If you had told me at the beginning of 2004 what sort of year I'd be spending with the movies, I probably wouldn't have believed you. It was quite a year, a year of falling in love (" "), breaking up (" )", getting back together and breaking up and getting back together again (" "), a , , , , year at the multiplex, the arts theater, and Cinefest. And never say I didn't do anything for you, loyal reader, because I've gone from the heights of cinema greatness to the slimy, rat-infested depths of absolute terror in order to keep you informed and ahead of the game.
So, without further ado, here's Still Reeling's best and worst of 2004.
10) " " - Mario Van Peebles' auteur piece based on his own pioneering father's work inventing the "a href="http://www.blaxploitation.
com/">Blaxploitation cinema hero was the best movie that most people didn't see this year, sneaking into theaters this summer with little fanfare. Though it hasn't gotten the critical attention it's due, this intimate story of true guerrilla film, and the lengths to which a man will go for the sake of art, challenges and satisfies on every level.
9) " " - This simply, brutally told true story of one man's quest to save lives during the 20th century genocide in the African nation of Rwanda would be an amazing film even if it were fiction.
The fact that it isn't makes the film even more powerful, and that much more difficult to watch.
8) " " - I haven't been so continually on edge for such a long period of time during any other movie in my life. And that's a good thing.
This intense story of a young, innocent girl forced by circumstance into the seedy, dangerous world of drug trafficking doesn't let up, the drama building slowly and terrifyingly from the beginning of the film to the final frame. With such a small, human story, this accomplishment is even more admirable.
7) " " - Martin Scorsese's and Leonardo DiCaprio's labor of love biopic on Howard Hughes infects you with its irresistable charisma and unsuppressable optimism, much like Hughes himself in the prime of his life.
In a year smothered in biopics, this was the absolute best, managing (unlike all of the others) to focus more on the "pic" than the "bio" without betraying the subject.
6) " " - A flawless popcorn-muncherrific summer blockbuster. 'Nuff said!
5) " " - This film proves that a movie can be accessible without sacrificing quality. Hollywood bigwigs should take some notes from Brad Bird and Pixar, who managed to make a film that appeals to literally everyone. Super-hero action and intrigue the likes of which you will probably never see again (unless Pixar blesses us with "The Incredibles 2" somewhere down the line?
), without all that confusing continuity stuff from all those Marvel movies.
4) " " - Part zombie-film, part satire, part spoof, part terrifying, part hilarious, all British, all wonderful. Dare you to try watching this movie without being completely immersed in the imaginary world that British filmmakers Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg have created.
3) - This movie is so good that I won't watch it. That is, the the story is so powerful, the parts so well acted, the directing so flawless, the emotional impact of the film so great, that I just can't sit through it without being completely overwhelmed emotionally. Call me sappy, call me lame, call me border-line depressive, but don't call me crazy.
This film is one of the most original works of art to be created in years, spectacular on an artistic and technical level, and merging the two together seamlessly.
2) " " - Notice a trend? 2004 was irrefutably the year of the , and in a year of pulp, comic book influence, violence and gore, this was the mother of them all.
And yet, unlike Volume 1, Tarantino doesn't rely on simple absurdity or shock value in this film, instead opting to one-up himself with haunting emotional overtones and heart-breaking pathos. Not only that, but it has the best replay value of any movie released this year. Watch it over and over again, and it not only retains its power but becomes better and more complex each time you watch it.
This, together with Part 1, is Quentin's masterpiece.
1) " " - When I first saw this movie, I never thought it would take my spot as best film of the year. Sure, I was captivated by the long, intimate, dialogue-driven scenes and the complicated interplay between the characters, and the sucker-punch ending absolutely took me by surprise, but I didn't really think of it as "great.
" Days passed, and I kept thinking about "Closer", turning over the implications of the plot and the ending in my head, trying to decide what the characters really thought and what Director Mike Nichols was really getting at. I soon realized that this movie had stayed with me long after the credits rolled, challenging me and bringing me to ask important questions about life and love. And that's the mark of a great film.
No other movie had this profound an effect on me this year, and I hope that despite the lukewarm critical reception, this film will live on as a classic in peoples' minds.
10) " " -- Here's a tip for Oliver Stone, Academy Award-winning director, from me, 19 year-old film geek: if you make a biopic about a military conqueror in which his greatest victory is skipped over with one throwaway line of voice over narration, your movie will not be good.
9) " " -- Van Hell No!
Sorry, couldn't resist. See this only if you are mad at yourself. Unbearable and ridiculous, contrived and stupid.
8) " " -- So appallingly ill-conceived, badly acted, directed, edited, filmed, designed, written, and probably craft-serviced, that one has to wonder whether or not anyone actually stopped to think about what they were doing. Anacondas? The good news is that the DVD sold so well that a sequel is in the works.
What?! Shame on you people!
7) " " -- I hated this film so much that I was accused of Communism, Terrorism, Treason, Assholism, and other deviant lifestyles for the content of my now infamous review. Personally, I think the makers of this film would be getting off lightly with those accusations.
-- There are two situations in which this movie could be funny: if you are a racist, or if you have never watched any racial satire before in your entire life.
Redundant and obnoxious. Makes look like .
5) " " -- Can you even imagine?
She actually eats sushi and tuna fish and meows. At the cop. Who is trying to find "Catwoman.
" And has seen her naked. This movie couldn't be stupider if you exposed it to massive amounts of radiation while beating it in the head with a .
4) " " -- If " " were lobotomized and directed by a drunken raccoon, this movie would be the result.
3) " " -- should judge the earth for this film. We all deserve whatever we get.
2) " " -- Courts should judge the Wayans Brothers for this film.
They deserve whatever they get.
1) " " -- Bafflingly horrible. I don't even know how to criticize it.
If an alien landed in a spaceship and watched this movie, you would be that alien, because this movie is so horrible and confusing that it's hard to imagine that our culture could have created it. Plays like some weird, alchemical experiment conducted by Martians that went horribly, horribly wrong. Flan?
That horse that Ben Stiller kills? Chris Walken as a strange bum who advises Ben Stiller in every matter? Poop spray?
Is this actually a movie?
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