2006 (98)
I rate films. 2006:
Memoirs of a Geisha I wish they wouldn't talk in English, it was distracting. Can't rate the movie, i slept through most of it because was tired. My friend watched it though but slept throught the next one.
Syriana
I slept for about 10 minutes in the middle and I'm sorry... I will definitely watch it again on DVD, it smells like another Traffic which was confusing at first too (i like Traffic)
Rumor Has It...
Interesting way of making a sequel to the Graduate... Nice to see many known actors... It seemed predictible, therefore-not great.
Hostel
I've counted 5 instances that could be considered as tributes to Pulp Fiction. Some of them are the sequence where the protagonist after being tortured decides to come back to rescue a fellow torturee; another is when he suddenly sees some of the villains right in front of his car and runs them over shortly thereafter (also: PF on TV, gun against a shoulder and perhaps the "ball thing" in a mouth... It was shot very well, and acted, but i think the Director's abilities and the taste haven't been honed well enough. Anyway- nice but dusgusting effort. Another thing: this movie tells us: don't go to Slovakia, the next movie tells us: don't go to Australia. i guess (oh yes, was that Takashi Miike's cameo? :)
Wolf Creek
I really enjoyed most of it. Reminded me of the French New Wave films with its documentary feel accomplished by the shaky (careless/intimate) camerawork... I thought the last act was too revealing, they showed more than i wanted to see, which made it a regular horror film instead of a mystery that it seemed at first. I didn't get the thing about the watches stopping at the same time. Was it made so that we would believe for a minute in the arrival of the aliens or did the villain found a way to rig is somehow that all devices including the car would stop working... Cool little movie. (the scene with a rifle and the helping stranger with a car was great)
The Matador
Ipressive direction, but the movie's without a heart. It seemed to go to many different directions. That was entertaining but a little confusing and not really rewarding at the end. Very solid performances by Brosnan and Kinnear (especially Greg Kinnear, I thought). There were many impressive shots and close-ups and camera moves, but I couldn't see how it was improving/progressing the story, so that was confusing.
The Producers
Very strange choice of acting style felt uncomfortable at first, but later it paid off, it helped create a different and believable world. Nathan Lane for some reason looked exactly like Zero Mostel, it was distracting but good. I loved M.Broderick's "background" acting. Uma Thurman looked very delicious. Will Ferrell is just a barrel of comedic talent.
Fun with Dick and Jane
Very boring in the beginning, then picks up and becomes funny. Made me think of Jim Carrey's talent going just a little bit to waste and of just a little lack of Tea Leoni's talents.
Match Point
I'm a little disappointed. I thought Scarlett's acting was good but not throughout the whole movie. I liked the quick transitions through editing and the pace. I liked that they often filmed at close distance to actor's faces. It puts more pressure on an actor, but they pull it off and bring this style of the movie dead on point. The last act of the movie strongly resembles Crimes and Punishment novel. This makes it hard to decide whether Dostoyevsky or Woody Allen should be praised for the greatness of this last act. I liked the style, but I don't think it is a memorable movie.
Brokeback Mountain
I was slowly blown away. It is one of great movies of 2005. I wanted to sleep very bad, but the movie although it is slowly paced didn't give me a chance to rest the eyes.
When a Stranger Calls
A good movie to sleep through, also a fun movie to watch with a theater packed with teenagers.
Eight Below
The dog scenes are awesome, the rest is below average Disney buddy film. The two combined make for a memorable flick.
Ultraviolet
Nothing impressive, except Mila Jovovich's butt.
The Hills Have Eyes
It was funny, kinda. Which is not very good for horror, I guess...
Libertine
It was confusing for me without subtitles, I missed a lot of dialog. I can't see anyone liking the movie without the good performances that all of the cast have brought, especially J.Depp. It is dirty, but pretty; sad, but real...
Dave Chapelle's Block Party
It was fun :)
Find Me Guilty
I liked the mix of seriousness and levity. Vin Diesel was miscast if this was intended to be a great movie, but he's perfect if it was intended to be a fun movie. (direction feels like it's from a master, but from an uninspired one)
16 Blocks
Excellent beginning and select action sequences. Then characters became unrealistic and I stopped caring.
Inside Man
I was surprized by how clever and interesting the plot was. This is a Good Hollywood by great director and the cast of very well respected and serious actors who obviously could have only agreed to play such roles if someone like Spike Lee would take on the project. Can't help thinking of Hitchcock's good influence on this film with the suspense and the comic relief mixed together and also the surreal camerawork. D.Washington is a pleasure to watch. I loved how they showed "flash forwards" from witnesses' interviews and from planning of the storm.
V for Vendetta
It's not tecnhically perfect or even very good except for the pyrotechnic/music effects, but it's brilliant on many levels. Countless parallels to current reality whether intended or not. Countless symbolism that I think brings out only the good side in a viewer. Quite an achievement.
Lucky Number Slevin
What a waste. This and Slither should have exchanged their budgets.
Take the Lead
I loved first third of the movie and most of the dancing sequences. Antonio Banderas seemed perfect for the role. (Reminded me of Coach Carter a lot...)
Slither
I think this is a failed attempt to immitate Shaun of the Dead, but still amusing. With better casting it could have been funnier.
Ice Age 2
I'm going to enjoy re-watching the 1st part after this one. I liked it in overall and really laughed at some of its parts. Looked like a compilation of funny shorts which is ok. I loved the possums characters, wanted to see more of them. Scat's cool as always.
Akeelah and the Bee
I felt bored because the plot felt predictible and it was, but the acting stood out. I also loved the message of the movie and how they showed event uniting the community. It's a great movie for kids I think.
United 93
This will be one of the most controversial and talked about movies of the year. It is good quality,tasteful and tactful for the most part. Scenes on the ground are captivating,authentic (so they claim) and very moving. It was important to make a movie based on true events preceding and during the bombings. But the scenes on the plane seemed really out of place, because they can't be authentic, I think. This movie was a mix of documentary and fiction and I think it was made by a very good documentarian and a bad fiction film director.
Scary Movie 4
It was as I expected- dumb and funny. I think I liked SM3 the most. (I was the only one in a theater, hmmm...)
Mission Impossible 3
I'm getting bored of straightforward action films, but I can see how someone who is still into them can get a great kick out of this one.
RV
Thanks to Robin Williams it was funny. The trailer made the movie look worse than it actually was.
X-Men: The Last Stand
If you like that kind of thing...
Poseidon
I thought at some moments it was very suspensful...
The DaVinci Code
A clever puzzle, a little annoying.
Lake House
A Prairie Home Companion
Cars
Nacho Libre
A Scanner Darkly
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Maryl Streep is amazing as always
Lady in the Water
It was extremely broad in its genre: from silly to serious to scary. Never seen a movie like it, so I'm not sure if it's a Great or a Good movie. I think M.N.Shyamalan's performance wasn't very good though.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
I was surprised by how amateurish the direction seemed. Still funny.
Monster House
I looked it up, it's called "performance-capture computer animation". Really looked like stop motion. I loved the movie (it was sad too :(
Superman Returns
The Descent
The Ant Bullly
Miami Vice
Clerks II
Scoop
Watched it with Hannah. Amusing film with usual Woody Allen's hidden messages and not so hidden jokes.
The Night Listener
i was bored to death... (I was the only one in a theater)
Pirates of the Caribbean 2
disappointing abrupt ending. I could've easily waited for the third part and watch them together.
World Trade Center
Nicolas Cage is a great actor... Visually stunning film, I'm not sure I liked it though. (M.Gyllenhaal wasn't great at all, I thought)
Barnyard
Little Miss Sunshine
Snakes on a Plane
The Last Kiss
What a boring unrewarding movie. I can see how some of the themes are important, but why make a movie around them...
The Wicker Man
I loved the original film. This one didn't try to surprize anyone familiar with the original. Cinematography was cool, wonder how they do that...
The Illusionist
I was disappointed by the all-explaining ending. Very Cool music score (and a very sad death). And I look forward to other films from this Director.
Hollywoodland
Too long i thought (a too long CSI episode). Ben Aflleck was surprisingly great.
The Protector
Very cool action movie.
Fearless
Same old story, cool ending.
Everyone's Hero
I was too old and too little of a baseball fan to enjoy this.
Crank
With better acting this could be a classic.
Jackass 2
Very funny, therefore good.
The Black Dahlia
(it was confusing) I'll enjoy every Brian De Palma film...
All the kings Men
Flyboys
Open Season
The Guardian
"whethered" story
The Marine
Man of the Year
1st half was cool
Employee of the Month
Very funny, sometimes very silly.
The Departed
Great performances by everyone. M.Whalberg was impressive. And M.Sheen. ...and M.Damon... (I loved the editing as usual).
Marie Antoinette
not my cup of tea but worth watching.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
I think it is a very bad movie.
One Night with the King
...it was like porn without sex
The Prestige
Great acting,interesting story. Enjoyed the casting of David Bowie very much.
Flags of our Fathers
It felt like a pilot to what would be a good miniseries. C.Eastwood however is very brave and doesn't exploit so many interesting aspects of a war film. just a little bit.
Tideland
This was an amasing film. I didn't understand it, but I've never seen anything like it...
The Science of Sleep
This film felt like a long M.Gondry music video but it's not a bad thing, just unusual.
Shortbus
This movie impressed me. Allowing open sexuality in cinema must be this movie's main objective. I agree that this kind of storytelling adds new level of realism and interest to "relationship" dramas...
A Good Year
It was very bad in the beginning then got good towards the end. This movie is for the director's contemporaries.
Running with Scissors
not very well put together film. What's with the music? A poor imitation of Wes Anderson.
Borat
Sometimes very moving. Most of the time very funny. I coudln't stop thinking "who's holding the camera?".
Flushed Away
cute.
Harsh Times
I really liked this movie. I felt tension and excitement throughout the whole film, couldn't predict what's coming. The dialog is non-stop, but not a waste of words. Acting is superb and I hope C.Bale gets an Oscar nomination.
The Queen
Because of Helen Mirren this movie was good.
Stranger than Fiction
I think W.Ferrell was miscast. I enjoyed it but I would enjoy it more as plain drama.
Sweet Land
I rarely regret watching a movie, this one was definitely not for me.
The Fountain
I like the thoughts this film gave me, but I didn't get the movie at all.
Babel
I loved the contrasting cuts between the stories. It's the saddest movie I've seen this year, which makes it a horror film for me.
dec 7:
Casino Royale
I'm always looking forward to a new James Bond credit sequence. I was disappointed with the music choice, but visually it was stunning as usual. As part of the James Bond films I didn't like it, but it was not bad as a stand-alone action film. (I never thought of 007 agent as realistic so I'm very bored by a realistic plot.)
Bobby
I found this movie very boring except for the historical facts that it presented (which I think made for less than one tenth of the film). I give it 15 stars (that's how many celebrities I counted)
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny
Musical numbers were my favorite parts here.
Deja Vu
H. Berry was very cool in the movie. It's a cool theory about the Deja Vu phenomena, which is totally unrealistic, but very interesting to watch, i thought.
Happy Feet
it was very funny because of Robin Williams only. It's interesting how in this movie we don't care for the fish that's being eaten by penguins, but in Finding Nemo we cared very much for their well being.
12.27.06:
Apocalypto
The ultimate injun movie.
The Good Shepherd (boring)
fell asleep for few minutes, so may be the movie is not as bad as I thought.
Blood Diamond
Romancing the Stone meets Apocalypse Now (with annoying multiple endings).
Night at the Museum
Cool. Museum's director was hilarious! B.Stiller was fun also.
