It's not like you can't change your list. It is, after all, your list, and is a fluid entity that can change from minute to minute if you so desire.

In fact, I think it's good if it does. Films change over time and their true importance is sometimes only felt years later.

Oh, I liked that. Other than feeling the hots for Juan/Angel/Zahara, I was left equally chilled. Even repulsed. I appreciated the complexity of the character and the uncertainty that governed him. The film was never predictable, darkly humorous, and certainly layered with so much ambiguity that you can never be sure of some of the characters motivations. I found this especially true with Bernal's character, which is why I liked it so much. I've seen the film a dozen times and I still can't peg that last scene: I'm not sure what was going through his character's mind as the door was shut on him and the film ended. Was it loathing? Regret? One just can't be sure. I really liked that - that it wasn't laid on the table in such a conventional way. I think it is something worth appreciating and in this case it worked (it certainly doesn't work in all cases - some of the characters were perhaps underdeveloped and certainly not as interesting). I love it. I appreciate the nuances of the performances, the technical mastery... all of it. And definitely the gay "stuff."

I don't think BM needed to explore the sexual aspect of their relationship more. I liked the film as it was, romantic and simplistic in its own way. I think to make it any more graphic would have detracted from the film's impact. BE, on the other hand, benefits from the outrageous. It only makes these characters darker and more interesting.

I can't recall, but did you see Babel?

I loved it.

Well... not more graphic. It may be my intense loathing for anything Jake Gyllenhaal or the editing of the film (which I actually didn't think was very good!) but Brokeback Mountain was about a love affair that didn't have enough connecting tissue after the first act. I just never bought into the idea that these two guys actually loved each other.

As much as I hate JG, the film's problem is that it really focuses on Heath Ledger and his awesome performance, but doesn't give JG's character as much/any depth.

I dunno. I have never revisited the film after the theatrical going, maybe I should watch it again.

As one left completely disenchanted by Syrianna, this looked way too much like it so I skipped it.

I saw it twice. My grade changed significantly the second time (lower, A+ to A, which is a big change as I rarely give out A+s...none this year for example).

I thought JG was criminally underdeveloped as well. His character was almost shallow at times. HL though, was amazing. One of the best performances of last year, he really deserved the Oscar (goes back to my anger over the "impersonation" getting the Oscar)..

Anyway.

This is true. But it is a pain to delete the article and edit it. I'm doing it for Loyal. Heh.

So far my list looks like this:

10. Snakes on a Plane (yeah, shoot me, ok?)
9. Dreamgirls (subject to change...based solely on Hudson)
8. Thank You for Smoking
7. Borat
6. The Departed
5. Empty
4. Empty
3. Little Miss Sunshine
2. The Fountain
1. Children of Men

I thought Heath Ledger deserved an Oscar, but I would have actually given it to David Stratharin (sp?). But the BA picks last year were universally good.

But that's why I love the Oscars, usually you can rely on at least 3 nominations in each category being quality, despite all of the politiking. Sure they might miss some, and I might disagree with some, but rarely does something get through that's completely undeserving (like for instance at the Emmys or the Grammys).

Little Miss Sunshine gets my award for the year of the film I really liked going out of the theater, winding up for a time as my #2, and has now completely dropped off. The flaws in it for me become more glaring every time I see it.

I feel partially responsible for totally hijacking this thread

Syriana was awful. I "got it" but it was just a bad film. Babel comes from Mexico, so of course it is better. Did you see 21 Grams or Amores Perros? I thought it was the best of the three, probably because of the international focus.

Nope I didn't see those other two Zennier, I've got a lot of catching up to do...don't remind me.

Oh, and I "got" Syrianna. I got that it was way too complex for its own good. I got that it really didn't go anywhere like it should have. I got that it needed a serious script revision to make it clearer and more focused. Heh.

I liked LMS walking out, too. It's very enjoyable, but I'm not sure I agree with all the Oscar talk, either.

Very valid and solid points on BM, too. I won't disagree. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't last year's BP. Munich was. But since it was always between BM and Crash, I favoured BM. I still think it is a great film, worth reflecting on. It should endure.

Syriana is another example of a film more about ideas and characters.

IF YOU CAN'T SELL ME ON THE CHARACTERS, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THEM, THEN MAKE A DOCUMENTARY.

Calm down Roo. It will all be ok.

It was boring.

Who giveeees about the bureaucracy within the oil industry? It wasn't interesting. It was a ham-fisted look at it, anyway. There was probably a compelling story to exploit there, but they crammed it with too much industry talk and way too many characters. Clooney should not have won. It was obviously a gift for his work on GNGL.

Yeah, it was really always between those two which is unfortunate, Munich was the better film. I need to find my list of '05 movies I can't even remember what I saw/liked last year. 92 movies this year and I can't even pick out 10% of them for a top of the year list is fucking pathetic. Fucking pathetic. Damn you Hollywood.

No it won't

So anyway... Volver... it's probably one I'll see in the next two weeks maybe?

I went back and looked over what I saw last year. Nothing on there compares to Munich really. The Squid and the Whale would be my #3 (behind BBM and Munich I guess)...but the strength there was all in the screenplay, nothing else.

I know... who ever could think the oil industry was evil?!


And the little boy's pool death... I failed to see how that advanced the plot at all.


Yup. Which he either 1) should have won Best Director or Best Screenplay for
or
They just should have nominated him as BSA in Good Night and Good Luck, which he was really good in anyway.

We just need to get a nice big bottle of Rum or Vodka or something and drink away how pathetic and horrible Hollywood is these days, eh?

The little boy in the pool death was so.........what the fuck? to me.

The little boy died so Matt Damon could seem interesting. So that it could look like he was a real person, not some retarded face with a big name. Didn't really work. The only true highlight was Alexander Siddig, baby. I really like him.

You know Hollywood. They like to reward "important" films. Syriana, on a superficial level, looked important because it "exposed" the oil industry. We already knew that it was bad, and we can already understand what drives terrorists, but Hollywood nonetheless likes to remind the world that they are liberal and on top of the issues. You are right, it would have worked better as a doc.

Volver in 14 hours, baby!

See... I honestly think Hollywood has about the same ratio of "good vs. crap" that the indies do.

Sometimes directors need to be saved from themselves a bit. Sometimes "auteurs" are bad news. Sometimes Hollywood gets too involved... It's weird. I'm of two minds on the subject.

I'd feel sad if movies like Transformers disappeared as much as I would if films like Volver disappeared.