3. The Squid and the Whale (2006)
Films that are semi-autobiographical can be cathartic for the filmmaker but they do not always make for compelling drama. Director Noah Baumbachs take on his parents divorce is admirable for its realism but beyond that, it failed to make me care about the characters and their situation. Its abrupt ending only highlighted the fact that there was not much in terms of a story to begin with. At one point, Jeff Daniels reminds Laura Linney that he made burgers the night she had pneumonia. I would much rather watch them eat those burgers than argue over whose night it is to take custody of the kids.
2. The Prestige (2006)
Sorry Christopher Nolan fans but I do not consider this to be one of his better efforts. Feel free to lay blame at the feet of Christopher Priest, the author of the novel this film is based on. A tale of rival magicians could have been intriguing but I felt this suffered from too many tricks and not enough treats. The fact that they had to shoehorn Nikola Tesla, a fascinating figure in his own right, into the already-convoluted plot goes to show how desperate they were to pad the running time. Instead of watching Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman fight over who is the better magician, why not watch them fight over whether chicken korma is better than chicken tikka masala?