# Best Movie of 2005?



## Talierin (Dec 18, 2005)

Well, the year is winding down, and I'm sure most of you saw quite a few movies this year, so which one did you think was the best? Which ones were your favorites?

I personally think the best/favorite movie I saw this year was Serenity, it's this little sci fi flick based off the tv show Firefly - I hadn't seen the show before I watched the movie, and I totally loved it - it was everything the new Star Wars movies should have been, seriously.

Other good ones for me were:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (I think that one was this year)
Pride and Prejudice
Goblet of Fire
Narnia
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Sahara
Star Wars (it was ok)
HG2G
The Corpse Bride

The worst movies I saw this year:
Brothers Grimm
Ice Princess (my sister made me go!)

I still want to see Aeon Flux


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## Beleg (Dec 18, 2005)

_Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants_


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## Corvis (Dec 18, 2005)

Cool, great thread. My personal favorites for the year were _Cinderella Man_, _The Great Raid_, _The Goblet of Fire_, and _King Kong_. And I'm still dying for the new Spielberg movie, _Munich_, to come out. It looks incredible and I can't wait to see it. Once I see that I bet I'll put that down as the best picture of 2005.


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## Hammersmith (Dec 18, 2005)

This year I really enjoyed the Narnia movie, despite its failings I thought the Star Wars movie was pretty good and I'm disappointed that I missed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I also thought that Walk The Line was quite fun, though I probably won't buy it.

I'm seriously looking forward to Syriana, Munich and Tristan and Isolde. All of those three look fantastic.


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## Ol'gaffer (Dec 18, 2005)

Only a single best film? Never! There were too many good films out this year to pick just a single one, but rather, I've gone out to pick 20 best of the years.

But first, let's start out with the bottom 5. Agreed, there were a lot of stinkers, but these five were definetly the worst of the worst. 

5. Sin City (USA, 2005, Robert Rodriguez)

It's always good to be faithful to the original source material, but there are limits. When a comic book is more enjoyable to read than to watch the film, you can be pretty sure that you've done something wrong as a film maker. As hard as it tried to be cool and a modern film-noir, it mostly fell flat and came off as pretencious, over-the-top and just plain funny. No points in originality either.

4. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (USA, 2005, Doug Liman)

Brad Pitt is a highly talented young actor, make no mistake there. Watch Fight Club to see him in top form. Heck, watch 12 Monkeys to see him as good as he can be. But what ever you do, don't watch this excuse to include semi-naughty glimpses of Angelina naked, Brad without a shirt, and a huge number of pointless gun fights. No brains, no heart, no fun. 

3. Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozzor, Russia 2005, Timur Bekmambetov)

The trailer was good. Nay, the trailer was great. A fast paced, highly intoxicating vision of a vampiric Russia where mythology is running amok. But, alas, the film was nothing like it. A two and a half hour borefest with very little plot, or logic for that matter, but more than enough cgi and camera trickery. Good acting from the likeable lead does not save this stinker from failing in almost all aspects of proper storytelling.

2. The Island (USA, 2005, Jerry Bruckheimer)

Bruckheimer goes smart. Or so he'd like to think. Clunky set-pieces, bad acting from the normally talented McGregor and Bean, a useless Johansson and a wasted Buscemi are there just to pick up the paycheck. The plot is dubious and half-baked at best and the whole overall doesn't work on any level. Good trailer though, again.

1. Catwoman (USA, 2004 - released 2005 here, Pitof)

Ouch. Just Ouch. Do I start from the outfit that would make a call-girl blush? Or the third-rate cgi? Or the amateur hour acting? Or the horrible dialogue with it's purrs and miaows? Or just by saying that avoid this movie at all costs. 

Now, with those stinkers out of the way. Let's get down to the best films of 2005.

They are, in no order:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Funny, warmhearted, well acted with a soundtrack that'll make you smile for days and days. 

Broken Flowers
- Bill Murray shines alongside a topnotch cast of stellar female actors in this bittersweet drama about life and choices.

A Very Long Engagement
- A war film without war. A love story with the couple separated for the entire film. A fantastic journey to the mind and heart of Jeanne Pierre Jeunet.

Batman Begins
- Batman is reborn in the second best Batman film ever.

Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
- Chan Wook Parks amazing trilogy about vengeance is complete. Almost better than his 2003 masterpiece Oldboy. It'll haunt you for weeks.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Though never a rival for LotR, Narnia will give you a ride for your money. Though a bit short, it's a fine replacement for the hole that LotR left behind.

A History of Violence
- Viggo Mortensen casts a compelling lead in this drama of Darwinian proportions. Haunting, provocative, talkative and always brilliant.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
- Jean-Yves Costeau would be proud. Proves that grand emotions are not always needed to explain larger than life issues.

Kinsey
- Liam Neeson is heartbreaking as the man whose opinions challenged a nation. Thoughtful and smart, Kinsey is a keeper.

Finding Neverland
- Johnny Depp works his magic alongside a stellar Kate Winslet in this beautiful fairytale. A celebration of youth, love and the power of the imagination.

Der Untergang
- A bleak and powerful look at the final days of the Third Reich. Dark, sad and tough, it's one of the best German films since Metropolis.

I <3 Huckabees
- Existential crisis' for everyone! Hilarious and witty, smart and provocative. Verbal comedy doesn't get much better than this.

The Constant Gardener
- Ralph Fiennes shines as the director of City of God takes on the major drug companies and heads for Africa to uncover the truth about the death of his wife. A powerful message of Love. At Any Cost.

House of Flying Daggers
- Romeo and Juliet meets Wuxia. Though not perfect, it's breathtakingly shot, well acted and the action is dizzying at best.

House of D
- David Duchnovy makes his directorial debut in this low-key emotional drama about growing up in the 70's. A small film, with quiet and lovely performances from all involved.

It's All Gone, Pete Tong
- A mockumentary about a man who never existed, except in our dreams. Funny, tragic and imaginative, it's a trip within a movie.

Thumbsucker
- Indie-drama at it's best. Keanu Reeves is charming and the ever-lovely Tilda Swinton is marvellous. Lou Pucci makes a wonderful first appearance.

Tae Gu Ki (Brotherhood)
- Forget Saving Private Ryan. Tae Gu Ki is what a war movie should be like. Uncompromising, heartfelt, tragic, brutal and honest. It deserves every prize coming.

Joeyux Noël
- a French period film of the second world war. Almost fairytale like drama about the triumph of human nature, and the absurdity of war. 

The Chumscrubber
- Bizarre, ingenious, well casted, smart. All are fit to describe the very black humoured film about oppression in the suburbs.


all are great films, and if you haven't seen them, do so: IMMEDIATELY!


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## Hammersmith (Dec 19, 2005)

Ol'gaffer said:


> Keanu Reeves is charming


 I don't believe you!


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## spirit (Jan 9, 2006)

Okay, no particular order:

The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. 
Very true to the book, and I simply loved it. Oh, and I fell in love with Aslan's voice and was almost it tears when Aslan was "killed". Not many movies can make me cry..

King Kong! 
Really!! With Peter JAckson directing, Jack black having a role, and Andy Serkis doing the voice of Kong!! Wo-oh!

Batman Begins.
The Caped Crusader. ::Melts in a puddle of goo:: Hot actor, and a damned hot Bruce Wayne. Though it was pretty awesome.


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## Rhiannon (Jan 10, 2006)

I have to say that Sin City was one of my favorite movies this year--I loved it. 

Other favorites--

Narnia, even though I had quibbles with it

Howl's Moving Castle, because Miyazaki is like unto a god.

Mirrormask, because Neil Gaiman is like unto a god.

Batman Begins, because I was just so happy to see a Batman movie that didn't suck. Though I still think Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman feature film out there. Can't beat Kevin Conroy as Batman, or Mark Hamill as the Joker. 

Serenity, which I just saw last night and am still processing. Not as good overall as the show, because there was so much they couldn't develop in a movie--they just didn't have time to do the show justice. 

Rent, because it was just neat. And the music is awesome. 


Least favorite--

Corpse Bride. That's $14 I'll never get back. Plus I walked like thirty minutes to get to the theatre. In the dark. In unfamiliar British territory.

Pride and Prejudice. Not properly period, I don't like Keira Knightley, they messed stuff up, they didn't understand Austen, it was all wrong and it wasn't the BBCsothere.


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## Daranavo (Jan 10, 2006)

I Definately liked Batman begins, but I also liked Sideways. It was very well done. King Kong was also very good. I saw Sin City, and I hated it on many levels. I did appreciate how well it was presented but, it lost something in the translation for me. Graphic novels should not be movies in my opinion and I have read several.


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## e.Blackstar (Jan 10, 2006)

I don't see a lot of movies, but I vote _Serenity_.


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## Rhiannon (Jan 11, 2006)

> Graphic novels should not be movies in my opinion and I have read several.


 
Read several opinions? Or graphic novels? Kind of a confusing sentence, there. 

It depends on the movie. (And on the graphic novel, my brother says). I thought _Sin City_ was awesome. _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_ sucked, but that's because it was absolutely nothing like the book. _Spiderman, X-Men_, and _Batman Begins_ were all excellent. I haven't seen _Road to Perdition_, but my brother says to include it as an example--I know that the graphic novel is amazing. He also recommends _American Splendour_, which I haven't seen. And to get international about it, the Japanese films based on the _Lone Wolf and Cub_ manga series are fantastic. Some of the best samurai movies out there. 

....I'm not a geek. Really.  

And I just saw _King Kong_. It's really good, but it could definitely have been shorter. And my brother's pants are all in a wad because the dinosaurs are wrong. But as we all know, Peter Jackson looks accuracy in the face and _laughs_....

but the movie was still pretty good.


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