Best Film of 2006

Rating: 9/10 (26 January 2007)

The best film of 2006 in my book. I just watched it again on DVD and its power has not diminished one bit. My girlfriend watched it with me and she knew nothing about the plot which in a way made the movie even more interesting for her. So if you know little about the story, don't read any reviews here on IMDb that might give it away - just watch the movie, you won't regret it. Cuarons direction and Lubezkis cinematography are a match made in heaven. The world feels so real it's scary. It doesn't take too much of a leap of the imagination to imagine things going this way. Clive Owen is just brilliant as a man without hope. He is the Deckard of a new generation. The Production Design is outstanding and has created a world grounded in realism and subtlety. The Effects are fantastic. Just reading about how they did the "long takes" on the IMDb links makes me realise that it's an amazing slight of hand. The effects (100s of them) are all pretty much invisible and in my book the best of 2006 also. The sound compliments the look and the music takes the risk of being almost operatic in a very subtle and gentle sort of way. There is no sweeping orchestra here. But even watching the crappy 7 minute featureete on the DVD (extras to be left for a special edition no doubt) it is very clear to see that Cuaron driving the bus. He is the guy pushing these departments for his vision and he is very much in control. I'm in awe of what he accomplished here.
Some people feel Cuaron was snubbed by the Oscar nominations. Yeah so what? Since when did the Oscars ever get it all right? Never. Hitchcock died never having held his own and I gave up back in the mid 90s after one of my favourite films "Heat" never received a single nomination.
Between Cuaron, Inarritu, and Greengrass I can almost feel a new wave starting to appear. Directors who inject a level of the hyper real into their movies. They don't feel or sound "glossy", and I think this raw realism is refreshing and exciting especially within the realms of genre.