Best movies of 2006?

Well, it's finally the end of the year, so it’s time to sit down and put together a little wrap-up.
The main rule here is that all these nominated movies had to hit the big screens in American theaters during 2006.

My Personal Top 5:
1. Babel, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
2. The Departed, Martin Scorsese
3. Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee / Volver, Pedro Almodóvar
4. Crash, Paul Haggis
5. Borat, L. Charles

I should probably also mention Munich (Steven Spielberg) and Syriana (Shane Gaghan) as some other standout picks...
To be honest, 2006 wasn't exactly a legendary year for cinema.
There have definitely been years with way more heavy hitters... but then again, there were a few years that weren't even close to this one either.
Still, pretty solid.

The only movies worth mentioning this year are Munich, Little Miss Sunshine, and United 93.
Everything else is just cinematic junk.

...so where did everyone run off to? there are still 🙂two days left in this year
.

Crash, The Departed...👍

Brokeback Mountain, Volver, Casino Royale, Crash, Tristan + Isolde, Babel, Jarhead, Proof...

Ugh, if I could just think of a few more...😁 but there were definitely 😁

Just one movie for me: V for Vendetta!

bluebison8 said:Only one movie for me: V for Vendetta!

Oh yeah, totally forgot about that one...

That's enough—definitely not Babel... it’s way too long-winded, feels totally disjointed, and is just incredibly naive...👎

redowl90 said:The only movies worth mentioning this year are United 93,The Departed and Munich.
Everything else is just cinematic trash.

👍

Lisa Ross14 said:That’s enough... but honestly, definitely not Babel. It felt way too long-winded, kind of disjointed, and just... overly naive...👎

Next time, before you hit post, maybe just take a second to actually read the thread title... it's literally "best movies of 2006."
If you really don't have anything to add to this thread, just start your own topic and write about "movies that weren't actually that great in 2006"...
Look, just... please don't bring stuff like that in here. It really has nothing to do with what we're talking about in this thread...
So, I was thinking... maybe we should try to put together a real definitive list here... you know, like a deep dive into the absolute best films ever made... just to see where we all stand...

So basically:

Borat
Snakes on a Plane
Pirates of the Caribbean 2
Superman Returns

That's pretty much everything I've caught at the theater this year, I guess.

Was *Brokeback Mountain* released back in 2006?

I haven't been particularly active in the theater this year, but even within such a comparative vacuum, *Brick* and *The Three Burials of Melquiades* deserve a nomination. And *Children of Men*, of course. Oh, and *Cache*, naturally.

When it comes to animation, I’ve unfortunately had to suffer through a lot of garbage, but two stand out as truly exceptional: Cars and Flushed Away. I'll admit I might be biased toward the latter because of that British voice cast, but it’s also one of those rare gems—much like Cars—that doesn't rely on cheap, tired parental jokes just to appeal to adults. Honestly, Cars probably only ranks this high here because the competition is so pathetic.
Oh, naturally—even *Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit* is on the list. By all means, let’s just go ahead and buy everything British.

As for my biggest disappointment of the year? Definitely Cock and Bull Story.

ironcrane7 said:As for my disappointment of the year—it’s definitely Cock and Bull Story.

...mind if I ask why? 🙂 Personally, I actually enjoyed it—it's pretty funny, and I've always had a soft spot for that "movie about movies" vibe...🙂 It almost felt right for a small, indie director like Winterbott to tackle something like this, and I thought he did a decent enough job with it.🙂

bluebison8 said:Only one movie: V for Vendetta!

Oh man, how did I even forget that!!!! 😍

ironcrane7 said:Brokeback Mountain came out in 2006?

Well, technically it's from 2005. I mean, it started hitting theaters in the US around November 2005, and it already snatched up its first big award—the Golden Lion—in Venice back in September. But since it didn't hit our local screens until February 2006, I guess you could call it a 2006 movie. Maybe. I wouldn't go so far as to say for sure, though. 😍 😍 😍

Larry Martin11 said:...may I ask why? 🙂 Personally, I actually enjoyed it—it’s quite witty, and I love that "movie about a movie" approach...🙂 It felt logical for a smart filmmaker like Winterbottom to shoot something like this, and I thought he did a pretty solid job. 🙂

Because I am honestly sick to death of the all-star comedy casts that rotate incessantly on American television, especially Steve Coogan. It's a scene that constantly celebrates itself, even when attempting satire. A total vanity project, if you catch my drift. 😉 😬
I know you're a fan of Winterbottom. I thought his take on historical themes in 24 Hour Party People was brilliant, especially how he used that dual-layered narration with constant footnotes and an unreliable narrator. But this? This just grated on my nerves. In a moment of pure, classic irritability, I walked out of the theater. I won't elaborate further, other than to say they probably shouldn't be hiring Coogan for film projects anymore.

northernangler17 said:Technically, it's a 2005 film—it hit theaters in the States around November of '05 and had already snagged its first Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival by September—but since it didn't premiere here until February 2006, I guess we could call it a 2006 release.😍 😍 😍

By that logic, I might just nominate Kiss Kiss Bang Bang instead; I think that was actually making the rounds here this year.
Babel doesn't even arrive in the USA until January, though I doubt I'll bother watching it.

...noted 🙂
...though, I actually have one little "perk" here—the fact that Winterbottom hired Coogan again actually makes me happy. I’ve always loved it when directors stick with the same cast, even if I have to admit Michael's cast isn't exactly my favorite (and I'm lucky enough to rarely be exposed to American TV 😉)... but this whole "kinship" thing honestly gave me a laugh 😁...
...as for Winterbottom himself... I recently stumbled upon an article that accidentally hit the nail on the head by calling him a nerdy director... he’s one of those guys who truly understands cinema, almost like he wants to experiment with questioning—in a very cautious, almost "academic" way—what actually makes a movie, and the process behind it (which is probably why he felt the need to make A Cock and Bull Story—to play around with the "pre-film" concept, essentially inviting the audience into that world and deconstructing the magic somehow...) —sometimes he nails it (for me, Tristram Shandy works), sometimes less so (like 9 Songs, which is more about playing with structure and metaphor), but I find it charming... truthfully, I like him because when he isn't adapting massive novels, he makes films about "important" social issues without feeling the need to wrap them up in a crime thriller, a romance, or some intimate drama... and that's why I like him 🙂

White said:The only movies worth even mentioning this year are Munich, Little Miss Sunshine, and United 93.
Everything else is straight-up garbage.

United 93😱 😱 😱

you officially lose your voting rights.

You totally forgot to mention the World Trade Center