Thursday, December 30, 2004
Top 10
Every film dork has one and here's mine, for now. Still haven't seen Hotel Rwanda, The Sea Inside, Ray and a few others, but probably enough to run off a list.
Top 10 Films
1. Closer - The best ensemble of the year. This film has men and women down cold. Mike Nichols knows what he's doing. Clive Owen is my hero.
2. Collateral - The only film this year that made me say, "Wow, that was awesome" as the credits rolled. For all the praise Jamie Foxx is receiving for Ray, it's hard to imagine him topping his turn in Collateral. Los Angeles has never been shot so beautifully. Excellent excellent thriller.
3. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster - Simply the most intimate portrait of a band ever. All access; nothing is off limits. It's most effective in showing the deep vulnerability of the band and how year's of infighting have fractured the personal relationships of many of the members. It also cements Metallica as one of the world's super groups and perhaps the biggest band in the last 20 years.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Tragical romantic. I'm a sucker for Charlie Kaufman scripts and Michel Gondry's aesthetic had me engaged the whole way. Really good stuff.
5. Shaun of the Dead - At first you think this is a "guilty pleasure" movie; a movie that isn't really that great but you really really enjoyed it. Then you step back and realize that it is, in fact, great. Funniest movie of the year? Quite possibly. Also some very tender moments, too. Immensely entertaining.
6. A Very Long Engagement - Jeunet is really a master of time and space and in this film he really calls on that as there are a myriad of rich characters. Probably the most beautifully photographed film of the year. It's also a rare case of where the mystery within the film has a very satisfying resolution.
7. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - It's really everything I wanted Vol. 1 to be. People say you can't have one without the other. I say those people are wrong to a degree. If Vol. 1 was about and hour long, then you could lump them together. See, in Vol. 2 there are stakes (!) and characters (!). Really an expertly done movie with one glaring plot hole (the gunshot wound).
8. Sideways - Best character piece out there. It's Swingers for 40 year-olds, only in this version Mikey is kind of an asshole. Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen are all excellent. Kudos to Alexander Payne for making a film dealing largely in wine culture -- something incredibly narrowcast -- so accessible. Very honest, very sincere film.
9. The Aviator - The best I've seen of the many many biopics that came out this year. The ending is a bit duvious, but I suppose the real story is over at that point. What can you say that hasn't already been said about Scorsese? What truly caught me off guard was how good Leo DiCaprio was. Tour de force performace from him probably worthy of an Oscar. At times in the latter part of the film, I was reminded of Citizen Kane in terms of the protagonist's struggle with the public. Cate Blanchett might be the most charming thing in movies this year. And Alan Alda! Alan Alda, people! The guy is brilliant in a supporting role.
10. Kinsey - God, that Bill Condon can write (and direct). Another great movie littered with fantastic performances. Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Peter Sarsgaard are all excellent. Quite the sexposee (oh boo, that was awful. sorry). Sexual barriers are broken down, though. It toes the narrow line between interesting story and full-on biopic mode. The final scene, in particular, is very sweetand saves the movie from laboring on and on.
Good, but... (no particular order)
Million Dollar Baby - There are too many flaws in this movie for me to really really like it. The relationship between Eastwood and Swank evolves into something very lovely and Swank's preformance is excellent, but I felt like the plot of the film wasn't quite there. The first two acts feel very formulaic (it's a sports movie at that point -- it can't help it), and the third act -- a surprise, I suppose -- comes right out of left field and deals with an issue completely unrelated to the film at that point (even if it does transcend the Eastwood/Swank bond). It's all handled well enough, but I never felt that emotional spark and I thought the boxing within the movie was beyond ludicrous. There were so many instances in Swank's marquee fight, as well as everything else with "The Blue Bear," that warrant as instant disqualification that it's absurd.
Friday Night Lights - Again, good movie. But it's a sports movie and as avid a fanatic as I am about sports, I still haven't seen a film that matched up to the real thing. FNL, however, is the most accurate gameplay I've ever seen which is a major accomplishment. The action scenes are incredible. The four subplots, however true they are, still feel rehashed.
The Incredibles - Best family movie of the year without question and entirely entertaining. Too bad there isn't a single original idea in the film.
Anchorman - I laughed a lot in this movie. I thought Will Ferrell was genius and his supporting cast sometimes upstaged him. I just couldn't put it as one of the best films of the year. So very funny, yet so unworthy of a mention on that list.
Team America - See Anchorman. I laughed my ass off during this movie (the puppet sex scene is unreal), but the message of the film that claims to have no message gets muddled by the end. The laughs also really drop off with about 30 minutes to go.
Fahrenheit 9/11 - Still a really good film, even if Moore does lead you by the hand during the Iraq portion (he's not physically there, but his presence in the editing room is far more profound). It's sad that it feels so dated. I imagine that the rewatchable value of F9/11 can only diminish.
Letdowns
Life Aquatic - Can't help but lead this category off with a film that I had the highest of expectations for. To be clear, I still "like" it, but only in the sense that it's passable. It's funny and pretty, but somehow unengaging. I think the problem lies in the supporting cast. Anderson was bent on making this an ensemble piece when, really, none of the supporting characters were interesting at all. I would rather have seen a film that focused strictly on the character of Steve Zissou who is so immensely complex and yet reveals so little of himself. Also, Owen Wilson's character has perhaps the worst payoff of anything in 2004. He's served a great injustice and it's frustrating for an audience member who has invested in him. "Frustrating" pretty much sums up the latter half of this movie.
Ocean's Twelve - The twist ending is soooo stupid that it completely invalidates the entire movie. I'm not kidding. The reveal happens and you think to yourself, "I just threw away two hours of my life." Plus I hate movies that are cool for the sake of being cool.
Finding Neverland - Boring. Sorry, you're better off watching Peter Pan. You'll get the same gist of it and you'll be far more entertained. Johnny Depp is top notch and the kids are actually pretty good, but it leaves a lot to be desired.
The Village - Maybe the biggest disappointment of '04. This movie would be so much better if there weren't a twist. The final act is nothing short of incipid.
Other good flicks (I don't feel like writing all of these up)
The Bourne Supremacy
Garden State
Mean Girls
Miracle
Napolean Dynomite
The Terminal
Spider-Man 2 (with reservation)
Supersize Me
Coffee and Cigarettes
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
In Good Company
Wimbledon
The Punisher (surprise)
Trainwrecks you can enjoy at a base level
The Girl Next Door - It's really funny, but really bad.
The Day After Tomorrow
Flight of the Phoenix
Not good
A Home at the End of the World
Dodgeball
Man on Fire - Literally unwatchable
The awful (would you believe I saw these two on the same night?)
New York Minute - Why? WHY?!
The Passion of the Christ - Beautifully photographed, completely self-indulgent.
Damn, I didn't think I'd mention everything I've seen so far. Meh.
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Top 10 Films
1. Closer - The best ensemble of the year. This film has men and women down cold. Mike Nichols knows what he's doing. Clive Owen is my hero.
2. Collateral - The only film this year that made me say, "Wow, that was awesome" as the credits rolled. For all the praise Jamie Foxx is receiving for Ray, it's hard to imagine him topping his turn in Collateral. Los Angeles has never been shot so beautifully. Excellent excellent thriller.
3. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster - Simply the most intimate portrait of a band ever. All access; nothing is off limits. It's most effective in showing the deep vulnerability of the band and how year's of infighting have fractured the personal relationships of many of the members. It also cements Metallica as one of the world's super groups and perhaps the biggest band in the last 20 years.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Tragical romantic. I'm a sucker for Charlie Kaufman scripts and Michel Gondry's aesthetic had me engaged the whole way. Really good stuff.
5. Shaun of the Dead - At first you think this is a "guilty pleasure" movie; a movie that isn't really that great but you really really enjoyed it. Then you step back and realize that it is, in fact, great. Funniest movie of the year? Quite possibly. Also some very tender moments, too. Immensely entertaining.
6. A Very Long Engagement - Jeunet is really a master of time and space and in this film he really calls on that as there are a myriad of rich characters. Probably the most beautifully photographed film of the year. It's also a rare case of where the mystery within the film has a very satisfying resolution.
7. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - It's really everything I wanted Vol. 1 to be. People say you can't have one without the other. I say those people are wrong to a degree. If Vol. 1 was about and hour long, then you could lump them together. See, in Vol. 2 there are stakes (!) and characters (!). Really an expertly done movie with one glaring plot hole (the gunshot wound).
8. Sideways - Best character piece out there. It's Swingers for 40 year-olds, only in this version Mikey is kind of an asshole. Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen are all excellent. Kudos to Alexander Payne for making a film dealing largely in wine culture -- something incredibly narrowcast -- so accessible. Very honest, very sincere film.
9. The Aviator - The best I've seen of the many many biopics that came out this year. The ending is a bit duvious, but I suppose the real story is over at that point. What can you say that hasn't already been said about Scorsese? What truly caught me off guard was how good Leo DiCaprio was. Tour de force performace from him probably worthy of an Oscar. At times in the latter part of the film, I was reminded of Citizen Kane in terms of the protagonist's struggle with the public. Cate Blanchett might be the most charming thing in movies this year. And Alan Alda! Alan Alda, people! The guy is brilliant in a supporting role.
10. Kinsey - God, that Bill Condon can write (and direct). Another great movie littered with fantastic performances. Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Peter Sarsgaard are all excellent. Quite the sexposee (oh boo, that was awful. sorry). Sexual barriers are broken down, though. It toes the narrow line between interesting story and full-on biopic mode. The final scene, in particular, is very sweetand saves the movie from laboring on and on.
Good, but... (no particular order)
Million Dollar Baby - There are too many flaws in this movie for me to really really like it. The relationship between Eastwood and Swank evolves into something very lovely and Swank's preformance is excellent, but I felt like the plot of the film wasn't quite there. The first two acts feel very formulaic (it's a sports movie at that point -- it can't help it), and the third act -- a surprise, I suppose -- comes right out of left field and deals with an issue completely unrelated to the film at that point (even if it does transcend the Eastwood/Swank bond). It's all handled well enough, but I never felt that emotional spark and I thought the boxing within the movie was beyond ludicrous. There were so many instances in Swank's marquee fight, as well as everything else with "The Blue Bear," that warrant as instant disqualification that it's absurd.
Friday Night Lights - Again, good movie. But it's a sports movie and as avid a fanatic as I am about sports, I still haven't seen a film that matched up to the real thing. FNL, however, is the most accurate gameplay I've ever seen which is a major accomplishment. The action scenes are incredible. The four subplots, however true they are, still feel rehashed.
The Incredibles - Best family movie of the year without question and entirely entertaining. Too bad there isn't a single original idea in the film.
Anchorman - I laughed a lot in this movie. I thought Will Ferrell was genius and his supporting cast sometimes upstaged him. I just couldn't put it as one of the best films of the year. So very funny, yet so unworthy of a mention on that list.
Team America - See Anchorman. I laughed my ass off during this movie (the puppet sex scene is unreal), but the message of the film that claims to have no message gets muddled by the end. The laughs also really drop off with about 30 minutes to go.
Fahrenheit 9/11 - Still a really good film, even if Moore does lead you by the hand during the Iraq portion (he's not physically there, but his presence in the editing room is far more profound). It's sad that it feels so dated. I imagine that the rewatchable value of F9/11 can only diminish.
Letdowns
Life Aquatic - Can't help but lead this category off with a film that I had the highest of expectations for. To be clear, I still "like" it, but only in the sense that it's passable. It's funny and pretty, but somehow unengaging. I think the problem lies in the supporting cast. Anderson was bent on making this an ensemble piece when, really, none of the supporting characters were interesting at all. I would rather have seen a film that focused strictly on the character of Steve Zissou who is so immensely complex and yet reveals so little of himself. Also, Owen Wilson's character has perhaps the worst payoff of anything in 2004. He's served a great injustice and it's frustrating for an audience member who has invested in him. "Frustrating" pretty much sums up the latter half of this movie.
Ocean's Twelve - The twist ending is soooo stupid that it completely invalidates the entire movie. I'm not kidding. The reveal happens and you think to yourself, "I just threw away two hours of my life." Plus I hate movies that are cool for the sake of being cool.
Finding Neverland - Boring. Sorry, you're better off watching Peter Pan. You'll get the same gist of it and you'll be far more entertained. Johnny Depp is top notch and the kids are actually pretty good, but it leaves a lot to be desired.
The Village - Maybe the biggest disappointment of '04. This movie would be so much better if there weren't a twist. The final act is nothing short of incipid.
Other good flicks (I don't feel like writing all of these up)
The Bourne Supremacy
Garden State
Mean Girls
Miracle
Napolean Dynomite
The Terminal
Spider-Man 2 (with reservation)
Supersize Me
Coffee and Cigarettes
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
In Good Company
Wimbledon
The Punisher (surprise)
Trainwrecks you can enjoy at a base level
The Girl Next Door - It's really funny, but really bad.
The Day After Tomorrow
Flight of the Phoenix
Not good
A Home at the End of the World
Dodgeball
Man on Fire - Literally unwatchable
The awful (would you believe I saw these two on the same night?)
New York Minute - Why? WHY?!
The Passion of the Christ - Beautifully photographed, completely self-indulgent.
Damn, I didn't think I'd mention everything I've seen so far. Meh.
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