10. Anchorman
Although Anchorman is definitely not groundbreaking filmmaking, it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time. With humour too absurd for some, this film is definitely on par with such films as Freddy Got Fingered in that it takes a certain frame of mind to appreciate it. You can tell the stars are having as much fun making the film as you are watching it. The film doesn’t rely too much on being a spoof of the seventies. It actually doesn’t rely on much other then being completely ridiculous, ignoring logic and reality to get huge laughs. The upcoming DVD contains an entire second film made up of outtakes and deleted scenes, which should be a great companion to the original. — Jay C.
9. Sideways
Writer/director Alexander Payne has a knack for creating comedies that make you laugh while simultaneously tugging at your heart strings, and Sideways is another great film that may fly under people’s radars due to the lack of big name actors. It is quite possibly one of the funniest movies of the year, telling the story of two guys experiencing their own forms of mid-life crisis, with Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church adopting a similar buddy chemistry to Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in Swingers. The film is also beautifully shot and features some gorgeous backdrops in the wine country of California. Although some of the wine metaphors get to be a bit much, you have to admire the playful way in which Payne continually dodges predictable storytelling traps that so many other directors fall victim to. — Sean
8. Kill Bill, Vol. 2
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While most people, especially critics, would probably agree that as a film - Kill Bill Vol 2 is just as good, if not better, than Kill Bill Vol 1 for many reasons - character development, story, for example - they still prefer Kill Bill Vol 1, if only because Vol 1 is so much more dynamic, and with a higher body count of about… 100 or so. If Vol 1 set up the legend of the Bride, Vol 2 told the actual story. And never in Vol 1’s duration did it ever have anything as truly terrifying and unsettling as the Buried Alive sequence. And oh yeah, David Carradine, who more than lives up to the evil reputation bestowed upon him by Vol 1. — Goon
7. Garden State
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The Zach Braff show. Written/directed/starring the young “Scrubs” actor, Garden State took everyone aback by how much you ended up caring for these characters in a story that could just have easily sucked, TV movie style. I mean come on, the plot isn’t really there - guy comes home for funeral, meets a girl who changes his life forever? It’s all in the performances, the ticks and quirks, and the actual direction style and soundtrack that much like Lost in Translation, a beautiful and timeless movie love story emerges. Now if only people will shut up about the ending. — Goon
6. Napoleon Dynamite
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It’s difficult to argue that Napoleon Dynamite has one of the most interesting or compelling stories ever committed to film (in fact, there’s not really a story at all), but there’s still something about the quirkiness of this movie that makes it impossible to resist. Jared Hess has even been accused of ripping off other movies and directors, but I think in the end the Napoleon Dynamite speaks for itself. No matter where you might think he’s stolen ideas from, you’ve never seen anything quite like Napoleon Dynamite. The characters and performances are so bizarre, but executed with a mundane, deadpan conviction that demand laughter from any and every open-minded viewer. — Sean
5. Fahrenheit 9/11
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Decried as propaganda by right wing Bushies, and to a lesser extent, decried by far left wingers who view documentarian Michael Moore as McPolitics, Fahrenheit 9/11 in time will be remembered more for the media frenzy behind it than the movie itself. But that isn’t to say it isn’t a great piece of filmmaking nevertheless. No matter what you think of Michael Moore as a person, his accuracy, or the ethics of his style, it must be said that Moore has mastered his style, from the editing to the narrating to the comic timing — it’s entertainment know-how that attracts an audience to his message. So what purpose does Fahrenheit 9/11 have now that its mission of ousting Bush has failed? It belongs in a time capsule. Fahrenheit’s existence is a, perhaps THE, document of the massive tension of these past few years. — Goon
4. The Incredibles
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Essentially modeled after the Fantastic Four, and directed by Pixar outsider Brad Bird, The Incredibles is the most start-to-finish fun movie Pixar has released to date. Like Bird’s previous feature, The Iron Giant, the dialogue of the Incredibles family is amazingly believable, like all Pixar films to date, the voice casting is amazingly well chosen (who else would have hired Craig T. Nelson to star in a blockbuster movie, even as a voice role? ), and the digital effects are as always awesome. Pixar keep raising the bar higher, exposing the absolute crap that is Dreamworks Animation over and over, to a point where people’s expectations for the film company are going to become way too high to live up to. Why is it so many family films supposedly meant just for kids are better written than the stories for adults? P.S. Move over Jessica Rabbit - Elastigirl is THE cartoon MILF. — Goon
3. Spider-Man 2
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Spider-Man 2 is yet another example of a sequel surpassing it’s original. After a fairly good origin story, Spider-Man 2 picks up a couple of years since Peter Parker’s transformation into the web-crawling superhero. I’m not entirely sure why this film worked so well for me, possibly the fact that there was more attention given to the writing then the average superhero film usually gets. (Including a credit to novelist Michael Chabon of Wonder Boys fame). Not only is this a great Spider-Man film, but it’s a great Sam Raimi film. Fans of the Evil Dead movies were treated to a horrific hospital scene complete with a chainsaw and trademark Raimi camerawork. But aside from the visual aspects of the film, the movie is just very rewatchable. It’s got great action, quality performances, and the right element of comic book sensibilities balanced perfectly with a touch of real life. I can’t wait for part three. — Jay C.
2. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
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Although Eternal Sunshine Of the Spotless Mind seems like an obvious choice for best movie of the year, sometimes you have to ask yourself if Michel Gondrey and Charlie Kaufman managed to pull one over on all of us. Were the artsy and surreal elements of the movie just a ploy to make us think it was a masterpiece? I think the thing that makes Eternal Sunshine so special is that even from the surface, this movie speaks to a lot of people. Everyone has wanted to erase a part of their past at one time or another, and this movie takes an amusing and inspiring look at the repercussions of such a thing. In doing so, it manages to balance fun, art and message in equal portions. It is weird, but not too weird, and Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet bring such real performances to the mix that it’s hard not to get involved in their story. Considering the nominations Adapation received, this film may also have a decent shot at some Oscar recognition. I sure hope so. — Sean
1. Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster
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The first reaction when this film was announced was pretty negative. Originally everyone thought of this as a promotional film for Metallica that only fans would enjoy. However, when I heard that award winning documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky were involved, I had complete faith. It actually made sense seeing as Metallica played a role in two of their earlier documentaries, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and Paradise Lost 2: Revalations, in which the band provided a soundtrack to and were involved in when a trio of suspected child murderers cited Metallica as their favourite band. So with legitimate documentary filmmakers attatched, it was no surprise that Some Kind of Monster turned out to be one of the best films of the year. An intimate look at the inner workings of the band, Some Kind of Monster doesn’t play as a tribute to group, but rather an objective look at a band that may be past their prime. We see the fighting within the group, the difficulty in writing a fresh album, and even psychiatric sessions used to bring the band closer together. I’d never thought that this group of metalheads would actually have so much character. I guess this film changed the way I look at Metallica, but not enough for me to buy one of their albums. — Jay C.
Honourable Mentions: Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, Hero, Primer, The Life Aquatic, Touching The Void
Reader’s Choice: Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind