I've lost interest lately in writing movie reviews, primarily because I was distracting myself from the enjoyment of movies by composing the review while watching them. But I'll still drop a few lists on you. I think overall 2004 was a step down from 2003 in terms of quality movies coming into my world, which is, admittedly, pretty limited. I know from the years I've gone to festivals that there are probably several gems I've missed because Landmark was feeling gassy that day. Resolution for 2005: go to more local festivals, go the the Harvard Film Archive more often, go to the MFA more often. Especially the MFA. They get some really good movies curated in there. Anyhoo, enough about that, on with the lists.
My top ten movies of 2004
1. Sideways, US (dir. Alexander Payne)
Miles Raymond, c'est moi. Except I don't whine as much.
2. Before Sunset, US (dir. Richard Linklater)
Shockingly fascinating 90 minute journey into the depths.
3. Swades, India (dir. Ashutosh Gowariker)
The NRI (Non-Returning Indian) returns, but won't leave his spiffy campervan because his Nanny's house has fleas. Plus singing and dancing, and more ideas than five good western movies. Are all Bollywood movies this amazing?
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, US (dir. Michel Gondry)
Here for its technical wizardry and melodrama, but Charlie Kaufman is starting to seems a little too clever for his own good.
5. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, US (dir. Larry Blamire)
So bad that it's a masterpiece. Please laugh your ass off by smoking a bone and renting this.
6. Saved!, US (dir. Brian Dannelly)
Cheer as grey areas, freaks and desire triumph over ethics, in-crowd zombies and creepy bible passages.
7. The Saddest Music in the World, Canada (dir. Guy Maddin)
Isabella Rosselini and that hot french chick from Pulp Fiction light up the night in this Nathaniel West-esque expose of capitalists, cynics and uncaring parents.
8. The Motorcycle Diaries, US, etc. (dir. Walter Salles)
A wise-eyed, patient, well-fleshed-out wandering through the hills and valleys of Che Guevara's political awakening.
9. Goodbye, Lenin!, Germany (dir. Wolfgang Becker)
Nostalgia is apparently a viable principal theme for a feature film. Oh, there was probably deeper stuff at work, but mostly what I took away from it was the fond remembrance of East Germany past.
10. The Incredibles, US (dir. Brad Bird)
Takes an encyclopedia of 20th century sci-fi, action and noir story beats, cuts it up and pushes the resulting text it to its magical theoretical maximum of perfection, thanks to the horizonlesness of CGI.
Honorable Mention: Napoleon Dynamite, Crimson Gold, Kinsey, Spring, Summer, Autum, Winter… and Spring, Baadasssss!, Friday Night Lights, Control Room, Ray
Disappointing: I Heart Huckabees, Shaun of the Dead, Maria Full of Grace, Fahrenheit 9/11, Bad Education
Sorry I missed 'em: The Brown Bunny, 50 First Dates, Monsieur Ibrahim, Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst, Intermission, Super Size Me, Still, We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie, The Five Obstructions, Bright Leaves, Tarnation, Vera Drake, A Very Long Engagement, Hotel Rwanda, The Woodsman , The Corporation, Touching the Void, Osama, The Dreamers, What the #$'! Do We Know
Probably woulda been in the top ten if the print I saw hadn't been 2 stops underexposed so I left after 20 minutes even though it was obviously amazing: Goodbye Dragon Inn
Posted by marstall at February 26, 2005 11:05 PMWeeeell... I just saw Sideways. It was funny. Especially with your "Miles Raymond, c'est moi" going through my head. But overall, it's an "Eh" movie for me. It reminds me of how deeply unromantic the US can be. Jeez. I know that's the point, but still... Ugh. And what's with the title? I don't get it. Oh, "side ways"? Like their trip? Ummmm... I can almost see that title on a tasteful wine label. Mmmm, have you tried the Sideways Pinot Noir? It's out of this world.
Also Eh movies are the other ones I've seen from your list. But to be honest maybe I'm just a grump because I can't remember the last time I saw a really good movie. And I haven't seen any of the interesting-sounding ones you mention. Just ESOTSM, where I didn't like the esthetic, and all the f-ing whining that goes on. And Goodbye Lenin, which was pretty mindless kitsch, though a cute plot idea and a great subject. And oh yeah, the Incredibles, well, it's a cartoon. All those cartoons like Shrek and Toy Story and Ice Age and Bugz or whatever, they taste great, but you forget them as soon as you saw 'em.
I think the movie is the wrong level of granularity. For me, I'm happy if I there's nice pictures (that Tom Cruise in LA Taxi movie), or an evocative scene (Rois et Reine), or an inspiring story (Aviator), or a good soundtrack (Ray). But to like a whole movie? That's asking a lot.
50 first dates was cute, another Groundhog Day movie. (Going to the movies is like Groundhog Day, only stupider. You keep hoping something's going to happen, that you'll get through somehow, but it always ends with them turning on the lights and you having to file out with the rest of the drones). Osama I think I slept through. The mother portrayed in Tarnation was rather touching. Super Spare Me. Maria Full of Grace I was rather impressed with, and is one more reason why I don't want to do illegal drugs. Spring, Summer etc. was really beautiful sometimes, but in a kinda artificial bogus way, and the story sucked.
Or maybe I'm just getting old and I can't fall in love with films like I used to...
Nah. That can't be it. Pass the bottle, willya?
PS: On the positive front, muvies is now El Googlissimo Numero Uno. Congratulations! Eat our dust, "hentai muvies, hentai muvies gay, hentay muvies, hot teen muvies"!
Posted by: Kai Carver at February 28, 2005 06:33 PMPPS: Do you know that much about wine? There's another opportunity for a more multimedia movie experience: combine a showing of Sideways with a winetasting.
Posted by: Kai Carver at March 1, 2005 03:32 AMSince I've seen both Sideways and Ray, I've thought of each of them a fair amount. I must conclude that they were better than I said they were, and that I'm a movie grump, for which I hereby apologize.
Posted by: Ibmoid at March 4, 2005 11:41 AM