Sonic Cinema

“I need to move
I need to wake up
I need to change
I need to shake up

I need to speak out
Somethin’s got to break up
I’ve been asleep
I need to wake up now”

The above is the chorus of Melissa Etheridge’s “I Need to Wake Up,” the song that plays over the end credits of the global warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” Aside from being a sure-fire Oscar nominee (if not the out-and-out front-runner), it also stands as a rallying cry for change in a world where the status quo has let us down. That cry for change was felt in November’s elections, which saw a Democratic sweep into leadership in both the House and Senate that’ll hopefully see major reform in the way politics works in Washington. It was also the dominant theme of 2006 in movie theatres, when the bold provocation that started in ’05 in the multiplexes with obvious works like “Munich,” “Syriana,” “Good Night, and Good Luck.,” and “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and less-obvious entertainments like “Serenity,” “War of the Worlds,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” and even the last “Star Wars” film spilled over into this year. And it blossomed. Of course you could stick with the major mainstream blockbusters and find much in the way of entertainment, but the fringes of both major and independent cinema led the artistic charge, and if you found your way down that road, you were rewarded with not only bold entertainments but also bold ideas that lasted long after the theatre was empty. Don’t worry, both will get their due in the following essay.

This year has seen a drastic shift in my moviewatching habits. As has been the case the past couple of years, multiple viewings in theatres are down (as of this writing, only six movies were seen more than once, none more than twice), and new movies seen are up…big time. Though there were many periods when it seemed like I barely saw anything, there were others where “see as much as possible” was the name of the game. As a result, I saw my 100th film from 2006 before Thanksgiving- a rare occurance (and further proof that I have no life). What exactly am I watching? Anything and everything- my moviegoing runs the whole spectrum of cinema- major and indie films, dramas and comedies, fiction and nonfiction, foreign language and English, live action and animated. You name the category, I probably saw something in it. You’ll see that immediately in the lists below.

There are still a number of films- mostly late-December releases that have yet to hit Atlanta- that I haven’t gotten to (David Lynch’s “INLAND EMPIRE,” Zhang Yimou’s “Curse of the Golden Flower,” Clint Eastwood’s “Letters From Iwo Jima,” and Guillermo Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” are the most noteworthy, with already-in-release “Volver,” “Children of Men,” “The Holiday,” “The Good Shepard” and “The Good German” unfortunate pre-’07 misses), but given the amount and diverse number I have seen, I’m going to break tradition and present- in addition to my Favorite Films of 2006- my 10 Best list for the year…and the worst as well. Keep in mind that, I don’t see everything. There’s a lot that I don’t feel compelled to make an effort to see, and just as much I have no plans on seeing, so if you think something’s missing, bear this paragraph as a warning- I probably haven’t seen it yet. And so, here are the Best, Worst, and Favorite Films (and performances and scores in the latter category) of my moviegoing in 2006.

Brian’s Top Ten Films of 2006
10. “Why We Fight” (Directed by Eugene Jarecki); In his fascinating and detailed documentary, Jarecki- whose brother Andrew scored a personal triumph in 2003 with “Capturing the Friedmans” (good thing a probing and intelligent eye runs in the family)- looks at the last century in American foreign policy and the toll of war, and how the military-industrial complex- the phrase coined by President Eisenhower in his historic farewell address- has shaped not only American government but also the American experience in the past 50 years by establishing a permanent need for a large military buildup to be ready at any moment, wherever it may be needed. What we see as Jarecki talks with people within- and outside- of the government is a chilling realization that Eisenhower’s worst fear regard the buildup of large armaments has come true, and that no one- including a former NYC cop whose son died on 9/11 and a young man who sees the army as his only choice after his mother passes away- is out of reach in how the military-industrial complex effects the world we live in, and that everyone is ultimately responsible for what it has become. But Jarecki isn’t pointing fingers- he’s just arming us with the knowledge we need to start changing course. Like “United 93,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” and “V for Vendetta,” his film is about taking matters into your own hands, and saying that it’s never too late to change the course of things.

9. “Dreamgirls” (Directed by Bill Condon); A proper review will be published in the new year. For now, though, big props to Bill Condon- an Oscar winner for “Gods and Monsters” and nominee for the smash musical “Chicago”- for continuing a hot artistic run with this boldly entertaining adaptation of Michael Bennett’s musical about the commercialization of innovative R&B into money-making pop. Not only does the cast score dramatic triumphs in the story of how a family act was pulled apart by greed and lust, but they belt out Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen’s score with passion and feeling. Jamie Foxx continues an acting hot streak as a slimey opportunist, Beyonce doesn’t embarass as the backup singer who becomes a star, and Eddie Murphy has never been more exciting onscreen than as the aging singer whose vices are his downfall, but believe the hype- “American Idol” reject Jennifer Hudson steals the show as the bravura voice of the group that is cast aside for an unoriginal profit. Hudson also provides the real soul of this story about how the soul of music is ripped out by selling out. You can’t help but go with the beat of this film.

8. “Little Miss Sunshine” (Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris); The plot reads like a trip down retread lane for the dysfunctional family comedy- dysfunctional family piles into van to a beauty pageant its’ youngest member is entered in, along the way discovering harsh truths and their own flaws while being put into wacky situations. But Michael Arndt’s perceptive and bitingly funny screenplay digs deeper into his character’s quirks to find real pain and feeling underneath the farce on the surface. It gives the cast- one of the year’s best (Steve Carell and Abigail Breslin especially deserve Oscar attention)- a lot of meat to absorb into their performances, and makes this roadtrip comedy both wickedly funny and oddly touching.

7. “Babel” (Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu); Completing a trilogy of films that started with 2001’s “Amores Perros” and continued with 2003’s “21 Grams,” Inarritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga have taken the concept of the Tower of Babel, built by man- who spoke one language at the time- until the Lord made them speak different languages so as to not understand one another when their arrogance they could reach Heaven became too great, and transformed it into a bold statement of the current day. Like with their earlier films, “Babel” weaves interlocking stories together to form a common theme. The result is a dramatic powerhouse that explores the need and failure to communicate across the geo-political spectrum, as an American tourist (Brad Pitt at his most vulnerable) needs to find help for his wife after she’s shot in Morocco, the two children who accidentally shot the wife struggle with the decision to fess up to the shooting, the tourist’s live-in maid takes their children on an ill-advised trip across the border to her son’s wedding, and- in the most powerful story of the bunch- the deaf-mute daughter of the man who owned the gun in question (played by an indelibly moving Rinko Kikuchi) finds herself struggling more to communicate after her mother’s death. Inarritu moves between the story’s with an artist’s compassion and ingenuity to tell a story where the situations and emotions feel universal, and not separated by borders, which is the whole point of his film to begin with.

6. “49 Up” (Directed by Michael Apted); At some point, any critic worth their word on cinema owes it to themselves to make mention of this landmark project, a documentary series that has followed a group of 14 British children (though two have permanently dropped out) since they were 7 years old. The seventh film in this series- which Apted (best known by casual moviegoers for films like “The World is Not Enough,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and “Gorillas in the Mist”) has directed since “Seven Plus Seven,” though he was a researcher on “7 Up”- still rivets attention, both for newcomers like myself (who just caught up with the series) and long-time watchers, as Tony, Suzy, Bruce, Neil, and the others continue to update Apted and his viewers of their lives, loves, and reflect on what has come before in the past 42 years. In an astonishing year for documentaries (look at what’s next on the list), Apted’s “Up” series continues to show the genre at its’ own visionary and thoughtful.

5. “An Inconvenient Truth” (Directed by Davis Guggenheim); When considering what goes into great documentary filmmaking, how can the subject not be taken into consideration? True, how the filmmaker presents the subject, and their approach to it, is the most important factor, but in the case of works like Guggenheim’s “Truth”- the one true “must-see” documentary of the year- the message is what matters. And Guggenheim delivers it with riveting craft, as he takes Al Gore’s power point lecture on global warming- which the former Vice President/2000 popular vote winner has been giving for six years now around the world- and brings the hard truths of its’ purpose (basically, that this is our only home and we’re not taking care of it like we should) into focus with a tunnel-vision clarity that transcends partisanship. No other film in 2006 delivers a more frightening sucker-punch to its’ viewer. But in a very real (and important) way, it’s as much about the man giving the lecture as it is about the lecture itself, and in showing how the loss of the presidency in 2000 inspired Gore to hit a different kind of campaign trail, and how the leash of partisan politics reigned in Gore (whose demeanor isn’t the stiff political puppet he seemed as VP so much as a passionate and personable teacher capable of inspiring his students), “An Inconvenient Truth” illuminates both the unsettling reality of a universal problem and the inspiring transformation of a man you can see yourself getting behind…maybe even for another run for the White House.

4. “World Trade Center” (Directed by Oliver Stone); It’s hard to imagine Hollywood’s most potent political provocateur tackling an event so tragic- and politically-charged- as 9/11 without his trademark bravura touch and bold politics (don’t worry, that film’s next on the agenda for Stone). But working from Andrea Berloff’s empathetic screenplay brings out what’s really envigorating in Stone’s films, his best ones anyway (“JFK,” “Platoon,” “Born on the Fourth of July”), and that’s his rigerous intelligence and hard-truth emotions. In telling the extraordinary story of John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage, in peak form) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena, building on his excellent work in “Crash”), two Port Authority cops who were two of the last people saved from the rubble of Ground Zero, Stone leaves the bombast of “Alexander” and hyperkinetic moods of films like “U-Turn” behind him and comes back to the type of character-driven storytelling that made films like “July” and “Platoon” classics and Oscar winners. “World Trade Center” may have come out in too competitive a year for the latter, but the timeless touches in this story of survival, rescue, and hope in the eyes of great devastation assure the film of a place next to those earlier films as a classic.

3. “Brick” (Directed by Rian Johnson); It’s hard to think that- 65 years after John Huston and Humphrey Bogart first defined film noir onscreen with “The Maltese Falcon” (which also provided me my greatest moviegoing experience of the year, as me and 11 friends went to watch that and “Key Largo” at the Fox Theatre on my birthday)- the genre could be given an original spin, but Johnson proves otherwise with his unique vision of the genre as set in a high school. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (continuing to shed that light comedy image from “3rd Rock From the Sun” with his striking work here and in last year’s “Mysterious Skin”) stars as a high school loner who goes into detective mode when an ex-girlfriend turns up dead. As he digs deeper into the case, he finds a dangerous labyrinth of crime, violence, and double-crosses that oddly mirror the social dynamics of modern day high school. Few films in recent memory- from either the major studios or the indie world- have so deftly created a genuinely new universe onscreen to tell their story, which is important whether you’re making a low-budget indie, a middle-budget comedy, or a blockbuster fantasy. The audience has to buy into the world you create onscreen. Johnson’s film- the year’s best first film- was an inspiration for me in particular; in the middle of filming my own first film, it was a jolt of exhilaration to watch a film do what I’m trying to do, and make me think, “I can make this work.” Not too films are capable of such a response.

2. “The Fountain” (Directed by Darren Aronofsky); The year’s most powerful love story is storywise its’ simplest, but thematically its’ most complex. Writer-director Aronofsky brings his inventiveness in storytelling to a larger scale than his previous efforts to tell the story of a love that transcends death, even when death fractures Tom and Izzi’s relationship. They never stop loving each other, but whereas Tom (a never-better Hugh Jackman) is consumed with obsession in finding a cure, Izzi (Aronofsky’s Oscar-winning wife Rachel Weisz, worthy of more award consideration here) accepts death as a part of life, and hopes that Tom will realize that as well. Perhaps the book she’s been writing- a quest for the Tree of Life by a Spanish warrior- holds the key for her hopes. The film’s leaps in narrative are intended not to perplex audiences but to bring the story’s themes into focus; through Aronofsky’s passion for the story and the poetic soul of his actors and collaborators (composer Clint Mansell’s score is the year’s finest), “The Fountain” is an adventurous exploration of ideas where images speak louder than words.

1. “United 93” (Directed by Paul Greengrass); Originally entitled “Flight 93,” Greengrass’ devastating account of the fourth plane hijacked on September 11, 2001- the only one not to reach its’ intended target (presumably the Capitol building- had its’ named changed to the flight’s call sign, officially to not confuse it with the acclaimed TV movie about the same flight. But unofficially, the title switch feels inspired when watching the film, which is arguably the most soul-shattering cinematic experience I’ve had since “Schindler’s List,” another film that wisely chose to depict the evil within its’ story without trying to explain why it was happening. Not just the official name of the flight, the “united” in the title can be taken to referring to the passengers on the flight who- after learning about what else had taken place that day- stood together as one to try and make what difference they could so that others wouldn’t lose their lives. Heroism like theirs is in short supply outside of the fantasy worlds of Hollywood, but don’t look for the typical Hollywood artifice in “United 93.” Even if Greengrass’ film must be considered speculative fiction, since no one alive knows the full truth of what happened on that flight, it feels true. His film serves as a noble tribute to those who lost their lives to help their fellow man that day. No screenwriter could have come up with a better story of self sacrifice.

Eleventh Place: This year- I found- was an unusually strong one at the multiplex. A lot of movies merited three stars or higher; several of them could’ve occupied the above list without question in a lesser year. Those that rated 3 1/2 stars include: “V for Vendetta”, James McTiegue’s exciting and politically-charged adaptation of the Alan Moore’s graphic novel with great performances by Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving; “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”, Michael Winterbottom’s wickedly funny moc-doc following Steven Coogan (in the comedy performance of the year) around the set of a staged adaptation of the supposedly “unfilmmable” novel; “A Prairie Home Companion”, an eloquent and elegant elegy on life and death revolving around Garrison Keillor’s long-running radio show from the late Robert Altman; “The Departed” was a master-class in film direction masquerading as a pop crime thriller from Martin Scorsese; “The Science of Sleep”, Michel Gondry’s sweet and sympathetic meditation on fantasy and romance through the eyes of an artist (Gael Garcia Bernal); “Lovers, Liars, and Lunatics”, another eccentric and engagingly loopy comedy from writer-director-actress Amber Benson (TV’s “Buffy”); “This Film is Not Yet Rated”, Kirby Dick’s down-and-dirty investigation into the ridiculousness of the ratings system; “The Last King of Scotland”, with a towering performance by Forest Whitaker as a brutal Uganden dictator whose legacy of evil was witnessed first-hand by a Scottish doctor; “Tideland”, an intriguing and sometimes inpenetrable Gothic fairy tale from iconoclastic director Terry Gilliam (one of his best); “Renaissance”, a visionary French animated thriller that uses black-and-white visuals to tell its’ noir tale; “Wordplay”, a fascinating look at the fascination with crossword puzzles that ends with a competition that’s one of the year’s most riveting moments; “Bubble”, the first of six reported low-budget experiments in distribution (a blue-collar drama set in a doll factory) from Steven Soderbergh, whose gifts for character-driven humanism are on full display; “Deja vu”, an exciting and crafty popcorn thriller from director Tony Scott, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and star Denzel Washingston that has all three clicking on all cylinders; “Down in the Valley”, an underappreciated character study of a 21st century cowboy (the terrific Edward Norton) whose old-fashioned outlook on life doesn’t fit with modern ideas of honor and heroism; “Fateless”, a lyrical and powerfully moving drama set in a concentration camp based on the memoirs of survivor Imre Jertesz; and “16 Blocks”, an entertaining and compelling thriller of cop corruption and redemption with “Lethal Weapon” director Richard Donner and “Die Hard” star Bruce Willis going for old-school action excitement by going to the heart of their characters.

Brian’s Favorite Films of 2006
1. “The Fountain” (Darren Aronofsky)- The most personal film to date from “Pi” and “Requiem for a Dream” auteur Aronofsky- partially due to the emotionally-draining six year development- is a love story told on several levels of literal and metaphorical meaning as a scientist races to find a cure for his dying wife. No film in 2006- not even the two exceptional 9/11 films this year- resonated with me more on a personal emotional level that this visionary film.

2. “V for Vendetta” (James McTiegue)- Propelled by a thematically-timely screenplay by The Wachowski Brothers, McTiegue turns Alan Moore’s indictment of Thatcher-era British politics into a pop-pulp pot boiler that’s as explosive in its’ ideas as it is in its’ action sequences. Nothing else this year delivered a bigger thrill.

3. “Cars” (John Lasseter)- After back-to-back Oscars, Lasseter and the artists at Pixar animation take a drive in cruise control as a rookie race car (voiced by Owen Wilson) learns the value of living life in the slow lane as opposed to being larger-than-life in the fast lane. A hokier-than-usual story from Pixar, but Lasseter, his cast (including fine work by Paul Newman and Bonnie Hunt), and his animators (whose work is near its’ peak throughout) breathe life and love into it.

4. “The Science of Sleep” (Michel Gondry)- Following his Oscar-winning masterpiece “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” writer-director Gondry comes up with a film even more fanciful (and intimate) in this story of a French artist (Gael Garcia Bernal) whose love for his attractive next-door neighbor inspires his fantasies, which in turn alter his perception of reality.

5. “The Departed” (Martin Scorsese)- After 15 years of unconventional films and two recent Oscar losses (for “Gangs of New York” and “The Aviator”), Scorsese goes genre, reinventing a cult Hong Kong police drama with this Boston-set thriller about a cop working undercover in the mob (Leonardo DiCaprio), a crook working as a mole in the BPD (Matt Damon), and a crime kingpin (the irrepressibly wicked Jack Nicholson) playing both sides against one another to save his own ass. OK, this film’s almost as thrilling as “V for Vendetta,” if not more entertaining. Welcome back to “GoodFellas” greatness Marty.

6. “This Film is Not Yet Rated” (Kirby Dick)- In a great year for documentaries, the one must-see for movie geeks was Dick’s guerrilla investigation of the hypocracy and absurdity of the MPAA’s ratings system. What he finds has the same effect as Gore’s global warming speech in “An Inconvenient Truth”- it chills you to the bone. No filmmaker wants to miss this….just remember, you must be 17 or older to watch it.

7. “Failure to Launch” (Tom Dey)- Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker make an attractive and appealing pair in this hilarious comedy about 30-something McConaughey, whose parents (scene-stealers Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw) hire Parker’s motivational woman to try and get him out of the house. Romantic vehicles like this rarely rate so high among my year’s favorites, but few of them make me laugh harder than this one does. Plus, I just kind of hope my parent’s don’t have to do the same for me…

8. “Stranger Than Fiction” (Marc Forster)- He made me laugh harder in “Talladega Nights,” but Will Ferrell actually made me think harder in this imaginative and witty “What if?” story from “Finding Neverland” director Forster, as Ferrell’s isolated IRS agent is forced to re-examind his life when he starts hearing a narrator (the furreled and funny Emma Thompson) who mentions “impending death.” “Fiction” isn’t Charlie Kaufman-lite, though; Zach Helm’s clever script resonates with the same Kaufman-esque blend of fanciful mindgames and down-to-earth emotions, while Ferrell, Thompson, and strong supporting actors Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Ghyllenhaal all ground it in a palpable reality.

9. “Lovers, Liars, and Lunatics” (Amber Benson)- With her second film as writer-director (after 2002’s wonderfully quirky “Chance”), “Buffy” alum Benson tries her hand at injecting some of that same oddball wit and devious warmth into a story of a bungled robbery and a dysfunctional family held hostage that may drive the burglars crazy before they annoy them enough to be shot. Benson takes a supporting role this time out as one of the endearingly sloppy burglars, while her “Chance” mother, Christine Estabrook, makes her role as the family’s mother one for the ages. If only more people could get to see it (the film’s only available via DVD through Benson’s production company); it’s worth trying to seek out, though.

10. “Charlotte’s Web” (Gary Winick)- Just as Chris Columbus’ “Rent” brought a classic story to the screen that connected with me on an emotional level (and originally, it’s inclusion on last year’s 10 favorites list was more about the story than the film itself), Winick delivers a deeply moving and sweet big-screen adaptation of another, very different classic- E.B. White’s lovely fable- only this time, it’s a reconnection with a story I hadn’t experienced in years (Columbus’ film was my first experience with Jonathan Larson’s musical). It may not be great art, but it was a great enjoyment that resonated with me on an elemental level. If for no other reason, it’s inclusion on this list is required.

Other Notable Favorites: On the outside looking in at my favorites, there’s just as much diversity in the form of: “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, the wildly funny confection that pokes fun at NASCAR and good ol’ Southern boys from star Will Ferrell and co-writer/director Adam McKay; “49 Up”, the latest film in Michael Apted’s innovative documentary series (its’ real-life subjects still hold ones attention); “Deja vu”, Tony Scott’s sharp and entertaining thriller with Denzel Washingston and producer Jerry Bruckheimer; “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”, the first thrilling sequel of two to Gore Verbinski’s Pirate epic with Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack back matching wits with, well, whoever he can; “Brick”, Rian Johnson’s twisty high school noir that’s inspiring to an up-and-coming filmmaker in its’ originality; “Flushed Away”, Dreamworks and Aardman’s CG-animated comedy of a high-life rat who must fend for himself in the depths of the British sewers was another winner from the house Wallace and Gromit built; “Casino Royale”, with Daniel Craig in peak form as a Bond in the middle of inventing himself in this exciting new take on the iconic spy; “The Prestige”, a fractured thriller of rival magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in peak form) from “Memento’s” own narrative wizard Christopher Nolan; “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”, another original and brutally powerful take on revenge from Korea’s Park Chanwook; “Over the Hedge”, Dreamworks’ best and funniest CG-animated tale since the original “Shrek”; and “Saw III”, the latest installment of Lionsgate’s boundary-pushing series of masochistic horror with Jigsaw up to his old tricks.

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order): “Accepted”; “Apocalypto”; “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”; “Clerks II”; “The Da Vinci Code”; “For Your Consideration”; “Friends With Money”; “An Inconvenient Truth”; “Inside Man”; “Jesus Camp”; “Little Children”; “Little Miss Sunshine”; “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World”; “Man of the Year”; “Miami Vice”; “My Super Ex-Girlfriend”; “A Prairie Home Companion”; “The Proposition”; “Renaissance”; “Rocky Balboa”; “School for Scoundrels”; “Scoop”; “Silent Hill”; “16 Blocks”; “Superman Returns”; “Thank You For Smoking”; “Tideland”; “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”; “Who Killed the Electric Car?”; “Why We Fight”; “Wordplay”.

Brian’s Favorite Performances of 2006
Admittedly, I had a difficult time this year keeping up with all the performances I loved this year (that’s also why you don’t see a favorite scenes list this year, as has been the case in years past), but in spite of that, I’ll do my best anyway to point out the performances that left the strongest impression on me (and there are still plenty of films left to see). Ahead of the pack is- gasp!- Will Ferrell, whose bawdy hilarity in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” made me laugh as much as his turn in “Stranger Than Fiction” made me feel. And he wasn’t the only multi-film winner- not far down the list were Steve Carell, a scene-stealer as Hammy the Squirrel in “Over the Hedge” and an Oscar contender as a suicidal gay professor in “Little Miss Sunshine” and Hugh Jackman, whose six films yeilded three favorite performances, from his determined doctor in “The Fountain” to his jealous magician in “The Prestige” to his seductive playboy murder suspect in “Scoop.” But they weren’t alone on my favorites list (and more multi-film contenders could show up in the coming weeks); also standing out were Natalie Portman as the daughter of revolutionaries in “V for Vendetta”; Garcia Gael Bernal as the romantic artist with vivid fantasies in “The Science of Sleep”; Rachel Weisz as the dying wife who’s accepted death in “The Fountain”; Albert Brooks as a heightened version of himself in the underrated “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World”; Uma Thurman as a superhero who doesn’t take rejection lightly in “My Super ex-Girlfriend”; Steve Coogan as- like Brooks- a heightened version of himself in “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”; Meryl Streep as the sweet aging country singer/sister/mother in “A Prairie Home Companion”; Lee Young-Ae as the wrongly-imprisoned mother on a revenge kick in “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”; Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jack Nicholson, who all brought their A+ game for Marty’s latest epic “The Departed”; Christian Bale as a master magician with a dark secret in “The Prestige”; Catherine O’Hara and Harry Shearer as aging actors who find Oscar buzz going too much to their heads in “For Your Consideration”; Denzel Washington as an ATF agent taking unorthodox methods to solve a murder in “Deja vu”; Rinko Kikuchi as a deaf-mute Japanese girl dealing with grief and sexual needs in “Babel”; Kate Winslet as a suburban mother who embarks on a passionate affair in “Little Children”; Emma Thompson as an author with writer’s block in “Stranger Than Fiction”; Sylvester Stallone as an aging icon in “Rocky Balboa”; Jennifer Hudson as a cast aside singer and Danny Glover as the father figure who helps her out in “Dreamgirls”; and Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder as a cocky teacher and insecure student who are rivals to the same woman in “School for Scoundrels.”

Brian’s Favorite Music of 2006
This year was, quite frankly, an astonishing film music year. It’s also the 2nd year since 2000 we’ve had to get a glimpse of what the film music landscape will look like without John Williams, who after four superb scores in ’05 sat this year out, unless you count the use of his themes by John Ottman for “Superman Returns,” which I’m not (I think he’s absent from 2007 as well). But it wasn’t necessarily the big names in the field contributing the scores that stood out, although they certainly made their mark- some were names familiar more to geeks than the general public, while some came out of left field to make an impression. That Oscar has its’ hands full with both categories this year is reason to celebrate for fans of soundtracks. In particular, Best Original Score is a full house of possibilities (with still more to hear for me personally), with Clint Mansell (whose artfully haunting score for “The Fountain” was the year’s best and most intregral to the film), Dario Marianelli (who delivered the escapist score of the year with his thrilling music for “V for Vendetta”), James Horner (whose exhilarating adventure score for the old-world thriller “Apocalypto” was his best since “Titanic”), Howard Shore (whose down-and-dirty score for “The Departed” is a model of experimental orchestration), and John Powell (who took his game to a whole new level of emotional and visceral impact for “United 93”) leading the way. But that’s just the top five. Looking further down the list of the year’s best scores and you see further experimentation (from known names- Mychael Danna scored artistic successes both in comedy (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and in fantasy (“Tideland” composed with brother Jeff), while Gustavo Santaolalla followed up an Oscar with more evocative minimalism (“Babel”)- lesser-known names- Graham Reynolds brought a distinct sensibility to his electronica score for the trippy “A Scanner Darkly”, while Cho Young-Wuk did unappreciated work for “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”– and rockers-turned-film composers- Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ score for “The Proposition” is as original and intriguing as the film), as well as two big, bombastic, and exciting scores by Hans Zimmer (for the summer blockbusters “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “The Da Vinci Code”); a mournful and lyrical work from an old master (“Fateless”, composed by 2007 Honorary Oscar recipient Ennio Morricone); an ethereal and emotional score that evokes classic Americana in service of telling a story of modern tragedy (Craig Armstrong’s “World Trade Center”); an old-school Bond score for a new-school Bond movie (David Arnold’s “Casino Royale” is his best yet for the series); an artistic score for an annoying movie (James Newton Howard’s “Lady in the Water” stayed above M. Night Shyamalan’s waterlogged movie); a moody dramatic score to a compelling period piece (Philip Glass’ “The Illusionist” is the best of the composer); an elegant companion score to a less-than-elegant suburbia (Thomas Newman’s work on “Little Children” is more memorable work by the veteran family composer); and another example of smart comic scoring by an ace in the genre (Rolfe Kent’s “Thank You For Smoking”). All merit Oscar’s consideration, with more fine offerings from films like “Charlotte’s Web” (Danny Elfman), “Cars” (Randy Newman), “Mission: Impossible III” (Michael Giacchino), “Deja vu” (Harry Gregson-Williams), “Hollywoodland” (Marcelo Zarvos), and “The Lake House” (Rachel Portman). Original songs didn’t have it so bad, either; you can compile a top five along for Oscar with Melissa Etheridge’s “I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth,” Randy Newman’s “Our Town” (performed by James Taylor) from “Cars,” Ben Fold’s “Still” from “Over the Hedge” (Folds also contributed two other winners to that soundtrack in “Family of Me” and “Heist”), new Bond theme “You Know My Name” from “Casino Royale” (by David Arnold and Chris Cornell, performed by Cornell), and the lovely ballad “Ordinary Miracle” (performed by Sarah McLachlan, written by David A. Stewart and Glen Ballard) from “Charlotte’s Web,” with more possibilities from “Dreamz With a Z” from “American Dreamz” (written by Stephen Trask), “Real Gone” (by Sheryl Crow and John Shanks, performed by Crow) from “Cars,” and “Listen,” the new song for the musical adaptation “Dreamgirls” co-written (with Henry Krieger) and performed by Beyonce Knowles that illuminates the feelings of Beyonce’s R&B superstar character. This is gonna be a great year for film music fans at the Oscars.

Brian’s Worst Films of 2006
This year started furiously strong in terms of mediocrity and just plain bad cinema, only to get better as the year went along. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the worst of the worst in movies in 2006. Some are films you’ve heard of, some are films you haven’t, all will- hopefully- be films you’ll never hear from again.

The F’s:
=“Basic Instinct 2”– Paul Verhoeven’s kinky and lively 1992 erotic thriller with Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone is a top-flight guilty pleasure, a heady mix of sex, violence, and scandal that’s always good for a jolt of adrenaline. This year, Stone tried to bring her femme fatale back to prominence with a sequel. Apart from a couple of watchable sex scenes, the film is every bit as bad as you expect. Rewarding this film was camp classic status would be too high of praise.

=“Royal Faceoff”– When “Mystery Science Theatre 3000” went off the air in 1999, I was worried that its’ target’s endearing “running on fumes” quality of filmmaking would be lost to me forever. With this so-bad-its’-entertaining film- sent to me when I was asked if I might review it for this site- the distinctive smell of MSTie cheese came back into my life. Now, to continue planning the screening that’ll carry on the tradition of that cult series…

=“Freedomland”– Richard Price’s story of a white mother whose accusations of a kidnapping in a black community sparks racial tensions is a first-class potboiler, but with studio head/director Joe Roth behind the camera, dramatic powerhouse stars Samuel L. Jackson (whose “Snakes on a Plane” was at least intentionally silly) and Julianne Moore fail to strike the sparks of this story.

=“Idiocracy”– How could this satire- with an inspired concept in place (an average joe frozen, waking up 500 years in the future and being the smartest man alive)- go so wrong, and in the hands of “Office Space’s” sly Mike Judge no less? Don’t ask, and I won’t have to tell. Let’s just hope Judge is given a chance to bounce back.

The D’s: Not far behind on the bad meter- but with some slight upside- are “Final Destination 3” (D-), the hopefully final trip to this horror well for the New Line series, even if it did have a couple of good, gruesome kills in it; “The Libertine” (D-), an intriguing story told badly in spite of Johnny Depp’s hypnotic star turn; “The Pink Panther” (D), where a game Steve Martin puts his own spin on Peter Sellar’s iconic Inspector Clouseau with no help from director Shawn Levy, who couldn’t be further from Blake Edwards as a comedy helmer; and “Lady in the Water” (D+), the dreary and dreadful new offering from M. Night Shyamalan whose only saving graces are from star Paul Giamatti and composer James Newton Howard.

Hope you enjoyed what I had to say about 2006 movies. These lists are- of course- subject to change the more films I see, and I have more to say with my Oscar coverage. Thanks for reading this year, and see you in 2007!

Viva La Resistance!

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com