A LOOK AT 2006: Brad’s Picks

Gotta be honest here, the main reason Zodiac makes my list is simple – David Fincher is directing. Two of my favorite movies of all time are Seven and Fight Club, both directed by Fincher, which leads me to believe this one will be just as good. The story doesn’t sound all that bad either:

Based on a true story, Zodiac centers on a a serial killer terrifying the San Francisco Bay Area and taunting police with a string of ciphers and letters. The case will become an obsession for four men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless trail of clues.

The movie stars Anthony Edwards, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman and Chloë Sevigny. Need I say more?

My desire to see this one is purely based on curiousity. Mel Gibson floored us all with The Passion of the Christ. Whether you liked it, hated it or were on the fence, The Passion of the Christ left some kind of mark. I will say some doubt has crept in after seeing the maniacal and insane first trailer for the film along with the odd little single frame insert of Gibson smoking a cigar [pic below], but Gibson seems to be able to do no wrong. Hopefully Apocalypto will be yet another exciting notch in Gibson’s belt.

The look and style of this film is where my interest lies. From director Richard Linklater (Before Sunset and The School of Rock), a man that seems to tap into just about every genre, comes a live-action/animated feature set in a future world where America has lost the war on drugs. Undercover cop Fred (Keanu Reeves) is one of many agents hooked on the popular drug Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred, for instance, is also Bob, a notorious drug dealer. Along with his superior officers, Fred sets up an elaborate scheme to catch Bob and tear down his operation. The film is based on the Philip K. Dick novel. Don’t know who he is? Yeah you do, he wrote the stories that were adapted into Minority Report and Blade Runner. Ahhhh, I see your eyes getting wider. You are getting very, very interested.

If you still aren’t convinced, click here to watch the trailer. I think that will be enough to peak your interest. This isn’t your normal, everyday film.

If you quickly look through my entire list you would think this one doesn’t fit. Yeah, it isn’t like the rest of the movies, but it does have one thing the others don’t – Sofia Coppola in the writer/director’s chair. For me Marie Antoinette is about finding out whether Sofia Coppola has the writing and directing chops Lost in Translation showed us or if that film was just a freak of nature.

My bet is that she has the chops, but I am not yet sure if I am going to like this movie. I guess that is why I anticipate seeing it.

I don’t think this movie is a surprising addition to my list, but I will say I only am interested in seeing it because it centers on what may be the most widely recognized superhero of all-time. I thought the first teaser trailer was horrible, I think Superman (played by Brandon Routh) looks wimpy and unconvincing and I think Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor is going to steal the show. Bryan Singer made the X-Men franchise what it is today with the brilliant sequel X2: X-Men United, I guess we will have to see if he can breath new life into this story as well.

Captain Jack is back! As I move into my top six films they all are a virtual tie for first. I want to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2 just as much as X-Men 3 and Mission: Impossible 3. I just want to see them all for different reasons, and as we move closer to number one it basically comes down to if I could see only one movie this year which movie would that be, which is why POTC2 finds itself at number six.

As much as I loved the first film, primarily because it introduced me to Keira Knightley, I am struggling to believe that they can equal the excitement and fun of the first movie. Just like The Matrix films, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 are being shot back-to-back, let’s hope these films get better as opposed to worse.

This one is another no-brainer and it would have been higher on my list if Brett Ratner wasn’t directing and if I had liked the first film a little more. X2 is really the only reason I am highly anticipating X3. I didn’t particularly enjoy the first movie, but I thought the second one was one of the best superhero movies ever, second only to Batman Begins. The teaser trailer that was recently released has energized me enough to think this one is going to be a major success, I only hope the film can live up to it as this is most likely the last X-Men movie we will see.

I really liked the first Mission: Impossible and I even like M:I 2 despite John Woo‘s love for doves, but my real interest in Mission: Impossible 3 lies in the fact that J.J. Abrams wrote the script and is directing. Not to mention that Philip Seymour Hoffman is the bad guy. Honestly, could they have made any better decisions as far as setting up the cast and crew for this film?

Ahhh, my dark horse. V for Vendetta has the possibility of being an amazing film or a wildly uncomprehensible piece of garbage. My money is on amazing, but that is only because I want this one to be as good as it looks. The film is set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain and tells the story of Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked vigilante known only as “V” (the masked figure just out of the picture above). V’s goal is to begin a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

Does all that sound a bit wordy? Well check out the trailer here and some pics here, hopefully that will get you on board for this one with me.

A new James Bond movie is coming in 2006. After a year of speculation as to who the next Bond will be the duties fall on the shoulders of Daniel Craig, an unlikely candidate a year ago, but after his turn in Layer Cake I think he earned the role. With word that not one Hollywood hottie is up for playing the part of the Bond girl this movie may fall flat on its face, but my guess is there are a few surprises in 007 just yet.

Granted, the only Bond film I have enjoyed since The Living Daylights was The World is Not Enough, but considering Sony seems dedicated in re-energizing the franchise my fingers are crossed.

In 2004 the movie that topped my top 10 was Michael Mann‘s Collateral and it looks like he is aiming to make the #1 spot on my top ten for 2006 with Miami Vice starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx.

Mann was an executive producer on the television show from 1984-1989 and is now returning to the sexy cop drama as he has both written and will direct this big screen adaptation. Mann has given this film the look he gave Collateral and under the neon glow of Miami this one looks like it is going to be the film of the year. Another major draw for me is that Memoirs of a Geisha‘s Gong Li plays a major role as Isabella , the Chinese-Cuban wife of an arms and drugs trafficker that gets involved with Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell).

If you are having any kind of doubts just click here and watch the trailer. If Michael Mann, Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, Jay-Z and Linkin Park aren’t able to convince you I don’t know what will.