Depends if you're going by international or US release dates (see Jason's instructional first post). It doesn't really matter which you use, as long as it's consistent with the rest of the list, I imagine.
1: The Machinist 2: Haute Tension 3: Friday Night Lights 4: The Butterfly Effect 5: Broken Lizard's Club Dread 6: The Passion of the Christ 7: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 8: Gozu 9: The Woodsman 10: Mean Creek
I havent seen: UnderTow, Mean Creak,Sideways,Closer, The Machinist,The Aviator or Kinsey (all of which Im looking foward to seeing)
1. Million Dollar Baby 2. Maria Full Of Grace 3. Twilight Samurai 4. Spiderman 2 5. The Incredibles 6. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring 7. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind 8. The Ladykillers 9. The Butterfly Effect (Dir Cut) 10.Collateral
10. Hellboy 9. Butterfly Effect 8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 7. Dodgeball 6. Collateral 5. Kill Bill Vol. 2 4. Team America: World Police 3. Ocean's Twelve 2. Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle 1. Spiderman 2
Just like to say I LOVE all the graphics and everything people use for their lists. Wish I had the time...
TOP TEN FILMS OF 2004
1. MILLION DOLLAR BABY
How does one pick best of the year? Even in a "down" year like this, the top films are always all so good. And, my top five are so disparate in genre and style. But, Clint won my heart with this one. It is the most flawless script in the bunch. Rock solid writing. Add to that top notch performances and a minimalist style worthy of note. It ranks with Rocky, and Raging Bull as one of the best boxing movies ever.
2. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
So original. So unique. So touching. I never tire of watching this film. The performances are so perfect. And, the ending is a master stroke. It could be happy, it could be tragically sad. I could debate it either way for hours. And, I will! I love it enough to talk about it that long...
3. SIDEWAYS
The most personal and human film of the bunch. What can I say? Miles got to me. If his plight touched you, this film is in your top 5. Giamatti is heartbreaking.
4. THE AVIATOR
WOW! A movie about old Hollywood...GRAND old Hollywood...given to us from the master himself. He loves old film so much he uses different film stock to shoot the film. A friend of mine was talking to Scorsese about this great portrayal of a troubled genius...about the Mann's Chinese set they built. It was a near-exact replica, but one foot taller. My friend asked Scorsese why he built it one foot taller? "Because I could." I love Marty. Cate and Leo are awesome in this film. Whoda thunk I could care about a guy like this?
5. THE INCREDIBLES
This may not be my #1 film of the year, but it's the most fun! The best superhero movie ever made? Not Spidey, not X-Men...it's The Incredibles, hands down. Brad Bird rules.
6. FINDING NEVERLAND
Man...this film is a real tear-jerker. But, it's so utterly enjoyable on the way there. So many moments of purity and goodness. So touching. I'll watch this again with my family...and cry even more.
7. MAN ON FIRE
Best 'genre' film of the year. I love when a writer/director decide to break out of the typical action formula and give me more. This film spends the first 50 minutes making sure I care about the two main characters. This is tantamount to me caring about one more minute. And, boy, it pays off. It involves you with the first act, takes you for a fun ride in the second, and then breaks your heart in the third.
8. KILL BILL VOL. 2
Tarantino doing what he does best. Capturing the flavor of so many great genres - spaghetti western, old Hong Kong kung fu film, 70's hardass action. The Elle/Bea fight is one for the ages, and I love the 5 finger palm payoff as much as the eye pluck. I could have done without trademark QT Superman rhetoric...but, hey, what're ya gonna do?
9. HERO/HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
House could have used Christopher Doyle. He added a touch to the mythical/dreamlike Hero that the film really needed. That said, I felt like I should include both. Still...House is imperfect to me, but Hero is complete. A smart, insightful, artistic eastern myth. I love it.
10. SPARTAN
So many films to choose for #10. Just see below. I picked Spartan because I think it gets an unfair shake. Not since Ronin have I enjoyed a spy thriller as much as this. I love Bourne Identity, but it's more of a popcorn thrill ride. This film is smart and sharp in a way only this, Ronin, Condor and a couple other films reach. Mamet fires off dialogue and if you can't follow that's your problem. Kilmer owns the film. I hope we continue to see more smart thrillers like this in the future. Here's hoping for The Interpreter to be just as good.
Honorable mentions: Hotel Rwanda The Woodsman Before Sunset Collateral Garden State Dawn of the Dead The Machinist Twilight Samurai Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Touching the Void Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Friday Night Lights Shaun of the Dead Bourne Supremacy
Films I have yet to see: Badassss A Very Long Engagement Maria Full of Grace Life Aquatic
WORST/MOST DISAPPOINTING FILMS OF 2004
Connie and Carla-
This movie tops my worst list. Easily the most terrible of the terrible. What an unconvincing, overreaching, gut-churning, horrid rip-off of "Some Like it Hot". Nia Vardalos exposes her true self, and the rest of the world (hopefully) realizes "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was one of the most overrated hype jobs of all time.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Ugh. What a terrible waste of a great and original idea. There is less than no story here. Combined with wooden acting, it is a recipe that doomed this high concept idea to never again appearing on screen.
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2. Before Sunset 3. The Aviator 4. Kill Bill Vol. 2 5. Dogville 6. The Incredibles 7. The Village 8. Dawn of the Dead 9. Mean Creek 10. The Bourne Supremacy
Honorable Mention: Touching The Void, Million Dollar Baby, Spartan, Finding Neverland
*Edited 2-14-05 to include "The Aviator" straight in to number 3, bumps "Touching The Void" out of the Top Ten
I've now seen most of the films I consider any sort of serious contender for my list.. and, after a lot of debate, I'm going to decide to pitch in.
1. Sideways. This is the position I have really debated because every film within my top three I feel is deserving of #1. Sideways is, in my mind, a throwback film, a film that was daring through it's subtle use of camera work, allowing the actors to act and focus on them, rather then pretty scenery or cutaway movements. Sideways had long, involved sequences of dialog that managed to express meaning and a connection with the characters. Thoughtfully filmed, Sideways is the kind of film I wish were made more often.
2. The Incredibles. Brad Bird should be recognized outside of the Best Animated Film category for a film that manages to delve into the human condition better then many live action films this year. Addressing questions of who we are, and what we want from life, the Incredibles is a family friendly film with a lot of meaning and substance to it that is too easily dismissed because of it's format. A gem in direction, movement and style, The Incredibles is everything I expect of Pixar and Bird.
3. Closer. This is a film that I have debated back and forth on. For a while, I hated it. For another bit, I loved it. Closer is a film that a lot of people will find hard to stomach with it's to the point dialogue and no holds barred attack on the nature of love. But Closer scores so well by making the situations seem real enough, understanding the torment of the characters. It's part of what I loved and hated about the film, the closeness you feel to the emotions of the characters, the shallow nature of some moments and the serious "thud" of the reprocussions. Wonderfully filmed, well acted, and with such tight spaces to make you feel entrapped in the situations.
4. Hotel Rwanda. This is a film that is, in many ways, similar to the kind of film that made "Schindler's List" so powerful, a story of a man who looked beyond himself to do the right thing. But what made this film stunning is how many people that I saw this with were still oblivious to this occurring. A film that more people should see just to be aware of the world around them. The acting within this film is absolutely top notch, and there are sequences - especially those in the streets outside the hotel - that are crushing with the emotion as everything right seems to go by the wayside.
5. The Passion of the Christ. Very few films get as much positive and negative press as TPoTC. Some people will bitterly hate this film, some will love it. I am not a religious person, but being aware of the beliefs having grown up with them, I found Gibson's portrayal to be to the heart of many of them, the cinematography perfect, and one scene - the scene in which Mary sees her son fall - to be amongst the most powerful moments in all film this year.
6. Million Dollar Baby. This is a film that, at the beginning, I thought would suffer from a script that seemed replete in everything you've seen before. Old manager, boxer on the outs. And yet, it manages to make it feel fresh and real. Eastwood turns in a fantastic performance and you relate to the characters. There were moments within Million Dollar Baby that I felt were not as good as it could have been, thus putting it at #6, however, it is a solid film that is probably going to stand up well in the test of time.
7. A Very Long Engagement. Another film I fear will be overlooked because of low distribution. A sweeping film with a lot of heart and a difficult storyline. Definitely worth a watch.
8. Before Sunset. I didn't get to see this in the theaters, finally watched on DVD. It was a glad find, one of the better films with a simple story. Sometimes, we dress up things with far too much "wow" moments instead of dealing with the subtle nature of reality. Before Sunset gets it, and sings true, making it a great film.
9. Eternal Sunshine... one of those films that the first time I saw it, I hated it. Hated it. The second time I saw it, I said "hmm" By the third time I watched, I said "this is a good film" The more I watched Eternal Sunshine, the more I appreciated it, and began to really love the film.
10. .. is still up for debate. I have several films I'm really debating over here, between "Finding Neverland" "Ray" "Kill Bill V. 2" etc.. I have not seen Vera Drake, Moolade or Aviator yet, so this list may also be revised...
Revised: Ok, just watched Aviator. That one will not make my list. Not bad, but not top 10.
Worst of the Year
1. My Baby's Daddy (what a piece of crap) - I had managed to totally black this piece of garbage out until it was on Starz this weekend. Jeezus.
2. Without a Paddle.
3. Catwoman
4. Alexander
5. Phantom of the Opera - I know, I know, I just gave it a mixed review.. but the more I think about it, the more and more unhappy I am with this film, which isn't bad in the sense of some films that will go unnamed in my list, but bad in the sense that I feel it took a great work and pissed all over it.. at least "White Chicks" started as a piece of crap, so the fact it ended up that way isn't a big suprise.
6. White Chicks. (said above)
7. Soul Plane - what a racist piece of c***, for a film with so many African American people, the way it portrayed a large group of people (African Americans) was so offensive I wouldn't want my children to see it in any way shape or form. Talk about garbage.
8. Club Dread - who greenlit this garbage?
9. Stepford Wives. Couldn't leave well enough alone? I was waiting for Nicole Kidman to scream "Go Go Gadget robotwife!"
10. Teacher's Pet. A film that tells kids being special is really not the way it is supposed to be, and only comformists really succeed. Way to go, Disney! Take a show with at least a good message "you can achieve anything!" and turn it into a movie that says "you have to do what you were born to do, you'll never be greater then that" What a message!
11. Fat Albert I had to make mention for this. CRAP.
Top Performances
Male:
Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda) Jim Caveziel (The Passion of the Christ) Jamie Foxx (Ray)
Female:
Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) Natalie Portman (Closer) Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Still have a lot to see but I'll go ahead and post a list
2004 Top 10 List (NY/LA 1st Release)
1. Dogville 2. The Brown Bunny 3. The Return 4. The Trilogy: An Amazing Couple 5. Intimate Strangers 6. Dawn Of The Dead (04) 7. Sideways 8. The Trilogy: On The Run 9. Rosenstrasse 10. The Five Obstructions
2004 Top 10 List (World 1st Release)
1. The Brown Bunny 2. Intimate Strangers 3. Dawn Of The Dead 4. Sideways 5. Shaun Of The Dead 6. We Don't Live Here Anymore 7. Team America World Police 8. Kill Bill, Vol. 2 9. Control Room 10. Jersey Girl
10 Best Movies I Saw For The 1st Time In 2004
1. In A Year With 13 Moons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) 2. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Alain Resnais) 3. The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang) 4. Early Summer (Yasujiro Ozu) 5. A Page Of Madness (Teinosuke Kinugasa) 6. Lola (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) 7. The Battle Of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo) 8. Minnie & Moskowitz (John Cassavetes) 9. Autumn Tale (Eric Rohmer) 10. The Passion Of Anna (Ingmar Bergman)
I should just put a placeholder, as well, but I'm sure it'll be well over a year and probably longer before I can put this question of "2004 favorites" to bed. Ah well, here's the first draft, and I've noted those I've now seen more than once as "(*)":
1. Before Sunset (*) 2. Dogville (*) 3. Kill Bill 2 (*) 4. House of Flying Daggers (*) 5. Cowards Bend the Knee 6. Hero (*) 7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (*) 8. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle 9. The Return 10. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
Finalized since this is what is going to the proverbial press.
Best of 2004 version
1. Dogville 2. The Five Obstructions (De Fem benspaend) 3. Before Sunset 4. The Village 5. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 6. The Aviator 7. Million Dollar Baby 8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 9. Kill Bill Vol. 2 10. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Honorable Mentions -Bon Voyage -Code 46 -Cowards Bend the Knee -Garden State -Hero (Ying xiong) -House of Flying Daggers -Maria Full of Grace -The Saddest Music in the World -Sideways -Spartan -Spider-Man 2 -Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring -Touching the Void
Just missing the cut -Baadasssss! -Blind Shaft (Mang jing) -Enduring Love -I Heart Huckabees -The Incredibles -Intimate Strangers (Confidences trop intimes) -Mean Girls -Miracle -The Polar Express -The Return (Vozvrashcheniye) -Secret Things (Choses secretes) -Shall We Dance? -Super Size Me -Tarnation -The Terminal -Time of the Wolf (Les Temps du loup) -Vera Drake