This year I was swept away by small moments in small films: the breathtakingly radiant smile of Isild Le Besco in "A Tout De Suite," the nervous, giddy glee of Mona Press in "My Summer of Love," and the heady triumph of Sibel Kikelli in "Head-On" returning home in her wedding gown the morning after sleeping with a man who was not her husband.
1. My Summer of Love
There were so many good, important films this year: Steven Spielberg makes a remarkable plea for non-violence in "Munich," George Clooney puts our own complacent media under the microscope in "Good Night and Good Luck." But for me, it always comes back to Pawel Pawlikowski's "My Summer of Love," the movie that pleased me the most in 2005. Undiscovered actresses Mona Press and Emily Blunt are remarkable from the first moment to the last.
2. Head-On
Fatih Akin has made an unforgettable love story about star-crossed down-and-out Turkish Germans. This movie is punk rock, tragic, and one hundred percent romance. The opening scenes are suprisinlgy ugly and disturbing, but I knew it was going to be good when the lovers met in the mental hospital. Sibel pulls on a virtual stranger's sleeve and begs him to marry her--so that she can escape her overbearing family and have sex with other men.
3. The Constant Gardener
Mild-mannered diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) doesn't know how much he loves his activist wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) until after her death. He doesn't even know his own true character until he sets out to uncover the secret of Tessa's work. Fernando Meirelles's film is many good things: a stunning visual experience, a sharp take-down of the pharmaceutical industry, and a sweeping love story.4. Kings and Queen
2005 is the year that I discovered Emmanuelle Devos. I had seen her in several films before, but nothing compared to her devasting performance in Arnaud Desplechin's sprawling drama. Smart, sexy and conniving, Devos holds sway over many, many men: her ten year old son, her dying father, her wealthy fiance, and even a down-and-out ex-husband. In a narrative of his own, the ex-husband (Mathieu Amalric) has the time of his life in a Parisan mental hospital.
5. Look At Me
When Agnes Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri make a movie together the result is always special. "A Taste of Others" (2001), the story of a business man who falls for an intellectual actress, is a charming look at love, judgement and creativity. Their second film, "Look at Me," is far more biting. The brilliant screenplay takes on father/daughter relationships, the enormous writer's ego, and the low self-esteem of an overweight young woman.6. A Tout de Suite
In Benoît Jacquot's dreamy black and white film, star Isild Le Besco radiates such pure happiness she makes me wonder if anyone else has ever properly experienced the emotion. The story of a borgeouis young woman who runs off with her bank robber boyfriend constantly took me by surprise.7. Down to the Bone
Deborah Granik transported me to another world in this genuinely independent film about a young mother trying to overcome a nasty cocaine addiction. I may never look at the tired woman behind the checkout counter in the same light. Vera Farmiga's moving performance never seems less than real. The formerly unknown Farmiga, it should be noted, is moving on to bigger roles, including a Martin Scorcese pic with Leonardo DiCaprio.8. Capote
Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a masterful performance in Bennett Miller's seductive biopic about Truman Capote and the story behind "In Cold Blood." The film send me to my shelves to reread the book. I'm glad I did.9. Nobody Knows
Hirokazu Koreeda's drama is a heart-breaking film about four children who are abandoned by their mother and continue to live together in their small Toyko apartment. Twelve-year-old Ayu Kitaura won the best actor award at Cannes, but all of the child actors are wonderful.10. Walk the Line
The last film I saw in 2005 follows a by the book formula, but the final scene of James Mangold's biopic brought tears of happiness to my eyes. So "Walk the Line" makes my top ten list, edging out other small worthy films like the moving documentary "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" and the adolescent love story "Lila Says." Reese Witherspoon keeps getting better and better.