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| jasonmayer.net | |
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top 10 movies of 2005 |
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1. Match Point Woody Allen wrote and directed this dark look at relationships and comes away with his best movie in nearly 30 years. It is an interesting plot that revolves around luck, love, lust, and class. Both Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Chris and Scarlett Johansson as Nola give outstanding performances as the two outsiders who enter the lives of the wealthy, upper-class Hewetts. For Chris, it becomes a question of stability versus passion as he wrestles with the comfortable life afforded him from marrying Chloe (Emily Mortimer) and the excitement of the growing affair between him and Nola. The way he handles them is both laudable and depressing. The movie raises complex questions about the role luck plays in people's lives and delves further into the consequences of people's actions. It's a great film that remains true to its characters while providing intriguing twists and turns throughout as Chris attempts to fix his growing problems.
2. Good Night, and Good Luck Flawlessly directed by George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck tells a story from the past that remains just as pertinent now in today's current political climate. David Strathairn, always solid in supporting roles, gives the best performance of his career as Edward R. Murrow and his fight against McCarthyism. In the current age of the Patriot Act and illegal wiretaps, the paranoia over Communism sweeping the country in the 50s led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, seems all too familiar. But what makes this movie rise above the typical "issue" movie is that Clooney goes one step further and comments on the current state of the media. Watching Murrow go after McCarthy and have to follow that up with an interview of Liberace foreshadows the current blurring of the lines between journalism and entertainment. This is the more important plotline of the film, and Murrow saw it coming from a mile away. Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it, and it appears a lot of important people in the country today slept right through history class.
3. Pride & Prejudice Probably the biggest surprise for me this year was how great this movie was. You see one Jane Austen or period film, you've seen them all, right? This one does it better than the rest. Keira Knightley is a big reason for that with an amazing performance as Elizabeth Bennet, probably best described as a modern woman in an ancient time. When most girls were looking for the richest husband they could find, she was always holding out for something better. The romance that blossoms between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) is one of the most realistic I've ever seen in a movie. You begin to wonder if they are ever going to get together despite the obvious attraction between the two. It makes for a great payoff and a wonderfully-realized film. The supporting actors give this movie even more life and the acting is superb from top to bottom, led by Donald Sutherland and Judi Dench.
4. Syriana Stephen Gaghan wrote and directed this examination of greed, oil, and the preservation of self-interest that permeates the Middle East region. The complex, sometimes difficult-to-understand plot and interweaving storylines envelop the viewer to create a whole greater than its parts. You don't have to understand every single detail for the visceral images to strike a chord. For any film involving multiple stories, the acting has to be superb, and Gaghan gets that here, led by George Clooney as a CIA operative silenced by his superiors for his recognition of the truth. Nobody is free of corruption or self-preservation here, which makes for a great and important film.
5. Walk the Line The best-acted movie of the year is the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are excellent as the two stars who provide each other with the means for achieving greatness and discovering love. This isn't necessarily just a biopic of the great Johnny Cash as it is a look at the woman beside the man who was every bit his equal. Director James Mangold avoids the mistakes of last year's Ray by tightly focusing the story on this one aspect of their lives rather than falling into the trap of trying to show too much. The result is a great film on a great man with some great music thrown in.
6. The 40-Year-Old Virgin The funniest comedy I've seen in a long time. Easily. But what makes The 40-Year-Old-Virgin rise above everything else is its ability to sustain a meaningful story within the confines of the outrageous humor. Steve Carell stars in the titular role as Andy, and makes him human and likable. It would have been easy to turn him into a joke or sad-sack, but he brings humor and a bit of sadness to the role. It's a great performance that is bolstered by the great Catherine Keener as his new girlfriend Trish. The supporting cast is equally great and bring their own issues into the film that avoid turning into throwaway gags.
7. Junebug A slice-of-life look at a small town family as the son from the city returns home with his new wife. The beauty of this film lies in the fact that nothing is really solved or explained, which lends more weight to what is happening now. Fractured family relationships exist and a return visit isn't going to change anything. Amy Adams is absolutely brilliant as Ashley, the pregnant wife of Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie) who tries hard to put a good face on everything. The best scene of the film occurs during a shower for Ashley when Johnny frantically searches for a videotape to record a program on meerkats. We never see him express his love for Ashley anywhere else, and despite his many faults, we get a glimpse of it in those few seconds.
8. Nine Lives Nine Lives is nine different short films about nine women each shot in one take. The women in these stories all deal with difficult questions about what might have been or what still possibly could be, all while putting on a brave face to the outside world. Some of the stories work better than others, and each one remains open-ended as each woman contemplates the past, present, or future. Robin Wright Penn, Kathy Baker, Lisa Gay Hamilton, and Glenn Close stand out in a great cast.
9. Millions Director Danny Boyle, who brought us Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, does an outstanding job with this gem of a film about two brothers who have a bag full of money fall into their laps. Damian (Alex Etel) is the younger of the two and wants to use the money to help those less fortunate. He has a encyclopedic knowledge of Catholic saints who come to life in his imagination to give him advice. The film remains whimsical and magical with enough of an edge to keep it from becoming too saccharine. More than a film about money, Millions gives us a story about two boys and their father dealing with their grief over the death of their mother. It is a heartwarming tale and a wonderful movie.
10. Grizzly Man Werner Herzog directs this documentary that turns into a stirring and interesting examination of a man warped by his delusions and paranoia, and winds up paying the a tragic price for it. The film is about Timothy Treadwell, a college dropout and struggling actor, who discovers a "cause" and decides to live with the bears in Alaska every summer for 13 years. This is federally-protected land relatively free from poachers, but Treadwell believes that he is protecting the bears. He names them and winds up becoming more dangerous than any hunter by encouraging the bears' familiarity with humans and attempting to change the course of nature to help his "friends." Despite Treadwell's apparent faults, Herzog still gives us a fair look at this complex individual with interviews of his friends and those that thought his exploits were unnecessary and foolish.
honorable mentions The Constant Gardener Rachel Weisz plays Tessa, the young wife of British diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) who gets killed in Africa. The work Tessa did and the apparent reasons for her death slowly reveal themselves to us as Justin searches for answers and attempts to continue her legacy. The ending is both poetic and tragic. Brokeback Mountain This film will always be known as the "gay cowboy movie," but that's an unfair generalization. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are wonderful as Ennis and Jack, the two ranch hands that fall in love one summer while herding sheep. It's a poignant love story, but suffers from Ang Lee deciding to gloss over pivotal moments in their lives. Munich The latest from Steven Spielberg examines the Israeli response to the terrorist actions taken at the 1972 Munich Olympics. It's a tale of violence leading to violence with no real winner, and plenty of ruined lives as a result. Batman Begins A dark and moody retelling of the origins of Batman and Bruce Wayne from Christopher Nolan. It's tone remains true to the nature of the Dark Knight and sets up nicely for a rebirth of the franchise. King Kong Somebody give Peter Jackson a good editor quickly. The final act of the film that takes place in New York is about the best I've seen from a blockbuster since Titanic. But getting there is half the battle due to the bloated first third. It still remains an edge-of-your-seat thriller and a beautiful unconventional love story.
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Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson in Match Point
David Strathairn and George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck
Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen in Pride & Prejudice
George Clooney in Syriana
Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line
Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, and Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Embeth Davidtz, Benjamin McKenzie, and Amy Adams in Junebug
Jason Isaacs and Robin Wright Penn in Nine Lives
Alex Etel in Millions
Grizzly Man
Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes in The Constant Gardener
Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain
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