Friday, January 16, 2009

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless 2004 (As If Any Other Film Matters)

My Film Log for 2004 is up and ready for discussion. It should come as no surprise that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is my favorite film of the year because, honestly, who doesn't have Eternal Sunshine at their number one spot? It's with the rest of the Top 10 list where things get a bit nutty. Mean Girls at number 2? Yes, I honestly believe that Mean Girls will be one of the films from 2004 that people will remember 15-20 years in the future. Tina Fey's screenplay, in my mind, forms a Holy Trifecta with All About Eve and Network as the most perfect screenplays ever written. As for Dodgeball, no, I'm not under the influence of drugs or anything; I honestly think it's a great comedy. I'll admit that when I first heard the premise, I scoffed at how idiotic it sounded, but then I saw it and I was in stitches from the beginning to the end. Call me crazy, but I loved it.

Let's move on to my Diva Cup Award acting nominees: has my love for Steve Sandvoss totally blinded me or is his performance in Latter Days actually better than Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland? I'm going to have to say yes. And I know that nominating Minnie Driver for The Phantom of the Opera is totally random, but I have a story that will totally clear up any confusion. Soon after I got my driver's license, my friends and I drove to the nearest movie theater to see The Phantom of the Opera. We all pretty much liked it at the time (it's quality has gone down in my estimation since then) but the one part my friend Jill and I loved the best was La Carlotta's big scene in which threatens to leave the show roughly 20 times, always with the exclamation "Where's my doggy?" It was at this point that we decided we wanted to be like her and devote the rest of our lives to being as big of divas as she was. So, in my worldview, the performance was a major success. How about you? What did you think about Minnie Driver? Or is the performance completely forgotten four years later?

Let me hear your opinions about anything 2004 related in the comments and, while you're at it, vote in this poll:

6 comments:

J.D. said...

Wow, me likey.

Am I the only person who doesn't get Clarkson in Dogville? She was really good, duh, but like, I was sorta meh on her? Now, Patty in Far from Heaven - perfection.

Also, wow, I didn't know you loved Fahrenheit 9/11 that much.

Vance said...

Wait a minute Wait a minute. DODGEBALL? And you're criticizing Slumdogs? HAHA...

Hmm... nice counterblog. I like! I may have to finally post my movies per year list too! (I've had it prepared for about a year now and it just sits there unpublished.)

but if you were wondering: I put Eternal at ... GASP... #13.

2004
1. Good Bye Lenin! (10)
2. The Incredibles (9)
3. Sideways (9)
4. Before Sunset (9)
5. Bad Education (9)
6. Shaun of the Dead (9)
7. Fahrenheit 9/11 (9)
8. Spider-Man 2 (9)
9. Collateral (9)
10. Mean Girls (9)

(I've never seen I Heart Huck, Kill Bill or Dogville. All which I really wanted to too... so I'm not sure why) Okay, thinking back now, I'm surprised I put Collateral so high. There must have been a gun to my head.

Dame James said...

J.D., I'm like the exact opposite: Patty is God in Dogville, but I'm kinda meh on her in Far From Heaven. Great actress doing great things but I'm not sure it's as "Oscar-worthy" as a lot of people said. I don't know.

Michael Moore = LOVE. His four main documentaries (Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit and Sicko) all would be in my Top 5 of their respective years. There's no one quite like him in my book.

Dame James said...

Haha I know, but, like I replied in the comments of the Slumdog post, we all have our own strange taste. I know that sometimes, and this is true with Dodgeball, I can look at individual parts of it and see that they don't work but, all together, it works wonderfully.

Eternal Sunshine at 13? I've never heard of such a thing!

I still need to see Lenin and Before Sunset and I don't think I'll ever willingly watch Spider Man 2.

Am I the only person who saw Sideways and thought, "Meh, Alexander Payne has done better"?

Anonymous said...

MEAN GIRLS. My number 2 under Eternal I think. Totally.

I didn't think much of Sideways either.

Calum Reed said...

The thing I most agree with is the "F" for The Butterfly Effect, possibly the worst film ever made. I actually love Phantom of the Opera so Driver isn't such a bad pick. The accent is pretty hilarious on its own. Natalie Portman for Garden State is a great pick. She's so endearing in that.