Blood Diamond

Blood Diamond (2006)

Set during Sierra Leone's bloody civil war in 1999, this thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Danny Archer, a smuggler who sells "blood" diamonds used to finance terrorists. When Archer meets a local fisherman (Djimon Hounsou) whose son has been forced into a child army, the two men's lives become intertwined, and they set off on an adventure that leads them through the world's major diamond centers. DiCaprio and Hounsou earned Oscar nods for their performances.

My Two Cents: In many respects it's a beautiful spectacle, and it overcomes the minor flaws inherent among films that allow geo-political arrogance to get in the way of things like acting, chemistry and story.

NetFlix Rank: Really Liked It
IMDB Rank: 8/10

Further thoughts:

Everything has to have a message these days, right? Look at the criticaly acclaimed films of the past few years and the subjects they've dealth with: inequality, corruption, relativism; it's almost as if filmmakers forget that their job is to entertain as much as it is to proselytize.

Blood Diamond deals with all of these themes, but its saving grace is that because the cast is so adept at conveying multiple dimensions, the film doesn't relegate its scope to simple propoganda. Instead it covers the full gamut of classic plotlines: survival, redemption, sacrifice, and a good ol' fashioned dichotomy between good and evil.

If for no other reason this film is worth watching because three of the best in the business display why they have a combined six Oscar nominations (and one win) among them.

Half Nelson

Half Nelson (2006)

Ryan Fleck's feature film debut tells the story of an unlikely friendship that helps a self-destructive educator pull it together. In his struggle to balance his personal and professional lives, inner-city teacher Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling, in an Oscar-nominated role) spends most of his time nursing hangovers. But who could've known that a life-changing lesson would come from one of his students (Shareeka Epps)? Gosling and Epps both won Independent Spirit awards for their lead roles.

My Two Cents: There's nothing subtle about its preachiness, or more importantly, the way Gosling's and Epps' powerfully complementary performances personify the film's running theme.

NetFlix Rank: Really Liked It
IMDB Rank: 8/10

The Core

The Core (2003)

The Earth's inner core has stopped spinning, and scientist Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart) must discover the cause before the world literally falls apart. He and a group of brilliant researchers burrow deep into the Earth's center in a subterranean vessel piloted by Maj. Beck Childs (Hilary Swank) and Col. Robert Iverson (Bruce Greenwood). There, they'll detonate a device that they hope will get the world to turn again ... before it's too late.

My Two Cents: Armageddon w/o the all-star cast, and an even worse script. Why do I keep watching awful movies?

NetFlix Rank: Hated It
IMDB Rank: 3/10

100 Girls

100 Girls (2000)

When a blackout knocks out an elevator in a college girls' dorm, Matthew and a mysterious girl connect carnally and emotionally. But he's left in the dark as to her identity. He's got 100 suspects and a slew of hilarious schemes to worm his way into the hearts and panty drawers of each and every one of them!

My Two Cents: No different than your run-of-the-mill teen/young adult comedy. Probably would have been better with a less-annoying guy in the lead role.

Atlernative My Two Cents: Larisa Oleynik, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jaime Pressly, Katherine Heigl... don't blame me for giving it a try.

NetFlix Rank: Didn't Like It
IMDB Rank: 5/10

Game Six

Game Six (2005)

Legendary scribe Don DeLillo wrote this fascinating film about a New York playwright, Nicky Rogan (Michael Keaton), who's immersed in failure. Unable to ride the coattails of success no matter how hard he tries, Nicky distracts himself from his endless career woes by obsessing about those of others -- namely, the perpetual underdogs of baseball, the Boston Red Sox. But Nicky can't sit out the game of life forever. Michael Hoffman directs.

My Two Cents: If you absolutely must watch one bad movie that ties in with the Boston Red Sox, I'd recommend Fever Pitch instead.

NetFlix Rank: Didn't Like It
IMDB Rank: 5/10

Easy

Easy (2003)

Jamie (Marguerite Moreau) has a big problem: She's a magnet for jerky boyfriends. But things might be looking up when she becomes the object of affection of two seemingly normal guys (Brian O'Byrne and Naveen Andrews). Unfortunately, there's the immense problem of picking just the right guy -- and "eeny, meeny, miney, moe" just isn't gonna do it in this case!

My Two Cents: Connie from the Mighty Ducks movies sheds her clothes early and often ([Borat] very nice! [/Borat]) in this brutal cautionary tale against being a ho-bag.

NetFlix Rank: Didn't Like It
IMDB Rank:

The Prestige

The Prestige (2006)

At the dawn of the 20th century, rival magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are desperate to reveal each other's secrets. Obsessed by the escalating competition, the two illusionists begin to perform increasingly risky tricks -- which soon turn deadly. Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie also star in this taut psychological thriller from director Christopher Nolan.

My Two Cents: Nolan's cerebral thriller compares in quality to previous efforts like Memento and Batman Begins, and proves his versatility; Bale needs no cape and cowl to prove his flair for the dramatic.

NetFlix Rank: Really Liked It
IMDB Rank: 8/10

Further thoughts:

I came close to calling it an "all-star" cast, but after further consideration I decided that Batman, Wolverine, The West Wing's Lord John Marbury, Scarlett Johanssen (in her 4,831st role of 2006), and Caine, who yet again worked his Sherpa-like brilliance, comprise a solid ensemble, but might slightly cheapen the term "all-star."

Not that it matters. The direction is what separates The Prestige.

Nolan's officially won me over with this film. Memento's genius can be chalked up to a gimmick, and with Batman Begins, you could say that he succeeded merely in becoming the anti-Schumacher. But here he takes a period piece about rival magicians and turns it into a beguiling sleeper of a film that deserves mention alongside some just about anything 2006 had to offer.

Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger Than Ficton (2006)

As a novelist (Emma Thompson) struggles with how to kill off her main character, IRS auditor Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) begins hearing her narration in his head and realizes he must prevent his own death. Crick's world turns upside down, and it's a life-or-death situation as he tries to persuade best-selling author Kay Eiffel to change the ending of her novel. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah lead the fine supporting cast.

My Two Cents: Ferrell's distracting attempt to play it straight in no way detracts from the clever premise and mostly well-written story.

NetFlix Rank: Really Liked It
IMDB Rank: 8/10

Further thoughts:

This was supposed to do for Ferrell what The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind did for Jim Carrey, right? Nah, not really, but it's not a disasterous performance either. It's not that he's incapable of not playing a goofball, but it seemed forced here.

The story-within-a-story, on the other hand, did not feel forced. In fact, it manages to take every perfect turn, which isn't always the case with meta-fiction. And when it gets to the ending that seems impossible to nail, it nails it.

Perhaps most refreshing is that while it scratches the surface of "determinism v. free will," Fiction doesn't bog itself down in the kind of pseudo-intellectual meanderings that could often add meaning at the expense of pretense.

Poseidon

Poseidon (2006)

Battling the elements once again, Wolfgang Petersen (The Perfect Storm) re-creates Ronald Neame's 1972 action classic with help from an ensemble cast that includes Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Josh Lucas, Emmy Rossum and Stacy Ferguson (aka "Fergie" of the Black Eyed Peas). A tidal wave spells disaster for a boatload of New Year's Eve revelers when it capsizes the mammoth vessel, pitching the passengers into a desperate battle for survival.

My Two Cents: Eh, the effects were ok, but two things would have improved it: a) A Scorcese-esque, "everyone dies" ending; b) Emmy Rossum losing her clothes.

NetFlix Rank: Didn't Like It
IMDB Rank: 6/10

One Night With the King

One Knight With the King (2006)

One Night with the King chronicles the brave and historic legend of Hadassah (Tiffany Dupont), a Jewish orphan with exceptional beauty who rises to become Queen Esther of Persia and saves Persian Jews from genocide. By revealing her heritage to the king, Esther thwarts the plan by evil Prime Minister Haman to annihilate all Jews in the Persian Empire. The annual festival of Purim is inspired by Queen Esther's heroism.

My Two Cents: It's not that I think it's bad, per se; I suppose I just didn't understand the need to turn a story that can get by on its own merits into a sappy chick flick.

NetFlix Rank: Didn't Like It
IMDB Rank: 5/10

Hollywoodland

Hollywoodland (2006)

When George Reeves (Ben Affleck), the actor who famously played the Man of Steel in TV's "Adventures of Superman," turns up dead, a dogged private eye (Adrien Brody) investigates and unearths a string of strange secrets. Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins also star in this gritty noir-style drama based on the true story of one of Hollywood's most infamous mysteries, a film that marks television director Allen Coulter's feature film debut.

My Two Cents: Brody does a great job playing Brody; the rest is "ho-hum." In other words, it met every expectation I had for it.

NetFlix Rank: Didn't Like It
IMDB Rank: 6/10

Running With Scissors

Running With Scissors (2006)

When Deirdre Burroughs (Annette Bening) impulsively decides that her adolescent son Augusten (Joseph Cross) should be raised by her unconventional psychiatrist (Brian Cox), her choice to give him away changes the course of his life forever. An all-star ensemble cast -- including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin and Jill Clayburgh -- drives this quirky adaptation of Augusten Burroughs's best-selling memoir.

My Two Cents: Dysfunctional in every sense of the word.

NetFlix Rank: Didn't Like It
IMDB Rank: 6/10

My Big Fat Independent Movie

My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005)

In this parody of the independent film genre, Johnny Vince (Darren Keefe) is a hip cat who plays trombone in a swing band. Two bumbling criminals, Sam (Neil Barton) and Harvey (Eric Hoffman), mistake Johnny for a member of a crime trio put together by their mob boss in order to pull off a robbery in Las Vegas. On their way to Sin City, they take a gorgeous woman hostage, but have no idea that she's about to change their lives.

My Two Cents: Maybe the worst effort in the lowest common denominator of movie genres.

NetFlix Rank: Hated It
IMDB Rank: 1/10

The Ringer

The Ringer (2006)

Desperate for dough to help a pal erase a gaming debt, lowlife Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) plots with his buddy to rig the Special Olympics. The plan: Steve will masquerade as a competitor in the hope of unseating the high-and-mighty reigning champ, Jimmy. Some of the other contestants recognize Steve as a fake, but because they'd also like to see Jimmy fail, they go all out to help the imposter prevail. Brian Cox and Katherine Heigl co-star.

My Two Cents: Knoxville carries a decent enough comedy.

NetFlix Rank: Liked It
IMDB: 6/10

Date Movie

Date Movie (2006)

Skewering the gooey romantic comedy formula, this over-the-top spoof from the minds behind the Scary Movie franchise stars Alyson Hannigan (of American Pie fame) as a young woman in love with being in love. But after meeting the man of her dreams -- a dashing Brit (Adam Campbell) -- the hopeless romantic runs across every obstacle in the book, from disapproving parents to scheming best friends determined to put the kibosh on the couple.

My Two Cents: Off after about 25 minutes; This is almost surely the worst movie ever made that did not feature Ben Stiller or Owen Wilson, though they may have actually made it better.

NetFlix Rank: Hated It
IMDB Rank: 1/10