Movie Ratings for 2004

The top films are ordered by preference, all else is ordered alphabetically. Eligibility is determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' standards for films released in 2004 (http://www.oscars.org/77academyawards/rules/rule03.html) and limited to movies that I have seen during their premiere release in a first-run theater. I have taken to using Roger Ebert's system of dividing movie ratings into 9 categories, ranging from zero to four and incremented by one-half, with the distinction of naming each category and providing a suggestion of its importance.

4.0- The Best (See it as soon as possible. When the theater empties, go home and order the DVD.)
  1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  2. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
  3. Fahrenheit 9/11
  4. Kill Bill v.2
  5. Hero
3.5- Great (See it in theaters and buy the DVD.)
  1. I Heart Huckabees
  2. Million Dollar Baby
  3. Garden State
  4. The Blind Swordsman: Zatôichi
  5. The Aviator
  6. Finding Neverland
  7. Hotel Rwanda
3.0- Very Good (See it and buy the DVD if on sale or available in a good edition.)
  • Closer
  • Collateral
  • The Incredibles
  • Ray
  • Sideways
  • Super Size Me
2.5- Good (It is worth seeing more than once. Accept the DVD if it's given as a gift.)
  • Beyond the Sea
  • I, Robot
  • Kinsey
  • The Manchurian Candidate
  • The Notebook
  • Shrek 2
  • Spiderman 2
2.0- Mediocre (See it if the opportunity arises. Accept the DVD as a gift, but don't give a gift in return.)
  • The Bourne Supremacy
  • Friday Night Lights
  • The Terminal
  • Troy
1.5- Not Bad (It isn't a priority, wait for a wide video release. Politely decline any offers to receive the DVD.)
  • The Brown Bunny
  • Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle
  • King Arthur
  • The Punisher
  • Vanity Fair
1.0- Bad (See it on a rainy day, and only after exhausting any of the above choices. Avoid the DVD.)
  • Anchorman
  • Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
  • In Good Company
  • Team America: World Police
0.5- Worse (Seeing it is a mistake. Go to video stores and laugh at those who purchase the DVD.)
  • The Day After Tomorrow
  • Godsend
  • Napoleon Dynamite
0.0- Avoid (It will cause temporary loss of brain function, similar to a mild concussion. Nobody will release it on DVD, just ignore it if they do.)
  • The Stepford Wives
  • The Village

 

77th Academy Awards

On January 25, 2005, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 77th Annual Academy Awards. Below is a list of all nominees, with my predictions in bold. I have not seen every eligible movie this year, and my predictions are an indication of the actual recipient, not the deserving recipient.


Picture:
"The Aviator"
"Finding Neverland"
"Million Dollar Baby"
"Ray"
"Sideways"

Director:
Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator"
Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"
Taylor Hackford, "Ray"
Alexander Payne, "Sideways"
Mike Leigh, "Vera Drake"

Actor:
Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda"
Johnny Depp, "Finding Neverland"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Aviator"
Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"
Jamie Foxx, "Ray"

Actress:
Annette Bening, "Being Julia"
Catalina Sandino Moreno, "Maria Full of Grace"
Imelda Staunton, "Vera Drake"
Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"
Kate Winslet, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Supporting actor:
Alan Alda, "The Aviator"
Jamie Foxx, "Collateral"
Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"
Thomas Haden Church, "Sideways"
Clive Owen, "Closer"

Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett, "The Aviator"
Laura Linney, "Kinsey"
Virginia Madsen, "Sideways"
Sophie Okonedo, "Hotel Rwanda"
Natalie Portman, "Closer"

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, "Before Sunset"
David Magee, "Finding Neverland"
Paul Haggis, "Million Dollar Baby"
Jose Rivera, "The Motorcycle Diaries"
Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, "Sideways"

Writing (Original Screenplay):
John Logan, "The Aviator"
Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
Brad Bird, "The Incredibles"
Mike Leigh, "Vera Drake"

Foreign Film:
"As It Is In Heaven" (Sweden)
"The Chorus (Les Choristes)" (France)
"Downfall" (Germany)
"The Sea Inside" (Spain)
"Yesterday" (South Africa)

Animated Feature Film:
"The Incredibles"
"Shark Tale"
"Shrek 2"


Animated Short Film:
"Birthday Boy"
"Gopher Broke"
"Guard Dog"
"Lorenzo"
"Ryan"

Live Action Short Film:
"Everything in This Country Must"
"Little Terrorist"
"7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Manana)"
"Two Cars, One Night"
"Wasp"

Documentary:
"Born Into Brothels"
"The Story of the Weeping Camel"
"Super Size Me"
"Tupac: Resurrection"
"Twist of Faith"

Documentary Short Subject:
"Autism Is a World"
"The Children of Leningradsky"
"Hardwood"
"Mighty Times: The Children's March"
"Sister Rose's Passion"

Art Direction:
"The Aviator"
"Finding Neverland"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"The Phantom of the Opera"
"A Very Long Engagement"

Cinematography:
"The Aviator"
"House of Flying Daggers"
"The Passion of the Christ"
"The Phantom of the Opera"
"A Very Long Engagement"

Film Editing:
"The Aviator"
"Collateral"
"Finding Neverland"
"Million Dollar Baby"
"Ray"

Costume Design:
"The Aviator"
"Finding Neverland"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"Ray"
"Troy"

Makeup:
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"The Passion of the Christ"
"The Sea Inside"

Original Score:
"Finding Neverland"
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"The Passion of the Christ"
"The Village"

Original Song:
"Accidentally In Love" from "Shrek 2"
"Al Otro Lado Del Rio" from "The Motorcycle Diaries"
"Believe" from "The Polar Express"
"Learn To Be Lonely" from "The Phantom of the Opera"
"Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" from "The Chorus (Les Choristes)"

Sound Editing:
"The Incredibles"
"The Polar Express"
"Spider-Man 2"

Sound Mixing:
"The Aviator"
"The Incredibles"
"The Polar Express"
"Ray"
"Spider-Man 2"

Visual Effects:
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
"I, Robot"
"Spider-Man 2"

Copyright © 2004-2006 by Eric Lachs. All Rights Reserved.