thevoid99's Best Films of 2004... & More
Feb 13 '05
The Bottom Line A List that Honors the Best in Cinema & Many, Many More.
If 2004 is remembered for one thing, it's that things got bigger. Documentaries became popular, controversy got bigger, effects got bigger, bad movies got bigger, and we got to see more naked penises than we bargained for. Yes, that is what 2004 is all about and the fact that no one had to compete with any movie relating to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The year definitely kicked things off with a bang thanks to Mel Gibson who tried to court controversy with his third directorial feature on the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life called The Passion of the Christ. While the film became a huge box office success, it met with controversy concerning with some anti-Semetic contexts. Yet, many people got tired of the film as it received mixed reviews from everyone while many felt the violence in the film was way over-the-top.
Trying to battle Gibson for the title of controversy is documentary filmmaker Michael Moore with his 2004 documentary on the Bush Administration around and after 9/11 for his film Fahrenheit 9/11. Though the film met with distribution trouble, it did get released to acclaim and winning the coveted Palme D'or at the Cannes Film Festival. Despite Moore's efforts and all the political hoopla, Moore failed to get George W. Bush out of office and failed to get the film to be recognized by the Academy Awards. The only real good that Moore got for the success of Fahrenheit 9/11 was that it helped break doors for documentaries to become successful in the box office. Films like Super Size Me, Riding Giants, and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster met with critical acclaim and great box office gross as documentaries became bigger than ever.
While Gibson and Moore may try to take the title of Biggest Controversial Director ever, neither of them could reach the level of Danish auteur Lars von Trier. While his 2003 film Dogville finally got released in the U.S. in 2004, it met with mix reception despite praise from von Trier's cult following. Dogville was scolded for its anti-American ideals and the fact that von Trier has never been to the country. Though Dogville never got as much attention as The Passion or Fahrenheit, von Trier remains the more uncompromising of the three as he got more acclaimed for his documentary film The Five Obstructions with mentor Jorgen Leth as he challenged him to remake his short film The Perfect Human in a set of obstructions. With next year's Manderlay set for release, it's clear that von Trier will be the one to beat in the levels of bad taste and sadism.
Despite all the controversies concerning films, movies did get bigger thanks to huge blockbuster hits like Spider-Man 2, Hellboy, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Incredibles that met with great box office and critical acclaim. Notably because it featured protagonists with huge flaws that helped not only the film's story but also gave the characters something an audience can relate to. Yet it wasn't the big films that got the most attention but the little ones like Napoleon Dynamite and Garden State that became gems.
While little indie films became big, that left the field wide open for the new wave of American filmmakers and their idiosyncratic view of the world. While new films from Wes Anderson and David O. Russell both met with mixed reviews, each of their respective films, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and I Heart Huckabee's did bring in some new original ideas into the world of cinema. Yet neither of them could keep up with the talents of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry for their 2004 romantic film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Their non-linear, quirky take on lovers erasing memories of their love life was considered by the end of the year's first half to be the best film of the year. That was until another film from an idiosyncratic auteur came and stole the show.
The director was Alexander Payne and his film was the heartfelt and funny buddy comedy/wine film Sideways. Based on Rex Pickett's novel, Payne and his screenwriter partner Jim Taylor crafted a film that made people laugh, cry, and become wine experts that included a cast of talented but lesser-known actors that is filled with all the right ideas and not to mention, the most infamous nude scene of the year from M.C. Gainey.
Gainey's infamous nude scene in Sideways not only topped Payne's previous nude moment in About Schmidt that featured Kathy Bates nude but it marked an era where male full-frontal nudity was still trying to get some respect. Bernardo Bertolucci got critical acclaim and nice box office numbers for his NC-17 film The Dreamers while Ewan McGregor showed everyone his penis again in Young Adam while the lowbrow comedy film Eurotrip showed more and more penises in the film. Even indie "it" boy Peter Sarsgaard exposed himself again in Bill Condon's Kinsey as a bisexual. Yet with the exception from Gainey, none of them could top Vincent Gallo as he got a blow-job from ex-girlfriend Chloe Sevigny in his highly-controversial film The Brown Bunny.
While men tried to get respect by being naked, it was also the year that young actresses tried to get as much attention as they could. Unfortunately it wasn't for their acting but instead the scandals they got attached to and leading the pack was Lindsay Lohan. While Lohan gained more mainstream respect, those looking for more talented younger actresses went to the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Emmy Rossum, Jena Malone, and Eva Green. While Johansson had a great year in 2003, she had more attention in 2004 despite alienating several of her indie film fans when she signed up for a couple of huge mainstream blockbusters for Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible 3 for 2006 and Michael Bay's The Island with Ewan McGregor for 2005. Yet the actress who stole the show in 2004 was Natalie Portman who returned to form after years of being in the Star Wars prequels with two features, Zach Braff's Garden State as a quirky, pathological liar, and as a sadistic stripper in Mike Nichols' Closer.
Yet not all things were great for films. Some stars have fallen by the way side. Huge flops came in the forms of movies like Alexander, Van Helsing, Troy, and Catwoman that starred Halle Berry as the film received bad reviews from critics and comic book purists. Nicole Kidman also had a hard year with two films that received mixed reviews in Dogville and the controversial Jonathan Glazer film Birth but she took a huge hit in the face in her appearance in the box office flop The Stepford Wives. Still, Kidman nor Berry could take a hit worse than Ben Affleck. Coming off a very bad 2003 with three badly received films with Paycheck, Daredevil, and worse of all, Gigli with Jennifer Lopez, Affleck's association with the actress proved fatal to his career. Another film they starred in, Jersey Girl for Kevin Smith bombed in the box office as the actor and director had a falling out and Affleck tried to get funny in Surviving Christmas that disappeared fast only to appear on video a month later. Affleck suffering from his break-up with J.Lo proved to be a humiliating year for him as he is now cursed and with new girlfriend and Daredevil co-star Jennifer Garner, she too has now been cursed thanks to her 2005 flop Elektra.
Well, that's pretty much a summation for the year but before we get to the best, let me recap on some of the movies that I missed this year that I wanted to see but didn't have the time or money to get to:
The Films That I Missed for 2004: Shaun of the Dead, Hotel Rwanda, Vera Drake, Collateral, Ray, The Aviator, Bad Education, Kinsey, Code 46, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, The Sea Inside, BAAADDAAASSSS , A Dirty Shame, Bright Young Things, Birth, House of Flying Daggers, the Merchant of Venice, Coffee & Cigarette, The Saddest Music in the World, and The Machinist.
Top Ten Best Films of 2004
1. Sideways: http://www.epinions.com/content_160945180292
Director: Alexander Payne, Screenwriter: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, and Sandra Oh.
After three acclaimed films with 1996's Citizen Ruth, 1999's Election, and 2002's About Schmidt, Alexander Payne scored his biggest hit to date with comical film Sideways. Based on Rex Pickett's novel, Payne and screenwriter partner Jim Taylor created a movie that was part-road film, part-buddy comedy, part romance, and part-coming-of-age with a dose of lowbrow comedy and some wine in the mix. With a dedicated team who worked on his previous films, Payne brought a talented group of actors who were either a bit obscure or hadn't worked in years. The result is a film filled with heart and laughs along with a thirst for some Pinot.
Leading the pack for this American masterpiece is Paul Giamatti who brings a somewhat tragic if loveable performance as a man like La Dolce Vita protagonist Marcello is a man named Miles trapped in his own depression and failures while wondering if he'll be unhappy for the rest of his life. Giamatti is the soul of the film with Virginia Madsen as the film's grace in the comeback role of her career while Thomas Haden Church and Sandra Oh bring a balance of comedy into the mix. Sideways is a true American masterpiece that proves that there's still movies for people in their 30s and over. Did I also mention that it will make you think of yourself as a wine expert?
2. Million Dollar Baby: http://www.epinions.com/content_169020722820
Director: Clint Eastwood, Screenwriter: Paul Haggis. Starring Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Brian O'Byrne, and Margo Martindale.
At age 74 with 25 films to his credit as a director, Clint Eastwood has done it again by scoring a huge knockout with the dramatic boxing movie Million Dollar Baby, based on the story of writer F.X. O'Toole. With Eastwood serving as the director, producer, music composer, and star of the film, he proved that his talent is unlimited as he gives a great performance as a guilt-ridden trainer. The movie about a trainer who trains a 31-year old female boxer is filled with intense and human moments as the man trains her to be successful. With Hilary Swank giving a performance that tops her Oscar-winning role in 1999's Boys Don't Cry along with a nice supporting performance from Morgan Freeman. Million Dollar Baby is a knockout film that surprises everyone right to the end as Eastwood proves he’s got a few more in him.
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: http://www.epinions.com/content_135231409796
Director: Michel Gondry, Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman. Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo.
From the abstract mind of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation scribe Charlie Kaufman comes the best romantic movie of the year and also the most original. Re-teaming with Human Nature director Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a film that is filled with unorthodox structures and off-the-wall direction helmed by the colorful cinematography of Ellen Kuras. With the film's leads Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet both playing against type, the film is a manic battering ram that just keeps on surprising with a wonderful supporting cast with the likes of Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, and Mark Ruffalo. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is Kaufman's best work as a writer and a breakthrough for Michel Gondry.
4. I Heart Huckabee's: http://www.epinions.com/content_158674292356
Director: David O. Russell. Screenwriters: David O. Russell & Jeff Baena. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg, and Naomi Watts.
After the success of 1999's Three Kings, David O. Russell returns from his five-year hiatus with one of the year’s most misunderstood and insane comedies of the year. I Heart Huckabee's is a thinking comedy filled with slapstick and anarchy about a young Jason Schwartzman who tries to figure out the coincidences of his life with help from existential detectives Hoffman and Tomlin. With the detectives discovering a link with Schwartzman's rival in Jude Law, Schwartzman seeks help from paranoid fireman Wahlberg and Hoffman's rival Isabelle Huppert as all hell breaks loose. The films' genius is in how characters deconstruct their stereotypes to find something more and there's nothing funnier than Wahlberg riding a bike because he's afraid of cars or Naomi Watts rebelling against her beauty.
5. Dogville: http://www.epinions.com/content_133961911940
Director/Screenwriter: Lars von Trier. Starring Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, James Caan, Phillip Baker Hall, Udo Kier, Jean-Marc Barr, Jeremy Davies, Patricia Clarkson, Lauren Bacall, Sioban Fallon-Hogan, Stellan Skarsgard, and Chloe Sevigny.
You can always expect something original and controversial from Danish bad boy Lars von Trier as he releases the first of his three-part America-Land of Opportunities trilogy entitled Dogville. Set in the Depression-era of America, the film is shot in a soundstage in Sweden where there’s not real sets but is given a theatrical feel with von Trier and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle shooting the film with HD-TV cameras. A three-hour film with nine chapters, Dogville centers around a town's cynicism and anger when they invited a beautiful fugitive played by Nicole Kidman as she is on the run from the mob. Though the film might anger people for its anti-American sentiments, it's a film that compels the American ideals through the mind of an European outsider as von Trier proves himself to be one of the most creative and uncompromising filmmaker since Stanley Kubrick.
6. Garden State: http://www.epinions.com/content_151883124356
Director/Screenwriter: Zach Braff. Starring Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Ron Liebman, Method Man, and Jean Smart.
A favorite at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Garden State marks the breakthrough of Zach Braff. A triple-threat of his own for his writing, directing, and acting, Braff crafted a whimsical romantic film about a young man who comes off of his comatose state to attend the funeral of his mother in his native New Jersey. Dealing with old friends and leaving his previous mental state, Braff wakes up to find the quirkiness of his life as he finds love and a life away from the medical rules of his father. Braff is backed by a great supporting cast including the always-versatile Peter Sarsgaard as his stoner buddy and Natalie Portman as a quirky, hilarious pathological liar who brings heart to the movie as it stands as a wonderful romantic film for this generation of moviegoers.
7. Maria Full of Grace: http://www.epinions.com/content_170739273348
Director/Writer: Joshua Marston. Starring Maria Cantalina Sandino, Yenny Paola Vega, John Alex Toro, Guilied Lopez, and Patricia Rae.
Coming out of the lab from Sundance and an audience favorite at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Joshua Marston's debut film is one of the most surprising and gripping of films about a Colombian woman who becomes a drug mule. Leading the way for the film is Maria Cantalina Sandino in her film debut as a young woman who becomes a mule to make money for her family in Colombia. Sandino's performance is arresting to watch with Marston's direction that is given an eerie tone. It's just not one of the best debut films of the year but marks the promise of two new artists to come.
8. The Motorcycle Diaries: http://www.epinions.com/content_156499742340
Director: Walter Salles, Screenwriter: Jose Rivera. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna, Mia Maestro, Gustavo Bueno, and Jorge Chiarella.
Brazilian director Walter Salles brings in an evocative tale on the young life of future Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevara before he became a political and revolutionary icon. Taking notes from the books of Guevara and his road trip partner Alberto Granado, the film is a look into who Guevara became the man that he is as he and Granado saw the injustice of the politics in South America. Led by a phenomenal performance from Gael Garcia Bernal and a breakthrough supporting from de la Serna, The Motorcycle Diaries is a film that is inspiring in its message.
9. Before Sunset: http://www.epinions.com/content_172745002628
Director: Richard Linklater, Screenwriters: Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, & Julie Delpy. Starring Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy.
Nine years after Richard Linklater's romantic movie for Generation X for Before Sunrise with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, he and the trio plus the film crew of that movie reunite to create a sequel set nine years later for Before Sunset. With Hawke and Delpy adding to the writing and Delpy providing some original music, Before Sunset picks up where Before Sunrise left off with new conversations of ageism, disappointments, love, idealism, and life itself. The result isn't just a better film than its predecessor but a true romantic classic as Richard Linklater proves himself to be one of the finest American directors of his generation.
10. The Dreamers: http://www.epinions.com/content_135411764868
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci, Screenwriter: Gilbert Adair. Starring Matthew Pitt, Louis Garrell, Eva Green, Robin Renucci, Anna Chancellor, and Jean-Pierre Leaud.
Always controversial and always titillating, Bernardo Bertolucci returns to form with a new film dedicating to not just the films he loved in his youth but also the sexual context of his 1972 landmark film Last Tango in Paris. The story of an American student studying in Paris in 1968 amidst the student riots, he meets a couple of French twins who are also film buffs as they play a game of film trivia that also leads to an exploration of sex. Based on Adair's novel, The Dreamers is an inspiring film that is nice introduction to the French New Wave and the work of Bertolucci as he belts out excellent performances from Pitt and Garrell but an even more evocative performance from Eva Green in her film debut.
The Rest of the Top 20:
11. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: http://www.epinions.com/content_165615079044
12. Finding Neverland: http://www.epinions.com/content_163299102340
13. Spider-Man 2: http://www.epinions.com/content_145863315076
14. Closer: http://www.epinions.com/content_164217392772
15. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban: http://www.epinions.com/content_142702710404
16. Saved : http://www.epinions.com/content_145428418180
17. The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie: http://www.epinions.com/content_162592034436
18. Criminal: http://www.epinions.com/content_154887687812
19. In Good Company: http://www.epinions.com/content_169722678916
20. Primer: http://www.epinions.com/content_153925029508
Honorable Mentions: Easy, Strayed, The Brown Bunny, The Passion of the Christ, Eurotrip, The Perfect Score, Miracle, The Mother, 13 Going on 30, Hellboy, 50 First Dates, Broken Lizard’s Club Dread, and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton
Best Actor: Paul Giamatti, Sideways:
Breaking through in 1997 in Howard Stern's film version of his book Private Parts as Pig Vomit, no one expected a small, fat schlub like Paul Giamatti to become one of American cinema's leading actors. With standout roles in films like The Negotiator, Saving Private Ryan, Big Fat Liar, Big Momma's House, and Confidence, Giamatti proved his vitality in 2003 with his performance as comic book writer Harvey Pekar in American Splendor. In 2004, Giamatti became an acting god when he took the lead in Alexander Payne's Sideways. In the role of Miles, Giamatti brought a tortured soul to the performance with a counterbalance of comedy and drama. Though he got overlooked at the Oscars for the second year in a row, Sideways makes the mark that Paul Giamatti is an actor to watch out for. To think the role of Miles was going to be played George Clooney but Clooney wouldn't have the soul and self-loathing Giamatti brought to the table.
Runner-Up: Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland
3. Gael Garcia Bernal, The Motorcycle Diaries
4. Bill Murray, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
5. Jim Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Honorable Mentions: John C. Reilly Criminal, Jason Schwartzman I Heart Huckabee's, Clint Eastwood Million Dollar Baby, Dennis Quaid (“In Good Company”), Ethan Hawke Before Sunset, Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Zach Braff Garden State.
Best Actress: Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby
Five years after her breakthrough performance in 1999's Boys Don't Cry, Hilary Swank almost seemed to disappear after countless flops and wasted supporting roles. In 2004, Swank came back with a vengeance in the role of Maggie in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby. Swank brought in a ferocity and grit to her role as a woman who might have been too old to be a boxer with a lack of experience but with a lot of heart as well. Swank was tough to the bone when she was in the ring while playing a surrogate daughter to the guilt-ridden Eastwood. This is truly a great and powerful performance, especially in the film's third act as Swank plays a fighter from start to finish.
Runner-Up: Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & Finding Neverland
3. Julie Delpy, Before Sunset
4. Maria Catalina Sandino, Maria Full of Grace
5. Jena Malone, Saved!
Honorable Mentions: Nicole Kidman Dogville, Anne Reid The Mother, Marguerite Moreau Easy, Emmanuelle Beart Strayed, and Drew Barrymore 50 First Dates.
Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
The name Thomas Haden Church almost seemed to disappear as he was only known for sitcoms like Wings and Ned & Stacy and who better to play the role of a has-been actor named Jack better than Church. Church was the film's great comedic provider with his immature behavior and chauvanist ideals to the more depressed Miles, played by Paul Giamatti. Church uses his lowbrow humor and his experience as a fading actor where by the third act, he uses all of his desperation as a man to make us sympathetic as a man grows up. Not only did this provide Church a comeback but also a revivement of his career that was on its way to disappear.
Runner-Up: Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby
3. Peter Sarsgaard, Garden State
4. Willem Dafoe, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
5. Mark Wahlberg, I Heart Huckabee's
Honorable Mentions: Clive Owen Closer, Dustin Hoffman Finding Neverland, Freddie Highmore Finding Neverland, Rodrigo de la Serna The Motorcycle Diaries, J.K. Simmons Spider-Man 2, David Thewlis Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azakban, and Alfred Molina Spider-Man 2.
Best Supporting Actress: Natalie Portman, Closer & Garden State
If last year's double combo came from Scarlett Johansson, this year goes to Natalie Portman for not one but two films. After showing promise in films like Leon, the Professional, Beautiful Girls, and Anywhere but Here, Portman seemed to lose some artistic credibility with the Star Wars prequels but she came back strong in 2004. In Garden State, Portman played the quirky role of Sam, a pathological liar with an eccentric mind and a love for the Shins who steals the heart of the film’s hero, played by Zach Braff. In Mike Nichols' Closer, Portman stole the show from everyone including Hollywood queen Julia Roberts in the role of an innocent young American stripper who is crushed when her heart is broken as she becomes a sadist to Roberts' lover, played by Clive Owen. Portman showed her range in proving that she can do comedy and play dark characters as she has now fulfilled everything that was promised to her in the beginning of her career.
Runner-Up: Virginia Madsen, Sideways
3. Cate Blanchett, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
4. Eva Green, The Dreamers
5. Sandra Oh, Sideways
Honorable Mentions: Eva Amurri Saved!, Yenny Paola Vega Maria Full of Grace, Anjelica Huston The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Emily Deschanel Easy, Isabelle Huppert I Heart Huckabee's, and Julie Christie Finding Neverland.
Best Director: Alexander Payne
After four efforts as a director, Payne became king of American cinema with his 2004 masterpiece Sideways. Using abortion as satire in his 1996 debut Citizen Ruth or showing the absurd world of high school elections in 1999's Election, and the world of an old man in 2002's About Schmidt. No subject is limited to Payne as in Sideways, he made everyone become wine-expert wannabes as he tested the limits of comedy and drama with using actors in their 30s/40s who aren't huge names to tell the story. Alexander Payne has now become the man to watch for in the years to come.
Runner-Up: Lars von Trier, The Five Obstructions & Dogville
3. Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby
4. Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5. Richard Linklater, Before Sunset
Honorable Mentions: Bernardo Bertolucci The Dreamers, David O. Russell I Heart Huckabee's, Walter Salles The Motorcycle Diaries, Zach Braff Garden State, Joshua Marston Maria Full of Grace, Mike Nichols Closer, Wes Anderson The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Sam Raimi Spider-Man 2 , and Alfonso Cuaron Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Best Original Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie Kaufman
Based on the original story with director Michel Gondry and collaborator Pierre Bismuth, Charlie Kaufman created not only his most idiosyncratic script to date but probably his best one yet. Kaufman's approach to structure, genres, and character study has given the film one of the most original ideas where everything goes wrong for its central characters. More wild than Being John Malkovich and Human Nature and more soulful than Adaptation, Kaufman has become the leading genius of storytelling as he is continuing to push his own boundaries.
Runner-Up: David O. Russell & Jeff Baena, I Heart Huckabee's
3. Lars von Trier, Dogville
4. Joshua Marston, Maria Full of Grace
5. Zach Braff, Garden State
Honorable Mention: Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways, Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor
The team of Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor is probably as of now, the greatest writing combo around. After taking on strange approaches to their previous adapted screenplays to Election and About Schmidt, Payne & Taylor put their mastery of comedy and drama in Rex Pickett's novel for Sideways. Churning out hilarious one-liners and a smooth but quirky tone to the film, Payne & Taylor are the men to beat in the terms of craftmanship and wit.
Runner-Up: Paul Haggis, Million Dollar Baby
3. Alvin Sargent, Spider-Man 2
4. Jose Rivera, The Motorcycle Diaries
5. Gilbert Adair, The Dreamers
Honorable Mentions: Patrick Marber Closer and Steve Kloves Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Best Documentary: The Five Obstructions: http://www.epinions.com/content_155112803972
Directors: Lars von Trier & Jorgen Leth.
Probably the most original and strangest of concepts, who better to come up with an idea better than Lars von Trier. In his first documentary since becoming a major international filmmaker, von Trier challenges his mentor Jorgen Leth to re-create his 1967 short film classic The Perfect Human five different times in five different locations with a set of rules made by von Trier. The result is a game of intelligence, wit, and sadism as the bad boy von Trier is pushed to the edge as his mentor keeps upstaging him or disappointing him. While each new version of The Perfect Human is fascinating, it's the final one that is the most surprising for fans of the short film and von Trier as it stands as the year's most original doc.
Runner-Up: The Agronomist, Jonathan Demme.
3. DIG! , Ondi Timoner
4. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofksy
5. Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock
Honorable Mentions: Soldier's Pay (David O. Russell) and Control Room (Jehane Noujaim).
Best Foreign Film: The Motorcycle Diaries, Walter Salles
Shot by Brazilian director Walter Salles, the film brings a different world to American viewers as this film is becoming a staple in the New Wave of Latin American cinema. It's dialogue and view into the world of South America at the time of the late 1940s. Of all the films that came out internationally, this is the one that has stood out.
Runner-Up: The Five Obstructions, Lars von Trier & Jorgen Leth
3. Control Room, Jehane Noujaim
4. Strayed, Andre Techine`
Best First Film: Garden State, Zach Braff
Zach Braff's quirky yet romantic film is filled with all of the elements of Hal Ashby's Harold & Maude but with a modern sensibility. Though having the likes of Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard, and Natalie Portman may be a lot to trouble a first-time filmmaker, Braff succeeds with his vision and approach to the film.
Runner-Up: Maria Full of Grace, Joshua Marston.
3. Primer, Shane Carruth.
4. Saved , Brian Dannelly
5. Criminal, Gregory Jacobs.
Honorable Mention: Easy, Jane Weinstock.
Best Breakthrough Performance: Eva Green & Maria Catalina Sandino (tie)
Of all the new performers and breakthroughs that came out this year, only two stood out and in completely different waves. For the daughter of French New Wave actress Marlene Joubert, Eva Green tantalized audiences with her naked, brash performance as a young woman trying to seduce an American in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers while trying to break away from her twin brother. Though she has so far done three films including the upcoming Kingdom of Heaven for Ridley Scott, she has proved herself to be an amazing talent. For newcomer Maria Catalina Sandino, her background in Bogota, Colombia with no acting family or connections gave her one of the most troubling film roles ever seen in cinema. Sandino uses street smarts and morals to win audiences for her performance in Maria Full of Grace where she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. So in many respects, it's a tie for both women who are destined to give out great performances.
Runner-Ups: Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland) & Rodrigo de la Serna (The Motorcycle Diaries)
Best Ensemble Cast: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
After 2001's brilliant The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson has delivered once again with more quirky slapstick film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. His casting choices for the film couldn’t have been better with his previous regulars like Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, and Seymour Cassell plus a diverse cast of actors including Willem Dafoe, Seu Jorge, Bud Cort, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, Cate Blanchett, and Noah Taylor. With every actor standing out and giving out funny lines, only Wes Anderson can belt out a cast this good with a healthy dose of laughs.
Runner-Up: Sideways
3. I Heart Huckabee's
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5. Finding Neverland
Honorable Mentions: Closer, Spider-Man 2, Criminal, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Dogville.
Special Prize: Quentin Tarantino for Kill Bill
Though Tarantino's first feature since 1997's Jackie Brown ended up being split into two parts for 2003 and 2004, Kill Bill proved to be not just one of Tarantino's best work but also one hell of a comeback after being gone for several years. Starring Uma Thurman as the Bride, the Kill Bill series features all of the pop cultural references that Tarantino loved along with some of the best fight scenes, character-study action, and a lot of homages to martial arts films, westerns, and a whole lot more. Though some fans wanted to see both films into one, the way it should be. Seeing both back-to-back does give Kill Bill not a spot in the best films of 2003 or 2004, but something even better. A spot in the best film of the decade as Quentin Tarantino proves his mastery in cartoonish violence and cool dialogue with Kill Bill.
Well, that's pretty much it for the whole summation of everything for 2004. Now let's just finish this with some technical prizes.
Technical Awards:
Best Cinematography: Ellen Kuras, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Editing: Joel Cox, Million Dollar Baby
Best Production Design/Art Direction: Peter Grant & Karl Juliusson, Dogville
Best Sound/Sound Editing: Joseph Geisinger & Paul N.J. Ottoson, Spider-Man 2
Best Visual/Special Effects: John Dykstra, Spider-Man 2
Best Costume Design: James Acheson & Gary Jones, Spider-Man 2
Best Soundtrack: Garden State
Best Original Score: Rolfe Kent, Sideways
Best Original Song: "A Waltz In The Night" by Julie Delpy
Well, that's it for 2004, let's see if I can pull off something bigger for next year but in the meantime, I hoped 2004 is an enjoyable one and soon, I hope to be in someone’s film list. So till then, VIVA LA CINEMA
Best Films of 2003:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3752042628
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Epinions.com ID:
thevoid99
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Member: Steven Flores
Location: Smyrna, Georgia
Reviews written: 1552
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