In 2005, the box office continued its steady decline, and people complained in droves that it was a bad year for movies. It's an interesting paradox: people stayed home and yet still believed the movies (which overwhelmingly, they didn't see) were inadequate. Are moviegoers becoming too cynical, or are studios not delivering enough quality products?
The jury is out on that one, but I know where I stand: I believe it was a very good year for movies. I saw over 100 releases and didn't come close to seeing everything on my must-see list (Grizzly Man, Pride & Prejudice, etc). Like every other year, there were plenty of mediocre movies and plenty that I would like to have eternally removed from my spotless mind. But when the movies were good, they were damn good.
Here is my list of favorite films of 2005. Whether they moved me to tears, made me bust a gut laughing, or just made me think, they left a lasting impression. They proved to me that there is plenty of good left in the movies, even if sometimes you have to squint to see it.
Directed By: Ang Lee Written By: Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Randy Quaid, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway
There is no movie this year that has stayed with me or shaken me up to the same degree as Brokeback Mountain. It is quietly intense in a way that makes it near-impossible to fully digest in one viewing. Weeks after I first saw it, the story haunted my mind and I couldn't stop hearing that poignant score, and thinking about the sad reality of the tortured love affair. When I saw it again, I felt like someone was grabbing me by the collar and sucker-punching me in the heart. I realized I had witnessed a masterpiece. This is not simply a “gay cowboy” movie, but a tragic story of love that cannot survive in a world of bias and fear. The acting and direction are pitch-perfect, and a testament to powerhouse minimalism. Anyone who has ever been in love and missed out on their own happy ending, will find something sadly familiar and all too real about the movie. Watching Brokeback Mountain will break your heart all over again, but it will remind you that life is too short to pass up on happiness, in any form it is offered.
2. Capote
Directed By: Bennett Miller Written By: Dan Futterman Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr, Chris Cooper, Bruce Greenwood
Biopic movies, generally, are just not my cup of tea. They tend to skip over the entire lives of people without ever really allowing us to know them. What makes Capote different is that it explores a key time in a man's life—in this case, the time where famous author Truman Capote wrote “In Cold Blood”—and doesn't paint anyone as victims or heroes. In a knockout performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote is brought to life and we witness the toll that writing this classic book had on him. When he befriends and studies the criminals, mainly Perry, he realizes that they are not so different from him. The movie is an excellent character-study and shows that things are never black or white, even when dealing with people who do horrible acts. It is one of the best movies of the year, and the best criminal study since Dead Man Walking.
3. Crash
Directed By: Paul Haggis Written By: Paul Haggis, Bobby Moresco Starring: Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Ryan Phillippe
Crash is a movie that tackles racism like a head-on collision, where it's impossible to divert your eyes or ignore the reality of what is happening. The story deals with intersecting lives in Los Angeles, where people treat each other badly (not always on purpose) and can't shake the way their minds are robotically programmed to hate. It is intense, fierce, powerful, and gripping. It really works because unlike many ensemble dramas, all of the storylines in Crash are interesting and well developed. Just when you think you know and understand one of the situations, a new development is thrown in the mix that offers a new perspective. It packs a mean punch and will hopefully make you reconsider the next time you judge a person at first glance. Or at the very least, make you aware you are doing it.
4. The 40 Year-Old Virgin
Directed By: Judd Apatow Written By: Judd Apatow Starring: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks
Holy smokes, a comedy that is actually funny! The 40 Year Old Virgin made me laugh more than any movie this year, or possibly in the past 5 years. The movie, about exactly what the title suggests, does an excellent job at making us laugh without all the jokes being aimed at the lead's expense. Andy (Steve Carell) is a likeable guy who is pretty happy with his life, even if he is not getting laid. He probably could if he wanted to, but he is shy and has pretty much given up on the humiliation of dating. On some level, who can blame him? Steve Carell does a great job at making Andy a real person, rather than a caricature geek, and his romance with Trish (Catherine Keener) is adorable and down-to-earth. The sidekick characters in the movie played by Rudd, Malco, and Rogen, are so funny that I gladly would have also watched a movie about any one of them. The film has a lot of heart beneath its jokes, and characters worthy of our compassion. Between this movie and “Freaks & Geeks”, I am convinced that Judd Apatow is a genius. And I will never hear the name 'Kelly Clarkson' without snickering again.
5. A History of Violence
Directed By: David Cronenberg Written By: Josh Olson Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes
A History Of Violence is one of my biggest surprises of the year. As a general rule, I hate David Cronenberg's films, but he returns to form with his best film since The Dead Zone. The movie depicts the life of a man named Tom (Viggo Mortensen) with a violent past. He has veered away from his dark beginnings, moved away, and morphed into a suburban family man. The problem is that his family has no idea of his prior life, and it comes back to haunt him when some crazed gunmen intrude upon his diner. The movie succeeds at brutally showing a man who wants nothing more than to change into a better person. Tom really *wants* to be this new guy, and so he becomes him, and his old self returns only when protecting his family. Viggo is exceptional in this quietly subdued role, and the relationship between him and his wife is totally believable, down to the weird 'spice things up' marital sex scenes. Keep your eyes out for a hilarious cameo by a nearly unrecognizable William Hurt.
6. 2046
Directed By: Wong Kar-Wai Written By: Wong Kar-Wai Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Li Gong, Faye Wong, Ziyi Zhang, Carina Lau
In a stunning follow-up to In The Mood For Love, 2046 catches up with the lead character, Chow (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), following tremendous heartache. Much like its predecessor, 2046 is a beautiful feast for the eyes, matched with woefully sad undertones. The film centers around a hotel in the late 1960's, where Chow beds a variety of women, but cannot escape his memory of the loved one who got away. With a unique Sci-Fi spin, the movie randomly flashes to a fictional futuristic land called 2046, which is the subject of a story Chow is writing about. The mystical alternate universe is used as a way for him to express and deal with painful emotions he has buried away. It's a visually stunning marvel that blends classy foreign drama with futuristic surrealism. The supporting women who get caught in his path towards self destruction are breath-taking, notably Zhang Ziyi. 2046 is a non-linear story that is definitely not for everyone, but those who appreciate it will not soon forget it.
7. Murderball
Directed By: Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro Starring: Keith Cavill, Andy Cohn, Scott Hogsett, Joe Soares, Mark Zupan
Murderball is everything that a good documentary should be: Honest, raw, unbiased, and relentlessly entertaining. The movie, which was a labor of love for directors Rubin and Shapiro, follows the lives of Quadriplegic Rugby players over 2.5 years leading up to the Paralympics. While many films portray disabled people with careless movie-of-the-week hokeyness, Murderball shows them as regular, flawed, competitive guys, who just happen to be in wheelchairs. They don't want your pity, and would probably kick your ass if you patronized them. The movie debunks a slew of handicapped clichés (like saying they can't have sex, which is a fallacy) and shows well rounded people with flaws, just like the rest of us. They will make you laugh with their wittiness and evoke inspiration with their ferocious spirits. Murderball is quite possibly the feel-good movie of the year.
8. The Constant Gardener
Directed By: Fernando Meirelles Written By: Jeffrey Caine Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Hubert Koundé, Danny Huston, Bill Nighy
After the brilliant movie City of God, director Meirelles could have sold out and gone for the big buck projects. Instead he has created another compelling movie about major political issues occurring in other countries that demand our attention. When diplomat Justin (Fiennes) meets activist Tessa (Weisz), they quickly fall in love and are married before really knowing each other. Tessa is murdered while pursuing a frightening truth about the pharmaceutical company, and in response, Justin seeks out justice for her death, and in the process falls more in love with her. The extremely intelligent political thriller educates us on shocking key issues without unfolding in a way that flies over our heads. The emotional core lies within the unusual love story of a man who, only in death, learns the truth about the woman he loved. It's a beautiful and engaging movie that really triggers your brain. I must admit, after seeing this movie, I felt guilty for not being more involved in charity work. Sometimes it's pitifully easy to lose sight of how great we have it.
9. Jarhead
Directed By: Sam Mendes Written By: William Broyles Jr. Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, Brian Geraghty
Sam Mendes is my hero. First he created American Beauty, which made me an even more avid movie fanatic, and now he made a war movie unlike any I've ever seen before. Jarhead, adapted from a memoir by Anthony Swofford about his experience in the Gulf War, is not your average action-packed guns blasting kind of war movie. In fact, it's hardly a war movie at all. The story is about a group of marines who are basically sitting around in a desert, losing their minds, and waiting for the war to actually begin. They have been trained to kill and are not seeing any action, and their lives back home are slowly fading from their grips. Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard are wonderful in their roles, as marine buddies who realize early on they are involved in a BS war, and are robbed of their chance to fight for a cause. The best thing about Jarhead is that it's not pro or anti war; it takes the middle road and allows us to draw our own conclusions.
10. Hustle & Flow
Directed By: Craig Brewer Written By: Craig Brewer Starring: Terrence Howard, Taryn Manning, Anthony Anderson, DJ Qualls, Ludacris, Taraji P. Henson, Elise Neal
Hustle & Flow is quite possibly the most fun I've had in a theater this year. Terrence Howard proves he is a big star just waiting to explode in this story about a Tennessee drug dealer with dreams of being a rapper. We've seen similar stories before (8 Mile, Get Rich Or Die Trying) but this movie far surpasses its competition, by casting a lead actor with raw talent as an actor. Plus, the movie is extremely entertaining, with its hilarious dialogue and tunes that will bring you to your feet. It's got soul, humor, and all the necessary ingredients to make a real crowd-pleaser. It's no wonder that the movie was so highly reviewed and impressed the audiences at Sundance. Hustle & Flow is prime entertainment done right.
Great Stuff that just missed the cut:
King Kong, Mysterious Skin, Chronicles of Narnia, Transamerica, Loggerheads, Batman Begins, March of the Penguins, Millions
Just in case you were wondering:
Last Days was the worst film of 2005. Watching people wander aimlessly without speaking for over an hour is not art, it's exhaustively pretentious. Dishonorable mentions: Palindromes, Dandelion, & Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
me with the way you see it.
