The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Into the Past: 2006

Welcome to The Wasteland into the Past! Join this journey backwards in time as I take a cinematic look at years past. Each article will focus on a singular year and my Top 5 films from that year. Turn back the clock with me…and let’s get started! 

2006

The Prestige

How mysterious is the realm of magic? Christopher Nolan (a cinematic wizard himself) navigated the world of magicians in his iconic and beloved film The Prestige. This is a film with plenty of narrative and thematic layers and Nolan never offers the audience anything straightforward or wholly accessible. The Prestige explores motifs about magic tricks and the whole presentation and channels those same elements into its own presentation and storytelling. There is plenty of mystery shrouded around The Prestige (like the magic tricks it explores) and Nolan accomplishes much of this through the mystery box and nonlinear approach to storytelling that he had become synonymous with. At the heart of this film, there are two magicians. Hugh Jackman’s Robert Angier is more of a showman who loses his wife in a trick gone wrong. Angier’s drive to find a way to punish his rival is dangerous, scary, and unrelenting. Christian Bale’s Alfred Borden is unmatched in his talent as a magician when making tricks that will wow his audience. His commitment to his profession is disturbing and leaves a trail of trauma and sadness. The women of this film all become victims or after thoughts in the trail of this toxic and unhinged rivalry. Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, and Rebecca Ferguson all do great work to make the most of their tragic characters. The film is even bolstered by supporting turns from Michael Caine, Andy Serkis, and even David Bowie (whose mysterious turn as Nikola Tesla is fascinating). The production design, costumes, and cinematography are second to none. This is a rich and gorgeous looking film that has endless atmospheric vibes. But the revelations of our two magicians’ most famous tricks are some of the best twists in all of cinema with the final moments of this film delivering something so dark and sinister. Bravo to Nolan for crafting a film that is so incredible.

Casino Royale

How would the Broccolis salvage the James Bond franchise after they spiraled back into self-parody towards the end of Pierce Brosnan’s run? You strip it back, ground it, and deliver something gritty and poignant. Casino Royale is such a fresh and brutal shake up for the Bond franchise. The best filmmaker to make such a big launching pad was the same director who previously did it with Goldeneye. Martin Campbell might not have the greatest filmography, but he created a handful of films that breathed life into iconic franchises. James Bond. Then Zorro. Back to Bond again. Casino Royale takes the audience and Bond back to the beginning. In a gritty and raw opening sequence (shot in black-in-white), we witness the two professional kills that earn Bond his license to kill. From that point on, you know this is not a campy entry for the world’s greatest spy. Campbell’s direction is slick, thrilling, and impactful. The parkour chase in the first act of the film has amazing stunts, impressive camerawork, and plenty of thrilling beats. There are a few more thrilling action sequences including an airport set piece and the sinking building in Venice sequence. But Casino Royale is unique with its climactic poker game that is just as intense as any action sequence in the film. The Bond we are introduced to is a hardened and unsympathetic operative. The incredibly talented Daniel Craig is a steely and intense Bond which was a fresh take. But Casino Royale has a deeper perspective on the character as Eva Green crafts the most dynamic and significant “Bond Girl” with Vesper Lynd. Her connection and later betrayal to Bond makes for the most layered and complex exploration of the iconic spy. Mads Mikkelsen started his long streak of villainous roles in Hollywood films with his intense and mysterious turn as Le Chiffre. Casino Royale is arguably the best Bond film with its depth and complexity…and that iconic and killer final shot punctuated by one of the most iconic theme songs in all of film.

The Departed

Why was this film the one that finally got Scorsese his Oscar for Best Director? That is because The Departed is a masterful film AND a crowd pleasing one at that. Generally, Scorsese films are ones that are hard to connect with as they challenge audiences with the darkest sides of humanity. The protagonists are usually terrible human beings who don’t deserve our empathy, but Scorsese explores ways for the audience to see the layers in them. The Departed is a film that has a real heart and moral anchor to the story. Scorsese does not skimp on the complexity of his other films, but Leonardo DiCaprio’s Billy is a hero. He sacrifices his whole life and legacy to take down organized crime. Billy finds himself having to do horrible things and that trauma wears on him and the audience can empathize. We want to see him happy and finding love. We want him to make it out of Jack Nicholson’s Costello’s world. But Scorsese introduces a mirror to Billy in Matt Damon’s Colin who is undercover in the police for the mob. They fall for the same woman (Vera Farmiga is incredible here). They have parallel journeys in so many unexpected ways as well as their stories center around the dangerous and unhinged criminal world of Nicholson’s Costello. The story is jam packed with interesting characters from the loudmouth Detective Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) to the tough-as-nails henchmen Mr. French (Ray Winstone) to caring and wise Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen). But The Departed doesn’t run low on all the expected flair and trappings of a Scorsese film. “Shipping Up to Boston” and “Gimme Shelter” are leveraged perfectly in this excellent soundtrack that give it some extra personality. There is a great montage to start the film that sets the whole stage for Costello, Billy, and Colin while weaving their destinies together. There is so much sharp editing, shocking violence, and plenty of narrative twists that will leave your jaw on the floor throughout the film. When you get to the final moments of the film, you get one last shocking moment to send the audience home happier than you might expect from a Scorsese film.

Children of Men

What is one of the most unsung science fiction films of the 21st century so far? Alfonso Cuaron created a film that is so dynamic in many facets and takes audiences on such a deeply emotional and affecting journey. Children of Men is a gritty and raw science fiction dystopia that shows a world where no human babies have been born in years. A young rebel turned bureaucrat is the lone hope for a young pregnant refugee woman (the hope for humanity’s future) and must get her to a freedom fighting group. 2027 is not a far-off time for people today but the future that Cuaron crafts is an obvious dystopia, but it is close enough to our experience that it hits so hard. The production design of Cuaron’s film is impressive as there is a stark contrast of the land designated for refugees (with a run down and rumble-filled cityscape) compared to the land of the societal elite (filled with exotic animals and impressive artwork everywhere). The most dynamic element of the film has to be the long takes that Cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki lean on to craft an uncomfortable and fully engrossing experience. The long takes in Children of Men are legendary including 360 works inside a car during an assault by rebels as well as navigating the destroyed cityscape of the immigrant area (including a moment where blood spatter hits the lens and just stays there). The world-building and thematic work of Cuaron is top notch but there are plenty of impressive elements sprinkled elsewhere too. The performances of the cast are quite impressive. Clive Owen is an actor who never really became the star he had the potential to be, but his work here is moving, impressive, and dynamic. Julianne Moore is in the film in a more limited capacity but brings plenty of depth to the film. Michael Caine channels his late friend John Lennon to deliver a moving and layered performance as an aging hippie and rebel. Chiwetel Ejiofor stands out as an antagonist who is not too villainous but will go to great lengths to do what is right (a specialty of Ejiofor’s). The themes that are explored even in the background or side elements of the film are dynamic and pose interesting questions about suicide, euthanasia, and other elements of human existence. Cuaron crafted a truly special cinematic experience that is one of the true greats of the science fiction genre.

Pan’s Labyrinth

How mature and brutal can you possibly make a fairy tale? The original stories that influenced so many of the stories we love today were unnerving, brutal, and quite violent. When you take the fairy/fantasy elements and wrap them around a truly disturbing and challenging time in humanity, they are bound to lean into those more authentic and brutal presentations of old. Guillermo del Toro certainly knew this and banked on this for his truly masterful fairy tale, Pan’s Labyrinth. The Spanish Civil War is a significant historical event in the world as the rise of fascism took much of Europe at the time. del Toro tackles such a dangerous and brutal topic with care and creativity within the storytelling confines of Pan’s Labyrinth. The young Ofelia is the daughter of a widow who weds a tyrannical man who is a powerful man in the Franco fascist regime. We witness his brutality in a horrific scene involving a father, his son, and a bottle that crushes a man’s face in. From this moment, you know this is not your standard modern fairy tale. This film does not pull punches in capturing the horrors of fascism and the horrific things that people suffer through such tyrannical regimes. There are story elements that focus on rebellion as well which build plenty of tension and suspense throughout the runtime. But then there is the escapist adventures of Ofelia that she discovers through a chance meeting with a conniving and persuasive Faun. From this moment, you know that you are in for a treat due to the creativity and imagination of del Toro. The costuming for the Faun is most impressive with its details and imaginative design. There are plenty of wondrous creatures and entities that Ofelia (and the audience) discovers along the way. The Pale Man is one of the most disturbing monsters ever seen on film. That sequence is full of tension and terror that will last with you long after the credits roll on the film. Doug Jones is a “Master of Performance” underneath so much make-up and costuming as he brings the Faun and Pale Man to life. Jones is one the true heroes of so many del Toro’s projects. This film is full of danger and wonder (in equal measures) just like a classic fairy tale should be. This is one of the most amazing foreign language films to make an impact in the United States in the past 25 years for sure. There is danger and consequences around every corner and Pan’s Labyrinth will leave you with a few new emotional wounds along the way.