The best of 2005 can be described as the year of firsts. Batman begins this year, at least the best version anyway. Jason Reitman and Judd Apatow, mega directors, started this year. And many pre-superhero movie franchises got their starts here, as you’ll see below.
Arguably Will Smith’s last great movie. Yes there’s cliché’s everywhere, but damn if Smith, Kevin James, and Eva Mendes aren’t downright charming, funny, and adorable in this crowd pleaser.
There’s just something about a Wachowski movie. Preachiness aside, this movie based on the graphic novel is a visually gorgeous neo noir, with a well designed plot, the most alliterative monologue in movie history, and a great lead performance by Natalie Portman. Remember, remember, the 5th of November.
13 year old jerkwad me called it the gay cowboy movie and laughed at the parodies (ok, this one‘s still hilarious). As I got older, Ang Lee’s story is quite simply a story about finding love in a place that doesn’t accept it, and the heartbreak of living a lie. All of the leads are sensational in this, especially Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger.
No matter when I watch this, the first 30 minutes have me in tears from laughter. It’s also the rare movie where everyone is funny, top to bottom. Props especially to Isla Fisher, who shows how funny women can be, and an all time scene stealing turn from Will Ferrell.
Andrew Adamson takes the beloved CS Lewis novel and turns it into a top notch family film. The movie finds a lovely balance of fantasy, allegory, and action sequences with just a touch of Christmas to make it a holiday rewatchable.
Steven Spielberg’s tense, real-life thriller based on the hunt for the Palestinian assassins who carried out the 1972 Munich massacre at the Olympics. This movie has you on edge the entire time, as the Jewish assassins hunting the Palestinian assassins wander though political, personal, and dangerous quagmires.
Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight gets all the credit, but this movie paved the way for it in the populace. You could now surround the amazing superhero action sequences with a complex tale that demands to be taken seriously.
Jason Reitman burst onto the scene with this pitch black comedy about the spokesperson for the tobacco industry, and other merchants of death. This movie cuts right to the heart with its razor sharp commentary on the power of money and winning a word argument.
A brilliant neo noir based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel. Vignette movies are usually hit and miss, but this one nails it exactly right, finding 4 equally fascinating ones and making them feel like they jumped right off of Miller’s pages.
R Rated comedies were previously just for tits and ass, and rarely ever amounted to anything resembling giving a damn. Not so with Judd Apatow’s first feature, which R rated the romcom premise with hilarious results. I’m pretty sure we don’t get Michael Scott of Steve Carell wasn’t as awesome in this film as he shows, one waxing session at a time.
