2005 Movies I Missed

Steve and I didn't see quite as many movies in the theatre in 2005 as we usually do. A big part of that is that he works a lot and when he works he is gone for long periods of time. Which means that when he is home, a lot of the time he'd rather hang out at home than be surrounded by crazy people at the theatre.

We did manage to see all of the big, you-must-see-this-on-the-big-screen movies like King Kong, Batman Begins, Harry Potter, War of the Worlds, etc. But we missed a lot of the small movies that I enjoy that often only play in one small theatre downtown in Kansas City. Here are the 2005 movies that I missed, but still intend to see:

Walk the Line -- We both love Johnny Cash, and I have thought Joaquin Phoenix is a great actor ever since we saw him in Gladiator. I don't know how we haven't made time to see this yet, but I kind of think of it as a "quiet", reflective movie and I guess I'm just waiting for the right mood.

Brokeback Mountain -- I am dying to see this movie. So much that I just might have to make some time to see it tomorrow. This one is still in limited release here, which means I'll have to drive my truck in the narrow streets downtown to get to a grungy old theatre to see it, both of which I hate, but it's worth it. I love movies with western settings, I think both of these guys are great actors, and I have heard and read amazing things about this movie.

Capote -- Have read reviews that say that Philip Seymour Hoffman deserves the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Truman Capote. I also thought that In Cold Blood was a fascinating, revolting book and am curious as to how Capote is portrayed.

Derailed -- This one isn't quite as "serious" as some of the others here, but looks like an interesting thriller. And Clive Owen is just hot, hot, hot and can't be missed.

The Ice Harvest -- John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton both have an offbeat humor that I enjoy. And Ice Harvest is set in Kansas City. Looks like this one will be a quirky, interesting movie.

Jarhead -- I'm really interested in how well the movie portrays Swofford's memoir of the Gulf War. I also was impressed by the similarity of feeling of the basic training/military experience that I saw in the preview with my own experiences in the Army. There was a lot that seemed familiar. And now that a few years have passed for me, I won't mind being reminded of that and being thankful I never saw anything harder than that. I hope this is a well-done movie, because for many people, this is the closest they will ever come to understanding much of what our young men and women are going through in Iraq and Afghanistan right now.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang -- Here's another quirky movie that got an extremely limited release. I guess I will be forced to wait for the DVD to see it, but I have always liked Val Kilmer and look forward to seeing him in this one.

Memoirs of a Geisha -- Still playing here, thank goodness. Must find the time to see it. I find it interesting that a lot of the actresses in this Japanese-set movie are actually Chinese, but I guess acting is acting. I've become such an anime fan in the last year that I feel like I am a fan of many things Japanese by default, including Japanese-set movies.

The Constant Gardener -- This movie has two incredibly good actors and looked like it would be a very intriguing and even romantic movie from the preview. I will have to see it on DVD.

A History of Violence -- It seems like this movie wasn't at the theatre for very long. Have seen some lists where Viggo Mortensen has been mentioned as a potential best actor. And this one is based on a comic book.

Hustle & Flow -- Steve wasn't as interested in seeing this as I was, which is why we never saw it in the theatre. As soon as the DVD is out, I will bring it home, and I think he will end up watching it with me. The previews looked excellent.