Sony Pictures Classics
This year in film we saw a lot of diverse situations. There were the gay cowboys; the gay journalist; oh yeah, and the gay environmentalist. In between there was some hooking up for virgins and former swingers, and somewhere in there was pooping back and forth.
We cried as we saw penguins march, laughed at a former Ghostbuster going through a mid-life crisis and cringed at movies like Sin City and A History of Violence.
Breakout performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ashley Adams led the way while surprises like Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Christian Bale as Batman made us forget about a certain beloved actor jumping on couches and berating mothers with postpartum depression.
George Clooney officially crowned himself emperor of all film this year with his stunning performance in Syriana and his highly skilled directing in Good Night, and Good Luck.
This was also a year for the kids. Alexander Nathan Etel’s performance in Millions was first rate, while performances by the kids in Me and You and Everyone We Know and the pre-teens in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire gave those films that extra oomph of cuteness to push them to the top.
Mostly, though, it was the year for the independent film with many of the year’s top films being produced by the independent sectors of big film studios. The indie films this year were phenomenal, and we here at Technician are keeping our fingers crossed that 2006 will bring just as many awesome films as 2005.
1) CapoteCast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris CooperDirector: Bennett Miller
Truman Capote’s most famous work that broke new ground as the first non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, comes to life from crime to publication in Capote. A film as haunting and as cinematic as the book, Capote stars the most admired supporting actor in the business, Philip Seymour Hoffman, as the lead role of the unflinching and nervous writer who befriends the killers of a small-town family. Hoffman’s honest and accurate portrayal of the eccentric writer — from his mannerisms to the way he spoke — leaves the audience curious as to whether Capote really acted and sounded that way, and yes he did. Hoffman’s performance solidifies the film as the best of the year.
2) JunebugCast: Amy Adams, Embeth Davidtz, Benjamin McKenzie, Alessandro NivolaDirector: Phil Morrison
A scarily familiar film, Junebug‘s characters are the ones you see everyday at Wal-Mart or driving home to rural North Carolina where the film is shot and set. The film’s jewel is Amy Adams’ barefoot and pregnant portrayal of Ashley, the sister-in-law of George (Nivola) who comes home with his uptown and worldly girlfriend Madeline (Davidtz). Junebug is instantly the best film to take place in North Carolina this year.
3) Brokeback MountainCast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle WilliamsDirector: Ang Lee
Perhaps the controversy was a little too much or the idea of gay cowboys seemed just a little too queer, but Brokeback Mountain was a phenomenal, touching and beautifully shot film that director Ang Lee should put at the top of his resume. Heath Ledger, as Ennis Del Mar, gives the first quality performance of his career and cements himself as a star that will continue to make good films as long as he picks the right scripts. If the gay love scenes are too much for you, just keep in mind they are shadowed by the amount of skin shown by Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams.
4) Good Night, and Good LuckCast: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Patricia ClarksonDirector: George Clooney
Is there anything George Clooney can’t do? He’s a fine actor who is able to portray both a smooth lawyer (Intolerable Cruelty) and a posh, redneck fugitive (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), and he’s turned out to be one of Hollywood’s best new directors — first showing it with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and now proving it with Good Night, and Good Luck. The film is a stark look at broadcast journalist Edward Murrow’s attempt to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy. Filmed in black and white in a noir-like style, Good Night is one the most visually stunning films of the year.
5) Match PointCast: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer, Scarlett Johansson, Brian CoxDirector: Woody Allen
Cinema god Woody Allen returns with this tragedy of operatic proportions set across the pond in London, England. The young cast is so up and coming that star Scarlett Johansson is the seasoned veteran. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers’ portrayal as the torn tennis pro, Chris Wilton, is first-rate. The film, also written by Allen, leaves the audience walking away wishing it didn’t end.
6) ShopgirlCast: Steve Martin, Claire Danes, Jason SchwartzmanDirector: Anand Tucker
Originally a novella by Steve Martin, Shopgirl tells the story of a girl struggling with not only her job selling gloves at a large department store, but with the two men in her life. Ray Porter (Martin), a wealthy businessman, and Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), an aspiring musician, both attempt to woo Mirabelle (Claire Danes), with Ray initially winning her love with lavish dinners and gifts instead of Jeremy’s takeout Chinese. However, when Mirabelle is forced to reevaluate her love live, she again has to make a choice between young and old.
7) Me and You and Everyone We KnowCast: Miranda July, John Hawkes, Miles Thompson, Brandon RatcliffDirector: Miranda July
The surprise film of the year, Me and You and Everyone We Know shows the talents of writer, director and star Miranda July. Breakout performances by young Miles Thompson (Peter Swersey) and Brandon Ratcliff (Robby Swersey) make the film both touching and funny. The film also shows the wonders of juvenile-adult scat relationships.
8) ProofCast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jake GyllenhaalDirector: John Madden
Based on David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Proof follows Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow), the daughter of Robert (Anthony Hopkins), an insane and recently deceased mathematician. When Catherine’s sister visits to get her father’s estate in order, she believes Catherine might have inherited her father’s mental illness. Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal), a former student under Robert, further complicates matters when he begins searching through his teacher’s notebooks. One of the proofs he finds, however, could shock the mathematics field, but not without also shocking Catherine’s unstable mental health.
9) CrashCast: Karina Arroyave, Dato Bakhtadze, Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Tony Danza, Jennifer Esposito, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Ryan PhillippeDirector: Paul Haggis
A tale of winding and colliding lives, Crash illustrates the racial tension and conflict that occur in all avenues of life in America. Using store owners, police detectives, locksmiths, car-jackers and a television director, Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Paul Haggis beautifully displays several perspectives of the same events as plot lines mingle effortlessly.
10) MurderballCast: Keith Cavill, Andy Cohn, Scot Hogsett, Christopher Igoe, Bog LujanoDirector: Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
They’re rough. They’re tough. They’re quadriplegic. The story of the USA national quadriplegic rugby team, Murderball follows the athletes through struggles at home and on the court. The documentary elicits a multitude of feelings from excitement reminiscent of watching the Super Bowl to pity. This last emotion doesn’t last long because it is abundantly clear these men are doing what they want and are not slowed down by their physical limitations.
11) MunichCast: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Geoffrey RushDirector: Steven Spielberg
After Steven Spielberg’s less than impressive first film of 2005, War of the Worlds, the seasoned moviegoer was right to be a little skeptical of this historic recreation of the events following the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis. However, after the first 15 minutes of the film that same cinephile could relax knowing they were in the hands of the master at what he does best — historic films about controversial topics. Signature Spielberg is written all over Munich and in this business that is still worth a lot.
12) Walk the LineCast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Sandra Ellis LaffertyDirector: James Mangold
It was only last year when Ray graced the silver screen; and it was only last year when Jamie Foxx walked away with an Oscar for his performance as the famed, blind crooner. It only seems fitting Joaquin Phoenix rides that same roller coaster as he portrays country-music legend Johnny Cash in James Mangold’s biopic Walk the Line. Like Foxx, Phoenix learned to sing like the artist he mimicked, but it was not his performance as Cash that stole the show; rather Reese Witherspoon stole that honor as June Carter.
13) March of the PenguinsCast: A bunch of penguins (you can make cute names for them if you like)Director: Luc Jacquet
There is only one word that describes this film — adorable. March of the Penguins warms even the coldest heart by showing the lengths these small creatures go just to reproduce. The most impressive aspect of the film is the realization that not only are the penguins surviving the harsh environment there is also a camera crew filming it. The deep familiar voice of Morgan Freeman lends a familiarity to a film that could easily be watched without narration.
14) SyrianaCast: George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper, Matt Damon, Amanda PeetDirector: Stephen Gaghan
Remember Traffic? Well Syriana shows that sequels are possible for intense sociopolitical commentary films, as long as things are just a little different. This film could be called Traffic 2. In all seriousness, Syriana, while a little confusing at times, is an engaging and smart film that shows the wheelings and dealings of major oil companies, the U.S. government and foreign powers to get the black dinosaur goo we depend on so much.
15) Batman BeginsCast: Christian Bale, Michael Cain, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian MurphyDirector: Christopher Nolan
While most Bat fans feel a certain level nostalgia for the Tim Burton films of yore, the fact still stood among the true fans of the comics that Batman did not stay true to its source. Christopher Nolan (Memento) has since jump-started to franchise with the truest and darkest adaptation of the Batman comics to date. Batman Begins shows Bruce Wayne’s (Christian Bale) character change from a billionaire hell bent on revenge to a billionaire playboy seeking to clean up Gotham City.
16) Broken Flowers17) The Constant Gardener18) Wedding Crashers19) A History of Violence20) Millions21) Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire22) Cinderella Man23) King Kong24) Melinda and Melinda25)Lord of War26) The 40-Year-Old Virgin27) Hustle & Flow28) Loggerheads29) Sin City30) Last Days