Top Ten Films of 2004
Feb 28 '05
The Bottom Line ...
I hate trying to decide silly things like "Was 2004 a good year for movies?" The answer is, honestly, something best left to history, something almost wholly unanswerable at the present moment. Which, of course, won't stop endless people from weighing in on the matter, but such is the culture we live in. People need charts, they need lists, they need to know answers to questions that should hold no particular relevance but nonetheless do.
Which brings us to my highly subjective list of the top ten best films of 2004, which I shall no submit under a false guise of critical objectivity. And since the list might change from day to day, week to week, and most definitely year to year, I'll first present the films that almost made the cut, to show you just how wonderful and amazing my impeccable taste truly is...
The Second Ten:
20. The Manchurian Candidate
19. Collateral
18. The Door in the Floor
17. We Don't Live Here Anymore
16. Spanglish
15. Maria Full of Grace
14. Kinsey
13. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
12. The Life Aquatic w/ Steve Zissou
11. Garden State
And then...
10. Sideways
A film like Sideways has absolutely no hope of living up to its massive critical praise and hype, at this point in time. Perhaps in several years, once people forget just how many people are trumpeting this thing, it will be appreciated for what it is. A good film - but far from the masterpiece so many have proclaimed it - Sideways is a throwback to 1970s style filmmaking in many ways, investing its energy in characters as opposed to plot, theme as opposed to special effects. Alexander Payne turns in a low-key, sharply observed, and well-written film, and for the second straight year Paul Giamatti turns in one of the best performances of the year (damn you Oscar nominations!).
9. I Heart Huckabees
A decidedly unique, original, and confusing film, Huckabees is undoubtedly the type of thing you need to see at least twice to get even half the jokes. And even then, you'll most likely be lost. Which, of course, just might be the entire point for writer/director David O. Russell. While the film is most definitely not for everyone (my wife included, she still can't believe I "made" her see this), those willing go with the (fast-paced) flow are in for quite the treat. An existential screwball comedy with the single funniest performance of the year (Mark Wahlberg, as Tommy Corn), Huckabees is a silly gem of a movie.
8. Closer
Mike Nichols grabbed three major Hollywood stars (Roberts, Portman, Law) and one British fellow (Clive Owen), threw an acidic and decidedly adult play at them, and let them run wild. The result was one of the better American cinematic observations on modern romance and relationships in the past several years. Profanity-laced and mean as all hell, the film is by no means for everyone, but for those who enjoy sharp dialogue, real emotion, and outstanding adult performances, Closer is a real treat.
7. The Aviator
Though it's hardly the best film he's ever made, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator is still a good film. That it's not great owes largely to the broad scope of Howard Hughes' life that it is all but forced to take, due to the sheer amount of enigmatic "life" packed into that one life. And so, while it's not able to get as deep into Hughes as one might have hoped, it is nonetheless an often entertaining and gorgeous film. Centered by a magnificent performance from Leonardo Dicaprio - and kept alive by a stunning turn from Cate Blanchett - The Aviator soars, if not quite as high as it could.
6. Finding Neverland
Try as I might, I just could not get excited to see Finding Neverland. Despite its impressive pedigree and critical praise, I found it hard to summon any will at all to see the thing; I knew I would have to see it, I just didn't really much want to. However, when I finally made the trip to the theatre, I was blown away. Strong supporting performances, an often subtle and clever script, and intelligent direction keep the film from veering into overly maudlin or sentimental territory, and Johnny Depp does all the rest.
5. Before Sunset
Richard Linklater's pitch perfect sequel to Before Sunrise, Sunset catches up with ?? and Celine ten years later, each having settled into a life that doesn't quite fit, and wondering what would have happened if they would have taken a chance on each other all those years ago. A beautiful example of the sheer power of honest, intelligent dialogue and engaging characters.
4. Kill Bill v.2
The most amazing thing about Quentin Tarantino's latest film is not the clever dialogue, the brilliant performances, the plethora of homages, nods, and in-jokes, the superb camera work, or the equally frenetic and elegaic score. No, while all these things are readily on display in this "sequel" to last year's Volume One, they are not what astounded me the most - after all, those of us in love with cinema have all but come to expect these things each and every time out of the gate from Quentin. What is most amazing, then, is the maturity and serene wisdom of the film, especially in its final scenes. Our little auteur is all grown up.
Gone are the rapid-fire, highly stylized killings of the first film; the violence is still present, but it's much less in the background, a key part of the story but not its entire focus. Rather, Volume Two is interested in things that the first volume never much bothered with (plot, context, character development, dialogue), and by focusing its attention elsewhere, it refocuses the ways in which we view Volume One while managing to be a complete and engaging movie all its own.
3. The Incredibles
Brad Bird writes and directs the best animated film I have ever seen. Ever.
2. Million Dollar Baby
It's nice to see the Academy Awards almost lining up with my own favorite films of the year, for once. Which is probably the best way of saying that a film like Million Dollar Baby is just so damn good that it can move and impress just about any one. The finest film of Clint Eastwood's storied career, it's also one of the strongest dramas ever made. This will be one they'll still be talking about fifty years from now.
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Was there ever any doubt, really? For my money, nope. Ever since I first saw this tremendous, intelligent, clever, emotional, and insane film I knew it would be near the very top of my year end list. Every one involved is working at the top of their game (Charlie Kaufmann, Jim Carrey, Michel Gondry, Kate Winslet, Jon Brion) and the result is something often brilliant beyond words. Eternal Sunshine is all I could ever ask for from a movie, and it's the best one I saw all year, hands down.
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Member: Chad
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