Having written reviews on and off for around eight years now, I hope I've demonstrated growth as a reviewer and would like to thank the compliments and complaints I've gotten from readers about them. I love getting into a debate about reviews and always welcome intelligent dialogue about what I've written with any who cares to e-mail. I must also thank everyone for their patience with some of these reviews, writing most of these babies at 3am yields some not exactly laudable spelling or grammatical errors. Plus being in Australia but organising reviews around US release dates proves extremely difficult some times, especially at this time of year when the tyranny of distance proves very frustrating.
That's why this column has ultimately ended up running about 2-3 weeks later than most critics, I needed that extra time to catch up on some titles. Unfortunately not all were available to view before writing up this list, so some key ones didn't make it. I plan to catch up on these missing ones either on DVD or when I visit New York at the end of this month, so be advised this list may change in coming weeks. Those that didn't make it are listed down the bottom so before you go screaming at me about missing an entry, make sure its not one of those in the list.
As a year in terms of film quality, 2005 will probably go down in the books as the year audiences really started to show they're fed up with the need to go racing out for shit anymore. With DVDs making things so much easier and TV show production quality arguably at its best ever, an expensive night out at the movies is becoming a less desirable prospect to the point that many just stay home and wait for DVD. Indeed if it weren't for me doing this job, many of the movies that get released I wouldn't see because quite frankly most of it is crap - sometimes fun, sometimes awful - but almost all crap.
Whilst not a bumper year, 2005 was not a wash either. The field was strewn with movies of ranging quality with little to no real exceptional works. Even the movies which made my Top Ten contain any number of flaws that mar their surface from becoming great, but underneath are solid cinematic vehicles made with passion, intelligence and a daringness that helps overcome the odd pacing lag or dialogue fumble. In this messy year here are my personal favourites, the films that may not have been the 'best movies' but are the ones that'll be getting a lot of love from my DVD player in the future:
1. Brokeback Mountain
Certain films you adore, certain films you respond to with enthusiasm, and then there are the films that haunt you - 'Brokeback' is one of those. Understated to the point of almost lacking a pulse, this is a film where every inflection, every physical gesture or just a moment of silence speaks volumes. It works because its so simple - a very universal story about forbidden love, filmed with delicate care, amazing performances (Ledger is a true revelation) and breathtaking visuals. Emotionally I'm more than willing to admit that I'm a cold fish - I never, EVER cry in movies. The closest I ever get is a little teary-eyed and the last time I felt that in a cinema was in that great final scene on the street in "Lost in Translation". "Brokeback" not only made me teary-eyed toward the end, everytime I think back at length on it now I get that way.Lee style is so subtle, so delicate that your emotional reaction you'll find delayed - this isn't a movie about heartbreak, its about loss - feelings that are just as powerful but much more understated. When you walk out of the film you'll probably feel a disconnect - I know I did, I was hoping for something to make me blubber like a little girl when in reality I felt more a sense of mild sadness and sorrow. It wasn't until days later, looking back on it that it really hit me like a freight train how much this film got to me. Scenes, moments, little looks and lines stuck in my head and made me feel that heartbreak I was expecting, and I feel it every time I think back now - unlike most 'weepies' which I look back on and laugh thinking about how I reacted to it.
Of course any film with a 'gay issue' that gets a lot of buzz becomes political and sadly this one already has. Some audiences who don't entirely like it or get into it are being labelled homophobes, likewise those who really dig it are being said to only liking it because its PC or its furthering some sort of agenda. In both cases not only are both claims wrong in all but the rarest of cases, but its a huge insult to the artistry and integrity of the work. Ultimately, 'Brokeback' isn't a movie that chokes you up on the spot only to quickly vanish once you've finished watching. Like a great piece of art it gets under your skin, changes your perspective on how you live your life, and carries on with you long after you've seen it. Simply put, its breath taking.
2. Batman Begins
On first viewing "Batman Begins" is a solid movie, and an interesting reinvention of the superhero genre - a genre that had already been slipping into mediocrity due to some recent less than stellar adaptations (Elektra, Catwoman, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Punisher). Ultimately superhero movies are like the James Bond films - they're all variations on a theme, all following the same basic plot of a hero stopping a villain's scheme to destroy or takeover a large area (from as small as a city to as large as the world). Like the Bond films though, the formula stills works beautifully provided the production and the details are all rich, fresh, original and crafted not just with love but care and smarts as well. The recent "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" films were very enjoyable pieces of entertainment, but they all felt like what they were - well-directed formulaic family-oriented fantasy blockbusters. "Batman Begins" is the first of the recent bunch that succeeds in being something else ("Hulk" tried but failed), in this case a smart, dark, adult-aimed drama. Indeed one could say "Batman Begins" few comic book elements, from the 'city in peril' last act to some of the somewhat odd sounding names like 'Ras Al Ghul', are its only weak points (well those and one performance in particular, anyone who sees the film will know whom I'm talking about). Its a movie rich in texture and substance, filled to the brim with a bunch of Oscar winning actors doing excellent work and treating the material with utter conviction. Its grounded old fashioned effects pack far more power and grunt than even the most imaginative CG, same with its sense of gritty brutal street fighting rather than tired wire-fu ballets. Best of all a richly layered and involving psychological story about one man's need to overcome his personal fears - and yet it always keeps in mind that its an action movie (and thus keeps the pace up and the adrenaline flowing). Sure its a little slow in its first act, but its a smarter and more engaging experience than a lot expected, and you'll come out of it very pleased even if your interest in comics is very minor like mine.
After I watched it, I saw it again... and again... and again. I've sat down and watched the film in full five times now (and believe me most recent films I watch maybe twice at most), but certain scenes I've rewatched maybe two dozen times. Whereas almost every film I see doesn't hold up under repeated viewings, this one grows on me practically every single time and even now I'm nowhere near tired of it. 'Begins' has set a benchmark so high that as much as I would love a sequel, its going to be almost impossible to top this.
3. A History of Violence
Restraint can be a very good thing for an artistic filmmaker, forcing them to curb their self indulgence before it gets out of control. I've never been the biggest of David Lynch fans, but when his unique sense of the strange is forced into a more conventional narrative (ala "Twin Peaks", the first 2/3 of "Mulholland Drive"), the result are the helmer's best works - comfortably familiar and yet imaginative, inventive, ambitious and daring (although I do have a soft spot for the unique insanity of "Blue Velvet"). Now, "A History of Violence" has done the same for another filmmaker - pushed the even stranger sensibilities of David Cronenberg ("The Fly", "Naked Lunch") into a more conventional story and the result is cinema that's arguably his best effort yet.Why does it work? Cronenberg essentially sticks to all the cinematic hallmarks of your average Western, but sets it in a modern small town. The story is deliberately paced, the dialogue curt and repetitive, and the general subplots somewhat generic. Yet it flows because it refuses to stretch itself, sticking with keeping everything very simple and refusing to mold to anyone but Cronenberg's wishes. We're given time to know this family, to understand our lead's way of thinking, and to make our own moral judgements on what should be done.
Yet what really pushes this to the top is the moments that it breaks out of the mold to deliver its shocks. The sex and nudity which is playful, explicit and even edgy for today's jaded audiences is quite a shock. More so is the very few moments of violence which show it for what it really is - fast, brutal and sickening. American cinema overseas is well known for its glorification of violence, especially its westerns, which is why Cronenberg's deconstruction of the genre is such a spectacular piece of work.
4. Good Night, and Good Luck
On the surface this is a near perfect film - every scene is relevant and tight, the look and blending of real footage with fictional is flawless, the performances sublime, the direction so confident and efficient its breath taking, and its all about issues which are both timeless and striking relevant to this very moment... and yet something about it is off. I'm not sure if its Clooney's desire to be objective here but emotionally this film only resonated some of the time with me, its utterly straightforward approach makes this feel much more like a documentary than a feature so one can't really emotionally become involved in the narrativeWe live in a similar time now when Western culture (not just the US) is headed frighteningly towards embracing fascism so its important that films like these get made, and if this won the Oscar I wouldn't complain - its without a doubt a stunning production that's an accomplishment even the most veteran filmmaker would be proud of (and its only Clooney's second film). Yet this was a film I was desperate to embrace and I got a little bit of a cold shoulder, then again the superb trailer for it completely mismarkets what kind of film one expects (I admittedly went in expecting a thriller). Maybe upon further viewings it'll warm up to me I don't know. Don't let my hesitancy with it stop you though, its a great film that's definitely worth seeing. Going in with the perspective that this is a pseudo-documentary, its practically flawless and utterly riveting.
5. Munich
Not the slam dunk people were hoping it would be, that doesn't take away from the fact that Steven Spielberg's "Munich" is a strong piece of filmmaking that's probably his best work in the last decade. "Munich" is essentially two films in one - the first is an efficiently shot, brutal, and confronting 1970's espionage thriller that harkens back to such classic films as "The Conversation" and "The Day of the Jackal". With a very dark sense of realism, and locations that hop all around Europe and the Middle East, these various scenes deliver a film that feels based on a book of which the likes of authors Len Deighton or Frederick Forsythe would be proud to call their own.Framing that though is a powerful, albeit familiar story of a young man who blindly commits horrendous deeds for what he sees as the good of his country, only to be left an emotionally hollow shell by the end who can't move on with his life which now seems somewhat empty. Its a familiar story, every war movie from "Platoon" to the recent "Jarhead" essentially used the same plot, but its superbly acted, emotionally engrossing and boldly ends with a lot things left hanging. The two different parts of the movie don't always gel with each other - at times very clunkily slipping into creakily blunt symbolism (such as the infamous sex/massacre juxtaposition). Yet at others it effectively brings a more human side to bigger issues such as an interesting albeit tokenly inserted conversation scene between bitter enemies on a stairwell.
Spielberg's a humanist first and foremost, which makes certain moments of this more emotionally resonant than you'd expect, even if it takes away from some of the realism (if terrorists were really as insubordinate as these guys they would've been killed very quickly). Spielberg's ambiguous final stand and simplifying of certain issues is a little frustrating, and the film certainly is in need of more editing, but that doesn't take away from its power. Interesting, engrossing and compelling.
6. The Constant Gardener
Fernando Meirelles brings his very 'on the ground' rough shooting style from the superb Brazillian slum film "City of God" to take on a John Le Carre novel, a man most famous for penning big time political thrillers exposing corruption within the British government and various foreign intelligence establishments. Not the most ideal of mixes it seems, yet the result is a political thriller that looks like no other - a poigniant, bleak and very dark tale about a man who loses his wife and his determination to find out why, in the process exposing the western world's abuse of the third world to make a profit.Were it done like a regular studio thriller it would probably have been more embraced by a mass audience, but what makes it unique is Meirelles style which treats Hollywood cliches like anathema. No happy endings, no flash effects, everything about this film feels so real and so intimate its astonishing - when Rachel Weisz walks through a slum in Africa, its like were watching a National Geographic documentary or a Unicef commerical, you feel right there - which is why it makes the more shocking moments all the more compelling.
Combined with its bleak outlook and shocking ending, the only real downside is that some of the 'baddies' never get the proper level of character development. Its a minor complaint though, what you have here is an excellent redefinition of the word 'thriller' into something more powerful and surprising.
7. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Just when you thought the old buddy action/comedy formula was dead, along came the man whom many say invented it to show us how its all done. A little too convoluted for its own good, and its jokes a little dated at times,
that doesn't stop the fact that Shane Black's "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" is certainly the year's funniest film, and easily amongst both its smartest and most entertaining. One of the worst things about being a film critic is having to sit through several dozen lacklustre features labelled 'comedies' every year, when in reality these tired old beasts are anything but funny. The laughs are generic, low-brow, and so dumb that one can feel their brain cell count actually dropping - something that only large amounts of alcohol can do with equal measure and drinking is far more fun.
'Kiss' is the opposite, an enjoyable detective noir story combined with all sorts of humour from basic dark comedy slapstick involving dead bodies being moved around, sex references of the crude and clever type, and some of the best observational satirical jabs at the Los Angeles lifestyle ever done on film (certainly a lot more fun than the acclaimed "The Player"). If all comedies were pulled off with this level of intelligence, wit and daringness then you can bet people would flock back to the cinema in droves.
8. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
9. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
A lot of film critics tend to avoid putting family films on their Top Ten lists because it seems beneath them or something. Why that is I have no idea, personally I find when done well family films can be amongst the best films out there, the first and foremost reason I watch movies to this day is to escape into a piece of entertainment - for the runtime of a film I want to be engaged and enjoy myself which helps me forget the many troubles both personal and professional that bear on my mind every day. In recent years Pixar has ruled the genre with its CG animated epics, but this year saw two films come along that sit right up there with the likes of "Finding Nemo" or "The Incredibles".
First "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit", it may lack the budget of the big American films, but it makes up for it with more genuine warmth and charm. A true comedy for all ages, it takes the beloved characters from the Oscar-winning shorts and expands them into their own feature. The trouble with this formula of course is that what works over half an hour may not be able to sustain itself over a length three times that amount. 'Curse' has the opposite effect, the film proves stronger than any of the shorts that came before it. The story does have the odd lag early on but never fails to hold one's interest and by the last half hour is a non-stop mixture of camp innuendos, wild slapstick and inventive action.Whilst 'Curse' was an example of how good a family film made outside the Hollywood system can be, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is an example of how good a film within that system can get. Whilst it lacked the artistic visuals of its predecessor 'Azkaban', this fourth entry in the franchise finally dumped the need to be a slave to the books and set out first and foremost to be a good film in its own right. The result was a film that flowed beautifully, was stocked with unique characters, offered plenty of British wit and character drama, and had some surprisingly dark moments amidst some breathtaking action set pieces. Here was film that flowed smoother, and felt both more polished and compelling than any of its predecessors - not to mention it was the first to properly portray Hogwarts as an English school.
10. Syriana
Every year there's many a film that is so ineptly stupid that only the least discerning viewer will get any enjoyment out of it. Rare though does one find a film that's too smart for almost anyone - even the most jaded filmgoer. "Syriana" makes no apologies or attempts to coddle its audience - you're thrown right into the midst of events and expected to follow with keen interest. A lap in concentration for even half a minute and you'll be lost, and if you don't have a good grasp of world politics, America's foreign policy history with the Middle East, or think terms like peak oil and Hasbellah are types of food then you'll have no hope with this movie. I'd like to think of myself as relatively up to speed on politics in the world today and despite one or two moments where I knew I obviously missed something, "Syriana" made clear sense to me. As a result I could see an interesting experiment of a film, one of those slice of life dramas filled with many different characters all involved in and around the world's oil markets at various different levels. The film is a colder and less emotionally engaging film than the Gaghan scripted traffic, but in many ways its even more ambitious. It boldly attempts to tell a good 5-6 hours worth of stories in less than half that time, and whilst some obviously suffer for it (most notably one involving young men becoming terrorists), it is never dull and certainly feels like its been crafted with not only care but a great deal of intelligence and forethought. A high calibre piece of filmmaking that'll stand the test of time for many a year to come.
Didn't Make The Top Ten, But Highly Recommend:
The 40 Year Old Virgin, The Aristocrats, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Cinderella Man, Corpse Bride, Crash, Howl's Moving Castle, In Her Shoes, The Interpreter, King Kong, Layer Cake, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Murderball, Mysterious Skin, Pride and Prejudice, Red Eye, Sin City, Walk the Line, War of the Worlds
Acclaimed Films I Didn't Get To See In Time For Consideration: 2046, The Best of Youth, Broken Flowers, Capote, Cache, Downfall, Grizzly Man, Last Days, Me & You & Everyone We Know, Match Point, The New World, Nine Lives, The Squid and the Whale, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
My Top Ten of 2004
1. Closer
2. The Incredibles
3. Kinsey
4. Hotel Rwanda
5. Kill Bill, Volume II
6. Collateral
7. The Aviator
8. The Bad Education
9. Sideways
10. Million Dollar Baby
My Top Ten of 2003
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. Finding Nemo
3. Shattered Glass
4. Lost in Translation
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
6. Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World
7. The Fog of War
8. X2: X-Men United
9. The Last Samurai
10. Phone Booth
