Author Topic: Belated Best of 2005  (Read 1878 times)

wilson1290

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 175
Belated Best of 2005
« on: May 30, 2006, 05:08:33 PM »
Okay I know this list is a little, (alot) late but I just finished seeing all my must sees of the past year and I dont think its really fair to judge films or acting if you havent seen all the movies (hear that Academy). So heres my list of the best of 2005 and feel free to make your own lists.

Best Performances by Supporting Actresses:

5. Anne Hathaway (Brokeback Mountain) - For most this will be a love it or hate it performance, but the scene where Lureen is on the phone with Ennis shows that she is way more than the Disney queen we previously thought.
4. Thandie Newton (Crash) - By far the best performance in the film. While much of Crash is manipulative and preachy, Thandie is able to give a heart felt performance. If for no other reason watch the film for her final scene when shes in a car crash, it had me holding my breath the whole time.
3. Audrey Tatou (The Da Vinci Code) - Yeah this movie came out this month but I had trouble finding enough women to fill up the list and then I remembered Audrey's radiant performance in this film. She's really the only reason to see The Da Vinci Code anyways.
2. Maria Bello (A History of Violence) - Whoa this is one gal I wouldnt want to mess with and she is perfect for the role of the protective housewife with an edge. Extra points for that sex scene on the stairs which looks like it was REALLY painful to shoot.
1. Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain) - All of the women here are good, but Michelle is extraordinary. She has very little dialouge in the film, but her facial expressions such as when she sees her husband kissing another man, or as she sits and mourns her failed marriage, surrounded by a pile of bills, will stay engraved in your memory days after watching the film.

Best Performances by Supporting Actors
5. Benjamin Mckenzie (Junebug) - If Amy Adams is the life of the family in Junebug, than Benjamin plays the black sheep. What could have easily been a one note performance is anything but, and that scene where he tries to record a show on meerkats for his wife is the funniest piece of film all year.
4. Terrance Howard (Crash) - Didnt like him in Hustle & Flow, but loved him in Crash
3. George Clooney (Good Night & Good Luck) - The film itself is overrated but that scene where Clooney talks to the military officers is pure cinema gold.
2. William Hurt (A History of Violence) - Every once in a while its nice to see an actor just have some fun.
1. Ed Harris (A History of Violence) - Hurt is hilarious, Harris on the other hand, scares the hell out of me.

Best Performances by Actresses (An awful year for female leads)
5. Charlize Theron (North Country) - Some will dismiss her role in this as Monster Pt. 2 but her physical transformation would mean nothing if she didnt have the chops to back it up and the girl can act.
4. Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line) - Technically its a supporting role but Resse brings so much charisma to the plate that it deserves lead status.
3. Gwyneth Paltrow (Proof) - Why this role got ignored is a mystery to me, especially since Paltrow brings so much emotion to the plate while spouting out some extremely badly written dialouge
2. Naomi Watts (King Kong) - Anyone who can act this well with a green screen is truly an actor in my book.
1. Amy Adams (Junebug) - Most would put this in the supporting role but since she carries the film its a lead role in my book. Adams chatter is what probably got her attention but its the scenes in which she barely speaks, such as when she silently pleases herself while holding a picture of her ignoring husband that takes her character to another level.

Best Performances by Actors
5. Eric Bana (Munich) - A heartfelt performance by one of the upcoming talents of our time.
4. Russel Crowe (Cinderella Man) - Actually made me believe that Crowe was really a family man
3. Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) - Not my favorite of Hoffman's roles but it is still an awesome transformative performance.
2. Jake Gylenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) - This would have made my #1 in the supporting roles were it not for the final scene between Jack & Ennis. Its the most heartbreaking scene in film this year, maybe even this decade, and Jake completely owns the part in that moment.
1. Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) - Who knew the guy from 10 things I Hate About You was the Marlon Brando of our time. This isnt acting, Heath lives his role as Ennis Del Mar, and in doing so creates one of the greatest characters ever in film history. The role like the film will be remembered for years.

Top Films
5. Crash - Didnt deserve best picture, and the more I watch it the less I like it, but Haggis deserves credit for making his film feel more important than it really is.
4. The New World - No doubt about it, this is Malick's worst film to date, still no doubt about it, even on a bad day Malick is better than most of the directors in Hollywood. Worth watching for the beautiful Cinematography and score alone.
3. King Kong - The first hour is a trial to get through after the first time you watch it but the last two hours are the most thrilling moments in film this year.
2. Munich - Sure its poses a good argument on the ethics of terrorism, but to be honest, the reason I loved Munich so much is because its an amazingly exciting thriller. Spielberg you are a god.
1. Brokeback Mountain - To be honest it wasnt even a contest for me, I loved these other films but Brokeback surpasses anything I've seen on the big screen the past 5 years. Amid all the hoopla about the gay relationship at its center, we forget that it is one of the most heartbreaking and traditional love stories ever made. It is also one of the only films this year that stand up to repeat viewings thanks to all of the small details in the film, such as the way the colors of Jack and Ennis' hats represent the ying and yang of their relationship. The ending left me sobbing, and everything from the story, the haunting score, the beautiful cinematography, and the best ensemble acting I've seen in years make for a pitch perfect movie. Ang Lee you have created a classic that will be appreciated for years to come.
And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

 

love