Hey, it worked for Ray. Biopics of dead folks were all the rage this year, with the ghosts of Truman Capote, Edward R. Murrow, Johnny Cash and June Carter all apparently on Oscar's dancecard.
Transcendent performances all, by Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Strathairn, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. But only one had an utterly transcendent movie to back it up, and tops my 10-best list.
1. Capote - The tale of author Truman Capote's quest to turn a multiple murder in Kansas into the novel In Cold Blood touched on issues of class, of journalistic Devil's bargains and of the cost exacted by the pursuit of fame. It was smartly written by sitcom actor Dan Futterman (Will &Grace) and filmed with claustrophobic feverishness by Bennett Miller. A great movie all around.
2. Good Night, And Good Luck - George Clooney's sophomore directing effort was a smoky, jazzy love letter to a golden era of '50s style as much a paean to Murrow's media war with McCarthy over the soul of America.
3. Walk The Line - The exuberant acting and music pump up this otherwise by-the-numbers Johnny Cash biopic into arguably the most crowd-pleasing film of the year.
4. C.R.A.Z.Y. - This funny little generation-spanning Quebecois film about a gay Bowie-loving punk and his brothers has tons of heart and quirk. Oscar-bait bien sur.
5. Jarhead - Jake Gyllenhaal went mental as a Gulf War Marine sniper in the desert with nothing to shoot in this testosterone-drenched take on Anthony Swofford's book.
6. Crash - It took a Canadian, Paul Haggis, to come up with this insight-loaded, terrifically acted dramatic juggling act about racism in America.
7. The Aristocrats - The world's dirtiest joke told by 100 different comics ends up teaching you more about humour than 10 semesters at the Humber Comedy School.
8. Downfall - The Bunker tale told with a great turn by Bruno Ganz as Hitler, a psycho one by Corinna Harfouch as Frau Goebbels and an achingly vulnerable one by Alexandra Maria Lara as Adolf's secretary Traudl Junge.
9. Oldboy - Korea's cinematic "new wave" of violence and sex coalesces in this utterly demented tale of a businessman who's kidnapped and kept in an apartment for 15 years before being inexplicably released.
10. King Kong - When Peter Jackson films an homage, he doesn't monkey around. He spent $200 mil amping up the things he liked best about the classic 1933 giant-ape fest, from the dinos (three T-Rexes!)to the long-lost "spider-pit" scene (a dementia of man-eating insects).
HONOURABLE MENTION
- KUNG FU HUSTLE
Stylish Bugs Bunny-esque Shaolin comedy by Stephen Chow.
- THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
Broad comedy needn't be dumb, who knew?
- CORPSE BRIDE
Tim Burton having so much fun, you can practically see him almost smiling.
- TURTLES CAN FLY
Would you believe a humourous movie about Kurdish kids who sweep Iraqi minefields for cash?
- SCHULTZE GETS THE BLUES
A fat polka player is bitten by the zydeco bug and leaves Bavaria to find his soul in the bayou, trust me on this one.
JIM'S WORST FILMS OF THE YEAR
In descending order
5. Two For The Money - Al Pacino's descent into self-parody is now complete with his volume-set-at-11 portrayal of a New York sports oddsmaker. He does everything but shout "HOO-ah!" as co-star Matthew McConaughey shrinks into a corner of the screen.
4. Into The Blue - Idiotic island caper boasted a plot stolen from the '70s flick The Island, charisma-free star Paul Walker and the dumbest dialogue since Ed Wood. Nice Bahamian scenery, though. Especially liked the panoramas of Jessica Alba's bod.
3. Elektra - Who'd have thought Jennifer Garner in bondage gear could be so boring? The mopiest, most listless superhero movie since, well, Daredevil. Jen and Ben, mazel tov. And leave the comic books to your kids.
2. The Pacifier - Vin Diesel scrapes the bottom of the diaper. I liked this movie better when Hulk Hogan was in it and they called it The Nanny.
1. Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo - Recipe for anti-humour. Take Rob Schneider (a.k.a. Adam Sandler's pet monkey), team him with unfunnyman Eddie Griffin in a sequel the original studio wanted nothing to do with, and repeat the word "man-whore" 300 times. Stir. Let stand and fester.
DISHONOURABLE MENTION
- Mindhunters (serial killer outwits idiot FBI trainees)
- The Honeymooners (to the moon, Cedric!)
- A Sound Of Thunder (worst ... time-travel ... plot ... ever!)
- The Ring Two
- A Lot Like Love (note to studio: Ashton can't act)
- And the worst big-budget disappointment, Kingdom Of Heaven.
