Films & DVD's--2006

By Larry Anklewicz

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Now that 2007 is here, we can look back at a very good year for the film and DVD industry. There were some excellent films and DVDs to enjoy throughout the year and I'm going to share some of my favourites with you right now. There are three lists of my Top Ten favourites and I've classified them under Films, DVDs, and Canadian DVDs. For simplicity, I have decided to list them in alphabetical order.

Films

Bobby

Bobby was a film that really got to me emotionally. It tells the story of a number of people at the hotel where Bobby Kennedy had his campaign headquarters during the California primary and where he was killed on June 5, 1968. It also shows how one event changed the course of history in the United States and in the world. Written and directed by Emilio Estevez with an outstanding ensemble cast.

Borat Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan

Watch out. This is the crudest, most offensive film I've seen in years. It offends Jews, women, gays, everyone. But it is also the funniest film of the year.

The Departed

Terrific story about a police agent infiltrating the Mafia and a Mafia man working his way into the police force. Great performances by Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Jack Nicholson and directed by Martin Scorsese.

Dreamgirls

What a great film. It successfully transfers the Broadway show onto the big screen and provides more than two hours of wonderful entertainment. Jennifer Hudson steals the film and would have received top billing if this hadn't been her first film. Eddie Murphy gives a knock-out performance, as does Jamie Foxx. If you like music and if you like R & B, this is the film for you. As far as I'm concerned, this is the top film of 2006.

Happy Feet

The best and most entertaining animated film of the year tells the story of a group of singing penguins and how one child tries to fit into the group, despite having no singing talent at all.

Last King of Scotland

A powerful performance by Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin, the mad dictator of Uganda during the 1970s, propels this film into the forefront of Academy Award nominations.

Little Miss Sunshine

An American road comedy that sets new standards in family relationships. The Hoover family includes some of the biggest losers you are ever going to run into. A fluke gets the youngest child, Olive, into the "Little Miss Sunshine" competition in California. As a result, the whole Hoover family rallies behind her. They all pile into their rusted-out VW bus and head West on a three-day journey that will change the entire misfit family. The acting is superb and Alan Arkin is a wonder to behold.

Manufactured Landscapes

The best documentary film of the year shows how the planet is being changed by man's attempts to adapt his environment to his own needs. Sounds somewhat challenging, but magnificent cinematography raises this film into a class of its own.

The Queen

Helen Mirren is Queen Elizabeth in this story about the aftermath of Princess Diane's death and how the royal family handled it.

Volver

One of the leading films in this year's Oscar race should be Volver (Coming Back), a Spanish film directed by Pedro Almodovar. The women actors, led by Penelope Cruz, are fantastic in this mix of comedy and drama.

DVDs

Capote

Truman Capote decides to investigate the truth behind the bloody massacre of a mid-west farming family and winds up befriending the killers and writing a classic of modern American literature, In Cold Blood.

Chronicles of Narnia

One of the most enchanting and charming films to come out on DVD in a long time, this adaptation of C.S. Lewis' beloved classic book follows the exploits of the Pevensie children as they enter a parallel universe and discover a world inhabited by talking animals, dwarfs, centaurs, giants and more.

Good Night & Good Luck

Edward R. Murrow takes on the Unamerican Activities Committee and its leader, Eugene McCarthy in a true story of great heroism and guts.

Joyeux Noel

Beautiful film of the great waste of lives caused by war. The film focuses on three armies during World War I and specifically on the truce the soldiers declared on Christmas Eve.

Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man

If you are a Leonard Cohen fan, this is your DVD. Constructed in the form of a tribute concert which features 14 live performances from such artists as Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Beth Orton and many more, this film also includes interviews with people Cohen has known and has influenced.

Neil Young: Heart of Gold

Live concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium by Neil Young and his friends. Filmed live by Oscar winning director, Jonathan Demme, this concert featured his recent album, ÒPrairie WindÓ in its entirety followed by a number of classic Neil Young songs.

Prairie Home Companion

Directed by Robert Altman and written by Garrison Keillor, and with an all-star ensemble cast that includes Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson and many more, this comedy takes us backstage during a fictitious radio variety show during its last broadcast. Great music and great acting with a real life feel to it.

Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Another overlooked gem. Julianne Moore gives a terrific performance as a 1950s and 1960s housewife who struggles to keep her family together and to keep hunger away from her door. She uses her talent for words to enter jingle competitions. She supported her 10 kids and alcoholic husband by winning thousands of dollars worth of prizes, usually just before her money ran out.

Sister Rose's Passion

Documentary about Sister Rose Therein, a nun who worked long and hard to establish better relations between the Catholic church and the Jewish people. She was instrumental in changing the Church's position on blaming the Jews for Christ's death.

United 93

United 93 is an exceptional film. It had me on the edge of my seat all the way from beginning to end. And what makes United 93 even more incredible is the fact that it is true. It really happened! We all know what took place on September 11, 2001. Two planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City. Another plane was crashed into the Pentagon building in Washington. A fourth plane, United Flight 93 was also hijacked that day, but very little was known about what happened to it, except that it didn't reach its target and wound up in a field in Pennsylvania. This film, United 93, fills in some of the details. It is done almost in real time--from the passengers boarding the plane, until the plane is hijacked, and until the passengers revolt and try to overwhelm the terrorists.

Canadian DVD's

Comedy Gold

This three-hour documentary combines a great mix of film clips, interviews and genuine humour as it takes the audience on a journey outlining the history of Canadian comedy. It celebrates the outstanding achievements of such Canadian comic geniuses as Rich Little, Colin Mochrie, Dan Aykroyd, Dave Foley, Dave Thomas, Howie Mandel, Ken Finkleman, Lorne Michaels, Martin Short, Don Ferguson, Rick Mercer, Tom Green, the Royal Canadian Air Farce, and many more. This is the definitive study of Canadian comedy and should be seen by all Canadians.

C.R.A.Z.Y.

Corner Gas Season 3

Canada's popular sitcom and a fan favourite arrived on DVD a short time ago in a limited edition package that features superhero rendings of comic book illustrator, Ron Boyd. All 19 episodes from the third season are included in this package and include such extras as an hour-long W5 documentary, Beyond Corner Gas: Tales From Dog River. Get your copy now before this title sells out.

Highway 61

Classic Canadian road comedy directed by Bruce McDonald and featuring Don McKellar is finally available on DVD. This film deals with a smuggler trying to bring a body across the border into the United States and the unusual distractions along the way.

Prairie Giant: Tommy Douglas Story

Story of Tommy Douglas, the Saskatchewan politician whose commitment to social justice and the common man, earned him the love and respect of the Canadian public. His innovations included universal health care, the eight-hour work day, government funds for the arts, and much more.

Souvenirs of Canada

Film about an art exhibit put together by Canadian author and artist, Douglas Coupland. Coupland decided to turn a house into a museum of artifacts of Canadian life.

Terry

Story of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope, when he tried to run across Canada, from Newfoundland to British Columbia on one leg in the hope of raising funds to find a cure for cancer.

Twitch City

Classic Canadian television series starring Don McKellar and ran on the CBC from 1998 to 2000. The series' quirky comedy centred around a television addict who refuses to leave his apartment.

Water

Deepa Mehta's drama set in 1938 colonial India about an eight-year-old child bride who is widowed and sent to a home where Hindu widows spend the rest of their lives in penitence.

Wayne & Shuster

The most popular comedy team in Canadian history in a collection of some of their greatest skits. This is classic Wayne & Shuster and their comedy is still funny today.