Best of 2004

'Million Dollar Baby' is a film experience at its most raw and powerful, uncompromising and unflinching in unravelling meaningful character relationships and ultimately, decisions that have to be made. It transcends the usual boxing flick by moving beyond the barriers of the ordinary and into a realm rife with moral ambiguity and a character's internal struggle to do the right thing, whatever that may be. It tugs at your heartstrings in the most passionate way but never feeling like it is actually doing so, and packs a visceral punch until emotion is at its peak; gut-wrenching seems something of an understatement.

Frankie Dunn is an elderly boxing trainer. Owns his own gym, and is currently taking his fighter to the top. He goes to Church every Sunday. He is also estranged from his daughter, and insists to the priest he writes to her every day. When he refuses a title fight for his man, assuring him he needs just a little more work, the boxer drops out for a new manager.

Maggie Fitzgerald is a fighter determined to win Frankie as her manager. She knows it is only him who can take her to the top to become a world champion, and she wants know-one else. But Frankie doesn't train girls.

Watching Maggie's seemingly futile attempts to get Frankie on side is what leads us to admire this woman. She befriends gym janitor Eddie 'Scrap-Iron' Dupris, and we discover her true composure. Maggie is lonely but desperately wants someone to believe in her. She wants to move past her 'white-trash' background and prove the sceptics wrong. To make something of herself, like she knows she can. With a little help from Eddie, she eventually wins Frankie round. But only till she's trained, he insists.

The following middle-section of the film follows the conventional boxer-movie path, albeit in a more understated and realistic manner. Dark and dreary lighting and mise-en-scene lend the picture a more haunting glow, and the fight scenes are brutally, shockingly intense. Eastwood's direction is about timing, character dynamics and the realisation of one girl's dream, and what it means to this man who fell into a routine where he failed to look beyond titles. Undercurrents of unspoken feeling and the soft, reserved tone are what make the film so sincere and definite. So unspectacularly alive.

Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman all give sterling performances, possibly the best of their dramatic careers. Maggie seems fierce and unaffected, but she is a woman out to prove herself, and Swank's mild-mannered persona exudes that vulnerability at just the right tone. Freeman plays a man haunted by the fights of his past but able to offer sound advice to a girl in whom he sees much of himself, and Eastwood's portrayal equals Swank's in that tough exterior protecting an uncertain interior shell.

Slowly, a sense of inspiration begins to shroud the opening tone of melancholy. As Maggie and Frankie begin to find in each other that person missing from their lives for so long, the atmosphere reaches uplifting. And then the third act strikes with a deafening chord. Paul Haggis' masterful screenplay takes a whole new direction, and while it doesn't feel detached or off-key it takes the picture - and the characters - to a whole new level of humanity. Maggie and Frankie have reached a mutual respect and understanding, but he has a challenge before him that so few could come to accept. His decision is inevitable, but it makes it no less painful, disturbing and heart-rending.

'Million Dollar Baby' is a remarkable achievement. Whether you agree or not with the final subject matter is immaterial in its devastating effect. The ending is awash with sadness and hurt, but tinged with hope. You can't care more for characters or a final outcome than how Eastwood has managed here. And even though the fight is over, the final punch will persistently, inevitably reverberate.

Little is known about the Rwandan genocide of 1994 amongst the general public, but 'Hotel Rwanda' serves as a shocking reminder that such atrocities are avoidable, and not taking the necessary steps results in the kind of tragedy we could not even begin to imagine. Blame cannot, of course, simply reside among those who did not intervene - they had reasons, and those were not completely unfounded. But that is not the film's main concern; it is an intimate and personal analysis of how one man, played by a superb Don Cheadle, saved hundreds of lives by sheltering the refugees in his hotel. The director never deviates from his story to show the national effect of the genocide - that would place us in a position of power, over the characters whom we empathise so deeply with for the exact reason that we remain with them for every step of the film. 'Hotel Rwanda' delivers a powerful and revelatory tale, one embroidered with political fault and shocking massacre, to the point where it makes us physically unable to watch. The film is often distressing, but not just through perception of slaughter - the tension, the sense of fear and foreboding the director creates and then looms leaves us unnerved, and Paul and his wife Tatiana's deeply human moments, when they reminisce on a roof overlooking war, or when conversation turns to how they must eventually die are sad, shockingly real moments we must deal with. Director Terry George has created a modern war masterpiece, one that should be watched by everybody and anybody - the film is not only important, but thoroughly well made, sensitive and harrowing, with outstanding performances and moments of sheer emotion that captivate us in a way cinema rarely does. The film has an undeniable power, one that is too difficult to shake off just because the credits have rolled - a profound, moving drama.

What was so great here was the reality of the situation the characters found themselves in, the reality of the era and the fact that abortion was not the central theme or a subtext - the film truly is a biopic of the woman Vera Drake. Imelda Staunton delivers a flawless performance in this amazing film, really creating the character of Vera to perfection. The rest of the cast provide great support, Phil Davis especially exceeding his previous work. Mike Leigh creates a vivid and strikingly real portrayal of 1950's London, and the direction is stunning - he introduces Vera to be sure we like her, and then brings her down having us screaming protests. He also juxtaposes the joyous occasions with the sombre atmosphere and bleak setting of the courts brilliantly, overlaying everything with a beautiful score to propel the characters and involve the audience. One of the most intense and emotional film's you'll ever see.

'Eternal Sunshine' is as bizarre and original a picture one has come to expect from writer Charlie Kauffman, co-creator of 'Being John Malkovich' and 'Adaptation', but what we don't see coming is the intense, emotional core; building around the generic formula of a romance Kauffman dazzles with his power of heartfelt storytelling, and it makes 'Eternal Sunshine' all the more impressive a picture. It is so well written, and superbly acted it transcends its unconventional premise to make us not just think, but feel.

We meet Joel on an ordinary morning. He is quiet, shy; perhaps a little self-conscious. At the train station he makes the impulsive decision not to go to work today; instead hop on somewhere else and go wherever fate leads him. We sense this is unlike him, and he even seems surprised by his sudden spontaneity. On the train he meets Clementine, a woman with outrageously highlighted locks and a demeanour that seems intent on finding conflict. But there is a spark, some chemistry. It turns out to be a lot more than we think.

The credits don't open for another ten minutes, and yet I really can't say much more about the narrative without ruining the surprises. Suffice to say the story is told from Joel's point-of-view, and he and Clementine have some sort of relationship. The fictional procedure of partial-memory-erasure comes into things, headed by Tom Wilkinson and his young team (Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst), but again that isn't really giving much away. They are just the facts, laid out much neater on paper than on screen.

But despite the jumping chronology and parallel narratives, Kauffman makes everything work; the picture is a coherent whole, and Joel and Clementine are the force of the film, not least thanks to Winslet and Carrey's stunning performances. As remarkably unique as the plot is, the film doesn't rely on it; this is no clever gimmick, or neat trick, but a beautifully woven idea. And with a powerful human centre, ideas have the power to elate, and inspire.

But just because the romance is the centre of things, don't expect stuffy clichés or overwrought melodrama; Joel and Clementine's journey is a painfully honest one, and the dialogue equals the plot mechanics for subtle, superlative writing. Gondry's vibrant and eccentric direction never distracts, and the poetic force of the entire production doesn't fail to hit home.

I had my reservations on the first viewing, wondering if you could effectively follow a relationship backwards rather than as it blossoms and evolves. But 'Eternal Sunshine' is about so many things it doesn't appear to be, and you cannot but be drawn into such a complex, rich and pure picture. The film is about taking risks and chances, moving on from past mistakes. Learning to forgive, but not forget. 'Eternal Sunshine' is a whirlwind of imagination you'll be stuck with, heart and mind both.

It really does seem that Pixar cannot fail, and no matter how simple their films seem on the surface, they are as intelligent and thought-provoking as mainstream ones, 'The Incredibles' being their best outing yet. The film takes a satirical approach to superhero and crime fighting films, but it embraces their qualities rather than ridiculing them - a simple parody would be more than a disappointment. The result, therefore, is a wonderful tounge-in-cheek rollercoaster ride of cliches and conventions, from secret hideaways and gadgets to the fantastic score. It goes beyond the simple story, however; the wonderful humour, colourful characters and exciting pace are only the surface - the film is so full of heart and soul that it enables us to truly value the points made, connect with the family and have an amazing time watching. It is both bold and bright, maintaining the balance so we feel as though we are in the midst of a James Bond picture. It is flawlessly crafted, perfectly paced and a new step for the animation genre - unmissable.

Reaching for the heights of those planes like a soaring and majestic eagle comes the sweeping, epic biopic 'The Aviator', Martin Scorsese's ravishing character study of the infamous film-maker and engineer Howard Hughes, who fought OCD and isolation while dabbling in a string of scandalous affairs in Hollywood's Golden Age of cinema. The acclaimed director and a surprisingly mature, nuanced performance from Leonardo DiCaprio bring the legend to life, and its no small feat either; 'The Aviator' is absolutely compelling viewing, a film so adept and impressive you want it to carry on past the two-and-a-half-hour running time.

We meet a grown up Howard on the set of 'Hell's Angel's', his first feature length picture where he is attempting to re-create the air battles of World War Two after a childhood flashback of Hughes learning the value of hygiene from his mother, the words forever reverberating in a corner of his mind: "You are not safe!". It's a catalyst for some more agonising personal turmoil later on, but presently the man is at the height of calm, carelessly spending his multi-million fortune for personal ambition.

Despite a number of liaisons he pursues the glamorous Katherine Hepburn, played with fiery passion by Cate Blanchett, an actress so comfortable in the role she fits into it like a pair of those warm gloves she so gracefully adorns. The screen practically blazes with her presence, and she and DiCaprio have a spark to illuminate their witty and romantic encounters, including a spectacular date where they soar smoothly across the night sky in one of Hughes' airplanes.

Scorsese carefully balances all aspects of Hughes' life, however, and this biopic is intent on delivering a complete and accurate portrait. Luckily the pacing never drags and editing is rarely choppy; the director knows how to make the possibly mundane burst live with aggression, and the seemingly tedious soar with remarkable awe. The overlay of classical music as those planes race across the skies is just one of the amazing directorial choices Scorsese opts for. Another is the colour hues to reflect the progression of Technicolor, a genuinely inspiring aspect of the film. He wants his audience comfortable, but also to bring the picture alive.

So we get to watch more than a personality evolve. We witness political fight and determination against Senator Owen Brewster, Hughes three-day record-setting flight around the world and a busty fling with actress Ava Gardner, all the while he descends deeper into an abyss of madness and paranoia. Soon enough it takes over his work, and he has little time to set his new aviation records; a small visit from Hepburn soon gives Hughes the boost of courage he needs to fight those inescapable demons, so taboo in the era.

Blanchett's Oscar winning performance isn't all that impresses on the acting front. Alec Baldwin is fine as Howard's opposition, leader or Pan Am Airlines, and a nominated Alan Alda proves a gritty and subtle corrupt senator. Beckinsale isn't in the same league as grand old Cate, but she doesn't do bas as Gardner, while John. C Reilly is his usual perturbed and flustered self as Hughes' suffering accountant. DiCaprio, on the other hand, is something of a revelation. He delivers a finely tuned performance, in accent, mannerisms, behaviour?he is a total embodiment of the role. Then there are a bunch of cameos from famous faces; Gwen Stefani, Willem Dafoe and Jude Law among them.

'The Aviator' is a picture transcending its own aspirations, and one that feels so whole and complete when the ending finally comes. Scorsese works with flair and style to create an extraordinary accomplishment, one that soars heights beyond convention, and flies into excellence with polish and sincerity. It is an empathetic painting of a man who dared to overcome his fears of life and lurch headfirst into an untouched sky. Watch, and be amazed.

The success of this film is down to the director's wise decision to incorporate the fantasy elements of J.M.Barrie's world and parallel this with the humanity of the real, literal one. It adds a layer of depth and meaning to the film's occurences and what the life and relationship between the Davies family and the creator of 'Peter Pan' convey to the audience. The story is perfectly paced, sentimental and human without over-indulging the sadness, and vibrant and colourful - it helps transport us to the creative world that is slowly uncovered over the course of the film. Johnny Depp is brilliant and original in another successful embodiment of his own creation, Kate Winslet and Julie Christie providing solid support. Freddie Highmore also gives a geuine performance of sensitivity and pathos, so carefully created for such a young actor. The director's use of the camera is also extremely effective and innovative, complementing the interwoven narrative perfectly. It's a genuine film, heartwarming realism and awe-inspiring fantasy illustrating our fears and insecruities that never disappear, even when we grow up.

The last days of war for Adolf Hitler are dramatically portrayed in this powerful film that delves deep into the Nazi's higher order and how they suffered a dreadful defeat. It is stunningly directed, camera angles and the use of light are used to full effect, and the grislier side of war is presented truly and astonishingly. The acting is also where the force of the film lies - Bruno Ganz captures the menace and horror of Hitler and his power almost perfectly. It's only real fault is that it is slightly too long, the ending drags to what could even be considered an anti-climax - it is maybe this that prevents it from being a true masterpiece. For such a compelling and thought-provoking film however, it's a small and easily overlooked fault at least.