2003 Film List (1 Viewer)

[Jason Seaver]

Updated with:
Love Actually, a rather entertaining multi-threaded story from Richard Curtis (although I can't reconcile the Richard Curtis who writes sweet Hugh Grant romantic comedies with the one who came up with Black Adder) - :star::star::star:
The Last Samurai, a well-filmed epic which I can't help but wish had been Ken Wanatabe's movie - :star::star::star:¼
The Missing, a skilled Western from Ron Howard that Tommy Lee Jones doesn't quite fit into - :star::star:¾
Looney Tunes: Back In Action, which somehow manages to not be watered down crap! Joe Dante packs the screen with little gags, and delivers a pretty entertaining movie - :star::star::star:
As always, more detailed reviews along with thoughts on the various "oldies" I've seen (be they kung fu sci-fi exploitation or "Golden Age Of Hollywood" stuff) in the "Jay's Movie Blog" link

 

[Raymond_H]

Updated with,
Lord of the Rings : Return of the King :star: :star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:
The only thing that prevents it being 4 stars were some minor problems I have, ranging from nitpicks (what happened to Gandalf's staff while trying to rescue Famamir?) to pacing/editing - the best scene in the movie is broken up (Witch-King), also the ending - it kinda took the steam out of it.
Still, a great movie that was better for me the 2nd time around and definitely better then Two Towers and might be better then Fellowship.
Raymond

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Added Once Upon a Time in the Midlands and Bus 174, plus The Wild Bunch on DVD. That should mark the end of theatrical moviegoing for me this year, at least any new films that aren't already on my list.
I also slightly retooled my list, moving Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Nowhere in Africa, and Spider to the 2003 list from the non-qualifiers. I'm going according to New York release, which can be found here:
http://www.panix.com/~dangelo/nymaster.html

 

[Brook K]

Amandla! A Revolution In Four Part Harmony is a documentary describing the history, importance, and connectedness of music to the struggle for freedom in South Africa. Told through interviews, newsreel footage, and other media, it weaves an interesting story of courage, struggle, and beautiful music. B
Next up: I'm the last person on Earth to see Return of the King

 

[ZacharyTait]

Just updated my list to reflect having seen Elf.
Who would have thought that 2003 would produce not one, but two holiday classics in Elf and Bad Santa? They're about as far apart as you can get, but they're both Christmas movies as heart in one way or another. I'm relieved that Elf didn't go the sentimental route at the end. Will Ferrel for once, didn't annoy me at all. Zooey Deschanel was really cute in that elf costume.

 

[Brook K]

Cold Mountain is completely conventional in every way. There isn't a single memorable thing about it, the script, the acting, technically, the score, nothing. It has moments of emotional connection, and moments of a deeper allusion to the dehumanizing effects of war on both combatants and noncombatants, but it always pulls away from delving deeper in favor, after a promising opening 20-30m, into a movie of pieces, going from one scene to the next, each with a different star actor as the focal point. It felt not so much like following a character's arc as, here Jude Law meets Philip Seymour Hoffman, oh look now Jude Law meets Giovanni Ribisi, and what have we here? Why its Natalie Portman, etc. etc.
Also I don't like Renee Zellweger. She pulls me out of virtually every movie she's in with her facial tics and less than convincing vocal affectations. But I did enjoy the early bits of the movie, the "in the past" segments, much of that is probably due to Donald Sutherland, always fine, even in this small role. But with an ending as paint by numbers seen it all before right down to the cuts as this one has, I can't give it much of a grade. C+

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Director Stephen Norrington (Blade) uses every single trick known for an action adventure film adding to it some bad dialogue, cheesy special effects along with plotlines and characters that have very little motivations. The result: an incomprehensible mess.
Next Up: Cold Mountain
~Edwin

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain
Next Up: Peter Pan
~Edwin

 

[ZacharyTait]

Added:

School of Rock
In America
S.W.A.T.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan
Next Up: Kukushka
~Edwin

 

[Arman]

.

 

[Brook K]

21 Grams was something of a disappointment. A good movie containing an interesting story, fine performances, and some powerful scenes, but simply felt far too long. Because of the disjointed editing I was often waiting for the movie to fill in blanks I'd already figured out and I just grew impatient waiting for things to happen. Also while I usually have no problem with voice over narration, it was poorly used here. The cycle of life theme was evident without the need for an awkward explanation. B

 

[ZacharyTait]

Added American Wedding and Underworld.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Aleksandr Rogozhkin's Kukushka
Next Up: 21 Grams
~Edwin

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 21 Grams
At Bat: In America
~Edwin

 

[Kevin Leonard]

Big ass update to ye olde list (about 3 weeks worth): Bad Santa, Big Fish, Cinemania, Cold Mountain, The Cooler, Gerry, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Man on the Train, Melvin Goes to Dinner, Millennium Actress, Mona Lisa Smile, Poolhall Junkies, Seabiscuit, The Station Agent, Stuck on You, The Triplets of Belleville, View From the Top and Winged Migration.
And since it's the new year, the final tally for 2003 films seen is 142 (144 unofficially), a record for me.
Now it's time to create various year-end lists...

 

[Chad A Wright]

My response to this should probably be saved for the Elf thread, but did we see the same film??!! The ending is the only thing that made me dislike this film. It was fantastic up to the point that all the characters conveniently were brought together for a heart warming hug of an ending. Blah.

 

[Dana Fillhart]

Finally finished my reviews for Something's Gotta Give (85%) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the latter the first film I've given a 100% to in a long time, and is tied for first place for my personal Best Film of All Time (along with Miyazaki's Kaze no tani no Nausicaa).
I still need to see a bunch of 2003 films, including Cold Mountain and Mystic River, if only to have an informed opinion come Oscar time.

 

[Lowell_B]

Finally got around to updating my list with 3 terrific epics:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (**** / ****)
The Last Samurai (**** / ****)
Cold Mountain (***1/2 / ****)
21 Grams (*** / ****)
I can't wait to see Big Fish soon, and I still have some limited releases I'll get around to seeing.
Lowell

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Made my final "big" update with:
Cold Mountain
Cheaper by the Dozen
City of God
My Life Without Me
The Magdalene Sisters
Paycheck
The Barbarian Invasions
Monster
Demonlover
Sylvia
Love Don't Cost a Thing
...and a few others. As far as 2003 goes, the only wide release I still haven't seen is Rugrats Go Wild. Damn Rugrats.
2003 releases I'm planning to see ASAP:
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Stone Reader
The Man Without a Past
Ghosts of the Abyss
People I Know
Jet Lag
The Anarchist's Cookbook
Garage Days
Masked and Anonymous
Hotel
Le Divorce
The Princess Blade
Step Into Liquid
Carnage
Millennium Actress
The Triplets of Belleville
Casa de los Babys
Luther
Dorm Daze
Returner
The Singing Detective
Die Mommie Die!
Suspended Animation
Manic
The Young Unknowns
Anything But Love
The Big Empty
Pride and Prejudice
The Fog of War
The Company
The Statement
High Times Potluck
Young Black Stallion
Happy New Year, all!