2004 was not a great year for film. Most of the year was spent anticipating an exemplary film to emerge from the pack. Around November or so, it became apparent that such a film was not to come. There was no "Return of the King," or anything even close to meriting a title of such regalness. Much like my compatriot's list of the "Top Ten Albums," this is the "cream of the crap," as he so eloquently stated.
"Ray," "The Aviator," and "Million Dollar Baby" seem to be the ones competing for top honors at the Golden Globe Awards. The Academy Awards mimic the Golden Globes almost every year, so we can assume those to be the winners, and ignore them in this, my list of the year's best. That, and, those are the ones that either have yet to come to Buffalo, in the case of "Million Dollar Baby," or I just didn't get around to seeing. Jamie Foxx is a great actor, he just needed the role to prove it, and Eastwood and Scorsese are great directors. There's no need to elaborate.
10. "The Village" - M. Night Shyamalan's fourth major film wasn't the hottest plate he's served, but it was genuinely a good film. Who cares if he rips off Alfred Hitchcock? Who cares if the ending could be seen from as far away as a landing strip? Well, a lot of people care about those things, but this was a stylishly old-fashioned story. The screenplay read like a novella. The love story was unparalleled this year, and Shyamalan's sheer audacity for casting last year's Oscar winner for "Best Actor," Adrian Brody, as his mental defect is worth commending.
9. "The Passion of the Christ" - So it's not a new story, but no one's nominating it for "Best Screenplay." As historical epics go, this was the best of the year, not that "King Arthur" or "Alexander" offered much in the way of competition. Don't even talk to me about "Troy." The cinematography was awesome. The acting was good enough. All Mel Gibson had to do to make this one of the best films of the year was make it acceptable. Any major flaw, and a film based on the story of Jesus is going to get laughed out of the theater. "The Passion" was without major flaws.
8. "Sideways" - Alexander Payne is in the same boat as Shyamalan. He's made some amazing films, but this year's contribution just didn't add up. Just because this one was geared towards professional critics' age group, that is, middle-aged, doesn't mean that it's his best. On the other hand, Paul Giamatti is the best ugly actor since Steve Buscemi. And that dude from Wings was pretty good too, considering he was once the co-star on a USA network sitcom. The full-frontal nudity of that apparent ex-L.A. Raiders lineman was among the most horrifying moments of the year.
7. "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" - Again, this is not Quentin Tarantino at his best, but that bar is as high as they go. The training sequence with The Bride, played by Uma Thurman, will be remembered as a great funny/intense bit, in the style of the boot camp portion of "Full Metal Jacket." Michael Madsen gets my vote for best supporting actor. For the ex-Mr. Blonde, he played a kicked puppy better than I could have expected. Through his journey of regaining authority only to lose it to the poison of the black mamba, he showcases every aspect of power and control relations, and does it all well.
6. "Saved!" - This film featured the most unrecognized satire of the year, having created a bigger fuss with its target than "Team America." It featured the return of Macauley Culkin, as the wheelchair-bound boy looking to get laid. "Saved!" did a good job of not trouncing the idea of religion, while pointing out the problems with neo-morality, and the just-plain-funny aspects of young Christians trying to be cool. Christian rock got the ribbing that was coming to it, featuring a cameo from The Replacements as the group.
5. "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" - Wes Anderson added another classic to his arsenal this year, as he continues to compile one of the finer catalogues for a comedic director. Bill Murray gets subtler with every performance. In "The Life Aquatic," he doesn't have any of his typically zany moments. His mild and gradual evolution as an actor has been fascinating to watch. The screenplay deserves top accolades for Angelica Huston's frank delivery on of the line, "Zissou shoots blanks."
4. "Kinsey" - This was an unquestionably important film. The man's study was so far ahead of its time 60 years ago that, sexually, the story is still shocking people. That's not an easy thing to accomplish anymore, at least not since "The Crying Game." Regardless, the shock is hardly where the quality lies. It was a riveting story that showcased the ultimate accomplishment: enlightenment on a wide scale. Kinsey taught people there is no "normal," and his story continues to do so. This is a film that relied completely on its story and acting. No great cinematography, not much fancy editing and, aside from Liam Neeson's moderate pull, no star power. All the recognition "Kinsey" gets is by merit of the man.
3. "The Incredibles" - No film has been this much fun since, to pick perhaps its polar opposite in content, "Pulp Fiction." Samuel L. Jackson is the only link, and he didn't have to carry "The Incredibles." The action sequences are just as exciting and the jokes are just as fresh, if again, with material that couldn't be more different. This is a movie that takes advantage of the doors opened by the animation of "Toy Story" and opens more doors for future films. Every year, people are taking less dramatic films more seriously, and it's about time.
2. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" - In contrast with Shyamalan, Anderson and Tarantino, who all made good films which sit in the shadow of better works, Charlie Kaufman wrote a great story which eclipses his older work, particularly "Adaptation." Kate Winslett was adorable and played a well-written, believable character. She was a quirky indie girl, and acted like it perfectly. And Jim Carrey played the kind of guy who would fall for her nicely as well. The idea behind the story was enveloping in an original way, and was followed through with meticulous detail. Simply erasing the character's memories wasn't enough. It had to be believable. The clinic wasn't some elaborate, futurist den. It looked like the first floor of my apartment. Profuse with that sort of realistic detail is what made "Eternal Sunshine" terrific.
1. "The Machinist" - First off, Christian Bale shed well over 50 pounds from a fit body for his lead role in the film. This is the sort of body-manipulating feat that few people, let alone actors, can accomplish. Brad Anderson's direction of the film was akin to Darren Aronofsky's work, not in terms of the editing, but the mood. He achieves a remarkable state of paranoid darkness. The story is completely unpredictable, which was rare this year. As good as the cinematography was in many other films this year like "The Passion" and "House of Flying Daggers," Anderson made more effective use of it. Bale would earn my nod for "Best Actor," for a great performance in congruence with his dedication to the project. Anderson would get "Best Director," because, if they made the "Best Picture," doesn't that make them the "Best Director?" Redundancy rocks.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
