THE BEST OF 2005
You've read the rest, now here's the best – the best of the top ten movies of 2005 lists that is. Of course none of this written in stone, my ten best lists are continually being updated and revised, but for now this is my best estimate of the year's most accomplished motion pictures (keeping in mind that I haven't seen such highly acclaimed films as A History of Violence, March of the Penguins, Murderball, Junebug and Proof).
01.Crash (9.0/A)
I’ve said it often enough, but it still bears repeating – Crash is the best film of 2005, hands down. Canadian filmmaker Paul Haggis uses multiple story lines linked by extraordinary coincidences to weave a disturbing, thought provoking tale of racism in America. The film’s release was met with mixed reviews and some harsh criticisms, but there’s no denying the power and controversy of Crash’s content as Haggis illuminates a problem that continues to gain momentum in the U.S. Here, much to his credit, Haggis doesn’t try to explain the problem, but simply shed light on it, revealing how truly complex and engrained it is in American culture. One of the great things about Crash is how balanced it is as Haggis doesn’t blame any one cultural group for the phenomenon (that would be too easy) – indeed, all groups represented are guilty of the same sin. A brilliant sociological commentary, Crash may read like an essay, but it is nonetheless compelling entertainment as well as the best cinematic representation I’ve seen about the racial problem in America. Apart from inspiring much debate and discussion, the best thing about Crash may be how successfully it demonstrates that the problem of racism is by no means a thing of the past, but a cancer, that is continually gaining new ground and finding new ways to undermine our culture. And forget the fact that the writing is exceptional and the cast is superb, any film responsible for getting such a good performance from Sandra Bullock deserves all the accolades it receives.
02.Munich (8.5/A-)
Spielberg’s spellbinding thriller is a powerful and compelling motion picture experience that is all at once reflective and provocative. Imbued with a remarkable sense of grace, Munich takes us through events of the past to reflect realities in the present and to foreshadow possibilities for the future. A cautionary tale in some respects, Munich takes no sides as it handles a controversial subject matter with great care, subtlety and balance.
03.Brokeback Mountain (8.0/A-)
Here, Ang Lee gets at the heart of the matter, bypassing political pitfalls to create a deeply moving love story that defies convention. His minimalist approach is the perfect complement to the inherent emotional power of the story, which is mediated superbly by the effective performances of the film’s lead actors. In Lee’s hands, Brokeback Mountain is nothing less than an emotional tour de force that leaves you with the haunting sense that love denied is justice denied.
04.Match Point (8.0/A-)
This absorbing, evocative thriller is one of Woody Allen’s best films in years. Unlike anything he’s ever made, Allen crafts a hypnotic piece of work that toys with our expectations, taking us places we don’t suspect. All the performances are first rate, but the real star of the film is its excellent screenplay that puts a twist on Shakespearean tragedy, giving a potent, thought provoking account of love, murder and luck.
05.Walk the Line (7.5/B+)
If it weren’t for Hoffman in Capote, Joaquin Phoenix would probably have been the front-runner in the Oscar race as Phoenix is simply electrifying as Johnny Cash. Forget the fact that he does his own singing; Phoenix commands the screen in a way that is truly rare – portraying the music legend with amazing charisma and veracity. Reese Witherspoon is very good, but she pales in comparison to Phoenix, who superbly mediates the true-life character’s virtues and vices, creating a screen vision of Cash that is magnetic, sympathetic and unforgettable.
06.Capote (7.5/B+)
The best performance of the year, male or otherwise, is from Philip Seymour Hoffman in this extraordinary story of Truman Capote’s efforts to pen his classic and influential fact based novel, In Cold Blood. Every second he’s on screen, Hoffman is mesmerizing as he mediates a Capote that is as unlikable as he is fascinating – a brilliant man who is willing to go to any lengths for his art, dehumanizing himself in the process. Indeed, the performance is nothing less than astonishing and it alone is enough reason for this disturbing chapter of Capote’s life to be in the top 10.
07.Good Night and Good Luck (7.5/B+)
Taking us through some of the events of the McCarthy era, George Clooney creates a poignant film that in some respects simply scratches the surface of those turbulent times, but a film that nevertheless packs an emotional wallop. Good Night and Good Luck is the true story of CBS broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, who boldly challenged the paranoid insanity of Senator McCarthy during the Cold War. David Strathairn’s understated performance is quite effective as he paints a cinematic portrait of courage that is truly inspiring.
08.The Squid and the Whale (7.5/B+)
The key to the success of Squid and the Whale is rooted not only in the writing but also in two of the film’s lead performances, that of Jeff Daniels and Jesse Eisenberg. The writing is of course superb and the direction is right on the mark, finding a near perfect balance between comedy and tragedy, but both Daniels and Eisenberg strike just the right note in both their respective performances – so much so, that they leave us wanting to see more of their respective characters. When handled correctly, nothing is as funny as dysfunctional families and Squid and the Whale is evidence of this. Hilarious and deliciously offbeat, this is the best family comedy since The Royal Tenenbaums.
09.Jarhead (7.5/B+)
This is a movie that didn’t get the critical attention it deserved, but Jarhead is a truly unnerving look at the war mentality of the American soldier. Based on real life accounts of one soldier’s experience during Desert Storm, Jarhead is one of the most unconventional war films ever made, as the focus of the story is not the external war, but the internal one. Jake Gyllenhaal does an excellent job of taking us into the depths of that interior battle, to create a worthy cinematic expression of the psychological process necessary to adopt a mindset for killing.
10.The New World (7.5/B+)
The New World is Terrence Malick’s first film since his highly acclaimed war epic, The Thin Red Line. This latest effort is an unusual love story told in an unconventional way – the Malick way, where plot and dialogue are secondary to visuals and where symbols are the main vehicle for mediating the emotional power of the story. Personally, it’s not a style of filmmaking that I’m fond of or even comfortable with, but here Malick makes it work as he inundates the screen with images that speak volumes. And even though I’m not exactly sure what the visual symbols mean or what they’re saying, I found myself connecting with them on a gut emotional level. I also found the images rather soothing, as the entire experience of New World is more akin to a kind of relaxing, meditative, new age seminar than a movie. Despite this, at no point does the inherent power of the story get lost amidst the brilliant array of visual poetry.
Runners Up:
11.The Matador
12.The Constant Gardener
13.Cinderella Man
14.Pride and Prejudice
15.The 40 Year Old Virgin
16.Grizzly Man
17.Syriana
18.King Kong
19.The Weather Man
20.North Country
I’ve said it often enough, but it still bears repeating – Crash is the best film of 2005, hands down. Canadian filmmaker Paul Haggis uses multiple story lines linked by extraordinary coincidences to weave a disturbing, thought provoking tale of racism in America. The film’s release was met with mixed reviews and some harsh criticisms, but there’s no denying the power and controversy of Crash’s content as Haggis illuminates a problem that continues to gain momentum in the U.S. Here, much to his credit, Haggis doesn’t try to explain the problem, but simply shed light on it, revealing how truly complex and engrained it is in American culture. One of the great things about Crash is how balanced it is as Haggis doesn’t blame any one cultural group for the phenomenon (that would be too easy) – indeed, all groups represented are guilty of the same sin. A brilliant sociological commentary, Crash may read like an essay, but it is nonetheless compelling entertainment as well as the best cinematic representation I’ve seen about the racial problem in America. Apart from inspiring much debate and discussion, the best thing about Crash may be how successfully it demonstrates that the problem of racism is by no means a thing of the past, but a cancer, that is continually gaining new ground and finding new ways to undermine our culture. And forget the fact that the writing is exceptional and the cast is superb, any film responsible for getting such a good performance from Sandra Bullock deserves all the accolades it receives.
02.Munich (8.5/A-)
Spielberg’s spellbinding thriller is a powerful and compelling motion picture experience that is all at once reflective and provocative. Imbued with a remarkable sense of grace, Munich takes us through events of the past to reflect realities in the present and to foreshadow possibilities for the future. A cautionary tale in some respects, Munich takes no sides as it handles a controversial subject matter with great care, subtlety and balance.
03.Brokeback Mountain (8.0/A-)
Here, Ang Lee gets at the heart of the matter, bypassing political pitfalls to create a deeply moving love story that defies convention. His minimalist approach is the perfect complement to the inherent emotional power of the story, which is mediated superbly by the effective performances of the film’s lead actors. In Lee’s hands, Brokeback Mountain is nothing less than an emotional tour de force that leaves you with the haunting sense that love denied is justice denied.
04.Match Point (8.0/A-)
This absorbing, evocative thriller is one of Woody Allen’s best films in years. Unlike anything he’s ever made, Allen crafts a hypnotic piece of work that toys with our expectations, taking us places we don’t suspect. All the performances are first rate, but the real star of the film is its excellent screenplay that puts a twist on Shakespearean tragedy, giving a potent, thought provoking account of love, murder and luck.
05.Walk the Line (7.5/B+)
If it weren’t for Hoffman in Capote, Joaquin Phoenix would probably have been the front-runner in the Oscar race as Phoenix is simply electrifying as Johnny Cash. Forget the fact that he does his own singing; Phoenix commands the screen in a way that is truly rare – portraying the music legend with amazing charisma and veracity. Reese Witherspoon is very good, but she pales in comparison to Phoenix, who superbly mediates the true-life character’s virtues and vices, creating a screen vision of Cash that is magnetic, sympathetic and unforgettable.
06.Capote (7.5/B+)
The best performance of the year, male or otherwise, is from Philip Seymour Hoffman in this extraordinary story of Truman Capote’s efforts to pen his classic and influential fact based novel, In Cold Blood. Every second he’s on screen, Hoffman is mesmerizing as he mediates a Capote that is as unlikable as he is fascinating – a brilliant man who is willing to go to any lengths for his art, dehumanizing himself in the process. Indeed, the performance is nothing less than astonishing and it alone is enough reason for this disturbing chapter of Capote’s life to be in the top 10.
07.Good Night and Good Luck (7.5/B+)
Taking us through some of the events of the McCarthy era, George Clooney creates a poignant film that in some respects simply scratches the surface of those turbulent times, but a film that nevertheless packs an emotional wallop. Good Night and Good Luck is the true story of CBS broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, who boldly challenged the paranoid insanity of Senator McCarthy during the Cold War. David Strathairn’s understated performance is quite effective as he paints a cinematic portrait of courage that is truly inspiring.
08.The Squid and the Whale (7.5/B+)
The key to the success of Squid and the Whale is rooted not only in the writing but also in two of the film’s lead performances, that of Jeff Daniels and Jesse Eisenberg. The writing is of course superb and the direction is right on the mark, finding a near perfect balance between comedy and tragedy, but both Daniels and Eisenberg strike just the right note in both their respective performances – so much so, that they leave us wanting to see more of their respective characters. When handled correctly, nothing is as funny as dysfunctional families and Squid and the Whale is evidence of this. Hilarious and deliciously offbeat, this is the best family comedy since The Royal Tenenbaums.
09.Jarhead (7.5/B+)
This is a movie that didn’t get the critical attention it deserved, but Jarhead is a truly unnerving look at the war mentality of the American soldier. Based on real life accounts of one soldier’s experience during Desert Storm, Jarhead is one of the most unconventional war films ever made, as the focus of the story is not the external war, but the internal one. Jake Gyllenhaal does an excellent job of taking us into the depths of that interior battle, to create a worthy cinematic expression of the psychological process necessary to adopt a mindset for killing.
10.The New World (7.5/B+)
The New World is Terrence Malick’s first film since his highly acclaimed war epic, The Thin Red Line. This latest effort is an unusual love story told in an unconventional way – the Malick way, where plot and dialogue are secondary to visuals and where symbols are the main vehicle for mediating the emotional power of the story. Personally, it’s not a style of filmmaking that I’m fond of or even comfortable with, but here Malick makes it work as he inundates the screen with images that speak volumes. And even though I’m not exactly sure what the visual symbols mean or what they’re saying, I found myself connecting with them on a gut emotional level. I also found the images rather soothing, as the entire experience of New World is more akin to a kind of relaxing, meditative, new age seminar than a movie. Despite this, at no point does the inherent power of the story get lost amidst the brilliant array of visual poetry.
Runners Up:
11.The Matador
12.The Constant Gardener
13.Cinderella Man
14.Pride and Prejudice
15.The 40 Year Old Virgin
16.Grizzly Man
17.Syriana
18.King Kong
19.The Weather Man
20.North Country
THE RICKTER-SCALE:
10 (A+) – extraordinary, a masterpiece
9.5/9.0 (A) – exceptional, a milestone
8.5/8.0 (A-) – excellent, a classic
7.5/7.0 (B+) – very good, a near classic
6.5/6.0 (B) – good
5.5/5.0 (B-) – fair
4.5/4.0 (C+) – poor
3.5/3.0 (C) – very poor, a near disaster
2.5/2.0 (C-) – terrible, a total disaster
1.5/1.0 (D+) – torture, a catastrophe
0.5/0.0 (F) – abysmal, the end of film as an artform
10 (A+) – extraordinary, a masterpiece
9.5/9.0 (A) – exceptional, a milestone
8.5/8.0 (A-) – excellent, a classic
7.5/7.0 (B+) – very good, a near classic
6.5/6.0 (B) – good
5.5/5.0 (B-) – fair
4.5/4.0 (C+) – poor
3.5/3.0 (C) – very poor, a near disaster
2.5/2.0 (C-) – terrible, a total disaster
1.5/1.0 (D+) – torture, a catastrophe
0.5/0.0 (F) – abysmal, the end of film as an artform
posted by Rix Flix at 12:58 AM
4 Comments:
aggggggghhhhh...Nice try.
Here's the real list:
1. Munich
1. (tie) Match Point
2. The Devil & Daniel Johnston
3. Grizzly Man
4. The Squid & The Whale
5. Wallace & Grommit: Curse of the Were-Rabit
6. Capote
7. Oliver Twist
8. Syriana
9. Walk the Line
10. King Kong (?)
Overall, a great year for movies.
All your top 10 movies of the entire year are US Hollywood movies? No foreign/independant/documentaries?
Failed list :(
Even if that were true, WHICH IT ISN'T, so what - I have no problem with US Hollywood movies and I think it's entirely possible for a top ten movie list to consist entirely of Hollywood movies.
If anyone here is interested, they are holding a worst best picture survey here. Word is that "Crash" is getting slaughtered as the worst of all 78 winners, so if you like it you might check out the details and try to lower the worst score for "Crash"
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