The Passion of the Canuck: Top 10 Movies of 2004
Feb 05 '05
The Bottom Line Things to do today: actually log in to my Epinions account and post something!
The film that made me the angriest, in 2004, was "Napoleon Dynamite". For a plethora of reasons. First of all, because it's been taken to the breast of 12-year olds across (at least) my city. Spending my days in grade school classrooms, over the last couple of months, I can't tell you how many times I've encountered a drawing of Napoleon's Liger, or an A-student who should know better pronouncing something "sweet". The sickening thing is that these students are bowing at the altar of a film that is not only hollow (copying Wes Anderson like it had Xerox stock, while not understanding why Wes' films reverberate), but also downright mean. "Napoleon Dynamite", the film, seems to actively hate Napoleon Dynamite, the character. And, taking the cue, I couldn't help but hate him too. When he's pushed into the lockers by a malicious jock, my bile for him had built up so much that I couldn't help but let out a little cheer.
The other film, from 2004, that got so stuck in my craw was "Team America: World Police". On paper, it seemed like a goldmine: the "South Park" guys (I may not like their TV show much, but I get all giggly when talk comes around to "Bigger, Longer, and Uncut"), mucking around with marionettes, aiming their powerful satiric guns at Jerry Bruckheimer movies and American Imperialism. But they got off track, somewhere. Case in point: the movie seems to be saying that the crazy nuclear powers of Kim Jong Il are less of a threat to global safety than Michael Moore's fat, sloppy liberalism. That's just shortsighted and petty.
Rant over. Throat cleared. Now let me tell you about some movies I actually liked...
Honourable Mentions:
20. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, 19. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, 18. Fahrenheit 9/11, 17. The Aviator, 16. In Good Company, 15. Ocean's Twelve, 14. Super-Size Me, 13. Maria Full of Grace, 12. Sideways, 11. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
10. I Heart Huckabees
Written by David O. Russell and Jeff Baena, Directed by David O. Russell
I've seen "I Heart Huckabees" once. I thought it whimsical, if a bit full of its own philosophical intelligence. That being said, there's something nagging at me, something that says, upon a second viewing, I'd see it instead as a complex and complete rumination on the nature of existence in a day and age that would rather have you contemplate the purchase of a new wardrobe rather than the state of the universe. And, on top of that, seeing it again may even allow me to catch some of the jokes I missed the first time, so loud was I laughing at the antics of Messrs. Schwartzman, Law, Hoffman, and (the best of the bunch) Wahlberg and Mmes. Tomlin and Watts. Though I worry that a second sighting of Jude's man boobies will cause hysterical blindness.
9. Collateral
Written by Stuart Beattie, Directed by Michael Mann
I think the coolest thing about "Collateral" is that it has the balls to cast Tom Cruise, and then use him as a prop. It takes the biggest movie star in the world, and turns him into a walking/talking killing machine, spouting bland philosophical hyperbole as a way of explaining his oddball career choice. It then dresses him up in a metallic suit and a silver wig and dares the audience to take him seriously. Needless to say, they can't. Though his style does mesh well with Jamie Foxx' laid back, I'm-just-a-dude-trying-to-get-through-a-day-of-work victim. Foxx is watchable, despite his shlubbiness, and that's the film's true delight. Also: Michael Mann, as a critic smarter than me once noted, is the first person to use digital video as an asset, not just a necessity. Watch how he photographs nighttime Los Angeles, and then tell me his use of the new technology wasn't a conscious choice.
8. Shaun of the Dead
Written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, Directed by Edgar Wright
I got to watch "Shaun of the Dead" together with "Collateral" in one interesting mash-up double-bill evening. Cruise, and his dead movie star eyes, could have starred in both films, now that I think about it.
While being just a rollicking good time, "Shaun" actually had a lot to say about relationships, apathy in the modern world, and the tastiest meat on your fat, alcoholic buddy. It reminded me of a twisted blend of Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" movies (low-tech gore, high-tech laughs), "The Office" (deadpan Brits and a Tim-and-Dawn cameo) and the films of Guy Ritchie (a hyper-kinetic filmmaking style). I loved this movie so much, despite the fact that I can't abide by the zombie film sub-genre (nor it's progeny, the post-modern zombie film).
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, Directed by Wes Anderson
Going into 2004, and looking at the list of films to be released, I'd probably have predicted "Steve Zissou" as my end-of-year champion. Thus, the fact that it sits here only at number 7 must mean that it's a huge disappointment. And it is, to be sure. It's not up to the quality of "Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", or "Bottle Rocket", the other films in Wes Anderson's perfect oeuvre. But it's also not as bad as you may have heard. Be prepared for a lazy pace, deadpan characters, and many shots of Bill Murray's sagging man-nipples, and you may even enjoy it as much as I did.
6. Garden State
Written and Directed by Zach Braff
I hesitate putting "Garden State" so high up on this list, because I have a sneaking suspicion that if you ask me about it in five years, I won't remember a thing. That's the trap you lay for yourself, when you concoct a movie this twee; the lack of weight allows it to dissipate. Ultimately, I include it here because, while watching, the movie had me enthralled. It goes places you don't expect it to go, features performances that toe the line between quirky and quaint, and feels like a personal tour through the history of its writer/director/star. Anytime a filmmaker deigns to let the audience into his life (even a stylized, fictionalized, and fantastic version of his life), you're bound to find something both achingly private and effectively universal. Though torpedoed by a "movie"-ending, "Garden State" spends most of its time feeling deliciously strange.
5. Million Dollar Baby
Written by Paul Haggis, Directed by Clint Eastwood
There hasn't yet been much criticism of "Million Dollar Baby". But what criticism there has been surrounds the apparent manipulativeness of its ending. Without saying too much, I can say this: if I described the ending to you, and if you were a moviegoer of some experience, you'd snort and smirk and tell me that it couldn't possibly be portrayed with anything but sappy melodrama. Well, in fact, it can. Clint Eastwood, whose inconsistency behind the camera keeps him from becoming a director-actor (rather than just an actor-director), never lets his audience feel manipulated. The story he tells is straight, and true, and complicated enough to feel like real life. The scenes before the ending, featuring Swank and Freeman and Clint himself in an uplifting little boxing-as-life parable, share some of this same authenticity.
4. Before Sunset
Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke, Directed by Richard Linklater
"Before Sunrise" is one of my favourite romantic comedies of all time. Though I'm not sure that that genre title does it justice, for it's a romantic comedy with a brain, a heart, a soul, and not a lick of treacly cynicism. "Before Sunset", its courageous sequel, thus had a tough act to follow. Not only did it follow it, but also it enriched the story, brought further life to the characters, and came up with something new to say about the nature of fleeting love. Delpy and Hawke, on top of having a hand in the screenplay this time, also managed to show the wear and tear of lives lived. And Linklater, despite using almost the exact same visual template as 9 years before, managed to wring something new from essentially the same setup. I got all veklempt all over again.
3. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Last year, "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" finished just out of the medals. This year, its "sequel" gets the coveted bronze. I am one of those people who wouldn't mind watching the entire "Kill Bill" saga in one sitting. A recent viewing of the "Return of the King" extended DVD cut proves that one can indeed watch 4-hours worth of movie at a time, if one is engaged, enthralled, and excited enough. "Return of the King" pulled off that trick, and I'm sure "Kill Bill" would have as well. That being said, "Vol. 2" is probably my preferred half, being quieter, more dialogue-heavy, and just plain more Tarantino-esque than "Vol. 1". Plus, it has the advantage of being able to show us David Carradine's wrinkled, but gleefully menacing, face; of being able to play for us David Carradine's euphonious bass voice; and of being able to set a scene buried 6-feet underground, in total darkness, with only Uma Thurman's tortured breathing to keep us company.
2. The Incredibles
Written and Directed by Brad Bird
It's way too easy to call "The Incredibles" a parody of the super hero genre. I think that's giving it less credit than it deserves. In truth, it's a sincere super hero movie, which works hard to create real and hyper-real characters, a propulsive and smart story, and dazzling visual effects. While never trampling over the small moments of humanity that are needed to prop up such a tale, and make it resonate.
Leaving the theatre, I was sure that "The Incredibles" would not be overtaken for the top spot on this list. I couldn't imagine seeing a film, for the rest of the year that would best the visceral thrills it gave me, while also engaging me on a suitably intellectual level. I was right, in fact. The rest of the year came up empty in this regard. Though, unknowingly, I had already seen a film that would surpass it on both counts...
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Written by Charlie Kaufman, Directed by Michel Gondry
"Eternal Sunshine" was an early-year pleasure that, like Charlie Kaufman's previous works, didn't fully throttle my mind until after repeated viewings. But when it did kick into gear, it took off like a shot so quickly that I nearly gave myself whiplash. Unlike Charlie Kaufman's previous works ("Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation", "Human Nature"), "Eternal Sunshine" is both an intellectual and an emotional exercise. The idea of a procedure that wipes away the memory of an ex-lover is just high-concept enough to satisfy the former, while the story of the two lovers, and how they got to the point where such a radical operation was necessary, fulfills the requirements of the latter.
Michel Gondry's direction is sublime, providing the best visual effects of the year, while eschewing computer-generated graphics for more homemade techniques. And he gets a quiet, subtle performance from one of his lead actors, and a symphony of oddities from his other. Only not from whom you think. Jim Carrey is the shy guy with the heart easily broken; Kate Winslet is the gregarious girl who might just be covering up some pain. Together they make you laugh, cry, wince, scream, jump up and down, do somersaults, and generally just remember why going to the movies can be such a visceral time.
This is the second time a Kaufman-penned film has crowned my year-end list. And, based on the man's track record, I suspect not the last time.
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mfunk75
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Member: Mike Stone
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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