Rob’s Top Ten, 2004

Because of the absurd manner in which studios release films at the end of the year, any “Best of” list collected in late December threatens to exclude several of the best films of the year. I haven’t seen Million Dollar Baby, Hotel Rwanda, The Assasination of Richard Nixon, The Woodsman, The Sea Inside, or the Merchant of Venice, all of which are listed as 2004 films. On the other end, many films technically credited as 2003 aren’t available for viewing until 2004. At least one on my list is listed as a 2003 feature, while another (Hero) is listed as 2002. Caveats aside, and in no particular order. . .

The Big Red One: Lee Marvin doesn’t really act. I’m not sure what it is that he does, but it grows more powerful with distance. Big Red One in its reconstructed version is a useful corrective to the Brokaw/Spielberg “Greatest Generation” tripe. No one in the First Infantry fought for freedom or democracy; they fought to stay alive. The best scene comes on Omaha Beach, where Marvin has to shoot at Mark Hamill’s character to make him advance in a nearly suicidal mission.

Closer: Thoughts given here.

Bad Education: Reviewed here.

Vera Drake: Quiet, well made, and deeply evocative of moment and milieu while keeping the focus on character and personality.

Sideways: I can’t really add much to what Scott has said here.

Maria Full of Grace: I thought that Marston missed a bit of an opportunity in the second half; I never got the sense of raw terror that I think would afflict anyone fleeing alone from murderous drug dealers in a strange, foreign city with no money. That the film wasn’t as good as it could have been, however, shouldn’t detract from how good it was.

Hero: Technically a 2002 film, I didn’t even see it in the theaters during its 2004 release. Nevertheless, it would be a pity to exclude such a fine effort from the end of the year top list. A stunning but, in some ways, surprisingly subtle combination of visual majesty and political complexity centered on China’s founding mythistory.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Can’t tell you how much I love this film. Best movie ever made about a romantic relationship.

Blind Shaft: A 2003 release that didn’t make it to Seattle until March or April. If Manohla Dargis can include it on her list, I can include it on mine. Bitter, desperate small time hustlers in China resort to serial murder in an effort to feed their families. Great stuff.

The Aviator: I liked this film much better than I thought I would. Probably the most important element of my fondness is Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Hughes. I’ve tended to be pretty hard on Leo; the only performances I really like are those in which he plays himself (Celebrity, The Beach to a lesser extent), and I thought he was a tremendous problem in The Gangs of New York. He really comes through here, though, as do Blanchett and of course Baldwin. It would be a pity for Scorcese to win Best Picture for the Aviator, but more because of the strength of past efforts than the weakness of this one.

Honorable Mention:

Kinsey
Spiderman 2
The Return
The Motorcycle Diaries
Shaun of the Dead
A Very Long Engagement
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Best Time I had in a Theater:

Lawrence of Arabia at the Cinerama. Better than sex.