Brad's A lists, 2004
Here's some stuff I really liked this year (with a few ringers from late 2003).
Movies
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Charlie Kaufman finally solves his ending problem. The reason aliens put sci-fi on this planet was that it's the ultimate way to explore memory, and this is the best example of that since La Jetee.
Before Sunset
When I've reached the wasteland of 33 I'll probably regret not putting this at number 1. Right now I think it's perfect, but only perfect.
Funny Ha Ha
Waspy college grads try to find themselves. Give up and become nerds already! Or learn how to use a 16mm movie camera.
Crimson Gold
We see the tragedy, and then we see the real tragedy. Performance of the year from the screen-filling depressive Hossain Emadeddin. And I must say it, this tells you more about Iran than Dubya knows.
Infernal Affairs *
In the grand tradition of Pépé le Moko. Andy Lau isn't Jean Gabin, but Tony Leung means he doesn't have to be.
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Screw L.A. Best side effect: the PFA screening Billy Woodberry's <i>Bless Their Little Hearts</i>.
To Be and To Have
No, there's isn't a dark undercurrent. Just kawaii, and if you think that's faint praise you need a hug.
Last Life in the Universe
The best Wong Kar-wai ripoff since... Lost in Tranlation.
Ray
There were half-a-dozen great roles available for black performers this year, and all but one of them were in this movie. Please give Jamie Foxx the Oscar, unless you give it to Bernie Mac.
Tarnation
As hard to watch as Dogville, but Jonathan Caouette wants to use his zealously open mind to sort out all the shit that's been piled on his family over 30 years, not to add to it. Also, he wants to make a movie, which he turns out to be good at.
The Manchurian Candidate
Duh it can't have the impact of the original. It'll have to settle for being more craftily made.
Primer
The only movie I saw this year that it took an hour and several time-space diagrams to work out. Techie heaven!
Shaun of the Dead
The only funnier movie was Dodgeball, but I reluctantly admit this is the better movie. Shaun's trip to the dairy is an all-timer.
Star Spangled to Death
A collage film that's never boring in seven hours. Even if Ken Jacobs's pessimism looks increasingly well-founded, Jack Smith lives.
Festival Express
The Corporation
Route 181
Monster
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban
Goodbye, Dragon Inn
Dodgeball *
Sideways
The Station Agent
In America
The Fog of War
Doppelganger
The Incredibles
The Adventures of Iron Pussy
Mr. 3000
The Saddest Music in the World
Vera Drake
Tropical Malady
Collateral *
Shrek 2
Cowards Bend the Knee
Cold Mountain
Masked & Anonymous *
The Mother
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
Control Room
Maria Full of Grace
Balseros
We Don't Live Here Anymore
Osama
Elf
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
The Agronomist
Travellers and Magicians
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Decasia
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Purple Butterfly
(asterisk denote I saw it on DVD/video/in-flight)
The sample was 99 titles.
In my 2003 list: Springtime in a Small Town, Oasis, Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin, Shaolin Soccer, and the trailer for Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space.
Wait for the 2005 list: House of Flying Daggers, The Big Red One: The Reconstruction, Million Dollar Baby, Hotel Rwanda, Notre Musique, A Talking Picture, The Sea Inside...
Problematic: Hero (nice colours, but historically accurate only in its proto-fascism), The Dreamers (great shots, terrible acting), Dogville (Nicole Kidman is superb, but Lars is Lars).
The F list: Save the Green Planet! The list of worthless Korean movies has a new champion – even Shiri didn't have the ill-will to use atrocity footage.
Albums
When it comes to listening to albums as they come out, I don't try as hard as I used to, so I'm more lenient on letting older stuff into this list.
Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous
Warren Zevon, The Wind (2003)
Le Tigre, This Island
Drive-By Truckers, Decoration Day (2003)
Kanye West, The College Dropout
The Postal Service, Give Up (2003)
Brian Wilson, Smile
Jon Langford, All the Fame of Lofty Deeds
Barbershop 2: Back in Business
The Mountain Goats, We Shall All Be Healed
Youssou N'Dour, Egypt
Buck 65, Square (2002)
Sonic Liberation Front, Ashe a Go-Go
Automato, Automato
Drive-By Truckers, The Dirty South
The Streets, A Grand Don't Come for Free
The Bad Plus, Give
Matthew Shipp, Harmony and Abyss
Sonic Youth, Sonic Nurse
Oumou Sangare, Oumou
Nellie McKay, Get Away from Me
Charlie Haden, Land of the Sun
Ozomatli, Street Signs
Van Hunt, Van Hunt
Fountains of Wayne, Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)
Eminem, Encore
Will Rigby, Paradoxaholic (2002)
Books
Most of these are a year or two old, but whaddayagonnado.
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, Random Family
Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
Orhan Pamuk, Snow
Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Armand Marie Leroi, Mutants
David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
Caryl Phillips, A Distant Shore
Arthur Phillips, Prague
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Purple Hibiscus
Bob Dylan, Chronicles, Volume 1
Jonathan Lethem, The Fortress of Solitude
Colm Toibin, The Master
Caroline Alexander, The Bounty
Howard W. French, A Continent for the Taking
Tobias Wolff, Old School
Aleksandar Hemon, Nowhere Man
Dan Simmons, Ilium
Matt Ridley, Nature via Nurture
Daredevil: Hardcore
Y: The Last Man: Unmanned
Visual art
Edward Burtynsky, Three Gorges Dam Project, Wan Zhou #2, Yangtze River, China
Jack Goldstein, Under Water Sea Fantasy (would be #48.5 in the movie list)
Kim Fisher, Labradorite, 31/Tourmaline, 33/Beryl, 15
Robyn O'Neill, Everything That Stands...
Masami Teraoka, AIDS Series/Geisha and Ghost Cat