Best of 2003
2003 marked a great year in cinema.  Indie films are still making a huge impact, as are the mega budget monsters.  We did not have to put up with any terrible Star Wars/James Bond/Chicago films this year.  Some films here may have been from 2002 or earlier.  If I rented it during 2003 it could be here, as well as anything I rented from up to Feb 2004.  Most are movies I saw in the theatres.

                                                Here are some of the best


Kill Bill Volume 1

I have nothing bad to say about this movie. I absolutely loved it. Every scene is immaculately filmed. Rich color and beautiful sets are the backdrop for the most exquisitely choreographed ultra-violence I have seen in years. The action is not confused by too many quick cuts and fast editing which often hides and ruins action sequences in so many films. The story is excellent. Never once did I question The Bride's (Uma Thurman) justification for her blood lust and revenge. Even without revealing the whole story, Quentin Tarantino has made it clear, The Bride got a raw deal, and now many people are going to pay. If you are a fan of Quentin Tarantino, a fan of Kung-fu, and fan of brilliant cinematography, you must see this film. However, be warned, a movie as violent as this has not graced the American silver screen in ages. This is not for the light hearted, and little kiddies should probably be kept away; The music is the best of 2003.

The Last Samurai

This is certainly one great epic. It depicts the time when the modernization of Japan shattered the traditional way of the samurai. The group of samurai, led by the charismatic Katsumoto, tried to live up to their belief, a life of loyalty, determination, courage, and perfection, but they failed to turn  history around. The story is told from a viewpoint of a western man Algren (Tom Cruise) who learned to be a samurai and to appreciate the beauty in it.  A lot of breathtaking action mixed with some interesting Japanese  philosophy made the movie both entertaining and refreshing. However, the last 1/3 of the movie was a bit overdone and even turned to cheesy. Seems the director all of sudden gave in to the temptation of giving the audience a happy-ending-in-a-way, which ripped half of the Greek-tragedy-like charm off the movie.
Master and Commander

What an excellent movie!! The director and cast went to painstaking efforts to produce an authentic representation of what life was like in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic era.  action sequences are exceptionally well done, though maybe there could have been more action.  Russell Crowe gives his usual intense and charismatic performance and it is difficult to imagine anyone else playing the part.  Paul Bettany is just as good as the doctor. If have any quibbles about the movie it would be that it slowed down during the middle section with too many scenes of surgery and Dr Maturin's naturalist pursuits.  Overall its good stuff.
Return of the King

“Courage Merry, Courage for our friends”

How does a director manage to create a brilliant commercial vehicle that pleases your average filmgoer, how can they show the same film and please the critics and hard core fans? No matter if you cherish or despise the world of The Lord of the Rings, you have to take a moment and congratulate Peter Jackson and the work of all the people who clearly gave the blood and soul to a project that might never be equaled in our lifetime. If the Boston Red Sox cannot win a world series in over 80 years, how can we assume that in our modern age of big business and bottom line decisions, we will be able to recreate another story that can cause everyone, from the young and old, and all around the world, to fall in love in a fantasy universe. 

The Lord of the Rings displays a passion that I have not seen in possibly my entire life of watching films. Mind you there are many brilliant directors who each have a passion to share, but this is quite different. The passion that I see from the smallest detail to the largest miniature might never be reached again. Hats off to everyone who made these movies. I love them, and I want to thank you for making them as good as they are.

I could talk about this movie forever.   For me this was the most anticipated movie since Star Wars Episode 1.  I loved it, however I think I'm a bit jaded by having read the book so many times(its always been my favorite book).  I kept comparing every scene to the book, kept noticing when they would give one character another character's lines.  That being said this was still a great movie with in my opinion the best acting since Pulp Fiction. I have some complaints:

The worst change to the original story, however, comes in the portrayal of Denethor. Gone is the noble, if arrogant, Steward, with his keen vision. What we get instead is a nasty pig of a man, who won't light the beacons to send for help from Rohan (we're never told why), necessitating an absurd scene in which Gandalf has Pippin secretly scale some insane height so as to light the first beacon. Rather than film the superb moment in which Faramir reports to his father in front of Gandalf and Pippin, and reveals that he's seen hobbits in Ithilien, Gandalf takes Pippin with him on Shadowfax to rescue the riders retreating from Osgiliath. The filmmakers clearly wanted a way to have Faramir see a hobbit, so that he could then tell Gandalf. But as a bit of plot logic, this is just plain silly (why would you take a hobbit with you to ride out against a Nazgul whom you plan to battle with light from your staff?), and misses the chance to have Faramir torn between Gandalf and Denethor and forced to admit to his father that he let the ring go. Instead, we get Denethor, who appears utterly oblivious to what is going on, eating sloppily as he tells Faramir to go on a suicide mission to reclaim Osgiliath, for no other reason than that he hates his son. David Wenham does a great job showing Faramir's pain at his father's cruelty; John Noble chews the scenery as absurdly as he chews his chicken and tomatoes.

But here's the worst--when the orc armies arrive at Minas Tirith, Denethor freaks and tells his soldiers to abandon their posts. How does Gandalf handle this? He USES HIS STAFF TO BEAT UP THE STEWARD OF GONDOR. Gandalf, who embodies wisdom and only uses violence when physically attacked, is reduced to thuggishness in dealing with craven, nasty Denethor. This was for me the low point of the film;  In changing Denethor, for no good reason, the filmmakers sacrificed true dramatic conflict for an overly simplistic character. Denethor BAD, okay to beat up; Gandalf good, no matter what he does. And can you imagine the soldiers of Gondor obeying Gandalf after they've seen him beat down their leader?

I loved the extra half hour of endings, loved the many conclusions, Even Sam, the staunchest figure in the saga, going home to a bosomy hobbitness(I think I just made that word up.)

Best and Worst of 2003
Best of 2003
Worst of 2003

Top Five Films of 2003
Keira Knightley in Pirates
And in Beckham
And the year's best!
          (Tie)
Gollum Freshens up for his date with his precious.
American Splendor

I've never heard of the comic book American Splendor before. This movie is a combination of a docudrama and a black comedy. Wickedly funny and very different.  You totally accept the actor playing Harvey, the real Harvey, all the different cartoon Harvey's and the actor playing the actor Harvey, as being Harvey Pekar. In one scene, the real Harvey narates as the actor Harvey goes to see a play about his life, in which another actor plays the actor Harvey. Whew! And the real Harvey narrates about how weird it is to be watching the "movie" of this scene. In another scene, you can't believe Harvey and Toby are as weird as they seem, until the actors walk out of the movie onto the set, and you see the real Harvey and Toby interacting, and the actors are watching them. And then you realize that not only did the actors really "nail them" but the real guys are perhaps even weirder than they are portrayed. Joyce and Harvey's "date" is hysterical. All the scenes in the movie are framed like frames from the comic book. Very creative. And in the end, it all comes full circle, when Harvey writes a comic book about making the movie. 


Mystic River

This is a late addition.  I loved this movie the first time I saw it.  I just returned from a showing.  At this point I do not think I can think of a better suspense/cop movie that has been released in years, atleast since LA Confidential.  It has some really great elements.  The murder mystery is top notch, the characters and the way they interact are excellent, and the acting is brilliant.  Sean Penn will win best actor easily.  Tim Robbins and Marcia Gay Harding are up for supporting roles.  Perhaps the academy will vote for the wrong person like they did for Denzel Washington a couple of years ago, but Penn deserves the award.  Tim Robbins, with all his Peta/vegetarian annoyances should also win for best supporting.  The fact that he tries to force his personal beliefs on others gets a lot of people upset and can easily cost him votes.

Simply put this is a movie about people.  This is a small movie in respect to scope, locations, occurances.  The fact that it is one of the year's best is a testament to the power of its story and the acting.  I think this movie will be bigger than it is in the years to come.  It will be another Shawshank Redemption/Good Will Hunting type of a movie.  A film that becomes even bigger after it is released to video/TV.

I realize a film like Return Of the King takes 100 times the work to make, costs 10 times more, and is already a classic.  Its just that in any other year Mystic River would have walked away with best picture.