Other noteworthy films this year included "Fahrenheit 911," "The Aviator," "Ghost in the Shell 2," "Strayed," "Spider-Man 2," and "Maria Full of Grace."
1. The Trilogy
The best movie of the year consists of three interlocking films: together, Lucas Belvaux' "On the Run," "An Amazing Couple," and "After the Life" form a brilliant experiment in structure and genre-bending. By turns a thriller, a farce, and a melodrama, the films cover the same events from different angles and finally form a fourth, more complete film in the audiences' mind.
2. The Motorcycle Diaries
A film as fresh, honest, and beautiful as Walter Salles' revolutionary road trip with the young Che Guevara doesn't happen every year.3. Before Sunset
Unabashadely romantic and unapologetically talky, Richard Linklater's sequel to the 1995 love story "Before Sunrise" is bound to become a milestone for the aging slacker generation.4. Sidways
Comedies don't get much better than Alexander Payne's heartfelt and hilarious bachelor's trip to the California wine country. The cast is extraordinary, and so is the film's golden glow.5. Notre Musique
Jean-Luc Godard's unqiue blend of abstract cinema, fiction, and documentary proves that he is still one of our most baffling, incisive, and daring filmmakers.6. Dogville
Love him or hate him, there is no avoiding the manipulative genius of Lars von Trier.7. The Five Obstructions
Jorgen Leth and Lars von Trier's game is a curious portrait of two filmmakers and an inspiring examination of their artistic processes.8. The Dreamers
Revolution, movies, and sex enjoy a delightful threesome in Bernardo Bertulucci's NC-17 love letter to Paris in 1968. A movie only a hardened cynic could hate.9. Control Room
More even-handed than "Fahrenheit 9/11" and more rigorous than "Outfoxed," Jehane Noujaim's captivating film about Al Jazeera during the beginning of the Iraq War was the first must-see political documentary of 2004. A fascinating look over our medial horizon and a necessary reminder that all news is manufactured.10. Festival Express
Exuberant, outrageous, and seriously smokin', "Festival Express" documents a 1970 concert tour aboard a train with Janis Joplin, the Band, and the Grateful Dead. An instant classic.Poll: The Best Movie
Vote in our poll. What was your favorite film of the year?
