Kings, queens and towers, oh my. There is no movie that truly stands out in my mind this year. A number of very high quality movies that were very well done. Forest Whitaker's performance was truly amazing, "Babel" wonderfully directed and put together, and the "Departed" just plain well done though maybe a touch violent. Then comes two of the better science fiction movies of late in the "Prestige" and "Children of Men". And last but definitely not least two comedies (for lack of a better word) that make the list in "Stranger than Fiction" and "Little Miss Sunshine."
Recently I watched this film on DVD and the more I think about it the more I like it. For one it may be the most completely original film I saw of last year. Secondly all of the characters where so well developed and insanely real.
My favorite quirky comedy of the year. Will Ferrell plays a boring and uneventful irs auditor whose life is changed when he starts hearing his story being told in his head. I went into this film with low expectations due to Ferrell's previous work, but he impressed me with is range. It does not hurt that the cast also includes Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Dustin Hoffman either.
The Forest Whitaker tour de force as he plays the infamous Ugandan dictator and the young doctor (James McAvoy) who initially gets swept up in his charisma. Gives you an inside perspective on the life of one of the worst dictators in history.
A hard film to describe really. It follows three story lines Idi Amin across the globe. One in Morocco, one in the US, and one in Japan showing even in this large planet we and our problems are all interconnected. Features and excellent cast and is wonderfully directed.
Martin Scorsese made a film I actually can admire and like finally. His films tend to be a bit on the strange/artsy side for my taste. Leonardo Dicapro continues to impress me, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson do their usual fine performances and Mark Walberg also contributed well in his role. The plot follows two police officers and their dealings with organized crime. It is also incredibly violent so if you do not like that you might want to stay away from this film.
Features the outstanding performance of Helen Mirren and gives possible insight into the lives of the royal family during the events surrounding Princess Diana's car accident and death.
My pick for best science fiction movie of the year. Features an excellent cast including Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Huge Jackman and the usual outstanding directing of Christopher Nolan. The plot follows two aspiring magicians who are always out to out perform the other. One just takes it a bit farther than the other.
My and Oscar's choice for the best foreign film of the year. Very well done German film. Set in pre-Glasnost East Germany, it follows the secret police's surveillance of a writer and the man charged with his surveillance. Where this leads shows all sides of man.