the SHOWER room

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Top 10 movies of 2004

* I can't put the list off any longer. Since I can't seem to find sufficient time to finish writing this post, I will post this for now as a work-in-progress. I will be updating this over the next two weeks. I will also be replying to my e-mails. I sincerely apologize. I'm really not a snob. Honest! Stay tuned.

*****

2004 was such a great year for movies. Besides affecting acting, my pick for the best film of 2004 has something in common with my picks for the best film of 2000 and 2002. It's not filled with special effects or convoluted plots, just subtle, involving, open and intimate dialogue telling an elegant character-driven story.

Hence, the list:

1. Before Sunset
I confess I've never seen the first film, Before Sunrise. However, it didn't make viewing this sequel any less richer, the most intimate conversation film of the year. The story picks up 9 years later in Paris where two eloquent good-looking probable soul-mates reunite and engage in fascinating, thought-provoking elocution. Nothing seems contrived as the story unfolds in real time convincingly. Though plot is minimal, there are revelations in subtle conversation that heighten the drama.

I found myself relating in agreement of the heart-to-heart philosophies of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, almost like a silent third person alongside as they walk and talk about past relationships, and recognizing that there are only a handful of people that you will truly connect in life. Here is a film, the best of the year, demonstrating how a great date really is like. No kissing. No sex... at least not yet.

2. Finding Neverland
This film has been criticized as an exercise in manipulation, tweaking the storyline, omitting certain facts based on real life to intensify the drama. But... it worked for me. Too well in fact! Any film that can make me cry in the theatre is alright with me.

We don't know why bad things happen to good people, for instance, the loss of a loved one. They happen, they're unexplainable. And, it's up to us to find the bittersweet silver-lining behind the tragedy. A truly special film.

3. Kinsey
Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey was a controversial, socially awkward man who, according to the film, had a good heart, was honest and open about life, love, and sex. "It is ironic that Kinsey's critics insist to this day that he brought about this behavior by his report, when in fact all he did was discover that the behavior was already a reality." -Ebert.2004

The nurturing relationship between Dr. Alfred Kinsey and wife, Clara, played by Liam Neeson and Laura Linney, with years of ups and downs, is one of the many uplifting elements in the film that left me feeling invigorated about my own life. Love and relationships are never the smooth happy ending, there are many bumps along the road of many years that make it bittersweet, yet even more worthwhile.

4. The Aviator
5. The Incredibles
6. Kill Bill: Volume Two
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
8. Sideways
9. Million Dollar Baby
10. Hotel Rwanda

Runner-Up: 11. Closer
Great writing. Directing. Ensemble acting. Though I wouldn't associate this as a date movie, a good friend took his boyfriend to see this movie and it changed their relationship for the better. The story is less about sex than it is about trust.

Other great films released in 2004 (in order):