Films of 2004

Better late than never, I guess. Here's the list of movies I really enjoyed last year, in no particular order. Suffice to say, I would watch each one of these films again.

Anchorman- Let's start with the guilty pleasure. Let's not kid ourselves, this is about watching Will Farrell act like an idiot with a complete straight face. Knights of Columbus this is funny!

Bourne Supremacy- Good direction and a great car chase make up for not giving Matt Damon enough to really work with here. The amnesia gimic and clever spy tricks aren't around, but this is still a fun movie and I think the franchise has can get one more movie out of it.

Collateral- Cruise steps aside and lets Jamie Foxx steal this show. Mann can film a book reading and make it look good and this film is no exception. The jazz club scene is devistating.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind- I can't name a Jim Carrey or Kate Winslet movie that I like, so you can imagine how surprised I was that this picture is so good! Kaufman finally writes a sympathetic character and it makes all the difference. Visually gripping and emotionally heartfelt. On-screen chemistry is like catching lightning in a bottle and Carrey and Winselt have the chemistry needed for this to work.

The Incredibles- Not the emotional high that The Iron Giant was, but this movie has enough heart, humor and eye candy to keep you coming back for more. Try not to smile once the family starts fighting the bad guys as a team. I dare you!

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou- I have no idea why people are slagging this movie. A visit to Wes Anderson's world is funny, strange and always heartfelt. He got a big budget and used every bit of it. The ship setwork is a visual treat!

Twilight Samurai- THE surprise film of 2004 for me. I had no idea it would be as good as it is. A wonderful homage to the Kurosawa legacy. One of the finest tributes to love, family, honor and the search for inner peace.

The Agronomist- the self serving American political documentaries of '04 should hang their heads in shame at the sight of this story. This Hatian activist positively controls the screen with his character and personality. Shot over a time span of 10 years, this documentary captures the struggle for free speech in Haiti over the last 30 years.

Stander- The second surprise movie for me last year. Bronwyn Hughes surprised me with her stylish, gritty and engrossing film about South African cop turned bankrobber Andre Stander. Thomas Jane commits himself to the role and it pays off.

Biggest Disappointments of 2004:
Not the list of the worst of '04 (I didn't see Soul Plane) this is the list of biggest let downs. The movies that had so much going for them, but failed to deliver the goods.

Hellboy- What the? One of the most boring, choppy incoherent movies I've witnessed in a while. Ron Perlman was born for this role and Del Toro obviously had the love. So where was the magic?

Ladykillers- It 0 for 2 for the Coen bros. lately. Pointless, humorless and it rides one note for the whole flick. I think Joel and Ethan have lost their edge. There's two of you guys. Have the decency to send at least one of you to the set every now and then...

Manchruian Candidate- Denzel, shoot me, shoot me, please. Denzel does his best impression of Mel Gibson in Conspiracy Theory for this one. Scenery gets chewed, SFX are total crap and the music editing and selection are pure crap. And don't make cute homages to the original movie. It just makes yours look worse. Johnathan, if you're doing satire, go all the way baby, because a near miss just looks like you don't know what you're doing. Stick to documentaries (See The Agronomist) if this is all you have left. Only good thing about this movie is the Robyn Hitchcock cameo.

Zatoichi- I think this movie finally taught me not to believe the hype. Anyone who wants to watch this a second time needs to take a step back and try the decaf. Bizaare for bizaare sake is just...bizaare.