My personal favs of the last year. I count 2 original films (Eastern Promises and The Taste Of Tea), 2 documentaries and the rest book adaptions. Honorable mention goes to Lust, Caution, Pan's Labyrinth, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, and Paris, je t'aime. For the start of this year, I'm looking forward to checking out Persepolis and There Will Be Blood in the next couple weeks. So in no particular order:
King Of Kong - A hilarious documentary about two 40-somethings battling it out for the highest score in Donkey Kong, the popular 80s arcade game. Hands down the funniest movie I saw last year. Think "Rocky" with nerds.
Eastern Promises - Subtle, yet absorbing and intense thriller about a woman who inadvertently gets involved with the Russian mob. This is directed by David Cronenberg, so you know the blood and guts are soon to follow.
War/Dance - Heart wrenching and uplifting at the same time, this documentary follows a group of refugee children from a tribe in war torn Northern Uganda as they attempt to compete in the country's prestigious national music competition. Hard to watch at times, but I think everyone should see this inspirational film.
Stardust - A truly magical piece of work based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman, who also penned my favorite comics series, The Sandman.
Lady Chatterley - One could easily dismiss this film as just another soft core sex romp, but in fact Pascale Ferran has directed a tender & delicate, deeply sensuous adaption of D.H. Lawrence's infamous book.
No Country For Old Men - A must see for Javier Bardem's portrayal of a chillingly stoic, cold-blooded killer.
Control - The tragic story of Ian Curtis, singer of the highly influential English rock band Joy Division. A number of well known actors had been approached for the lead, but in the end newcomer Sam Riley nails it as the ill-fated Curtis.
The Taste Of Tea - I saw this at a film festival in 2006, but it officially just got US distribution last year so I'm including it here. I can't even begin to describe what a wonderfully odd, quirky, imaginative, strange yet touching & heartfelt movie this is. Talk about something completely different.
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