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Exploring our favourite films in the year 2006
In this blog series, George and Matt from the Monitor Audio team explore their favourite movies from the last 20 years.
Our selection of films may not be critically acclaimed or box office hits, but have stood the test of time as our favourite movies.
Do you agree with our list? Let us know your favourite movies from the year 2006 on Facebook and Twitter!
Children of Men - George's Top Pick
Dir: Alfonso Cuarón | Universal Studios
Director Alfonso Cuarón presents this fascinating thriller about a grimy dystopian world, deep in conflict, on the brink of extinction.
Loosely based on a novel by author, PD James, this story is set in England, in 2027, eighteen years after a major flu pandemic has left the country on the brink of collapse, after two decades of human infertility.
Former activist Theo (Clive Owen) is kidnapped by a militant immigrants' rights group called the Fishes, led by Julian (Julianne Moore), his ex-Wife. Due to his government connections, Theo is asked by Julian to acquire papers for Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), a young refugee. After getting the paperwork required, Theo agrees to escort Kee in exchange for a large sum. Julian, along with Fishes member Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Theo, Kee and Miriam (Pam Ferris) set out for Canterbury, before they are ambushed and Julian is killed. After Kee reveals she is pregnant, Theo learns that Julian was planning to help her get to a refuge in Azores, where a scientific group, by the name of the Human Project, specialise in curing infertility. Seen as a potential saviour, Theo is now entrusted with the most important job of all; get the mother and child to this sanctuary at sea.
After Theo finds out the Fishes were behind Julian’s death, along with Kee and Miriam, they escape and find temporary shelter with his friend Jasper (Michael Caine), but as the Fishes catch up to them, they quickly move on to a refugee camp in Bexhill. Once in the camp, Kee gives birth and along with help from a local woman, they hide away after the Fishes put a bounty on their heads. As war breaks out between British military and the refugees, the town descends into anarchy, as fighter jets bomb the area. The Fishes take Kee and her baby, Theo moves through heavy artillery to rescue them and get them to the Human Project ship.
The hypnotising scene as the Fishes chase them down the hill, was exhausting watching them escape. The setting for the final 20 minutes was an incredible cinematic portrayal of combat. With truly gripping scenes, this is a haunting film about humanity and perseverance.
The Last King of Scotland - Matt's Top Pick
Dir: Kevin Macdonald | Searchlight Pictures
Based on events from President Idi Amin’s rule, this historical drama from director Kevin Macdonald tells a fictional story about his personal physician.
Set in 1970, we follow Nicholas (James McAvoy), who has just graduated from medical school at the University of Edinburgh, travelling to Uganda for work. After arriving at the missionary clinic, he is called out to treat General Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker), who has been involved in a minor car accident, which has severely injured a cow. After hearing the animal's cries, he puts it out of its misery, shooting it at point blank range. Impressed with his initiative, he requests that they exchange shirts, Amin’s military shirt for Nicholas’ Scotland shirt. Later, Amin invites Nicholas to a local hospital and asks if he will help him improve the healthcare system across Uganda and also become his private physician.
It isn’t long before Amin and Nicholas become friends and soon, Nicholas finds himself his trusted right hand man, dealing with political matters. Nicholas discovers that Amin’s third wife Kay and their son Mackenzie have been moved away from the rest of the village, due to the fact that his son was born with epilepsy. Whilst treating him, Nicholas and Kay have an affair and Kay asks to help her and Mackenzie escape from Uganda, fearing for their lives. After witnessing Amin’s erratic behaviour and sanity first hand, Nicholas finds that Amin has taken his passport and is unable to leave the country. After discovering Kay is pregnant, Amin’s men murder her, leading Nicholas to realise the only solution is to kill him.
After Amin learns of Nicholas’ plan, he is held and tortured, but manages to escape and boards a hijacked plane full of freed hostages. As Amin realises Nicholas has escaped and is on board the plane, it’s too late. Nicholas sets out to tell the world about the atrocities that have occurred and the multiple murders under Amin’s regime.
A brutal tale of corruption, with radiant performances from McAvoy and in particular Whitaker, who’s paranoia and slow descent into madness is horrifying to watch.
Casino Royale
Dir: Martin Campbell | Sony Pictures
James Bond returned reinvigorated, under new leadership, as director Martin Campbell pulled the character in a very different direction.
After killing corrupt MI6 section chief and his underground contact, M (Judi Dench) presents James Bond (Daniel Craig) with his 00 status. Mr White is working for an unnamed criminal organisation and introduces a leader of the rebel group Lord's Resistance Army to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), who services many of the world's terrorists. Knowing that the aerospace manufacturer Skyflee is going to be destroyed, Le Chiffre buys stock of the company, using money from the rebel group. Bond is sent on a mission to arrest a bomb-maker in Madagascar, but after a chase through a construction site, he kills his target and blows up the embassy. After following clues and travelling to the Bahamas, he foils the attempt to destroy the Skyfleet's airliner.
Le Chiffre, needing to pay Lord's Resistance Army back, arranges a high-stakes Texas hold 'em tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. In order to force Le Chiffre to seek asylum with the British government, MI6 arranges for Bond to defeat him. Her Majesty's Treasury assigns Vesper (Eva Green), an agent, to escort and finance Bond in a high-stakes poker game, supervising him throughout. Le Chiffre is a mathematical genius, pushing every other player out of the game, leaving just him and Bond. After being poisoned by Le Chiffre, Bond miraculously recovers and re-joins the game. After Bond loses the Treasury’s money in the final rounds, CIA operative Felix (Jeffrey Wright) assists Bond and helps to finance him eventually winning the $115 million pot.
Later Le Chiffre takes Bond and Vesper hostage, before Mr. White kills Le Chiffre for losing the money. After Mr. White and Vesper betray Bond, Vesper loses her life; Bond sets out to find Mr. White.
The twenty-first film in the series didn’t follow the usual blueprint, devoid of glamour, we saw Bond on the receiving end, which was a welcome change. Incredible action and over-the-top stunts, with Craig inhabiting the dark side of the secret agent perfectly.
Inside Man
Dir: Spike Lee | Universal Pictures
Smart and energetic, this elaborate bank heist thriller from director Spike Lee is full of sharp turns and wit.
Having committed the perfect robbery, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) narrates from an unknown room, as the story starts in a New York bank. Masked robbers take control of a Manhattan bank, as a hostage situation quickly ensues. The robbers, dressed as painters, move the hostages to various rooms, forcing them to wear the same attire. As they begin to decimate one of the banks storage rooms, police quickly become aware, surrounding the bank. NYPD's hostage negotiator Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington) is called and alongside Detective Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Captain Darius (Willem Dafoe), they make contact with the leader, Russell. When the founder of the bank Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer) hears of the heist, he hires Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) to negotiate with Russell for the contents of a particular safety deposit box. She is unsuccessful, as Russell is aware that the box contains proof that Case started his bank with money that he received from the Nazis during World War II.
After Frazier is allowed into the bank to check on the hostages, he has a brief confrontation with Russell and calls his bluff that he won’t murder any of the hostages. When Russell stages a fake execution, police engage, storming the building. Having previously planted a listening device, the robbers are ready and after police arrest every person within the bank, they cannot distinguish who is guilty, on account of the matching uniforms. When the police realise no money has been stolen, they turn their attentions to the safety deposit box, which contained a ring and a note from Russell.
The story picks up with Russell, a week later, after cleverly hiding in the storage room of the bank. As he leaves the bank with diamonds and incriminating documents from the safety deposit box, he bumps into Frazier, who does not recognise him.
With a straightforward plot and an interesting premise, this stylish film from Lee is sharply written and holds your attention until the very end.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Dir: Larry Charles | 20th Century Studios
This outrageous comedy from director Larry Charles follows the bizarre journey of a fictitious Kazakh journalist following his heart.
Reporter Borat Sagdiyev (Sasha Baron Cohen) leaves his beloved Kazakhstan on behalf of the Kazakh Ministry of Information to make a documentary about the United States. Borat and his producer Azamat (Ken Davitian) arrive in New York City, but soon, his intentions take a swift turn. After watching an episode of Baywatch, he becomes besotted by Pamela Anderson's character, C. J. Parker. Believing to be in love, he sets out to California in a decrepit ice-cream truck to find her, keeping it a secret from Azamat. On his way there, he realises that he must first understand the American way of life before he meets C. J. Parker. He meets various teachers, politicians and even stops by to watch a rodeo, but soon upsets the locals after singing his rendition of the "The Star-Spangled Banner" using a fictional Kazakhstani national anthem.
When Azamat realises Borat’s true intentions, they have a huge falling out, in a fight that moves from the bedroom all the way to the stage of a packed convention ballroom. After being thrown out, Borat realised that Azamat has taken his passport and all their money, and without gas, he begins to hitchhike. Soon a local fraternity picks him up, before he finds his way to a United Pentecostal camp meeting. After reconciling with Azamat, they make their way to Pamela Andersons book signing, but is thwarted in his attempt to kidnap her in his "traditional marriage sack".
Upon returning to Kazakhstan, he introduces several America customs and traditions back to his village, deeming the expedition a great success.
Sasha Baron Cohen is a genius, my stomach hurt from laughing at the fight scene in the hotel. Provocative, tasteless, vulgar but incredibly revealing, this is satire at its very finest and easily one of the funniest films ever made.
Little Miss Sunshine
Dir: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris | Searchlight Pictures
This comedy drama from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris follows a dysfunctional family on an ill-fated cross-country trip, desperate to reach the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant.
Sheryl Hoover (Toni Collette) and her family reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico, along with her brother Frank (Steve Carrel). Frank is temporarily living with his Sister after becoming unemployed and recovering from a failed suicide attempt. Sheryl’s husband Richard (Greg Kinnear) is ambitious, hoping to become a motivational speaker and life coach, striving to become a better person. Their son Dwayne imagines becoming a fighter pilot and is taking a vow of silence until he can fulfil that dream. Their daughter Olive aspires to be a beauty queen and coached by her heroin addicted Grandpa Edwin; she persuades her whole family to drive 800 miles to Redondo Beach, California, for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant.
Multiple issues with their yellow Volkswagen van ensue, result in them having to push it before they can put it into gear, alongside a faulty horn, which has a life of its own. Despite the many stumbling blocks and constant arguing, they begin to understand one another’s problems. Dwayne finds out he is colour-blind, resulting in him breaking his silence in the realisation that he cannot become a pilot. Richard loses an important contract that would have helped his business and Frank bumps into his ex who triggered his attempted suicide. If that wasn’t enough, Grandpa Edwin dies of a heroin overdose, prompting the family to steal his body from the hospital.
They arrive at the pageant, but after failed attempts to persuade her not to go on stage, the family sit patiently as Olive begins her dance routine. The organisers, the audience and Olive’s family watch in shock as her inappropriate burlesque dance, inspired by Grandpa Edwin, leaves everyone in silence. Before the journey home, the family make a deal with the security office to release them on the basis that Olive never enters a pageant again.
Little Miss Sunshine is a great road movie with touching and endearing performances from all. This honest feel good comedy from Dayton and Faris is absurd, but completely refreshing.
United 93
Dir: Paul Greengrass | United International Pictures
Director Paul Greengrass respectably tells the gut-wrenching story and cruel outcome of United Airlines Flight 93 in this tense biographical thriller.
His story follows eight passengers in particular, alongside four al-Qaeda members, as they each board the fateful flight on the morning of September 11, 2001. As airport staff and pilots learn of the attacks on the World Trade Center, planes are grounded and others are diverted. Flight 93 is soon taken over by the al-Qaeda members, who get access to the cockpit, but the pilot’s last actions are to send out a mayday call. The passengers in the air learn from friends and families through an array of calls that a series of coordinated terrorist attacks have resulted in American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 77 being hijacked. As they begin to fear the worst, they work together, devising a plan to fight back and get control of the plane.
As the terrorists reroute towards Washington, D.C, the target is believed to be the United States Capitol building or the White House. As passengers arm themselves and storm the cockpit, an unsettling and emotional story of courage and spirit ensues. Unfortunately, despite thwarting the hijackers, the brave and selfless passengers lose their lives after crashing into a field in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania.
This sobering and harrowing film from Greengrass honours the passengers who foiled this senseless plot and all who fought for their lives in the deadliest terrorist attack in human history.
Pan's Labyrinth
Dir: Guillermo del Toro | Picturehouse
This dark fairy tale film from director Guillermo del Toro brings us a mesmerising tale of a fantasy world.
Set in 1944, in Spain, five years after the Spanish Civil War, ten-year-old Ofelia and her sickly pregnant mother Carmen meet with Carmen’s new partner and Ofelia’s new sadistic step father Vidal.
Vidal is a ruthless Falangist Captain, charged with hunting down the Spanish Maquis, exiled guerrillas, who fight against the Francoist regime in the region. Ofelia begins to see magical creatures around the grounds, including a stick insect; she believes is a fairy. The fairy guides her to an ancient stone labyrinth before Mercedes, the housekeeper, warns her away. After the fairy appears in Ofelia’s room, it leads her back to the labyrinth, to a faun, who gives her three tasks, in order to help the faun return to its kingdom. After completing the first task, she fails the second, after she disobeys the faun’s directions. This culminates in a desperate escape from the Pale Man, a child-eating monster, resulting in the death of two fairies. The Faun, furious with her, refuses to give Ofelia the third task. Meanwhile, Vidal murders two local farmers he deems to be aiding the Maquis, before interrogating and torturing a captive rebel. When Mercedes is found to be a spy, she too is questioned and beaten, before escaping, stabbing Vidal in the process and returning to the rebels.
The Faun decides to give Ofelia another chance to complete the third task, so summons her to the labyrinth, along with her baby brother. After the faun asks for the baby’s blood, Ofelia refuses and Vidal soon appears. Not being able to see the faun, Vidal sees Ofelia carrying his son, seemingly talking to herself and shoots her. Mercedes and the rebels return in an attempt to kill Vidal, save Ofelia and her baby brother, but they may be too late.
The eerie scene with the grotesque Pale Man was unsettling and he could quite possibly be among the most chilling antagonists I have ever come across. Enchanting and disturbing, with fantastic performances and seamless special effects, this ominous tale was told to perfection.
The Departed
Dir: Martin Scorsese | Warner Bros. Pictures
This gritty crime thriller from director Martin Scorsese brought together an all-star cast for a masterful, but brutal story of corruption.
Set in Boston, Colin (Matt Damon) has just graduated from the academy, becoming a Special Investigator, targeting organised crime for the Massachusetts State Police. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) is an Irish mob boss, who is planning a huge cocaine deal. Another police recruit; William (Leonardo DiCaprio) is ready to graduate, before Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) persuade him to go undercover in Costello's crew, wiping his identity in the process. Unbeknownst to them, Colin was groomed from a young age by Frank to be a mole in the division, ensuring he can run his criminal empire without any police involvement.
After proving he isn’t a cop, William begins to earn the trust of Costello's crew, but after being involved in numerous jobs, his mental health starts to decline. After Costello has managed to evade Queenan and Dignam on a number of occasions, they realise that there is a rat amongst them. Paranoid he is going to be exposed as a cop, William requests to leave his assignment, but when Queenan informs him there is a rat within the Special Investigations Unit, he is persuaded to stay. After Colin finds out that someone from the division has been tasked with infiltrating Costello’s crew, he informs Frank and together they start to wonder who their own rat is. William attempts to meet with Queenan, who is followed by Colin; both their covers are nearly exposed. As Queenan is killed, tensions are at their highest, as both Frank and Colin are suspected.
In a tense finale, after William kills Frank, he meets with Colin to restore his true identity, but soon they are aware of each other’s agenda. Despite recordings of conversations that prove Colin is a mole for the mob, he manages to kill all who could incriminate him, including William. Unfortunately for Colin, Sergeant Dignam soon gets revenge.
An ingenious and densely layered plot, Scorsese gives us a brilliant and engrossing crime drama with twists and turns until the very end.
Babel
Dir: Alejandro González Iñárritu | Paramount Vantage
Following the successful formula and tone from 21 Grams, director Alejandro González Iñárritu brings us Babel, a psychological drama with interweaving stories.
The first story, set in Morocco, follows Abdullah, a goat herder, who tasks his two young sons, Ahmed and Yussef, with tending to the herd, providing them a rifle to scare away the jackals. Ahmed challenges Yussef to test out the rifles range, not believing he could hit something three-kilometres away. Yussef targets a bus moving on a highway below the mountain. A few seconds after he fires, the bus comes to a stop and the boys run back to their father to confess. Soon, the police arrive at the village and when Abdullah and his sons attempt to run, Ahmed is fatally shot.
The following story follows an American couple, Richard and Susan, who are on vacation in Morocco, looking to reconnect. After the stray bullet, fired by Yussef, hits Susan, the bus is ordered to stop at the nearest village in the hope of medical assistance. The Western tourists on the bus abandon the couple, fearing another attack. Issues between the US and Moroccan officials cause friction, but as Susan begins to deteriorate; an ambulance arrives from the embassy. As Richard calls home from a hospital to ensure his children are ok, the third story begins.
Next, we follow the couple’s nanny Amelia. Fearing she will miss her son's wedding in Mexico, due to Susan’s injury, she travels to the wedding with their young children. Driving back from the wedding, her nephew is intoxicated and trespasses the border, leading to a police chase, as Amelia and the children are abandoning in the desert. After police rescue the children, a US Border Patrol officer informs Amelia that she will be deported, after working in the country illegally.
Babel is a really compelling watch, full of strong performances. Despite a slow pace, this is a unique and powerful look at how the consequences of our actions can cause a ripple effect of events.
Honorable Mentions:
This is England
Dir: Shane Meadows | Optimum Releasing
The Prestige
Dir: Christopher Nolan | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
The Pursuit of Happiness
Dir: Gabriele Muccino | Sony Pictures Releasing
Apocalypto
Dir: Mel Gibson | Buena Vista Pictures
Lucky Number Slevin
Dir: Paul McGuigan | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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