Written by DAVID KEYES

January 28, 2005

First, the obvious - 2004 was not the year for movies that many of us would have asked for. Often driven by mediocrity, a seemingly-endless batch of new endeavors came and went like lightning storms without the essential sparks, and those few pictures that did manage to rise above the standard usually disappeared from the spotlight long before they deserved to.

If contrasted with previous years, too, then one has to wonder exactly where the industry minds were when most of this stuff was unleashed. Who, for instance, could honestly expect a remake of "The Alamo" or a misguided and overlong retelling of Alexander the Great to service for thrills? What were they thinking when they unleashed "Troy?" And who in the world decided it was a good idea to make a movie revolved completely around Catwoman? Disposable fluff is inevitable in any given time period at the cinema, but in 2004 it was not so much a spotty occurrence as much as it was an overwhelming dilemma. A staggering six out of ten major studio releases, at least in the opinion of yours truly, were so insignificant that they often passed completely through radar, in most cases being so dreary that they weren't even worth coverage for whole movie reviews.

Still, even the worst patches for cinema come with a few green spots now and then, and the ten best films of 2004 (plus a couple of others) were nonetheless strong and zealous enough to be remembered long after everything else was forgotten. In some instances, in fact, some of these films were so satisfying that they warranted immediate repeat viewings (sometimes at the expense of other new films).

The Best:

1. Collateral
The year no doubt belonged to movies in which the primary objectives were to undermine our defenses long enough to expose us to narrative or visual assaults, and Michael Mann's "Collateral" was, without a doubt, the most dynamic marriage of the two. Movies of this skill, of this immense level of pure excitement and zeal, don't get made every day; but when they do, they often sneak past us and reveal themselves without hints or buildup. Mann's endeavor came with a procession that didn't suggest anything other than mild summer entertainment, but instead it surpassed all sense of possibility and wound up being the kind of experience that you can savor over and over again.

The movie's concept was hardly a case of solid foreshadowing, although unique. In it, a part-time cab driver, played by Jaime Foxx, crosses paths one night in Los Angeles with a gray-haired Tom Cruise, who pays the observant taxi man enough of a sum to keep him available to his passenger through the whole night while he's making stops and tying up a few odds and ends. His plight comes when the Cruise character is revealed to be a hit man for a South American drug cartel, and those jobs which he agreed so early on to be a driver for are executions of potential trial witnesses.

hat the movie handles this premise with such a distinct and plausible approach is certainly a reward, but the movie is magnified by so much more. Cruise's hard-edged performance as a contracted killer is easily his most delicious this side of "Magnolia," an offbeat and difficult role that is anchored not just by a sense of fearsomeness, but also by immense knowledge - never once does this screen persona ever seem vulnerable, and seldom does he say something about the world around him that isn't an obvious truth. Likewise, Foxx's portrayal of the ordinary guy caught up in a heap of trouble is both challenging and sympathetic, and both men are driven to great heights by a director whose love for the dark shadows of the city has made him one of the great names in Hollywood. This is entertainment, pure and simple, but it's also the kind that is both visceral and lasting. Few of us see films like this anymore.

2. Stage Beauty
To call Richard Eyre's savage but enlightening romp through the changing times of Charles II's England a masterpiece might seem a bit shocking to the casual observer. Why? Find me five out of ten people who even know it came out last year and you'll know why. "Stage Beauty" was simply one of those movies that was too obscure for its own good - as such, it slid under the critical radar like a slice of meat escaping the notice of a canine, and those few who did in fact manage to acknowledge it often did so without quite recognizing just how delicious it was.

The movie deals with a fairly instructive slice of English theater history, at a time when the stage was still the product of a man's vision, and female roles in all of the big productions (most of them being Shakespeare) were played by men dressed up in elaborate female guises. That the king himself changed laws and finally allowed women to play their own gender in front of an audience is but a mere historical detail, though; as seen through the eyes of an ambitious character actor and his observant assistant, new opportunities didn't always mean easy transitions, and she and him each wage both personal and external battles that take us through all sorts of comical plot twists that are just as daring as they are ingenious.

Others might have you believe that the film is actually a romance, but it is nothing of the sort; in fact, its two lead characters, played expertly by Billy Crudup and Claire Daines, have so much obvious detest for one another at certain intervals that you can never picture them sharing anything else other than a few kind words (even though the movie does inevitably take them down the road of intimacy). The screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher handles their awkwardness as human beings as well as performers in one of the most delightful ways I have ever seen, and as they continue to trip on obstacles, we are there watching with a slight satisfaction. No, this wasn't one of those movies that many people will likely remember from 2004 - but all the same it is definitely one of the best offerings that filmmakers came up with during that 12-month period, a courageous endeavor that embraces its political incorrectness but doesn't forget to be socially relevant either.

3. The Incredibles
Pixar's sixth undertaking of computerized animation emerged as the studio's most skillful and thoughtful effort to date, but the experience of watching "The Incredibles" wasn't the kind where the biggest joy came out of seeing all its nifty visual delights, either. In fact, if one wasn't continually reminding themselves of the fact that it's all basically some CGI-rendered cartoon, they might have forgotten completely - that's how significant the material is here.\

The movie deals with superheroes, or rather a specific family of them, whom have been forced to retire into the middle class thanks to the onslaught of frivolous lawsuits from disgruntled victims over the past, which have undermined their industry. However, the father of the family, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) is not the kind of guy who could easily accept defeat, and when he decides to do odd superhero-type jobs behind everyone else's back, he uncovers a sinister plot on some off-shore island that may very well put his entire family in harm's way.

The great thing about the picture, as it has always been with Pixar's features, is that one doesn't need to be a kid to enjoy what you see on screen. But the filmmakers make enough enhancements here to make their feature even more adult-friendly than most of their previous endeavors, too, like suggestively spoofing plot lines from famous films (such as the James Bond series), and providing the colorful ensemble of animated character dialogue that goes beyond the typical "let's save the world" cliché and instead brings a touch of reality to this family unit. The visuals are, needless to say, vibrant and colorful, and though the movie seldom strays from the obligatory chase sequences, it nonetheless carries you along for the ride without ever creating the sense that there isn't some kind of grand payoff in the end. The animators as always pour all their sweat into the foreground, but it's the writers who have the most fun here; they have concocted a fully dimensional plot that rises above the texture and reaches for pure lasting exhilaration.

4. I'm Not Scared
The protagonist of this brave and poetic Italian film was perhaps the most unorthodox of the year. Michele, a kid whose favorite pastime is pretending to be a comic book superhero whilst frolicking through the Italian countryside, becomes something much more when he wanders onto abandoned property one day and discovers a boy living captive in a pit, whom he befriends and looks after while the many adults around him seem to scoff at the local news of a high-profile kidnapping from within a wealthy family.

The movie owes all of its success not to skill or narrative trickery, but to the very basic essence of its humanity; it sees the innocence of young age and then effortlessly lifts it into a force of pure heroism. I walked into the picture expecting something interesting, of course, but I emerged with a refreshed and optimistic perspective on the way the world can operate. If children are indeed the center of what is right with the world, then "I'm Not Scared" takes that notion to a level of honesty that is remarkably poignant.

5. Kill Bill, Volume 2
Comparisons between the second volume of Quentin Tarrantino's "Kill Bill" and the first volume from 2003 are inevitable, but not entirely appropriate. Whereas the latter was a brilliant marriage of East-influenced visual flair and sensibility, the follow-up (or rather, the last half of a much-bigger product) is on an entirely different wavelength, driven more by the look and attitude of spaghetti westerns, and filled to the brim with insightful dialogue exchanges and revealing character setups. It provides the first film with a better context, yes, but moreso it stands on its own as a very worthy successor to an already-flawless predecessor.

The highlight performance by David Carradine as Bill, the target of all of Uma Thurman's revenge, is easily one of the most delicious supporting roles Tarrantino has ever had in one of his films, and the supporting players that surround him, including Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen, are just as amusing as they are vindictive. By not replicating the pattern of the first feature, furthermore, "Kill Bill, Vol. 2" maintains that sleek sense of freshness that might have otherwise been lost in a routine follow-up. Movies like this are what going to the theater is all about.

6. The Aviator
Martin Scorsese isn't the kind of director who plays things safe, and by undertaking the daunting task of bringing the life of billionaire Howard Hughes to the screen, he anchors that notion. But let us not also be fooled here by the fact that Hughes' own life was undermined by the same kind of personal dilemmas that tend to plague most of Scorsese's narrative protagonists; whereas the man behind the camera pretty much has that pattern down to a science, examining this particular historical figure comes with a few new challenges, one of the most difficult being the very facet of reality.

But the director succeeds, and his epic and skillfully-shot "The Aviator" is a bio-pic that is nearly flawless in the way it sees its times and examines the lives of people whom we are already so familiar with. Aside from the film's brilliant period look, it also draws strength from a slew of stellar performances, not the least of which is that of Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn. The resemblance (both on the surface and elsewhere) is mind-numbing, and more than qualifies the movie for being the best acting ensemble of the year (aside from other great performances from Alan Alda, John C. Reiley, and even Leo DiCaprio in the title role). This is one of those endeavors that doesn't so much re-examine the past as much as it transplants the audience back into the times.

7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The continuing narrative eccentricity of writer Charlie Kaufman no doubt gives something for all us moviegoers to look forward to, but "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" kind of snuck up out of nowhere. With no Spike Jonze attached as director (and a relatively low-key early promotional blitz), the film was barely referenced in the weeks leading up to its debut last spring. Still, when it arrived, the reception was no less enthusiastic than it had always been for Mr. Kaufman. Part of that praise comes from the fact that his movie is not only offbeat and charming, but also pretty darn believable.

The story deals with a man and a woman (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) whose romance has fizzled out, and now they become patients of an obscure town clinic that can get into your mind and erase all the memories you have of that specific loved one. If it's not enough for the film to describe this all in a coherent (and plausible) manner, then check out all that brilliant photography, which looks at memories as they are being erased from someone's consciousness like a crime scene being stripped of potential evidence. Well acted, well written and well executed, this little critic darling is one that deserved all the praise it got.

8. Kinsey
Buried by the onslaught of other politically-charged endeavors during the year, Bill Condon's "Kinsey" was nonetheless the best of the socially-motivated pictures of 2004, partly because it was less burdened by basic chutzpah and more motivated by respectable acting and storytelling (unlike many of its counterparts like "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "The Passion of the Christ").

Liam Neeson gives what it easily one of the best performances of the year here, playing famous sexologist Alfred Kinsey in a manner that downplays his professionalism and stresses the finer edges; we see that he is first and foremost a human being, and as such is subject to the same basic flaws that everyone else is, long before he makes the crucial descent that will ultimately decide his importance in the world. Once the movie anchors that, it heralds the viewer into a slew of amusing (and highly dramatic) situations in which characters react, pull back, admit defeat and then move on to the next great chapter of their lives without any regret. Kinsey challenged the masses with his revealing study on the sexual behaviors of our genders, and the movie about him has similar goals in mind. Rather than step back at a time when the political mainstream wants to return to the narrow perceptions of decades past, here is a movie that embraces the openness of sexual discussion, erases labels and looks at behaviors without bias.

9. Million Dollar Baby
Though Clint Eastwood's career began as an actor, it is his role in the director's chair that has made him a transcending figure in the movies. His latest film, the boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby," not only equals some of his best work but in ways even surpasses it - more than either "Unforgiven" or "Mystic River," the movie tells an honest and touching story that doesn't descend into melodramatics or cheap sentiment like it could have.

Aside from clever dialogue and realistic story arcs, the movie's primary gift is in the performances; notably, those of not only Eastwood, but Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. She, as a potential boxer who wanders into the world of a professional trainer (Eastwood), is so connected to this role that there are moments when we forget she is even acting - it's as if Swank herself is simply living her way on the screen. Freeman, meanwhile, is designated to the same supporting-guy-who-also-doubles-as-a-narrator role here, but the material seeps him in parley that adds a touch of distinction to his thrust, and collectively the film surrounds these thespians in a narrative that asks questions, forces confrontations, reaches for deep interwoven relationships and doesn't forget just how harsh and unfair life can be. If you want a happy ending, this is not the movie to see - but if you want to absorb human complexity in its entire natural and moving splendor, this is undoubtedly one of the achievements of the year.

10. Cellular
If phones have indeed become a new tool to unleash terror in the movies, then "Cellular" makes a strong argument in favor of that. Following the wonderful "Phone Booth" from a couple years prior, it is the kind of picture that cheerfully dangles the audience over an edge, and then pulls it back to safety right when we expect it to let go entirely.
The movie stars Kim Basinger and Chris Evans, as two strangers who are one day introduced via a phone connection. The problem: she is a kidnap victim, and unless he keeps her on the line long enough to pinpoint her whereabouts, it's possible that she and her entire family will not make it out of the conflict alive. Rather than turn this into a mere plot point for all sorts of brainless chase sequences and explosions, however, the movie reacts to its situations with wisdom and care, and the level of tension it builds is sometimes so great that you find yourself just living for the moment instead of contemplating possible resolutions.

Special Mentions (films that were barely edged out of the top ten):
I don't consider myself much on the whole brainless zombie craze anymore (apart from 2003's wonderful "28 Days Later," of course), but the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead" was easily one of the most amusing little things I saw all year. The same can be said for "King Arthur," a film that was so overzealous in its attempt to revise established myth that amusement was derived from all the bizarre narrative alterations. Meanwhile, "The Punisher" took a few effective steps in rethinking the whole twist of comic book screen adaptations - it was significantly darker than most have been in the recent years, and was also one of the most well acted.

In terms of serious films, a handful of endeavors - from the courageous "Hotel Rwanda" to the beautifully-rendered "Vanity Fair" - made a respectable impact, and the ambitious satire "Saved!" was so eerie in its resemblance to the true nature of high school mentality on religion that it left quite a lasting impression.

The cartoon circuit wasn't nearly as rewarding this year as it was in past years; still, "Shrek 2" was instantly likable, and several of those in-jokes were sometimes so shrewd and sneaky that they left a grin on your face all through the movie.

The Ten Worst Films of the Year:
1. Eurotrip
2. The Passion of the Christ
3. The Big Bounce
4. The Alamo
5. Alien vs. Predator
6. The Village
7. The Day After Tomorrow
8. Troy
9. Team America: World Police
10. Alexander