My Top 10 Films of 2004

1) Fahrenheit 911
Michael Moore’s latest documentary is a brilliant piece of satire that holds up to factual scrutiny far better than the media here is willing to admit. It covers the last four years in a whirlwind, from the fishy election in 2000, to 9/11, and Bush’s connection to the Saudi Royal Family, this movie cuts deep. Certainly Moore is giving his version of reality, but that’s an inherent part of filmmaking- to present a world through the lens of a director. Fahrenheit managed to beat a move by Disney to bury it, and went on to become a phenomenon. The movie works both as political propaganda and terrific filmmaking. The way Moore handles the event of 9/11 itself, with just a black screen and the screams of the people watching- was the most emotionally devastating presentations of the tragedy of 9/11 I have seen. It belies any fool who says Moore hates America. This film, and the frenzy of hatred some people have shown toward it, marks it as the cleaver splitting America in half between those who love Bush- and those who hate him.

2) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
On the other side of the spectrum comes the third, and best, of the Harry Potter movies. A better look, tighter story, and the increased acting ability of the three principle leads, Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Danielle Ratcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson respectively) make for a habitually watchable film for Potter fans of all stripes. Director Alfonso Cueron’s greatest achievement is telling a complicated story with such skill, one hardly realizes how confusing it could all potentially be. Additionally, Cueron shows the Potter movies don’t have to follow the bland, minutia obsessed style of the earlier two films.

3) Kill Bill Volume 2
Better than Volume 1, this second installment is the think-piece accompaniment to Part One’s action/gore fest. Tarantino picks up right where he left off with the Bride (Uma Thurman) on her hell-bent quest to find Bill (David Carradine). The story, while still sparse, pays off nicely in the grand finale. Uma spars with Carradine verbally instead of physically, marking an interesting contrast to the heavily physical film as a whole. The scene where Uma is buried alive by Michael Madsen, along with the interlocking story of how she is able to escape, is Tarantino at his best.

4) Hero
This movie wasn’t released in the US until this year. Zhang Yimou’s martial arts film tells the same story 3 different ways, adding depth and twists to the plot with each re-telling. Like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this film is visually delightful and full of incredible sword play, especially by Jet Li. The thing I liked best was Yimou’s use of natural elements- water, trees, etc. The fight scene that takes place amidst a storm of yellow leaves was the most beautiful single segment I saw this year and shows CGI can be used for more than robots and space battles.

5) Dogville
Lars Van Trier’s film relies completely on the skills of his actors to carry this engrossing story about the good and bad of community, power, and individual responsibility. There is no set. Instead, the town in the Rocky Mountains where the story takes place is delineated by lines drawn on the ground and hints of set to help mark boundaries. Nicole Kidman plays a wonderfully complicated character faced with the decision whether to turn the other cheek or take an eye for an eye. Even more than its style, I found myself mulling over the ramifications of the story for days.

6) The Incredibles
Pixar’s story about superheroes who suffer all too human frailties is my favorite from the studio so far. The lush island way off in the middle of the ocean is a great touch, and the various chase scenes are fun to watch. This is the first Pixar film to use people as the main characters and I think it’s interesting that the Incredibles come off as more human than their computer counterparts in The Polar Express- even though the Incredibles are much less “photo realistic.”

7) Garden State
Surprisingly funny film about falling in love- a sort of 21st Century version of The Graduate. The biggest pleasant surprise of the year was Natalie Portman, whose charater in the movie suffers epilepsy, wasn’t forced to fake a seizure to prove some overly-melodramatic point about the tenuousness of life and the need to love. Instead the movie discusses these same themes cleverly and with great originality. Garden State is a great first effort by Zach Braff, who also starred and wrote the film.

8) Control Room
This is the film that should win the best documentary Oscar since Fahrenheit 9/11 isn’t eligible. Directed by Jehane Noujaim, Control Room documents the enormous difference between the US’s vision of itself, and the way it’s seen in the rest of the world. It mainly follows two people, an Al Jazeera senior producer and a Pentagon spokesperson who struggle to understand one another’s point of view. It’s interesting that the spokesman, Josh Rushing, has since been drummed out of the service and Al Jazeera has been banned from Iraq. A movie that I wish had been seen by more people here.

9) Spider Man 2
Another sequel better than its predecessor, this movie looked great and improved on the things the first did poorly without screwing up the things it did right. Clearly the centerpiece of a trilogy, this movie nicely sets us up for Part three, and like Return of the King- I’m actually looking forward to it.

10) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Original, strange film that stands out as the first movie Jim Carrey actually managed to act in without making a fool of himself. The way the film winds a great metaphysical premise into a story that’s really about people is what really makes it stand out.