40 Years of Movies, 2006

 


2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey!

2006:

Children of Men
About: Sometimes movies just grab you and don't let go. Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men is a film like that for me. It's a bit of dystopian future, where women can't get pregnant. The world is in turmoil, and society is going extinct. In that is a man who has lost his way that finds it again, and a purpose larger than himself, when he is tasked with escorting a pregnant woman. It's a beautiful story, and I love the performances from Clive Owen, Juliane Moore and Michael Caine.

Other Considerations:
Thank You For Smoking
About: This one comes from writer/director Jason Reitman, and announced his arrival as a compelling filmmaker. Released before the more well-known Juno and Up In The Air, this is one of Reitman's better films. I love the humor and the ensemble cast, led by Aaron Eckhart.

Stranger Than Fiction
About: We think about Will Ferrell as something of a clown in his films. This one, from writer Zach Helm, is something a little different. It's a more serious and more beautiful film, and it's arguably Ferrell's best work. The rest of the cast, including Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Dustin Hoffman, is great, too. I really love this beautiful and moving story.

Superman Returns
About: We all have mixed feelings about Bryan Singer now, as I've mentioned before. But I really love this Superman film, which also drew mixed reviews. I enjoyed Brandon Routh as Superman and Kevin Spacy (yes, also problematic now) as Lex Luthor. This one is a direct sequel to Superman II and is, actually, my favorite cinematic version of the Superman tale.

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