© Copyright 2006 by
Charles Mitchell
1)
C.R.A.Z.Y *****
A young Quebecois lad grows up in a family of boys, under the guidance of a traditional father and learns what it’s like to be “different”. A wondrous film, told through an utterly original lens. Hats off to Director Jean Marc Vallèe.
2)
Brokeback Mountain *****
Hollywood’s most critically acclaimed film in years is truly deserving of all the praise. Another flick of tortured souls who struggle with whom society says they should be and whom they truly are. Wonderfully paced and completely transporting. Yes, it was robbed. Sorry Crash.
3)
Match Point *****
My guilty pleasure of the year and the vehicle that turned me into a Woody Allen fan. There’s something about a middle class chap who social climbs and succeeds that I find endearing. And of course let’s not forget Scarlett Johansson at her provocative best.
4) The
Woodsman ****1/2
The reason why Kevin Bacon is one of the most
underrated actors today. If Mystic River didn’t do the trick, let’s
hope this brilliant effort does. In the Woodsman, Bacon is a convicted child
molester trying to control his urges and start a fresh life. We guiltlessly root for him to succeed, even
though we fear his efforts might be futile. (Ed note: this is really a 2004 film but I saw it
later).
5)
Paradise Now ****1/2
A surprising tale because for the first time Palestinian life isn’t the fixed image appearing on the 6 o’clock news. Even though this project isn’t uplifting, shockingly, it makes you almost develop empathy for suicide bombers, or at the very least understand their motivation. For those reasons this effort earns an earnest thumbs up.
6) Munich ****1/2
I was never a Spielberg fan. His movies were a little too obvious, a little too over scored and relied too much on MTV editing and big name actors. But Munich, the story of an Israeli plot to seek revenge after the kidnapping of Jews during the 1972 Olympic games, is spellbinding to watch develop, partly because Spielberg’s usual indulgences don’t distract us from the heart of the story.
7) You
and Me and Everyone We Know ****1/2
A quirky narrative that could only be delivered from a first time film director. The group of odd characters are thrown together with seemingly no connection and nothing in common except for the need to fit in, feel loved, or to simply find something to pass the time. Watching it all unfold is richly rewarding.
8) The
Constant Gardner ****1/2
An intellect’s tale or something politically correct in the age of Al Gore and Bono . When one man (Ralph Fiennes) uncovers the exploitation of poor Africans by a Western corporation, it leads him down a bumpy road of cover-ups and murder.
9)
A South African movie about a young hood who flirts with redemption when a bundle of joy -- or salvation, inadvertently ends up in his hands.
10) The
Squid and the Whale ****
An artfully told tale about how one couple’s divorce impacts both their children and themselves. Jeff Daniels plays a man who compensates for his mid-life crisis and career downturn by hiding behind intellectual snobbery and trying to create a mini me in his teenage son.
11) Mysterious
Skin ****
Where C.R.A.Z.Y was restrained and left something to the imagination, Mysterious Skin leaves not a scintilla of subtlety on the cutting room floor. When a teenage hustler decides to take revenge on the coach who abused him, we are taken on a trip that is raw, in your face, filled with explicit dialogue, and yet still remains wholly engrossing.
12) Walk
the Line ****
Still the standard Hollywood biopic that
is generally delivered in time to resonate with academy voters ( see
2004’s the Aviator). However, this one is a little more deserving
of the accolades, even if just for the wonderful performance from Joaquin
Phoenix as Johnny Cash and the Oscar
winning one from Reese Witherspoon as his wife Rosanna.
13) The Syrian Bride ****
The Syrian Bride is a film that offers no
answers about the dispute over the Golan Heights; however, the filmmakers
wisely use a wedding to showcase the daily struggles of Arabs living in the
14) North
Country ****
Charlize Theron plays a woman who changes
the laws on sexual harassment when she takes on big business. This silver screen endeavour is in the same
vein as The Accused, and rises above the TV movie -like, Monster.
15) Transamerica ****
Chalk this effort up to another top-notch road trip movie, where the real journey is where the protagonists take each other, not where the car ultimately stops. An insightful look into the world of transsexuals and a reminder that love knows no gender. If only the introduction of the parents of Bree didn’t reduce the story to clichés, we would have a nearly smooth ride into self-discovery.
16) La
Marche de l’empereur (
The March of the Penguins) ****
Completely fascinating documentary about the will to survive and true love. And yes, it’s about penguins. There is something magical about the French version. Skip the Morgan Freeman English narration.
17)
Director Atom Egoyan delivers a mesmerizing mystery, even though the killer is as obvious as the scenes from Toronto doubling as New York and Vegas.
18) Ladies in Lavender ****
Two elderly women’s lives are imbued with memories of youth and passion when a young stranger enters their lives.
19) A
History of Violence ****
David Cronenberg received his biggest budget and widest distribution yet, and critics raved. But this cinematic endeavour of a man (Viggo Morteson) trying to escape his past shows the pressure on one of my favourite directors to deliver at the box office. Nice work, but I preferred the low budget Cronenberg.
20) Thank You for
Smoking ****
After this hilarious comedy, I might just pick up the habit.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Good Night and Good Luck ***1/2
George Clooney’s directorial debut is impressive ,but his look at McCarthyism ultimately lacks the claustrophobic atmosphere needed to convey the paranoia during the era.
Lord of War ***/2
Nicolas Cage is an arms dealer in a flick that is
entertaining, but doesn’t evoke the idea that we are entering a secret
underworld, like say Goodfellas.
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