2005

The Best Films of the Year:

1. A History of Violence
2. Capote
3. Junebug
4. Mysterious Skin
5. Tsotsi
6. Memoirs of a Geisha
7. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
8. Brokeback Mountain
9. Breakfast on Pluto
10. Munich

For a year in which box office sales were down and for the first eight months there were an overwhelming amount of bad films, I have to admit one thing. 2005 did have a number of really good films. When I sat down to rank the films, I had to think quite a bit about what films would make the list, what fell off, and where amongst the top ten they ranked.

The first three were slam dunk easy picks for me to make. “A History of Violence” is an amazing film, nearly flawless. I’m going to be sad when it doesn’t make much of a splash this awards season since it was released too early in the award cycle. “Capote” is another near perfect film, highlighting the best acting performance of the year in Philip Seymour Hoffman. “Junebug” is my overall favorite film of the year and is that soul searching kind of film that will stay with me for some time, like last year’s “My Life Without Me.”

I placed “Mysterious Skin” above the rest of the top ten because of its fearless look into child abuse and the consequences derived therein. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of a child abuse victim turned hustler was so powerful that it’s hard to put to words.

"Tsotsi" is an amazing and moving film about the choices made by the disenfranchised and poverty-ridden thugs in the outlying area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It treats all of its characters with respect and doesn't patronize them or the audience.

“Memoirs of a Geisha” was a surprisingly good adaptation of the book by a director I don’t care to name. “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” is a powerful film of redemption, marking the feature film directorial debut of Tommy Lee Jones. “Brokeback Mountain” was an excellent film but fell short in its pacing and ability to age its actors so I placed it far lower in the top ten than most national critics. I also don’t care what kind of controversy a film creates, I only care about the film itself.

“Breakfast on Pluto”, while perhaps a little close to being a “Crying Game” clone, is an excellent film about what it means to know who you are and where you want to be in life.

“Munich” is another Spielberg film, which sometimes means good and sometimes indifferent. This one is good, but felt entirely too long to get much higher on my list for the year.

The Worst Films of the Year:

1. Prime
2. In Her Shoes
3. The Matador
4. The Dukes of Hazzard
5. The Longest Yard

Seriously, someone please just make it stop. Between two dumb, dumb, DUMB remakes, Hollywood also found the time to squeeze out three uninspiring and offensive originals. You decide what films match up to those descriptions. It doesn’t matter and you should avoid them all with the same diligence as using a condom when you visit Thailand.

The Most Horrible Films That Are Fun To Watch:

1. Stealth
2. XXX 2: State of the Union
3. Fantastic Four
4. Doom
5. The Pacifier

Want to know why the box office was down? Well, don’t blame these five films – they only add to the general craptitude that is my well being. Before the industry started ramming Oscar vehicles into theatres, they were pummeling us with bad films and these helped keep me sane because they kept me laughing through the dark times. All of them also help keep the drinking games new and fresh.

The Most Underrated/Overlooked Films of the Year:

Hellbent
Happy Endings
An Unfinished Life

“Hellbent” is the first gay slasher film, so it makes sense I make a special note of it. Also, it’s not that bad for the genre it’s in. If you like bad slasher flicks, this is a good one.

“Happy Endings” was a surprise to me. I expected it to suck. Fans of independent cinema will appreciate this one.

“An Unfinished Life” is yet another Lasse Hallström film to make the grade. All this guy does is make good films. Even “Casanova” is worth the price is admission.