(Untitled)

[samsmyth]

THE YEAR IN MOVIESWhile handfuls of small films this year warmed my soul and truly deserve as much enthusiastic support as they can garner, a good deal of my top ten list, like the lists of many critics, is occupied by blockbusters; Turns out the big studio films this year were surprisingly more entertaining, well-crafted, and exceptional than they

Comments

[nostalghia]

Positively excellent top movie list. Just about as close to mine as you can get. Though I have yet to see Big Fish and 21 Grams, I am now beyond excited to see them, to find that they also make it so high on your list. could it really be true? Meet the Fockers?? this will rule my 04 completely.

Comments from Luke J. Schneider

[anonymous]

Sam,

Props to your succinct yet thoughtful and well written analysis. I'm not a big-budget fan, but I may revisit my own exclusive policy solely as a result of your enthusiasm for some of these pictures. 21 Grams and Mystic River are on the top of my list to see. One question: where is City of God??!!?? I hope you had a chance to see it. Also another film that I found very moving was a documentary called Stone Reader. By the way, I did not care for Cold Mountain aside from Jude Law and Renee Zellwegger's performances.

I predict that Wes Anderson will firmly cement his place as the greatest director in the world with The Life Aquatic, and we will also be able to throw him in with the greatest of all time i.e. Godard, Welles, Truffaut, etc.
Luke

Re: Comments from Luke J. Schneider

[samsmyth]

Thanks Luke.. I really would like to see CITY OF GOD again as I feel I didn't really get into it for some reason when I saw it earlier this year. The blockbuster syndrome.. I don't know, I could have just as easily filled the bottom half of my top ten with GERRY, ALL THE REAL GIRLS, IRREVERSILE, DOWN WITH LOVE, and HOLES, all smaller films that I absolutely loved and should probably be rooting for (if the ones who love them don't, who will?). In the end, I try to have a balance between these personal favorites and the ones I think are simply great achievements.

Regarding Wes, I love him as well but it might take more than a handful of films before we can throw his name around with those guys.

Sam