The Best Films of 2005

Yeah, so this is very delayed, but I figured I would go ahead and share anyway. I'm going to guess that most of you haven't seen but two or maybe three of these movies. If you've seen them all, then 100 cool points to you. These are, in my opinion, the 10 best movies that I saw in 2005. Okay, I saw a couple of them in 2006, but that's what happens when movies don't make it to theaters where I live until a month or two after they're released.

1. Junebug

Junebug is a small movie. (It played on fewer than 150 screens in the US). However, it's the most truthful portrayal of life in smaller towns that I've ever seen. The movie deftly and subtly displays the differeneces between traditional big city and small town mentalities. Furthermore, it brings to light how behavior varies from one situation to the next. The characters have depth and the reasonings behind their actions are not explicitly explained. Isn't that true of most of our actions in real life? In the end, you're left with the feeling that you know so much about these characters, but that you also might not know anything at all. Amy Adams shines as Ashley, delivering the best performance in any movie this year. Junebug is the best film of 2005.

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2. Crash

If you live in the US, then I'm sure you've heard of Crash. It was released way back in May and it still has people talking. I think that says something about the movie's power. The easiest way to describe Crash is to say it is a movie about racial issues that takes place over about 36 hours in Los Angeles. However, that doesn't convey just how far-reaching this movie is. It is a 2-hour parable. Crash presents you with one point of view and just when you think you have it figured out, it turns everything on its head and makes you think again. Crash will make you examine yourself and your own prejudices, which you probably didn't even know were there.

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3. Oldboy

Oldboy is an incredibly violent movie, or at least you think it is after you're finished watching it. In reality, much of the violence is off-camera and only a few characters actually die onscreen. The implied violence is brutal at times, which is reason enough to remember the movie, but it's the underlying reasons for the violence that make the movie so memorable. Director Chan-Wook Park tells a tale of a man who is locked up for 15 years, by who and for what reason, he does not know. The bulk of the story is about this man's search for answers. At its peak, Oldboy played on 28 screens in the US, so it's no surprise that very few had the opportunity to see it. That's a shame. Oldboy is not for the faint of heart, but it's an ingenius story told masterfully.

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4. Capote

Capote is a movie that I think validates me (and my friend Ricky) and our appreciation for the incredible talent of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Capote tells the story of real-life author Truman Capote and his attempt to write a book based on a murder in Kansas. Hoffman has rightfully receieved critical acclaim for his performance in the movie and without him I'm sure the movie would be far less powerful. However, we musn't ignore the story. The story of Capote's attempt to write his book is compelling and Hoffman portrays brilliantly a man torn between his desire to finish his story and his affection for the killers that form the subject of the book. I think Hoffman deserved an Oscar for his performance in Owning Mahowny so it's nice to finally see him getting the recognition he deserves.

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5. Proof

Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins headline this small-budget flick that is based on a play. Maybe that's why the dialogue is so well-written. Paltrow stars as the daughter of Hopkins - a brilliant, but literally crazy mathematician. Hopkins shows yet again what a fine actor he is. Solid supporting performances are also turned in by Jake Gyllenhaal and Hope Davis, but this is Paltrow's movie. Paltrow is magnetic even as her character tries to push others away and her simple reading of a piece of paper will break your heart. The bulk of the film is devoted to her character as she tries to make sense of her father as well as her own brilliance and possible insanity.

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6. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Tommy Lee Jones makes his directorial debut in this tale of friendship on the Texas/Mexico border. The story is unique and powerful. Of course, I would expect nothing less from Guillermo Arriaga, the man who wrote Amores Perros and 21 Grams. Jones stars as a cowboy whose best friend is Melquiades Estrada, an illegal immigrant from Mexico. Melquiades is killed and Jones wants justice. However, this is more than just a revenge movie. The story is one of isolation. All the characters in the film suffer from isolation and loneliness and when Jones loses his best friend he is overcome by it. Jones is outstanding in his portrayal of the old cowboy as is Barry Pepper as a border patrol officer.

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7. Munich

Munich is the latest offering from acclaimed director Steven Spielberg. Spielberg, perhaps like no other director of my time, is able to skillfully make a wide variety of movies. The same man that made Jurassic Park and E.T. also made Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan and now Munich. Munich is based on the true-life story of a group of Israeli "soliders" who go about exacting revenge on the Palestinian terrorists who killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics. Eric Bana plays Avner, the leader of the group, and the man through which we experience the retribution and the consequences of said retribution. The consequences are, of course, on both a personal and societal level and Spielberg is wise to take us but so far before allowing us to figure out the rest for ourselves. Political and religious opinions aren't something that you can be assigned. They are personal and deeply held and how we try to rectify the differences we have with others in those respects is what Munich is all about.

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8. Sin City

Sin City is the other incredibly violent flick on the list. However, unlike Oldboy, Sin City's violence takes place right in front of the camera. Sin City is essentially a twisted live-action cartoon so instead of red blood, we get white blood. Actors and actresses undergo physical transformations and there is even a character who is completely yellow. Yes, yellow. Of all the movies on this list, Sin City is probably the most well-known and the one that most of you will have seen. The story (or stories, as it were) of the movie is almost inconsequential. This is a movie for Robert Rodriguez to do his thing and he does it well. Sin City is a treat for the eye and imagination and I look forward to the sequel.

Buy Sin City on DVD or Buy it on Super-Duper Special Edition DVD

9. Palindromes

Todd Solondz's latest movie makes you about as uncomfortable as his previous movies. If you've seen any of those, then you pretty much know what to expect here. Palindromes tells the story of a young girl named Aviva. The details of her life can't adequately be explained in one paragraph. Plus, to try and explain what happens in the movie would betray what I think is the point of the movie. The character of Aviva is played by 8 different actresses and 1 actor. Like Crash, Palindromes shows you a point-of-view and convinces you of its correctness only to turn around a few minutes later and show you that a completely different point-of-view might be just as correct. At least that's what I think is happening. It's never easy to tell with Solondz. If you're interested in truly unique movies, then put Palindromes at the top of your list.

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10. The Upside of Anger

I read a column in the Chicago Tribune the other day, which said that this year female roles have basically been relegated to "nurturing friends, neglected wives, pregnant helpmeets, and objects of lust." Clearly the author didn't see The Upside of Anger (or Proof for that matter). The Upside of Anger is all about a strong woman. Joan Allen stars as a mother of 4 daughters (Look, more strong women!) who is abandoned by her husband. How does she deal with this? She gets angry and drinks a lot. She makes friends with a nice man who lives around the corner (Kevin Costner, surprisingly not annoying us) who is also kind of angry and likes to drink a lot. Writer/Director Mike Bender created the movie for Joan Allen and she doesn't let him down. Allen gives us a strong woman who is trying her level best to keep her family together even though she can barely keep herself together. The Upside of Anger edges out Match Point and Me and You and Everyone We Know to round out this year's Top 10 List.

Buy The Upside of Anger on DVD