The Top 10 Movies of 2004
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Written by: Ryan McNally
Another year has passed, and I'm proud to say that I managed to avoid seeing most of the stinkers that hit the theaters in 2004. But rather than focus on such fine cinematic fare as Catwoman, Fat Albert, and Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, let's turn our attention to the best and brightest films of 2004. |
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| 10. |
Ray
Taylor Hackford's biopic of legendary musician Ray Charles celebrates his incredible life without shying away from his darker side (drugs, womanizing, selfishness). Jamie Foxx is outstanding in the lead role, and Kerry Washington provides stellar support as his long-suffering wife.
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| 9. |
Super Size Me & Control Room
 
These two documentaries showcase the genre at its peak. In Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock skillfully blends comedy with social perception while wolfing down enough McDonald's to make a man proud. In Control Room, Director Jehane Noujaim (Startup.com) provides an eye-opening look at Arab news station Al-Jazeera.
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| 8. |
The Aviator
Legendary director Martin Scorsese adds to his legacy with this inspired biopic about the mysterious aviating pioneer / filmmaker Howard Hughes. Leonardo DiCaprio (Catch Me If You Can) does stellar work as Hughes, and Cate Blanchett is memorable as Hollywood legend Katherine Hepburn, but it's Scorsese's mesmerizing aerial sequences that are the real star here.
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| 7. |
Sideways
Writer/director Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) strikes again with this superbly written comedy/drama about two men on a weeklong adventure through wine, women and finding themselves. Paul Giamatti (wrongly snubbed by Oscar), Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen are all top-notch.
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| 6. |
Collateral
The year's best action/suspense film. Director Michael Mann (Heat, The Insider), working from a script that probes deeper than the usual genre fare, delivers a tense, beautifully shot film, and Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are in peak form as a deadly assassin and desperate cab driver facing off.
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| 5. |
Maria Full Of Grace
Catalina Sandino Moreno makes a dramatic film debut as Maria, a teenage "drug mule" who turns to the trade when opportunities dry up in her home country of Colombia. Moreno is brilliant in her Oscar-nominated performance, and director Joshua Marston delivers an insightful film filled with suspense and drama.
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| 4. |
Kinsey
Oscar voters may have criminally overlooked writer/director Bill Condon's brilliant biopic about sex researcher Alfred Kinsey (with the exception of a nom for Laura Linney's superb turn as Kinsey's wife), but that doesn't mean you should. Liam Neeson is outstanding in the leading role, and you'll find yourself astonished at how little things have changed.
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| 3. |
The Motorcycle Diaries
Two 20-something buds (Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo De la Serna) hop on an old, beat-up motorcycle and begin an epic trek across South America. Their experiences along the way are funny, poignant, heartbreaking and life changing. Walter Salles' direction is superb, as are Bernal (an actor to keep your eye on) and De la Serna.
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| 2. |
Hotel Rwanda
Films don't get much more powerful than this riveting story of a man who saved 1,000 lives during the devastating genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Director Terry George wisely lets the story and brilliant acting by Oscar-nominated Don Cheadle as Hutu hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina and Sophie Okonedo as his Tutsi wife do the talking.
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| 1. |
Million Dollar Baby
Director Clint Eastwood's drama about a female boxer (Hilary Swank) delivers a cinematic punch that stays with you for a long time. Masterfully shot and beautifully written, it features three great actors (Swank, Eastwood and Morgan Freeman) at the absolute top of their games. Add in Eastwood's masterful direction, and you have the most haunting, powerful film of the year.
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| Bonus Pick! |
Napoleon Dynamite
A year-end top 10 list wouldn't be complete without mentioning this wonderfully offbeat and hilarious comedy, directed by Jared Hess, about a high school doofus (gosh!) and the colorful set of family and friends who surround him. Awesome.
Honorable Mention: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (inventive script and great performances by leads Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet), Before Sunset (Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply reunite in this great sequel to 1995 cult fave Before Sunrise), Kill Bill Vol. II (Tarantino complete his kung fu classic in style), Finding Neverland (the final 20 minutes pack a surprising emotional wallop), and Fahrenheit 9/11 (the directing is wildly uneven, but credit Michael Moore for getting this footage out there). Don't forget to check out Film Frat's Best Of 2004 Poster Store, filled with cool posters from the year's best movies. Did we overlook your one of your favorite 2004 films? Drop us a line and tell us which of our picks you agreed with, and which movies you think we missed. You can purchase any of these movies by clicking on the corresponding film image above. |
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