Movie Review Black Los Angeles

BlackNLA Movie Reviews

*****THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street*****

by Edwardo Jackson

BIASES: Early 30s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2006

Yeah, I know, I'm hella late on this. Hey, I'm busy and this is free.
So kick back, relax, and let's celebrate the year in movies…

BEST FILMS (and, yes, it was just that good of a year in movies that my list is
super-sized)

10. Heart of the Game – I played high school basketball in Seattle;
what'd you expect?
10. Casino Royale – One of the best scripted Bonds ever. Sorry we ever
doubted you Craig, Daniel Craig.
9. Children of Men – A spectacular, realistically bleak vision of
the future.
9. United 93 – Respectful, terrifying, heroic, and informative – not
an easy feat.
9. Thank You for Smoking – Thank YOU for the satirical comedy with
heart, Jason Reitman.
8. Half Nelson – So not your stereotypical "into the blackboard
jungle" white savior teacher flicks. Oscar got this one right with
Ryan Gosling's breakout performance, but slept on Shareeka Epps'
equally strong one as his student.
7. The War Tapes – An uncensored, GI-helmed anti-war statement if
there ever was one.
6. The Queen – Who knew the monarchy was this interesting? Strange',
Helen Mirren, Strange'.
5. Haven – Never heard of it? Not surprised. Still beautifully done.
5. Notes on a Scandal – Marber has done it again, fueling fearless
performances by Dench and Blanchett.
4. Quinceanera – Criminally underseen, has the most humanity of any
film this year.
3. Borat – Yes, we like!!!
2. The Departed – Another modern day classic by Scorsese, back to
"Goodfellas" form, with an intricately beautiful William Monahan
script. Would be #1 any other year if it weren't for…
1. Dreamgirls – My second favorite movie of all time. Period. And as
much as it pains my "Boomerang"-lovin' heart to say it, this is Eddie
Murphy's best (and soon-to-be Oscar-winning) performance to date.

Honorable Mentions: Through the Fire (not enough space), The Good
Shepherd (ditto – wholly underrated), Inside Man (space), Dave
Chappelle's Block Party (one of the most entertaining movies of the
year), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (space), The Lake
House (too slight, but I love it anyway), Superman Returns, The
Prestige (space – and it hurts, too), This Film Is Not Yet Rated,
Jesus Camp (too many documentaries)

Heralded but Haven't Seen: Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, Venus,
Pan's Labyrinth, Curse of the Golden Flower

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCES - MALE (because there are no best actors any
one year, just better performances)
5. Derek Luke, Catch a Fire – It's always harder playing someone
who's real.
4. Ryan Gosling – Poster child for functionally high teachers
everywhere.
3. Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat – Author of a new brand of reali-comedy.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed – What he should have been
nominated for.
1. Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland - There's a reason he
won just about every award.

Honorable Mentions: Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness; Clive Owen,
Children of Men; Hugh Jackman, The Prestige; Christian Bale, The
Prestige; Daniel Craig, Casino Royale; Matt Damon, The Good Shepherd;
Brad Pitt, Babel; Matt Damon, The Departed, Vin Diesel, Find Me Guilty

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE - FEMALE
5. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby – Her character was so bad, she made
you sad.
4. Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada – The Devil wears Oscar, too.
3. Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal – Wickedly delicious for a grand dame.
2. Helen Mirren, The Queen – Will win Best Actress in a walk.
1. Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls – C'mon, we all know Effie White don't
sing backup.

Honorable Mentions: Kate Winslet, Little Children; Vera Farmiga, The
Departed; Eva Green, Casino Royale; Emily Rios, Quinceanera

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES - MALE
5. Alec Baldwin, The Departed – I wish all burnt out cops were this
hilarious.
4. James McAvoy, The Last King of Scotland – YOU try staying in the
same frame with the force that is Idi Amin, er, Forest Whitaker.
3. Mark Wahlberg, The Departed – Best %*(& Supporting Actor!
2. Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland – Don't look so surprised – rent the movie.
1. Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls – His (big sigh) best performance EVER.

Honorable Mentions: Orlando Bloom, Haven; Jesse Garcia, Quinceanera;
Sacha Baron Cohen, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES - FEMALE
5. Kerry Washington, The Dead Girl – Haunting, affecting performance.
4. Rose Byrne, The Dead Girl – Even more so.
3. Beyonce, Dreamgirls – Yeah, she shocked me, too. Just "Listen."
2. Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson – All eyes and looks, Gosling's soul
salvation.
1. Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal – The object of Dame Judi's
attention.

Honorable Mentions: Brittany Murphy, The Dead Girl; Toni Collette, The
Dead Girl; Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine; Rinko Kikuchi,
Babel; Anika Noni Rose, Dreamgirls; Pamela Anderson, Borat

BEST SCREENPLAYS (adapted, original or otherwise)
5. Sacha Baron Cohen, et. al., Borat – If there truly is a
screenplay, it's hilarious.
4. Todd Field & Tom Perrotta, Little Children – Suburban audacity
rewarded.
3. Eric Roth, The Good Shepherd – Complex, detailed, historical – a
winner.
2. Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal – Dialogue savant.
1. William Monahan, The Departed – So good it'll get Marty his Oscar.

Honorable Mentions: Jason Reitman, Thank You for Smoking; Frank E.
Flowers, Haven; Richard Glazer & Wash Westmoreland, Quinceanera;
Jeremy Brock & Peter Morgan, The Last King of Scotland; Peter Morgan,
The Queen; Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, Half Nelson

BEST MUSICAL SCORES (because I care about these things)
5. Danny Elfman, Nacho Libre – Hideous, ridiculous, and troubadour
friendly.
4. Alex Heffes, The Last King of Scotland – A paranoid, unbilled
character.
3. John Williams & John Ottman, Superman Returns – Like you don't
love it, too.
2. David Arnold, Casino Royale – As essential as a shaken not stirred
martini.
1. Bruce Fowler & Marcelo Zavros, The Good Shepherd – Moody, foreboding.

BEST LINES
5. "My sister is number four prostitute in all of Kazahkstan." - Borat
4. "I don't know what to bring to a rap party…I knew I should've
bought a thong." – Dave Chappelle's Block Party
3. "I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my
environment to be a product of me." – The Departed
2. "Sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun." –
Nacho Libre
1. "If we wanted sissies, we woulda named 'em Dr. Quinn and Medicine
Woman!" – Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby

BEST DIRECTION
5. Robert DeNiro, The Good Shepherd
4. Stephen Frears, The Queen
3. Richard Eyre, Notes on a Scandal
2. Martin Scorsese, The Departed
1. Bill Condon, Dreamgirls

What do y'all think? Who did I miss? Holla at me with YOUR favorites
of 2006!

Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's
talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel
Deal!) Email him at ejace1@gmail.com!

Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA,
(Villard/Random House), a writer for BlackNLA.com,
UrbanFilmPremiere.com, AllHipHop.com, and an LA-based screenwriter.
Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com where his new novel I DO?
is available NOW.




			BlackNLA Movie Reviews ***THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street* by Edwardo Jackson BIASES: Early 30s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare YEAR IN REVIEW: 2006 Yeah, I know, I'm hella late on this. Hey, I'm busy and this is free. So kick back, relax, and let's celebrate the year in movies… BEST FILMS (and, yes, it was just that good of a year in movies that my list is super-sized) 10. Heart of the Game – I played high school basketball in Seattle; what'd you expect? 10. Casino Royale – One of the best scripted Bonds ever. Sorry we ever doubted you Craig, Daniel Craig. 9. Children of Men – A spectacular, realistically bleak vision of the future. 9. United 93 – Respectful, terrifying, heroic, and informative – not an easy feat. 9. Thank You for Smoking – Thank YOU for the satirical comedy with heart, Jason Reitman. 8. Half Nelson – So not your stereotypical "into the blackboard jungle" white savior teacher flicks. Oscar got this one right with Ryan Gosling's breakout performance, but slept on Shareeka Epps' equally strong one as his student. 7. The War Tapes – An uncensored, GI-helmed anti-war statement if there ever was one. 6. The Queen – Who knew the monarchy was this interesting? Strange', Helen Mirren, Strange'. 5. Haven – Never heard of it? Not surprised. Still beautifully done. 5. Notes on a Scandal – Marber has done it again, fueling fearless performances by Dench and Blanchett. 4. Quinceanera – Criminally underseen, has the most humanity of any film this year. 3. Borat – Yes, we like!!! 2. The Departed – Another modern day classic by Scorsese, back to "Goodfellas" form, with an intricately beautiful William Monahan script. Would be #1 any other year if it weren't for… 1. Dreamgirls – My second favorite movie of all time. Period. And as much as it pains my "Boomerang"-lovin' heart to say it, this is Eddie Murphy's best (and soon-to-be Oscar-winning) performance to date. Honorable Mentions: Through the Fire (not enough space), The Good Shepherd (ditto – wholly underrated), Inside Man (space), Dave Chappelle's Block Party (one of the most entertaining movies of the year), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (space), The Lake House (too slight, but I love it anyway), Superman Returns, The Prestige (space – and it hurts, too), This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Jesus Camp (too many documentaries) Heralded but Haven't Seen: Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, Venus, Pan's Labyrinth, Curse of the Golden Flower BEST LEAD PERFORMANCES - MALE (because there are no best actors any one year, just better performances) 5. Derek Luke, Catch a Fire – It's always harder playing someone who's real. 4. Ryan Gosling – Poster child for functionally high teachers everywhere. 3. Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat – Author of a new brand of reali-comedy. 2. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed – What he should have been nominated for. 1. Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland - There's a reason he won just about every award. Honorable Mentions: Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness; Clive Owen, Children of Men; Hugh Jackman, The Prestige; Christian Bale, The Prestige; Daniel Craig, Casino Royale; Matt Damon, The Good Shepherd; Brad Pitt, Babel; Matt Damon, The Departed, Vin Diesel, Find Me Guilty BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE - FEMALE 5. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby – Her character was so bad, she made you sad. 4. Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada – The Devil wears Oscar, too. 3. Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal – Wickedly delicious for a grand dame. 2. Helen Mirren, The Queen – Will win Best Actress in a walk. 1. Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls – C'mon, we all know Effie White don't sing backup. Honorable Mentions: Kate Winslet, Little Children; Vera Farmiga, The Departed; Eva Green, Casino Royale; Emily Rios, Quinceanera BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES - MALE** 5. Alec Baldwin, The Departed – I wish all burnt out cops were this hilarious. 4. James McAvoy, The Last King of Scotland – YOU try staying in the same frame with the force that is Idi Amin, er, Forest Whitaker. 3. Mark Wahlberg, The Departed – Best %(& Supporting Actor! 2. Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland – Don't look so surprised – rent the movie. 1. Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls – His (big sigh) best performance EVER. Honorable Mentions: Orlando Bloom, Haven; Jesse Garcia, Quinceanera; Sacha Baron Cohen, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES - FEMALE* 5. Kerry Washington, The Dead Girl – Haunting, affecting performance. 4. Rose Byrne, The Dead Girl – Even more so. 3. Beyonce, Dreamgirls – Yeah, she shocked me, too. Just "Listen." 2. Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson – All eyes and looks, Gosling's soul salvation. 1. Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal – The object of Dame Judi's attention. Honorable Mentions: Brittany Murphy, The Dead Girl; Toni Collette, The Dead Girl; Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine; Rinko Kikuchi, Babel; Anika Noni Rose, Dreamgirls; Pamela Anderson, Borat BEST SCREENPLAYS (adapted, original or otherwise) 5. Sacha Baron Cohen, et. al., Borat – If there truly is a screenplay, it's hilarious. 4. Todd Field & Tom Perrotta, Little Children – Suburban audacity rewarded. 3. Eric Roth, The Good Shepherd – Complex, detailed, historical – a winner. 2. Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal – Dialogue savant. 1. William Monahan, The Departed – So good it'll get Marty his Oscar. Honorable Mentions: Jason Reitman, Thank You for Smoking; Frank E. Flowers, Haven; Richard Glazer & Wash Westmoreland, Quinceanera; Jeremy Brock & Peter Morgan, The Last King of Scotland; Peter Morgan, The Queen; Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, Half Nelson BEST MUSICAL SCORES (because I care about these things) 5. Danny Elfman, Nacho Libre – Hideous, ridiculous, and troubadour friendly. 4. Alex Heffes, The Last King of Scotland – A paranoid, unbilled character. 3. John Williams & John Ottman, Superman Returns – Like you don't love it, too. 2. David Arnold, Casino Royale – As essential as a shaken not stirred martini. 1. Bruce Fowler & Marcelo Zavros, The Good Shepherd – Moody, foreboding. BEST LINES 5. "My sister is number four prostitute in all of Kazahkstan." - Borat 4. "I don't know what to bring to a rap party…I knew I should've bought a thong." – Dave Chappelle's Block Party 3. "I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me." – The Departed 2. "Sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun." – Nacho Libre 1. "If we wanted sissies, we woulda named 'em Dr. Quinn and Medicine Woman!" – Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby BEST DIRECTION 5. Robert DeNiro, The Good Shepherd 4. Stephen Frears, The Queen 3. Richard Eyre, Notes on a Scandal 2. Martin Scorsese, The Departed 1. Bill Condon, Dreamgirls What do y'all think? Who did I miss? Holla at me with YOUR favorites of 2006! Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel Deal!) Email him at ejace1@gmail.com! Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA, (Villard/Random House), a writer for BlackNLA.com, UrbanFilmPremiere.com, AllHipHop.com, and an LA-based screenwriter. Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com where his new novel I DO? is available NOW. © Edwardo Jackson 2007