From Miami to Australia, here’s the year’s best in film
By Ben Saylor
Insights
Published Jan. 10, 2007

I was reluctant to write up my top 10 for 2006, but after seeing that just about every other paper has already done it, I figured I’d better too. Being in Cleveland, I am at the mercy of platform releases; i.e., movies come to New York and Los Angeles weeks or even months before I can go to them. So, this list must be considered tentative, as I’m eagerly awaiting “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Letters from Iwo Jima,” as well as the US debut of Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1969 Resistance epic “Army of Shadows.” In the meantime, here is a working cut of my top 10 of 2006 (starting at number one).

“Children of Men” — Alfonso Cuarón’s dark vision of the future is amazing filmmaking. Filled with astonishing visual detail, heroic performances and a thoughtful script, “Men” is far and away my favorite movie of this year (See  review on page 8B).

“The Proposition” — This strange, visually-hypnotic Western set in 1800s Australia combines Sam Peckinpah and Terrence Malick for one of the best entries in the genre in a long time. The great cast, which includes Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone and Danny Huston, inhabit every dirty inch of their characters, and musician Nick Cave’s sparse, right-to-the-bone script allows the magnificent landscapes to truly take hold. Cave is working on another project with this film’s director, John Hillcoat. I can’t wait. (On DVD)

“The Fountain” — Darren Aronofsky’s sci-fi romance was savaged by critics and ignored by audiences. This is a shame, because a film this ambitious, sweeping and visually arresting demands at least a viewing, if not appreciation. The special effects are incredible, and I’ve already listened to Clint Mansell’s soundtrack CD at least four or five times.

“The Good Shepherd” — Another severely misunderstood film, Robert De Niro’s quiet, meticulous drama about the origins of the CIA is probably the year’s best-directed film, if not the best all-around. Superb performances (especially Matt Damon’s leading role), a literate, thoughtful Eric Roth script and hushed Robert Richardson cinematography gel beautifully.

“A Scanner Darkly” — Again, misunderstood (beginning to see a pattern?), Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s paranoia-filled vision of a drugged-out America is at times hilarious, thought provoking and heartbreaking. Keanu Reeves and Robert Downey, Jr. give career-high performances, and the rotoscoping animation technique only adds to the spaced out effect. (On DVD)

“Volver” — Pedro Almodovar’s latest is a lush, heartwarming tale of motherhood, sisterhood and ghosts of the past. In a nearly all-female cast, Almodovar delivers some of his sharpest, mature writing, and the actors, led by a terrific Penelope Cruz, could not be better. This movie is one of the few this year that achieves something very simple, yet rare and elusive: It makes you feel happy.

“Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story” — This brilliant comedy from director Michael Winterbottom is up there with Fellini’s “8½” and Truffaut’s “Day For Night” as one of the best movies about the movies. Steve Coogan is hilarious as a fictional version of himself, about to star in an adaptation of a supposedly unfilmable novel. This movie works on several levels and should be seen more than once. (On DVD)

“L’enfant” (The Child) — This stunning film from Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne about a young thief seeking redemption for selling his infant son won the Golden Palm at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, and for good reason. This is a gritty film with realistic writing and excellent performances. (On DVD)

“United 93” — Paul Greengrass’s re-creation of the doomed United Airlines flight that crashed in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11 is a respectful, objective look at this tragic event. Shot in an in-your-face handheld mode, the viewer becomes a fly on the wall on board the plane as well as at various air traffic control centers. If you feel it’s too soon, that’s your choice, but this is an important film that deserves to be seen. (on DVD)

“Miami Vice” — I’ll admit, I wasn’t over the moon about this one when I saw it in theaters this summer. But upon watching it again on DVD, I got caught up in the sheer meticulousness of writer-director Michael Mann’s craft, the lush colors of the various exotic locations and the intensity of Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. This is one movie that needs to be watched on DVD, as the digital cinematography looks much better here than it did in theaters. Also, the “unrated director’s cut” is the preferred version, as it reinstates an opening sequence that is not only well shot, but it makes what follows much easier to understand. (on DVD)