| JASON ANDERSON
After two months’ worth of Firewall and The Pink Panther (February is so cruel), I’m having trouble remembering why I watch movies. Then again, books are often heavy and video games make my thumbs hurt. Until I’m forced to watch the next Terrence Malick movie on an iPod, I know where my loyalties remain. All of the 10 worthies below were distributed in Canada in 2005. At the end are a few more faves that went straight to DVD here and others that should surface again soon.
Top ten films of 2005
· The World (China, 2004, dir. Jia Zhangke) – Alienated youth don’t come any more alienated than the employees of a Beijing (un)fun park in this startling vision of the new China. In Jia Zhang-ke’s superb fourth feature, hearts are broken via text message and simulacrums prove to be even better than the real thing.
· A History of Violence (U.S., 2005, dir. David Cronenberg) – What amazes me most is how it functions simultaneously as a film noir, a western, a steamy domestic drama and, once William Hurt shows up, a Steven Seagal movie.
· Forty Shades of Blue (U.S., 2005, dir. Ira Sachs) – Slightly edging out Junebug and The Squid and the Whale in my affections, this subtly devastating drama was the best of a fine trio of Sundance hits.
· It’s All Gone Pete Tong (U.K./Canada, 2004, dir. Michael Dowse) – Technically slick yet still satisfyingly berserk.
· Last Days (U.S., 2005, dir. Gus Van Sant) – Van Sant’s beautifully hazy rock movie celebrated its almost-subject Kurt Cobain for his sensitivity without forgiving his narcissism.
· Moolaade (Senegal, 2004, dir. Ousmene Sembene) – Go ahead and try to name another African agit-prop crowd-pleaser about the evils of female circumcision.
· Grizzly Man (U.S., 2005, dir. Werner Herzog) – The extraordinary tale and even better footage of ill-fated bear friend Timothy Treadwell fuels Herzog’s most trenchant study of man’s uneasy role in the natural world.
· Saraband (Sweden, 2004, dir. Ingmar Bergman) – Though his final work is dominated by feelings of rage, grief and raw need, Bergman ends it with cuddling. Maybe he was a big softy after all.
· Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (U.S./U.K., 2005, dirs. Nick Park and Steve Box) – A hilarious tribute to every English person’s greatest passion: gardening, hunting and forming angry mobs.
· 2046 (Hong Kong, 2004, dir. Wong Kar-wai) – WKW’s remix unites his body of work in an appropriately seductive fashion.
Straight to disc – Kings and Queens (France, 2004, dir. Arnaud Desplechin), Goodbye Dragon Inn (Taiwan, 2004, dir. Tsai Ming-liang), Dead Birds (U.S., 2004, dir. Alex Turner), The Trilogy (Belgium, 2002, dir. Lucas Belvaux).
Coming soon-ish – The Sun (Russia/Japan, 2005, dir. Alexander Sokurov), Three Times (Taiwan, 2005, dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien), The Child (Belgium, 2005, dir. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne), The Proposition (Australia, 2005, dir. John Hillcoat), Brothers of the Head (U.K., 2005, dir. Louis Fulton and Keith Pepe).
MARK HAMILTON
An even dozen, in alphabetical order
· 2046 – A cold and distant sequel to In the Mood for Love, truthfully capturing life after one’s love thereof has long disappeared into the ether.
· Batman Begins (U.S. 2005, dir. Christopher Nolan) – Sure, Katie Holmes seems stunned, as though she’s just been slapped before each take but Christopher Nolan’s dark-spirited prequel finally brings Batman back into the night – right where he belongs.
· The Best of Youth (Italy, 2003, dir. Marco Tullio Giordana) – Giordana’s six-hour epic (screened in two parts) captures perfectly all the drama inherent in an Italian family, all the while touching on the country’s biggest historical moments percolating in the background.
· Brokeback Mountain (U.S., 2005, dir. Ang Lee) – The mounds of press heaped upon the supposed "first" mainstream homosexual love story often forget Brokeback Mountain’s biggest achievement – the onscreen relationship is as sweepingly genuine as the Alberta backdrop in which it was filmed.
· Broken Flowers (U.S., 2005, dir. by Jim Jarmusch) –After I saw Broken Flowers in New York, on the way out through the lobby, an obnoxious woman was badmouthing the wandering plot and capsule-sized scenes. Stepping outside onto the street, a cab rushed by and hit a puddle of week-old gutter sludge. While there were many of us, all walking in the same general area, the only person hit was her, covered head-to-toe. The rest of us walked away without a drop on our trousers. True story.
· Capote (Canada/U.S., 2005, dir. by Bennett Miller) – While it would’ve been nice to have seen a full biopic of Truman Capote’s life (what of his infamous Black and White balls and Andy Warhol’s obsession?), Capote rises above its limitations through Philip Seymour Hoffman’s brilliant portrayal. It doesn’t even matter how much thinner the real life Capote was – once Hoffman opens his mouth, you don’t even realize they’re different people.
· Last Days – Gus Van Sant’s final chapter in his brilliant young America trilogy (also see: Gerry and Elephant) tells the mostly non-verbal tale of Kurt Cobain’s final days – whether or not Van Sant claims it’s someone else entirely. A slow and steady portrait of generational loss.
· Me and You and Everyone We Know –Miranda July’s move from performance artist to filmmaker comes with seamless transition. Charming, heartbreaking and hilarious, it’s the year’s finest film.
· Mysterious Skin (U.S., 2005, dir. by Greg Araki) – Greg Araki finally grows up and makes a film worth sitting through. A perfect queer cinematic step to take after Brokeback Mountain.
· Nobody Knows (Japan, 2004, dir. by Hirokazu Koreeda) – Based on the true story of a Tokyo mother who abandoned her children, Koreeda follows up the stunning After Life with a documentary-style heartbreaker.
· Palindromes (U.S., 2005, dir. by Todd Solondz) – Todd Solondz may miss his targets here just as often as he hits them, but Palindromes’ "I’m Every Woman" storytelling (its young main character portrayed by eight different actresses) is at equal turns funny and stomach-turning.
· The World – The lives and loves of a troop of performers at Beijing’s The World theme park. Jia puts real drama between the scale replications of all the wonders of the world.
TIMOTHY HECK
In 2005, movies finally became predictable in a good way, with the three basic genres of contemporary cinema (mainstream, indie and art) all proving their creative and commercial relevance. As usual, America dominates the first and second categories, and Europe the third, while Asia (from Palestine to Korea) regularly tosses oddball masterpieces into each.
As usual, the films that touched me most deeply were French productions, mostly because characters in French films (whether it's Amelie, 8 Women, or In Praise of Love) behave in ways that I find plausible and rational, whereas characters in American films always seem to behave the way market research indicates their target audience thinks people in films should behave.
Beautiful & Intelligent
A Travers La Foret (France, 2005, dir. Jean-Paul Civeyrac), L'Annulaire (France, 2005, dir. Diane Bertrand), Gabrielle (France, 2005, dir. Patrice Chereau), Le Temps Qui Reste (France, 2005, dir. Francois Ozon)
Cute
Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story (U.K., 2005, dir. Michael Winterbottom), The New World (U.S., 2005, dir Terrence Malick), 2046, Broken Flowers, 3-Iron (South Korea/Japan, 2004, dir. Kim Ki duk), Va, Vis et Deviens (France/Belgium/Israel/Italy, 2005, dir. Radu Mihaileanu)
Real
The World, Cache (France, 2005, dir. Michael Haneke), The President's Last Bang (dir. Lim Sang Soo), L'Enfant (Belgium/France, 2005, dirs. Jean-Paul and Luc Dardenne), The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Romania, 2005, dir. Cristi Puiu), Workingman's Death (Austria/Germany, 2005, dir. Michael Glawogger)
Dumb but Fun
Pride & Prejudice (France/U.K., 2005, dir. Joe Wright), Syriana (U.S., 2005, dir. Stephen Gaghan); The Proposition (Australia/U.K., 2005, dir. John Hillcoat), King Kong (New Zealand/U.S., 2005, dir. Peter Jackson)
Unclean
Sin City, Munich (U.S., 2005, dir. Steven Spielberg), 40-Year-Old-Virgin (U.S., 2005, Judd Apatow)
Possibly Great Films I Missed
Sympathy For Lady Vengenace, History of Violence, Capote, Yes, Paradise Now, The Aristocrats
ROBERTA McDONALD
Top films of 2005
This was an interesting year for cinema. Oscar has uncharacteristically nodded towards two movies that explore the complexities of the gay experience. There’s also a sense of hope that this may be the year Hollywood rouses from its smugness and looks outside itself. This year’s host is Jon Stewart, one of those Hollywood rarities with a genuine sense of wit and comedic timing. For the first time in a long time, I may actually watch the epic broadcast.
· Walk the Line (U.S., 2005, dir. James Mangold) – Johnny Cash was trashing bathrooms, booting out stage lights and abusing narcotics way before it was standard rock ’n’ roll behaviour. He also influenced the evolution of modern rock music and played to prison crowds. Plus, the chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon is unreal. I saw it three times.
· Brokeback Mountain – Ang Lee’s exquisite interpretation of the love that discovers two men amid the Rocky Mountains may have been filmed near Calgary, but it’s a world-class gift. A rare gem of a movie that also packs an emotional roundhouse kick to the guts.
· Crash (U.S., 2004, dir. Paul Haggis) – A searing examination of the simmering racial tensions south of the border. There are no ready-made solutions here and the characters are as real as it gets. I’m increasingly grateful to live in Canada.
Snubbed by Oscar but worth a watch
· The Ice Harvest (U.S., 2005, dir. Harold Ramis) – Lots of boozing and double crossing, all drenched in a chilly coat of film noir ice. It’s wickedly funny and scathingly realistic. Oliver Platt is brilliant.
· Sin City (U.S., 2005, dirs. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller) – Frank Miller’s debut effort is a visual acid trip complete with deeply flawed heroes, enchanting strippers, and lethal hookers. Even the violence is sexy. Watch it late at night with plenty of booze and cigarettes on hand.
· It’s all Gone Pete Tong – From Michael Dowse, the pretty mind that brought us Fubar, comes the tale of a drug addled DJ who loses his hearing, only to find out he’s a world class prick. The coke badger is a touch of genius. It’s also filmed in Ibiza so the scenery is stupendous.
· Metal (Canada, 2005, dirs. Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen) – It may have just been released, but I don’t care. I friggin’ love it. This documentary offers us an anthropological glimpse into the sweaty, long haired, head banging world of metal music. Victoria native and self professed life long rocker Sam Dunn explores all the elements of why the genre is still attracting fans after 35 years. From Slayer to Slipknot, this movie shows us why 40,000 fans will pack festivals and whip themselves into a slobbering frenzy. Metal gives kids of all ages a sense of community and hope. Punch air.
JOHN TEBBUTT
The Big Three
·Kung Fu Hustle (China, 2004, dir. Stephen Chow) –Sweet backflipping Jesus! You must see this!
· Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – My prayers have been answered! They finally made a Wallace & Gromit movie… and it’s better than I could have dreamed!
· Sin City – The best comic-book movie of the year. (Sorry, Batman Begins!)
Best re-releases
· Turkish Star Wars (a.k.a. Dunyayi Kurtaran Adam: "The Man Who Saves the World") (1982, dir. Cetin Inanc) —Man, I never thought I’d get to see this in a theatre. What an experience: a capacity crowd laughing its guts out at a midnight screening of the craziest, most ridiculous Star Wars rip-off ever made. Hilarious!
· Runner-Up – Playgirl Killer (1966, dir. Erick Santamaria) – Thanks to the Calgary Underground Film Festival and Broken City for bringing us this berserk Canadian horror flick.
Best penguin movie
It’s a tie between the real penguins of March of the Penguins (France, 2005, dir. Luc Jacquet and the hilarious cartoon penguin commandos of Madagascar (U.S., 2005, dirs. Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath). 2006 will need some pretty amazing penguin movies to top these.
Best ending to an otherwise dire horror flick
The climax of House of Wax (U.S., 2005, dir. Jaume Collet-Serra). Lousy flick; awesome melting house.
BRANDON TENOLD
Top ten films of 2005
· Sin City – The most faithful comic-book movie ever, and a shining example of how to use emerging technology to enhance storytelling.
· Downfall (Germany, 2005, dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel) – Told through the eyes of Hitler's secretary, this chronicle of the Third Reich’s destruction is one of the most absorbing WWII films ever made.
· Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (U.S./U.K., 2005, dirs. Nick Park and Steve Box) – Claymation’s favourite sons get the feature-length treatment, and the results don’t disappoint.
· Oldboy (South Korea, 2004, Chan-wook Park) – Chan-wook Park’s tale of revenge features the best cinematic use of a hammer in recent memory.
· The Constant Gardener (Germany/U.K., 2005, dir. Ferando Meirelles) – Drama about an international conspiracy involving pharmaceutical wrong-doings in Africa is as involving as the images are beautiful.
· Save the Green Planet (South Korea, 2003, dir. Jun-hwan Jeong) – Wacky sci-fi film that features elements of everything from Silence of the Lambs to Power Rangers. What’s not to like?
· Serenity (U.S., 2005, dir. Joss Whedon) – Feature-length continuation of the failed Firefly series has all the charm of the TV version.
· Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (U.S./U.K., 2005, Mike Newell) – Yeah, that’s right, I put the new Harry Potter movie on this list...what, you wanna armwrestle?
· The Aristocrats (U.S., 2005, dir. Paul Provenza) – A documentary about the dirtiest joke ever told. Worth it for Bob Saget’s ultra-filthy version.
· Domino (U.S., 2005, dir. Tony Scott) – Tony Scott’s film about a model turned bounty hunter doesn’t make a lot (re: any) sense, but it takes style-over-substance filmmaking to new heights.
MATTHEW CURRIE HOLMES
Top 11 films of 2005
· Brokeback Mountain (U.S., 2005, dir. Ang Lee) – Not only is this the best film of the year but it is also the best love story I have ever seen. No melodrama, just honest, heartbreaking love.
· Good Night, and Good Luck (U.S., 2005, dir. George Clooney) – This masterpiece of minimalism story telling about Edward R. Murrow’s on-air fight with Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s is the type of film that all good drama should aspire to be – fascinating and enthralling to watch.
· Crash – Out of all those nominated, Matt Dillon has my vote for best supporting actor as the racist cop who is involved in another "coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous" type film. This is a movie that is both challenging and revealing in the way it shows the human condition.
· A History Of Violence – Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello give astonishingly grounded performances in this film based on a graphic novel about a man with a past forced into violence.
· Syriana (U.S., 2005, dir. Stephen Gaghan) – You will not have a clue about what’s going on for the first hour of this brilliant film and that’s the point. Director Gaghan throws both the cast and the audience into the wolf’s den. Like watching a worst-case scenario about the current Middle East oil crisis come true.
· C.R.A.Z.Y. (Canada, 2005, dir. Jean-Marc Vallee) – This is an extraordinary film about an ordinary French-Canadian family – mother, father and five boys in 1970s Quebec. A very touching yet never maudlin, (something French Canadian cinema has nearly perfected) coming-of-age movie. Did I mention the soundtrack? Spectacular!
· Hustle And Flow (U.S., 2005 dir. Craig Brewster) – You know? It’s hard out here for a pimp. Terrence Howard tears it up as a Memphis pimp with dreams of becoming a rap star. This unapologetic Rocky-esque story is everything 8 Mile wished it was.
· Sin City – Speaking of unapologetic, this is one of the most viscerally exciting film noirs ever made. Sin City isn’t just another comic book movie, it is a comic put into action on the big screen. As a technical achievement, it is amazing, and as a no-holds-barred piece of violent pulp action – it’s perfect.
· Batman Begins – This is the best Batman movie ever made. Tim Burton, on his best day, couldn’t do what Nolan has done – create a credible superhero bereft of sarcasm and glib scene-chewing placation. This, my friends, is the Batman cinema has been waiting for.
· Me and You and Everyone We Know – Not only is this a beautiful movie about human frailty and the need to be loved, it is also an exquisite piece of art that should be hanging on a wall in the Museum of Modern Art. July is a conceptual artist who speaks a language that is both endearing and extremely brave.
· Kung Fu Hustle – How does one explain Kung Fu Hustle? It’s a movie like nothing you’ve ever seen, and that I can almost guarantee. Imagine a Kung Fu Looney Tunes Cartoon with a hatchet wielding gang of thugs who dance. I’ve never said "What the fuck?" more often or laughed harder at any other film this year.
The I’m sorry, Academy members, but did you even see this performance?? goes to…
Jeff Daniels (Squid and the Whale U.S., 2005, dir. Noah Baumbach) – While the film was good (not great) it was Jeff Daniels who stood above the rest with a performance that was perfect. He practically reinvented the wheel, playing an egotistical, narcissistic New York writer trying to cope with a divorce and co-raising two children. Not many actors have the guts to put aside their egos and owe their souls because sometimes it’s just ugly.
SHAUN ENGLISH
Top ten films of 2005
· The New World (U.S., 2004, dir. Terrence Malick)
· Oldboy (South Korea, 2004, dir. Park Chan-Wook)
· Broken Flowers
· Last Days
· King Kong (New Zealand/U.S., 2005, dir. Peter Jackson)
· Capote
· The Ballad of Jack and Rose (U.S., 2004, dir. Rebecca Miller)
· Sin City
· Undertow (U.S., 2004, dir. David Gordon Green)
· Brokeback Mountain
· You, Me and Everyone we Know |
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