I wanted to make a year-end movie list, but it took more energy than expected, so here it is almost a week late. And it includes lots of movies released in 2004 that I saw in 2005. Otherwise they never get to be on a list. But first, I've already seen two movies this year:
Joint custody sucks. That’s the wisdom one of the characters in The Squid and the Whale is offered by his high school friend when he tells him his parents are getting divorced. This movie shows just how much it sucks. And as someone who experienced true “joint” custody, the movie does not overstate its suckiness at all. Sure the characters are screwed up in ways that are pretty far out there, but families who are torn apart by divorce are often equally screwed up, just sometimes in more subtle ways. This movie shows, in a brutally honest way, the fear and pain and anger between a man and woman who used to love each other and can hardly remember why, the competitions for attention between parents and siblings who have been forced to learn love is finite, and the warped relationships between and by children who have to grow up too fast. It was a very good movie, although often stomach turning. Had it not had the horrible title reference late in the movie, I would have had no complaints at all. I did leave needing to see a mindless romantic comedy the next day though.
And so I saw Rumor Has It. Which I enjoy perfectly well. It was not as bad as many of the reviews said. It was nothing special, but it was cute and occasionally funny and not quite as predictable as some romantic comedies. Sometimes I end up downright angry at romantic comedies when it is so clear that if the characters just spent three minutes having an actual conversation they would clear up all the misunderstandings, realize they were in love, and stop annoying me. But this movie had conflicts that were slightly more complicated and actually used the whole movie to work out. The fiancé wasn’t just a throw away character who the whole audience hated. The sexy seducer (just pretend it’s okay to call Kevin Costner sexy) wasn’t a complete jerk. Jennifer Aniston’s character seemed genuinely conflicted about who she was and what she wanted. Mena Suvari’s character was pretty much completely flat and really blond, and Shirley MacLaine’s character was amusing but essentially a carbon copy of numerous other roles she has played, but that’s just the way romantic comedies are. It was a fine movie and I left in a good mood. But I won’t be rushing to buy it on DVD.
Tier One – Movies I would recommend to almost anyone
A Love Song for Bobby Long – One my favorite movies. Ever.
Being Julia – Good, serious, you have to love Annette Benning.
Garden State – It might not rank quite so high, but I adore Natalie Portman.
Stage Beauty – Serious passion in a very confusing context.
Beyond the Sea – Hurray for the biopic.
Finding Neverland – Peter Pan has always been one of my favorite stories, and this movie evoked many of the same nostalgic, wistful feelings.
Walk the Line – More biopic fun. I was less impressed by Joaquin Phoenix than expected. Playing morose for two hours is not all that impressive. But the few times he stopped being so miserable, I honestly shared in his happiness.
The Wedding Crashers – Funny, funny, funny.
In Good Company – I really liked this movie, way more than I expected to.
Tier Two – Good times
After the Sunset – Pierce Brosnan has really grown on me…
Along Came Polly – Cute.
The Aviator – Hurray biopics again!
The Bourne Supremacy – Matt. Damon.
Bridget Jones 2 – Expected so little, laughed so much.
Closer – Four sexy stars (well three, Julia Roberts wasn’t really sexy in it), lots of sex.
Collateral – So freakin’ farfetched, but I thought Jamie Foxx was great.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Almost as good as Gene Wilder. That is seriously high praise.
Hitch – Fun times.
The Upside of Anger – The marketing people should be shot for writing on the cover that this is a romantic comedy. But I really liked it anyway.
Million Dollar Baby – Way overrated, but good.
Crash – Too contrived.
Derailed – Okay, but too farfetched for too long.
Rent – I can’t resist a musical. Especially one with Taye Diggs.
Mean Girls – Today’s Clueless? Not quite.
Meet the Fockers – Not as good as Meet the Parents.
The Notebook – Pretty people, annoying ending, not a tearjerker at all as everyone said.
Ocean’s Twelve – Matt. Damon. And other really pretty people. And funny.
Ray – Another quality biopic.
The Motorcycle Diaries – I know I’ll sound ignorant, but I would have liked it even more in English.
Maria Full of Grace – Same thing here, but I thought this was a stronger movie overall.
Tier Three – Do not see. Really.
The Corpse Bride – Weak, weak plot. Cool animation is not enough.
Millions – Cute, but too weird, and not funny enough.
War of the Worlds – Hello? Why didn’t they all die? WHY?
Alfie – I wanted so badly to like this movie and it was awful.
