Tyler's Best of the Year List

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Just noticed this thread. Nice work Tyler, I'm enjoying it so far. It's something I've actually considered doing myself for a while and may still do so at some point. Though with me still not having seen so many films I considered a Year in Review thread where I'd watch through a handful of films first and review them before coming to a definitive top 10.

Out of interest is this just the 'best' films of each year, or does it also cover what you'd consider your personal favourites? For example, with 2007 for instance I'd absolutely agree that Zodiac, There Will Be Blood and Assassination of Jesse James all deserve a spot on a 'best' list, but if I was doing my 'favourites' it would have to fight it out with the likes of King of Kong, Enchanted, TMNT, Stardust and Charlie Wilson's War. Films you could consider as guilty pleasures or that have no purpose other than pure entertainment.
Thanks for your kind comments. To the displeasure of honeykid, I have a very different view about what are to be considered 'bests' and 'favourites'. Most of the films I watch are arthouse films so I guess my lists wouldn't be very different had I included my guilty pleasures, which are few and far between. In my opinion, even a very well made entertaining but conventional film does not hold up to another film with better artistic qualities.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
for ESotSM. Couldn't agree with you more on it's placing for 2004. Also an admirer of Kung Fu Hustle and Motorcylce Diaires. And I'm a big fan of Collateral; really thought that would make an appearance on the Mofo 100 list.

Other films I think are very good or are just real favourites from 2004 include House of Flying Daggers, Finding Neverland, Team America, Life Aquatic, Hellboy along with a few others I shouldn't mention for fear of ridicule. *cough*50 First Dates*cough*13 Going on 30*cough*



Other films I think are very good or are just real favourites from 2004 include House of Flying Daggers, Finding Neverland, Team America, Life Aquatic, Hellboy along with a few others I shouldn't mention for fear of ridicule. *cough*50 First Dates*cough*13 Going on 30*cough*
I've seen House of Flying Daggers, Team America and Hellboy. Team America would be what I call a guilty pleasure - shameless vulgar diatribe against Hollywood.



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
I think that a "very well made entertaining but conventional film" shows "better artistic qualities" than most films, but that's old news coming from me. Art is entertainment and entertainment is art, but how successful they are is subjective.
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As far as 2004 I'd have Million Dollar Baby topping my list but I understand that people have mixed emotions on that. Eternal Sunshine, The Incredibles, Down Fall, and Kill Bill Vol. 2 are all epic films in my book and would hold the positions 2-5 on my list.
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We've gone on holiday by mistake
2004: The Year In Film



1. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
2. The Motorcycle Diaries
3. Downfall
4. Moolaade
5. The Incredibles
6. Collateral
7. Kung Fu Hustle
8. Shaun Of The Dead
9. Kill Bill Vol. 2
10. Before Sunset

To put it plainly, ESotSM is one of the most imaginative and emotional films I've ever seen. One of the best movies of the decade.
Strong list right there!

I would add Bourne Supremacy and The Aviator in place of Moonlaade(cause I aint seen it) and Before Sunset for same reason.



I have Caché ready to watch, really looking forward to that now, along with Amour. Great lists so far, wouldn't really argue against any of the inclusions and I have enjoyed probably all of them that I have seen.
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Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Thanks for your kind comments. To the displeasure of honeykid, I have a very different view about what are to be considered 'bests' and 'favourites'. Most of the films I watch are arthouse films so I guess my lists wouldn't be very different had I included my guilty pleasures, which are few and far between. In my opinion, even a very well made entertaining but conventional film does not hold up to another film with better artistic qualities.
I had a feeling you may be one of those film buffs. The really snooty kind! Teasing. But just from what I've seen of your tastes you seem to veer very much towards the arthouse and the critically acclaimed, as opposed to the mainstream and purely entertaining. So I'm not expecting to see too many superhero flicks or broad comedies pop up on the lists.

If I do get round to making one of these best of the year/year in review lists someday I'd perhaps try and do both. Have a best of list (i.e. those that deserved award recognition) as well as a personal favourites list. And there would of course be some crossover between them.



Gangster Rap is Shakespeare for the Future
Strong list right there!

I would add Bourne Supremacy and The Aviator in place of Moonlaade(cause I aint seen it) and Before Sunset for same reason.
I don't have too much of a problem with The Aviator, but Scorsese's recent films have been weak, at least compared to his career. The Bourne Supremacy, however, is a lot of what's wrong with action films today. There's absolutely no sense of space or reality because of their chopped to bits cutting. It becomes an assault on your eyes. Watching them with full attention, or especially in slow motion or frame by frame, there's little cohesion in needlessly confusing action scenes.
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2003: The Year In Film



1. The Return
2. Goodbye Dragon Inn
3. Memories Of Murder
4. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... And Spring
5. Mystic River
6. Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King
7. Save The Green Planet!
8. Oldboy
9. Kill Bill Vol. 1
10. Finding Nemo

This could've been called 2003: The Year of Korean Movies, with iconoclastic Korean directors Bong Joon-ho, Kim Ki-duk and Park Chan-wook at the very height of their powers. Finding Nemo is an imaginative and impeccably crafted Pixar movie, while Mystic River is one of the meatiest American dramas and Eastwood's best since Unforgiven. Goodbye Dragon Inn is perhaps the most divisive film on this list, or any other of mine, simply because it's very minimalistic and would only appeal to snooty people like me . Do we need 90 minutes of inaction to drive home the message of a dying cinema? Love or hate him, Tsai Ming Liang's definitely one of the most unique voices of arthouse cinema.

The best film of 2003? The quiet Russian thriller The Return. Like Cache and 4 Months...., The Return is one of the very few unique movies capable of building up tension in a non-conventional manner unlike the plethora of Hitchcock imitators. This film drives deeper and deeper into its characters' motives, while keeping you guessing about the uncertainties and hidden aspects of the human nature. We often deal with the 'why?', as if expecting every human motive or intention to be acted according to a maxim, but reality has it that the 'why' isn't always made clear to us. The Return is moreso a journey portraying the characters' inner feelings in ambiguity rather than easy, straightforward answers.




I haven't seen any of your top four

But I did enjoy Mystic River, Return of The king, and Finding Nemo. And I love Oldboy and Kill Bill

Just a couple reccomendations. I noticed a reasonable number of documentaries including Jesus Camp. A very tough one to swallow but a good one is Deliver us From Evil. And a reasonable modern Russian war movie (if you like war films) is 9th Company



Gangster Rap is Shakespeare for the Future
I haven't seen any of your top four

But I did enjoy Mystic River, Return of The king, and Finding Nemo. And I love Oldboy and Kill Bill

Just a couple recommendations. I noticed a reasonable number of documentaries including Jesus Camp. A very tough one to swallow but a good one is Deliver us From Evil. And a reasonable modern Russian war movie (if you like war films) is 9th Company
That's a good thing! Most people use lists to confirm their affinity for certain films. They shouldn't do that nearly as much as they should be used to discover more films to explore. If you see a film on someone's list that you haven't seen or heard of, go out and see it! That's the whole point!



That's a good thing! Most people use lists to confirm their affinity for certain films. They shouldn't do that nearly as much as they should be used to discover more films to explore. If you see a film on someone's list that you haven't seen or heard of, go out and see it! That's the whole point!
100% agreed. I'm gonna watch his number 1 from 2007 and 2005 this week because they looked very intresting. I don't have that such desire from te top four of 2003, but I did Netflix Goodbye, Dragon Inn so I dont forget about it.



Excellent list. Goodbye Dragon Inn and Memories of Murder in particular are fantastic picks. Will definitely have to check out The Return. Your description makes it sounds like something I would enjoy.



The best film of 2003? The quiet Russian thriller The Return. Like Cache and 4 Months...., The Return is one of the very few unique movies capable of building up tension in a non-conventional manner unlike the plethora of Hitchcock imitators. This film drives deeper and deeper into its characters' motives, while keeping you guessing about the uncertainties and hidden aspects of the human nature. We often deal with the 'why?', as if expecting every human motive or intention to be acted according to a maxim, but reality has it that the 'why' isn't always made clear to us. The Return is moreso a journey portraying the characters' inner feelings in ambiguity rather than easy, straightforward answers.

Wtf... I haven't even heard of this. I need to watch this. Your description reminds me of Claire Denis' films...



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
This could've been called 2003: The Year of Korean Movies,
I was going to say! Certainly the year of the Korean Invasion. Memories of Murder is very good and Oldboy is excellent. And while they're very different movies Spring, Summer... and Save the Green Planet are both wonderful. So delighted in particular to see Green Planet on the list

Also a big fan of Nemo and RotK.



2004: The Year In Film



1. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
2. The Motorcycle Diaries
3. Downfall
4. Moolaade
5. The Incredibles
6. Collateral
7. Kung Fu Hustle
8. Shaun Of The Dead
9. Kill Bill Vol. 2
10. Before Sunset

To put it plainly, ESotSM is one of the most imaginative and emotional films I've ever seen. One of the best movies of the decade.
I though ESotSM was good but I didn't find it great. I think that it tried to be more emotional than it ultimately was: the emotions appeared to me to be a bit thin and forced and I found the overall experience not that deeply affecting as it was for other people. I though it was a very good movie (my rating is
) but far from being among the best of the decade. Though since I watched it on the same day as Nausicaa my impression of it was deflated (when I watch anything and Nausicaa together, Nausicaa always makes the other film appear weak ).

Downfall was my favorite from your list and also my favorite for the year.



Good whiskey make jackrabbit slap de bear.
I love the atmosphere of Cache. It always feels like there is something horrible about to happen. My favourite film on your list, by far.
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