Jan's Top 10 Movies Of 2005, Part 1
Jul 28 '06
The Bottom Line Pretty good year of movies, I'd say!
Many 2005 movies did not make either part of this list, such as Memoirs of a Geisha, King Kong, Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, Match Point, Syriana, Family Stone, March of the Penguins, Constantine, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Me & You & Everyone We Know, which doesn’t mean I disliked them, but only that I don’t care for them nearly as much as the following I list. I will enjoy watching the following over and over. A few more 2005 movies will be watched, like Thank You For Smoking, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Flight Plan and Junebug, so maybe I’ll update.
In no particular order:
Elvis Has Left The Building: Joel Zwick, director; starring John Corbett, Kim Basinger. Ever since Corbett appeared in Northern Exposure, I’ve swooned over him and this romantic, yet dark, comedy is no different. Basinger plays a Pink Lady cosmetics lady who seems to be killing clients and the cops are after her. Corbett gets snubbed by her because she’s afraid she’ll kill him. It was twisted, a bit gory, hilarious and charming.
My full review: http://www.epinions.com/content_212038684292
Thumbsucker: Mike Mills, director; starring Lou Taylor Pucci and Keanu Reeves. A teen still sucks his thumb privately and he rejects his New Age dentist’s advice to go on Ritalin instead. It turns him into a champ debater, but problems appear. Based on the book whose author was a teen thumb sucker, it’s a very sensitive, engaging coming-of-age story with an over-the-top performance from Reeves and Benjamin Bratt. Vince Vaughn, Tilda Swinson and Pucci are also heartbreakingly good.
My full review: http://www.epinions.com/content_223066361476
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada: Tommy Lee Jones, director; starring Jones, Barry Pepper, Juan Cesar Cedillo. Another dark comedy set along the border of Mexico and Jones uses his own herd of cattle. His good friend, Melquiades, is shot by a guy on border patrol and Jones kidnaps him to help him take the corpse back to his home in Mexico. The funniest moments are when Jones cleans up the corpse by lighting him on fire to kill ants and putting antifreeze in him. Often very poignant, it’s cleverly written.
edwilliamson's review: http://www.epinions.com/content_221827075716
A History of Violence: David Cronenberg, director; starring Viggo Mortenson, Maria Bello, William Hurt. A family man’s past in the form of a vengeful rival mobster comes back to threaten his home and he has to rebecome the killer he had purged from his character. I was mesmerized by this and haunted by the idea that we’re all violent in the right circumstances, even if we hate violence. Brilliant, impassioned acting too.
My full review: http://www.epinions.com/content_229837278852
Munich: Steven Spielberg, director; starring Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush. When Israeli Olympians are shot down in Munich by terrorists from the PLO, a Jew is hired to hunt down the ones responsible and it takes him and his team around Europe on the mission. This was very suspenseful, never knowing what would happen. Bana becomes more frustrated with his job as he escapes getting killed and the hit list never ends while his child is born at home.
trust12345's review: http://www.epinions.com/content_215101640324
Separate Lies: Julian Fellowes, director; starring Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson. A married woman has an affair and runs down her maid’s husband while drunk with her lover, then the truth comes out and everyone must deal with it. I really saw what it means to love another through great suffering, not only on the husband’s part, but also the wife’s when she discovers her former lover is dying. An intelligent tear-jerker.
wrestler's review: http://www.epinions.com/content_241617112708#ow
Crash: Paul Haggis, director; starring Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock. This Best Picture winner follows many stories revolving around people living in Los Angeles with racial tension. They become aware that hating, distrusting or offending each other makes their lives only more difficult and may kill innocent people. It’s not too upbeat, but it’s not all sad either. I was drawn into all of their different lives and felt the movie’s intensity.
jeffwilder78's review: http://www.epinions.com/content_183320284804
Rent: Chris Columbus, director; starring Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs. The first time I watched this inner-city, rock opera I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but the second time was different and I loved it. A bunch of poor, young people, some with AIDS, are starting or ending relationships, one is gay, another lesbian. Another couple are drug-users who have gotten AIDS, but they’re scared of a relationship. The music is vibrant, sexy and fun. The characters really got to me, sap that I am. Be warned that it may be overly sentimental for some.
bilbopooh's review: http://www.epinions.com/content_220079361668#ow
Full Metal Alchemist: Seiji Mizushima, director; starring Vince Mignogna, Aaron Dismuth in English version, Romi Pak, Rie Kugimiya in original. I’ve watched ten volumes of this original and fascinating anime series from the Cartoon Network and I’ve never been disappointed. Three more volumes are coming out. The story follows two brothers who played with alchemy with disastrous results and are trying to find a Philosopher’s Stone to return to their natural bodies. It’s a mix of science, religion, magic, philosophy, war, brotherly love, military corruption and comedy. I had never watched anime before and was very surprised and still am by it.
My review of Vol. 1: The Curse: http://www.epinions.com/content_199315525252
Part 2 on the way!
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Epinions.com ID:
jankp
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Member: Jan Peregrine
Location: Lincoln, NE
Reviews written: 1572
Trusted by: 500 members
About Me:
Peregrine 10 write-off in progress: http://www.epinions.com/content_5367242884
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