Time Capsule: The ten best films of 2004

 

Ah 2004, we remember it well, don’t we? Texting on flip phones and having to press one key three times to get the letter we wanted. “Friends,” “CSI,” and “ER” were still on network television in prime time. Janet Jackson had her infamous “wardrobe mishap” during the halftime show at the Super Bowl (won by the New England Patriots). The Boston Red Sox won the World Series, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup and the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Championship. And ultimately John Kerry would lose the Presidential election to incumbent George W. Bush.

The U.S. was still mired in the War in Iraq, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was uncovered, former President Ronald Reagan died and dial-up Internet was on its way to extinction.  

The top films at the box office were (according to Box Office Mojo):

1. Shrek 2

2. Spider-Man 2

3. The Passion of the Christ

4. Meet the Fockers

5. The Incredibles

6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

7. The Day After Tomorrow

8. The Polar Express

9. The Bourne Supremacy

10. National Treasure

As a film critic, I came out with my top ten each year, and not so surprisingly, none of my top ten films were tops at the box office. So while theaters continue to be inoperative for the most part, and we continue to watch films at home through a variety of streaming services, perhaps there are a few here worth checking out:

10. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow – With Jude Law and Angelina Jolie, a pilot and reporter team up to find out where mysterious flying robots are coming from and why the world’s top scientists are disappearing. At times this film was visually stunning with a blend of contemporary and art deco styles.

9. Touching the Void – A documentary about two climbers who attempt to climb the west face of Sciula Grande in the Peruvian Andes Mountains. This is jaw-dropping drama centered on the impossible choice one climber must make.

8. Spartan – Val Kilmer stars as the person responsible for rescuing the President’s daughter from a kidnapper. He must do it at any cost. Unmistakable dialogue from writer/director David Mamet.

7. The Machinist – Christian Bale plays a tortured insomniac trying to solve a mystery from his past. A riveting thriller and Bale’s physical transformation for this role is remarkable and somewhat scary.

6. Vera Drake – Imelda Staunton portrays a selfless maid who, in 1950s England, helps poor women secure abortions. She is willing to help those regardless of ideology or politics.

5. Fahrenheit 9-11 – Deeply divisive along political party lines and unabashedly anti-President George W. Bush. Michael Moore makes a convincing argument to those who are willing to analyze Bush’s War on Terror objectively.

4. Moolaade – Powerful film from Senegalese writer and director Ousmane Sembène. It creates a dichotomy between modern practices and the ancient ritual of female genital circumcision/mutilation, a common practice in a number of African countries.

3. Closer – Superb ensemble film with an honest, often prickly interpretation of sexual relationships. Clive Owen establishes himself as one of the best actors working.

2. Sideways – At times poetic, and at others, raw and unencumbered. Paul Giamatti is funny, intelligent and at times heartbreaking. He is not your classic leading man but like Clive Owen in that same year, proved he is one of the best actors of a generation, period.

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – This was one of the first roles where Jim Carrey really showed his skills as a dramatic actor. Carrey plays Joel and Kate Winslet plays his girlfriend Clementine. The two have a troubled relationship and go through extraordinary steps to get over each other when the relationship ends. Creative and quirky, heartbreaking and heartwarming. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman followed “Being John Malkovich” with this film and I continue to look forward to his films.

My pick for best actress -- Imelda Staunton for "Vera Drake." Staunton is one of those actresses you recognize from a number of roles but you just may not remember her name. This is a role that challenged you to forget her. 

My pick for best actor -- Paul Giamatti for "Sideways." Could have easily gotten this same award for "American Splendor" in 2003.

Be sure to share your comments. Do you remember your favorite film in 2004?