A History of Violence is a 2005 American crime thriller film directed by David Cronenberg, and written by Josh Olson, based on the graphic novel of the same name by John Wagner and Vince Locke. The film features Viggo Mortensen as the owner of a diner who is thrust into the spotlight after killing two robbers in self-defense.
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Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of the character and begins with Bruce Wayne's initial fear of bats, the death of his parents, and his journey to becoming Batman. It draws inspiration from classic comic book storylines such as The Man Who Falls, Batman: Year One, and Batman: The Long Halloween.
Film Note: Batman has ALWAYS been my favorite superhero. As a boy I watched reruns of the 1960s TV show, it was the only comic book I read… and I liked the first movie directed by Tim Burton… but ‘Batman Begins’? Oh-MY-God. Spectacular!
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Good Night, and Good Luck is a 2005 American drama film directed by George Clooney. The film was written by Clooney and Grant Heslov and portrays the conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, especially relating to the anti-Communist Senator's actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
Film Note: For some strange reason, my favorite period of American history revolves around the Red Scare and McCarthyism. The hysteria that occurred astounds me to this day. Fascinating stuff.
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Hard Candy is a 2005 psychological thriller film focusing on the confrontation between an assumed sexual predator and a not so innocent 14-year-old girl.
Film Note: This movie is crazy good, but hard to watch… and the trailer makes it look like a frantic thriller… but it’s not. It’s pretty methodical and creepy. Ellen Paige made this movie before ‘Juno’ and proves she will be a force in the film industry for quite some time.
Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSyoKOIx080
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy-adventure film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth installment in the Harry Potter film series, and is written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman. The story follows Harry Potter, a teen wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as he is chosen by the Goblet of Fire to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, a highly dangerous competition. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The supporting cast also features Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Robert Pattinson, Miranda Richardson, David Tennant, and Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist of the series.
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Hustle & Flow is a 2005 independent drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer about a Memphis hustler called DJay, played by Terrence Howard, who experiences a midlife crisis and is compelled to face his aspiration to become a rapper. DJay, a petty drug dealer and equally petty pimp, and his original and primary charge, prostitute Nola, troll the streets and under bridges and overpasses of Memphis, looking for clients. From the start, it is clear that Nola is more DJay's business partner and fellow hustler (DJay refers to her as his "primary investor"), rather than his subordinate, and that neither of them is satisfied with their lives or with the ins and outs of prostitution; however, each is also in a crisis about exactly what to do instead. While DJay quickly turns to music once he re-discovers the keyboard, Nola remains indecisive and crisis-ridden throughout much of the movie. Despite this, however, the two always remain close, and "in charge" of everything around them.
Film Note: Seriously. This is a great film.
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen. The screenplay was written by Shane Black who also directed the film. It was produced by Joel Silver, and co-produced by Downey's wife Susan Downey (who is credited as Susan Levin).
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Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, and released in movie theaters on May 27, 2005. The film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa, getting shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. The voices of Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, and David Schwimmer are featured. Other voices include Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter.
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March of the Penguins is a 2005 French nature documentary film. It was directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The film depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica. In autumn, all the penguins of breeding age (five years old and over) leave the ocean, their normal habitat, to walk inland to their ancestral breeding grounds. There, the penguins participate in a courtship that, if successful, results in the hatching of a chick. For the chick to survive, both parents must make multiple arduous journeys between the ocean and the breeding grounds over the ensuing months.
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Match Point is a 2005 dramatic thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton.
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic action comedy film, directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell. The film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as a bored married couple who learn that they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill each other.
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Mrs. Henderson Presents is a 2005 British comedy film directed by Stephen Frears. It stars Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, and Will Young in his acting debut.
Film Note: On the surface this movie seems a bit sleazy in its premise. But it’s so pure in heart and the true story is pretty amazing.
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Munich is a 2005 historical fiction film about the Israeli government's secret retaliation attacks after the massacre of Israeli athletes by the Black September terrorist group during the 1972 Summer Olympics. The film stars Eric Bana and was produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It was written by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth.
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North Country is a 2005 American drama film directed by Niki Caro. The screenplay by Michael Seitzman was inspired by the 2002 book Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, which chronicled the case of Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Company.
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Rumor Has It… is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Rob Reiner. The screenplay by Ted Griffin derives from a real-life rumor about the family in the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb.
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Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the cancelled Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a transport and cargo ship. The captain and first mate are veterans of the Unification War, having fought on the losing side. Their lives of petty crime are interrupted by a psychic passenger who harbors a dangerous secret.
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Shopgirl is a 2005 American romantic drama film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by Steve Martin is based on his 2000 novella of the same name.
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Sin City also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. It is a neo-noir based on Miller's graphic novel series of the same name.
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Syriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil. The film focuses on petroleum politics, and the global influence of the oil industry, whose political, economic, legal, and social effects are experienced by a Central Intelligence Agency operative (George Clooney), an energy analyst (Matt Damon), a Washington attorney (Jeffrey Wright), and a young unemployed Pakistani migrant worker (Mazhar Munir) in an Arab country in the Persian Gulf. The film also features an extensive supporting cast including Amanda Peet, Tim Blake Nelson, and Christopher Plummer, as well as Academy Award winners Chris Cooper and William Hurt.
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The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American screwball comedy film about an involuntarily celibate man's journey to finally obtain romance and sexual intercourse. It was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by the film's lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue.
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It was co-produced by Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes play Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund, four British children evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside, who find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia. There they ally with the Lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) against the forces of Jadis, the White Witch (Tilda Swinton).
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The Island is a 2005 American science fiction action film directed by Michael Bay and starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. It was released on July 22, 2005 in the US. It was nominated for 3 awards including the Teen Choice award.
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The Matador is a 2005 American dark comedy film written and directed by Richard Shepard and starring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear.
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Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and based on the life of country music artist Johnny Cash. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Robert Patrick.
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Wedding Crashers is a 2005 comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell.