Mark's best and worst of 2004
Where to start? This will be my first yearly review at hoopla.nu, so it needs to capture everything I enjoyed this year, from important films to fluff. In reviewing my reviews, I have focused mainly on films released in Australia in 2004, although there are a couple of films I will list released earlier than this, that I saw for the first time this year, and would like to include anyway. So here goes...
This film blew me away, and I saw it again almost straight away. Carrey and Winslet were absolutely superb, the direction is spot on, and it redefined management of dream sequences and flashbacks. An extraordinary film.
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Before Sunset is just wonderful - moving and insightful. The dialogue heavy form is perfectly handled by Hawke and Delpy, and you couldn't possibly be unmoved.
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Zach Braff announced his arrival as a film-maker, combining incisive commentary with pathos and wit. There is surely much to come in the future from this star of 'Scrubs'. Portman was also amazing.
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New Zealand released this wonderful film to the festival circuit, before testing the waters in Australia. Yet to be released in North America or Europe, it hopefully will raise the profile of our neighbours even higher. It seems New Zealand's talent is not limited to Peter Jackson.
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Superior in every way to its over-rated predecessor, Spider-Man 2 is the first real movie made from a comic book. Properly exploring the burdens of being super-powered, Maguire shines as a more conflicted Peter Parker.
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Will Smith kicked some ass in this adaptation of the Asimov stories. Bringing a new level to CGI with Sonny the robot absolutely stunning, and yet quiet and thoughtful when needed.
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Michael Moore at his most provocative, blatantly manipulating the viewers, in an unfortunately unsuccessful attempt to swing American voters against George W. Bush. Important to history as the first major political campaign in feature film format.
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The older films I loved this year
I first heard of this film from 1999 when on holiday in New Zealand, and I was extremely grateful I did. With a deft touch, the competing strands of this WWII tale are brought together to an ending with a wicked bite. Fantastic.
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Usually I hate the films Stuart makes me watch, but this would have to be my favourite. In this 2002 film, Tykwer blends tragedy with romance and terrorism to weave an unusual story, but one that is all the more rewarding for it. Blanchett and Ribisi are excellent.
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This 2003 Korean film combines the visually stunning with the insightful and profound. Powerfully moving, and breathtaking to watch.
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This French film from 2002 is another WWII film, but like Gloomy Sunday, it takes another view. With the relationship between father and son being beautifully constructed, Monsieur Batignole is very good indeed.
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A supremely awful film, but exceptionally well-made. Not for the light hearted, but instructive in its exploration of the evils of fanaticism.
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Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - 0/10
The Day After Tomorrow - 1/10
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - 1/10
Underworld - 1/10
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! - 1/10
The Bourne Supremacy - 2/10
Shark Tale - 2.5/10
Comment on my best and worst of 2004 list
Longtime reader; 2nd time feedback giver. Your complaints about Aussie release dates lagging the US are well taken - my lag time of
reviewing the top 7 will also lag into 2005 but I wholeheartedly agree with #1 and #2, so will enjoy 2005 wombling down the rest of the list. Keep up the good work lads. - JG
Mark, I'm beginning to wonder about your judgment. Of three very comparable movies (Spider-Man 2; I, Robot; Shark Tale), you have two as among the best and one among the very worst of the year. None of it. At most they are all light entertainment.
Shark Tale, in addition to its light plot, contains homages to various '70s flicks, most notably Car Wash. It is upbeat, colorful, and silly. There's nothing wrong with that.
I don't know how to comment on the performances in an animated movie, but I have one word for the performances in Spider-Man 2: wooden. The best performances in the movie are those of the crowd in the elevated car when they refuse to turn over Spider-Man. The kid in the title role isn't bad, but the rest of the featured roles might as well have been played with oak cutouts. The special effects were mostly obvious and unimaginative, and I'm not referring to the 'swinging through the air' bits (that is, after all, what Spidey does). Only a few of the falls and the car flying through the restaurant window (featured in the trailer) were worth the trouble. The science in the movie, including much unrelated to the 'science' and excepting Spidey's powers, was a blight, and the less said about it the better. It was interesting to see Chicago's elevated trains transferred to the NY skyline.
I, Robot, as little as it resembles the works of Asimov, possibly has the most going for it. Will Smith plays a paranoid cop disturbingly well, though his 'Granny' steals several scenes. The other performances, apart from some of the putative bad guys, are at least acceptable. The plot has plenty of surprises and twists, and the science (especially within the context of the movie) is at least plausible. This is easily the best of the three. Nonetheless, it hardly seems to be a 'great' movie.
Why would it be 'unfortunate' that a crackpot like Michael Moore didn't sway the majority of American voters to his side? I continue to be
unimpressed with the tenor of 'world opinion', which continues to be as short-sighted as it was in the '80s with the 'anti-nuclear' marches and with many other widespread 'causes' before that. - HG
Mark's reply - I agree with some of what you say, but I stated up front they were the best and worst of what I had seen in 2004 - I never claimed any of them would last to become classics. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, however, is an exceptional film, whatever the year, and deserves to be recognised as such. Whilst not in the same league, I will say that I think Spider-Man 2 is the best comic book adaptation yet, and that its exploration of the double-edged sword of power was very impressive. I try not to pay too much attention to the science of movies, especially action blockbusters - it's just impossible to satisfy me in that way, so its best I ignore it and enjoy it for what it is.
As to Shark Tale - I found it shallow and flimsy, and just plain boring. Had I enjoyed it as light entertainment, it wouldn't be in the list where it is. But I just didn't.
As to Michael Moore - you'll see in my review that I questioned many of his manipulations, and the ways he uses to get his point across. But whatever you say about him, he makes well-made films, that do give him a voice. Whether Dubya should still be in power is another question - I find the "War on Terror" and the war in Iraq to be insuperable barriers to my support of either him, or my own Prime Minister, John Howard. For this reason I stated it was an "unfortunately unsuccessful attempt to swing American voters against George W. Bush"...
Comment on my best and worst of 2004 list
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