It’s been a rough year for favorites, most of mine have turned into guilty pleasures that are not considered quality films, but well done enough to be box office numbers. I’m including the best of 2005 for the more quality films that deserve some recognition for either quality of story, characters, acting and/or intelligence.
N/A
Slim pickings this year, but many disagree with me. In the past years I would get so excited about films to come everything from independent, foreign, weird and off the wall, to your basic special effect blockbuster, but this year just didn’t deliver for me. Too many serious over blown reality pieces that turned out to be way too many story lines happening at one time and too close to reality. Film is an escape, an ability to run away from life for a couple of hours and fall in love, cry, laugh, freak out, jump or get mad, but to be reminded of the sorrow that happens everyday in life and to pay for that reminder, who wants that?
 |
Brokeback Mountain: A love story to beat all. Brokeback Mountain will be remembered as a film of significance in entertainment history. Two actors pull out a brilliant performance risking not only their place in the spotlight, but their reputation in their chosen fields. A risk that both agree, have paid off. Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, 2 cowboys fall in love in the beautiful landscape of Montana. Unexpected, they continue their romance through marriages, kids and age, only to meet a couple times a year for a camping trip and back to their separate lives afterwards. Neither willing to give each other up, but not allowed to admit their love for one another, their true selves kept secret and ending in tragedy and sorrow.
Cinderella Man: Russle Crow and Ron Howard did it again. Cinderella Man works perfect on all levels, you get the perfect setting, costume design and storyline, it all works. Characters like Paul Giamatti’s is hard to pass up, it’s just like type casting. How could you not love a film about a down and out time in America, the depression, where a character gets to conquer and overcome, to be a winner in the end against all odds?
Mrs. Henderson Presents: A delightful romp about a rich old widow trying to find something to do with herself and her money after her husband passes away. She purchases a ran down theater in the bottoms of London and starts a nude revue during World War II. Mrs. Henderson Presents has sarcasm, wit and humor and the perfect pair of characters that compliments both each other and the film; Bob Hoskins and Judi Dench work together like 2 peas in a pod.
The Upside of Anger: It’s nice to see two main actors comfortable with getting older, it really shows in their performance and adds great depth to The Upside of Anger. Kevin and Joan both inhabit their roles and show life as it is, not always pretty and perfect, but livable. The Upside of Anger is a film for adults about falling in love again and learning how to take it in the chin when life throws you those unexpected punches. Be prepared to laugh, cry, pissed off and laugh again; a well done film compared to the likes of American Beauty and Sideways.
Pride & Prejudice: Jane Austen’s romantic and witty novel brought back to the theaters in this well made version of Pride and Prejudice. The mini-series made for T.V. bored audiences silly, but this much shorter version will win over hearts easy enough with the classic Keira Knightley pulling off independent Lizzie like she may have lived during Regency English times. It’s a novel romance after my own heart.
Memoirs of Geisha: It’s a pretty film, full of beautiful scenery and costuming, which keeps a grace to its acting and story. Memoirs is a moving period piece that is recognizable for both its talent and mesmerizing story.
The Constant Gardener: Compelling and riveting, but also very melodramatic and overblown in other areas. A story of medical companies testing new drugs on a civilization that is ignored by most, but has caught the attention of Tessa (Rachel Weisz), a radical out to save the world no matter what chances she must take.. She had investigated too far and tickled one too many fannies, after trying to convince her husband, Justin, a British diplomat, she strikes out on her own and gets killed. Justin searches for the reason, the truth and finds out that she was right and he ends up in the same place, but solves the problem first. The Constant Gardener is very quiet at times, but has some pretty powerful scenes that will turn you stomach and piss you off, if you have to patience to go through the editing of events from back to front and front to back again, then this is a film to be seen.
My Summer of Love: My Summer of Love is a story of young and not so innocent love between two intoxicating beauties Mona (Natalie Press) and Tamsin (Emily Blunt). Both young ladies having a great deal in common with their beauty, intelligence & style, yet exact opposites in every way from social standards, dress, and demeanor. My Summer of Love shows a little adventure in sexuality and testing the boundaries of a friendship amongst two girls in a passionate summer tale.
Grizzly Man: Watch a documentary about a man that become more animal than human as he lived with the grizzlies. Timothy Treadwell lost touch with reality more and more as the film roles through his life among the wilds; beautiful unforeseen moments appear on camera and weird uncomfortable conversations occur. Whether it’s comical or dramatic, Grizzly Man will keep your attention and proves to be a different form of documentary.
North Country: North Country is not without a few flaws; the film does make every man, but one, Glory’s husband, Kyle (Sean Bean) out to be major pricks. Not one man will stand up for Josey and the other women, that’s a little unrealistic, surely there would have been a few that would have defended the women and stopped some of the ridicule and harassments. And in the last scene of the film where Bill asks the audience in the court if anybody would stand up for Josey and help defend their rights, just about the whole audience stands up, now that’s a little hokey. But overall North Country completely works on all levels and does not disappoint in anyway.