Film Faves 2005

Once again The Oscars have come and gone, and I find myself not caring about the films that were awarded little gold men.  This is becoming a habit for me.

So I thought I'd talk a bit about my five picks for Best Picture of 2005.  These are my favorites from last year, and they only reflect the movies that gave me the most pleasurable experiences in the cinema or on DVD.  They are not my picks for the films I thought were the highest acheivements in film, they are simply the ones I liked the best.  The Academy may have thought Crash was the best movie of the year (and who am I to say otherwise, I haven't even seen it), but the following five flicks made me smile, laugh, cry or feel more than any other.

And in the end, isn't that what really matters?

Here are my picks . . .

In alphabetical order:

The Island - This movie was the biggest surprise of the year for me at the movies (well, except for my feelings about Star Wars Episode III and its eventual exclusion from this list.  But that's a different story).  Some people who know me, know my history with Michael Bay films; I loathe them (except for Pearl Harbor, which I actually enjoyed a bit).  But pretty much everything else he's done has been on my list of least favorites (especially Armageddon) for the year it came out.  "Short attention span trash" are words I've used to describe his films.  So when I sat down to watch The Island, I found myself shocked beyond belief that, not only did I enjoy it, but I ended up thinking it was one of the best films of the year.  If you're like me, and the work of Mr. Bay has not been high on your list, take my advice and give The Island a chance.  It may surprise you.  Mike has definitely redeemed himself on this one.

Memoirs of a Geisha -  This film has been slammed by critics for being unrealistic or too melodramatic, but I think they miss the point of the story and more importantly, they miss the beauty of the world being created onscreen.  To me, the film doesn't aim to create an authentic account of a geisha.  The film is concerned with showing us a beautiful, lyrical fairy tale version of the life of a geisha in pre and post-war Japan.  On the DVD commentary track, the director described the story as "Dickensian", and I completely agree.  I was amazed by this wonderful variation on the classic hero's journey and have so fallen in love with the characters in this film that it has earned a place on this list. 

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - This movie was also a bit of a surprise for me.  I'm not a big fan of Mr. Pitt or Ms. Jolie, but this film was a fun, funny action-comedy and the two actors really had a great chemistry.  This film also had some of the most entertaining action sequences of the year, including a knock down, drag-out, oddly-erotic fight between Brad and Angelina, and a hilarious chase scene in a mini-van that offers some of the biggest laughs of the entire film.  I'm sure there will be a sequel, I just hope they can pull off something as charming as the first one.  It'll be hard to top.  My advice:  go for a prequel, so the original premise can survive a bit longer.

Pride & Prejudice - My favorite film of 2005.  My initial review of the film, which I posted HERE, still stands.  And it looks beautiful on DVD.

Sin City - This is a tough film for me to view objectively.  The original comics by Frank Miller are some of my favorite funny-books of all time.  But watching the comics play out in live-action last year, lovingly recreated with such detail and respect for the source material, was one of the most joyous experiences I've ever had in a cinema.  For that, and that alone, this film belongs on this list.  Oh, and the extended, uncut DVD has a great "10 Minute Cooking School" with director Robert Rodriguiz . . . Sin City Tacos (go HERE for the recipe).  They're almost as good as the movie itself.

And those are my Film Faves of 2005.  If you haven't seen any of my picks, they're all available on DVD now, so go rent them.  You won't be disappointed.

-Otis

Note:  Cinderalla Man was originally on this list, but has since been bumped by Memoirs of a Geisha, which I have recently seen on DVD.