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The 10 Best Films of 2003
by Anthony "Q" Kusich
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10
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A Mighty Wind
Though it doesn't have nearly as many laugh-out-loud moments as "Best in
Show" (or as quirky of a premise as "Waiting for Guffman," for that matter)
this latest Christopher Guest opus still packs a suprisingly strong punch.
Credit the strong performances and the film's unexpect heart. It's more
than a comedy this time around; it's a thoughful reflection on the relationship
between Mitch and Mickey (the sublime Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara)
who, in some bizarre way, also represent the lost ideals of another era.
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9
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8
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7
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6
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5
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4
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3
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Spellbound
You couldn't come up with a funnier film if it had been scripted. Featuring
some of the best non-fiction editing of the year -- and it's been a great year --
this trip through the United States to find the country's best speller expertly
weaves different notions of the American Dream with deft humor and
humanistic anecdotes. And like any good suspense film, there's a nail-biting
climax; who would've though that grammar could be so thrilling?
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2
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1
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Back to Academy Award Speculation
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Elephant
Using his trademark minimalism to disturbing effect this time (instead of the
near-pointless minute-wasting of "Gerry"), Gus Vant Sant achieves unexpected
moments of shock, dread, tension, and outrage. The fact that he lets his
camera roam and leave the interpretation up to his audience -- instead of
force-feeding some trite moral down our throats -- speaks to the power of the
beautiful but heartbreaking images he paints on his canvas.
Swimming Pool
The mystery of "Swimming Pool" is an odd one. At first, it makes no
sense. Then, it makes perfect sense. Then, it makes sense only if you
re-see the film and invent justifications as to why certain characters are
behaving in such strange ways. There's no need to justify the
performances, though -- Charlotte Rampling's uptight author is the
perfect foil to Ludivine Sagnier's naughty sexpot.
Bus 174
This unsettling documentary takes a firsthand look at a national tragedy and the
societal shrug that created it. Mirroring our own country's class problems in a
way, this Brazil-set investigation takes such a personal look at the protagonist's
motives for holding up a bus that it makes one wonder why there aren't similar
incidents happening more often -- or getting reported.
School of Rock
Making a complete change of pace from the chest-beating theatrics of duds
like "Orange County" and "Shallow Hal," Jack Black turns one out of the most
full-blooded comedic performances of the year. Director Richard Linklater
should take a lion's share of the credit, though, for introducing a generation of
kids raised on Britney and Christina to the decade-defining music of Led
Zeppelin and the Doors. Full of humor and heart, "School of Rock" is that
rare film aimed at the young ones that's probably even better for adults.
The Return of the King
Though it's overlong by perhaps half an hour, there's still no denying the power
and majesty of Peter Jackson's concluding chapter of the "Lord of the Rings"
trilogy -- and of the set as a whole. Doing what was once unthinkable, he made
Middle Earth come to life in vivid detail in a ten-hour epic of see-sawing
subtlety and grandeur that will stand the test of time as one of the most thrilling
and influential fantasy epics of the ages.
Kill Bill, Vol. I
Thank God that Quentin Tarantino is back. After an unfortunate six-year
absence, the auteur returned to theaters with yet another adrenaline shot of a
movie. Equal parts action, witty dialogue, emphatic music, and buckets of
blood, "Bill" spun the kung-fu genre on its head while introducing one of recent
cinema's most vengeful heroines. As the bride, Uma Thurman commands the
screen in a way she hasn't done since..."Pulp Fiction."
Lost in Translation
It didn't seem great upon leaving the theater. It seemed adequate, a
little slow, but dream-like in all the right parts. As the days passed it
grew on me, and then it simply wouldn't leave. Sofia Coppola has
created the masterpiece of her career and she's only two films deep.
Conjuring up Bill Murray's most enjoyably sentimental performance
(and confirming what serious film fans already knew about Scarlett
Johansson since "Ghost World" and "The Man Who Wasn't There"),
the director has composed the pitch-perfect mood piece -- full of life's
subtleties and rich with untapped emotion.
Honorable Mention
"Finding Nemo" -- "Capturing the Friedmans" -- "21 Grams" -- "Whale Rider" -- "Irreversible"
Mystic River
Featuring the tautest acting ensemble of the year, "Mystic River" creeps into
your psyche and settles there with its innumerable moral questions and ethical
quandries. The fact that director Clint Eastwood can juggle all of this and still
tell a reliably effective detective story is a testament to the filmmaker's immense
skill. As in his much-underrated "A Perfect World," the characters you most
strongly connect to may not be the most righteous, but their examination -- and
actorly interpretation -- are more than enough to create a near-peerless drama.
See the best of other years:
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