Best Movies of 2005 Part 1 of 2

because so many websites and bloggers are doing it, i figure i should give my list of the best films i saw in 2005. they are really in no particular order:


Broken Flowers Bill Murray plays an eternal bachelor who, after being dumped by his girlfriend, finds a letter stating that he has a son that's looking for him. The situation causes Don to examine his relationships with women instead of moving on to the next one, and he embarks on a cross-country search for his old flames who might possess clues to the mystery at hand. I loved this movie and think that Bill Murray just keeps getting better with age. A must see.

Murderball A film about quadriplegics who play full-contact rugby in Mad Max-style wheelchairs - overcoming unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. Seriously one of the best documentaries I've seen in years. I only wish they had shown more of the guys playing on the court.

Me and You and Everyone We Know Phillip and I saw this at the Coolidge during the summer. I loved it so much. It's really heartbreaking but super funny at the same time. I especially loved the one liners from the youngest son and the neighbor girl who cuts out photos of kitchenware and stores them in a photo album for her future. You have to see this film. It's great.

Brokeback Mountain Brokeback Mountain is so much more than a "gay cowboy" film. It's heart-wrenching and beautiful and it makes you think about your own relationships. A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 shepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted. This has become one of my favorite films of all time. Go see it for the scenery and cinematography alone.

Capote Capote tells the story of Truman Capote during his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, the writer develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers. Philip Seymour Hoffman is outstanding as Capote. He's one of my favorite actors and he did an awesome job in this film. Catherine Keener is also noteworthy as Harper Lee.

Fever Pitch Now, how could I NOT love a movie about my beloved Red Sox? I dragged Phillip to the theater to see this (he's not a baseball fan like I am) and I left there with the biggest smile on my face. The film was adapted from the novel by Nick Hornby. Although the novel is about soccer, the underlying story about a woman who has to deal with her boyfriend's obsession with a sports team remains the same. Not only is the movie a cute love story, but it features the Red Sox winning the World Series. Jimmy Fallon is adorable and he plays a very convincing Sox fan. He got it down to a "T", although it would have been better if he perfected his accent. Wicked pissah!

2046 2046 was made in 2004, but it was released in theaters in 2005. Unfortunately we missed seeing it in the theater, something I now regret. 2046 is stunningly beautiful and tells the story of Chow Mo Wan, a writer who dreams up science fiction love stories that take place in 2046. But the stories aren't really being written in the future, but instead, they are all about his past. The music and the cinematography are gorgeous. I was mesmerized by the use of color and music to convey emotions. Plus, Tony Leung is seriously handsome. I recommend everyone rent 2046 if you like Chinese films/love stories with a twist.

The Constant Gardner This movie was another twist-your-guts suspense film. A widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife's murder, big business, and corporate corruption. The ending is surprising and devastating. The whole movie is kind of a sounding board against the pharmaceutical companies out there, which I kind of liked. I like politically motivated films, so maybe I'm biased.

Batman Begins The story of how Bruce Wayne became what he was destined to be: Batman. Definitely the best of the Batman series. I'm partial to the two directed by Tim Burton, and often say they are the best. Put Batman Begins before Batman and you've got a really nice trilogy. Christian Bale is the best Batman next to Michael Keaton, and I think he did a really great job. I loved how dark this movie was, but without being a caricature. I bought it as soon as it was released on DVD. It's something I can watch multiple times and not get tired of it.


stay tuned for part TWO of my Best Movies of 2005!