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CineScene's Top 10 Films of 2004 1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
(Michel Gondry) [186] |
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind crushed
the competition this year, appearing on 16 of our 24 contributors' top-10
lists, often ranked |
1. Before
Sunset (Richard Linklater).  Linklater's
sequel to 1995's Before Sunrise, a romantic interlude between a man
and a woman at the cusp of adulthood, finds the same two people nine years
later, at the brink of a second chance. Paced with real-world limitations
and emotional urgencies, Before Sunset captures the space of years
passed in the fleeting real-time span of its 80-minute run. From the awkward
dance around regret to the slow jazz promise of possibility, Jesse and Celine
reconnect with a natural narrative rhythm that recreates the essence of
romance -- ineffable, but unmistakable. 2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry). A cinematic tribute to the forget-me-not. Michel Gondry directs a most original investigation into the way lovers invade each other's consciousness and makes concrete  images
out of the mindgames we play when love proves itself imperfect. Subtler
than its flash would suggest, it softly asserts a romantic tenacity: retracing
steps, reliving moments, giving new light to faded reveries. The acting
explodes with understatement. Charlie Kaufman's screenplay masters the ending
with a resigned hopefulness, acknowledging the dominance of heart over head,
and making of memory a tribute to the power of love. Runner-up: Wong Kar-Wai's 1991 Days of Being Wild -- newly released in the U.S.; a wildly wistful contemplation of romance and nostalgia: the force of the minute remembered. |
3. Love Me If
You Dare (Yann Samuell). A
small film from France that envisions love as a child's game of challenge
and commitment: more intense and less penetrable than a mere coming together
of woman and man. Taking romantic rhetoric to its most twisted conclusions,
it dares to celebrate the darkness of love's shared obsessions and leaves
us with a compelling idea, or two, of what it means to love deeply unto
death and beyond. 4. Closer (Mike Nichols).  More about
relationships than love itself, appearances rather than depths, Closer
focuses on beginnings and endings, the lies we tell at the first tingles
of excitement and the truths we cannot avoid in the final crushing blows.
It carves out destiny from the romantic myth, and shows us only the moments
of choice: when we say yes or no, fight or give in, hold on or move on.
And in the background you can half imagine a deep, sardonic, laugh.Runner-up: We Don't Live Here Anymore (John Curran) 5. Finding Neverland (Marc Forster). Johnny Depp's sweet but never saccharine J.M. Barrie catches the wonderment of children in the wonders of the imagination, and creates magic for child and adult alike, borrowing from the original lost boys for the dream of Peter Pan. Neverland is a stage set that can serve as promised haven, and realism is overpowered by the strength of faith in fairies. We do believe, we do believe, and we do clap our hands...tears welling in our eyes... |
6. Garden State (Zach Braff). With
emotional truths and organic humor, Braff's lyrical take on one man's coming
of age frames self-discovery as a literal choice to emerge from the fog
of youth -- to break with the guilt and the expectations life imposes --
and to acknowledge the abyss on the other side that keeps us all on the
fine line. Clarity comes from taking stock, and the film, like its hero,
finds its strength in love's quirky blush. Runner-up: Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself (Lone Scherfig).7. The Five Obstructions (Lars von Trier & Jørgen Leth). Runners-up: Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky) and This So-Called Disaster (Michael Almereyda). Three films about artists and the artistic process: Some Kind of Monster shows the adult side of the metal musicians in their art, validating the music and the players in ways no concert footage could, while This So-Called Disaster steals a fascinating glimpse at a filmmaker, playwright and cast reverberating myths and masculinity through art, scripted and unscripted, but The Five Obstructions is perhaps the most interesting of the three because of its conceits: filmmaker against filmmaker, one pushing the envelope of the other's possibilities, and the other meeting the task. That the underlying film is The Perfect Human seems to perfectly frame the film's ambition. 8. The Incredibles (Brad Bird). Stunning animation, intelligent writing, and an incisive worldview -- Brad Bird's genre-twist dystopia where superheroes turn outcast manages politicism without the self-congratulatory smirk. Its humor is light, but meaningful, its vision sophisticated, and the whole of it engaging for anyone of any age.  9.
Osama (Siddiq Barmak).A quiet film that follows a little girl who disguises herself as a boy under the watchful eye of the Taliban, Osama stands as a reminder to those who preach tolerance that there are some things that are never to be tolerated. It brings the sexual politics of fundamentalist Islam into devastating relief. Runners up: Vera Drake (Mike Leigh) and Maria Full of Grace (Joshua Marston). 10. The Motorcycle Diaries (Walter Salles). Gael García Bernal's sweet-faced Che reveals nothing of the bloody revolutionary that history cannot deny -- but poetry and the political sensibility of idealistic youth raise Salles' hagiography from mere cleaned-up socialist tract to a reminder of what the world looks like when you still believe you might be able to fix it. Honorable mentions: The Woodsman; Japanese Story; Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall . . . and Spring; Primer; I, Robot; Bad Education; Broken Wings; The Brown Bunny; How to Draw a Bunny; Crimson Gold; Dogville; Team America: World Police. |
| Howard Schumann |
| 1. Broken
Wings (Nir Bergman). Each member of the Ulman family suffers the trauma of having lost their father/husband to a senseless accident nine months ago. Conflicts and resentments arise, underscored by a quiet guilt that each one feels for the father's death. The film could be a metaphor for the condition Israel finds itself in since the murder of Yitzhak Rabin, but it is not a political film.  It
is told in the language of personal emotion, of the struggle of a family
growing together through a mutually shared loss. In the honest way the characters
interact to support each other, Broken Wings is a deeply moving and
unforgettable experience. 2. Maria Full of Grace (Joshua Marston). A headstrong Colombian girl of seventeen (Catalina Sandino Moreno) seizes an opportunity to earn $5000 by ingesting and transporting illegal drugs to New York, at considerable risk to herself and her unborn child. First-time director Marston has escaped the clichés of social realist films to offer a riveting human odyssey that transcends simplistic messages of good and evil. It is not only a hard-hitting jab at a global economic system that allows exploitation of the poor to satisfy the pleasure of the rich, but a richly nuanced coming-of-age story that delivers its hard-edged message with understanding and compassion. 3. Good Bye, Lenin! (Wolfgang Becker).  A stinging
political satire that shows the impact on a close-knit East German family
of the events that shook Germany to its foundations in 1989. The film strikes
a light-hearted balance in its portrayal of East and West, showing both
the freedom of the West along with its crass consumerism, and the social
awareness of the East along with its rigid bureaucracy in which idealism
is a dirty word. Interweaving comedy, political drama, and the story of
a boy's love for his mother, the film won me over with its overriding sincerity
and humanity. |
4. The Return (Andrei
Zvyagintsev). Winner
of the grand prize at the Venice Film Festival, The Return is a film
of rare beauty and authenticity about the complex bonds between a father
and his two sons and the need to discover one's self. First time director
Zvyaginstev leaves much unexplained, and the film contains suggestions of
Greek mythology, political allegory, and religious parable. Whatever the
explanation, the film taps into the universal need to love and be cared
for, and the hurt that results when the need to be sustained and protected
is thwarted. Often painful to watch yet deeply moving, The Return
is a haunting experience. 5. Fahrenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore).  A
sprawling but focused documentary that makes its points effectively without
being overbearing and is guaranteed to make you think. It is a powerful
and moving cinematic experience that is also highly entertaining and filled
with comic touches and genuine human emotions that may make you laugh one
minute and cry the next. The film is a powerful reminder that fundamental
change is needed to end the military mentality and corporate elitism that
has dominated our government, a change that goes even beyond politics toward
a reinvigoration of the human imagination and consciousness. 6. A Very Long Engagement (Jean-Pierre Jeunet). Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), a polio victim since childhood, maintains faith that she will one day be reunited with her fiancé Manech, a conscript in World War I, who is reported to be dead. Based on the 1991 novel by Sébastien Japrisot, the film is a dreamlike exploration of two sides of human nature: the darkness that leads to the horror of war and the lightness that embodies the power of love. Jeunet is a master of cinematic tricks, and there is plenty to keep us dazzled: flashbacks, fast edits, and colorful imagery, but the film is not about cinematic showmanship. It is about a relationship that is more than physical, one in which two people have the capacity to communicate with each other on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. |
| 7. Blind Shaft (Li Yang). This suspenseful, savagely humorous first feature by Li Yang dramatizes conditions in China's mines, making a direct attack on China's headlong dash to capitalism, where greed seems more important than human life. Itinerant coalminers devise a scheme to extort money from corrupt mine owners by convincing a fellow worker to pose as their relative. When they kill him and fake an industrial accident, they collect the compensation owed to a relative from the willing owner, eager to prevent an investigation into his mine's deteriorating condition. Banned in China, Blind Shaft combines gritty realism with nerve-jangling tension and uncompromising social commentary. 8. Café Lumiére (Hou Hsiao-hsien).  Acutely
observed and exquisitely realized, Hou's sixteenth film is a loving tribute
to the great Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu on the centenary of his birth.
The first film by Hou to be shot in a foreign location, it pays homage to
Ozu by depicting themes repeated in many of his films: relationships between
aging parents, the marriage plans of a grown child, the coming and going
on trains, and the quiet contemplation of everyday life. Beautifully shot
by Lee Ping-ping, the film allows us to view the world the characters inhabit,
providing extraordinary details of Tokyo life. 9. Travellers and Magicians (Khyentse Norbu). Travellers and Magicians spins two parallel stories that deliver one message -- happiness can be discovered simply by being in the present moment. In the first story, a young university graduate in Bhutan longs for a more exciting life in America but discovers the quiet places in his mind when he misses the bus to his first destination. The second tale is about a young student of magic who must confront passion and jealousy when he loses his way in a forest. Filled with gentle humor, gorgeous scenery and music, and astute observations of the foibles of human nature, the film has a natural beauty and charm. 10. Oldboy (Chan-wook Park).  Oldboy
is a wildly exhilarating experience that has plenty of action, state of
the art effects, dark humor, and an existential mystery that will linger
in your mind long after the final credits have rolled. Based on a manga
by Tsuchiya Garon, it is a complex film about love and the price we must
pay to save it. Park does not stand in judgment of his characters but allows
us to see them as flawed human beings looking to salvage what remains of
their dignity. Oldboy is excessively violent at times, but it has
humanity, and the characters' pitiful sadness reminds us of our own vulnerability.
|
| 11. Undertow
(David Gordon Green). two young brothers, Tim and Chris (Devon Allen and Jamie Bell), flee the violence of their rural home in Georgia. On the run, they undertake a nightmarish journey through forests and swamps, on freight cars and foot, spending time with people living on the margins. As their murderous uncle (Josh Lucas) closes in, the film becomes less about the chase and more about the characters and the relationship between the brothers. Undertow has aspects of a conventional thriller but it bears Green's unmistakable languid, dreamy style. Utilizing a haunting score by Philip Glass, the film gradually builds its low-key tension to a power that becomes riveting. |
12. I'm
Not Scared (Gabriele Salvatores). Set
in southern Italy, I'm Not Scared is a coming-of-age story about
a ten-year old boy's awakening of conscience. While Michele and his friends
play in the vast golden wheat fields during summer, he discovers a small
lad hidden in a cavernous hole near an abandoned farmhouse and acts with
courage and compassion to "do the right thing". The film embodies an artistic
sensibility that expressively captures the world of a child in its wonder,
innocence, and beauty. I'm Not Scared has a strange otherworldly
and mythical quality to it, like a cinematic dream, and the result is not
vacuously uplifting but powerfully moving. Others: Oasis, Machuca, Take Care of My Cat, Bus 174, Kitchen Stories, The Terminal, Vera Drake |
|
Ed
Owens The
Aviator (Martin Scorsese). |
| Mark
Sells (Top 10 listed in ascending order) |
| 10. Spider-Man
2 (Sam Raimi). One of the most essential, memorable superhero  movies
of all time. And it's due in large part to a story that never strays far
from humanity. Here, supervillain Doctor Octopus is as sympathetic as Peter
Parker is himself. And that effectively turns the situations and ensuing
action sequences into a compelling, compassionate, and complex web of wondrous
delight. 9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Alfonso Cuarón).  Much
more mature and sophisticated, Azkaban is the finest film in the
series. And it's also one of the finest films of the year. The reason? Direction
- both from Cuarón, who experiments with delightful detail; and from author
J.K. Rowling, who comes out on all four cylinders, with a remarkably wicked
story of adolescence, vulnerability, and adventure. 8. Closer (Mike Nichols). A cold, harsh look at relationships gone sour, from the chance encounters to the initial attractions and ultimately the bitter betrayals. This is a gripping, thought provoking piece, with four great performances by Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, and Natalie Portman. Patrick Marber's dialogue is "the best" in class. |
7. Ray (Taylor Hackford). |
| 4. The
Incredibles (Brad Bird). The most sophisticated animated motion picture ever made. It's great looking, has great characters, and great action and humor in between. Additionally, it has a story that deals with modern family issues and individuals you can relate to, despite the appearance of super powers. And most importantly, it's incredibly fun! 3. Finding Neverland (Marc Forster).  Adapted
from the brilliant Allan Knee play, Neverland features another award-worthy
performance from Johnny Depp. And it's as inspirational and magical as anything
you will see. Additionally, it features yet another great supporting performance
from Kate Winslet. Although more conventional than Eternal Sunshine,
it is highly creative in the way it flirts between fiction and non-fiction.
And in the end, you'll find it a tearful and joyous tribute to the man and
the boy who refused to grow up. 2. Hotel Rwanda (Terry George).  The most
powerful and significant picture of the year. And regretfully, few will
bother to see it. Were it not for Jamie Foxx's role of a lifetime, Don Cheadle
would sweep the best actor awards. Depicting the true-life story of Paul
Rusesabagina, Cheadle is phenomenal in the leading role -- the epitomy of
grace under horrific pressure. And with the support of outstanding newcomer,
Sophie Okonedo, this film achieves a frightening realism unmatched by any
other in 2004. 1. Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwod).  Not
just the finest film of 2004. It's one of the finest character dramas ever
made. And it has less to do with boxing than you might think. Depicting
the relationship between three complex characters, the film deeply explores
issues of family, friendship, and responsibility. It's Clint Eastwood's
finest film, one that benefits from a remarkable adaptation from Paul Haggis,
a careful use of light and shadow, and three out-of-this-world performances.
|
| Chris
Knipp This was an excellent year overall. These are in alphabetical order: they're equal in my eyes within categories. There are other good ones I wish I'd seen or may not even know about. |
|
Ten Best U.S. |
Ten Best Foreign Adieu (Arnaud des Pallières). There were also many excellent documentaries, including: Born Into
Brothels (Zana Briski & Ross Kauffman), Bukowski:
Born Into This
(John Dullaghan), Control
Room (Jehane Noujaim), The Corporation (Mark Achbar
& In a class apart are: Ripley's Game (Liliana Cavani) -- which absurdly went straight to DVD in the U.S., despite a brilliant, classic performance by John Malkovich; the rather sweet and thoroughly genuine succès de scandele, The Brown Bunny (Vincent Gallo), the campy, wonderful-to-talk-about The Butterfly Effect (Erice Bress & J. Mackye Gruber), in which Ashton Kutcher astonishes by almost acting in a serious role; and the splendid revival of a classic, The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1965). |
| Kristen
Ashley In no certain order: |
Girl With a Pearl Earring (Peter
Webber). I watched it, enthralled and left the theater in a state of arousal. Wish I owned it. Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright). Hilarious. Just an all-around fun time at the movies. I own it already (extras are FAB-YOU-LAS). Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry). I haven't seen a more beautiful love story in a long time. Own it. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Alfonso Cuarón). Genuinely good movie that stands far and above the first two in the series. If it keeps getting better like this, I can't wait for the next! Own it. Fahrenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore). I cried for half the movie, mainly because I'm so frustrated at the criminals that have taken over my country. I don't buy into all of Michael Moore's tricks but at least he's got the guts to put it out there. Don't own it, never want to see it again. |
Spiderman 2 (Sam Raimi). Looking forward to: Er, what's out there? |
| Lisa Larkin |
A Tale of Two Sisters
(Kim Ji-woon). I
kept trying to tell people to see this during its brief run and they all
responded by asking about The Grudge with Sarah Michelle Geller.
I didn't see The Grudge with Sarah Michelle Geller. I didn't see
The Grudge without Sarah Michelle Geller either [aka Ju-on]
and the more time that goes by, the less interest I have in seeing either.
But I really want to see A Tale of Two Sisters again. It is a horror
movie but it is also a heartbreaking story about a family falling apart.
Perhaps all the plot inversions will have little impact on a second viewing,
but for now, it's in my top ten for 2004. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (Isshin Inudo). This was the other nice discovery at the San Diego Asian Film Festival,  a Japanese
film about a disabled girl who accepts pity from no one. A college boy becomes
intrigued by her, helps make her life a little easier and then falls in
love. On paper, it sounds like the typical disease of the week story, but
it really isn't. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry). As fun as Charlie Kaufman's stories are, they all seem to exist in a world filled with artificial people. The characters in Eternal Sunshine felt real. Jim Carrey dials it down a notch and Kate Winslet is, as ever, terrific. I love the concept of memory erasure no matter how many times it's been done. (See the South Korean film Nabi for a different but similar take on the theme.) |
The Incredibles (Brad
Bird). The best James Bond movie since Diamonds Are Forever. Seriously. And also a nice story about a family pulling together when the chips are down. I can't wait to see what Pixar pulls out of their hat next -- after the contractually-obligated Cars, which looked terrible based on the teaser before The Incredibles. Hero (Zhang Yimou). A year and a half after the Oscar buzz had died, Miramax finally decided to release this film. It's a beautifully sho Rashomon-like tale of a repressive emperor and his would-be assassins. Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself (Lone Scherfig).  A sweet
slice-of-life movie about two brothers: one a responsible bookstore owner,
the other the suicidal Wilbur. A desperate single mother comes into their
lives and changes them both forever. Nice work by all the leads, including
the little girl. Zatôichi (Takeshi Kitano). Blind swordsman, check. Cartoon gore, check. Clog dance number, check. What's not to like? Hellboy (Guillermo del Toro). There wasn't a lot of love for Hellboy, but I liked it. It did a very good job of capturing the essence of the comic book and it had a nice visual style.  Saved!(Brian Dannelly). A basically good-hearted satire of a Christian high school. Dawn of the Dead (Zack Snyder). A pleasant surprise, if you can call a flesh-eating zombie movie pleasant. A visceral little thriller that neither tries to slavishly imitate the original nor smugly ridicule it. |
 |
Scorsese's
Howard Hughes biopic flies high, thanks to some solid performances, technical
mastery, and a jazzy swing soundtrack that provides the perfect accompaniment.
Though not as emotionally engaging as it should have been, The Aviator
is still a fascinating though flawed look at a fascinating though flawed
individual. 
Even
before the opening credits roll, it's clear we're not in Kansas anymore--Snyder
opens his update of George Romero's classic horror/satire with a bravura
sequence filled with visceral visuals and a wicked wit that he somehow
manages to maintain for most of the 90 minutes which follow. Though there
are missteps, Snyder and company show one thing strangely absent from
many movies this year--commitment. Dawn of the Dead is a balls
to the wall horror film with a morbid sense of humor, rekindling my hopes
for the future of the genre. 
Jaw-droppingly
gorgeous animation coupled with some of the sharpest writing of any film
provide the basis for Bird's remarkably nuanced film. The film resonates
on numerous levels, making it eminently rewatchable, and sets a new standard
for composition in animated film (even some live action directors could
take a lesson from The Incredibles use of depth of field). 
What
began as a promotional film in support of Metallica's first studio album
in five years wound up as a probing look into the minds and manias of
metal's premiere maestros. Without an axe to grind or a point to prove,
Berlinger and Sinofsky instead let the cameras roll, documenting every
aspect of the band's struggle with its inner demons, crafting the finished
footage into a compelling experience for fans and non-fans alike. 
incisiveness of Matt Stone & Trey Parker's savagely pointed satire. With
surgical precision, the South Park duo cut into the absurdities of the
political process, showing no mercy to either side. The soundtrack alone
is enough to induce tears of laughter, and the film's now infamous brush
with the MPAA is sure to be the stuff of legend (who wants to bet the
DVD release is the unrated director's cut?). 
From
a directorial standpoint, this is the best film of the year. It's moody,
it's gritty, and it's sensational. Michael Mann uses groundbreaking cinematography
and terrific dialogue to elevate a generic story into a real time thriller.
And his sense of pacing, balancing heart pulsing action with heart felt
drama, is perfection. Add to that two understated performances by Jamie
Foxx and Tom Cruise and you have one of the year's underrated gems. 
Simple
romantic perfection, revisiting a love story nine years on; a new kind
of movie in which the actors age in real time for a sequel. Collateral
(Michael Mann) 
Nothing
more cinematic or so richly fun came out last year. With the two Kill
Bills, Tarantino has proven in spades that Pulp Fiction wasn't
a flash in the pan. 
Depicting
another quirky set of young midwesterners, this first-timer struck new
notes and made a little classic full of genial detachment. 
A
voluptuous portrait of spoiled youth on the edge of the revolutionary
moment -- cinema buffs, lovers, escape artists in Paris, June 1968. Wishful
thinking? Perhaps, but irresistible nonetheless. 
yet sublime, with breathtaking action sequences and vivid characters:
can Zhang top this and Hero? He's brought the genre to new heights.
Téchiné
revisits WWII with a feral boy and a strange makeshift family in a brief
interlude that vividly captures the chaos of wartime. 
Kill
Bill Vol. 2 (Quentin Tarantino).
Laws
of Attraction (Peter Howitt). 
point
that I probably saw a fraction of the movies I normally see, but still
think some of this list would hold up as a top 10). A great balls-to-the-wall
adventure thriller. Would see it again too. 
But
then, I only saw twice the number of movies on this list for the whole
year so I don't have a huge list to choose from. Still, I'd see Dodgeball
again...um, maybe (at least I didn't put Starsky and Hutch on the
list -- now that was crap). 
1.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5.
Kinsey (Bill Condon).
9.
Hero (Zhang Yimou).