Top Ten Films of the Year by ME!
Enetertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman:
10. Tony Takitani
9.In Her Shoes
8. Hustle & Flow
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
6. Junebug
5. Match Point
4. The Century of the Self
3. Brokeback Mountain
2. King Kong
1. Munich
Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum:
10. Look at Me
9. 2046
8. Crash
7. You and Me and Everyone We Know
6. The World
5. Munich
4. King Kong
3. The Best of Youth
2. Brokeback Mountain
1. A History of Violence
I find it interesting that there are only two films shared in the top five. Brokeback Mountain and King Kong. Brokeback is a story about two gay lovers, while Kong is a story about a silent relationship between a giant ape and a beautiful woman. Strange. I find it interesting to look at the lists themselves and compare the two, keeping in mind that the first is from a man, while the other is from a woman. Both lists host multiple independant films, and the major pictures they boast vary hugely.
10. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
7. War of the Worlds
6. Crash
5. Sin City
4. Pride & Prejudice
3. Star Wars Episode III
2. A History of Violence
1. King Kong
The Chronicles of Narnia is a great film. I saw it the first time just before Christmas, and enjoyed it alot. I thought it had room for improvement. Very good. B
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I went into this film with a negative view. I've been a fan of Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka since i was young, and my mind was determined that no one - especially Tim Burton of all people - could pull off a better version. I was blown away by this film, it far exceeded my expectations. I loved the film, and loved Johnny Depp - he was simply fantastic. B+
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I simply enjoyed this film. It was my favorite book of the series, and it was adapted very well. It was directed well, and everything flowed excellently. B+
War of the Worlds. Steven Speilberg strikes a brilliant stroke with this film. My mind got blown out of my head the first time i saw it. Loved it so much, went back four more times. The direction was excellent, the acting was pretty decent, and the story was phenominal. it all comes together. A-
Crash. This film took my mind. So brilliantly written and directed - stories intertwining and combining.. it was simply a delight to behold. Story, directing, superb acting.. amazing. A
Sin City. I absolutely loved this film the first time i saw it. There were some things that simply were not necessary, but it was great. Black and white with color, the shots.. everything. And a guest director Quentin Tarantino? Heck yes! A-
Pride and Predjudice. Now i know some of you are thinking Ben, what has gotten into you? But please, hear me out. I love the story, i hate the book. I know - the book is the story. Not so! The book is so terribly long and drawn out - but the core story i absolutely loved. A film version was made in the mid 90's, but was - very unfortunately - a torturous five hours long. This film was not even two, and kept the story strong and concise. The direction was beautiful, and i really respect the director. he's a genius - I felt the story, excellent acting, and great direction. A
Star Wars Episode III. Saw it at midnight and was extremely pleased. The final puzzle peice is in place and looking beautiful. I loved every minute of it. The one blotch was Natalie Portman's acting. OUCH. A-
A History of Violence. Every single category of this film deserves an A.. Writing, Directing, special effects.. Everything. But the one A+ definately goes to the actors. Viggo Mortensen boldly led this cast and was absolutely breathtaking. Excellent! Mega thumbs up to director David Cronenburg and Viggo Mortensen. A (very VERY close to being an A+)
King Kong. This is the ultimate film of the year. I was filled with so many emotions during my first viewing. It hit me in all the right spots, nearly cried.. my heart didn't stop pounding until a half hour after the film was done. Writing by Phillippa Boyens and Fran Walsh - breathtaking and utterly fantastic. Acting by Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, and Jack Black - amazing! Direction by Peter Jackson was amazing in every single way - He is a director on top of the world. A proud A+ with applause!
Hmmm.. Nothing from Shyamalan this year. Weird. Oh well, he's got Lady in the Water coming out next year. Sweet.
Well there ya go. Thanks for reading, I look forward to writing at the end of next year!