AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is one of the great love stories in American film. The revolutionary subject matter paints a portrait of passion, longing and loss against the sweeping backdrop of the changing American West. The film is a triumph of acting--Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal bring power and poignancy to two people caught in an emotional maelstrom, without the means to understand their feelings, or the words to express them. The film is a tragic meditation on loneliness, and yet a powerful celebration of friendship and love beyond our control.

CAPOTE

CAPOTE is a vividly detailed portrait of an elusive American literary icon at a turning point in his life. Philip Seymour Hoffman inhabits Truman Capote in a performance that captures every nuance of one of the 20th Century's most flamboyant and intriguing characters--layering wit, pain, love and ambition in a crucible of creative and ethical choice. The filmmakers tell this revealing story with economy and power showing how the writer achieved everything he ever wanted and lost his soul.

CRASH

CRASH is a cinematic fantasia on the duality of man--exploring with astonishing candor how we are divided and tormented by race. There is a sublime poetry to the film that emerges from the union of words and images, using the automobile as a metaphor for how we both distance and touch each other, sometimes violently. The film is distinguished by its extraordinary writing and an acting ensemble that fires on all pistons.

THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN

THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN will make you laugh--and there is no greater gift in the world today. This entertaining film probes the universal fears of sex, intimacy and chest hair, and follows in the tradition of classic American comedies; it is character-driven, sincere and insightful and will have audiences reexamining their own hang-ups--with a smile. The film also introduces the world to a new leading man of laughter--Steve Carell.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK is a refreshingly spare reflection on a controversial and difficult time in the 1950s and, at the same time, an explosive examination of the current American news landscape. Brilliantly choreographed and co-written by director George Clooney, the film illuminates the burden of courage in a free press at odds with both its government and its corporate parent. Clooney's ingenious use of archival footage adds to the great sense of fear and incredulity that these events took place in America. The film's greatest contribution may be to remind audiences that "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is a powerful insight into America's obsession with violence and how it relates to the roles we play, the disguises we choose and the truth in those choices. With surprises at every turn, the film turns classic movie elements on their head and asks us to look at genre from a new perspective. Sexy and bloody, alluring and revolting, the film's delicate balancing act is artfully captured in each suspense-filled shot by David Cronenberg and his gifted creative ensemble.

KING KONG

KING KONG is why we go to the movies. It's a love story. It's funny. And it's also a chest-thumping, larger-than-life, thrill-a-minute adventure tale that knows no equal in its use of digital effects to tell a story. And though Peter Jackson continues to awe audiences with his imaginative use of new technologies, it is his great love and respect for the original film that both preserves and expands upon the themes that have made it a classic. In that sense, KING KONG is not only a valentine to American film history--it is American film history.

MUNICH

MUNICH reminds us how lucky we are to live in the time when Steven Spielberg is making movies. This is another landmark contribution to American film from one of its master storytellers. The movie asks difficult questions about the moral complexities of vengeance--and who, ultimately, stands proud in the name of family and home. Great movies stir great debate, and that Spielberg would embrace such a controversial subject and present it as a prayer for peace is as brave and bold a move as we would expect from one of this country's great artists.

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE is a funny film about pain--the deep, aching pain of a family dissolved. It is rare for a film to be comedic and heartbreaking beyond cliches, but the film's standout performances capture the characters with such truth that one cannot help but feel that we've lived with them--and lost them. Made for relatively little money, the movie also reflects the great spectrum of budgets in American film and reminds us that a personal vision, great heart and the commitment of a talented creative ensemble are priceless.

SYRIANA

SYRIANA is a complex and intelligent political thriller that demands its audience become an active participant, compelling us to think--and to think globally. In a year when the United States' reliance on oil bubbled up and over the headlines, Stephen Gaghan and his creative ensemble have masterfully woven together a number of plotlines that could each have been a film in itself. The result is a masterwork of storytelling, where each scene leaves your heart racing and your mind engaged.