I have an Excel Spreadsheet, which I use to keep track of all of the movies I see each year.
In this spreadsheet, I have FIVE categories, which I rate for each film. The caterogies are: Acting, Direction, Story, Look/Feel, and Enjoyment. These five categories are then averaged, to come up with my rating of the film. This way, it allows me to make a better judgement of the film, because if I hated the story, but loved the viduals, it balances out (King Kong). If I liked the visuals, but the acting and direction stunk, it balances out (The Island). And if I didn't care for the acting, but REALLY had a good time with the film, it balances out (Assault on Precinct 13).
So, here it is. My Top Ten Films of 2005.
Rent.
8.6 - average rating.
I've read reviews from other people, and they just don't seem to enjoy the film. I CAN NOT (for the life of me) understand why not. Did they miss the entire point of the story? "No Day but Today". Friendships. Relationships. The most basic and simple concepts of life: People looking to be loved. Perhaps people just can't accept the fact that it's a musical, and they sing 90% of the dialogue. Yes, the film is dated 10 years ago, but that's when AIDS was a big deal, and that's important to the story. Most people must have missed that point. Perhaps the filmmakers didn't do a good enough job of bringing the audience into 1989, but that was VERY important to the story. You never know when your last day is going to be, and you don't want to die unloved.
Sin City.
8.2 - average rating.
One of the most BEAUTIFUL films of the year, and one of the all-time best comic book adaptations. I've been a Robert Rodriquez fan for a long time, and I'm glad to see him doing something he loves, as a film. I can't imagine anyone else doing this film any other way. It looks and feels perfect. The multiple storylines and rotating characters in and out of the various storylines makes it extremely enjoyable to watch. And the violence was pretty cool too.
Serenity.
7.8 - average rating.
I can understand how people who don't watch "Firefly" first, wouldn't enjoy this movie as much. And that's a disappointment, because both the show and the film are GREAT. The characters are some of the most well written in recent years, and especially in the Sci-Fi genre. And those who didn't watch "Firefly" won't understand the significance of discovering what's inside River's head. But, I still think it's well written and has enough comedic moments (very dry humor) blended with some pretty dramatic stuff.
The Jacket.
7.6 - average rating.
Now, here's a film that just came out of nowhere and was AWESOME. There's not a lot of time travel flicks that do it as well as this one. "Buterfly Effect" a few years back was alright, but nothing compared to this flick. It just works, on so many levels. The two different storylines going on at the same time in the present and the future. The way Jack influences both of them, when he's there. The questions about his sanity, everything that's brought up just makes you wonder. And the performances were so GREAT! Such an amazing work. Sad part is, I still don't own it on DVD!
Batman Begins.
7.6 - average rating.
Here's another good example of someone doing a good job with a comic book. It was nice to see the franchise re-invisioned, and I'll be the first to admit that I was skeptical about EVERYTHING on this film. Even after Jason saw it, and told me how good it was, I still had trouble believing it was good at all. But, I was WRONG, and the film was GREAT. AMAZING storyline, good acting, and wonderful direction. Chris Nolan was been amazing ever since "Memento" and he truly has an eye for filmmaking. Another sad fact: I don't own this one either!
Coach Carter.
7.4 - average rating.
It was "Miracle" in 2004, and in 2005 "Coach Carter" was the inspirational sports film, which I always seem to enjoy. I was actually amazed that this film lasted almost the entire year (with a January 2005 release date...). The fact is, it's a really well made film. There were only two or three parts that I felt dragged on, and the movie could have probably lost 10 minutes and been a little better, but the basketball was good, the acting was good, and Samuel L. was GREAT! The way he takes control of EVERY scene that he is in. He's playing the same type of Shaft character, but this time with more of a purpose. Not just to be B.A., but because he's trying to inspire. The even more impressive part is watching the bonus features on the DVD and seeing that he came pretty darn close to the real man, and his passion.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
7.2 - average rating.
The flick scored low on Visuals end, but made up for it in the enjoyment and acting. The kids did a fantastic job, and the story flowed well. Recently, I had a discussion with a friend about this film, and I constantly compared it to "LotR", and I think it's because I see them kind of on the same scale, however this film did fall short, in some big areas. Aside from that, I did enjoy the message, both religious and non. It's understandable why so many people dig this flick, and the numbers are so good (it was SO MUCH more enjoyable than that Giant Ape...). Costumes and certain interior locations were impressive, but the battle and the exteriors didn't come close to Middle Earth.
Elizabethtown.
7.0 - average rating.
Cameron Crowe. It was almost a guarantee this was going to make the Top Ten. I LOVE everything this guy writes. He's just amazing. He really knows how to capture certain aspects of life and make them enjoyable to watch. "Untitled" ("Almost Famous" - Director's Cut) is probably one of my all-time Top Ten, just because of the emotions Crowe is able to reach in the flick. This one was not his best, Orlando is no Tom Cruise, but it's still one of his better films. The thing that lowered the Enjoyment AND Direction values of this film was that I felt like I was watching Crowe re-hash some of his previous films, and that's not how original he tends to be. When Orlando first arrives in Kentucky, at the home of his relatives, he's greated in the same way as Tom Cruise in both "Jerry Maguire" and "Vanilla Sky". The characters looking and talking directly at the camera would be effective for people not well versed in Crowe's previous works. And my only other complaint was the OVERuse of music at the end. "Almost Famous" has A LOT of music, but it was well picked, and rarely in the forefront of the scene. The third act of "Elizabethtown" HEAVILY relied on the audience KNOWING that there was music playing.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
7.0 - average rating.
Fourth time is still a charm. I wasn't a big fan of the third film, but when I re-watched it a couple days before this, it did remind me that these are very smart films. And this one did not disappoint. It was obvious the times and places that scenes were trimmed down for time, but that didn't bother me too much. This film used a greater amount of visuals than the previous, but it did create some amazing environments. I think the only disappointment that I had was the LACK of Voldemort. Ralph Fiennes is AWESOME (see: "Quiz Show" if you haven't!!!) and I really wanted to see more of him. He was a little freaky and odd, and never really seemed to show any true "evil acting". I also missed Gary Oldman being a bigger part. I know he'll be in the fifth film (sigh...), so I hope to see more of his acting, along with Fiennes.
Star Wars: Episode III
6.8 - average rating.
Once upon a time I thought this might be my #1 of the year. But, when I sat down to do the numbers, it just didn't turn out that way. A couple of days after first seeing it, I begin to realize small details and think about things that probably effected my overall scoring of the film. Visually, it's the same as the others. Nothing new there. I feel the acting has improved, and that Hayden was given more with his character. I know there's still some "moments" that aren't his best, but I still saw an amazing improvement over "Episode II". The romance never seemed to work out, and was too forced. It appears years of marriage caused Lucas to forget what was so good about the Luke/Leia/Han dynamic. That's how people in "Star Wars" should flirt!!! The Obi-Wan and Anakin fight was amazing. I don't know if it can be topped. I think it's only BARELY above Obi-Wan/Qui-Jon/Maul, and only because of the EMOTION of the fight. The speed. The strength. The mindpower. There's A LOT going on in that fight.
So, there it is!!!
LATE!
But, that's what I'm generally known for, when it comes to the Internet.
I'm glad I finally got it done. Although, I noticed that as the list went on, I just started point out the things that I didn't like, about my favorite films! Oh well. I didn't see many last year (I'm still yelled at daily for still missing "Wedding Crashers" and "40-Year-Old Virgin"). I should find more time in 2006, I hope. Or, maybe Hollywood just needs to make some better films that I'll want to go see.
