Welcome to the I-am-about-to-make-you-feel-old article of the week. There are tons of memorable and fantastic films enjoying their tenth anniversary this year. Million Dollar Baby is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, winning Best Picture back in 2005 for being considered the top film of 2004----which I don’t really agree with.
Jamie Foxx as Ray is celebrating ten years, creating one of the more surprising Best Actor wins I’ve ever seen---should have gone to DiCaprio---who is celebrating 10 years with The Aviator.
Alright, I will stop. Instead of discussing what I disagree with, I shall discuss what are the top movies celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. In a year when Blockbuster didn’t do the No Late Fees disaster, Facebook just started taking off, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the best-selling game in the planet, here are the 10 best films released in 2004.
Honorable Mentions:
Napoleon Dynamite: Still one of the 3 worst movies ever made
Anchorman: Probably the most quotable movie of all-time
The Notebook: This one sent shockwaves in the movie community because of the now-infamous kiss and the ability to make pretty much everyone cry upon seeing it the first time…and the second…and probably the third…..This movie also introduced me to Billie Holiday so it earned extra points.
#10: Mean Girls
Aside from The Notebook and Fahrenheit 9/11, Mean Girls was arguably the biggest box office surprise of the year. This movie launched the careers of many promising young actresses, brought Tina Fey into the limelight, and launched a new wave of high school movies that drops the clichés and tries to become more daring. Mean Girls is bitterly accurate and funny, it is vindictively cruel, and does a great job displaying the tough, troublesome world that is high school. The script was the strongest part of the movie, but the entire cast from a pre-crazy Lindsey Lohan to the forever-underrated Amanda Seyfried complimented it with great comedic performances. Does help they are all easy to look at.
#9: Spider-Man 2
What I still consider to be one of the top if not the top comic book movie of all-time, Spider-Man 2 improved upon the predecessor in every single possible way (besides the villain) by showcasing the complications of being a superhero, the risks of being a superhero, and the demons that may emerge from having special powers. Elements from this movie crept its way to other grand comic book films like The Dark Knight and Iron Man 3. What also makes this movie work is that it can blend drama with summer blockbuster action, plenty of comedy, and even a few hints of horror. It is a very complete comic book movie and although the character of Spider-Man is suppressed by the likes of Batman, Iron Man, and Wolverine, Spider-Man’s first two movies are great examples on how to make a good translation of a comic book creation.
#8: The Motorcycle Diaries
Some of the best cinematography you will ever see in your life, The Motorcycle Diaries showcases the early life of the controversial Che as he takes what started out as a fun, long-lasting journey through South America into an ugly realization that Latin America was quietly suffering under modern times and in his eyes needed some sort of major change. South America doesn’t quite get the cinematic attention outside of Brazil that most regions around the world receive, so this film unleashed amazing images of places you never knew existed. The Motorcycle Diaries succeeded in showing just how big the world is, just how small we as people are when compared to the vastness of the planet, and that deep down, we collectively as people yearn for the same lifelong happiness. Beautifully shot, nicely performed, and well-directed, Motorcycle Diaries is a pure delight.
#7: Kung Fu Hustle
Outrageous. Ridiculous. Insane. Out of control. If you ever wonder what happens when you mix Chinese martial arts with Looney Tunes, this is your answer. Kung Fu Hustle is an amazingly directed and edited powerhouse action/comedy that throws the martial arts genre in a totally different direction. It is fun to watch, boasts a great soundtrack, and is ultimately one of the most creative movies released in quite some time.
#6: Fahrenheit 9/11
Even though the credentials of Michael Moore and his reputation isn’t exactly up to speed, there is no denying his rock star status when this documentary became the first major force to truly challenge President Bush, the presidency, and the war against Iraq. In a time when most of America wouldn’t dare to challenge the White House, Moore took on Washington with full force with farce, harsh images, and an overall dark sense of humor showcasing the ridiculousness of it all. Yes, all documentaries of this kind need to be taken with a grain of salt, but thanks to this movie in 2004, America was slowly seeing the other side of the coin in terms of the Iraqi War.
#5: The Incredibles
Back when Pixar had cojones and took on riskier projects, The Incredibles remains arguably the darkest Disney animated movie of all-time underneath the layers of excellent action, great animation, flawless voice acting, and a production value that rivals that of James Bond. Being the first Pixar movie to quietly gear its themes a little more towards adults, this film tackles the subject of mid-life crises, recovering from the notion that you aren’t who you used to be, settling to the sometimes-monotonous lifestyle of supporting a family, and lastly the Gods vs. Humans complex that mentally ruined the lead villain. It was the first animated screenplay I honestly thought deserved a Best Picture Oscar, and is still one of the better Pixar movies in its entire history.
#4: Shaun of the Dead
The greatest horror movie of all-time, hands-down. This movie has the horror elements, but is quickly blended with excellent British humor and wit, great references left and right, plenty of heart, and finally some of the best directorial work of the 2000s. The amount of detail in this movie is staggering, from the conversations to the running jokes to even select shots chosen by the director Edgar Wright. Everything about this movie from start to finish was fun, edgy, smart, quick, and just whimsically clever. It was just a normal day of the main character trying to win back his girlfriend, and zombies get in the way.
#3: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
We are reaching cinematic perfection territory here. On this corner, we have the best screenplay of 2004, some of the best performances of 2004, and hands-down one of the best romantic dramas you’ll ever see. With a sci-fi twist, Eternal Sunshine discusses life after losing the significant other and attempting to recover and move on and forget the past. This movie explores what would happen if you had the opportunity to erase someone off of your memory, and if it would actually affect your personality in the end of it all. The movie is visually impressive, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking and never lets go until the final frame. It is a beautiful work of cinematic art that is the complete package of quality filmmaking.
#2: Before Sunset
I will admit this one is a tougher movie to watch because it consists of nearly 90 minutes of dialogue and nothing more. The movie is done in real-time, it follows mainly two characters as they interact and make their way across town. This is not everyone’s cup of tea. But this indie darling is a flawless mix of camerawork, scriptwriting, directing, pacing, editing, acting, and realism that transcends filmmaking and enters the realm of film history as being associated with one of the most fascinating film franchises in history. The love story of Jesse and Celine is an unorthodox one, but still contains all the emotions, fears, desires, and complications of two people that feel like they were meant for each other. These two people feel very real and every once in a while you forget that they are just characters in a movie. In spite of the heavy-heavy dialogue, this is truly a beautiful film about life, about love, about second chances, about destiny, and about seeking happiness through that special someone in your life.
#1: Kill Bill Vol. 2
Kill Bill is clearly, clearly made by someone who loves watching movies, making movies, and talking about movies. Tarantino’s love for filmmaking is in full force here as we get marital arts mixed in with spaghetti western, thriller, drama, and so many other subgenres wrapped in this tour-de-force. Everything about this movie was incredible, from the soundtrack to the editing to the acting right up to the ability to keep you guessing as to how the movie ends. There has been no film like Kill Bill before 2003 and there has never been a movie like Kill Bill ever since. It is a medley of genres, a medley of emotions, and a medley of different ways to present a story.
What other film has incredible fight scenes, poetic deaths, entire monologues about fictional characters, claustrophobic cinematography, and a pregnancy discovery scene that occurs in the middle of a Mexican stand-off? That’s the beauty of watching a Tarantino movie, you’ll get all sorts of scenarios that you just don’t see in other movies. And this is why it was my favorite film of 2004, and in my opinion the best film of 2004 as well.
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