Top 10 Films of 2005

This list is compiled from every film I had seen in 2005 up to that point. I may have since seen other 2005 films that would now belong on this list.

1. King Kong
After a one year break, Peter Jackson returns to his perennial position at the top of the pile. If it hadn't been PJ making this I wouldn't have been interested as, let's face it, it is yet another remake. But this was one hell of a remake. It's such a remarkably rich movie that it doesn't get boring even after the third viewing in the space of three days, and that's not something I could say about any of the Lord of the Rings films (except maybe Fellowship). It's unfortunate that so far it hasn't been the huge record-breaker that the studio wanted, but I think it's just because the story itself doesn't really have immediate appeal to modern audiences. At its heart it is just an action movie, and so the three-hour runtime could appear excessive, and it is true that some scenes, particularly on Skull Island, do go on for a bit longer than they absolutely need to. The end result though is amazing, with all the extra time spent on developing characters paying off. In fact, possibly my favourite half of the movie is the first half before most of the carnage happens, as I just love the characters and setting (and music), and don't find it at all slow moving. The famous Empire State Building climax is absolutely stunning too. It's spectacle like this that cinema was invented for.

2. Batman Begins
Batman's return to the movie world was definitely a triumphant one. I always had faith that Chris Nolan could pull it off, but despite that, I didn't rush to see it, as I had never been a Batman fan. Boy, did this movie convert me. In my estimation it's the best superhero movie of all time. I loved that the narrative was more complex than the average origin story, with loads of interesting characters even in minor roles. The second half is often criticised for not living up to the early promise, but despite the fact that the 'microwave emitter' is a rather cheesy plot device for a serious movie like this, I think it remains enthralling throughout. In fact, at first I much preferred the second half after Batman appeared, but upon second viewing the beginning completely gripped me too as everything linked together so brilliantly. It still grows on me every time, and that is surely the sign of a great film.

3. Sin City
A violent, adrenaline-pumped and bold piece of cinema, Sin City had me hooked right from the beginning with its amazing visuals and distinctive hard-boiled dialogue. Even though it's essentially three separate stories the film doesn't feel like a simple compilation, as characters pop up in other strands making the tales feel like they interweave. The 'bookend' sequences top and tail the film perfectly as well. Hopefully the Special Edition DVD will soon be out in the UK [note: still nowhere to be seen as of January 2007!], with the option to watch the strands separately, but I think it will be the original theatrical cut which holds up best, as it somehow equals more than the sum of its parts. The impact does lessen after the first viewing but it's still a hell of a ride.

4. Serenity
I had never seen Firefly, the short-lived TV series that Serenity is based on, until midway through the year, but as soon as I watched it, this became one of my most highly anticipated future releases. The characters and sense of humour are wonderful, and the western-meets-sci-fi theme is pretty unique but works brilliantly. The film had a lot of ground to cover but did so with apparent ease, not forgetting to involve all the characters in the gripping storyline too. Despite the film's quality, I still think that it worked better in the TV show format, as it does have a lot of characters and TV provides way more time for epic plots to unfold (and the only real flaw with the movie is that it moves a bit too fast at times). But I can't blame Joss Whedon for that, and this is just about the best possible substitute for a continued run of Firefly that you could ask for.

5. Mean Creek
Having just got this on DVD, I felt I needed to watch it again to see if it had the same impact second time round. When I first saw it, I was amazed at how powerful it was, but in the intervening months since then I thought it might not be so great after repeated viewings. Well, going by my reactions to my second viewing, that assumption was wrong. It was just as hard-hitting and mesmerising as first time. The performances are amazing, especially considering the age and inexperience of most of the actors, making the emotions and dialogue feel completely real. It's slow moving, short, and not a whole lot actually happens, but while it lasts, it's spellbinding. Undoubtedly the hidden gem of the year.

6. Lord of War
Just looking at the synopsis of this film got me interested. It also helped that it was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the man who wrote the brilliant Truman Show and the underrated (and often forgotten) Gattaca. Sure, Lord of War owes a lot to Goodfellas in structure - it covers a relatively long time period, has extensive use of narration - but that's no bad thing when it's executed this well. The film keeps moving at a great pace, remaining fascinating throughout, and has a great look. I don't care about the film's message, whatever it may be; the simple fact is that as a piece of entertainment, I thought this was excellent.

7. Cinderella Man
Shameless sentimental Oscar bait it may be, but shoot me, I really enjoyed it. In fact, I preferred it to the last major film involving boxing, Million Dollar Baby, which just so happened to win the Best Picture Oscar. Russell Crowe delivered another heavyweight (sorry) performance with great support from Paul Giamatti. Renee Zellweger was a bit stiff, perhaps, but that was partly the role that she had. The depression era setting was nicely evoked and I really got into the plight of Jim Braddock. The matches themselves were well put together, with more than a subtle resemblance to Raging Bull, but still nonetheless very engaging. Ironically, despite the fact that the material is very awards-friendly, it may well be overlooked because it was released in Summer. It was also overlooked by the punters, meaning that this made pretty poor box office, which I find fairly difficult to understand. It probably has something to do with Crowe's phone throwing antics.

8. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
And lo, the final Star Wars film does indeed make it onto the top ten for the year! It's not as high as it could have been though, as despite many highlights, it did come across overall as a rather disjointed affair. The first twenty minutes is great, then the narrative momentum comes to virtual standstill for forty minutes before launching into a pretty damn good - but not perfect - last hour. In hindsight, the biggest disappointment for me was the much-anticipated duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Yes, it was impressive, but Lucas and co seemed more intent on wowing everyone with the pair's choreographed lightsaber moves than making it feel as dramatic and emotional as it should have. Ultimately, though, it did deliver a satisfying sense of closure to the saga, and the Order 66 sequence was brilliant.

9. Wolf Creek
I'm as surprised as anyone to see this on my top ten. The reason it's here is because looking back at the year of films, this is one of the ones that I'd most like to see again. It starts off very slowly but manages to hold your interest the whole time. When the violence does come it's pretty extreme and doesn't hold back! A brilliant level of tension is built up when one of the girls wakes up after being drugged by the would-be killer, reaching almost agonising proportions, because you know something sick is just round the corner. The thing that makes the film for me though is the 'revelation moment' when the video camera is discovered and it shows that the backpackers were being hunted the whole time. I love when that sort of thing happens in movies. The visual style is fairly similar to Mean Creek in a way, in that there's a documentary feel and the budget's low. I tend not to like the frequent use handheld cameras but in these two movies it was obviously pulled off just right. So, Wolf Creek is certainly not a lighthearted film, but it sure is gripping.

10. Sideways
This was one of those films for me that I pleasantly enjoyed when I saw it, but since then it's really been stuck in my brain. Sorry in advance for the analogy, but Sideways really is like a fine wine: it improves over time. Like Wolf Creek, Sideways finds itself in this list because I really want to see it again. The acting's impeccable, and in the latter half there are some hilarious moments. I remember the first half being a bit of a slog but I may not think that on second viewing. It's basically a romantic comedy but it completely avoids the cliches that come with the genre. It's a really subtly moving film, and leaves a good taste in the mouth.

Honourable Mentions: Hotel Rwanda, Wolf Creek, A History of Violence, Fantastic Four (really!), The Island, Downfall, A Very Long Engagement, Team America: World Police, Ong-Bak, Stander.

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