Top 10 of 2005: #9

Brokeback Mountain dir. Ang Lee

I can definitely see why this movie is at the top of a lot of critic's 2005's top movies list. While I can say that there are 8 movies (in my opinion) that are better than Brokeback Mountain, I still cannot deny the powerful impact this movie has on you. Ang Lee has brought a visually gorgeous and amazing love story to the big screen. The love story of Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist will go down in history as one of the greatest love stories ever put to film. Heath Ledger gives the best performance I have ever seen from him and Jake Gyllenhaal also gives a career best performance as well. These performances are both equally layered and heartbreaking. Michelle Williams also gives the performance of her career as Alma del Mar. Williams downplays the part so effectively that when she finally releases all of her anger in her final scene, you FEEL it. Anne Hathaway also brings forth the performance of her career as Lureen Twist. It's a brave performance for Hathaway and her phone call scene towards the end of the movie is heartbreaking in the way we see her facade breaking over the phone right before our eyes. Very shaded and layered work there. All of these actors speak their lines with truth and conviction and it shines through. Ang Lee brings such an old fashioned feel to the movie and it works wonders. "Love is a force of nature" is the perfect tagline to describe one of 2005's best movies.