And a deep voice says: IN A WORLD… The BEST FILMS OF 2004
So what do we want from art, anyway?  This is what I’ve been thinking lately:  we want art to show us our world in another world.  Whether that other world is fantastic and surreal, or whether it is simply our world as seen through someone else’s eyes, good art does not show us what we already see and congratulate us for it or give us its stamp of approval.  Good art challenges us by seeing things in a way we’ve never seen them before. Sometimes that other world may at first seem as farfetched and unreal as “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” or “Ghost in the Shell II,” but we start to see ourselves in it.  Sometimes that other world is one that only obeys the rules of the movies, like “Kill Bill” and “Cowards Bend the Knee.”  Sometimes that other world may be something as seemingly mundane as L.A. in the 1970s or the present day, like “Baadassss!” and “Million Dollar Baby,” but by watching them we come to see how vastly different the lives of men and women living there and then can be from our own.  Sometimes that other world is the innerspace of spirituality and self-criticism, like “The Passion of the Christ” and “Garden State.”  Sometimes that other world is really our world, and the qualifier of “other” only comes into play when we come to understand the artist’s interpretation of it, like “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Spartan.”  Sometimes that other world is some part of our world that we’ve ignored, heightened and exaggerated to catch our eye, like “Mean Girls.”  Sometimes that other world is disconnected from us by centuries and centuries, inhabited by a culture whose values and environment are nothing like to what we’re accustomed, but whose problems and personalities seem strangely familiar, like “Alexander” and “Zatoichi.” Whatever the case, the lesson we can learn from good art is to sympathize with others.  Everyone we meet has a story and pains of her own.  Everyone we meet is valuable.  The cowardly member of the audience only consumes what he’s seen before and what will tell him he’s “okay.”  The brave chair-warmer will, for 90, 100, or even 200 minutes see things in a time that is not hers, with a gender that is not hers, in a religion that is not hers, and in a place that is not hers.  She will not abandon her values, but she will learn to accept that those whose opinions, experiences, and beliefs differ from her own are worthwhile.  This appears to be the thread unifying my favorite films of 2004, and perhaps the unifying element to all great movies:  compassion is more important than passive entertainment and approval. A friend of mine from LiveJournal named The Amused pointed out that I’m also drawn to movies about megalomaniacs or Homer Simpson figures.  I think that’s a safe assumption.  I’ve picked a whopping 39 movies from 2004 to mention here and have divided them into four categories:  win, place, show, and honorable mention.  Think of it as four top tens for the price of one.  As always, I’ve put them in reverse order, because that’s exciting.
Honorable Mention #28 - #39 Show #16 - #27                                      Place #9 - #15 Win #1 - #8                                          The Most Over-Rated Movie of 2004
	FULL DISCLOSURE: The following is a partial list of the movies that I was unable to see this year, what with being a total loser and all. The Alamo Alfie Alien vs. Predator Anchorman Any of the 9/11 Documentaries (besides Fahrenheit 9/11) The Assassination of Richard Nixon Bad Education Being Julia (Oscar nominee for Best Actress) Beyond the Sea Born Into Brothels (Oscar-winning documentary) The Bourne Supremacy Bridget Jones : The Edge of Reason Bright Young Things (Stephen Fry's directoral debut) The Brown Bunny (controversial Cannes debut) Catwoman Cellular Christmas with the Kranks The Day After Tomorrow Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story Dogville Downfall (starring Bruno Ganz as Hitler) Friday Night Lights
					The Notebook Open Water Osama Primer Resident Evil Apocalypse Saved! The Sea Inside Secret Window Shaun of the Dead Shrek 2 Silver City Spanglish The Spongebob Squarepants Movie Story of the Weeping Camel Taxi The Terminal (Spielberg) Van Helsing When Will I Be Loved White Chicks Whole Ten Yards Wicker Park The Woodsman The Yes Men Young Adam (NC17 noir starring Ewan McGregor)
			The Girl Next Door The Grudge I'm Not Scared In Good Company (from the makers of About A Boy) Infernal Affairs King Arthur Kinsey Ladder 49 The Machinist (featuring 120 lbs. of Christian Bale) Maria Full of Grace (Oscar nominee for Best Actress) The Merchant of Venice (starring Al Pacino) Metallica :  Some Kind of Monster Never Die Alone (starring DMX) New York Minute