17. Brokeback Mountain (2005)Two cowboys sign up for a six months sheep-guarding job on Colorado’s Brokeback Mountain. Against some of the purtiest country you’ll find, a friendship grows between them, and they fall in complicated and imperfect love. Few people are unaware of this film’s existence, but unfortunately the bullet points usually condense to “that gay cowboy movie”. But despite the bans and the fear-mongering, and the possibility of turning into something completely different, it turned out to be a beautiful and moving love story, shot through with themes of fear, denial, frustration and intolerance, directed with sensitivity and a deft hand by Ang Lee. The two main performances are some of the best I’ve seen from these actors, and while I’ve heard people complain about Heath Ledger’s decision to clench his jaw throughout the film’s entirety, I totally get this. He gives us someone so tightly wound, so defiantly tightened against his own fear of falling apart that it’s an effort to get any words out at all, let alone some honest feeling. It’s a bit diminishing to remark on how gorgeous Jake Gyllenhaal looks in this, because he also gives a fantastic performance. On the other hand…soo very pretty.
Best scene: Ennis walks up behind Jack and hugs him. Such a small gesture, so significant.
“I thought Brokeback might be around where he grew up. Knowing Jack it might be some pretend place, where bluebirds sing and there’s a whiskey spring…”
18. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
In which George Clooney showed the world that he is much more th
an just a pretty face. Depicting the time in America’s history where Senator Joe McCarthy declared war on Communists, and anyone who had ever talked to or stood next to a Communist, dismissing much in the way of the general public’s basic rights. Censorship runs rampant through the television and media industry, and it becomes increasingly difficult to speak one’s mind. Along comes 60 Minutes reporter Edward R. Murrow, who stands firm on his principles and demands something better, despite the power stacked against him. Awesome. Shot in greyscale and headlined by a show stealing performance by David Strathairn, this film struck so well with the time and place, stressing the importance of the responsibility of the media towards the public, even as technology and rising world tensions begin to eat at them.Best scene: the showdown with Senator McCarthy.
“This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. Good night, and good luck"
19. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
One of those movies I think has been criminally under-seen and under-valued, and I think the best thing I’ve seen Robert Downey Jr do. A small time crook gets caught up in the surreal world of Hollywood’s movie elite. In doing so he runs into his highschool sweetheart, becomes embroiled in a murder mystery and annoys the heck out of private detective Perry “Gay Perry” White (Val Kilmer, who has honestly never been more awesome). With an old school charm It moves from joke to joke without waiting for – or pandering to – the audience and lets Robert Downey do his natural best. With a self-confessed imperfect narration from Downey’s character, this movie pokes as much fun at itself as it does the superficial world in which it was made.Best scene: Harry and Perry try their best to get rid of a body someone has planted in Harry’s apartment. This is made more difficult when Harry accidentally pees on the body.
“I peed on the corpse. Can they do, like, an ID from that?
“I’m sorry, you peed on–?”
“On the corpse, and my question is–”
“No, my question. I get to go first. Why in pluperfect hell would you pee on a corpse?”
20. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
It was the thing all Nick Park fans had been waiting for. Wallace and Gromit, in feature length form. The world’s most expressively-faced dog and his human ar
e in the pest control business – preventing rabbits and other nibbly creatures (mostly rabbits) from ruining the town’s vegetables before the big vegetable competition and fair. But something sinister is foiling Anti-Pesto’s attempts to keep the village pest-free. Something large and rabbit-shaped. A were-rabbit, to be exact. It’s also possible that Wallace may have caused this anomaly by playing with mind control experiments on the rabbits. And so the race is on to save the vegetables and win the “lovely” Lady Tottington’s heart. It’s completely brilliant. I just don’t understand people who don’t love this kind of thing.Best scene: Gromit attempts to “lure” the were-rabbit by means of an enormous female rabbit costume doing a suggestive dance.
“Cheeeeeeeeeese.” (If Gromit ever talked, all the best lines would come from him)
21. Batman Begins (2005)
Just when it seemed they had milked the Batman franchise for all it was worth, Christopher Nolan came along and said, “What if we did it without the camp?” It was just crazy enough to work. Starting again from scratch, this one took Bruce Wayne’s transformation into Batman seriously (and, let’s face it, of all the superheroes Batman is probably the most plausible: no special powers, no super-human strength, just a bucketload of money). After learning all he can about super-cool fighting moves in the hills of Tibet at the hands of Liam Neeson and deciding just what kind of badass he wants to be, Bruce travels back to Gotham to turn this city around. And the best was yet to come…Best scene: most of the ones with Alfred in them, so maybe the scene where Alfred saves Bruce from a burning building.
“What was the point of all those push-ups if you can’t even lift a bloody log?”
22. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Remakes did surprisingly well this year. While I grew up with the
BBC versions (damn good they were, too, despite lack of special effects), it was quite exciting to see these given another go. Beginning with the 1940 bombing of London and the evacuation of children (this event actually inspired a large number of stories to be written for children, many of them focusing on magic), four in particular. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to the country to live with Professor Kirke, whose house holds a very unusual wardrobe. As Lucy, the youngest, finds her way into the magical land of Narnia she meets Mr Tumnus the faun (the beautiful James McAvoy, as you’ve never seen him), and from then on it’s all White Witches and really awesome beavers and lions and…can you tell this was one of my favourite books growing up? The filmmakers, in a brilliant move, decide to downplay the religious connotations and focus on what is an awesome story. Tilda Swinton demands special mention as a quietly evil White Witch, as do all the children. The tiny touches get me – like the dying bluebottle on the windowsill or Mr Tumnus’s umbrella… This film gives such depth to the four young characters and creates some truly exciting battle scenes. Just hang on and go “wheeeeee!”Best scene: there’s much to like, but the final battle is pretty damn awesome, including, in particular the arrival of the White Witch, resplendent with golden mane.
“Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen.”
