Good Movies in 2006

Over the last few months, I’ve had the opportunity to see some quality films. To be honest, I felt like I needed to make up for a few worthless movies that I wished I could’ve gotten my money back on (eg., Monster In Law and Hitchhiker’s Guide.) Here’s a little summary.

Munich – Not what I expected at all. Disturbing. Thought-provoking. I thought Spielberg did an incredible job of raising tough questions about the nature of revenge, violence, assassination, and the like without revealing his own opinion and leaving the audience to wrestle with the issues that the story raised. The violence in the movie, though disturbing, was never glorified. The Israeli assassins in the film were portrayed as fumbling around and hesitating in very un-Rambo like ways, making them all the more real and believable. (Click here for a summary and more background of the film, including a study guide.)

Sideways – This film had been out for almost two years by the time I got around to seeing it. I think what I appreciated about the film was the subtlety in which things were communicated regarding the characters – their insecurities, their deepest longings, and the lies that they convinced themselves to believe. The most powerful elements of the film were those things that were evident without being directly verbalized.

For example, in one scene Miles is struggling to connect with a woman whom he is awkwardly pursuing while his engaged friend has already sacked up with her friend. When asked to give reason behind his obsession with Pinot, Miles begins to articulate the fragile process of making the wine that is necessary to bring out the potential and complexity of it. It soon becomes apparent that he is describing himself and his desire to be loved and appreciated.

The Royal Tenenbaums – I’m a little behind on this one too. Say, 5 years. After seeing Rushmore, the more recent Life Aquatic, and finally this Wes Anderson classic, I’m falling in love with Anderson’s work. Having said that, these films are unique and even a bit quirky and they’re not for everyone. But I think Anderson’s story-telling and cinematography are ingenious. And he’s definitely found actors that fit his style and can deliver what he wants. (Anyone else think Bill Murray is one of the most brilliant actors in Hollywood?)

Mean Creek – I have a bias towards this award-winning independent film for two reasons: 1. it was filmed in the beautifully scenic Pacific Northwest (with several shots of Mt. Hood in the background) and, 2. my good friend, Officer Jim Drew, has a cameo appearance in the closing scene. It’s another disturbing film with some profanity and drug use, but it’s done in a very believable, realistic manner. (A few of the characters even stay true to their apparent convictions and resist offers of cigarettes or pot.) It’s a short film with a very simple story line, but the power is in the interaction between the young people who find themselves wrestling with issues of revenge and forgiveness and family dysfunction – and one another.

Categories: film