Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Written by: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley & Bill Nighy

Summary:
Captain Jack Sparrow's life is in debt to the legendary Davey Jones, Captain of the Flying Dutchmen who are supernatural warriors out for blood. Facing possible eternal damnation, Jack must save himself with help from Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, who must come to Jack's aid.

My View:
POTC: Dead Man's Chest delivered what a proper sequel should. The right mix of what we loved from the first film with amazing new set pieces and characters. The spirit that made the first film so popular is there but begins to enter a much darker more serious tone. The is still a nice blend of comedy and action, with the action scenes becoming bigger and more stunning to watch.

The best addition to the series has to be Bill Nighy as Davy Jones. This is the first time I've really seen the performance of an actor shine right through a CGI character. Nighy is brilliant as Jones and the CGI work that brings him to life is amoung the best put to film. Dead Man's Chest gets better everytime you watch it which sets it apart from most summer popcorn flicks.

V for Vendetta (2006)
Directed by: James McTeigue
Written by: Larry & Andy Wachowski & David Lloyd
Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea & Stephen Fry

Summary:
The futuristic tale unfolds in a Great Britain that's a fascist state. A freedom fighter known as V (Weaving) uses terrorist tactics to fight the oppressive society. He rescues a young woman (Portman) from the secret police, and she becomes his unlikely ally.

My View:
V For Vendetta is a masterful commentary on political facism with many parallels that can be compared to the current political situation in the U.S. While some felt when this film was released that it would cause some controversy over it's subject matter, this was not the case. The film does an amazing job of disguising it's message so that it's not blatantly obvious and to the average viewer may playout more like a run of the mill action movie.

United 93 (2006)
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Written by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: J.J. Johnson, Gary Commock & Polly Adams

Summary:
On September, 11th 2001, four United Airlines American domestic flights are hijacked by terrorists. After the collision of two planes against the World Trade Center and one against the Pentagon, the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 unsuccessfully decide to struggle against the four terrorist to take back the control of the airplane.

My View:
Probably the most intense and captivating film of the year. Greengrass unfolds only a fraction of the horrifying events that took place that day with a chilling reality that forces you to relive every second with each character. He also decided to use all unknown actors and actresses which adds another element of realism to the film. In some cases he actually used the real people who were directing air traffic that day. Seeing the mass confusion and panic is quite shocking, no one really knew what to do and the people that should know were unreachable. Probably the best film to date about the 9/11 disaster.

Hard Candy (2006)
Directed by: David Slade
Written by: Brian Nelson
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page & Sandra Oh

Summary:
After three weeks chatting with the thirty-two years old photographer Jeff Kohlver in Internet, the fourteen years old Hayley Stark meets him in the Nighthawks coffee shop. Hayley flirts with him in spite of the difference of ages and proposes to go to his house. Once there, she prepares screwdriver for them and Jeff passes out. When he awakes, he is tied up to a chair, and Hayley accuses him of pedophilia. Jeff denies, and Hayley begin to torture him, in a mouse and cat game.

My View:
The poster doesn't lie. Hard Candy pulls off with three characters and a small budget what some gigantic hollywood thrillers could never even hope to. What makes Hard Candy great are the performances by Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page. Page is emerging as one of the most talented young stars to watch, and here she proves she's got the talent to keep you fixated on her alone for 90 minutes. Hard Candy will keep you on the edge of your seat but if you're like me by the end you'll be on the floor.

Brick (2006)
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Written by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas & Noah Fleiss

Summary:
The lonely teenager Brendan finds his former girlfriend Emily dead in the entrance of a tunnel of sewage and recalls her phone call two days ago, when she said to him that she was in trouble. Brendan, who still loved Emily, met bad elements of his high-school trying to contact her, and when he succeeded, she told him that she was OK. He hides her body in the tunnel and decides to investigate the meaning and connection of four words, including "brick" and "pin", that Emily told him to find who killed her. Using the support of his nerd friend Brain, he successively meets the small time drug dealers Kara, Dode, Brad Bramish, Laura and Tugger, to reach the teenager powerful drug dealer The Pin. Slowly, Brendan unravels the motives why Emily was killed and plots a revenge.

My View:
An old school stylish noir mystery set against the backdrop of a high school community. Sounds a bit strange doesn't it. Well it is, but it's also captivating. Who new Joseph Gordon-Levitt would become one of the best young a ctors to watch. Brick weaves an intricate murder mystery that is at times difficult to follow but only gets better with repeat viewings.

Blood Diamond (2006)
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Written by: Charles Leavitt
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou & Jennifer Connelly

Summary:
A story following Archer, a man tortured by his roots. With a strong survival instinct, he has made himself a key player in the business of conflict diamonds. Political unrest is rampant in Sierra Leone as people fight tooth for tooth. Upon meeting Solomon, and the beautiful Maddy, Archer's life changes forever as he is given a chance to make peace with the war around him.

My View:
This film sheds some pretty harsh light on a subject unknown to most North Americans. Conflict diamonds have been a problem for years and the violence that surrounds them is brutal and sadistic. The film itself is beautifully shot and brilliantly acted. Unlike some people, I never found Leo's accent goofy at all. In fact, it's probably his best performance to date accept of course for another film this year (see #1).

The Proposition (2006)
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Written by: Nick Cave
Starring: Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone & Richard Wilson

Summary:
Rural Australia in the late nineteenth century: Capt. Stanley and his men capture two of the four Burns brothers, Charlie and Mike. Their gang is held responsible for attacking the Hopkins farm, raping pregnant Mrs. Hopkins and murdering the whole family. Arthur Burns, the eldest brother and the gang's mastermind, remains at large has and has retreated to a mountain hideout. Capt. Stanley's proposition to Charlie is to gain pardon and - more importantly - save his beloved younger brother Mike from the gallows by finding and killing Arthur within nine days.

My View:
The best western I've seen in years. Guy Pearce is awsome in this brilliantly crafted drama. The tone and pace are note perfect as we watch Pearce's haunted outlaw come to terms with his life and family. Ray Winstone is also incredibly good here as well. I wish this film got a little more attention at the Oscars, it deserved it.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Written by: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú & Doug Jones

Summary:
In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again.

My View:
Pan's Labyrinth is creative and original masterpiece from a director who proves he's way more talented than he first appeared. The main plot surrounding a 1944 facist Spain would have been more than enough to craft a great film but del Toro shows it to us through the eyes of a little girl with the imagination and fantasy that only she could show us. The cinematography and special effects are worth the price of admission alone and help create the most beautiful looking film of the year.

Children of Men (2006)
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Written by: Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton
Starring: Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Julianne Moore & Chiwetel Ejiofor

Summary:
In 2027, as humankind faces the likelihood of its own extinction, a disillusioned government agent agrees to help transport and protect a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea where her child's birth may help scientists to save the future of mankind.

My View:
This is bleak and gritty look into the future with Clive Owen giving a spellbinding performance as a man desperate to save the future for mankind. Alfonso Cuaron proves again why he's one of the best directors of our time. One of the best things about Children Of Men is an intense tracking shot following Clive through a battle ground. It's one you'll remember especially when the camera is splattered with blood.

The Departed (2006)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: William Monahan & Siu Fai Mak
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon & Jack Nicholson

Summary:
Billy Costigan, a young man from a crook family, wants to do redeem the Costigan family by joining the cops. However, the cops see him as the perfect mole because of his crook family, so they send him undercover to the Irish Mob. Meanwhile, Frank Costello, the mob boss, sends in Colin Sullivan to become a cop for the opposite purpose. Both get caught up in their double lives and become obsessed with finding the other mole, as does Costello and Queenan, the heads of each side.

My View:
I absolutely loved Infernal Affairs, the Chinese film upon which The Departed is based. So naturally when I found out it was being remade in North America by non-other than Martin Scorsese himself I couldn't wait. The Departed is nothing short of a masterpiece and probably only falls behind Goodfellas as Scorsese's best film. Every scene of this film is note perfect. The atmosphere and characters are intriguing mostly because of the spectacular performances especially Leo and Jack. Their scenes together are intense phsycological mind games and should've won them both Oscars.