The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

I really liked this film. It had a strong message about staying true to your dream, which I could relate to. The protagonist (played by Will Smith) never let go of what was sacred in his life, his son, and his pursuit of happiness.
When I originally heard about this film I thought it was going to be a syrupy story about overcoming all obstacles, and in a way it was, but I think the sincerity and the real hardships of the protagonist won me over. I think also knowing that this was a real story, of a man who was pretty much living on the streets when he got his break in life to work at a stock broker's firm. I think it's kind of funny that the corruption of finances is never brought up. I guess it's more of a rags to riches story, rather than an expose on the damning of corporate finance.
This film was all about the acting. With Will Smith and his real-life son, playing his son, I think this aspects really carried the film. Will Smith was phenomenal in his portrayal of the protagonist.
The direction of the film was alright, but I didn't see it as anything auteurish about it.
I say this is a film worth checking out if you're looking for motivation in following your dream.

Shrek The Third (2007)

This movie was pretty hit-and-miss. It was better than I thought it would be, but still didn't achieve the same excellence as the first Shrek (like a sequel would be able to beat it).
The storyline continues off where the 2nd Shrek ended, which is pretty self-explanatory, but the characters are portrayed a lot more one-dimensionally. I enjoyed the pop culture references as always, and there were a few that seemed fresh.
In terms of visual aesthetics, the animation seems pretty flat. The character's bodies look like they've been created hastily because they look disproportioned to their environment. I mean that Shrek's body looks awkwardly made, kind of thing. This aspects distracted me a bit, because I feel they could have tried to make the long shots more accurate. The close ups, I admit are well done.
The music that is nondiegetic felt awkward because they were mostly done during montages, and overall, these montage sequences were weak. I think what makes Shrek good is the dialogue between the characters. Shrek, at it's best, feels like a theatre play because it deals with prejudices people toward others who do not fit in.
I was also pretty disappointed that they didn't have a karaoke bar sequence during the credits, those were always my favourite (maybe the studio didn't feel like paying a bundle for copyrights).

Volver (2006)

I thought this was a good film. The story was fantastic and kept my attention the whole way through. The cinematography was also strong with good composition and good use of colours. The acting was alright too. I don't see what the fuss over Penelope Cruz is. She's a so-so actor, with a really nice body, but people lavish her with praise, why? Because she's Spanish? lame.
There's a plot motif that happens toward the end that i like, borrowing heavily from Chinatown, if you know what I mean?
This film is worth seeing for the drama that occurs between the family members. They act like a real family acts, close to each other, but in a way so close that they lie about some of the most important events in their lives, true to life, I'd say.

Children of Men (2006)

This was an intense film. I enjoyed it, but it's not something I could watch again, unless I had a specific reason to. The subject matter and visual were very heart wrenching, but made me realize how fragile human life is. I guess I'm over generalizing the film, but it's hard to put into words because the film does not have a lot of dialogue. That's not to say that the film has a weak script. I think the style of the director, Alfonso Cuaron, did very well with this story.
He is known for his long static takes, so it was put together very eloquently.
I recommend this film because this subject matter of the world's fertility rate is a significant topic, and one that is very present in today's issues.
Clive Owen was pretty good as the films protagonist, and I thought he carried the narrative decently.