Personal 2004 Best Lists

[oscar jubis]

You certainly understand how I feel and I agree with your post. I'm going to try to remain open-minded about Huckabees though, as I plan to see it at home as soon as becomes available.

[arsaib4]

I believe the DVD release date for Huckabees is February 22nd.

[Chris Knipp]

To arsaib4--You'll never forgive me for Howard and Kumar, but I know you were joking. As I've noted commenting on your 2003 list, there are a certain number of the movies you've seen that I did not find available despite going to a lot of movies and spending time in New York diligently catching up on the late releases.

I liked that Armond White called Mike Nichols "evil" for making Closer. His opinions sometimes seem to me perverse and truly nuts, but it is good and valuable to have a critic who is totally provocative much of the time. A lot of even the best critics are predictable. I may feel a little disappointed that Rosenbaum praised Million Dollar Baby even though I liked it too.

I want to say for the record that for what it's worth (and I'm not sure yet), I saw at least 30% more movies in 2004 than in 2003.

[arsaib4]

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
As I've noted commenting on your 2003 list, there are a certain number of the movies you've seen that I did not find available despite going to a lot of movies and spending time in New York diligently catching up on the late releases.

I'm sure we've had discussions before on distribution but if you look at the release dates of some of these "smaller" indie/foreign films that are on my list, you'll see that a lot of them were released in NY (or in LA at times) earlier on in the year and unless you read publications like The Village Voice on a regular basis, it's almost impossible to even know that these films ever came out. These films open on a couple of screens here and stay for months at a time w/out expanding much. So for a lot of people watching them on DVD is the only option (if the distributor decides to put one out).

[Chris Knipp]

I know.

[tabuno]

The reason site is one of the best film commentary sites is reflected in Chris Knipp's response to my post. His carefully, crafted style does not offend and is a polite, an honest reponse that I and I'm sure other people appreciate.

I wanted to offer an additional observation to Spartan:

When I saw Spartan, it brought back some classic memories of The Ipcress Files, even The Three Days of Condor, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. In comparison to The Bourne Identity, Spartan retained a strong raw and dark, sinister feel, threatening movie recalling the cold war imagery of fear and paranoia. It is this mood, creating cinematography that capture my attention - making me feel that this spy movie as one of the best to come along in years. It was compelling from start to finish along with its edgy ending.

Dogville, on the other hand, is very appropriate in its timing and directly relevant to the period of uncertainty and paranoia in our present day society. It's innovative directed production as a stage play but actually shot in a film produced approach is remarkable for its use of camera angles and lighting...capturing what I feel is both a strong social commentary and a nicely, brilliant entertaining piece of film that I have not ever seen before. It certainly stood out high among most movies that I've had the opportunity to experience. Based on its emotional resonance, its "evolution of its characters" and the "shifting dynamics" throughout the movie, appeared to present a striking directorial and performance task that I do not usually see either on stage or screen. It was an immensely satisfying movie that I hope to purchase as one of my classics in my film collection.

As for Wicker Park as I did not have the opportunity to see the original version, I can't comment on your observation for which you may easily have a valid point.

[oscar jubis]

This year I've decided to list undistributed films separately, rather than incorporate them in the favorites list with an asterisk. Some of these undistributed films I watched in 2004 may get an official release in 2005 (or so one hopes).

FAVORITE UNDISTRIBUTED FILMS

1. 2046 (Wong Kar-wai, China)
2. Monday Morning (Otar Iosseliani, France/Italy)
3. Take My Eyes (Iciar Bollain, Spain)
4. And Along Came a Spider (Maziar Bahari, Iran)
__At Five in the Afternoon (Samira Makhmalbaf, Iran)
6. Bu Jian (The Missing) (Kang-sheng Lee, Taiwan)
__Marmoulak the Lizard (Kamal Tabrizi, Iran)
__Samaria (Ki-duk Kim, South Korea)
__The Weakness of the Bolshevik (Manuel Cuenca, Spain)


FOREIGN LANGUAGE TOP 10

1. A Talking Picture
__Crimson Gold
__Hero
__ Moolade
5. Springtime in a Small Town
6. Bad Education
__Blind Shaft
__Blissfully Yours
__Goodbye Dragon Inn
__Raja
__The Sea Inside
__Time of the Wolf

The Next 10

S21:The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine
Notre Musique
Innocence: Ghost in the Shell 2
Distant
Son Frere aka His Brother
Twilight Samurai
After the Life
Zaitochi
Since Otar Left
Maria Full of Grace


Honorable Mention: Dolls, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and...Spring, The Dreamers, The Return,Osama, Cachorro,Untold Scandal, The Five Obstructions, Tibet:Cry of the Snow Lion, Oasis, Strayed, House of Flying Daggers, James' Journey to Jerusalem, The Clay Bird, Motorcycle Diaries

DISTRIBUTED FILMS I MISSED
The Blonds.

[SinjinSB]

Here's my updated Top Ten of 2004 after seeing Hotel Rwanda and Motorcycle Diaries this weekend:

01) Million Dollar Baby
02) Sideways
03) Hotel Rwanda
04) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
05) Maria Full of Grace
06) Spider-Man 2
07) The Aviator
08) Collateral
09) Motorcylce Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta)
10) Finding Neverland

[oscar jubis]

BEST DOCUMENTARIES

1. THE CORPORATION
2. BRIGHT LEAVES
END OF THE CENTURY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES
_ FAHRENHEIT 9/11
5_ FESTIVAL EXPRESS
_ LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF
_ S21:THE KHMER ROUGE KILLING MACHINE
_ TARNATION
_ TOUCHING THE VOID
10. BUKOWSKI: BORN INTO THIS



ENGLISH LANGUAGE TOP 10

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Before Sunset
__ The Big Red One: The Reconstruction
4. Dogville
__ Million Dollar Baby
__ Vera Drake
7. Cowards Bend the Knee
__ I Heart Huckabees
__ Saddest Music of the World


The Next 10

The Aviator
Kinsey
Undertow
Young Adam
The Mother
Sideways
Ae Fond Kiss
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Coffee and Cigarettes

Honorable Mention:
The Incredibles, The Machinist, Saved!, Ray, We Don't Live Here Anymore, Hotel Rwanda.

[Chris Knipp]

Oscar: You must need some rest. By the time you got to your Eternal Sunshine your mind wasn't spotless, it was sleepless. Do you really mean to give unreleased films top billing or is that just because it was on your mind as a new category?
Surely those weren't the only "distributed films" you "missed!" I think that's like my "Wish I'd seen" category rather than a "failed to see" list.

SinjinSB: Yours is more the kind of list that makes sense to me at this time of year, because it's talking about the movies everybody else is discussing, and saying where you place them. However, it also gets boring after a while to go over the same much-discussed titles again and again. On the other hand Oscar's lists are at the opposite extreme: the average viewer will find Oscar's to be a compilation of things to try to find, but will not be able to talk about many of them. Both approaches are valid, but they're continually at odds with each other here as everywhere that this rating game is played.

[oscar jubis]

LOL...Notice that I corrected that title before you pointed it out (beat you by two minutes buddy) so my mind is not that hopeless, not even at three in the a.m. A bigger problem was that my eyes skipped my favorite animated film of 2004: Innocence (#11 Foreign language). Guess I'm giving UNDISTRIBUTED FILMS top billing because these objects deserve the attention they've yet to receive in our beautiful and misguided country. I think by now you know I watch a ton of film and I'm sure I've missed few if any distributed films that appear on any top 10 list anywhere 'cluding this venerable site.

[Chris Knipp]

I liked "Sleepless Mind." Oh well. So you've seen everything. I could challenge that claim, but I'd no doubt be wasting my time and yours. But I will anyway, in shorthand: just tell me, is there nothing on my list which began this thread that you haven't seen? Not even Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle? I may have to put that in my Top Ten US just to challenge you.

[SinjinSB]

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
SinjinSB: Yours is more the kind of list that makes sense to me at this time of year, because it's talking about the movies everybody else is discussing, and saying where you place them. However, it also gets boring after a while to go over the same much-discussed titles again and again. On the other hand Oscar's lists are at the opposite extreme: the average viewer will find Oscar's to be a compilation of things to try to find, but will not be able to talk about many of them. Both approaches are valid, but they're continually at odds with each other here as everywhere that this rating game is played.

For what it's worth, my list is just my personal Top Ten movies of 2004 (I've seen 86 so far). It's still changing as I continue to see more movies (for example I just saw Hotel Rwanda and Motorcycle Diaries this weekend)...if it's a boring list, that's just how it is. Though if lists are repetitive, that may be a sign that the movies are among the best of the year. One thing to note, Oscar has several different categories of Top Tens...which I like, but allows him to include many more movies while my list is limited to strictly my Top Ten of 2004. Just to prove my point, over half of the movies on my lists are on his various lists. Also he has included movies that I have under different years (Hero is on my 2002 list...Osama, Zatoichi and others would be under 2003 for me). Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Oscar in the least. I like his lists a lot!! Just pointing out that my more narrow list includes only 10 movies that were first released in 2004...while his lists include over 50 movies including movies that were released from 2002-2004. Folks are welcome to use whatever criteria they like for their lists and I will definitely agree that having multiple lists is more meaningful that just one list of ten movies. And I know that if Oscar were to create a Top Ten of 2004 using my personal guidelines, it would probably be far different than mine. He's seen a lot more non-US films than I have...a lot of times it takes me a year or two to see a lot of non-US films, sometimes a lot longer (or never) if they're less popular.

If you're looking for obscurity, you should check my 2005 list...I bet there's a few on there no one on this list has seen yet (but I hope to god they're not on my (or ANY) Top Ten list by the end of the year). Anyone else seen Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys? PTU File Deathrap? How 'bout Seagal's new movie, Into the Sun? Elaan? Trust me though...none of these are worth seeking out (where as I'm sure most of Oscar's probably are).

On my website I have started to slowly branch out to other Top Tens by category, but my main focus is just Top Ten by year/decade (mainly because they are easiest). My holiday lists are extremely popular (and I thought I was the only seasonal movie watcher)...I've also got a few vehicle Top Tens. One area that I want to delve into, but haven't yet is Top Ten by country. I'm sure Australia will be my first as I have already watched most of the Aussie films I can easily get ahold of and including most of the noteworthy films. Maybe I'll get to work on that soon.

[Chris Knipp]

Originally posted by SinjinSB
For what it's worth, my list is just my personal Top Ten movies of 2004 (I've seen 86 so far). It's still changing as I continue to see more movies (for example I just saw Hotel Rwanda and Motorcycle Diaries this weekend)...if it's a boring list, that's just how it is.

I didn't mean to say that your list in itself was boring but rather that the process of comparing lists of the most praised (mostly American) movies can be. You're right that if the lists become repetitious hopefully it's because the movies on them are really the year's best. As I said there are valid reasons for making both your kind of list and Oscar's, mine being more like his but less exotic.

Top tens by country is a great idea if you have the information to do it; I don't. Maybe I could make up a list of five for the US, France and Italy, and that's about it.

I will consult your site.

[SinjinSB]

I agree...I have always enjoyed Oscars lists very much...and eveyone's. I'm a big fan of lists...they're a fun!

Not sure if I was clear (it was really late last night). My idea for doing lists by country was overall lists for all years. The information is pretty available on IMDB...though it can get tricky when it's a multi-country production.

I have a lot of aspirations for different lists to make...just need to get around to it.