2005: Top 10

'Crash' focuses on various intertwined stories throughout LA, all concerning people who are some way associated with racism. But it's not as simple as that. In fact, the films complexities reach much further, into the range of emotions and reactions evoked by racism and how, in some way, whether directly or so remote it would be impossible to predict, they affect others around you. The director weaves all the characters individual tales together casually enough so that the striking moments of the film are all the more powerful, and only at the end of the film do we truly understand the far reaching effects of the characters actions and decisions. These revelations and occurrences are what uncover the true feelings of the characters - their dialogue only illustrates what they are hiding or protecting. Not a single member of the cast could be faulted - they are all brilliant in their own performances, but Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton stand out, no doubt in thanks to a riveting accident scene where for a moment we fear the worst possible outcome. 'Crash' plays with both your logic and emotion, representing the difficulty of foresight whatever we do. Shocking, intelligent, provocative and backed by stunning music and cinematography, 'Crash' is a truly amazing film.

Spielberg's stance on the 1972 Olympic atrocities begins as a pulse-pounding thriller, but then evolves into something much more daring, and more terrifying. It becomes a deep psychological study of human nature, an exploration of the consequences of being a paid assassin and how the effects become so deep rooted they take control of your life, your choices and your instincts. The film opens with a tense, well constructed re-enactment of that night, where the director uses real archive news footage and the looming sense of foreboding to keep us on tenterhooks and absorb us into the moment so we care for what happens next. From then on we follow Israeli Avner and his team to track down those who organised the massacre. The five all have different strengths, and according to records, they don't exist; they are officially unofficial. Eric Bana seems robbed of an Oscar nomination for his startlingly sensitive and real portrayal of Avner, a family man who becomes isolated from everything he knows and loves. Geoffrey Rush and Daniel Craig top the supporting cast, all of whom excel. Spielberg treats this screenplay, and the characters, with maturity and intelligence, never falling into sentimentality or melodrama, but instead opting for realism and atmosphere to craft an amazingly real and shockingly intense drama. He draws us into the underground network of politics, and dares to ask moral questions of right and wrong, and where all this terrorism and assassination will lead our world. With such a sensitive issue of Israeli-Palestine relations, the director takes no sides, and he offers a fair, balanced argument that unfortunately offers no real resolution. For every terrorist dispatched, only a stronger, more terrifying one will fill their place. This is the argument Spielberg tries to convey, but he acknowledges that it falls on deaf ears. The world will continue as such until someone dares to confront the norms - Avner, who becomes haunted by what he does, tries to break tradition, but to no avail; this is a complex film from start to finish, one that isn't easily watched, with an uncomfortable message we fear to even recognise. An astounding, revelatory picture.

An identity is only what one makes it. Passports, a driver's licence and even names are only insignificant details to attach to it. What make an identity are personality and characteristics, ones unique to that persona, and that can be separated in desperate times that call for desperate measures. A provocative and demanding thriller it may be, but there is little mainstream within David Cronenberg's 'A History of Violence', a film that explores the concept of identity with subtlety and intelligence that haunts us for a long time afterward. When local family man Tom Stall is hailed as a hero after preventing a robbery, a man arrives in town claiming unfinished business, and reveals what could possibly be a shocking past life, a different character behind the one we get to know and admire in the first half hour. Cronenberg's direction is immaculate; small details are incorporated into the seemingly most insignificant frame, and dialogue is layered in ambiguities and depth. We follow this man's life and his love for his family, and then a threatening presence infiltrates our perception, so the final resolution reveals only what we are pretty sure of - not what we knew - it's this that keeps the tension paramount. The film too is backed by some superlative performances; Viggo Mortensen gives us facial expressions with complete backgrounds, flickers of anger or hate that derive from this other life; Maria Bello is the mother everyone recognises, and the wife few are likely too, while William Hurt commands a chilling respect in his small but important role. Not a single thing is wasted here; Cronenberg has created a thrilling drama, one with a quiet and brooding intensity that has a grasp stronger than anything physical: more like the fear of a re-awoken past that so desperately needs to remain forgotten.

Christopher Nolan brings Batman back to life in this action-packed reboot of the franchise, and finally we are given not only the best Batman film to date, but credit for what we as an audience can appreciate within this particular genre. The director creates a fully-formed human as Batman, still full of mystery and ambiguity but one who can feel as we do, and is as complex a human as any other. The film is truly about Batman, rather than a signature villain for us to admire - and all the better for it. Another stroke of genius was Nolan placing this adventure in the real world - just by explaining things through science and technology he adds a sense of realism and makes the story believable, however unlikely it is. Instead of focusing on CGI and aesthetics, he explores the inner minds of the characters, adding sensitivity and humanity to the story - to call it a 'superhero' film is a sore understatement. Saying that he doesn't hold back on action either - it is perfectly balanced, brilliantly constructed and expertly paced. And what a supporting cast - Katie Holmes, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Tom Wilkinson, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman - everyone performs on the same level of enthusiasm, really persuading us that this film - and Batman himself - could be based in reality. And then Christian Bale himself - he is amazing, the best Batman we could have asked for, and he really makes this a film about the character. Dark, brooding and intense, 'Batman Begins' is a chilling and atmospheric new start for the series, and definitely won't disappoint.

It's unusual for a film with such serious subject matter to be treated so delicately, but in doing so the director of 'The Constant Gardener' has helped create originality in what could have been a re-run typical political thriller. The cinematography is the key - the hand held camera work makes the film all that more personal, adding authenticity and detail to emphasise the humanity, because the film is a personal exploration, as much as it seems a mystery thriller on the surface. There is no doubt that those aspects of the film are still good, however - the final action scenes are nerve-shredding, and the realism of danger lurking around every corner keeps us on tenterhooks for the majority of the film. Still as Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz so perfectly demonstrate, the story is theirs; it is Justin's discovery of who his wife really was, and how he falls in love with her all over again when she is gone. Both actors deserve high recognition - they have a chemistry so deep and meaningful we believe it from the onset. The poetic feel of the film is what we admire, because it makes the horror and corruption that much sadder, coupled with the wish that someday the film's ending will be a reality, however unlikely.

A well directed 18th century period romance, this is brilliant film-making. The director uses the camera extremely effectively, capturing some brilliant shots of scenery, and the pacing is perfect, the score delicate and appropriate. It's far more authentic than the average romance, avoiding over-sentimental declarations of love or the 'Hollywood' routine. Keira Knightley is brilliant, as are the entire supporting cast - only Matthew MacFadyen as 'Mr Darcy' fails to impress.