Tim RH

Chad A Wright

Top 10 most enjoyed films of 2003

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

If you completely strip away the emotional investment we have in these character, what are you left with? You are left with a film that is beautiful to look at, contains superb acting, and has more jaw dropping moment than anything else released this year. This film (and the trilogy) is one of the greatest cinematic accomplishments ever. Add back in the emotion we feel for these characters, and you have a cinematic journey that may never be equaled again. Plus, it was one of only two release to almost make me cry.

2. The Last Samurai
For me this was a very powerful film. I can pick out definite problems cinematically, like the heavy handedness of the ending and the predictability. However, this film was absolutely beautiful, and the acting was superb. I was impressed with Tom Cruise, but moreso with Ken Wantanabe who deserves academy recommendation for his work here. This is a fantastic film, and the soundtrack is a wonderful listen.

3. Secondhand Lions
Besides Amilie, I've never left a theater feeling better than after Secondhand Lions. I have yet to see this film on many lists of favorite films for 2003, but this is absolutely one I love.

4. Big Fish
5. Finding Nemo
6. X2: X-Men United
7. Down With Love
8. Alien: Director's Cut
9. The Matrix Revolutions
10. Something's Gotta Give


Bottom 5 of 2003

1. The Medallion
2. Charlies Angels: Full Throttle
3. Daddy Daycare
4. Bad Boys 2
5. Hollywood Homicide

And I was so dissappointed in Spy Kids 3D (after loving the first 2) that it is hand down the biggest let down of the year for me.

The Journey Blog
The brave men and women of the ECVFR
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Bill J

My 2003 Film List

Top Ten Last Updated: 2-3-04

2003 Top Ten List
1. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
2. Lost in Translation
3. Kill Bill: Volume 1
4. Mystic River
5. House of Sand and Fog
6. Nowhere in Africa (Nirgendwo in Afrika)
7. The Last Samurai
8. The Italian Job
9. 28 Days Later
10. Irréversible

2003 Bottom Five List
1. Spun
2. Darkness Falls
3. Dreamcatcher
4. House of 1000 Corpses
5. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Kirk Tsai

Since it seems many members are not considering documentaries (or at least they don't appear in many top ten lists), I am allowing for ten fictional films to be on the list just for reference. It makes more sense to include my favorite documentaries within the overall list than exclude them.


1. The Matrix Reloaded

No film this year has made my brain think as hard and my blood pumping as fast at the same time as Reloaded. Its action sequences are astounding and brilliantly choreographed, but it is the continuation of understanding one's role within the system that makes Neo a most powerful existential figure, and therefore the endless angles to evaluate this supposedly genre film. That Revolutions does not provide a most satisfying conclusion is not the fault of this chapter; every question posed by Reloaded can be chewed on by the viewers themselves while thinking through the thematic links of the first two films.

Unlike other finished or ongoing film series, the Wachowski brothers have utilized the middle installment to a maximum effect. It's not just bigger and better, or a continuation of a previous story, but a complete jolt that forces one to rethink the first film and our conclusions about it. Instead of expanding the series horizontally (as the Rings films do so well), the brothers bring ideas that give each detail, interaction, line, and look suddenly exponential potential. If criticism of the flatter exposition scenes are valid, then credit also must be given to Reloaded for unfolding each page with surprises that are intertwined with a sci-fi story that mirrors on life. This is astonishing storytelling.

2. City of God
If City of God is described as part Scorsese and part Tarantino, then maybe it is fair to say that Fernando Meirelles has made a film that is broader in its sociological context than either of those filmmakers have achieved so far. In telling the story of a troubled community, the film reveals the cycle of violence and brutality that is unblinkingly startling. Along the way there are colorful and crazy characters, hyper charged storytelling, social commentary and little moments of beauty that is cherished.

3. Kill Bill: Volume I
Yes, it has a ton of cross references, music choices are inspired, it's bloody, wholelotta fun, stylized and Thurman is great, but let's get to things not acknowledged enough about this film. The first fight scene establishes a tough physical world that revenge must take place in. Tarantino is playing cute with film narrative, but also keying in an aspect of violence that is important to the rest of the film. Every breathe is deep and tired, every look calculating and lethal. When the limbs start flying, it works partially because of its outrageousness, but also because of what opened the film. When Oren-Ishii faces off with The Bride, the stares at one another morph into a tremendous anticipation of confrontation. Tarantino is so inventive because he can present essentially the same content in not only different contexts, but altogether different strokes.

4. Capturing the Friedmans
There are two elements in this documentary that are outstanding: the elusiveness of truth, and the wealth of home-made footage. It's mind boggling that the family has so much of their internal fights on video. What's more astonishing is that the footage has survived all these years when the content is so explosive. The film looks into this disturbed family and sees neither side of the debate winning. The consequences of this case is evident, too. It's a shattered family. Unexpected insights on how human beings and family members deal with each other provide the final punch to make this into a gut wrenching film.

5. Stevie
6. Mystic River
7. Stone Reader
8. Finding Nemo
9. House of Sand and Fog
10. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
11. Whale Rider
12. Owning Mahowny
13. Sweet Sixteen

Favorite scores of the year:
1. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Howard Shore
2. The Matrix Revolutions - Don Davis
3. Nowhere in Africa - Niki Reiser
4. The Matrix Reloaded - Don Davis
5. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas - Harry Gregson-Williams
6. Finding Nemo - Thomas Newman
7. Down With Love - Marc Shaiman
8. Lara Croft-Tomb Raider: the Craddle of Life - Alan Silvestri
9. Tears of the Sun - Hans Zimmer and others
10. Peter Pan - James Newton Howard

Cary T

Still need to see more films, but here's my list for now.

1. Elephant
2. Spellbound
3. In America
4. I Capture the Castle
5. May
6. The Shape of Things
7. Blue Car
8. Owning Mahowny
9. L'Auberge Espagnole
10. Lilja 4-ever

Andrew Schwarz

ChristopherDM

My Top Ten of 2003:
1.Lord of the Rings:Return of the King
2.X-2:X-Men United
3.Pirates of the Carribean(sp)
4.Kill Bill Volume One
5.Italian Job
6.The Matrix:Reloaded
7.The Last Samurai
8.Finding Nemo
9.Bad Boys II(yes it is my guilty pressure flick)
10.Terminator 3:Rise of the Machines

Biggest Dissapointment of 2003:
The Hulk

Damin J Toell

Top 10:
1. Irréversible
2. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
3. Cabin Fever
4. Lost in Translation
5. Elf
6. Big Fish
7. Kill Bill Vol. 1
8. Epidemic
9. Bubba Ho-Tep
10. Bad Santa

Bottom 5:
5. Johnny English
4. Seabiscuit
3. Gods and Generals
2. Marci X
1. House of 1,000 Corpses

Ryan_TD

1. LOTR - Return Of The King
2. Pirates Of The Carribean
3. Mystic River
4. Lost In Translation
5. Kill Bill V.1
6. Finding Nemo
7. 21 Grams
8. Master & Commander
9. Intolerable Cruelty
10. X2

best mindless action - bad boys 2

worst 5 of the year
1. matrix 3 revolutions
2. american wedding
3. hulk
4. once upon a time in mexico
5. matrix 2 reloaded

\"One thing about livin\' in Santa Carla I never could stomach...all the damn vampires...\"

Chris_Richard

Top 10 of 2003
1. Lost in Translation
2. City of God
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
4. Spellbound
5. American Splendor
6. Northfork
7. Gerry
8. Sweet Sixteen
9. The Barbarian Invasions
10. The Station Agent

The Next 10
11. My Life Without Me
12. Finding Nemo
13. The Triplets of Bellville
14. Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World
15. Thirteen
16. All the Real Girls
17. Winged Migration
18. He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not
19. The Event
20. The Good Thief

Total 2003 films seen: 112
Movies not seen: Elephant, The Last Samurai, The Matrix Revolutions, May, Raising Victor Vargas.

Worst of 2003
1. The Life of David Gale
2. Friday Night
3. Beyord Borders
4. Cold Creek Manor
5. The Hulk
6. Biker Boyz
7. The Legend of Suriyothai
8. Pieces of April
9. In the Cut
10. Spun

Chris Atkins

My top 10:

1. Cold Mountain
2(T): Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
2(T): Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
4: Open Range
5. Finding Nemo
6. The Last Samurai
7. Hulk
8. X-2
9. Gods and Generals
10. Terminator 3

EDIT: Sure enough, COLD MOUNTAIN goes to the top of my list after seeing