The Top Ten Movies of 2005

I'm going to go out on a limb and make my Top Ten list before KING KONG opens because I know I'm going to like it, but I have serious doubts about Jack Black as a straight man. So, here they are:

10) MILLIONS
I was worried that it would be one of those sickly sweet movie that leave me with the desire to slam my head on the theatre seat in front of me until the visions of the group hug ending are beaten from my brain, but fortunately Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING) is a much better filmmaker than that, and MILLIONS was a pleasant surprise

9) HOSTAGE
Bruce Willis has returns to action star form in this flick, but it's a grown up action movie with more drama and less humor than you are used to from Willis, but that's not to say the movie didn't have it's faults. Willis had to show up he can cry on cue one too many times, Ben Foster was a little too hammy with his psycho act, and composer Alexandre Desplat's soundtrack was way too heavy handed and ruined the mood more than once; but other than that and those three annoying white flashes they used for scene transitions: HOSTAGE is a pretty tight little film.

8) OFF THE MAP
This movie is really about the characters, and Joan Allen brings it to the table as Arlene, who like to garden nude. It's a really small, quite movie. Sam Elliott does some of his best work ever, by doing nothing, and it works.

7) THE UPSIDE OF ANGER
A rare time when you have to rethink an entire movie after it's done, and not in a cheesy "Sixth Sense" kind of way. Joan Allen, maybe our greatest, or at least busiest actress, owns this movie. Michael Binder claims he wrote it just for her. I hope the four young actresses playing her daughters paid attention, because she's an acting master class. Even Kevin "Aw shucks, I'll just act through my droopy eyes" Costner comes alive in this film.

6) UNLEASHED
Jet Li finally gets the kind of movie he deserves, and it only took him 42 years to get there. Imagine, an action film that is intelligent, well acted and still snap you spine violent. It was written by Luc Besson (LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL) so you know they'll be some light pedophilia hinted at in the movie, but what do you want? The guy is French.