In what can probably be described as one of the most dismal years of movies in a very long time, 2005's bright spots shined brightly toward the end of the year. In a year where there were no clear favorites like Ray or The Aviator or even the surprise Million Dollar Baby, there were a select group of movies that are good enough to share the honor of "Best Movies of 2005"

• Cinderella Man: Russel Crowe may have anger problems but who hasn't wanted to punch a bellhop in the face at some point or another? Crowe's performance in Cinderella Man is possibly the best of his career. When he's paired with director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) only good things can happen. And good things did happen with this biopic about legendary boxer James "Cinderella Man" Murdoch, who went back into boxing to put food on the table for his family during the Depression.
• Syriana: Is that really George Clooney with the heavy gut and shaggy beard? Yes it is. Clooney's performance of a grizzled CIA agent hung out in Arab America drives this thrilling story of corruption and politics in the oil industry. Matt Damon also gives an outstanding performance which could easily top his role in Rounders. This is one movie you don't want to get up in. There are more plot twists than on a mountain road. A definite must see if you can keep up with it.
• Munich: Many people say Schindler's List could not be topped for sheer emotional power, they were wrong. Munich follows the events that took place after the massacre at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972 as Israeli agents hunt down the terrorists responsible for the massacre. Spielberg gave a one-two punch this year with the science-fiction blockbuster War of the Worlds.
• War of the Worlds: The ending was weak and that will be the one thing that keeps this movie from being greater than Close Encounters of the Third Kind or E.T. Still, one cannot ignore the emotion and power of witnessing Americans being hearded like cattle across their own country looking for a safe place. War of the Worlds shows strong comparisons with terrorists attacks and the effect left on America after the 9/11 attacks. A top notch science-fiction film for anybody with Tom Cruise delivering his best performance yet and the best special effects ever shown in a movie.
• A History of Violence: One of the many movies to fly under the radar this year with the most underrated actor in Hollywood. David Croneberg adapts the John Wagner graphic novel about a smalltown family man who's caught in a media storm after he thwarts two robbers. But his media coverage attracts gangsters (Ed Harris) who have a shocking revelation about Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen). Is he who he says he is? Featuring brutal violence and shocking images, A History of Violence will, no doubt, fly under the radar but definitely deserves nods come Oscar time.
• Brokeback Mountain: Who would have ever thought gay and cowboy would go in the same sentence? Hollywood hunks Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal star as two Wyoming cowboys who discover feelings for each other and continue their relationship, even after they're married to attractive women. Ang Lee redeems himself from the horrific Hulk with this touching and emotional movie that forces a person to look at themself after it's done. Don't let the content fool you, this is arguably the best movie of the year.
• Kingdom of Heaven: Don't lie, most people expected Gladiator 2 when Ridley Scott announced he was making this. Instead, Orlando Bloom shocks audiences with a solid performance that doesn't portray him as a blonde elf fighting alongside of a dwarf. Bloom plays the illegitimate son of a Baron (Liam Neeson). After his wife commits suicide, Baillon goes to Jerseusalem to seek redemption for her sins. There, he finds an age long conflict between the Christians and the Muslims.
• The Constant Gardener: Another of the underrated movies of the year, The Constant Gardener is a thriller story centering around one man's quest for the truth surrounding the death of his wife (Rachel Weisz) and the politics he becomes entangled with in Africa.
• Walk the Line: 2005's Ray? No, but a much better biopic than Ray. Just like Jamie Foxx's performance of the great Ray Charles, Gladiator star Joaquin Phoenix dones the black clothes and slicked back hair to star as country music legend Johnny Cash. Reese Witherspoon plays the love of his life, June Carter Cash. Walk the Line follows Cash's early years and his battles with drugs and alcohol. Definitely Phoenix's best performance that should win him an Oscar.
• Capote: Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Truman Capote, the famous New Yorker writer who wrote about a horrific murder of a family in Kansas. While he investigates the murder and gets the story, he becomes close friends with one of the murderers and eventually adapts the story into his greatest book: In Cold Blood.