As you can tell by now, I like to make "top ten" list from the previous years before I started writing this blog. Now we are up to 2004. This was the year cinema really started to turn around. Films became more political but they also took some daring risks. A lot of controversial films were released this year and many of them are on my list. So here are the ten best films of 2004!
1. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (Dir. Mel Gibson; U.S.) - Perhaps the most controversial film of the year! Called by many an anti-Semitic piece of work (and later rantings by Gibson did not help him) the film was still one which managed to touch me on a profound and personal level. Was it anti-Semitic? My feelings at the time and now remain the same. People saw what they wanted to see.
2. FAHRENHEIT 9/11 (Dir. Michael Moore; U.S.) - In an attempt to influence the 2004 presidential election Michael Moore released what has become the most profitable documentary of all time! It didn't help change the election results but I found the film fascinating. And this says nothing about my own political beliefs.
3. HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (Dir. Zhang Yimou; China/Hong Kong) - Coming off the success of "Hero" Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers" is in some way a better film. It relies more upon the drama of the characters. I tried to make a similar point in my review for Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower". These are films which are visually beautiful but told with a lot sentiment and human involvement.
4. THE DREAMERS (Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci; France) - One of the first meaningful films Bertolucci has made in a long, long time. Probably since "The Last Emperor". Caused a bit of a controversial due to its NC-17 rating. But the film was not a porno. It had some of the most beautiful cinematography I can think of, of all the films released in 2004.
5. STRAYED (Dir. Andre Techine; France) - This WW2 story never found an audience. Too bad. Techine is one of the few modern directors around I like to pay attention to. Emmanuelle Beart gives one of her best performances.
6. THE AVIATOR (Dir. Martin Scorsese; U.S.) - Made back in the days when Scorsese couldn't win an Oscar "The Aviator" tells the story of Howard Hughes. It is a big epic kind of storytelling which most don't associate with Scorsese but he and Di Caprio pull it off quite effectively. This should have beaten "Million Dollar Baby" for the Oscar!
7. BAD EDUCATION (Dir. Pedro Almodvar; Spain) - Here was another film which received a NC-17 rating and caused some controversy, it deals with the Catholic church and young boys. I say no more. But Amodvar has made a modern noir classic. All that's missing is Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck.
8. KINSEY (Dir. Bill Condon; U.S.) - Liam Neeson plays sex educator Alfred Kinsey is this bio-pic which has something to say about sex education in America and some of the ignorance surrounding the subject.
9. DOGVILLE (Dir. Lars von Trier; Denmark) - Here was a film that got bashed in every direction even being called "anti-American". The film was an absolute masterpiece with Nicole Kidman giving one of her greatest performances. This was a start of a trilogy dealing with American history. Trier's next film in the series "Manderlay" didn't quite live up to what this film accomplished. Hopefully audiences will give the film a second chance.
10. SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER AND SPRING (Dir. Kim Di-duk; South Korea) - A smaller film which also didn't get much attention the film was still one filled with hidden truths. Bit of a departure for Di-duk who is known for making more violent films.
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