I have always loved the way Metacritic brilliantly organizes and compiles the critics' lists, which certainly satisfies the film nerd in me. So now it's time for the fans' lists I feel. Here are my fav 2004 theatrical movies, and to limit myself I cheated a bit by including a tie as well as including two movies that were "officially" released in 2002 and 2003, respectively, but my criteria is that if I see the movie projected in a public movie theater, it can be counted.

1) Notre Musique
2) Eternal Sunshine...
3) Before Sunset
4) Kill Bill Vol. 2
5) Millenium Mambo
6) Goodbye Dragon Inn
7) Crimson Gold
8) Time of the Wolf
9) Last Life in the Universe
10) TIE - Sideways & Million Dollar Baby

Runners' up - "Brown Bunny", "Mondovino", "Fahrenheit 9/11", "The Return, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring", "I Heart Huckabees",
"The Big Red One".
Best movie I saw all year though was an eBay-bought and PAL Portuguese DVD of Joao Cesar Monteiro's swan-song "Vai e Vem (Come and Go)", a beautiful and magestrial 3 hour movie that profoundly moved me.

My list might change later but here we go for now:

1/ Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
2/ Lost in Translation
3/ Zatoichi
4/ OldBoy
5/ Collateral
6/ Ray
7/ House of Flying Daggers
8/ The Village
9/ Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate events
10/ Spring Summer Autumn Winter...and Spring!

This list is definitely subject to change b/c there are still films for me to see.
1. Before Sunset
2. Kill Bill Vol. 2
3. Sideways
4. The Incredibles
5. The Aviator
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
7. Collateral
8. I Heart Huckabees
9. Fahrenheit 9/11
10. The Manchurian Candidate

1. Before Sunset
2. Kill Bill Vol. 2
3. Sideways
4. Kinsey
5. Vera Drake
6. Farenheit 9/11
7. Spider-Man 2
8. I Heart Huckabees
9. Open Water
10. Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (seriously...much more enjoyable than I expected)
Still need to see: Million Dollar Baby, Tarnation, Notre Music, Bad Education, Old Boy, Time of the Wolf, etc. And my list too is in a constant state of flux.

Wow...nice top three Nick! haha

1. Hotel Rwanda
2. The Life Aquatic
3. Kill Bill Vol. 2
4. Closer
5. Collateral
6. Garden State
7. Maria Full of Grace
8. Eternal Sunshine
9. Infernal Affairs
10. Harold and Kumar go to White Castle

1. The Phantom of the Opera
2. Kill Bill Vol. 2
3. Dogville
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
5. Million Dollar Baby
6. Finding Neverland
7. Vanity Fair
8. Closer
9. House of Flying Daggers
10. Kinsey

Did you honestly think Phantom of the Opera was better than Kill Bill 2 and Finding Neverland? Would you care to explain why? I mean... it was OKAY but just for the big screen rush. NOT TO START A FIGHT. I know other people enjoy these things, but I would like to have a friendly conversation about it.

Read the name "Opera Ghost," isnt it somewhat obvious?

1. Oldboy
2. LOTR 3
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind
4. Garden State
5. Troy
6. Dogville
7. I, Robot
8. Collateral
9. The Incredibles
10. Kill Bill 2

I'm not sure what Return of the King and Lost in Translation are doing on people's lists; they were both late-2003 releases.

Okay, here's a lazily-made top five list for you guys:

1. Garden State
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3. Spiderman 2
4. The Incredibles
5. Collateral (I didn't want to list this one, but I sort of ran out of decent movies)

I wish that I could have listed The Last Samurai, but I reminded myself that it was released in 2003.

I saw more movies at the cinemas in 2004 than the two previous years combined, but I saw mainly bad movies, unfortunately. No Kill Bill, Ray, Finding Neverland and so on for me. I'd quite relish making a 'Worst of 2004' list, though.

Now that I've seen enough movies to merit a list...


1. I Heart Huckabees

I think I may be the only person who thinks that David O. Russel's cerebral masterpiece should be copnsidered as the top film of 04. Not only is it howlingly funny but it is touching, sad, quirky, and utterly delightful. I have not been this giddy over a film since, well...


2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I love Charlie Kauffman. Just give him a Lifetime Achievement Award already. I love Michel Gondry. I love Jim Carrey's work in "serious" fare. I adore Kate Winslet. I love everything about this film. I couldnt decide if this was better than "Huckabees" so I decided to choose based on "wtf"-ness. "Huckabees" won.


3. Ray

Jamie Foxx, man. From "Booty Call" to theatrical brilliance. The enjoyment that I got from this film was immense. Some say that Foxx was the only thing redeemable from this flick. Yes replacing Foxx would have been a mistake BUT since he IS the movie what does it matter...


4. Kill Bill Vol. 2

Quentin Tarantino has yet to dissapoint me. This can compete with hius best work.

5. Spider Man 2

No one can argue the fun factor of this flick. A supremem entertainment.

Fuck yeah, my friend. I Heart Huckabees is the best and funniest movie of the year. Pure cinematic beauty.

Hey everyone.. my list:

01| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
02| Hotel Rwanda
03| The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
04| Garden State
05| Napoleon Dynamite
06| The Machinist
07| Kill Bill: Vol. 2
08| I heart Huckabees
09| The Incredibles
10| Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events

I rented "I heart Huckabees," yesterday and found it very entertaining. I wouldn't put it at the top of my list but would do as C3o did and put it around the 8th spot. Very interesting, indeed.

10. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Wes Anderson may be painting himself into a corner with his increasingly quirky dramedies, but it is not yet a corner in which I feel trapped. As in all his films the richly detailed characters, witty dialogue and zany situations (this film in particular contains several scenes that could only be described as comic lunacy) reel you in before the deeper subtext is realized. Bill Murray turns in a second stellar quasi-comic turn, in as many years, and this time I’m really convinced that this is truly a role only Bill Murray could pull off.
Grade: B+
9. Collateral
A wonderfully directed gem of a film packed with great performances. Jamie Foxx turns in his second noteworthy performance of the year (Ray) and Tom Cruise sheds many of his star-isms to take on the role of a hired contract killer in what is his darkest mainstream lead role to date. It's been a while since a film noir has relied so heavily on a city as a third character but Los Angeles, as a seen through the eyes of the detail oriented Mann and his cinematographer, turns in a beautiful, digitized performance.
Grade: B+
8. Garden State
With Garden State first time writer/director Zach Braff has created a worthy addition to the pantheon of films that strive to capture the essence of a generation. The tale of a depressed twenty-something (portrayed by Braff) defined by his reliance on prescription mood medication builds well from the first frame. This was clearly a labor of love and the amazingly sturdy cast does a fantastic job. Great supporting work by Peter Saarsgard as Braff’s high school best friend and Natalie Portman (in her best performance to date) as his love interest lift what could easily have been a too-depressing morality tale to greater heights.
Grade: B+
7. Hotel Rwanda
What sets Hotel Rwanda apart from other like minded ‘holocaust’ films (Schindler's List, The Pianist) is that the emotion of the film is defined, not by the graphic actions of those involved, but by the shocking inactions of those who chose to remain uninvolved. Don Cheadle (as Paul Rusebagina) re-creates a savior for modern times as his character transforms from an employee defined by his work at the titular hotel, to a hero that uses the very same hotel to define hope and freedom for thousands. Hotel Rwanda may not be the best produced film this year but it is without a doubt the film with the most important message.
Grade: A-
6. Sideways
Paul Giamatti turns in another spectacular performance (see 2003's American Splendor) in what is hands-down the funniest screenplay of the year. What is essentially a romantic comedy/buddy film that takes place entirely during a weekend road trip through California's wine country provides wonderful insight into the deranged mind of the single male. Richly crafted dialogue and stellar performances from the entire cast help the film soar (one scene in particular truly displays the power of the written word) like few others this year.
Grade: A-

5. Before Sunset
Like it’s predecessor, Before Sunset takes some getting used to. The rapid-fire delivery and the relaxed directorial style are a departure from typical fare. But once past those road-blocks the film settles into a very beautiful rhythm. It’s difficult to believe that there were actual pre-fabricated words for a film with such snappy banter. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy slip back into their old characters so seamlessly that it’s sad to think that this will be the last we see of the star-crossed lovers. As an added perk, Before Sunset contains what is likely the most perfectly conceived, and executed, final scene of any film this year.
Grade: A-
4. The Aviator
Martin Scorcese makes a grand, long awaited return to cinematic glory with this stunning, gorgeously shot, biography of perhaps one of the least understood moguls in American history. The film is carried by amazing supporting work, (Kate Blanchette turns in a bravura supporting turn as Katherine Hepburn) and a grown-up fully realized performance from Leonardo Dicaprio Though, some complain that the film fails because it doesn’t quite explain the madness behind Hughes' eccentricities I believe that that is precisely why it works so well. The Aviator is a grand testament to the fact that no one ever got close enough to Hughes to know the who or the why.
Grade: A-
3. Million Dollar Baby
A taughtly directed gem from actor turned auteur Clint Eastwood. Though it could have easily been played as a straight tearjerker this story reaches far deeper than a less talented director would have allowed it to. When the strongest moments are realized in scenes of silence it brings the realization that we are watching something special unfold. Stated distaste for Eastwood's previous directorial effort (Mystic River) aside, I truly believe that that is his best work since Unforgiven. Maybe, not coincidentally, because it too attempts to bends the rules of the genre as Unforgiven did for the western so many years ago. Detractors seem to dislike the unrealistic portrait of boxing and the sentimental ending but this film never claims to be a how-to manual for the sweet science. It is fiction and great fiction at that.
Grade: A-
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A mind bending, time/space altering fable about true love gone awry is built around beautiful work by first time feature director Michel Gondry. The script of the year written (surprise) by the spectacularly offbeat Charlie Kaufman provides the leads with much to work with and Jim Carrey turns in his most fully realized and mature performance. This might seem the best adaptation of Charlie Kaufman’s work to date but it is actually a great film because it’s the most accessible topic he’s attempted to investigate to this point.
Grade: A
1. The Incredibles
A marvelously entertaining animated masterpiece from the creative geniuses at Pixar. It seems that every year they manage to put a film on this list (2003's Finding Nemo) and this has been the most flat out enjoyable of the lot to date. Director Brad Bird (of the equally amazing but under-appreciated Iron Giant) does a spectacular job of blending the fantastical with the mundane in this tale of a superhero family forced, by the very citizens they protect, to go into the witness protection program. At the moment the young son (Dash) first realizes the extent of his power you too will believe in the incredible.
Grade: A

Honorable Mention:
Kill Bill: Volume II – B+; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – B+; Spider-Man 2 – B; Finding Neverland – B; The Phantom of the Opera – B; Ray – B


Some likely good films I haven’t seen and therefore didn’t have a chance to make the list: Being Julia, The Door in the Floor, I Heart Huckabees, In Good Company, Kinsey, Maria Full of Grace, Motorcycle Diaries, The Sea Inside, Spanglish, Vera Drake

1.LOTR The Return of The King
2.War of the Worlds
3.Kingdom of Heaven
4.StarWars The Revenge of The Sith
5.Fantastic 4
6.I,Robot
7.Day After Tomorrow
8.Troy
9.Herby Fully Loaded
10.Batman Begins

All War of the Worlds, Star Wars, Batman, and Herby are 2005! and u liked Herby better than Batman? Wow!

Man, some of you guys are killing me. Herbie Fully Loaded?!? It must be Lindsay Lohan right? Tell me its the teeny-bopping actress.

Anyways...isn't this a 2004 forum?

Fav's of 2004:

1. Spider-Man 2
2. Kill Bill 2
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
4. Infernal Affairs
5. Blind Swordsman Zatochi
6. The Incredibles
7. Napolean Dynamite
8. Garden State
9. Collateral
10. Harold and Kumar go to White Castle

Am i the only sane person left on earth can you people please tell me what you see in napoleon dynamite. Anyways here it is

1.Garden State
2.Spiderman 2
3.Collateral
4.The Aviator
5.Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban
6.Anchorman: The legend of Ron Burgundy
7.Spanglish
8.Envy
9.Team America World Police
10.The Butterfly Effect

Now im probably gonna take some heat on numbers 6,8,9, and 10 espically after i just called out napoleon dynamite. But come on anchorman was just plain funny and im a huge ben stiller fan but dodgeball sucked so i had to put envy. As you can tell by my name i love trey parker and matt stone, and i know the movie offended but it made a point and it was funny. I dont know what to say about the butterfly effect i just liked it