The Best of the Rest of 2006

As the seventh month of this cinematic year comes to a close, I thought it might be a good time to take a look ahead. We certainly can't look back, as this dud of a year has failed to turn in enough good films to complete a midpoint top ten list. It’d be more like a top seven - and a rather depressing one, at that.

The movies that follow are those that I most look forward to seeing, not predictions of what will be good. The “Top Five” have received the full blurb treatment, and precede a handful of other notable blips on the radar. That being said, the list is in no particular order (because even alphabetizing it would be too much of a hassle).

World Trade Center
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello
Release: August 9

Hot on the heels of the handiest slaying of historical legend seen by Hollywood in years (Alexander, for those who understandably pushed it out of mind already), Stone has undertaken the telling of a story from the most tragic day any living American has experienced. Considering the way that United 93 utterly paralyzed me in my theater chair, there is no doubt that the story behind this one (of two actual firefighters who were among the first to rush into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001) will pack an incredible punch.

Fortunately, initial doubts about Stone’s ability to handle such a tale without exploiting anybody or thing have given way to relieved optimism; reports from those who have seen early footage screened over the past few months indicate that Stone has (thankfully) taken himself out of the equation, and crafted his film with a deft, but subtle touch.

All The King’s Men
Director: Steven Zaillian
Starring: Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet
Release: September 22

You might have heard of All The King’s Men a full year ago, when the film was being groomed for a 2005 run at Oscar. However, editing and music delays pushed the release to this year, where it was predictably delayed even further in order to ride the awards wave.


Unlike most films that go to such lengths for attention, All The King’s Men actually looks worth the wait. Penn anchors the cast as Willie Stark, the power-hungry, but crowd-pleasing southern politician whose rise to power and subsequent corruption by it constitutes the story. The premise is rich (adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren), the cast is a cinephile’s wet dream, and the trailer shows hope that maybe, just maybe, such promise will actually be capitalized upon. Cross your fingers…

Casino Royale
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Eva Green
Release: November 17

I probably shouldn’t be excited for this one – the James Bond franchise has gone downhill with breathtaking (and disheartening) urgency – but the idea of Craig’s fresh take on Bond and a return to the character’s roots (Casino Royale was Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel) is just exciting enough to sustain my anticipation.

The primary motivator for such optimism is the film’s first trailer. Gone is the tongue-in-cheek Bond that flirted with destroying the fourth wall more often than he flirted with his female lovelies, replaced by a hard-nosed, all-business Bond who is refreshing by virtue of appearing to be exponentially less fun than his predecessor. No fancy weapons, no invisible cars – just a freshly-promoted spy out to do his badass job in a badass way. Sign me up.

The Prestige
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson
Release: October 20

I’ve only seen the trailer, but it – along with the film’s immaculate pedigree – is reason enough to land the film comfortably in my “Top Five”. Nolan and Bale (quickly defining themselves as a can’t-miss team) working with Jackman, Johansson, and Michael Caine? The sound you just heard was that of anybody who has ever enjoyed movies… ever… screaming with utter delight.

The story is dark, and thankfully so. Two formerly-friendly, but rival magicians (Bale and Jackman) become entrenched in a dangerously bitter competition to better each other on the stage that eventually threatens to destroy not only their own lives, but those of the people around them. Assured direction from Nolan (who also penned the adapted script with his brother Jonathan) should do much to make this one of the better films of the year.

Flushed Away
Director: Sam Fell, David Bowers
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen
Release: November 3

At last we have the random wrench thrown into my list. At first glance, Flushed Away looks like another Madagascar-level animated outing from Dreamworks (read: not very good), but closer inspection of early footage reveals enough Shrek-like material to warrant actual anticipation. Who saw that coming?

At the very least, Flushed Away stands a fighting chance at being the best animated feature of the year. Animation’s box office titan of the year to date is Pixar’s Cars, which was enough of a miscue as to leave the door wide open. If the writing of Flushed Away manages to bridge (or fudge) the generation gap with Shrek-like humor and wit, it may just be the movie that finally dethrones a Pixar flick – wouldn’t that be the day?

Other Blips On The Radar

The Fountain (November 22)
Looks just weird enough to be interesting, and represents the third Hugh Jackman film on my list (dare I mention that he is currently starring in Scoop, another film that I’d like to see).

The Illusionist (August 18)
Another dark film about magic, with a killer cast of its own: Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, anyone?

How To Eat Fried Worms (August 25)
A strictly sentimental pick, as I have fond memories of reading the book in my elementary school days.

Marie Antoinette (October 20)
One of the most controversial films of this year’s Festival de Cannes (for no compelling reasons), this is Sofia Coppola’s uniquely crafted biopic of the young (and genuinely controversial) queen of France.


Fast Food Nation (October 20)
Richard Linklater’s fictional reworking of Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction novel; if for no other reason, it should be worth watching just to see if he pulls it off.

Apocalypto (December 8)
Mel Gibson’s take on the end of the Mayan civilization – I’ve yet to distinguish my curiosity as morbid or intrigued.

The Nativity Story (December 1)
I had heard nothing about this film until the teaser trailer sparked my interest. The story is compelling and interesting – here’s hoping they don’t screw up the telling.

Pan’s Labyrinth (December 29)
I’m still not sure what this movie is about, but it involves creepy creatures and Guillermo del Toro’s direction, so my interest is hereby firmly established.

Keep your browser tuned to theMINIPLEX.com for the final word on these, and many other upcoming releases.