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Top Movies of 2005: Rising Above Buzz About Box-Office Slump, and Some Really, Really Bad Films, Here Are One Critic?S 10 Best

Posted on: Friday, 30 December 2005, 09:00 CST

By George Thomas, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Dec. 30--Given that another 12 months have passed and it's a time for reflection, a movie metaphor never seemed more apropos than it is for the year that was 2005. In short: 2005 was a year of the good, the bad and the just plain ugly.

The good: Heath Ledger, the Aussie actor who hit U.S. screens years ago in 10 Things I Hate About You with all the potential in the world that he seemingly wasted in questionable career choices such as The Order, The Four Feathers and Ned Kelly. Ledger finally seems to have thrown caution to the wind with some daring choices this year.

In Lords of Dogtown, he channels cinematic history's Jeff Spicoli of Fast Times at Ridgemont High and rock royalty Jim Morrison to give us surfing guru Skip. In Casanova, he portrays the playful lover himself with the zest, zeal and appeal of a kid. But it's in Brokeback Mountain as Ennis Del Mar, a cowboy struggling with his sexuality, that we see that this still young man is truly talented. It's about time.

The bad: Everyone jumped on the alleged story of the year in the box-office slump that's long been overdue, given the cyclical nature of every business. What was keeping people away? The high cost of concessions? Rude customers? The home theater boom? Crappy movies? Hey, Hollywood: It's all of the above. Although, I'm willing to put my bet on crappy movies. Speaking of which...

The ugly: I never officially do a Worst 10; however, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't mention some of the "classics" that got shoved down our throats this past year. They include: Saw II, Are We There Yet?, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Wedding Date, Aeon Flux and how could anyone forget those two Christian Slater masterpieces -- Alone in the Dark and Mindhunters?

But it's time to go on to better things, and that's remembering what was good about this past year. In order from top to bottom, here are my 10 best films of this past year:

1

Cinderella Man -- Ron Howard, with the usual superb acting of Russell Crowe, tells the story of boxer James Braddock, a fighter who was Rocky Balboa before Sly Stallone ever envisioned that character. Cinderella Man is the near-perfect urban fable to which anyone who's ever endured economic hardship can relate. The boxing choreography is brutal, punch-by-punch perfection, and Howard's casting of Paul Giamatti as Joe Gould, Braddock's manager, may be the wisest aspect of the movie.

The lone problem: demonizing boxer Max Baer, when history tells us he was far from a villain.

2

Munich -- Given War of the Worlds, a movie worthy of an honorable mention for this list, and Munich, some might say director Steven Spielberg is obsessed with 9/11. Obsessed? Maybe not. It could just be a case of the director using films to look at events metaphorically, before that day in Worlds and after it in Munich. And Munich throws the gauntlet down to Israelis and Palestinians, questioning their methods and motives -- that eye-for-an-eye mentality that continues to hold peace hostage.

It tells the story of alleged Israeli hit squads that pursued the leaders who planned and executed the kidnapping of athletes at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972. It examines that blood-for-blood mentality, but shows how killing for revenge can rip at a man's soul. Eric Bana, as leader of the hit squad, gives a mesmerizing performance as that man.

3

Good Night, and Good Luck -- George Clooney takes the Red Scare initiated by Sen. Joe McCarthy back in the 1950s and turns it into a lush, captivating parable about what is happening in America today, courtesy of the current presidential administration.

Filmed in shimmering black-and-white, Good Night, and Good Luck is a rejection of you're-either-with-us-or-against-us bravado, and also indicts a lazy media for ignoring the current atmosphere in Washington. Throw in an Oscar-worthy performance from David Strathairn and this is an instant classic.

4

A History of Violence -- With a brilliant turn by Viggo Mortensen, David Cronenberg's film works on two levels. It can be looked at as a simple thriller about a man's mistaken identity, as Mortensen's character is confused with a former mob guy from Philadelphia. Or, you can dig a little deeper and realize that Cronenberg is studying all forms of violence and what makes people resort to their baser instincts to solve problems and deal with certain situations.

5

King Kong -- Peter Jackson solidifies his claim as Spielberg's heir apparent to the title of King of Fantasy with this remake of the 1933 classic. In short: King Kong is a nearly flawless blend of story, emotional resonance and special effects. Jackson once again ups the stakes in the fantasy genre and, with the help of Naomi Watts, gives a computer-generated simian with a heart who would have made the Wizard of Oz's Tin Man jealous.

It suffers from a bit of self-indulgence, but once you get past those moments, Kong is king.

6

Broken Flowers -- A shout out to local boy and master of subtlety Jim Jarmusch, who hails from Cuyahoga Falls. Broken Flowers, which starred Bill Murray as Don Johnston, a decidedly single guy who learns that the son he never knew he had is looking for him, is a journey through one man's life and all the wrong turns he managed to take on his way to perpetual loneliness.

Murray proves to be a pillar of comedic restraint, allowing facial gestures and moments to speak for themselves.

7

Capote -- Philip Seymour Hoffman may have created the best male performance of the year with his portrayal of Truman Capote in this flick that covers the period in which the author manipulated and was manipulated by Perry Smith, one of the killers behind the murders depicted in Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood.

8

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- Deliciously evil little children who get their deserved comeuppance and a brilliant turn by acting's reigning chameleon make this Tim Burton remake and confection one of the year's best.

9

Brokeback Mountain -- Wrongly labeled "the gay cowboy movie," Brokeback Mountain defies that title to explore the pain of a love that's unattainable. Yes, there's no way to deny the gay themes that permeate the film, but there's also no way to deny that the idea of love unrealized can be emotionally paralyzing.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger prove captivating in the lead roles, but look for Ledger to get a nod for best actor in this year's Oscar race.

10

Crash -- The year's best acting ensemble hits a home run with this examination of race in America and the things we don't say, but should and the things we do say, but shouldn't.

Look for standout work from Don Cheadle and Clevelander Terrence Howard.

George M. Thomas is the movie critic for the Akron Beacon Journal. Contact him at 330-996-3579 or at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at: http://blogs.ohio.com/moviespotlight.

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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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