Crime Movies 2006 List

Based on the true story of young Truman Capote and his investigation into the 1959 murders of a wealthy Kansas family of four. What starts out as a journey with his childhood friend Harper Lee to figure out "whodunit," turns into something unexpected: an intense and complex bond with one of the murderers that inspired his greatest work, 'In Cold Blood.'

"The Departed" is set in South Boston, where the state police force is waging war on organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy is quickly gaining Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that there's a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy—and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.

Looking to avoid the feds, two white-collar criminals flee to the Cayman Islands, but fleeing results in a British citizen committing a crime that has a wide-ranging impact.

"The Black Dahlia" weaves a fictionalized tale of obsession, love, corruption, greed and depravity around the true story of the brutal murder of a fledgling Hollywood starlet that shocked and fascinated the nation in 1947 and remains unsolved today. Two ex-pugilist cops, Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) and Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett), are called to investigate the homicide of ambitious silver-screen B-lister Betty Ann Short (Mia Kirshner) A.K.A. "The Black Dahlia"—an attack so grisly that images of the killing were kept from the public.

While Blanchard's growing preoccupation with the sensational murder threatens his marriage to Kay (Scarlett Johansson), his partner Bleichert finds himself attracted to the enigmatic Madeleine Linscott (two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank), the daughter of one of the city's most prominent families—'who just happens to have an unsavory connection to the murder victim.

Based on the life of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuanjia (1869-1910), the founder and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation. Set during the late 1800's to early 1900's, a pivotal period in China's history, when the whole country is shrouded under increasing internal turmoil and the imminent threat of foreign invastion.

The film is about a man who believes that he left behind his family's ties to organized crime, only to find that easier said than done upon returning to Philadelphia. It was inspired by the real life experiences of Joseph Pistone, the FBI agent otherwise known as Donnie Brasco.

In "Edison", a young journalist (Justin Timberlake) uncovers an elite unit of corrupt cops. Realizing that he's over his head, he makes an uneasy alliance with a burnt-out reporter (Morgan Freeman) and the DA's ace investigator (Kevin Spacey).

"Shadowboxer" centers on the unusual relationship between a mother and her stepson. The duo, who have a romantic relationship, work as contract killers. Bentley will play the lead villain on the hunt for the killer couple.

Set in the sexy and colorful underground world of Japanese drift racing, the newest and fastest customized rides go head-to- head on some of the most perilous courses in the world.

Sean Boswell (Black) is an outsider who attempts to define himself as a hot-headed, underdog street racer. Although racing provides a temporary escape from an unhappy home and the superficial world around him, it has also made Sean unpopular with the local authorities. To avoid jail time, Sean is sent to live with his gruff, estranged father, a career military-man stationed in Tokyo.

Now officially a gaijin (outsider), Sean feels even more shut out in a land of foreign customs and codes of honor. But it doesn't take long for him to find some action when a fellow American buddy, Twinkie (Bow Wow), introduces him to the underground world of drift racing. Sean's simple drag racing gets replaced by a rubber-burning, automotive art form--with an exhilarating balance of speeding and gliding through a heart-stopping course of hairpin turns and switchbacks.

On his first time out drifting, Sean unknowingly takes on D.K., the "Drift King," a local champ with ties to the Japanese crime machine Yakuza. Sean's loss comes at a high price tag when he's forced to work off the debt under the thumb of ex-pat, Han (Kang). Han soon welcomes Sean into this family of misfits and introduces him to the real principles of drifting. But when Sean falls for D.K.'s girlfriend, Neela (newcomer Kelley), an explosive series of events is set into motion, climaxing with an ultimate high stakes face off.

Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure "Superman Returns", a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world's most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman's bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.

An urban action thriller with a sexy 21st-century Bonnie and Clyde. Ex-con O2 (Tyrese Gibson) is suddenly plunged into a life-or-death situation; trying to go straight for the sake of his young son Junior, O2 is forced to go back outside the law when Junior is kidnapped in a carjacking. His son is now in the hands of a vicious criminal leader, Meat (hip-hop superstar The Game). O2's shady cousin Wanna Be (Larenz Tate) is caught between loyalties, and so the only person who can or will help O2 now is wily street-smart hustler Coco (Meagan Good). With the clock ticking down, the heat between them rises as they become a lawbreaking couple, on an action-packed tear through town to save Junior and outwit the underworld.

"16 Blocks" follows Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis), an aging cop assigned the mundane task of escorting a fast-talking, wise-cracking young witness (Mos Def) to the courthouse—sixteen city blocks away—and the action-packed thrill ride that takes place in those "sixteen blocks."

"Find Me Guilty" is based on the true story of Giacomo "Jackie Dee" DiNorscio (Vin Diesel). After years of federal investigation, 20 members of the New Jersey Lucchese crime family are brought to court on 76 charges of various crimes. Already in the midst of serving a 30-year sentence, Jackie is offered an opportunity to shorten his time by testifying against many of his closest friends. But Jackie refuses to betray his "family," and goes so far as to defend himself in what will ultimately become the longest criminal trial of its time.

At first daunted by the complicated politics of the courtroom, Jackie comfortably takes over the spotlight, insisting "I'm no gangster... I'm a gagster." With his sheer determination and unconditional loyalty, Jackie never fails to surprise even those most skeptical of his intentions.

After 21 months, the Lucchese trial became the longest in U.S. criminal history, and has continued to stand out over the years as a unique moment in courtroom history, featuring 20 defendants, 20 defense attorneys, and unusually extensive summations; one defense lawyer's closing statement ran for 5 days alone. At times hilarious and at times deeply serious, the trial and Jackie's subsequent experiences at this crucial moment in the history of criminal prosecution culminated in one of the most shocking and remarkable verdicts in American judicial history.

"Lucky Number Slevin" is a drama set in a world where African-American and Jewish gangsters collide. Hartnett plays a man who has to kill the son of a rival crime boss. Kingsley will play Shlomo (aka the Rabbi), the head of the biggest crime syndicate in New York. Hartnett's character is caught in a case of mistaken identity and used by the mob boss as a patsy in a murder conspiracy.

A famous soccer coach has been murdered and his priceless ring stolen - a ring set with the stunning diamond known as the Pink Panther. Cracking the case becomes a national obsession, and Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kline), up for the prestigious Medal of Honor...again...for the seventh time...can't afford any mistakes - at least none that can be attributed to him.

Enter indefatigable Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Martin), a name that strikes fear into...well, everyone. His deductive powers are limited, his command of the language frightening, his reflexes hazardous. His approach may be alarmingly unorthodox, but he always solves the crime - in his own fashion - with hilarious results.

Written and directed by Wayne Kramer, " Running Scared" stars Paul Walker as low-level mobster Joey, an average guy who finds himself on a nightlong chase to recover a gun that was used in a mob hit. Joey's wife Teresa (Vera Farmiga) and son Nicky (Alex Neuberger) are also drawn into frantic chase, along with neighbor's kid Oleg (Cameron Bright). As the night goes on, Joey must race to stay one step ahead of both his mob associates and the cops, lead by dirty Detective Rydell (Chazz Palminteri).