MCP's Top 10 Films of 2006: #7 & 6

Finally got around to continuing the list....

7. Brick

This is what I love about digital filmmaking. Technology is finally getting cheap enough that we’re starting to get some truly original films that would not have the opportunity to exist otherwise. Brick, for instance, was made for $300,000 and was cut using off the shelf software. Five years ago that would have been impossible. How cool is that?
But that’s not why this movie made my list. It made the list because it was a great story that was fresh and original. I would have never thought of combining High School & Film Noir, but once you think about it, it makes perfect sense. They’re both built around arch-types. In high school you’ve got Jock’s, Drama kids, Druggies, etc. Noir is no different. You’ve got your hero, the damsel in distress, the snitch, the dangerous woman, etc. Combining them gives you this weird hyper-reality. Do high school kids talk like this? No. But the dialogue doesn’t sound awkward either. The context of it all makes it work.
And who the hell knew that the kid from “Third Rock from the Sun” could act? He was amazing! He managed to take all that dialogue and make it flow naturally. The guys who played the Brain and the Pin were also particularly noteworthy. The one other performance I simply have to mention was Nora Zehetner, who plays Eden on “Heroes”. She really pulled off the “woman you’re not sure you trust” role perfectly. You knew she was bad news, but you couldn’t help but want her on screen
Best indie movie of the year. Period.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 78%

6. The Fountain

If I had to pick just one movie on this list that Goose should NEVER see, it’s this one.
I remember walking out of this flick with a very solid opinion of what it this movie meant. What I found fascinating was that the 3 people I saw it with had come to 3 different conclusions. Unlike most American cinema, this film does not give you answers. You have to actually think and work to your own conclusions.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like this film is dense & abstract to the point where it’s not enjoyable. In fact, I found it to be a very emotional story, and what I took away from it was actually a simple story about love and loss.
Hugh Jackman & Rachel Weisz pretty much carry this movie by themselves as supporting characters are really minor, at best. Through each of the three stories (Story A: 500 years in the past. Story B: Today. Story C: 500 Years in the future) we are truly centered on these two lovers facing, and trying to cheat death in order to be together. Jackman in particular really impressed me in this film. Ever since he came onto the scene, my first thought whenever I see him is “Wolverine!” But like just about all of his performances, he manages to impress me by giving a performance where you forget about all that and just become invested in his current character. If only this guy could pick his projects better (Van Helsing, Kate & Leopold), he really has what it takes to be a major player in Hollywood.
The real kudos in this movie go to Director Darren Arnofsky & Cinematographer Matthew Libatique (Both did “PI”, “Requiem for a Dream”). This movie is nothing short of beautiful. I could watch this movie with the sound off and still be riveted. I saw this film months ago, yet I can still vibrantly remember so many shots in this film. Most of what I remember are relatively simple shots too. This is a film that I could spend hours just analyzing the composition of each frame. In fact, that was probably my favorite thing to watch for. When film makers tell stories that use overlapping characters in multiple times, they’ll use various tricks to help the audience figure out which time period we’re currently in. The most common thing I’ve noticed is the use of different color palettes (The episode of Firefly called “Out Of Gas” is a perfect example). What I thought was interesting was that this film used shapes. In Story A it was Triangles, Story B was squares and Story C was circles. I was completely fascinated by this, and when I saw it for the second time I made a point to look for it.
At the end of the day this is a 50/50 kind of movie. You’re either going to love it, or you’re going to hate it. I haven’t really encountered too many people who were somewhere in the middle.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50%