TOP 10 2005

[pete]

1. A Bittersweet life(so moving)
2. Kung Fu Hustle (such creativity)
3. Batman Begins (except for when the second half turned into a generic summer action movie)
4. Sha Po Lang (Nice to see you again fight choreography. Welcome back great framing)
5-10. I don't care.

guys, lemme welcome my friend shinwa, who's FUCKING WATCHED A Bittersweet LIfe and Sha Po Lang.
What've you ever done for me, rest of xixax?

oh, and as much as I laugh at how normal Andyk is at everything (and how he talks about showbiz like all those "creative types" I make fun of passive aggressively in real life 'cause they go out with my ex-girl and premature ejaculate, true story), picking on him in the list thread is just wrong. 

[Gold Trumpet]

Making lists should come with requirements. Everyone thinks certain films are up for ridicule and certain ones are up for praise. I disagree as much with the Hollywood blockbuster lists as I do with the indie ones. Explain yourself people. Marking yourself intelligent based on how good you think your taste is just looks dumb.

Asshole comment, I know. I really have no ill will toward anyone but the abuse on the first page was dreadful.

[grand theft sparrow]

Here is my Best of 2005 List
1. Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith:
2. Munich:
3. King Kong:
4. Wedding Crashers:
5. Cinderella Man:
6. Lord of War:
7. The Island:
8. Batman Begins:
9. Tiempo de Valientes:
10. Two for the Money:

i hate to say this but your list is as bad as eberts...

seconded

Be fair.  There's no Crash.

[Derek237]

My list, never-to-be-completed, as I usually find some unexpected film that I love from the year waaaay after listing season is relevant. But still, I love this list and these movies as it is.

1. Good Night, and Good Luck.

I saw this the day after I saw King Kong. After seeing a movie like that, which drones on and on for 3 hours, and then to see a movie like this, which couldn't be more than 90 minutes, I found it to be such a more rewarding and worth-while experience. I loved the movie and was left wanting more (in a good way). David Straitharn gives the best performance of his career and I think his portayal of Edward Murrow is the finest acting of the year topped only by Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote.


2. Capote

I'd say that basically these first two movies are tied. Capote was so great, and so much better than I expected. I figured it would of course be a decent movie with a great performance by Hoffman. Well, the performance was great, but so was the movie. Everything was perfect. You can mark my words right now that PSH will win the best actor Oscar this year. I also hope that Clifton Collins Jr. gets a nod for best supporting actor, and Catherine Keener for supporting actress.


3. The 40-Year-Old Virgin

When I first compiled my list of 2005's best I had this around number 8 or 9. Then, I bought the Unrated DVD and just fell insanely in love with it, watching it over several times. It has so many likable and fleshed-out characters, who are all halarious in their own unique way. It's The Godfather of raunchy sex comedies as far as I'm concerned. It's immature at points and innapropriately halarious, but it has a good heart and it all comes together amazingly well. In 2004 the world recognized Steve Carrell in his halarious supporting role in Anchorman. Now, he has his own movie, and it is honestly one of the best comedies I've seen in my life ever.


4. Brokeback Mountain

Surely the running candidate for the Best Picture Oscar (Ang Lee being a best director lock at this point), Brokeback Mountain succeeds so greatly because of its overall honesty and legitimacy when it comes to its subject matter. It takes its gay love story seriously, it's not a side note (ala Far From Heaven), it's not done cheaply or preachy (ala Philadelphia), it is what it is. Yes there have been homosexual movies before but it's not like Mulholland Dr. with two hot lesbians solving a mystery, or a true story about an interesting person that happens to be gay. I knew while watching the last few scenes that this was an instant classic. A very landmark movie. It lived up to its buzz much better than something like King Kong, which was the only movie that had more buzz (I didn't hate Kong BTW).


5. Walk The Line

This bio-pic would have to get my vote for best heterosexual love story of the year! lol If this was any other movie than the Johnny Cash story, I'd probably praise this as the greatest movie evar w00t. But, my expectations where so high that it drops down my list. Honestly, this is the only case I can think of that I would say an excellent 10/10 film was dissapointing, but it's only because I love Johnny Cash. Still, a great movie with great performances. A wonderful, getting-rarer-by-the-year type love story.


6. Batman Begins

Yes, let me be the umpteenth person on the internet to join the praise for Batman Begins. This was a great movie. The filmmakers had the courage to do this as a legitimate film and it paid off enormously. I loved it and I actually went to see it 3 times in the theatre.


7. Lord of War

Notice how cage always jumps from very Hollywood Jerry Bruckhiemer flicks, to not-so-Hollywood gems such as this? I think National Treasure made approximately 8.3 bajillion dollars, while Lord of War was generally overlooked by audiences. It was a very interesting movie about one man's quest for power, and the American Dream. His little speech at the end to Ethan Hawke was great, and really sums up the movie well.


8. Sin City

Another great comic book adaptation, yet so much more than that. I'd compare it to Pulp Fiction. We get so few movies like that and this year we got it. Oh yeah...we got it good. Chicka. I'd say this was one of the most unique and thrilling film-going experiences of the year. I still need to buy the goddamn DVD!


9. Syriana

Many of this year's standout movies where very haunting, and Syriana takes the cake in that category. Also in its subtle chaos and urgency. It was a very exhausting but satisfying film experience for me. Top-notch performances all around, particularly by George Clooney.

10. A History of Violence

This stunning movie was based on a graphic novel, so I guess a theme of some of the year's best movies is developing...Anyway, this has to be the year's most cerebral film. It asks the viewer to really think about certain things: nature vs. nurture, family values, (*spoiler*)leading double lives and which is the true self(end*spoiler**), etc. etc. all of it is done in a great cronenberg fashion. It also has great performances by Ed Harris, William Hurt, Maria Bello, and of course Viggo Mortenson, who probably had many viewers saying, "Lord of the wah?"

[Pozer]

Let me show you my list:

1. The New World
2. A History of Violence
3. King Kong
4. Brokeback Mountain
5. Broken Flowers
6. Capote
7. Munich
8. Good Night, and Good Luck
9. Me and You and Everyone We Know
10. Batman Begins

[pete]

my list is martial arts-riffic

1. grizzly man
2. turtles can fly
3. the new world
4. kungfu hustle
5. save the green planet
6. me you and everyone we know
7. the comedians of comedy
8. a bittersweet life/ crying fist
9. s.p.l.
10. unleashed

[RegularKarate]

I think this is it... but I reserve the right to change it:

1. New World
2. Squid and the Whale
3. Batman Begins
4. Murderball
5. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
6. Kung Fu Hustle
7. Sin City
8. Munich
9. Save the Green Planet
10. Comedians of Comedy

[Gold Trumpet]

No Last Days, RK?

[RegularKarate]

No Last Days, RK?

I'm a little surprised myself, but it just didn't make the 10.  almost though.

[squints]

1. Downfall
2. Sin City
3. Oldboy
4. Grizzly Man
5. Save the Green Planet
6. Me and You and Everyone We Know
7. Kung Fu Hustle
8. Munich
9. Batman Begins
10. Syriana
11. 40 Year Old Virgin

Haven't seen The New World yet ...so the list is pending

[grumpus]

seven feature films released in 2005:
1. The Squid and the Whale
2. Junebug
3. 5X2
4. Munich
5. Me and You and Everyone we Know
6. The New World
7. Batman Begins
and then three other things I saw this year
8. Spike Jonze's Al Gore documentary
9. Le Samurai (Criterion release)
10. Curb Your Enthusiasm seasons 1-4

[ddmarfield]

I haven't gotten around to seeing 2046, The Constant Gardener, or The New World. With that said...

01) The Squid and the Whale
02) Brokeback Mountain
03) Syriana
04) Murderball
05) Downfall
06) Grizzly Man
07) Good Night and Good Luck
08) Howl's Moving Castle*
09) The 40 Year Old Virgin
10) A History of Violence

* Not sure what the ruling is on that one, since it was a 2004 film with a 2005 US release date

[socketlevel]

1.  The squid and the Whale
1.  The New world
3.  Broken Flowers
4.  Grizzly Man
5.  Syriana
6.  Last Days
7.  A History of Violence
8-10 take your pick

-sl-

[Pozer]

Does Downfall qualify for '05?

[Sunrise]

1. The New World. I was only able to see the shortened version (the wide release) of The New World, but I doubt it would have mattered. This film stands out as possibly the only film of the year I was lucky enough to see that in some way advances the art of filmmaking. Much like Barry Lyndon, I hope Malick's latest can withstand the general malaise it is receiving and gain its deserved appreciation as time passes.

2. 2046. Wong Kar-Wai remains an inspiration. Although 2046 does not eclipse In the Mood for Love for me, it is a wonderful companion.

3. The Squid and the Whale. What can I say? I love direct and indirect film, music and literary references in movies. It is almost like an inside joke for cinephiles. The Squid and the Whale delivers in that regard...and many others. Jeff Daniels was/is indescribably brilliant. And I loved how his oldest son would mimic, to his own detriment, his father at almost every opportunity. So real.

4. A History of Violence. Cronenberg treats violence like a nasty virus and no one has immunity. This movie also stuck with me because of my upbringing in a conservative, Midwest family with a solid, religious foundation. The filmmakers go to great lengths to show that solidity is anything but.

5. Brokeback Mountain. The sadness in this film is an anchor. I think we all have those moments we wish would never end and those we desire to relive. Ang Lee captures these feelings brilliantly.

6. Cache
7. The Constant Gardner
8. Munich
9. Batman Begins
10. Grizzly Man