twenty-something

I saw a lot of movies in '05. Here are the ones I can remember as my favorites.

• Crash | An excellent piece of work. After my first viewing, I was left reeling and needing to see it again. It's an stunning statement on race and racism in America, and a masterfully crafted interlocking story even independent of its powerful message.
  
• Batman Begins | Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan reboot the Dark Knight, and it's good! And kinda scary -- and not just because Katie Holmes is in it! I like Batman, but don't like bats. Or scarecrows for that matter. The film succeeds, despite its Creek refugee and the franchise's sordid screen past. Good stuff!
  
• Mad Hot Ballroom | Cute kids. Dancing. It is what it is. Saw it by accident in New York, before I heard any hype -- hell, before I'd even heard of it. Edit a bit from the end performances, and it's perfect.
  
• Brokeback Mountain | Yeah.
  
• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | Great to see these two on the big screen at last. The translation isn't perfect, but it's still much, much better than anything else this side of Pixar.

Honorable mentions go to The 40 Year Old Virgin (Very funny, full of heart... and Catherine Keener), War of the Worlds (Despite Tom Cruise and a very flawed ending, I was engrossed, and very, very scared) and The Interpreter (A highly decent thriller... plus I adore Catherine Keener) -- all flawed but enjoyable popcorn fair, which is what movies are all about, eh? Admittedly, I haven't seen most of the critic's top pics yet (Good Night & Good Luck, King Kong, Capote), but then again, you don't come to 20sum for class.

Speaking of a lack of class -- My picks for worst? Ugh. Bewitched takes the top no-prize, with Eating Out, Fantastic Four, and Rumor Has It being other top disappointers.