Homophobia likely kept the cast and crew of Ang Lee's 'gay cowboy movie' seated throughout much of the 2005 Academy Awards broadcast. That will go down as another blunder on Hollywood's biggest night, because history has already recognized it as the best film of the year. Have you heard anyone singing the praises of "Crash" lately? Me neither. I think it's safe to say that the late Heath Ledger will be granted celluloid immortality due to two wildly dissimilar roles, and his iconic Joker probably wouldn't have happened without his sexually conflicted cowboy Ennis Del Mar. Jake Gyllenhall's bravery shouldn't be overlooked either, and the presence of Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway might make "Brokeback" the most impressive assembly of young actors in the '00s. Straight guys, don't be afraid to saddle up.
The massacre of 11 Palestinians at the 1972 Summer Olympics and it's mooted aftermath is recalled in Steven Spielberg's smart, handsomely-mounted historical drama. Tony Kershner and Eric Roth's Oscar-nominated screenplay, based on the 1984 George Jonas book "Vengeance", details 'Operation Wrath of God', an Israeli government assassination campaign targeting the 'Black September' terrorist group. Like all true stories, the actual events are mysterious and murky and open to political debate, but the sheer quality of Spielberg's storytelling and present-day parallels are not. Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, and pre-Bond Daniel Craig are on the hunt for 11 suspects in an ultimately futile quest for revenge. The result was five Oscar nods, including Best Picture/Director, and a place on many critics' annual top-ten lists.
4. "Batman Begins"(2005)
Bat fans will be forever grateful to Chris Nolan for washing away the memories of those nippled nightmares from the mid-to-late '90s, and presenting this serious and grounded origin story that focused on a young, emotionally scarred Bruce Wayne's journey toward fulfilling his destiny as the crime-fighting legend. Christian Bale proved to be the most committed actor to ever don the cape and cowl and he couldn't have been surrounded by a classier ensemble- Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman proved a rock-solid support system. Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy don't slack in the villain department as we're hurled toward a chaotic climax of fear gas and a runaway elevated train. Gotham's savior was back where he belonged, but little did we know that Nolan was just getting started.
5. "Cinderella Man"(2005)
A crowded summer schedule, Russell Crowe's prickly off-screen persona, and "Million Dollar Baby" probably kept Ron Howard's uplifting period drama from the box office and major awards consideration that it seemed destined for. The movie gods just weren't in Jim Braddock's corner in 2005, but that's fine because film is forever and this is still a damn good one. Howard and his frequent screenwriter Akiva Goldsman("A Beautiful Mind") crafted a pleasingly old-fashioned story that makes it impossible not to root for Crowe's impoverished pugilist as he makes an unlikely run at the Heavyweight Championship in 1930s NY. Rene Zellweger and Paul Giamatti offer stellar support in familiar roles.
6. "Capote"(2005)
Now let's talk about Philip Seymour Hoffman. You know that a Best Actor race was extremely tight when the abovementioned performances of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix both go home empty-handed, but the prize indeed went to one of the most distinctive actors of this or any other celluloid era. After serving a lengthy apprenticeship as a standout supporting player, Hoffman made the most of his close-up as renowned openly gay writer Truman Capote. The film focuses on Capote's fascination with the accused killer in a 1959 massacre in rural Texas that inspires his final completed literary work, "In Cold Blood". PSH absolutely nails Capote's odd speech and mannerisms, making this a modern acting showcase that's second to none.
The fourth best SW movie is a lot closer to what the franchise's legions of hardcore fans had in mind when George Lucas first told us that he would be telling the tragic tale of a young Anakin Skywalker. The likes of Jake Lloyd and Jar Jar Binks had many fantasy film buffs switching their allegiance to Peter Jackson, but Lucas did all he could to try and set the universe back as we remember it in the action-packed conclusion to his divisive prequel trilogy. I was fairly satisfied with the Jedi slaughter caused by Hayden Christensen, en route to a 20-plus year reign of intergalactic tyranny alongside Ian McDiarmid's Evil Emperor. The closing moments tie nicely with Episode IV to bring(most) of George's notoriously nitpicky fan-base back from the dark side.
8. "Syriana"(2005)
A bearded George Clooney went through hell for Hezbollah in this topical "Traffic"-style drama from that film's Oscar-winning writer-turned-director Stephen Gaghan. Was the Middle Eastern quagmire really just an elaborate victory for Big Oil? This sobering, complex story, based on Robert Baer's 2003 book, may require multiple viewings to get a firm grasp on all the shady goings-on at home and abroad. Best Supporting Actor Clooney's grizzled CIA agent makes it time well spent. His frequent collaborator, the politically-minded Matt Damon does his part to make the material accessible as an energy analyst uncomfortably stuck in the tangled web. Jeffrey Wright is a Washington-based lawyer dealing with a dubious merger.
Just when you thought that Woody Allen was resigned to repeating the same jokes and plotlines for the rest of his professional life, he turned his camera to London and on a scorching Scarlet Johannsson for an upper-crust love triangle, and one of the year's most pleasant surprises(translation- this is NOT a comedy) . Jonathan Rys Meyers plays a retired tennis pro torn between the cushy lifestyle provided by the affluent family of his dull new bride(Emily Mortimer) and his insatiable lust for the smoky-voiced temptress pictured above. I urge all Allen haters to put the magnificent "Match Point" on their watch-lists, they can thank me later.
10(tie)."The New World"(2005)
The movie-going public was very reluctant to give Colin Farrell another chance in a historical drama only one year after the disastrous "Alexander". That's a shame because nearly everyone missed out on the visual poetry that Terence Malick brought to the romance between John Smith and Pocohantas. Farrell hasn't had a better film to call his own thanks to the famously philosophical director's dreamy love of the outdoors and the unconventional beauty of newcomer Q'orianka Filcher. Christian Bale's sensitive settler arrives late in the story to compete for her silent affections and evoke memories of Malick's thematically similar "Days of Heaven".
10(tie)."The 40 Year Old Virgin"(2005)
Losing your virginity is no laughing matter. As someone that held onto mine longer than I'd care to admit, I can say that with absolute certainty, but director Judd Apatow and his star/co-writer Steve Carell find loads of humor and heart in this often-painful waiting game. Carell quietly emerged as a major talent in the mid-'00s("The Office" premiered the same year), while Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd would soon find their names above the title too(but no such luck for Romany Malco). The chest-waxing scene instantly entered the realm of classic comedy, and I'd gladly go sexless if Catherine Keener was the light at the end of the tunnel. Welcome to the Judd Apatow era.
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