CARL ZAPFFE'S LIST OF "THE TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2004"


1. "MILLION DOLLAR BABY"
Great characterizations and a compelling story about a gutsy hillbilly woman who aspires to be a boxing champion make this another cinematic tour de force from director Clint Eastwood. Eastwood hits the trifecta as an actor, the director, and the writer of the musical score for this wonderful film.

You will not find better acting or casting in any other film this year. Well, why even bother looking? You just can't beat having Eastwood and Morgan Freeman in the same movie. Add to these two screen legends and icons the wonderfully talented Hilary Swank, who plays a woman desperately trying to escape from her trailer trash origins, and you have a nearly perfect film.

This is not a movie about boxing, a sport that I happen to hate. This is a movie about a grieving father who has lost his daughter and finds another to take her place, only to lose this one as well.

Some may have a problem with the "180 turn" that this movie takes towards the end, but I didn't. Like Eastwood's last film, "Mystic River," also a classic, life is often filled with wrong turns and difficult choices. Movies about this often make for a more powerful, more complete film that will resonate in your heart long after you have left the theater.


2. "BEFORE SUNSET"
This movie is a MUST SEE as it is possibly one of the most romantic movies that I have ever seen. This movie is witty and charming and captivating beyond belief. The chemistry between the stars, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, just explodes off the screen.

It is also one of the most unusual movies that I have ever seen because all it consists of is dialogue (with the added benefit of the lushly romantic background of Paris) as two, now older, sadder, and more wistful lovers try to recapture what might have been had they followed their inclinations nine years before during their first long first night of romance in Vienna, Austria (in 1995's "Before Sunrise").

The time frame of this film, shot in real time, takes place during a single afternoon on a sunny fall day in Paris, France when Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are finally reunited after the passage of nine long years. Most of their emotions are clouded with poignancy as they realize the awful depths of their lost romantic opportunities.

Richard Linklater, the director, shares screenwriting credit with both Hawke and Delpy, which helps to explain the deeply heartfelt nature of their conversations.

NOTE: It is NOT necessary to see the 1995 film before seeing this one!


3. "TWILIGHT SAMURAI"(2002)
A gloriously sensitive and insightful view of life in feudal Japan at the close of the Samurai era in the late 1800's. This movie is a beautiful and moving portrait of a recently widowed lower level samurai warrior who dotes on his two young daughters and who would much rather spend his time with them than be out fighting for his small regional war lord.

Unfortunately, he serves at the beck and call of his war lord, and his service in rescuing a woman, who turns out to be the second love of his life, from her drunken, abusive husband, leads to a command to rid the war lord of another samurai warrior who has gone "off the reservation."

For those who don't care about martial arts films in particular or foreign films in general, please be advised not to miss this film. This is a movie about the love of family and a second chance in life wrapped around the psychology of a few martial arts sequences.

"Twilight Samurai" is a national treasure as a movie. This movie was Japan's nominee for the Oscar Best Foreign Language Film award for 2003. Normally, this movie would have been ranked as a top 10 movie for 2003, but it didn't make it to my local art house until May of 2004, so that I have included it in this year's Top 10 list.


4. "SIDEWAYS"
This movie is an original with strong performances set amidst the glorious backdrop of the California wine country. Two very unlikely buddies set out on a week long road trip ostensibly in search of great Pinot Noir wines, but one wants to celebrate his last week of bachelorhood by bedding every available woman.

"Sideways" contains very many scenes of wonderful hilarity alternating with scenes about bittersweet romantic entanglements and disappointments in life.

Detracting somewhat from the joy of seeing this movie is the extensive (but, perhaps, realistic) use of very coarse "frat boy" language, some scenes of simulated sexual activity, and one rather funny scene of full frontal male nudity. Furthermore, Jack's (Thomas Haden Church) complete and utter disregard for women in his narcissism and his willingness to have meaningless sex with anyone in a skirt is a very disappointing but also a very realistic display of a vulgar, ignorant man who "just doesn't get it" about human relationships.

The screenwriting and the acting are sensational and the Oscar nominations are all well deserved. Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh shine as the objects of romance and every man schlemiel Paul Giamatti is very impressive as a sad sack leading man (who was robbed by not receiving an equally well deserved nomination for a Best Actor nomination).


5. "KILL BILL: VOL. 2"
Quentin Tarantino's latest homage to the great spaghetti Westerns comes to us as his beautifully filmed, "Kill Bill: Vol. 2." This movie clocks in at a rather long run time of 136 minutes, mainly because the first 20 minutes or so is spent in recapping some of the action from the first movie. Once the movie gets rolling, however, you are in for one heck of a ride, a visual cinematic feast effectively enhanced by a heart pounding musical score that only adds to the atmosphere of this film.

I had earlier shied away from "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" as I had heard about its excessive, almost cartoonish, violence. However, this sequel is a surprisingly good movie with much better characterizations, a much better story, and much less gratuitous violence. All of this combined with Tarantino's masterful direction and Richardson's extraordinary cinematography make this a first class movie.

Uma Thurman is perfect as the killing machine out for revenge after her boss, played by David Carradine, betrays her by killing her husband to be on the eve of their nuptials. Left for dead, she actually ended up comatose in a hospital bed for four long years. Once she finally regains consciousness, she immediately sets out to kill everyone responsible for the mass murder of her entire wedding party.

As good as Thurman is, the really charismatic star of this film is David Carradine, who finally makes his appearance after being nearly invisible in the first film. He plays his role with such relish that it is a real shame that he didn't get an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Male Actor for his extraordinary role that is stunning in its intelligent and cooly amoral villainy.


6. "COLLATERAL"
A dark, noirish thrill ride through Los Angeles. Tom Cruise plays way against his leading man type and succeeds wildly. He does such a good job playing a cold and callous villain in this movie that he ought to consider doing these types of roles more often.

Cruise has always been a fine actor even if he has never been one of my favorites. His problem is that his matinee idol good looks seem to get in the way of his career by limiting his acting roles to those of leading men. This movie ought to put that canard to rest and establish the fact that he is one of the finest actors in Hollywood and someone who is more than capable of fleshing out any role on either side of the moral fence.

Jamie Foxx as Max also rises to the occasion in his role as a night shift taxicab driver in Los Angeles. He has big plans, but little courage. He has hopes of establishing a limousine service, but he has labored for 12 years as a cab driver without yet making that risky leap up the business ladder. A signal that all is not well with his ambition is his cultivated, but anally retentive, knowledge of the exact driving time that it takes to drive from every "Point A" to every "Point B" within the city.

This one night starts out beautifully with a lovely lawyer, a prosecuting attorney (Jada Pinkett Smith), as a client and ends with a client from hell in the form of Vincent (Tom Cruise), who wins his business with an offer of a rich $600 for a single evening's work. Max should have guessed that this much money smacks of trouble and soon his evening is filled with bodies falling out of apartment widows and smashing into his cab along with both the Feds and the Los Angeles police chasing him as a suspected hit man.


7. "RAY"
This movie about Ray Charles is just about as good as a biographical movie can be with its many songs, all taken from actual recordings by Ray Charles, in a film enhanced by a sterling performance by Jamie Foxx in his portrayal of this legend of the American musical landscape.

Foxx deserves (and received) a Best Actor nomination for his brilliant role here, as does Kerry Washington in her role as Charles' long suffering wife, Della Bea. Another nomination for Best Supporting actress is deserved by Regina King for her passionate role as Margie Hendricks, one of Ray Charles many lovers and a lead singer of the Raelettes.

The director, Taylor Hackford, is to be congratulated for taking Charles' sometimes difficult life and bringing it to the screen in such a manner that we get to see the whole person, warts and all. A few warts are missed, but that's all right with me as this film has some of the most glorious music ever composed during the last half of the Twentieth Century.


8. "HOTEL RWANDA"
A great movie, even if it is deeply disturbing. This is a heartbreaking story about a common man in Rwanda who becomes very uncommon when that small African country descends into chaos after the Hutus, the majority ethnic tribe in that country, begin a horrific campaign of genocide against the Tutsis, the minority tribe, and their own fellow countrymen in what was originally a part of a former Belgian colony.

Paul, an educated man and a Hutu who runs the only four star hotel in Kigala, the capital city of Rwanda, becomes a reluctant symbol of courage when he goes out of his way to shelter and save more than 1,200 of his fellow countrymen, Hutus and Tutsis alike. His marriage to Tatiana, a Tutsie, has allowed him the ability to work with and to respect members of both tribes.

Once again the United Nations stood by impotent and unwilling to intervene to avoid the slaughter of anywhere from 750,000 to over a million people who had done nothing to deserve their sad fate.

"Hotel Rwanda" is not for the faint of heart, as it is grim and occasionally bloody. Some scenes are almost beyond belief, but the movie does not dwell on them. This movie instead dwells on one man who uses his wits, his contacts, and what resources he has access to to manipulate the system solely to protect the people he is sheltering at his hotel.


9. "HERO"(2004)
"Ying xiong"(2002)
(In Chinese with English subtitles.)
Although not quite as impressive as Ang Lee's 2000 masterpiece, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," this 2002 movie by director Zhang Yimou is another epic kung fu historical saga of the first order loosely based on the creation of China from a collection of often warring feudal states some 2,300 years ago.

"Hero" is filled with many scenes of astonishing lyricism and visual poetry.
The kung fu sequences are unbelievably entertaining as well as being spectacularly gorgeous in both color and style. In addition, the military scenes in this movie are equally impressive in their staging and their visual power.

There are many awe inspiring scenes in this story in which the truth slowly unwraps through numerous interpretations similar to "Rashomon," the famous 1950 Japanese movie by Akira Kurosawa. Though occasionally hard to follow just exactly what is going on, the whole is a spectacular cinematic experience and director Zhang Yimou is to be congratulated for this wonderful work of art.


10. "THE AVIATOR"
Scorsese once again reaches his stride in this powerful epic about the iconoclastic and reclusive Howard Hughes, one of the greatest characters of the 20th Century and the world's first billionaire.

Leonardo DiCaprio alternately convinces and then fails at portraying this enigmatic character. The women in his life go from unconvincing (Gwen Stefani, badly miscast as Jean Harlow), to better (Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, but without the fire), to terrific (Cate Blanchett, in a brilliant portrayal of Katherine Hepburn).

We see Howard Hughes the person, but we don't get to know Howard Hughes the man. Perhaps he is too large for the silver screen. I would estimate that there is enough material in his life for three movies: "Howard Hughes, the Hollywood Legend," "Howard Hughes, the Business Genius," and "Howard Hughes, the Descent into a Paranoid, Mental Hell."

This movie is very long at almost three hours, but there is a lot here worth seeing. It is beautifully filmed and well directed and some of the intricacies of Hughes' brilliant but tortured life are riveting in their interest and appeal.



RUNNERS UP TO THE 10 BEST MOVIES OF 2004:
(In alphabetical order)


"BEING JULIA"(2004)
Annette Bening gives a bravura performance as a still very lovely, but slowly fading, actress on the prewar West End stage of 1930's London. She exists for the theater first and herself second and there is no third nor any allowance or quarter given to anyone who has the slightest ambition of getting in her way.

Always hedonistic and selfish, but also charming and gracious, we love her in spite of her devious bitchiness because she behaves the way that we wish we had the courage to.

Bening, who is in practically every scene in this film, carries off her role with consummate ease. This film is a glorious portrait of a fascinating personality along with costars who are all exceptionally well cast.


"FINDING NEVERLAND"(2004)
Johnny Depp should be guaranteed an Oscar nomination for his sensitive portrayal of a man-child playwright at loose ends until he finds a lonely widow with four sons who inspire him to produce the classic story of "Peter Pan."

Kate Winslet is his equal as the recently widowed mother of these boys and Freddy Highmore shines as one of the sons, a sensitive and grieving young writer who seems to be most similar to his new found mentor.


"HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN"
The young wizard, Harry Potter, finally comes of age for us adults in this film directed with just the right amount of darkness and whimsy by Mexican director, Alphonso Cuarón. A surprising choice to be the director after Christopher Columbus' earlier stewardship, his selection ended up be an inspired choice.

This movie is darker and much more interesting as the three young stars are all older and now much wiser as to what is happening in their wizardry world. It makes for a far better movie that is immeasurable enhanced by an interesting story that fully commands our attention.


"THE INCREDIBLES"
All the praise that has been heaped on this cinematic delight from Pixar Studios is well deserved. Great action sequences, a highly imaginative story, and well thought out characterizations about an atypical, loving suburban family who try to fit in, but can't, due to the fact that they all possess superhuman powers.

In summary, "The Incredibles" lives up to its name as it is... incredible. Furthermore, this is a feature length cartoon movie that will appeal even more to adults, who will revel in its sly, satirical digs, than it will to their children.


"THE NOTEBOOK"
If you love movies about passionate romances between two teenagers from the opposite sides of the track, if you love being manipulated by occasionally overwrought emotional moments, and if you love "four hankie" movies that will leave you equally breathless and teary eyed at the end, then you will love "The Notebook."

This is a wonderful, lush, and leisurely film about a very passionate summer romance that takes place in Sea brook, North Carolina in 1940.

The story is told in flashbacks as an older man, played by James Garner, reads the story of this romance from a personal notebook to an older woman, played by Gena Rowlands, in a very tender and loving effort to help her regain her lucidity as she is suffering from Alzheimer's.

The young lovers are played by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

This film, very capably directed by Nick Cassavetes, has sterling performances by all, but the highlight is that by Rachel McAdams, who plays a young lover with more than convincing fire and passion.


"SHREK 2"
Although the animation graphics of Dreamwork Studios are not as superlative as those of Pixar, this movie shines as one of those rare jewels of a movie sequel that is even better and funnier than the original.

This movie segues from a "Happily ever after" fairy tale into what happens after that, which is more of a "reel life" movie with more adult humor and much more of a bite than before.

Brilliant, inspired casting includes Julie Andrews and John Cleese as Shrek's new royal (pain in the butt) in-laws, Rupert Everett as Shrek's erstwhile competitor, Prince Charming, Antonio Banderas as a delightful, swashbuckling cat, and Jennifer Saunders as an evil, malicious fairy godmother from hell.

Even Joan Rivers gets to do her usual red carpet schtick and CNN commentator Larry King has a nasty turn as a very butch female "Ugly Stepsister" of a bartender.


"SPIDER-MAN 2"
Even better than the first "Spider-Man," this movie offers a great story, spectacular special effects, a wonderful new villain in "Doc Ocks" (Alfred Molina), and enhanced development of its many characters along with a very warm and poignant story about a reluctant super hero who only wishes to be normal so that he can be with the girl he loves.

Tobey Maguire is just perfect as the reluctant super hero, Spider Man, and Kirsten Dunst is so lovely that we can all understand why.

This movie is probably the best comic book inspired super hero action movie ever made. To have the second film be such a fine movie after an impressive first film is quite a feat given the fact that most sequels fall flat on their faces.


"STAGE BEAUTY"
"Stage Beauty" hardly registered as a movie in theatrical release as it disappeared almost as soon as it came out. This is unfortunate as this film has much to recommend it.

First of all, it is a bawdy (and I mean BAWDY!) romp through the state of the theater during the reign of Charles II when female actresses were allowed to play on the English stage for the first time. This movie is a cheeky and very funny bedroom farce about an era when an entire country let loose after suffering through the restrictions of the prior very puritanical Cromwell era.

It is also an offbeat, but ultimately very satisfying, love story starring Claire Danes and Billy Crudup. Finally this movie is just filled with unforgettable, Oscar-worthy performances by long time acting favorites including Tom Wilkinson, Rupert Everett, Hugh Bonneville, Ben Chaplin, and Edward Fox!