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2004...Surprise!!!
That
is exactly how I sum up 2004 and movies for me personally. I have seen around
30 movies again and I couldn't be happier with myself in staying faithful with
movie going this year. Again this year right before Oscar season, I was
thinking about stopping the website. But the thrust of Oscar season came and I
was hooked once again. I couldn't stop seeing movies, either. I started
getting dreary of being disappointed by movies and I think one reason why I
was doing it so frequently was because I am under so much more stress than I
was last year. So with the last bunch of movies I saw I decided to just sit
back, relax, and have a good time. Not only that, but I re-examined my
rankings and thoughts about certain movies. I was quite surprised when I ended
up coming with a solid list of top movies of the year.
I decided to do things a
little different this year. First of all, I dropped the format that I had been
using for the past two years. It was looking dull and I needed something new.
I like the new look, I hope you do too. I was also tired of just narrowing it
down to 10. So, I decided to include an "Honorable Mention" list
(positions 20-16) and a "Runners Up" list (positions 15-11). Then of
course the normal Top 10 List of the year. It took a lot of planning and
thought but I ended up ranking them all. I have flipped and flopped positions
like crazy, but I feel fairly confident with the ranking I came up with.
As always, just a note, there are a few movies I will see on DVD over the
course of the next few months that I haven't seen yet
but unless they totally floor me (which
they probably will and my list will need to be in repair lol), these are the
rankings that will stick.
So, finally, here are the editor's favorite films of 2004...
| Honorable
Mention goes to... |
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The Notebook
d: Nick Cassavetes
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Yeah, so what? It's sap but it was
really well done. Rachel McAdams gets her breakthrough role here and
she's going places and Ryan Gosling was wonderful too. There were great
supporting performances from James Garner, Gena Rowlands, and Joan
Allen as well. This one made me weep and for good reason. It knew what it
was and it soared with it.
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Super-Size
Me
d: Morgan Spurlock
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This movie inspired me to get
serious about my health. It was shown in my Health class and it's something that
needs to be seen by everyone. It was both entertaining and eye-opening. I loved
it.
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The Passion
Of The Christ
d: Mel Gibson
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This and the film breaking the top
15 should really be shared. They were both covered in controversy. Though the
story and pace of the film get a little slow at times, there is no denying that Mel
Gibson has created one of the most beautiful movies of the year. The
performances from Maia Morgenstern and Jim Caviezel don't hurt
either.
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Fahrenheit
9/11
d: Michael Moore
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Though in the beginning of the
movie he was acting like the same old loud mouthed one sided Michael Moore,
he began to back off a bit after and just let the information compiled speak for
itself. And what came out was scary and disturbing. It's scary what people in
power can do. And the Lila Lipschomb footage was so effective as well.
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Mean Girls
d: Mark Waters
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This year has proven that the teenage
comedy can still be great if handled right and put together in a good
way. This was a great ensemble from the main characters to the extras
used in the halls of the school. The SNL alumni here was great,
especially Tina Fey who starred in and adapted the screenplay of
the movie. Full of laughter and a great look at our teenagers of today,
it's just so fetch!
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#15
d: Sam Raimi
| For
me personally, it's mind-boggling how many top 10 lists include this
movie. I really enjoyed it as well, though not quite enough to find a
place for it in my top 10. The main reason is for some of the sloppy and
soap opera-ish dialogue between the characters at times in the movie. I
think the one who needs to be commended the most regarding this movie is
the director Sam Raimi. He guides us through this web-filled
world of Spider-Man and never fails to make it feel like we are watching
an actual comic strip right before our eyes. That takes a heck of a lot
of vision. He also never fails to keep us on the edge of our seats. From
that fight on the train to Spidey actually stopping it with his web,
this is what action/super-hero movies are made of. Hardly ever is a
sequel better. This one is. Best scene: as mentioned above, the
train scene. |
#14
d: Zhang Yimou
| You
know those movies you only go see around Oscar time because they are
getting buzz in being nominated and you really haven't had any burning
desire to see it? That's how this movie was with me. As we know, it
failed to get as many nominations as predicted, but that's beside the
point. Because this is also one of those movies that you come out of and
say, "Dang, that was really good." You fail to think about
awards-contention for it because you are so surprised by it. The
technical aspects of this movie are amazing. Zhang Yimou is at
the helm and what a talent he is. When I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon a few years ago, I didn't really care for it, but my love of
this movie (technically, visually, and acting-wise) makes me want to go
out and rent that movie again and see how I feel about it now that I
have acquired a taste for movies of this nature. Best scene: performing
on the drums at the Gasha house. |
#13
d: Brad Bird
| When
I told my friends I went and saw this movie they all laughed at me. But
I am a kid at heart and I am a fan of animated movies that are done
right. I really loved last year's Finding Nemo, and while this
one isn't quite as great as that one was, it was still an enjoyable ride
that had me on the edge of my seat, laughing, and having a nice warm family
feeling vibe all at the same time. Brad Bird is the visionary here and
what I think is the most amazing thing is that in this day and age among
superhero movies, they are mostly all adapted from comic books and such.
But not here. Instead, Bird creates a world of superheroes all his own,
not to mention creating the great costume designer Edna! "Simply
fabulous!" indeed! Best scene: Elasti-girl gets caught in
the doors. |
#12
d: Michael Mann
| Easily
one of the best popcorn flicks to release in years, Michael Mann gives
a story here of two different men, one bad and one good. The good guy is
forced to get caught up in this game of murder with the bad guy. The
premise sounds dull, but it's anything but. It's hard for me to place it
in my top 10 however because of the disliking I hold toward Tom
Cruise. Otherwise though, this one will have you guessing and biting
your nails until the credits roll. I remember vividly watching the last
30 minutes of this movie. I think I bit my fingernails down to a nub
that night. And to boot, the look of the movie is unbelievable. Best scene:
Vincent and Max in pursuit of Annie in
the skyscraper. |
#11
d: Istvan Szabo
| Talk about tour-de-force. This movie is all about
Annette Bening and if she didn’t nail it, the film would have
been a disaster. She doesn’t though and what emerges is one of the
best movies of the year. There’s an aging stage actress who is fickle
to the max. One day she wants work, the next day she doesn’t. Then a
young thing comes along and her spotlight could easily be taken away.
She has to deal with it, deal with it she does. This character needed a
lot of life, both over the top and realistic. Bening brings it here and
delivers one of the best performances of the year. Not only that, but
the writing and directing is well done as well and I just loved that
Diva-esque score. Best scene: Julia performing her own version of
the play. |
| OscarSight's
Top 10 Movies of 2004 |
#10
d: David O'Russell
| Craziness
can best describe this perfect little philosophical and upbeat comedy.
But it's a great kind of crazy. The ensemble cast is easily among the
best of the year with practically everyone in it giving stellar
performances. David O'Russell has a great directing eye and a
really smart writing vision. And words again cannot praise this cast
enough. Best scene: Dinner table scene between Wahlberg, Law, and
the Sudanese native's family. |
#09
d: Richard Linklater
| One
of the best movie experiences for me is when I see a movie and I can’t
quite understand why I love it. And usually it’s the formula of a
movie that I might not usually like. This was the case with this
wonderful little movie. Two people haven’t seen each other in ten
years and then they meet again where they originally met. For an hour
and a half they reminisce about their time together and what they’ve
done since then. The simple direction of Richard Linklater and
stellar performances of Ethan Hawke and especially Julie Delpy
(and all three’s writing skills), make this such a smart communication
and relationship movie, not to mention one of the overall best of the
year. Best scene: Celine’s mini break down and moment of
release in the van. |
#08
d: Brian Dannelly
| This
to me is by far one of the most quotable movies of the year. There is
also a lot of partiality here as well since this is seriously like the
story of my life. The sheer accuracy of the majority of the religious
people in this movie easily shoots it into the top 10. It's one of the
best cast ensembles of the year headed up by Jena Malone, as the
main character in the story who gets knocked up by a gay guy. She was
only trying to save him and the questioning of her spiritual life was
perfectly shown by the actress. The star of the movie though is Mandy
Moore. I love her for making this movie. She nailed the
stereotypical good girl and still managed to give her a twist. The
message of the movie is great and worth seeing. It's sad that not a lot
of people have seen this, it's one of the year's best. Best scene: an
attempted exorcism ending with the best line of the year, "I am filled
with Christ's love!!!" |
#07
d: Alexander Payne
| Surprised?
Well, you should be. Remember when I initially saw this and hated it and
then got mad that all the critics awards were going to the movie? Well,
even though I do think the love should have been spread a little bit, a
second viewing of this movie proved me totally false in hating it. I
think it was Nathaniel at TheFilmExperience that said seeing it a second
time made it all even fresher. I found everything to be much more
enjoyable and not as slow the second time around. I laughed my head off
much more as well. The funny and heartfelt moments all felt more real
and struck a chord with me. Alexander Payne knows how to write
and direct movies and I can't wait to see what he does next. The
subtlety of Virgina Madsen and Paul Giamatti's performances
here are great, not to mention the out there performance from Thomas
Haden Church. The more I think about it, the more I love it. There's
always a movie every year that improves me much more a second time
around. This is the biggest one in a long time though. Best scene: Maya
and Miles talking on the porch. |
#06
d: Terry George
| When
a film chills to the bone, it is easily among the best of the year, and
that’s exactly what this film did to me when I saw it: chilled me to
the bone. It’s rather disturbing that so many people have no idea what
happened ten years ago in Rwanda. I know I knew limited things about it.
I knew people had died horrible deaths and that’s about it. Seeing
this story unfold about one man who wants nothing more than for he and
his family to survive is something that everyone needs to see. Don
Cheadle is that man and his work here left me speechless. I say the
same thing regarding Sophie Okonedo. They had such great
chemistry together and when apart their acting chops were just as
strong. Terry George has done a great thing by bringing this
story to the public. We are so selfish and we take so much for granted.
This movie will make you realize that and so much more. Best scene: Paul
staying behind and not leaving with his family. |
#05
d: Marc Forster
| I
love movies that tug at your heart. While many see the sentimentality of
this movie over the top and too sappy, I disagree completely. Marc
Forster makes a great transition from his Monster’s Ball debut
and he is one to be watched in the future. The performances here were
great as well. Johnny Depp gives a wonderfully subtle performance
and though we have seen Kate Winslet play this type of role
before, she still manages to do great with it. And little Freddie
Highmore was definitely among the best in his respected (very weak)
category. The story here is great as well. This man finds such hope and
inspiration in this family for his greatest work ever, Peter Pan.
And bonus points are given for the film making me cry…three times. Best
scene: Sylvia watches the play. |
#04
d: Mike Nichols
| I
distinctly remember a week before seeing this movie how many mixed
reviews it got (and the bad reviews were really bad). It’s still
beyond me what happened to this movie as far as acclaim goes. I think
many thought that because it was Mike Nichols that was reason
enough to hail it. He lives up to his hype once again with his directing
here. His camerawork and skillful eye is so simple yet so complex. I
think the story adapted by Patrick Marber was hard for people to
digest too. However, this was such a chilling look at relationships and
four completely different characters. Speaking of the characters, they
were brought to life by the greatness of the cast. Jude Law, Julia
Roberts, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen brought all
these layered characters to life and delivered the best ensemble acting
of the year. The scrolling of the letters C-L-O-S-E-R at the beginning
of the movie with Damien Rice’s “The Blower’s Daughter”
in the background are perfect in opening the film. Though some scenes go
on a little too long, this is still easily one of the five best films of
the year. Best scene: Larry and Anna’s painful and explosive
break up. |
#03
d: Zach Braff
| I
remember in the theater during the first twenty minutes of this movie
thinking to myself, “Oh great another disappointing movie” but then
the movie just completely took off. Then seeing it a second time the
first of the movie becomes special as well. It too is one of the most
quotable of the year and it also uses music the smartest and has the
most memorable scenes. So many moments of this movie are special to me.
After I saw this I had a new found respect for Zach Braff. His
writing and directing here are stellar and his acting isn’t too shabby
either. I am now an avid watcher of Scrubs. And Natalie
Portman. Her greatness can’t be put into words. It’s a
movie totally for our twenty something year-old generation and we can
call it our own. I totally agree with Richard Roeper when he said that
with this movie and it’s soundtrack it’s becoming a cultural
phenomenon much like The Graduate. I just couldn’t agree more
with that. Best scene: Sam and Andrew meet. |
#02
d: Clint Eastwood
| When
a movie has multiple layers to it, it is also such a great movie-going
experience. When the movie opened doubts started to flood me and I was
afraid that the movie would fall into pretensious territory (much like
last year's Mystic River), but that didn't happen. Instead there
was a story that on the surface looks like one just about a girl wanted
to be a boxer. However, as mentioned above, the many different levels of
the story are undescribable. Instead of making a female Rocky, Clint
Eastwood creates a story about life, dreams, love, and family. The
look of the movie too is among the most beautiful of the year.
Delivering Oscar-worthy performances, the main cast of Eastwood, Morgan
Freeman, and esp. Hilary Swank make this easily one of the
best movies of the year. Best scene: every bit of the last
third of the movie, especially "Remember what daddy did for
Axel?" |
#01
d: Michel Gondry
| My
dad can never say this title correctly. He tries his best but it ends up
being something hilariously wrong like Forever Sunny Spotted Mind or
something along those lines. Charlie Kaufman is at the core here
and I have never been a huge fan of his (until now) and I knew that it
would be a bumpy ride seeing the movie. I surprisingly liked it more
than I thought I would but it wasn’t until a second viewing on DVD
that I truly fell in love. This is one of those movies where you really
can’t find a lot of words in describing how good it is. All I know is
that I never had a better time watching a movie this year. The direction
from Michel Gondry is unbelievably edgy and raw, and Jim
Carrey and Kate Winslet bring forth performances you never
imagined they would have in them. Their chemistry is some of the best I
have ever seen in a film. I also love how on the surface, it just looks
like a well directed, written, and acted movie. But the technical
aspects of it are great as well. The art direction, cinematography, film
editing, score, and sound effects are also among the best of the year.
Relationships, love, good times, bad times, peer pressure,
recollection, loss, gain, friendship, confusion, laughter. There are
just so many areas this movie and story delve into. And what emerges is
the best film of 2004. Best scene: Remembering peer pressure. |
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