2005 top 10 movies

"Erp erp erp erp"
10. March of the Penguins
I'm a sucker for these in-depth documentaries into the lives of animals. And these penguins will surprise you with their ability of empathy, sacrifice, humour, heartache, etc. You'll laugh, and you'll definitely cry.

"...America has interest overseas"
9. Syriana
An important film if there ever was one this year. Aided by a bug budget no less. Gaughan manages to tackle contemporary issues on a global scale without being overly preachy. Fine performances by Damon, Clooney and Amr Waked

"Why do we fall, to pick ourselves back up"
8. Batman Begins
Indeed it did. It is the return to form for the batman mythos after schumacher routinely shot it with cheese cannons. Though very different from the stylisitic excesses of Burton's original, Batman Begins manages to juggle its mainstream appeal and dark psychology of a man who dresses as a bat into an effective comic book film.

"Twas Beauty that killed the beast"
7. King Kong
Silliness of the last line aside, Jackson manages to prove that his LOTR trilogy was not a fluke of a marriage between an Indie Horror director, a big budget and all that CGI. A popcorn movie through and through, but what a ride, what a ride.

"It is Grandpa's seeing eye bitch"
6. Everything is Illuminated
Based on a book that is equally as touching, poignant and funny. A rarity of a story that uses the Holocaust and Jewish Diaspora as themes but doesn't beat you in the head with its melodrama.

"People all hide behind glass"
5. Crash
Technically not 205, but I saw it only in April. The subject material may be overused but its one where it doesn't hurt to be reminded off every so often. Matt Dillon and Terrence Howard also give wonderful performances. (I should go catch Hustle and Flow)

"I love this job, Hoo rah"
4. Jarhead
Perhaps a little alienating for those who've never served time in an army, much less the pressure cooker that was the 1991 Gulf war. But Jarhead goes a long way in capturing that spirit of unease, boredom and disillusion that being a soldier in a war few understand entails.

"You gotta loosen up mah brother."
3. The Squid and the Whale
Noah Bambach has learnt much from his time with Wes Anderson. More so that he can write and direct a movie with more emotional punch than most Anderson movies while retaining that trademark wit.

"Let's be Bad guys"
2. Serenity
The tale of the TV show that couldn't. It's everything funny, adventurous and epic that Hans Solo brought to the original Star Wars franchise without the overwrought Jedi stuff. Joss Whedon's baby was created for a purpose, and that's to make those science fiction epics shine again with wonderful characters, brilliant dialogue and an imaginative science fiction playground.


"It's game time"
1. Doom
The Rock's masterful performance in this faithful adaptation gives us hope that not all video game translation need be Boll-like disasters. Taut, tense, scary and ..... ah who am I kidding. This was crap, crap, crap and that radioactive piece shat out by donkeys who've wandered too far into a fallout zone.

Honourable 2005 mentions are "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the wererabbit" and "The 40 year old virgin." Both movies being simple celluloid fun.