There are so many interesting looking films which were released in
2004 that I have yet to catch up with. However, looking back on the
ones I have seen, there has been no shortage of films of a high calibre.

As usual, I've restricted my list to films that have been released in
the UK in 2004 (either generally or on limited release), and therefore
excludes films shown exclusively at film festivals. So here it goes:-

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [Michel Gondry]: inventive,
unpretentiously clever, funny, profound, and just downright brilliant.
2. The Return [Andrei Zvyagintsev]: beautiful, complex and yet
gracefully simple.
3. Kitchen Stories [Bent Hamer]: eccentric, warm, charming, slow,
oblique, understated, Kaurismaki-like gem.
4. Before Sunset [Richard Linklater]: a beautiful, witty,
intelligent, insightful, and moving film.
5. American Splendor [Shari Springer Berman / Robert Pulcini]:
wonderful portrait of the endearingly miserable Harvey Pekar.
6. The Station Agent [Thomas McCarthy]: graceful in its weaving of
gentle humour and perceptive observation.
7. The Incredibles [Brad Bird]: yet another Pixar classic.
8. Vodka Lemon [Hiner Saleem]: cold simplicity of setting
complimented by warmth and humanity of characterisations, and surreal
humour in the face of utterly grim social conditions.
9. 21 Grams [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu]: much more than just an
experiment in narrative technique.
10. Capturing the Friedmans [Andrew Jarecki]: complex, disturbing,
fascinating, and never shying away from ambiguity.

Two that narrowly missed the top ten:
Code 46 (Michael Winterbottom)
Hukkle [Gyorgy Palfi] – shown at the 2003 Cambridge Film Festival, but
received limited release in 2004

Other excellent films:
The Basque Ball: Skin Against Stone [Julio Medem]
Big Fish [Tim Burton]
Coffee and Cigarettes [Jim Jarmusch]
Comme Une Image (Look At Me) [Agnes Jaoui]
Elephant [Gus Van Sant]
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban [Alfonso Cuaron]
Feux Rouges (Red Lights) [Cedric Kahn]
Infernal Affairs [Wai Keung Lau / Siu Fai Mak]
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 [Quentin Tarantino]
The Motorcycle Diaries [Walter Salles]
My Summer of Love [Paul Pavlikovsky]
Shaun of the Dead [Edgar Wright]
Shrek 2 [Andrew Adamson / Kelly Asbury / Conrad Vernon]
Uzak [Nuri Bilge Ceylan]
Valentin [Alejandro Agresti]
Zatoichi [Takeshi Kitano]

Other films that deserve a mention:-
Ae Fond Kiss [Ken Loach]
The Corporation [Jennifer Abbott / Mark Achbar]
Fahrenheit 9/11 [Michael Moore]
Last Life in the Universe [Pen-Ek Ratanaruang]
Memories of Murder [Joon-ho Bong]
Nathalie [Anne Fontaine]
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.. and Spring [Ki-duk Kim]

And some others I particularly enjoyed:-
The Barbarian Invasions [Denys Arcand]
Girl with a Pearl Earring [Peter Webber]
Northfork [Michael Polish]
Super Size Me [Morgan Spurlock]

Most disappointing film of the year:-
Dogville [Lars von Trier]

Mike
mob61uk





--- In filmtalkuk@..., ryllah berico <holiholihoy@y...>
wrote:
> i loved "super size me". i haven't made a list yet but SSM and
before sunset would also definitely be there. but i the best movie i
saw this year was 2046. won kar wai is amazing. the mood, the feel and
the acting was superb. even the website is so incredibly cool.
http://www.wkw2046.com/
>
> i really must see Farenheight 9/11.
>
> and oh, happy holidays everybody! i hope everyone has a blast in
2005! cheers!
>
> +)
> rye
>
>
> mdoust4mike <mdoust4mike@y...> wrote:
>
> Well considering I haven't been to the cinema for two whole months,
> this list is hardly the definitive article. So it is basically my top
> ten films as seen at the cinema in the Ten Months to the start of
> November.
>
> 1st -
>
> 2nd - Open Water
> 3rd - The Football Factory
> 4th - SuperSize Me
> 5th - Before Sunset
> 6th - Cold Mountain
> 7th - Edgeplay
> 8th - Mondovino
> 9th - Kill Bill 2
> 10th - The Village
>
> I have to say for a Top Ten after number 6, there is a real f******
> drop off. My fault I should have seen more movies.
>
> I was thinking about compiling a Ten Worst list. However films like
> VAN HELSING, LAST SAMURAI, and LAYER CAKE, are more suited to a worst
> of all time list, rather than worst films for any one particular year.
>
> Mike
> filmfan99uk
>
>
>
>
>
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