Vohu Manu

In 2006 there were three films created specifically for me.

A Scanner Darkly

Waking Life is one of my favourite films, I can watch it over and over (and over). So a gripping sci-fi story, also rotoscoped, directed by such a talented director I had every reason to be excited. But there was something wrong with it, and it's somewhat difficult to put my finger on. The setting was great, the plot was interesting, the actors were fine. It was a particularly inspired choice to pick Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson as two guys who were high all the time. I'd love to blame Keanu (who wouldn't?), but I think the problem with this film was the pacing. At least with Waking Life while you had no idea where the film was going it was moving forward at a clip. With Scanner Darkly you could kind of see where the story was going but it was in no rush to get there. Don't get me wrong, I love "paced" films (mmm Dead Man), but this wasn't paced, it was just slow.

I give it three personalities out of five.

Pan's Labyrinth

Many of my favourite stories follow the pattern; female protagonist enters surreal dream-world and emerges victorious from the puzzles and obstacles within. Alice in Wonderland, Labyrinth, Mirrormask, all great stories. When you have a problem in the office you can't often lay about with your greatsword as Conan would, but you can often outwit the problem or negotiate a solution as female protagonists are usually depicted doing. Fantasy with brains rather than brawn. It was beautifully shot, and beautifully directed. The story of the girl versus the fascists was great, and the story of the girl who would be princess was also interesting. But. There's always a but. I didn't feel that the fantasy story had a great deal to do with the reality story. In The Wizard of Oz the characters mirror people in Dorothy's life and she works through her problems in the fantasy context. Pan's Labyrinth seemed to lack this dimension, and the tenuous connections I can make don't really hold up well. So, gorgeous film, but not one of the greats.

9 Communists out of ten.

The Fountain

It can either be a very bad thing when you can't describe the plot, or, as in this case, a good one. It's a guy, right, and he's a monomaniacal scientist trying to cure cancer, but also a bald future guy zooming through the stars with a tree, which is important, so don't forget the tree, you see he's also a conquistador looking for the tree, which isn't the same tree, but is both more and less important in different senses, in medieval Central America. Astoundingly that just about describes the plot, but yet contains no real spoilers. When the film finished there was two things going through my mind, firstly that I wanted to see it again, but also that I was very angry at reviewers who called this film complicated. The plot is very, very simple. While most modern dramas and films will have us following a dozen characters and that many more relationships this film is about two characters, and one relationship. How hard is it people! Sure, there were a few bits of scenes which were metaphors, but you were given lots of preparation time before the metaphors happened. Grr. Anyway. This film also gorgeously shot, and very paced, but so simple and so elegantly done that it's astounding. My only gripes were that the Spanish story was a little silly, probably intentionally, and Izzi was two-dimensional, but even still... Definitely the best of the three.

Five Trees of Life out of five.

Best films of 2006 (in no order)

The Fountain, Pan's Labyrinth, V for Vendetta, Brick, An Inconvenient Truth.