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January 3, 2005

My Top Ten for 2004

Inspired by several other "best of 2004" lists (Rashomon and Green Cine among others), I've decided to list some of my favorite films of the year. Unlike George of A Girl and a Gun (who has a great list of films), I'm a closet fan of ten-best lists. Even though I know that such lists are usually arbitrary, I read them voraciously, usually with the hope that I'll discover a film that I've missed or that I'll find a popular or critcially panned film worth giving a second chance. Like George, I'm not a professional critic (and in my case I don't live in a film center), so I don't get to see everything. But I have been thinking about this list over the last few days, so here's my list, in semi-chronological order, of some of the films I liked in 2004:

  1. Everyday People: I caught Jim McKay's film at the Atlanta Film Festival and really liked McKay's deft treatment of an ensemble cast. The film weaves between more than a dozen characters, all of whom are conflicted about the closing of a family restaurant in Brooklyn. Limiting the story to the restaurant's final 24 hours gives the film a narrative force it might otherwise lose.
  2. Reconstruction: Another favorite from the Atlanta Film Festival, Christoffer Boe's meditation on time and memory was one of the most intellectually compelling films I saw all year.
  3. Control Room: One of the best in a great year of documentaries. Lieutenant John Rushing and Al-Jazeera reporter Hassan Ibrahim and producer Samir Khader provide one of the more compelling takes on news reporting I saw all year.
  4. Before Sunset: I'm joining the bandwagon on this one, I know, but Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy have managed to create some of the most unforgettable characters of the year.
  5. The Corporation: I never had a chance to revisit my initial review of Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar's powerful and sometimes wickedly humorous take on American capitalism.
  6. Bright Leaves: Ross McElwee's latest autobiographical documentary, a reflection on cinema, photography, memory, and (to a lesser extent) tobacco, captivated me. This might be a personal fascination: I connect pretty deeply with McElwee's ambivalence about the south and his fascination with cinema and memory. The scenes featuring his film buff distant cousin also captivated the cinephile in me.
  7. Primer: Another great film about time. I'm a sucker for time travel films, and Shane Carruth's $7000 debut provided one of the best mindfucks of the year.
  8. Undertow: I haven't seen David Gordon Green's film on many other lists, so I'm guessing this is a personal obsession. Loved the moody cinematgraphy and the narrative pacing. Deel (Josh Lucas) is one of the creepiest villains I saw in 2004.
  9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: I never did review the latest Gondry-Kauffman collaboration, but the film's treatment of memory and lost love was funny and smart. I also really dug Kate Winslet's hair.
  10. The Saddest Music in the World: Again, no full review, and I only caught it on DVD, but one of most visually inventive films I've seen in the last five years.
Honorable mention: The Dreamers, Collateral, Spider-Man 2, Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, I ♥ Huckabees, Sideways, The Incredibles, Kill Bill Vol. 2, and Closer.

Films I wish I'd seen: Tarnation, Hotel Rwanda, Moolaadé, Los Angeles Plays Itself, Bad Education, Good Bye Lenin and The Five Obstructions. Many of these films never made it to Atlanta (or left town before I could see them). Many others I simply have no excuse for not seeing. I might come up with some other "awards" later this week if the mood strikes.

Update: I completely forgot Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, another great film I never properly reviewed, which should probably be in or close to my top ten.

Posted by chuck at January 3, 2005 11:39 AM

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Comments

great list...several of these never played around here, or I just missed them. Will have to hope they make it to DVD.

Posted by: Mel at January 3, 2005 2:52 PM

Thanks, Mel. Most should make it to Netflix or a good DVD rental store. Everyday People may be the hardest to find, but that's just a guess.

Posted by: chuck at January 3, 2005 3:30 PM

Do you know if Tarantino is going to release Kill Bill as he originally wanted it screened? I'm waiting for the boxed set to buy it...

Posted by: Cassie at January 3, 2005 7:34 PM

I heard that Hotel Rwanda is supposed to go into wide release this Friday. I'm not sure if it ever made it into Atlanta, but here's hoping it does.

Posted by: Jen at January 3, 2005 8:30 PM

Cassie, I'm not sure. I've heard a few rumors that the DVD would allow the Kill Bill films as Tarantino wished, but can't confirm it.

Jen, I just did a quick IMDB and Yahoo search and I don't have any new information about what films will be playing this weekend in Atlanta, but given the number of trailers I've seen for Hotel Rwanda, I think it's a safe bet that it'll be playing at the Midtown 8 at the very least. Reminds me, though, that I forgot to mention two other films I wish I'd seen, Brother to Brother and Born into Brothels, both of which are supposed to reach the Midtown 8 this spring.

Posted by: Chuck at January 3, 2005 8:49 PM

Jen, I just found out that Hotel Rwanda is playing at the Tara starting on Friday. I think it's also playing at Southlake Mall, but I've been out of the loop most of the week because of jury duty.

Posted by: Chuck [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 6, 2005 4:56 PM

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