2004: Best Moments in Film

At first glance, I felt 2004 was a weaker year than usual in film, however after going a bit deeper I found that the “Oscar” movies was a weak batch of films, but that mainstream movies actually were above the usual quality we see from year to year.

Here are the 910 films that rounded out my top 10:

• 10. (Tie) The Girl Next Door, Garden State
• 09. Mean Girls
• 08. The Incredibles
• 07. Closer
• 06. Team America: World Police
• 05. Finding Neverland
• 04. Collateral
• 03. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
• 02. Spider-Man 2

That is very main stream skewing, but I just wasn’t a fan of the smaller fare of the year (save for my #1.)

Also comedy takes up a large chunk of this list with 6 being able to call themselves a comedy in some form. For me, Anchorman has to be the funniest movie of the decade and is the apex of the comedic style that took over in the Aughts.

Spider-Man 2 blends action, drama, comedy, and a bit of horror to set the bar for what we should expect (and get) for Super Hero films in the future.

I feel all of these films represent a little bit of what we saw in the theater in 2004, but no film had the kind of genius that is present with some of the best films ever quite like my #1.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

It is an understatement to say that writer Charlie Kaufman is one of the most important voices in film in the 2000s. From the genius he showed in 1999’s Being John Malkovich, thru 2008’s Synecdoche, New York (Which he directed), Kaufman has sent us into eccentric worlds that delve into the psyche of the mind and always challenges his audience and leaves us changed in some way; something that some screenwriters have seemed to forget about.

Jim Carrey’s Joel Barish is built up and torn down through out the film, and it is impossible to watch it and not be totally invested in this character. Carrey gives easily the most amazing performance of his career and yet is somehow topped by Kate Winslet as his estranged love, Clementine. Winslet fully envelops her character and perfectly balances the charm required to make you love her and the kind of misery and vulgarness that pushes you away from her.

Director Michel Gondry is the perfect compliment to his writer and stars and molds this unconventional, mind bending love story into a beautiful construction and destruction of a relationship. His artistic, music video like style, along with cinematographer Ellen Kuras, is essential in reflecting the mood and feel of Kaufman’s story.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a perfect mix of acting greatness, directing ingenuity, and writing genius. Kaufman delivers his greatest work and a screenplay that is easily with some of the best of all time.