Em's Top 6 1/2

I really don't want my year-end "Best" list to be like the NBA playoffs, where all the teams but a few true bottom-dwellers make the first cut. So what follows is my list of 2005 films that really made an impact on me. I don't think these are in any particular order, but I think the film listed first is showing up there for a reason:

THE CONSTANT GARDENER: You know a film is special when it can endure Danny Huston doing a British accent. I saw this picture about 4 or 5 months ago and I can still close my eyes and see certain images from it fresh in my mind. This movie is so many things: a great love story, a murder mystery, a profound statement about the tragedies unfolding every day in Africa. And on top of all that, Justin Quayle is probably the most heart-breaking (and sympathetic) character the brilliant Ralph Fiennes has ever played. A truly great film.

CRASH: What an ensemble. Three cheers for the re-birth of Matt Dillon. The scenes with him and his sick father were so real, and so painful to watch. Ryan Phillippe continues to catch me off guard: he's not just another pretty face. The rescue scene with Thandie Newton and Matt Dillon is one of the scariest things I have ever seen on film. Films like this which try to weave together so many different characters can often get unwieldy, but I thought Crash was hugely successful, due in large part to the monstrous performances from the entire cast. (Even Sandra Bullock.)

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK: I know a movie is great when the credits roll and I am ready for it to go on for another 90 minutes. This picture definitely left me wanting more. But part of its brilliance is that it is so concisely told; there are no wasted shots. I have said it before, but I'll say it again: the black and white film, the Diana Reeves, the cigarette smoke all add up to an atmosphere that you feel like you can almost reach out and touch. Add to that a whole slew of my favorite actors (George, David S., Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr.), and well, what's not to love?

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: Mmmmmmmmmmmmm...Viggo. Sorry, had to get that out of my system. This movie was amazing to me because as gruesome as it was (and most of you know that I am a terrible wuss when it comes to on-screen violence), I was totally mesmerized. This film was also much funnier than I thought it would be, and in unexpected ways (not just because of the serious hamming it up from William Hurt.) Special props to the kid who played Viggo and Maria's teenaged son; so much of the film hinged on the strength of his performance. I think I am almost ready to see some of Cronenberg's other films now.

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE: Talk about a dark comedy. This movie is so dark and twisted, you can almost forget to laugh. All of the actors walked a very fine line in this film, to ingeneous effect. I thought it was reminiscent of Wes Anderson, but was a little less self-conscious and a little more artfully done than some of Wes's films. Owen Kline was downright revelatory, and thank God for being reminded how much I love Jeff Daniels. What a despicable father, but what an unbelievable performance.

WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT: Definitely one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Any film that involves this much cheese-related humor is bound to tickle my funny-bone. The animation (clay-mation?) is delightful, that damn dog is one of the sweetest and most lovable characters with no mouth you will ever see, and the actors doing the voices seem to be having the time of their lives (yes, Ralph strikes again.) The final sequence is one of the most breathlessly hysterical things I have ever experienced.

HONORABLE MENTION

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN: This movie did a serious boomerang on me. I enjoyed it much more in the days after seeing it than I did while I was actually watching it. (Moral of the story: if you have to go to the bathroom, don't try to hold it until the end of the movie. The discomfort really outweighs your ability to enjoy the remainder of the film.) In retrospect, I just found Jack and Ennis to be a totally compelling tragic-romantic couple. Huge props to both of those fine young actors.

So there you have it: my top 6 1/2 movies of 2005!!! Realizing the shamefully small number of films I actually saw in the theater this year has inspired me to do much, much better in '06.