Box Office in U.S. theatres was down, down, down in 2005. The studios wept and lamented and blamed piracy for the downturn in box office receipts. Hah! There are lots of reasons fewer people went to the movies in 2005. Among them:
1) Theatres are becoming more and more annoying. I can't think of a single movie I saw this year without someone talking on a cell phone or text messaging someone.... and active conversation during the movie seems on the uprise. And the commercials before the film??? Completely destroys the moviegoing experience. Arghhh!
2) It's less expensive and more comfortable to purchase the DVD and watch at home. The movie's in focus too! We enjoy our home movie nights more and more, and the theatres less and less. (Heck... the theatres actually now show commercials for the DVDs, and for TV shows... They are advertising to us to STOP coming to the theatre. Great marketing strategy!)
3) While many interesting movies are made and released.... few actually show outside of major metropolitan areas. Sadly, here in Riverside, CA we get few, if any, independent films. Our new 16 screen multiplex can't designate even one screen to showing 'smaller' films. It's King Kong and Narnia on four screen apiece.
4) As long as I'm being cranky about this -- another thing that's discouraged my movie going has been Movie Trailers. If they show you a reader's digest version of the entire film, with all major plot points, I no longer feel like I need to see the movie. I probably would have gone to see Flight Plan, but by the 30th time I'd seen the trailer over 6 months, I felt like I'd already seen it!
Bottom line: Another bad year for Hollywood. I saw 63 out of the 574 movies released this year, and can hardly put together a decent top 10. And it's not for lack of trying. I guess I'll catch the best of the rest on DVD next year. I can assure you that 300+ of these movies never played in our local theatres.
NOTE: Due to holiday plans, I've ended my filmgoing year in mid-December. That means I won't get to see some of the films opening Xmas week, or the limited, academy qualifying runs of Munich, Brokeback Mountain, Match Point, or The New World. I'll also miss mainstream films like The Producers, Fun with Dick and Jane, Rumor Has It. They'll be added to my list for 2006 (when I'll actually see them), just as you'll find the missed films from 2004 at the bottom of this year's list.
Films released in 2005 but not seen till 2006 are marked in Gray and with an astericks and appended to the list.
The Best of 2005
1. Grizzly Man - Documentaries were, across the board, the most entertaining films this year, and this was the best. Herzog shows amazing restraint in telling us the story of a young man and his search for a self-image. It's as interesting a portrait of a human being as I've seen in years. Completely unexpected in every way. This year's most unforgettable character on screen.
2. Crash - Balancing a terrific ensemble cast through multiple storylines, Paul Haggis manages to explore the failures of communication and the misunderstandings that fuel racial uneasiness. Resonates with the best work of Altman and Paul Thomas Anderson. Rich, interesting characters and plotting that doesn't insult your intelligence. The kind of film that will reward repeat viewings.
*2A.June Bug (seen in 2006)
*2B The Squid & The Whale (seen in 2006)
3. Sin City - Sure -- it's violent, crass, and over-the-top, but Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller finally figure out how to bring a graphic novel to the screen. It can't overcome the limitations of its source material, but as a live action animation each frame has a kind of dark beauty. The most visually striking film of the year.
4. Cinderella Man - An old-fashioned film with a heart. Combining a thoughtful depiction of depression-era life with the emotional tug of the boxers world, Cinderella Man joins Rocky and Million Dollar Baby in the pantheon of touching movies about lugs who live by their fists. The always dependable Russell Crow delivers another solid performance, and Paul Giamatti shines as his pal.
5. A History of Violence - David Cronenberg once again sets you on edge -- and this time without any supernatural tumors to assist him. By working in a more mainstream setting, Cronenberg creates a thriller that is ceaselessly unsettling as it slowly unspools and escalates. Yes -- the sex scene on the stairs stretches credulity, but overall, this film kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. William Hurt turns in an oscar-worthy cameo.
6. MurderBall - Another great documentary giving a glimpse into the desperate lives of quadriplegic jocks. Again -- the people in this movie are far more complex and fascinating than any seen in a Hollywood screenplay. Unexpectedly touching and frightening.
7. Rize - This documentary almost passes as a Christopher Guest mockumentary. If it weren't true, you'd think you were being put on! African American Hip Hop Clowns competing with rival gangs of Krumpers!?! The filmmaking here isn't that strong -- but this is such an odd, unexpected story that it sticks in the mind long after the film is over. And the dancing is like nothing you've ever seen. Bizarre and unexpected.
8. King Kong - The most entertaining popcorn movie of the year. Once again, Peter Jackson manages to mix spectacle with heart. Kong himself transcends "effect" and registers as a real leading character. The movie works both a loving homage, and a clever satire of the entertainment industry. Sure... a few too many dinosaurs...and Jack Black just doesn't belong in a period film, but Naomi Watts delivers an extraordinarily stylized performance ripped right out of the 30s.
9. Broken Flowers - Jim Jarmusch and Bill Murray are the perfect match for low key cool. The most laid back film of the year, a man reluctantly revisits his past relationships and sees how the world has moved on around him. Though nothing much "happens" in the film -- the journey is an interesting one. Great character turns by the always dependable Jeffrey Wright and Sharon Stone. Quietly funny and charming.
10. In Her Shoes - Nothing fancy, but a 'chick flick' that actually touched home. Shirley McClane in her best performance in years. Good performances from Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette. Just a decent comedy/drama that gives you a story worth caring about. Curtis Hanson keeps the film on firm footing, avoiding melodrama and schmaltz.
PASS THE POPCORN: (Not the year's best, but all films I enjoyed just the same.
11. Hustle and Flow
12. Capote - (Phillip Seymour Hoffman deserves an oscar for this performance)
*12A Brokeback Mountain (seen in 2006)
13. Happy Endings
14. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
15. The Island - (I thought this was a fun action sci-fi picture. Few others did. But I enjoyed it!)
16. Zathura
17. Walk the Line
18. War of the Worlds
19. Kung Fu Hustle
20. Mad Hot Ballroom
21. Shopgirl
*21A Matchpoint (seen in 2006)
*21B Tsosti (seen in 2006)
22. The Family Stone
23.
40 year old Virgin
24. Red Eye
25. Wedding Crashers
26. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
27. Sky High
28. Elizabethtown
*28A Transamerica (seen in 2006)
*28B Munich (seen in 2006)
29. Chronicles of Narnia
30. Good Night and Good Luck
31. Transporter 2
32. The Ice Harvest
33. The Aristocrats
34. Lord of War
35. Batman Begins
36. Mr. and Mrs Smith
37. Revenge of the Sith
*37A Mrs. Henderson Presents(seen in 2006)
38. Bad News Bears
39. Fantastic Four
40. March of the Penguins
40A Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story(seen in 2006)
*41A An Unifinished Life (seen in 2006)
YAWNERS AND DISSAPOINTMENTS :
41. Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
42. Charlie & The Chocalate Factory
43. Fever Pitch
44. The Upside of Anger
45. Thumbsucker
46. Syriana
*46A The New World (seen in 2006)
47. The Constant Gardner
48. Everything is Illuminated
49. Guess Who?
50. Aliens of the Deep
51. Assault on precinct 13
52. Robots
53. Madagascar
54. The Great Raid
55. Serenity
WORST OF THE YEAR:
56. The Interpretor
57.
Ong-Bak - The Thai Warrior
58. The Brothers Grimm
59. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
*59A You and Me and Everyone We Know(seen in 2006)
60. Land of the Dead
61. Constantine
62. Stealth
63. Miss Congeniality 2
2004
Films Seen in 2005 (star ratings from 4-1 indicate how good or bad these would
have wound up in last year's list)
3 films from last year (they have been placed in the 2004 list
in gray)
Million Dollar Baby- 4 star
Hotel Rwanda - 3 star
In Good Company - 3 star
Films seen in 2008 and beyond are all now housed on TroutcoBlog.
The films I saw in 2007 Rated.
The films I saw in 2006 Rated.
The films I saw in 2005 Rated
The films I saw in 2004 Rated.
The films I saw in 2003 Rated.
The
films I saw in 2002 Rated.
The films I saw in 2001 Rated.