The 25 Best Films of 2004 (updated 2/9/05)

Updates in bold...

I figured that before the Academy Award nominations are announced (tomorrow), I'd better publish my favorite films of year list. At this point, it is incomplete, and still open for revision as there are a hand full of films that I have yet to see in order have an accurated gage on the best films of the year.

I have found 2004 to be an interesting year in movies. The entire year has shown a steady stream of solid films that I find difficult to fault. Yet in a year with so many good films, there are surprisingly few that I would consider great. I liked many of the films released this year (which is why I made a top 25 rather than a top 10 -- I didn't want to leave some out). However, I also noticed a trend in some of the better films of the year. Many films were denied greatness because of an unsatisfying ending. And then a few became greater than they would/should have been because of an excellent ending. Anyway, just something I noticed, and might expant more upon during my synopsis of the individual films.


25. The Saddest Music in the World
No director has more perfectly captured the look, feel, and sound of silent films and old radio than Guy Maddin. He admits to being obsessed with the sounds of scratches and crackles that permeate the soundtracks of old films, and his own. His style has never been more perfectly utilized than in this film about a legless beer barroness who hosts a contest to find the saddest music in the world. It's decidedly non-commercial, but always interesting. He has the kind of sense of humor the melds perfectly with his grainy, black and white images.

24. Hotel Rwanda
Don Cheadle gives a quiet, dignified performance as a hard working, clever manager of a four star hotel in war torn Rwanda. When civil war breaks out between rival parties, he begins offering shelter for refugees. It's a powerful film, comparable to Schindler's List. At times, it is both subtle and manipulative, but it never tries to be a bigger film than it needs to be. The tragedy of the situation is evident by this man and his family's struggle, without trying to cover the entire scope of the nation within the running time of a film. Definitely worth your money.

23. Infernal Affairs
If the French have the market on understated suspense thrillers, then the Asians have the market on the cop, action thriller. Films like this expose the utter hollowness of the loud action films directed by Michael Bay and other such Hollywood action guru's. It's about the police and the gangsters. The cops have an undercover agent in the gang and the gang's have a mole in the police force. Soon they both find out that they have been infiltrated by the other side and each mole is assigned to find the other. There are some excellent sequences and two moles are played with gusto by Tony Leung and Andy Lau. But beyond the suspense of the premise, the characters face a kind of turmoil by living lives that are basically a lie and how that fact affects them both. When you've lived one kind of life for so many years, it becomes more and more difficult to understand what kind of person you really are -- a cop or a gangster.

22. The Phantom of the Opera
If you don't like the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber in the first place, then you probably won't find a whole lot to like in this screen version of the popular play. However, if you do (as I do) then you will find this to be one of the best treats of the year for your eyes and ears. Director Joel Schumacher has made the most sensual film of the year without any nudity. It's amazing what can be done with a bare shoulder and a dark, mysterious, masked man.

21. Primer
Shane Carruth, with $7,000, a camera, some film stock, and borrowed sound equipment managed to make the most intellectually engaging science fiction film in years. He claims that he only spent money on the camera and film and filmed everything in one take. The movie you see is almost everything they shot. That's economical filmmaking and at under 80-minutes, it never outstays its welcome. It's too bad that more films like this aren't made. It's made all the better that Carruth is from Texas and the film was made in Dallas.

20. Finding Neverland
I felt the childlike joys of imagination while watching this film. Johnny Depp seems unusually restrained in this role as Peter Pan author, J.M. Barrie which has prompted many to dismiss the performance. However, I felt it to be pitch perfect. He seems to be the kind of guy who could both be a good father and your best friend at the same time. The scene when the play is first performed is almost magical. It's strange to discover that this was directed by Marc Foster, whose previous film, Monster's Ball, is the antithesis of this film.

19. The Five Obstructions
Two of Denmarks greatest filmmakers, Lars Von Trier and Jorgen Leth, collaborated on this documentary. Von Trier challenges Leth to remake one of Leth's first short films entitled, The Perfect Human five times, only for each remake Von Trier gets to establish an "obstruction" or limitation in an attempt to get Leth to make a poor film. This is a great film about the artistic process as we watch Leth utilize the obstructions to his advantage. This is the kind of film that proves that the absense of limitations is the enemy of art.

18. Closer
Many have been turned off by the less than attractive characters and the overly poetic dialogue that seems to scream writer. However, I found the dialogue to be among the most intelligent of any film this year. As for the characters, it seems to be an accurate, if sometimes exagerated portrayal of man's natural selfishness. When we look at life and can't see beyond ourselves, then we too, become domineering and emotionally manipulative. The performances are brilliant, particularly by Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. There seems to be a lot of truth to this film even its the kind that you don't want to see. I also find it interesting to watch a film that's all about sex without any.

17. House of Flying Daggers
Chinese director, Zhang Yimou continues his departure into the world of martial arts films with this one. It's most certainly a beautiful film to look at and the choreography is often stunning. So much of it is shot in wide shots without a lot of cutting, so the audience is forced to sit back and watch things that are really happening rather than have it insinuated by a bunch of fast, tricky cutting. The films Asian title, Lovers, might be more appropriate because that's what it's about -- a love triangle. Zhang is smart because he recognizes that in his leading lady, the exquisitely beautifuly Zhang Ziyi, an entire film can be sustained by holding on her face. You never get tired of looking at her. The climactic sequence in the in the snow is one of the most beautiful and passionate of the year.

16. Mean Creek
This surprisingly powerful indie film is reminiscent of Deliverence and Mystic River for the teenage crowd. However, this is anything but the ordinary "teenage" fodder produced by Hollywood. It's about a group of Oregon teenagers -- some troubled, others not -- that after a tragic accident (which I shall not reveal) must make conscious moral choices in the face of difficult circumstances. The teenagers are not one-dimensional creations, but complex individual that must make difficult decisions. The cast of mostly unkowns is excellent, particularly Rory Culkin, Josh Peck, and Scott Mechlowicz, who, like James Franco, is the kind of actor to keep your eye on. He's good. This movie leaves you with a lot to think about.

15. Sideways
One of 2004's best films is also probably its most overrated. It's the critical darling of the year quite possibly because most critics identify with the main character played masterfully by Paul Giamatti. He is a 40-ish loser, who after years of diappointment, has grown solemn and cynical, though with a slight comic touch. The week before his best friend is to be married, they take a road trip to wine country in California for some fun and relaxation. It's an intelligent film to be sure, but the big surprise was the performance by Thomas Hayden Church as the 40-ish surfer dude, best friend who really needs to grow up. His performance is so good that I have to wonder why I've never heard of him before. It's the kind of human comedy that doesn't often make you laugh out loud, but does make you care for the characters enough to thank the filmmakers that they didn't make it into a tragedy.

14. Birth
This is only Jonathan Glazer's second film, yet it has the feel of one made by a distinguished artist. It's the kind of subtle psychological thriller that, at the end, leaves you wondering if it really was a thriller. But, for me, the more I think about it, the more I realize how strong a thriller, and film this was. It has a haunting and hypnotic quality that encourages you to keep watching despite its generally slow pacing. Most noteworthy are Harris Savides' cinematography (along with Million Dollar Baby and House of Flying Daggers, this is one of the best looking films in years) and the score by Alexandre Desplat which could easily be confused for a classical piece. The disappointment, however, comes with the ending. This is one of those near greats that suffers from an unsatisfying ending. In fact, I still can't tell you what it means. I have two equally valid theories, both of which are unsatisfying. But the rest is a film to behold.

13. The Incredibles
I found this to be Pixar's finest film. It has all we have come to expect from the animations giant's: amazing animation, well developed characters, and an emotionally engaging story. But what helps this one to rise slightly above the others is the script and direction of Brad Bird. It's not just a superhero movie, it's a domestic and social satire of unusual intelligence. The fact that they can sustain that and still make it interesting for the whole family is an accomplishment in and of itself.

12. Baadasssss!
This ranks with The Bad and the Beautiful and Day For Night as one of the best films about filmmaking ever. However they aren't making a respectable studio picture, nor a failed attempt at artistic success, they're making an exploitation film. It's about the making of Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song, the film generally associated with the beginning of the blaxploitation movement. Mario Van Peebles wrote and directed the film and stars as his father, Melvin Van Peebles who made the influential film when Mario was a mere lad. It's about low budget filmmaking at its finest, filled with passion, ambition, no money, and a crew that doesn't know what the hell they're doing.

11. Vera Drake
British director, Mike Leigh has a talent for taking actors that you've never heard of and directing them to performances that surpass all others of the year. In this case he finds, Imelda Staunton. She stars as a proper, likeable British lady who works as a maid without complaint, and on occasion performs amateur abortions to help out girls who are less fortunate. All throughout she keeps a genuine smile on her face. But in 1950's Britain, abortions are illegal. I was wary walking into this, knowing its subject matter, but was pleased to find this to be an unusually impartial film. Those against abortion are reasonable and likeable people given a reasonable point of view, and those for abortion are as flawed as everyone else. It's about how compassion without wisdom can go terribly wrong. One of the years gems.

10. The Aviator
Martin Scorsese continues to prove that he is America's greatest living director. On the outside, this is probably his most immediately accessible and enjoyable film. Unfortunately, it also lacks the heart of his finest work. Don't let that stop you though, even my parents enjoyed this and I would shudder as to what they would think of his other films. It tells the middle portion of the life of Howard Hughes, just as he's on the brink of madness. He's selfish, wreckless, and ambitious, and became the richest man in the world. It's three hour running time races by so fast that when the end credits rolled, I was still waiting for the third hour. Leonardo DiCaprio gives the performance of his career, and it's the best performance by a male that I've seen all year. Cate Blanchett continues to prove that she can do anything in her role as Katharine Hepburn -- a role that could easily devolve into self parody, that she elevates and gives life and heart to. I also loved it because Scorsese is the reigning film historian, and he breathes an air of romanticisim into 1930's-1940's Hollywood.

9. Dogville
Lars von Trier sure knows how to pummel his audience with a metaphor, but he does it so brilliantly. As one of the Dogma 95 filmmakers, it is his goal to strip down cinema to its bare necessities. In this case he strips away the sets and most of the props. It's like a brutal, three hour film version of Our Town. Nicole Kidman gives her finest performance since Eyes Wide Shut, that is to say, probably her finest performance period, and leads an equally stunning all-star cast. It's an allegory of Biblical preportions that needs not be seen so narrowly as merely a satire of American values. It has universal significance. No film this year has so sharply divided the critics.

8. Million Dollar Baby
Another film that barely misses greatness because of its ending. At least in this case, it ends on a note worthy of thought and discussion and not merely alienation. Despite that, however, I cannot deny one of the finest artistic success in years, and in many ways, director/star Clint Eastwood's masterpiece. Eastwood gives the performance of his career and Morgan Freeman is equally as strong. The standout, however, is Hilary Swank as the white trash, aspiring boxer. I said that the performance in Vera Drake suprassed all others this year, except Hilary Swank who rises above the rest. The direction is sure handed and the lighting is the best I've seen since Girl With a Pearl Earring. The screenplay is excellent and by the end you truly care for these characters.

7. Before Sunset
Richard Linklater remains as the final bastion of independent cinema and he shines brightly. This sequel to Before Sunrise reunites stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy ten years after their initial encounter. They are now older, in some ways wiser, and lived lives of regret for the past ten years. In many ways this is even richer than the original, probably in part because the two leads co-wrote the screeplay with Linklater (which if I had anything to say about it, would earn them an Oscar). They talk for about 80 minutes as they walk through the streets of Paris, but throughout their conversations they gradually reveal how their encounter so long ago has affected their lives ever since. It's poignant, natural, and so well performed that it's a shame its stars don't get the recognition they deserve.

4. (tie) Undertow
David Gordon Green still isn't even 30 years old, he's made three films, and he's one of America's premiere film artists. Now Terrence Malick is producing his film. He's a poet of the rural South and shows a world that rarely gets put on screen. This film is separated into two parts, the first half which consists of the home life of two boys and their single father and their ex-con uncle who mysteriously shows up one day. Somewhere in the middle a tragedy occurs and the two boys are on the run through the rural South and in an Odyssian like manner they encounter an assortment of strange characters along the way. His style is nothing less than poetic even if he isn't an accomplished narrative "storyteller". The performances are all strong by Jamie Bell, Josh Lucas, Devon Alan, and Dermont Mulroney. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the great film that fails with an unsatisfying conclusion. But along the way, it's just great.

4. (tie) I'm Not Scared

This Italian film by Gabriele Salvatores is advertised as a thriller, and even though it has some of the most suspenseful sequences that I've ever experienced, to call it a thriller is limiting and doesn't do this beautiful film justice. I don't want to give away any of the films secrets, but suffice to say that it's one of the great portrayals of childhood. The boy is ten years old and on the verge of adult understanding, but he's still a boy. It's a haunting and lyrical coming of age story that became of the years few, true surprises.

4. (tie) The Return

The final film in my tie for great coming of age stories. This time, it's the debut film from Russian director, Andrei Zvyagintsev, and it's a stunning debut. Like Undertow and I'm Not Scared, this coming of age story is disguised as a thriller, and under normal circumstances would probably stood to that level. But, as with the others, it's far too intelligent for that. In this case two boys being raised by a single mother have their world suddenly rocked when their father, who has been missing their entire lives, shows up and decides to take them on a fishing trip. He's a sinister presence, always calm and collected, with methods that seem to border on cruelty at times. I don't want to say more, but in a year where films missed it at the end, this one gets it and transcends it. I had to do a double take at the absolute brilliance and poignancy of the ending. To compare Zvyagintsev to Tarkovsky might be premature after only one film, but if he continues like this, then he will be a force to be reckoned with.

3. Collateral
I guess I'm a sucker for character driven actions films. While this isn't as profound as many of the other films on this list, it's the kinds that you just wish Hollywood would make more of. But nobody does this kind of film as well as Michael Mann. It's about men and the jobs they do -- one is honest cab driver, saving up to start a limo service, and the other is a charming, but ruthless hit man. It's unfortunate that in this years wave of strong male performances, Tom Cruise will probably be overlooked for an Oscar nomination, but it's the best performance of his career. It's sleek, well-polished, suspenseful, and entertaining. Plus, it's shot on HD, and you can't go wrong with that.

2. Kill Bill, vol. 2

Like last year's, 28 Days Later, this film starts out as an enjoyable, above average piece of genre trash. But somewhere, unexpectedly in the second half, it transcends genre and becomes something significantly more. Tarantino loves his exploitation films, and it's nothing short of enjoyable to watch him recreate them. But the heart of this film comes when Uma Thurman (never better) finally finds Bill. David Carradine is one of those actors who cult audiences have just been waiting for some director to give a role worthy of his talents. If anyone would do it, it'd be Tarantino. Both Carradine and Thurman deserve Oscar nominations for their roles in the best American film of the year.

And....

1. Notre Musique

When I wrote about it in my blog, I called this the best film of the year, and it holds that title. While Scorsese may be America's greatest living director, Godard (along with Bergman), is the worlds greatest living director, and the man who reminded us that cinema is, in fact, an art form. He asks big questions and offers more ideas than the total from most other films this year. It's just exciting and enlightening see what he does next. I maintain that the point in which art, politics, and philosophy merge, is Jean Luc Godard.

Honorable Mentions:

America's Heart and Soul

The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi

Coffee and Cigarettes

The Dreamers

Garden State

I Heart Huckabee's

Hero

In Good Company

The Motorcycle Diaries

Ray

Spider Man 2

The Story of the Weeping Camel

Time of the Wolf

The Twilight Samurai

Films I still need to see in order to truly complete my list:

Green Dragon Inn

Maria Full of Grace

And now I offer a special award to Mel Gibson's, The Passion of the Christ. I maintain that it is not a great film, though it does shows signs of exquisite craftsmanship. However I honor this film because Mel Gibson put his money, career, and reputation on the line in service of a story that he felt had to be told. I maintain that the greatest art comes when the artist is willing to risk it all -- pass or fail -- on an idea. So, Mr. Gibson, I salute you.

Last, and probably least, be sure to check back over the next couple of weeks as I will probably be updating the list when I see one of the films on my missed list.