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As often is the case, many of the best movies of the year weren't smaller films or those few heard about, as compared to some of the Oscar Bait and blockbusters, which often was not that good. Or as good as they are made out to be. For instance, "Spider-Man" was a pretty good movie, and the backstory is told rather well, but it has a rather lame villain. So, yes, I admired the acting of Toby McGuire, Kirsten Durst, and other parts of the film, but in my humble opinion, it wasn't a top movie of the year. Also, The Hours was nominated for Best Picture ... good movie, but overall I wasn't impressed enough to put it in that category. [The nomination of Nicole Kidman for Best Actress is more justified.] I did enjoy "Chicago," though the story was a bit weak ... the music and performances surely did compensate. Some of the films below also might not be in the "Top Ten" category, but they are ones I particularly liked. As usual, some films worthy of the list are not included, partly since I might not have saw that particular film. Also, if you feel compelled to disagree, emails pointing my erroneous comments are always welcomed.
It took me a while, but I too finally say My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and it really is a fun, funny, and well made film. It was nominated for its screenplay, but personally I found it better as a film, as did many others, than at least "The Hours," and it is probably "Best Picture" nomination material. "Two Weeks Notice" is not, but Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant make a nice couple, the supporting cast puts in some nice work, and as a whole is a lot better than you might expect. Another amusing little film is "Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course." I'm not saying its a great film, it mostly is silly, but as silly little comedies and/or extended versions of television shows go, it's more fun than a lot of the stuff out there. How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog has a title that fits the film's whimsical tone. It doesn't say much about the film, which stars Kenneth Branagh as a married playwright having trouble with his career, his wife (they are trying to have a baby), and even a off the wall stalker pretending to be him. An enjoyable little find.
Jennifer Aniston showed her dramatic chops in "The Good Girl," an ironically entitled movie about a woman who decides to be bad to escape from her humdrum existence. "Real Women Have Curves" is a good coming of age film regarding a smart Mexican-American teenager held back by family ties; it also gives the chance for co-stars playing her mom and older sister not to just be stereotypes. About A Boy is an excellently written film starring Hugh Grant as a man who finds out that "no man is an island" is pretty true after all. Secretary was a bit controversial, given its dominant/submissive theme, but it also was a pretty good movie (ending a bit weak). Lauren Ambrose of "Six Feet Under" shined in the indie "Swimming" about a teen coming out of her shell in a low rent resort town. Jack Nicolson was good in "About Schmidt" though it was both a bit overlong and overrated.
A few good foreign films. The restrained performances of both the title character, a repressed German cook, and the young niece she has to care for after the mother dies is what especially impressed me about Mostly Martha. Nonetheless, the skill put into making a relatively straightforward film of this sort (food, unlikely parent figures and romances, and repressed characters needing someway to get out of his/her shell, all are standard themes these days) into a small gem impressed me enough two see it twice. Another extremely impressive foreign film is Spirited Away, a supposedly lock to win an Oscar for animated film. The film is a symbolic journey of a young girl into a strange land and its visuals are amazing to see. "Murderous Maids" is an excellent French film about an infamous murder, while "Satin Rogue" is a smaller film regarding a North African woman and mother who learns belly dancing. The film has a weak ending to my mind, but as a character study, it is worthwhile. "The Emperor's New Clothes" is an amusing film suggesting Napolean actually escaped from his second exile, but found France a lot different from when he last left it.
There were a few good mystery and suspense films last year, but "High Crimes" with Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman was not one of them. It is a tragedy how a talented like Judd can be so typecast in lousy action movies. This was par for the course, though the leads make it acceptable low rent thriller material. On the other hand, Blood Work is a fine movie, and you need not be a fan of Clint Eastwood to enjoy it. In fact, given his restrained performance ... the lead role has him investigating more than it has him being Mr. Tough Guy ... the movie shows how much of a range Eastwood truly has. Enigma is another enjoyable film, this time a WWII code breaking story, co-starring Kate Winslet as a low level worker helping a troubled code wiz, as he deals with his own demons. As usual, keep in mind that based on reality historical films are not totally accurate. ["K-19" is a good example; and the film was a mixed bag ... I suggest you read the book] Another good historical movie with some good performances (Kirstin Durst shines in the lead) is "The Cat's Meow,." which deals with a mysterious death on William Randolph Hearst's yacht in the 1920s.
"Frailty" has a disturbing twist that I think hurts the film, but on the whole, it is a different type of horror movie. Really, it's a suspense story, as we see the two young sons watch their father suddenly feel compelled to kill, allegedly since these innocent looking people are evil. Another movie that uses a suspenseful storyline as basically a means to examine the lives of a small group of interlocked people in the Australian film (though the leads will be recognized for their American roles), Lantana. The film is not truly about the central murder mystery, but the lives of the characters, all troubled in their own interlocking ways. Though more satire than suspense drive, "Scotland, PA" also fits in this category given that it is a takeoff of Macbeth, this time set in a burger joint in the 1970s. A special nod to a favorite actress of mine, Maura Tierney.