framing device

Better late than never…

I started writing for the Hyde Park Herald, a small weekly paper on Chicago’s south side, in the summer of 1998. At the time it was a struggle to get into press screenings. So as I came to the end of that year, I hadn’t seen many of the big Oscar movies, which tend to dominate most critics’ top 10s. But being a critic and, therefore by definition fond of lists, I wanted to make my own top 10 for the year. I decided, then, to include any movie I had seen in the theater for the first time that year, whether it be new or old. My list for 1998 was: Pretty Village, Pretty Flame; Shoot the Piano Player; The Apostle; L.A. Confidential; Full Metal Jacket; Henry Fool; Ju Dou; To Catch a Thief; Saving Private Ryan; and Touch of Evil.

My motivation to include older films was also to highlight the strong repertory theaters that Chicago has, as well as to remind people of movies that are well worth seeing no matter when they were made. Reader feedback was positive, and all my top10 lists since have been a combination of old and new.

But as I get my blog off the ground, focusing on what played in Chicago seems misguidedly provincial. Furthermore, the blogosphere makes it so much easier to compare the lists of hundreds of critics, but that only works if we’re comparing apples and apples, if the pool of possibilities is roughly the same.

So this year I’ve decided to compile a top10 of movies from 2006, drawing from the same list that most American critics are using–what movies opened in New York during the calendar year.

1. The Devil’s Miner
I caught this documentary of a 14-year-old Bolivian boy who supports his family by working in the precarious silver mines at the 2005 Chicago International Film Festival. Not only is it a compelling story but the movie thoughtfully explores the larger issues of ethnicity, religion, and globalization. And unlike so many contemporary documentaries, this one is beautifully shot with spectacular footage from deep inside the mine and a powerful sense of the mountain landscape. It’s simply a great film.

2. United 93
An absolutely vital film and one that every intelligent American should see. Director Paul Greengrass takes a story that no one was ready to re-visit and powerfully shows us why we must. By using largely unknown and non-professional actors, including many of the actual participants on Sept. 11, the film achieves a deep authenticity, and Greengrass’s editing style–which moves between air traffic controllers, military officers, government officials both local and national, the passengers on the fateful plane and, in a remarkable choice, the terrorists themselves–lays out the story in apparent real time and creates a film of incredible intensity and power. A film about heroes of all kinds.

3. Be with Me
One of those quiet movies I like so much, this feature from Singapore was another favorite from the Chicago Film Festival. It’s based on the autobiography of an older deaf-and-blind woman (who plays herself in the film), and director Eric Khoo surrounds her with a series of marvelous fictional characters, each one searching for or pining after true love. His formal rigor (spectacularly beautiful widescreen compositions and patient editing) mixes with a deeply emotional storyline for a powerhouse of a climax. — full review

4. Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Shot mostly in real time, it’s the story of an older Romanian man struggling with his local health care system. It takes forever to get an ambulance one night, and then that ambulance has to take him from hospital to hospital trying to find someone who can help him. The movie’s two-and-a-half-hours fly by (trust me), helped by hilarious doses of dark humor and strong acting across the board. And any budding filmmaker looking for a master class in unobtrusive hand-held cinematography would do well to watch this one many times. The allusions to Dante and the Bible provide a fascinating sub-text, and the film’s strong humanist streak makes for a film that crosses borders with ease. — full review

5. Army of Shadows
This doesn’t exactly count as a 2006 feature, as Jean-Pierre Melville made it in 1969, but it inexplicably had never played in the U.S. until this spring. Jean-Pierre Melville returns to World War II with this tale of French resistance fighters. His taut storyline and a cracker-jack lineup of actors make for a compelling narrative, and he combines a cynical yet heroic take on the “good guys” of war. Fascinating and thought-provoking.

6. Duck Season
A strangely beautiful story of two boys, a teenage girl, and a pizza delivery man, all set in a Mexico City high-rise apartment. Director Fernando Eimbcke has not only written a wonderful story, but his direction is sparkling. His decision to shoot in black-and-white cinemascope creates images of startling beauty and makes the film seem like a fable, though the dialogue is earthy and compelling. He also deftly guides the movie through a series of tones. Moments of high comedy slip into more serious conversations filled with pathos. The themes of friendship and family are universal and will resonate with a wide range of audiences. Finally, the film’s coda is a lovely ride through the streets of Mexico City, one that illuminates the movie’s evocative title.

7. Volver
Penelope Cruz struts her stuff (in a good way), and Pedro Almodovar earns the acclaim that often comes his way. This tale of three generations of women manages the difficult task of being funny, thoughtful, sweet, and melancholy. A chick flick in the best sense of that phrase. — full review

8. Children of Men
Bravura filmmaking that utilizes all the tools of cinema and pairs them with a thrilling story. Clive Owen is wonderful as a man who has to escort a miraculously pregnant woman to safety. Three incredible set pieces define the film, and director Alfonso Cuaron and Emmanuel Lubezki pair up to create a movie that had me gaping in awe. — full review

9. Requiem
A provocative exploration of a young woman’s struggle with suffering, despair, and faith, Requiem may be the first understated movie that also includes an exorcism. Director Hans-Christian Schmid uses razor-sharp editing, and Sandra Huller gives a bravura performance. With a tone and thematic approach strikingly reminiscent of Werner Herzog, this is more evidence of the resurgence of German cinema.

10. Old Joy
A beautiful, melancholy film that ruminates over what we lose as we get older, though it’s not depressing. It’s a portrait of two men and a celebration of the moments they can still share, even as they both realize there won’t be many such moments in the future. The movie also explores how idealism, especially political idealism, changes over time. Director Kelly Reichardt’s beautiful sound design incorporates sounds of nature with talk radio, and a long road trip traces the movement from city to suburb to country to the woods. It’s a gorgeous movie, anchored by two strong performances and luminous landscape cinematography. — full review

Other highly worthy movies of 2006 include: 49 Up, Conversations with Other Women, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Half Nelson, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, Lassie, Little Miss Sunshine, The Proposition, The Science of Sleep, Sophie Scholl–The Last Days, Street Fight, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, and The War Tapes.

But I don’t want to lose touch with all the great old movies I saw this year, so tomorrow I’ll offer another top10. Because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a top10 list, and there’s no reason we can’t have two. I’ve even noticed that Girish and Doug Cummings have beaten me to it.