Wakefield's top five movies of 2006

By Kylie Jane Wakefield
Collegian Editor
January 24, 2007

5) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan – Uproarious and entertaining, controversial and thought-provoking, of course Sacha Baron Cohen’s immensely popular Borat must be mentioned. A little less sexual dialogue and some more reality would have made his big-screen debut even better, but it still deserves a place on any list of 2006’s best films.

4) A Scanner Darkly – I hated Waking Life for its utter pretentiousness, but Richard Linklater really proved himself with his second animated effort. Although Keanu Reeves has yet to learn how to act, laudable performances by Winona Ryder and Robert Downey Jr. make up for him. The story is captivating, the graphics are amazingly realistic and it contains a poignant message about the drug culture.

3) Little Miss Sunshine – Combine The Royal Tenenbaums with National Lampoon: Vacation and you’ll get one of the year’s most hilarious and touching films. While it captures the true nature of families, it’s really about how we learn to love our relatives despite life’s tough trials and tribulations. Plus, the cast is superb, from young Abigail Breslin to an older, more distinguished Steve Carell.

2) The Departed – What can be said about Marty Scorsese that hasn’t been said already? He’s incredible, plain and simple. The Departed boasts a tremendous assortment of hugely talented actors, a surprising storyline and the gritty mood of every Scorsese film. If he doesn’t finally receive the Best Director Oscar, I will assume that the Academy is all heavily sedated.

1) The Queen – Choosing between The Queen and The Departed was a really tough decision, but, after scanning through my thoughts, I give Peter Frears’ masterpiece the benefit of the doubt. Helen Mirren is brilliant as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, James Cromwell is a flawless Prince Philip,and Michael Sheen could not have carried the role of Tony Blair any better. This historical but slightly fictional film is interesting and brings reality to such a stiff topic as England’s traditional Monarchy.

wakefieldk1@lasalle.edu