List your top ten movies of the year so far. (1 Viewer)

[Scott Weinberg]

That's now TWICE you've tried to imply that those who enjoy the sequels are simply too stupid to judge a quality film for themselves.

People shouldn't make huge sweeping generalizations about the opinions of others.

And speaking as only one movie critic, neither film is in ANY WAY a failure. I hate to stoop to such statements, but perhaps it's you who is fooling yourself.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Damn! Where's my medication?

Frankly, I love all three Matrix films and make no apologies for it. I haven't attempted to put together a top 10 list for the year, but both Reloaded and Revolutions would make that list, based upon their scope and their ambition.

- Walter.

 

[Cary T]

There are a few films on people's list I consider 2002 films and I have some of them on my 2002 top 10 list, like Irreversible. I'll go by the US release dates, but won't repeat the films I have on my 2002 list.

My top 10 so far not in order of preference:

1. Elephant
2. I Capture the Castle
3. May
4. The Shape of Things
5. Spellbound
6. L'Auberge Espagnole
7. Whale Rider
8. Lost In Translation
9. Blue Car
10. Owning Mahowney

 

[PaulP]

I'm not implying anyone is stupid for enjoying the Matrix sequels; I enjoyed them myself (Reloaded more than Revolutions though). But as Top-10 films of the year? The acting in Revolutions alone should preclude that.

 

[Stevan Lay]

My list has been modified to keep it consistent with the US release dates.

1. City Of God
2. Hero/Ying Xiong
3. Better Luck Tomorrow
4. Kill Bill: Volume 1
5. Seabiscuit
6. Raising Victor Vargas
7. Matchstick Men
8. The Matrix: Reloaded
9. Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind
10. Spellbound[/list=1]
    
    The 'Guilty Pleasure' award: Old School
    
    It looks like City of God is locked-in as my best for 2003. Daylight second. Still more movies coming this way so hopefully it should lessen the gap a little.

 

[Cary T]

Steven, Hero won't have a US release until 2004. I placed it in my 2002 list

 

[George See]

1.Piglets Big Movie (first movie my daughter saw at a theater, sat in my lap the whole way through with a look of awe on her face )

That's movie magic right there.

 

[Shad R]

rest sucked...bad
8. old school
7. bad boys 2
6. kill bill
5. finding nemo
4. swat
3. terminator 3
2. x2
1. (probably) Return of the King
haven't seen mystic river or lost in translation yet, but I have a feeling those will be the other two

 

[Jason Whyte]

Interesting primer for our year end thread on the best films of 2003...here's my "so far" list, and I should have another 100 or so films fighting for this Top 10 by the end of December:

01. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (USA, d. Quentin Tarantino) - The most creative and visionary piece of filmmaking this year. Tarantino's complete adoration for twisted narrative is in full force here.

02. Irreversible (France, d. Gaspar Noe) - Gaspar Noe's thrilling nightmare-in-reverse is unlike anything I've seen before. Those who call the reverse chronology technique used in the film a "gimmick" are missing the point.

03. Lost In Translation (USA/Japan, d. Sofia Coppola) - Coppola one-ups "Virgin Suicides" with a near perfect film about lonliness, with knockout work by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. The bed-talk scene is a classic.

04. Elephant (USA, d. Gus Van Sant) & Gerry (USA, d. Gus Van Sant) (TIE) - Yeah, I hate ties too, but Gus Van Sant has knocked me aside with two outstanding films in one year, both very different in themes and ideas but with Sant's traditional inspired style.

05. All The Real Girls (USA, d. David Gordon Green) - Heartbreaking and sad, coupled with heartfelt, poetic dialogue that makes complete sense in David Gordon Green's world.

06. The Barbarian Invasions (Canada, d. Denys Arcand) - Arcand is hit-and-miss with me, but he gets absolutely everything right in this beautifully written and acted film.

07. Dracula: Pages From A Virgin's Diary (Canada, d. Guy
Maddin) - Guy Maddin's films are like a coffee shock to the head (I also adore "Cowards Bend The Knee" and "The Saddest Music In The World"; both are runner-ups to this ten), and his take on Dracula by way of a Winnipeg Ballet set as a 1920's black-and-white silent picture is a pure original.

08. Love Actually (UK, d. Richard Curtis) - The happiest movie I've seen all year, endlessly entertaining and with one great performance after another. I dare you to see this movie and not come out beaming.

09. Raising Victor Vargas (USA, d. Peter Sollett) - A great coming-of-age story that is told with honesty and likable characters.

10. The Fog of War (USA, d. Errol Morris) - Robert McNamara tells all. 'Nuff said.

Lars Von Trier's minimalist-to-the-nth masterpiece Dogville would be somewhere around #3 or #4 on this list, but it isn't being released stateside until 2004. The brilliant Distant from Turkey would also be here, but its North American release is still unknown.

Runnerups: The Station Agent, Owning Mahowny, Bus 174, At Five in the Afternoon, The Saddest Music in the World, Cowards Bend The Knee, Expecting, X2, American Splendor & The Hulk.

Jason

 

[Estevan Lapena]

I can only name 2.

1) City of God
2) Kill Bill Vol. 1 (and its wasn't THAT great either, but still quite entertaining)

Would like to see 21 Grams, American Splendor, Elephant, Open Range, Zatoichi, Better Luck Tomorrow and Mystic River though.

 

[Brook K]

Or we got the point Jason and think that's why it is an average movie, but to each his own.

And I love hearing the Piglet post too. It wasn't my daughter's first movie, but it was the first movie that made her cry (which made Daddy cry ). But she'd probably say that Finding Nemo was her favorite.

 

[Kevin_H]

10. Confidence
9. The Matrix Revolutions - The Imax Experience (Note: This is only on the list as seen on an Omnimax screen. For some reason, seeing it on IMAX, the bad dialogue didn't seem as bad, and I enjoyed it much more than on 35mm. I don't know why)
8. The Matrix Reloaded
7. Alien - The Director's Cut (know it was released in 1979, but the fact that its a new cut and I saw for the first time puts it on my list)
6. T3
5. 28 Days Later
4. Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl
3. Matchstick Men
2. Finding Nemo
1. X2

 

[Arman]

I thought I'm going to take a break from watching films and posting in forums like this until after the holiday season is over but I guess am now a film addict. I can't resist films like Master and Commander and posts like this.

Jason, Wow! I love your Top 10 (out of the 191 you had seen so far), it is a spectacular so far list! 5 of those films in your list are in my Top 10 (out of 177 films I've seen so far). In my 2003 Film List, they all graded with an A+. Surprisingly though, my 2 other A+ers so far (City of God and Finding Nemo) are not in your Top 10 or runner-ups list. I can't wait to see (I really need to relocate to NYC or Canada or to any major US city) the other films (Elephant, Gerry, The Barbarian Invasions, Dracula: Pages From A Virgin's Diary and The Fog of War)in your Top 10. All The Real Girls graded an A and at worst will be in my honorable mention so far list.

Oh by the way, here's my Top 10 Films of 2003 so far! I also hate ties but for now don't force me to break ties in my Top 10. I'll break ties on 12/31/2003. For those who said 2003 is a weak year for films, my question is have you seen the following (all!) films? (or try seeing all the best of the best in Michael Perez or Mark Pfeiffer or our other prolific film watchers in the 2003 Film List thread) :

1. City of God
1. Kill Bill Volume 1
1. Lost in Translation
1. Raising Victor Vargas
5. Irreversible
5. Finding Nemo
5. Love Actually
9. Master and Commander: Far Side of The World (A or A+)
10th spot can be among the other films who grade with an A in my 2003 Film List: The Man On The Train, Dirty Pretty Things, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, Whale Rider, Manito, Nowhere in Africa, Swimming Pool & All The Real Girls

Honorable Mention (A-ers):
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Millenium Actress
The Hulk
Respiro
At The First Breath of Wind
American Splendor
School of Rock
28 Days Later
Russian Ark
Blue Car
Thirteen
The Shape of Things
L' Auberge Espagnole
The Man Without A Past
Better Luck Tomorrow
Down With Love

Worth Seeing B+ers (and upgrade is possible upon my second viewing in the future) :
Matchstick Men
Xx/Xy
The Magdalene Sisters
Identity
Phone Booth
Washington Heights
Intolerable Cruelty
Veronica Guerin
Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony
Charlotte Sometimes
Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Together
Capturing The Friedmans
Winged Migration
Friday Night
Intacto
Normal
Owning Mahowny
A Decade Under The Influence: The 70's films that changed everything
American Wedding
Camp
Open Range
Bend It Like Beckham
The Recruit
Secondhand Lions
Seabiscuit

And lastly , for whatever it is worth, The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions both graded C+ in my 2003 Film List and ... Mystic River = B-, Stevie = C, X2:X-Men United = B and A Mighty Wind = B-.

 

[Arman]

Oopss, I need to get some sleep. Okay, I can break some ties. Here's my Top 10 (corrected and might upgrade again ranking of M&C):
1. City of God A+
1. Kill Bill Volume 1 A+
1. Lost in Translation A+
1. Raising Victor Vargas A+
5. Finding Nemo A+
5. Irreversible A+
5. Love Actually A+
5/8. Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World A/A+
9. Dirty Pretty Things A
10. The Man on The Train A

11th Film Awards so far goes to : He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not A, Whale Rider A, Manito A, Nowhere in Africa A, Swimming Pool A & All The Real Girls A

 

[Kami]

Can Children of Dune (mini-series) be considered a "movie"? (saw someone else list it).

If so I'll have to edit mine...

 

[George See]

Just had the pleasure of watching two movies that i'll add to my list Bend it like Beckham and Raising Victor Vargas. Both of them were really excelent.

But if you use US Academy rules (1 week run in Los Angeles), they become 2003 films.

Works for me, I saw it this year anyway, so i'll definently add Russian Ark to my list.

So lets see the new list.

1. Kill Bill
2. Finding Nemo
3. Raising Victor Vargas
4. Russian Ark
5. Bend it like Beckham
6. Sea Biscuit

 

[Brian Lawrence]

Can Children of Dune (mini-series) be considered a "movie"? (saw someone else list it).

That was me, and I always count TV movies for my lists. My feeling is, that a movie is a movie, regardless of whether or not it's played in a cinema. If you look at my YMDB Top 20 list, you will also see Anne of Green Gables is in my Top 10 films of alltime.

My favorite movie of 1989 was "Lonesome Dove"

I only concern myself with a film's US release date, It does not matter if it was a theatrical run, TV Premier, or a straight to video title. I tend to feel that a movie should be judged on it's merits of writing, direction, and storytelling, and not by it's means of being delivered to the viewer.

 

[Luis Cruz]

My top ten list so far is as follows:

1. X2:X-Men United (this will probably be tied once ROTK comes out)
2. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
3. Finding Nemo
4. Runaway Jury
5. Pirates of the Carribean
6. Daredevil
7. The Matrix Revolutions
8. Phone Booth
9. The Matrix Reloaded
10. Elf

 

[Ben LG]

So far what Ive seen

1. Identity
2. Pirates of the Carribean
3. Underworld
4. Seabiscuit
5. Finding Nemo
6. X2:X-Men United
7. Confidence
8. Matrix Revolutions
9. The Life of David Gale
10. 28 Days Later

 

[Wes C]

1) Lost in Translation (suprised me since I didnt like Virgin Suicides)
2) Kill Bill Vol 1
3) Pirates of the Carribean (another big suprise)