V and I love going to the movies, and we catch most of the major releases in theaters. What follows is my take on the best films of 2003:
12. House of Sand and Fog: Melodrama about an Iranian emigre (portrayed brilliantly by Ben Kingsley) , the house he has bought and on which his hopes of regaining dignity for himself and his family are pinned, and the woman (Jennifer Connelly) from whom the house was taken for back taxes in a bureaucratic screw-up. Swimming in moral ambiguities, this film sheds light on the difficulties between immigrants and non-immigrants.
11. American Splendor: I've loved Paul Giamatti's work since he was "Pig Vomit" in Howard Stern's Private Parts, and he really shines in this very successful adaptation of Harvey Pekar's autobiographical comic book which celebrates the ordinary.
10. My Life Without Me: From the beginning of the film you know that the protagonist is dying, that's no surprise; it's how she chooses to live her final days that is so compelling. The film is on many levels predictable and manipulative, but I loved it anyway -- it is full of heart.
9. Capturing the Friedmans: Principal documentary footage of a family disintegrating under charges of child abuse, accompanied by interviews with police and accusers, is disturbingly ambiguous, a haunting warning of the power of mass hysteria and the terrible uncertainties of the justice system. In the final analysis, there's something for everyone to be creeped out by here.
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: A weak ending madly wrapping up 10 hours of loose ends in a tension-free, saccharine 20 minute orgy of soft focus, still fails to mar the magnificence of this last chapter of the trilogy. A stunning achievement bringing this most beloved of 20th century fantasies to life is a commercial and creative success. The scenes of Frodo and Sam at Mount Doom and the battle of the Pelennor Fields are deeply moving even as they are realized with seamless computer-generated animation. As soon as the RotK extended edition comes out, I am going to sit down to a 12-hour numb-your-ass-a-thon of hobbits, elves, orcs, and wizardry. Huzzah!
7. The Station Agent: This funny, original film explores beautifully how a sincerely anti-social person (he has good reason) builds friendships and a social world about him, sometimes in spite of himself. A brilliant screenplay with rock-solid performances by Peter Dinklage and Patricia Clarkson (who, by the way, seems to be this year's Parker Posey of indie films).
6. Angels in America: This six-hour adaptation of the stage play of the same name aired on HBO but it goes in my list anyway; the happenstance that it was not a theatrical release should not obscure the fact that this was one of the best films of the year, in my opinion. It was a masterpiece of filmmaking, with a very memorable script, breathtaking visual symbolism, and excellent performances. With deft editing, it did not seem overly like a stage play even with many scenes' dialogue preserved intact. I haven't yet been able to get myself to delete it off the TiVo.
5. Cold Mountain: This tale of a Confederate soldier returning home is an Odyssey across the landscape of the American psyche, and most brilliantly, this Kafka-in-Dixie experience comes very well disguised as a historical romance. Everything about this film is well-done, with the possible exception of casting Renee Zellweger as the plucky, squinting comic relief who bootstraps herself through hard work.
4. Kill Bill, Vol. 1: I almost left this off the list out of spite from having been left hanging for the second half of this story. Nevertheless, Quentin Tarantino's homage to grindhouse delivers the goods: thrilling action, scene-chewing characters, and a larger-than-life revenge drama. It's quirky, cutesy, and self-obsessed, yes, but it's as inventive and virtuosic an action film as ever we're likely to see.
3. Lost in Translation: Sofia Coppola's film of two Americans (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson) at loose ends together in Tokyo is funny, alienated, and almost-but-not-quite melancholy. It's about living a moment, the life that happens between the breaths -- beautifully shot, understatedly performed, original, and haunting.
2. Dirty Pretty Things: London (like many of our great cities in the 21st century) is an immigrant city, as explored by this film of two immigrants who are both on the wrong side of the law, one illegal, and the other working without a permit to do so. These two from Nigeria and Turkey (played magnificently by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou) have formed a deep and meaningful platonic friendship, based in no small part on strength of character and dedication to principle. The ordeals of their lives and their struggles to come out ahead in the face of shocking brutality on many levels and from many directions are made all the more compelling by the non-romantic nature of their relationship. Moral ambiguity abounds, and yet the moral force is clear; sometimes good people are forced by circumstances to do bad things.
1. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: Rarely do we see a film so perfectly realized. Peter Weir's adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin stories is a perfect vehicle for Russell Crowe to shine as a heroic, but human, British naval captain against a backdrop of war, adventure, and exploration on the high seas. A rare treat.
[Top films of 2003 continues with honorable mentions and Oscar picks . . . . ]
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