2004 has been a wonderful year for movies, with a range of groundbreaking films across the spectrum of genres. It has been a record-breaking year in terms of revenues, and box office records have fallen to films as diverse as The Passion Of The Christ, Hero, Touching The Void, and Fahrenheit 9/11.

And yet, it is testament to the depth of quality in 2004 that not only were those four films left by the wayside when compiling this top ten, but they were joined on the sidelines by films as good as Before Sunset, Super Size Me, The Incredibles, Spiderman 2, Infernal Affairs, I’m Not Scared and Dodgeball.

Here then, in reverse order, are my picks of 2004:

10. Mean Girls

My expectations were low for Mean Girls, which looked like being just another formulaic high school flick for teenage girls. Instead, this was one of the sharpest scripts of the year, packed with catty dialogue and a consistently surprising plot. It made a star of Lindsay Lohan, and rightly so.

9. Finding Neverland

The story of J.M. Barrie’s friendship with a widow and her children, this classic weepie is being seriously tipped for Oscars, and features four first-class performances from Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie and the tear-jerking twelve year old Freddie Highmore, who will be starring this year in Tim Burton’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

8. Open Water

This was one of the most exciting discoveries of the year: a no-budget suspense thriller about a scuba diving couple stranded in shark-infested waters. In a year packed with increasingly gory horror, particularly from Korea, this moody, psychological chiller was a rare treat.

7. Collateral

Collateral sounds like one of the least cinematic prospects of the year, as most of the film simply consists of two men talking in a car. Despite this, Michael Mann managed to create one of the best looking films of year, as Tom Cruise’s slick hitman spends the night touring Los Angeles in Jamie Foxx’s yellow cab.

6. Switchblade Romance

This film was one of eleven released in the last week of September, and consequently disappeared without trace. Hopefully it will find an audience on DVD, as this was the scariest slasher film of the year, loaded with Hitchcockian suspense, and incredible twists.

5. The Station Agent

Peter Dinklage should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Finbar, a self-possessed dwarf who moves into an old railway office and just wants to be left alone. Instead, he has friendship forced upon him by the gregarious Joe in this sweet American indie drama.

4. The Bourne Supremacy

The first Bourne film seemed to be little more than an exercise in style, and left me cold with its flashy visuals and fetishised violence. The sequel, on the other hand, was the year’s most thrilling thriller, packed with tension and plot twists, and featuring the best car chase of all time, thanks to British director Paul Greengrass.

3. Lost In Translation

Love letter to Japan, mid-life crisis story, May to December romance, or a lament to a failed marriage? Whatever it means to you, Sofia Coppola’s second film remains one of the year’s most romantic and atmospheric highlights, with touching performances from Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. If only she’d left out all that ‘lip my stocking’ nonsense…

2. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Another film hotly-tipped for Oscar recognition, Eternal Sunshine marks the first step into the mainstream for Charlie Kaufman, whose clever-clever screenplays for Being John Malkovich and Adaptation won minds rather than hearts. This film is just as complex and densely plotted, but uses these techniques to tell a tender and moving story of love and loneliness.

1. Shrek 2

Yes, it’s just a cartoon, and yes, it’s a sequel, but for me this was the highlight of the year. Shrek 2 took CGI animation to breathtaking new levels, while telling a story every bit as witty, surprising, and crammed with jokes as any episode of The Simpsons. Riotously funny, gorgeous to look at, and packed with romance and action, the film also has a charming and timely message about tolerance and respect for others. Shrek 2 was the world’s most popular film in 2004, and is likely to remain a family favourite for decades to come.