1. "The Departed"(2006)
Martin Scorsese had never won an Oscar before 2007. If that doesn't grind your gears a little, you're reading the wrong blog. The Academy finally righted one of it's biggest wrongs in recognizing this crime-filled cuisine, cooked up by the genre's undisputed king. His explosive ensemble and Thelma Schoonmaker's masterful editing makes revisiting this film an enduring treat. Jack Nicholson fully lives up to his stellar reputation as a much-feared Irish mob boss loosely based on Whitey Bulger, while Leonardo DiCaprio gives another livewire performance as an undercover cop deeply embedded in the Boston underworld. Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg furthered their credentials as rival members of law enforcement, rounding out an amazing cast of veterans(Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin)and relative newcomers(Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga). Two hours and 30 minutes rarely go by this intensely or frenetically. Fueled by William Monahan's savory script, this is easily one of the most entertaining Best Picture winners of the 21st Century.
2. "United 93"(2006)
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood depicted the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Fortunately, one of the first directors to do so was Paul Greengrass(taking a break from Bourne), and his film is about as un-Hollywood as it gets. There's nary a name actor in sight for this devastating recreation of that terrible Tuesday morning that left the entire world in mourning. The bravery of the passengers of the only hijacked plane that DIDN'T reach it's destructive destination is heartbreakingly recounted in the most authentic manner possible. This isn't an easy hour and 51 minutes, but 'We Will Never Forget' should be more than just a trite phrase on your facebook page.
3. "The Queen"(2006)
Who says there are no good roles for women over a certain age? Helen Mirren was hardly an overnight sensation. She worked steadily for decades without her talent ever translating to widespread recognition or success. That all changed with her commanding, Best Actress-grabbing role as Queen Elizabeth II. It turns out that she didn't have a lot of love for former daughter-in-law Diana, and UK commoners almost completely turned on the Royal Family over her chilly response when the People's Princess perished in a 1997 car crash. This backlash at Buckingham Palace was met with universal critical acclaim as director Stephen Frears finally delivered another film worthy of standing alongside his sizzling U.S. breakthrough "Dangerous Liasons".
4. "Little Miss Sunshine"(2006)
This indie smash was the year's most pleasant surprise, a hysterically quirky comedic gem with sharply drawn characters and a screenplay to match. Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Tony Collette, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano and Alan Arkin bring all sorts of delightful dysfunction in an antiquated yellow Volkswagen on an 800 mile trek to a California child beauty pageant(perfect parody material). "Sunshine" garnered enough festival circuit support to land four Academy Award nominations including a dark-horse Best Picture nod(Arkin took home Best Supporting Actor) and is one of the best comedies of the decade, the kind that needs to be cherished in the era of Adam Sandler.
5. "Casino Royale"(2006)
James Bond is, without question, the most enduring character in film history. He's seen his share of ups and downs as other heroes occasionally stole his thunder and the public's imagination, but Ian Fleming's suave superspy will never die and seems impervious to changing times and trends. The general consensus is that Daniel Craig is the best iteration of 007 since the glory days of Sean Connery. Pierce Brosnan still hasn't gotten over the prolonged love-fest for the hardest man to ever order a martini(he doesn't give a damn if it's shaken or stirred). Roger Moore admitted defeat within the first 30 minutes. Was that some sharp dialogue I heard with brainy brunette beauty Eva Green before and after the longest poker game of all time? Bond was back(not that he ever left) with enough balls and brawn to keep Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne at bay and insure this series' survival for another four decades.
6. "The Last King of Scotland"(2006)
A ferocious Forest Whitaker puts his tendency to overact to scary good use as erratic Ugandan leader Idi Amin whose 1970s regime is said to have been responsible for 300,000 deaths. That staggering figure includes one of his wives(Kerry Washington) whom he suspected of being unfaithful. If anyone deserves to be demonized in early 21st Century cinema, it's this guy. The story involves James McAvoy's naïve Scottish doctor and his unlikely relationship with Amin while working in the turbulent country. Whitaker won the Best Actor Oscar for this compelling if slightly fictionalized account of one of the history books' lesser known bogeymen.
7. "Cars"(2006)
Lightning McQueen seems like the red-headed stepchild of the Pixar portfolio(his 2011 sequel usually brings up the rear when the studio's features are ranked). There's no such thing as a bad Pixar movie, some are just better than others, and the reported $10 BILLION that "Cars" generated in merchandise sales(take that, Shrek) more than made up for the Oscar snub. Kids don't care about that stuff anyway, and neither do most adults, especially when there's so many anthropomorphic cars cracking wise. Owen Wilson leads an appreciable voice cast that includes Bonnie Hunt, Michael Keaton, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub and Paul Newman(his '51 Hudson Hornet was a fitting final role).
8(tie). "Flags Of Our Fathers", "Letters From Iwo Jima"(2006)
The incomparable Clint Eastwood clearly wasn't lacking in energy or inspiration despite his recent, emotionally-grueling directorial triumphs("Mystic River", Million Dollar Baby") when he journeyed behind the lens for TWO separate WWII dramas. Talk about putting other 76 year olds to shame. Eastwood's depiction of heavy combat made Spielberg proud(he served as an executive producer) as "Flags" follows the three surviving soldiers(Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach) immortalized in that famous 1945 photograph, struggling with unwanted postwar fame. Ken Watanabe starred in it's slightly more acclaimed companion piece, shot almost entirely in Japanese to offer a sensitive look at the other side of the conflict.
9. "The Pursuit of Happyness"(2006)
It's hard to believe there was a time when moviegoers didn't mind the idea of Will Smith sharing the screen with his son Jaden. In fact, we actually liked it. I admit to having a love/hate relationship with Smith as an actor because he only occasionally halts his aggressively commercial quests to do some ACTUAL acting, but his affecting turn as homeless salesman Chris Gardner rivaled a returning Rocky Balboa in the uplifting holiday feel-good department. Gardner goes from the streets of San Francisco in 1981 to forming his own multimillion-dollar brokerage firm in this fact-based tale. When a teary-eyed Smith crosses the finish line and wins over those old, white stuffed shirts, you may have a salty discharge of your own to deal with.
10. "Superman Returns"(2006)
Poor Brandon Routh. He was denied an encore by unimpressed WB execs despite his version of the Last Son of Krypton raking in roughly the same amount of money as "Batman Begins" the previous year. The superhero stakes have never been higher, and we may come to respect Bryan Singer's subdued approach once the dust settles on DC's dollar-driven attempts to upend the MCU. The "X-Men" director may not have known when to reign in his reverence for Chris Reeve and Richard Donner, but let's not pretend that 2013's "Man of Steel" was a vastly superior effort. "SR" makes up for with heart what it lacks in blockbuster bombast, while Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor and a show-stopping plane rescue should meet the approval of all comic book geeks. This is one hero that got grounded too quickly.
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