2005 Film Round Up.


It's that end-of-the-year-list time of the year again. All our treasured film reviewers have submitted shortlists of their favourite flicks from 2005.

(NB: The pic to the right is from "Look Both Ways", the dB-critically acclaimed film shot right here in Adelaide.)


Patrick Moore

The Proposition
Director: John Hillcoat

A rare Australian western that fully utilizes it's harsh outback settings, with excellent performances and fascinating characters, as penned by Nick Cave.


The Interpreter
Director: Sydney Pollack

Intelligent, well paced thriller directed by Sydney Pollack, which gives both Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn one of their strongest performances in recent times.


Mysterious Skin
Director: Gregg Araki

Gripping, provocative drama about how childhood trauma can have a devastating affect on two men. The acting from the main leads is remarkable, and ensures that the messages from the film come across effectively.


Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
Director: Tim Burton

Tim Burton directs this definitive version of the Roald Dahl story. Dahl's world comes alive, and betters other film versions of his work. Johnny Depp once again immerses himself successfully into Burton's story telling style.


Batman Begins
Director: Christopher Nolan

An excellent genre film, which delves beneath the mask of a hero - without forgetting to have the action and excitement that audiences expect. Director Christopher Nolan delivered a film with a tightly written script and great ensemble acting from his rich cast.



Wil McGinley

Downfall
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Brilliantly sullen exposition of the last days and hours in and around Hitler's bunker. Avoids obviousness entirely, exhibiting its gloomy content with unparalleled overcast frankness.


The Life Aquatic
Director: Wes Anderson

Grossly under-overrated, Wes Anderson's fourth film is his most overtly ridiculous and, in effect, most uplifting. Despite the ever-expanding surrealism proceedings are, refreshingly, as dry as ever.


Howl's Moving Castle
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Sumptuous fantasy balanced with an ingenious touch of realism, enticing sense and intellect into a unique and truly beautiful plane of existence. In other words, just another Hayao Miyazaki film.


Code 46
Director: Michael Winterbottom

Michael Winterbottom acerbically applies his glaring, dryly coloured and unsteadily captured images to a superbly depressive and understated semi-dystopic love story.


Sideways
Director: Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne is among the deftest expositors of the deformations of the contemporary human mindset, as he further proves here.



Andrew Bunney

Look Both Ways
Director: Sarah Watt

Set in Adelaide, this wise, daring and charming debut dealt poetically with fears of life and death. Funny and sad, it superbly portrays us, now.


A Common Thread
Director: Eleonore Faucher

From France, a rich and moving investigation of hope springing from tragedy. A pregnant girl and a grieving mother embroider a beautiful friendship.


Control
Director: Nimrod Antal

From Hungary, the fairytale with an aura like 'Wings Of Desire'. Bold images, cool music and superb characters, all amongst the trains and escalators of the Budapest underground.


Midwinter Night's Dream
Director: Goran Paskaljevic

From Serbia & Montenegro, an exquisite depiction of post-war compassion and tolerance in the face of extreme difficulties. Includes a young autististic character/actor.


End Of The Century
Directors: Michael Gramaglia & Jim Fields

Exploding the myth of the Ramones 'happy family', this revealing survey of the NY proto-punks shows collaborative genius confounding adversity to save rock'n'roll.



Henry Nicholls

Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
Director: Alex Gibney

A tale of greed and hubris on an epic scale, this movie shocked and enraged me. A must-see documentary, especially if you're a little unsure how this tragedy happened.


Hotel Rwanda
Director: Terry George

The powerful true story of the Rwandan Hutu uprising and the one man whose courage and compassion saved so many lives. A confronting but ultimately uplifting experience.


Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Director: Shane Black

Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer team up for the most entertaining film this year as they struggle through a noir murder mystery in the mean streets of LA.


Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
Director: George Lucas

It's here because it was good enough to join the ranks of its predecessors and almost removed the shame of Episodes I and II. Anakin and Lucas fulfil their destinies.


Three Dollars
Director: Robert Connolly

An under appreciated little gem that marked the return of great Australian drama. David Wenham and Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnic are sensational in a story about personal and financial disaster.



Mal Byrne

Moolaade
Director: Ousmane Sembene

Africa's pre-eminent filmmaker Ousbeke Membene uses the treacherous subject of female circumcision in a Burkina Fasso village to illustrate allegorically the competing political forces battling for control of the 'dark continent'.


Look Both Ways
Director: Sarah Watt

Just when you thought the Australian Film Industry was on life support, along comes this touching snapshot of Adelaide 'thirty-somethings' coming to terms with the fragility of life, love and relationships.


Turtles Can Fly
Director: Bahman Ghobadi

Shattering portrait of damaged children trying to survive in a Kurdish/Iraqi refuges camp at the commencement of Gulf War II. The realism is amplified by the fact that most of the actors are actual landmine casualties.


Nobody Knows
Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

Another disturbing true story of abandoned children, this time in urban Tokyo. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda lashes out at the atomising metropolis and its indifferent inhabitants.


A Dirty Shame
Director: John Waters

John Waters' super spoof is a welcome 'black eye' to conservative America. Baltimore suburbanites become infected with insatiable sex drives culminating in a 'humpfest' finale complete with a shower of David Hasselhoff's turds.



Steve Jones

A Very Long Engagement
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The combination of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Audrey Tautou was an instant winner with 'Amˇlie', now they team up again with this no-less quirky but very graphic WWI epic. Brilliant!


Look Both Ways
Director: Sarah Watt

A highly acclaimed account of how a tragic fatal accident can affect and change the lives of a handful of people. Shot in Port Adelaide, this is without doubt among the best Australian films ever made.


Kung Fu Hustle
Director: Stephen Chow

A film that defies both gravity and boundaries as good prevails over evil in this slapstick martial arts extravaganza that truly kicks arse!


Wallace & Gromit - Curse Of The Were-Rabbit
Directors: Steve Box & Nick Park

It would be fair to say that W&G's first feature length movie actually exceeded expectations. In other words, if you're a fan of the short films and you haven't seen this yet - why not?


Team America - World Police
Director: Trey Parker

Oh my, just when you thought that 'South Park' creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker couldn't get any more strategically offensive or offbeat and plain silly, well...



Steve Williams

Look Both Ways
Director: Sarah Watt

Heartfelt, sincere and beautiful - an amazing screenplay well matched with great direction and performances. World class.


Batman Begins
Director: Christopher Nolan

A big budget film that completely justified its costs. Fantastic comic research and effects used powerfully and subtly. Gritty and engaging.


Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
Director: Tim Burton

Fell short only in the Oompa Loopa department from being a comprehensively better film than the original. Tim Burton's craft and care was made for this story.


War Of The Worlds
Director: Steven Spielberg

Amazing production values that completely cover up weaknesses in the plot. Worth seeing on the biggest screen with the best sound.


Robots
Directors: Chris Wedge/Carlos Saldanha

A fantastic animated film rich in detail and humour. The plot is generic Hollywood adventure but translates to be a brilliant film to entertain the whole family.



Suzy Ramone

End Of The Century
Director: Jim Fields

Jim Fields' riveting documentary about The Ramones. Candid interviews. Captivating footage. Enlightening and moving, especially when Johnny talks about his reaction to Joey's death.


Look Both Ways
Director: Sarah Watt.

An exceptional examination of love, friendship, family, work, fear and death. Mature, satisfying, original, creative and well crafted. Wonderful animation sequences. Filmed in Adelaide.


Punk: Attitude
Director: Don Letts

Legendary British DJ, Don Letts, who introduced reggae to punks, filmed The Clash etc. Intelligent sociological & musical exploration of the impact of a counterculture revolution.


Dig!
Director: Ondi Timoner

Timoner spent seven years documenting the love/hate relationship between the Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Was commercial success inspired by mad genius?


9 Songs
Director: Michael Winterbottom

Winterbottom portrays a London love affair, intimately. Features real sex & real gigs, including BRMC, Dandy Warhols, Franz Ferdinand, Primal Scream and Michael Nyman.