The Top 10 of 2005

Forget all those stuffy Top 10 lists that do nothing but gush about all the art films that came out in the past year. Everyone knows that any filmmaker with a Super 8 camera can shoot a piece of crap that critics will hail as art if it seems somehow important yet inaccessible. To get into the FilmGuru's Top 10, it takes a lot more. Films on this list reflect the best films the FilmGuru bothered to see this year. He may have missed a few interesting films (for reasons either geographic or financial) but the blockbusters -- for the most part -- had a fair shot at hitting the top 10.

In the past few years, I have also taken time to mention some Honorable Mention winners. So, before we get to the big list, here are some very good films that almost made the cut:

• The Brothers Grimm - This was an interesting twist on the old fairy tales. There are dozens of subtle nods to the old classics, and the special effects are top notch. A bit scary (and gory) for the kids, but adults who like fairy tales with a bit of an edge are sure to love it!
• Sky High - A cute take on the emerging superhero genre. Instead of a world where mutant heroes are hated by society, this Disney flick examines a gentler universe. Here, the sons and daughters of super heroes are sent to a school for young heroes in the making. It's a light-hearted (but very funny) action movie.

Also, one Dishonorable Mention:

• War of the Worlds - This film earns a low spot in my picks of the year. Like most people, I believed the hype and went to the theater prepared to love this movie. While it was a special effects bonanza, it was a complete slap in the face to the original novel by H.G. Wells. Worst of all, it envisioned the worst in humanity, anticipating selfishness and anarchy in a time of crisis. The 1953 film is far superior.

FilmGuru's Top 10

	10. Rent One of the longest running shows on Broadway, Rent is a story of artists living in New York's East Village, struggling to pay their rent while trying to succeed. Set in 1989-90, the film examines several lives trying to "measure each day in love" while coping with poverty, drug addiction, and AIDS. Read the full review of Rent.
	9. Capote The reason to see Capote is to see Hoffman in what is likely to be an Oscar-winning performance. His portrayal of Truman Capote is uncanny. Seeing this film is to meet Capote, with his effeminate speech, flamboyant manner, and cold determinism. Hoffman does not lapse into parody, however. It would be so easy to over-do Capote's mannerisms and make him into a caricature. But Hoffman keeps his performance understated, making it all the more convincing. Read the full review of Capote.
	8. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The darkness that the 1971 film hinted at is trotted out in full glory in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as the not-so-loveable chocolatier recluse. More faithfully adapted from the original novel by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is still the same story of five children who have discovered "golden tickets." Read the full review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
	7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Goblet of Fire may be the best of the series so far. It approaches a new level of maturity, even as it deals with darker subjects such as treachery, betrayal, and death. Harry, too, is growing up. Not only is he becoming obsessed with the approach of the evil Lord Voldemort, he is also facing problems with his friends and finding himself befuddled by the opposite sex. Read the full review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
	6. King Kong The original 1933 classic King Kong is one of the most well-known and well-loved films in science fiction history. The story of a giant ape that falls under the spell of a beautiful woman is a timeless tale. Seventy years later, director Peter Jackson comes along and decides to remake King Kong. Why? Because he loved the original and wanted to do it better. His new action adventure is not merely a big-budget, high-end special effects bonanza done in pursuit of the almighty dollar. King Kong is a loving tribute to a classic story of beauty and a beast. Read the full review of King Kong.
	5. Serenity Unlike many television shows that try to live on past their prime, Serenity corrects a grand mistake and revives a series that died too soon. Firefly returned to life in a DVD boxed set and in reruns on the SciFi Channel. In only a dozen episodes (including a few which never aired on network television), Whedon created a series that defied traditional programming and gave science fiction fans a world where space really is a frontier (in the "Old West" sense of the word) and the good guys are the uncivilized ones who wanted no part of the planetary alliance. Read the full review of Serenity.
	4. The Producers Based on his 1968 film of the same name, Brooks decided to reinvent his film as a musical in 2001. The musical went on to become a Tony Award-winner. Now it is lovingly recreated in this film by much of the original cast. Nathan Lane stars as Max, a Broadway producer who has had a string of flops. Matthew Broderick plays Leo, an account doing Max's books who notes that a dishonest man could make more money with a flop than with a hit. Read the full review of The Producers.
	3. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith A chapter of my life came to a close as I watched the final installment in the Star Wars saga. Sure, I thought this moment had come once before, when I was 16 and saw the spirit of the redeemed Anakin Skywalker shimmer into the Ewok village at the end of Return of the Jedi. I never believed George Lucas would revive the series over a decade later. Now, with Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the story of the rise and fall of Darth Vader is complete. This is the end. To my genuine surprise, Episode III surpassed all my expectations and gave me the movie I didn't dare hope for. Read the full review of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
	2. Batman Begins There are few movies (even fewer comic book adaptations) that make me cheer. Nolan and Goyer have given fans a flawless Batman film that combines the darkness of Gotham's Caped Crusader and the psychological foundation to make the film believable. This is a first rate action film and hopefully signals a new direction for the Batman franchise. Read the full review of Batman Begins.
	1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Always winter, never Christmas. Under a terrible curse by the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), Narnia has been blanketed by snow for a hundred years. Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) discovers this frozen land in her journey through a magical wardrobe. So begins the Narnia Chronicles, by C.S. Lewis, the classic children's novels beloved by readers for generations. Now, at last, the first of the Chronicles, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has come to the big screen as a live-action film. Few movies can move me in the way The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe does. Read the full review of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.