Well, I’ve finally come up with my lists. That’s right, lists plural. I decided that since I see so many documentaries now, that I’d give them a separate list. All films were released in 2004, though I saw a few of them in 2005. A few of the foreign films may not have been released in North America yet, but I saw them at film festivals. The first number following the title is my IMDB rating (out of 10) and the second is the current average among all IMDB voters. Clicking an asterisk will take you to my review of the film (usually only for films seen at the Toronto International Film Festival).
Best Films
- Sideways — (10/8.2)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — (10/8.6)
- The Aviator — (9/8.0)
- The Incredibles — (9/8.3)
- Crimen Ferpecto (Spain) — (9/6.2) *
- Les Choristes (France) — (9/7.6) *
- The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou — (8/7.4)
- The Door in the Floor — (8/6.9)
- La Mala Educación (Spain) — (8/7.5) *
- Open Water — (8/6.1)
Best Documentaries
- Super Size Me — (9/7.8)
- Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson — (9/9.3) *
- A League of Ordinary Gentlemen — (9/6.8)
- Fahrenheit 9/11 — (8/7.9)
- Mondovino — (8/7.1) *
- Control Room — (8/7.9)
- Tying the Knot — (8/9.4)
- Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession — (8/6.0) *
- Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism — (8/7.7)
- Salvador Allende — (8/7.2) *
What were some of your favourites?
Of course, the Sideways backlash has already begun. Here’s NYT film critic A.O. Scott calling it the most overrated film of the year. Oh, brother!
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/02/movies/02scot.html?ex=1262494800&en=c7f8276cac35e84b&ei=5090
I liked all of your top 10 films (with the exception of Bad Education and Les Choristes — I didn’t see those).
So, I’d have to add Million Dollar Baby (yes, Clint is old) and Beyond the Sea (K Space is amazing!!! That man can dance and sing!)
I wasn’t crazy about Control Room, which is, oddly, the only doc you can rent at the video store in my home town. I saw much better docs at the fest this year … I even liked Army of One better. I thought Control Room was a good idea but fuzzy and loose in the execution.
btw, my favourite at hot docs was No. 17.
I also really liked The Door in the Floor and felt that Jeff Bridges did a great job.
Open Water? I saw that a couple of weeks ago and was more impressed by how the film was made than the film itself–personal financing, shooting on weekends, editing in Final Cut Pro etc. There are some great extras on the DVD.
Nice list.
There weren’t enough funny movies this year. The Incredibles is for sure my favourite movie of the year. I have less and less patience for anything but the outlandish and playful and smart. I’m so sick of being serious. ;-p