Favorites of 2005

You know the drill. Read this and then leave me a comment with what you think I got right and, more importantly, what I got wrong.

I am going to add something new at the bottom after the "Runner's Up" list called the "Overrated" list. This will give you a better idea of some of the movies that didn't make my yearly list that you might think should have made it.

2005 was a pretty terrible year for movies. Don't get me wrong; a couple of really amazing films came out in 2005, but some of the movie's on this list are simply on it from a lack of truly brilliant choices. Having said that, I still thought these were the best of the year, but I also think some of these choices will surprise some people.

10. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Mike Newell) - Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is selected to be the first underage participant in the Triwizard Tournament which pits students from three different schools against one another in complex and extremely dangerous events; meanwhile, Harry's dreams lead him to believe that his connections with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) may be stronger than he imagined. Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Art Direction (Stuart Craig, Stephanie McMillan). This is the first proof that 2005 was a crap year on the silver screen. Not that this wasn't a decent movie, but it is by far the worst Potter film to date. Newell as the new director seemed as if he couldn't decide to make it dark like Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban or more child-friendly like Colombus's first two films. Still, the rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, portrayed brilliantly by Fiennes, and the death of a key character does give the series the push it needed for the outstanding Order of the Phoenix to be as great as it was. FAVORITE SCENE: Potter and Voldemort finally meeting and having their wands crossed in an epic battle for good over evil.

9. SAW II (Darren Lynn Bousman) - A group of people locked in an abandoned and dangerous house are put through some tortuous tests in order to secure their freedom. Exhibit b as to why this wasn't a great year in movies. I am sure some of you are looking at my list of "Overrated" films and thinking that I should just stop talking about movies altogether for put this piece of disgusting, shock horror on my favorites instead of some of those, but too bad! Write your own blog if you care so much! Anyways, despite some questionable acting performances, this sequel to the mind-boggling original is actually pretty good. And it has an ending that has surprised me both times I saw it. So... whatever to the naysayers. Horror films can be good too! FAVORITE SCENE: The officers on the case for the missing people opening a safe to discover something that changes their whole perspective on what - and who - they are searching for...

8. CINDERELLA MAN (Ron Howard) - The true story of boxing legend James Braddock (Russell Crowe) as he goes from being a boxing world champion to the unlikely underdog, all the while trying to survive the depression of the 1930's. Oscar nominations for Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Makeup, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Paul Giamatti). Ok, so it was no Rocky, but this completely uplifting story has some of the finest performances of the year, including Renee Zellweger as Mrs. Braddock. But the man who steals the show is Giamatti as Joe Gould, Braddock's manager and coach. Howard truly captures the heartache and the triumph of a determined athlete to inspire a nation of troubled people. FAVORITE SCENE: Mrs. Braddock going to Gould's house to complain about her family's finances just to see that he is struggling just as much as they are.

7. THE COMEDIANS OF COMEDY (Michael Blieden) - A documentary of four somewhat popular "alternative" comedians (Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, Zach Galifianakis) as they tour the States. Like The Original Kings of Comedy for nerdy white kids. Some of the stand-up isn't hilarious, but it is worth seeing just to watch Galifianakis in his natural habitat ("I don't mean to be gross, but the only time it's ok to say, 'I have diarrhea,' is when you're playing Scrabble....... because it's worth a $&%*load of points.") Also, it's fun to see struggling comedians tour like an indie band in the backs of vans and staying in sketchy hotel rooms. FAVORITE SCENE: Oswalt and Posehn flaunting their fat, naked bodies at the end. Innapropriate, but for a guy who wonders whether he will ever grow out of thinking the male body is funny, it works.

6. ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW (Miranda July) - A newly single dad (John Hawkes) must learn to balance parenthood, work, and social-life, while his kids, his new love interest (July), and everyone else around him tries to simply do the right thing in their consistently flawed human forms. Multiple independent film award wins and nominations, including a win at Sundance for Special Jury Prize - Dramatic. Like Napoleon Dynamite on Prozac...but for adults. So quirky and funny that the awkward moments are almost forgettable. July's script is right on point for what life honestly feels like at times, where nothing goes quite how you thought it would, and you don't always understand why you do the things you do. FAVORITE SCENE: The opening scene where Hawkes' character, in a last ditch effort of trying to impress his kids in front of his ex-wife to show he is a good dad, lights his hand on fire.

5. BATMAN BEGINS (Christopher Nolan) - The account of millionaire-entrepeneur-orphan Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) rise to become Gotham City's terrifying masked-savior: Batman. Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Cinematography (Wally Pfister). Anyone who is a fan of the true, classic Batman knows that this is how he was meant to be: dark, frustrated, imperfect, and deep-voiced. Ok, Bale's Batman voice is slightly off-putting at first, but that is one of the few qualms of this superhero masterpiece. Not to mention that it leads into what is probably the best superhero movie, if not action movie in general, of the past twenty or thirty years starring possibly the greatest villain of all time....But I will talk more about that at the end of this year. FAVORITE SCENE: I love the juxtaposition of a noble Batman against Bruce Wayne as an almost unlikeable playboy in Gotham City's elite, shown by his swim in a hotel pond with two young women in the middle of a fancy dinner.

4. THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (Scott Derrickson) - A priest (Tom Wilkinson) and his agnostic lawyer (Laura Linney) are vainly fighting for his freedom as he is being prosecuted for the death of Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), a young girl who died while he was performing exorcisms on her. The scariest part of this movie is the fact that it is a true story. This young woman, according to a letter signed by Emily herself and the account of her priest, gave up her life in order to spread a message of hope to the world. Now, whether you believe in possession or deliverance thereof, this is still a terrifying film. The flashbacks of the exorcisms and Emily's life up to her death are not only scary, but cautionary in our pursuit of worldly and other-worldly comfort. FAVORITE SCENE: Emily's first exorcism in which she ends up in a barn speaking in seven different voices at the same time. In the scene, she speaks in Aramaic and Hebrew, neither of which she actually knew how to speak.

3. WALK THE LINE (James Mangold) - A biopic of the legendary Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), chronicling his tough childhood, his unlikely rise to fame, his eventual descent into drug-abuse, and the woman, June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), who stayed with him until the end. Oscar win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Witherspoon). First of all, the music is incredible! I was only a casual fan of Cash before the movie, and since then I can't get enough of it. Phoenix is amazing as the man in black, capturing the moodiness and the sadness perfectly. And Witherspoon is not only a perfect love interest for Phoenix's Cash, but her singing voice is outstanding, arguably a better singer than June Carter herself. FAVORITE SCENE: The musicians on tour, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley, all shooting off fireworks in the back of their motel.

2. WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT (Steve Box, Nick Park) - The man and dog dynamic duo have a pest-control company that has met its match during the annual giant vegetable contest when an otherworldly, overgrown bunny threatens to destroy all of their towns crops. Oscar win for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. I did not grow up watching the TV show or videos of Wallace and Gromit, but this was still the funniest movie of all 2005. The clay-animation was gorgeous, and the rabbits throughout the movie are cute and absolutely hilarious. Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter both lend their voices to great effect, reading Park and Bob Baker's fantastic script with the greatest of comic-ease. And of course the chemistry of Wallace and Gromit is so endearing that you just wanna grab some Play-Doh and hug it!....or something. FAVORITE SCENE: Wallace is having a conversation with Carter's character, while in the background a multitude of bunnies are gently being sucked into their rabbit holes to enventually end up in a giant glass ball.

1. HOTEL RWANDA (Terry George) - The amazing true story of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), a hotel owner in Rwanda who houses thousands of Tutsi refugees to keep them safe of the Hutu militia. 3 Oscar nominations, including Best Actor (Don Cheadle), Best Supporting Actress (Spohie Okonedo), Best Original Screenplay. Why this movie didn't win more awards, I don't know. It could be that it was almost too similar a story to Spielberg's masterpiece Schindler's List, but that shouldn't matter. If you don't know much about the genocide that is going on in places like Darfur, watch this film. If you have become numb to the idea of second and third world countries killing each other, watch this film. If you just wanna see brilliant acting and a simultaneously sad and enriching movie, watch this film. Cheadle is a revelation and should be slapped for being so good. FAVORITE SCENE: Paul having to make the tough decision to leave with his family to safety or stay behind to help keep the hotel and it's residents up and running.

RUNNER'S UP:

The Aristocrats, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Batman Vs. Dracula: The Animated Movie, The Squid and the Whale, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

OVERRATED:

Sideways, Million Dollar Baby, Crash, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, The Constant Gardener, Corpse Bride