Best Movies of 2005 Part 2 of 2

The 40 Year Old Virgin I love Steve Carell, so I HAD to see this movie. He made both Phillip and I cry with laughter in The Anchorman, and he didn't disappoint in the 40 Year Old Bachelor. Carell plays a 40 year old bachelor who has yet to have sex with anyone. He's come close on some occasions, but something (comical) always goes wrong and it never happens. Then he meets a single mom (Catherine Keener) and, well, you'll have to see the movie to find out what happens. I'm hoping to get this on DVD very soon.

The Corpse Bride I'm a huge Tim Burton fan (I know - surprise, surprise, right?) and so I couldn't wait to see this in the theater. Phillip on the other hand, is not a fan of animated/stop motion films. So he went along to humor me. I loved it. I fell in love with Jack and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas, and totally loved the relationship between Victor and the Corpse Bride. Yeah, I'm a romantic. This movie is perfect if you like Stop Motion animation as well as a little singing with your plot. Fantastic.

The Squid and the Whale When Phillip and I went to see this, we had a horrible argument right before the movie started. And since the film is about divorce, all I could think about was how that's where we were headed. But of course, we're still together. The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980's. It made me laugh, but it made me cry even more. Jeff Daniels is really good in it, but I liked Laura Linney's performance better. The best part of the movie is the talent show, so you should probably rent it to see what I'm talking about.

The Baxter We watched this movie on New Year's Eve. I thought it was pretty good. It was kind of sad, but also funny in parts. Baxter follows the twists and turns of a young man's life during the two weeks before his wedding. Michelle Williams is excellent as the mousy temp in Elliot's office. Michael Showalter is better on his own than he is with the other two guys in Stella. It may or may not have a happy ending. I don't want to wreck it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. So what are you waiting for?

Walk the Line "The Johnny Cash Movie". We saw this on Thanksgiving day. I have a secret thing for Joaquin Phoenix (ssh! don't tell!) so I wanted to see how well he played Cash. I agree with Phillip in the respect that they kind of made Johnny Cash out to be a weenie, and not the tough guy that we all assume he is. He pretty much just chased June around, dealt with a pill popping problem, and had anger toward his dad through the whole movie. It wasn't bad and I really enjoyed it. I just wish they made Cash to be a badass.

Jarhead Ok, I have another secret thing for Jake Gyllenhaal. All you need to know about this movie is that you see his lovely buttocks in more than one scene. It's a pretty funny movie, but also so dire. I lived through the first Gulf "war" and remember how it was all "hurry up and wait" when it came to everything. If only that happened this time around, there would be more soldiers alive. But that's a whole other discussion. Sam Mendes did a great job with the direction, although I still believe that American Beauty has been his best to date.

so, that's it. i hope you enjoyed it. i'd love to hear people's opinions on these movies. not everyone likes them, so i'd love to hear why not. debate is always good.