Bob Bloom's top films of 2005

        At least until the last month or two of the year, 2005 was nothing extraordinary filmwise.

        Some wonderful documentaries lured audiences to the theater, as did the deluge of big-budget sequels, such as Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

        Overall, though, it was a blah year for movies and moviegoers. With few exceptions, it felt like a season of reruns — and not that many good ones at that.

        Below are my choices for the best films of the year, the ones that touched and impressed me.

        1. Brokeback Mountain: A heartbreaking and tragic love story with outstanding performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. It does not matter that the story is about two men, the theme is so universal that it could apply to any couple — homosexual or heterosexual.

        Director Ang Lee abstains from any social commentary to tell a melancholy tale of an overwhelming secret passion that holds two individuals in its iron grip.

        2. Good Night, and Good Luck: George Clooney's valentine to one of broadcast journalism's finest and defining hours: the exposure of the demagogue junior senator from Wisconsin, the Red-baiting Joseph McCarthy, who in the early to mid-1950s, through intimidation, innuendo and fear, did more to divide America than unite it against the perceived threat of the Soviet Union.

        David Strathairn wonderfully captures the essence of CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow, who decided to expose McCarthy's abuses.

        A film whose tone resonates through recent events in U.S. history.

        3. Munich: Steven Spielberg's feature is part thriller, part human drama dealing with the aftermath of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics.

        The movie examines the moral dilemma associated with those called upon to commit murder in the name of the state. The film's strength is creating complex characters who begin to question the value of their mission.

        4. Crash: Writer-director Paul Haggis' study of race relations in Los Angeles shows the intricacies of human emotions as various lives intersect on the streets of this multi-cultural city.

        The strength of Haggis' film is that an individual can be a villain in one day and a hero the next.

        A strong ensemble cast, including Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton, will have you questioning the way you perceive other people.

        5. Syriana: Writer-director Stephen Gaghan assembled a star-studded cast to examine the global implications and machinations of the incestuous relationship between America's dependence on Mideast oil; the extremes the U.S. government will take to protect that flow; and the corporate world's shady dealings in keeping others from encroaching on what they consider their turf.

        Syriana is rather complex, and at times difficult to follow. You need to pay close attention to keep track of who is working for whom, and who is following what agenda. But few films dare to challenge audiences in such a manner.

        6. Murderball: Thing you're tough? Well, after watching the quadraplegics who play wheelchair rugby, you'll have second thoughts about how macho you are.

        An inspiring documentary that shows the strength and determination of these men who do not allow their wheelchairs or handicaps to define them. They're proud, defiant and as athletic as any man walking.

        7. March of the Penguins: The emperor penguins are usually perceived as cute little animals, but after watching them defy the elements, you will come to appreciate how formidable they are as they battle to survive and thrive in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

        Their lives are measured by their ability to procreate, and the lengths they will go to for the protection of their young will leave you in awe.

        A fascinating documentary that shows the cruelty and splendor of nature.

        8. Cinderella Man: Ron Howard and Russell Crowe reteam for this inspiration biography of heavyweight champ James J. Braddock, who rose from the depths of the Depression to bring hope to the common men who were as downtrodden as he had been.

        With fine support from Renee Zellweger as Braddock's wife, and Paul Giamatti as his manager, Howard is able to capture the despair and petty humiliations leveled on ordinary stiffs in those dark years.

        9. Sin City: Sure it was uber-violent, and an adaptation of a graphic novel. But Robert Rodriguez's movie was so technically astute and advanced that you had to admire it, despite all the blood and gore.

        Working with writer Frank Miller, who shares the director's title with Rodriguez, the two were able to bring Miller's noirish, nightmarish world to live through the use of green screens and computer graphics.

        But it was some unforgettable characters, especially Mickey Rourke's Marv and Bruce Willis' Hartigan, who gave the movie muscle and heart.

        10. Batman Begins: Writer-director Christopher Nolan revives a franchise that had fallen on camy excess to paint a dark portrait of a driven man seeking vengeance as well as redemption.

        Christian Bale made a finely-honed Dark Knight whose demons drive him to battle those who would destroy what he holds most dear.

        And what do we have to look forward to in 2006? More sequels, more TV show adaptations and, if we are lucky, some thought-provoking and originality.

        That's my New Year's wish.

Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bob@bloomink.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site: www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom