2006 Films: Ranked

heh, I noticed what you said about it on your blog and pretty much agree, but I had fun guessing where the plot was going and liked the locations. I saw the first twist coming, because that guy was way too perfect. Alas, the end result was a little disappointing.

I think the best way to describe it would be that it's immersing. The environment/atmosphere and camera work are such that it throws you into it, especially so in the long sequence action shots. It really is amazing, or at least I thought so.

Depends on how much you like Broadway musical numbers because that's what most of the movie consists of. Over two hours of overly long musical numbers.

I don't see why people are gushing over the acting. They're simply singing dramatically. What little acting is done outside of songs isn't terribly impressive. And the film offers nothing new, narratively or artistically, that we haven't seen in other recent musicals like Ray, Walk the Line, and Hustle & Flow (the best of the lot). Even those I didn't see what people raved over.

Basically, I think Hollywood musicals are predictable garbage and Dreamgirls is no different. But if you like the music, go for it; Dreamgirls will give you an overdose of it.

The first film that springs to mind with that description is Ki-duk Kim's The Bow (2005, Korean). There's very little dialogue, it involves two people meeting on a fishing boat, however, they both don't play an instrument. There is an instrument played during the film, and the music is rather good, but it's not played by either of the two people that meet, if I remember correctly.

If the movie you're thinking of is more of a musical, then this isn't it. Another stab at guessing: The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005, French). I'm drawing a blank on 2006 films with instrument playing though.