2005 Redux

A quick note about 2005. As I diligently studied the archives, I noticed that I've actually bothered to go back and revisit some of these films recently so it creates an interesting dichotomy. On one hand, there are the films that I've re-watched recently so I feel like I'm on pretty firm ground with how I view them and then there are ones that I haven't seen maybe even since I initially watched them, therefore in some ways this list represents a romanticized view of some films and a more pragmatic view of others. In part, that's why I'm doing these lists that revisit my initial rankings. In some bizarre way, I feel that quantifying the ephemeral and impulsive reactions of the first editions versus the more reflective, resilient impressions of the present along with my own growth as an individual and critic will somehow be enlightening. Or maybe I'm just bored.

2005 (Original List):

10) Grizzly Man
9) The New World
8) Walk the Line
7) Mysterious Skin
6) Match Point
5) Oldboy
4) 40 Year Old Virgin
3) Munich
2) 2046
1) Brokeback Mountain

Now here's my 2005 List if I were to write it today:

10) Good Night and Good Luck
9) Grizzly Man
8) Mysterious Skin
7) Munich
6) Match Point
5) 2046
4) 40 Year Old Virgin
3) Oldboy
2) Brokeback Mountain
1) Head-On

Observations:

- Not a whole lot of movement with the exception of a film previously not even on the list vaulting to number 1, but I'll get to that. Grizzly Man remains one of the more compelling documentaries in recent memory and my opinion of Good Night and Good Luck was such that it warranted some representation in the top 10. Hard to deny that this is a solid top ten with a good variety of memorable films.

- Mysterious Skin, Match Point, and 40 Year Old Virgin all maintain a relatively firm grasp on their respective positions. It speaks to the overall strength of the top ten 10 that films like that are filling out the top ten rather headlining. Speaking of, I need to watch Match Point again. I recall it as being an extremely well written morality play with a healthy dash of nihilism to boot, my kind of stuff and I want to see if it holds up in the flesh as well as it does in my mind's eye.

-Some might draw the conclusion that I've soured on Munich, how else to explain such a precipitous drop? It's actually not that complicated. I only saw it once and that was when it first came out. I still have a great deal of respect for it, but when I think of it, I don't feel it having as much of a lasting impact as those in front of it.

- Conversely, Oldboy made quite the jump. It's only fair. I re-watched it recently and man, talk about a film that kicks your ass. How Park Chan-Wook was able to distill the poisonous, soul-crushing nature of bloody vengeance into such a compelling, thrilling piece of cinema, I'll never know. All films are not created equal, but gearing your themes to work in concert with a compelling story is a good start.

- I recently saw a film called The Edge of Heaven by a young Turkish-German filmmaker by the name of Fatih Akin. I thought The Edge of Heaven was a very good film, so like I do with every film I watch, I did some more research and digging. I noticed that one of his earlier films sounded vaguely familiar and after noticing that it got some pretty good reviews, I decided to give Head-On a shot. Holy shit. I don't know what I expected, but I didn't expect to experience one of the most kinetic, edgy, heartbreaking love stories I've ever seen. Think True Romance without over the top ridiculousness (or...irony, maybe?) and that gives you a vague idea, but it's best to just experience Head-On for yourself. A strong bet to land in my top ten of the decade. It might be a top 20, I haven't decided yet. Either way, the Head-On contingent will be well represented.