Two of the best and most woefully underappreciated films of 2005 arrive on DVD this week. Terence Malick's lyrical take on the Pocahontas story in The New World is flat-out gorgeous, and Steven Spielberg's revenge thriller Munich delivers a complex moral drama disguised as slick entertainment.
1. The New World
Hard to believe that Terence Malick's sweeping, lyrical retelling of the Pocahontas story received only one Oscar nomination (Best Cinematography) and lost! Colin Farrell, Christian Bale, and the painfully lovely Q'Orianka Kilcher dreamily drift through Malick's 135 minute cut of the epic drama about John Smith and the clash between Native Americans and English settlers in the 17th century.
2. Munich
A stunningly accomplished entertainment and a passionate plea for peace, Steven Spielberg's Munich, written by Tony Kushner, is the best American film about September 11 yet. Eric Bana stars as the leader of the Israeli secret agents assigned to track down the men behind the 1972 massacre at the Munich Olympics. Controversy about the subject matter detracted audience attention from this worthy film.
3. On the Outs
Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik's gripping independent drama tells the story of three teenage girls whose lives intersect in a Jersey City prison. Judy Marte (Raising Victor Vargas), Anny Mariano, and Paola Mendoza give riveting performances. The terse and realistic script draws on improv workshops that Silverbush held with inner-city teens who shared their actual stories.4. Robin's Hood
Sara Millman's modern version on the Robin Hood legend, set in contemporary Oakland, California, is a surpising delight. Disillusioned social worker Robin (Khahtee V. Turner) wants to make a difference in her Oakland neighborhood. Car mechanic Brooklyn (Clody Cates) is more focused on her second job as a thief. When the two women fall in love, Robin becomes an unlikely accomplice in a string of bank heists - with a big cut of the loot going to the poor.5. The Mudge Boy
The Mudge Boy is the story of just-plain-weird Duncan Mudge (Emile Hirsch), a 14-year-old misfit who, while vying for the attention of his emotionally unavailable father (Richard Jenkins), struggles to fill the void brought on by his mother’s sudden death. Written and directed by Michael Burke, this disturbing and moving film was a critics darling after its release in 2003.