Cameron's Top 10 Movies of 2005

Now, I must say a few things before I go ahead and list my favorite movies of the year. I haven't gotten around to Mrs. Henderson Presents or Crash, which I hear is fantastic; The New World hasn't yet been released here; and The Best of Youth left theaters without telling me. So I'm not considering these films, all of which have gotten lots of critical acclaim and which I'm sure I would probably like. I doubt they'd edge out any of these Top 10, but you never know.

These are not the "best" movies as judged by cinematic artistry. However, they are also not simply my favorites, as judged by how many times I'd be willing to watch them over and over again (that's how I judge my Top 100 Movies of All Time list, and this is not that). This list is a delicate balance of both of these qualities. If you have questions as to why the hell things something is on here, please don't hesitate to ask.

And so, without further ado:

Cameron's Top 10 Movies of 2005


1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
3. Match Point
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
6. Capote
7. Goodnight, and Good Luck
8. Howl’s Moving Castle
9. Batman Begins
10. Munich


and a few runners up...

1. The Aristocrats: SO almost made it, I went back and forth and back and forth between Munich and The Aristocrats for #10. In the end, I figured I should give it to the film with the Important Message as opposed to the film with the amazingly dirty joke.
2. Mad Hot Ballroom: Such a great, adorable movie, but not quite Top 10 material.
3. The 40-Year-Old Virgin: I laughed harder at this movie than I've laughed at any movie in a long time (this was before I saw The Aristocrats, mind you), so it was in serious consideration, but how can you put a movie with a very long scene about Steve Carrell's chest hair in your Top 10?
4. Walk The Line: I liked it a lot, and I thought Reese Witherspoon was amazing, but it had a few key downfalls that prevented it from placing. Ha, placing. Like I'm some big important film critic.
5. Confusions of a Wasted Youth: I was sooooo tempted to put this in there, because it would really irk Tim, but I figured I should keep it to theater releases. And sorry, everybody, the CRC Screening Room does not count as a theater.
6. The Family Stone: Great movie, but a couple plot holes kept it humble.

I thought 2005 was an admirably strong movie year, despite all of Hollywood's moaning and groaning about how they didn't make much money. Perhaps, Hollywood, this is because you are starting to make better movies, and the American People are such idiots that they can't recognize them for what they are. Perhaps you (Hollywood) ought to continue to make good movies, and then the Stupid American People will realize what is going on and start going to them anyway. Perhaps I am dreaming. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

As to the theory that the first movie you see of the year dictates how that year turns out: last year the first film I saw was Ray, which was sort of too long and overall meh, and my year turned out pretty good. This year it was Match Point, which of course is third on the list. So hopefully it's a true theory, and this year will be SO GODDAMN FANTASTIC that in the future I will subscribe to said theory as a sort of religion. This, however, remains to be seen.

Onward, with 2006.