So, you never really get to vote for your actual favorite films--but your favorite films from the list of panel-chosen movies. With the announcement of the Oscar noms this weeks, I thought I would compile my actual ranked list of favorite films of the year. So here's yet another Todd's Top 30.
Todd's Favorite Top 30 Movies of 2006
30. The Devil Wears Prada - All hail the power of Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep.
29. Superman Returns - Kate Bosworth? Bah. But other than that, I had little fault with the movie. Kevin Spacey can do anything. Anything.
28. Aquamarine - I know, it's a 12-year-old girl movie. I am a bit ashamed of how much I enjoy it. But it is the best film portrayal of 1 Corinthians 13 I have ever seen.
27. We Are Marshall - Some of the most creative football scenes ever filmed. One of my favorite unexpected comedic scenes of all time (i.e. the kid and the tree). And the Coolest Use of Drumline Cadence Ever.
27. Invincible - If only I could find myself playing for the White Sox. Dare to dream.
25. X-Men: The Last Stand
- Probably my third favorite X-man movie honestly. But I still enjoyed a lot about it. Especially the kid who made people lose their powers around him. If only they'd stuck to more about him and the "cure" and less soap opera drama about Wolverine and Jean Grey.
- Probably my third favorite X-man movie honestly. But I still enjoyed a lot about it. Especially the kid who made people lose their powers around him. If only they'd stuck to more about him and the "cure" and less soap opera drama about Wolverine and Jean Grey.24. Joyeux Noel - A fantastic little French movie about the World War I Christmas truce where German, Scottish and French troops put down their guns to celebrate the birth of Christ. You know it's good if I ranked this high a film made by the French.
23. World Trade Center - Nic Cage doesn't act like Nic Cage. And it's filmed with great balance and drama.
22. Half Nelson - Another little movie that has big payoff. Ryan Gosling is nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for this and rightfully so. He's amazing as a doped-up high school teacher caught in the act of getting high by a student...who sells drugs but doesn't use. Where it could have been cheesy and over the top, this story of redemption and darkness is handled gently and with a sense of realness.
21. The Prestige - Great acting, slick plot...but an ending that makes you go, ummm, did they just cheat in storytelling?
20. Letters from Iwo Jima - Best war movie since Private Ryan? Clint Eastwood tells the story of the Japanese troops told to fight for their country on a little island...and left there to die.
19. Wordplay - Best documentary of the year. A well-told story of crossword puzzles and the people who play them. You see people fighting it out at the Crossword puzzle championships, see how the puzzles are made and hear from puzzle fans like Jon Stewart.
18. The Nativity Story - A very solid re-telling of Christ's birth with a great emphasis on showing WHY the believers of the time so longed for a savior.
17. Thank You for Smoking - Dark and just plain wrong in many spots, this movie is great satire and some of the most clever dialogue of the year.
17. Thank You for Smoking - Dark and just plain wrong in many spots, this movie is great satire and some of the most clever dialogue of the year.
16. The Illusionist - Does Edward Norton not rock? Oh, he does. And so does this movie. Yah, you can see the twists coming but it's still such an enjoyable film.
15. Marie Antoinette- A great portrait of absurdity, royalty, youth, and the disattachment between rulers and their people. The 
movie is less of a story and more of an atmosphere. And it works.
movie is less of a story and more of an atmosphere. And it works.14. Jet Li's Fearless - Probably the most overlooked movie of the year, Fearless has great action and also tells a great story of a man redeemed. It's not the cross-over marital arts classic that Crouching Tiger was, but a must-see if you like action films or sports stories with real story.
13. Akeelah and the Bee - Such an enchanting movie about a little girl from the inner city who tries to win a Spelling Bee. Wow. The best part is the gangster who helps her study.
12. The Pursuit of Happyness - This is the most stressful feel-good movie ever. Will Smith is sooo good, 
you care for him as if he's a relative as the world keeps crashing down. Again and again.
11. Apocalypto - A bloody and graphic action film...but a really good action film for those who can stomach it. It's an all out chase for survival.
you care for him as if he's a relative as the world keeps crashing down. Again and again.11. Apocalypto - A bloody and graphic action film...but a really good action film for those who can stomach it. It's an all out chase for survival.
10. Stranger than Fiction - So clever. So perceptive about the writing process. Will Farrell comes through big.
9. Mission: Impossible 3 - The first movie of 2006 I own, this is just fun. It's an
adrenaline rush from the first minute. My favorite MI movie.8. The Departed - A bloody and graphic crime drama, but worth it for the acting of Leo and the bunch.
7. Casino Royale - Best. Bond. Movie. Ever.
6. The Queen - What a character study. Of a real character.
5. United 93 - Hard to watch, but you can't turn your eyes away. So powerful. Must see.
4. Tsotsi - The best movie of the year that no one will see. This is a South African movie about a gangster who's life is changed when he sees true love...and not in the way you think.3. Charlotte's Web - Seriously, see it. You know the story, but you haven't seen it this way. Completely enchanting. I cried like 7 times. It's one of the very few movies I'd give 4 stars in 2006.
2. Little Miss Sunshine - The funniest drama of the year.
What the movie does best is acting. What it does second best is to showcase family dysfunction in a genuine and telling way...and still be fun.1. Children of Men - Another dark and violent movie, but one to check out. It's such a well-made film and a great story about the world in 2027 when the entire world is infertile. Bonus: The best car chase ever with cars that don't run.
Quotes of the Week
"It's like they were just very Iowan. Like, 'Hi, we're corn fed and friendly!'" - My Intended, explaining characters in a dream.
These dang Europeans screwing up everything: flipping the date and month around, calling bathrooms water closets. And don't get me started on the metric system. Liters? Bah!" -Designer Doug
"Cuddle Me Please." -A spam e-mail subject line...from someone named Charles.
"On this side lies taut drama; on the other side lies a steep descent into Kim and Cougarville." -An EW column on 24.
5 comments:
The prestige? One of the worst movies I've seen in years. C'mon 60% of the theater knew the ending 15 minutes in and the rest were just ripped off when the ending came...
Exactly 60 percent? Did you do a poll? Haha. Seriously, like I said, the ending of this one is it's biggest flaw. But I know some who love it. One guy told me it was "the best" movie of the year. And honestly, there are very few films that truly surprise anymore. And I ranked those that do surprise far better than #21.
Dude.
Babel?
Ricky Bobby?
What kind of list is this.
Children of Men was a great film. But now I have to see at least three dumb comedies to counteract that dark movie...
To answer my critics (Ahn), I have to say that the year's dumb comdies got left off simply because I've been in such "serious movie" mode. I completely forgot the comedies. But if I were to do the list again, I'd bump Superman and Devil Wears Prada and round out the list with Nacho Libre and Talladega. And Babel? Eh. It's good, but not a fave. I never need to see it again.
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