passion of all sorts drives the narrative of this film.
4. Chocolat. “It awakens the passions.”
5. Secretary. And even if you're not really into that sort of thing.
6. Transamerica. Mainly the highly sexual character of the son.
7. Brokeback Mountain. Especially that kiss.
8. The Door in the Floor. A young man's sexual awakening is only part of the drama.
9. Shortbus. There are a lot of sex scenes in this movie, and not all of them are sexy—but some scenes do steam up the joint.
10. A History of Violence. Two sex scenes, both involving the same characters, reveal the changed dynamic between husband and wife better than anything else could. And gives you food for thought on what really turns you on.
11. Match Point. Jean doesn't completely agree with me on this one, but I thought the chemistry between the two main characters was just electric.
12. Romance. A very explicit film, the main character's sexual odyssey is a little disturbing, but definitely compelling as well.