9) Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – Peter Weir directs an intense Russell Crowe as Capt. Jack Aubrey, the protagonist of Patrick O’Brien’s numerous novels the film is based on. After being attacked by the French vessel the Acheron, Aubrey and his crew, aboard the HMS Surprise, seek vengeance. Weir is extremely meticulous when it comes to the tiniest details that everything seems utterly believable. With this authenticity, he is able to portray everyday life on a navy vessel, showing not only battle scenes but a very human drama as well.
8) In America – Irish immigrants Johnny (Paddy Considine) and Sarah (Samantha Morton), with their two children (Sarah and Emma Bolger) move to the US in hopes of living the American dream. Optimistic, the family’s perceptions of New York isn’t exactly what they expected it to be. With a filthy, ramshackle apartment and a strange, frantic city, culture shock is something they aren’t ready for. This semi-autobiographical film is partly based on the experiences of writer/director Jim Sheridan, with superb performances by Morton and the rest of the cast. This is one moving, poignant, heart-warming tearjerker.
7) Kill Bill, Volume 1 – I loved Pulp Fiction, and I was eagerly anticipating director Quentin Tarantino’s comeback after years in hiatus. The result is his fourth film, Kill Bill, Volume 1, the first half of his kung-fu revenge saga starring Uma Thurman. Thurman plays a woman only known as The Bride, who, after leaving the assassination agency she previously worked for, is assaulted and left to die on her wedding day. However, she survives, and promises revenge to all those who were involved, eliminating them one by one till she reaches her former boss, Bill. And though she doesn’t yet kill him yet in this first half, Tarantino’s film, which he also wrote, is sadistically fun and hilariously bloody and brutal.
6) American Splendor – Based on the life of comic book writer Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti), Splendor is a strange, unique thing that can be difficult to classify. Animation, old footage and the actual film are combined to create a docudrama. Pekar, a seemingly miserable, grouchy, disgruntled man, writes comics about the most mundane things of ordinary life, and directors/writers Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman make him likeable, winning, and human. And with another wonderful performance by Hope Davis as Pekar’s wife, American Splendor proves to be one of the most original and wryly hilarious films of the year. Who could’ve guessed that this would be the year’s best comic book film?
5) Cold Mountain – The English Patient director Anthony Minghella brings us another epic love story, this time based on Charles Frazier’s acclaimed novel. Jude Law plays Inman, an injured Civil War soldier making the treacherous journey back to Ada (Nicole Kidman), the woman he loves. Struggling to care for her father’s farm, Ada is aided by the feisty, spirited Ruby (Renee Zellweger), who inserts a much-needed comic touch. Cold Mountain appeals to both men and women with its violent Civil War battle scenes and moving love story, making it elegant, gorgeous and emotionally literate.
4) Finding Nemo – Who could ever forget Ellen DeGeneres as the voice of Dory, in one of the funniest performances of the year? Disney and Pixar’s winning streak continues with this animated aquatic masterpiece, in which clownfish father Marlin (Albert Brooks) is in search of his young son Nemo (Alexander Gould), who has been taken from his home in the Great Barrier Reef. Funny yet thoroughly moving, this stunning visual work of art already has its Best Animated Feature Oscar in the bag.
3) Mystic River – Clint Eastwood’s Greek tragedy of violence, murder and revenge, set in gritty Boston milieu showcases tour de force performances from the entire star-studded cast. A shattering, incredibly powerful tale based on Dennis Lehane’s novel, River dives into the dark, ominous human soul, bringing the audience with it.
2) Lost in Translation – You might know Sofia Coppola from her dreadful performance as Mary Corleone in her father’s third Godfather film. Yet the daughter of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola proves that filmmaking – not acting – runs in the family. As writer and director of this indie crowd-pleaser turned Oscar contender, Coppola casts Oscar hopeful Bill Murray as a B-List American actor in Tokyo shooting a whiskey commercial to earn a quick buck. He then meets fellow American Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) in his hotel. With both their marriages in turmoil, the two find comfort and solace in each other as they explore the strange, frenzied city. With authentic emotions and two brilliant performances, Coppola blends comedy and drama into a bittersweet, very human story.
1) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – "The Best Film of 2003" isn’t even enough for Peter Jackson’s triumphant finale of J.R.R. Tolkien’s three-part fantasy classic. Frodo (Elijah Wood), Sam (Sean Astin) and Gollum (Andy Serkis) continue their quest to Mount Doom in hopes of destroying The One Ring, while the rest of the fellowship, led by Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the rightful king of Gondor, fight the bigger battle at Minas Tirith. Jackson isn’t constrained to the overuse of the stunning visual effects, and rather lets his powerful narrative skill drive the film. His ability to choreograph such larger-than-life battle scenes is staggering; He is able to paint such a beautiful, lush portrait of Middle-earth that shows he is not just an ordinary director, but a true artist. Rarely do we encounter an epic of this scale that touches and moves us so deeply with its profound emotions.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Winged Migration, The Human Stain, Spellbound, The Magdalene Sisters, The Triplets of Belleville, Whale Rider, Capturing The Friedmans, City of God, School of Rock
9) In the Cut – This was supposed to be a major career makeover for Meg Ryan, shedding her "America’s Sweetheart," romantic comedy image and going for a grittier, more intense role. However, the film turned out to be lethargic and inert, and gives a whole new meaning to the word "tedium." It also didn’t help that her character liked having sex onscreen every 20 minutes.
8) Bad Boys II – As I’ve previously said, this film was made just as an excuse to blow things up and watch them burn.
7) Cold Creek Manor – Sharon Stone’s comeback turned out to be a huge dud. Dry and hardly engaging, Cold Creek Manor promised everything and delivered nothing.
6) Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life – Was there anyone who actually wanted a Tomb Raider sequel? No, that’s why we thought it couldn’t get worse. See what happens when you say that: you jinx it.
5) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Loud and incoherent, LXG (as it would’ve like to be called) is a mishmash of awful acting and a feeble plot that would’ve loved to be the next X2, but ended up with just a big, fat "X."
4) Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat – This supposed family film would have probably been better if director Bo Welch would’ve just bought the book, tore the pages into shreds, and stuck them onto a film reel. Crude, tasteless, and frustratingly unfunny, this is one perfect example of disastrous eye candy yet no substance filmmaking.
3) Beyond Borders – When was the time Angelina Jolie actually made acceptable movies? This sorry excuse for a love story uses dying, starving children as the backdrop for a typical, if not lackluster Hollywood romance. How about Beyond Boring?
2) Gigli – What would a 2003 Worst Films List be without Gigli, the pitiful Bennifer vehicle in which they made fun of the disabled, showed 15 minutes of J. Lo doing nothing but yoga, and expected us to believe that she was a lesbian who falls in love with Ben Affleck’s Larry Gigli?
1) The Matrix Revolutions – After the terrible Reloaded, everyone expected Revolutions to compensate. But all the hype surrounding this mess was worthless, as it turned out to be an unfathomable, overly philosophical noisemaker that was trying to be more intelligent for its own good.
Here are other awards to be given out about everything else that was good and bad this past year:
Best Performance by a Man in Anything Except a Motion Picture: Michael Jackson in his 60 Minutes interview, in which he denied his molestation charges and claimed that the police, upon arresting him, bruised and injured him. (The use of the word "man" is very questionable.)
Best Performance by a Woman in Anything Except a Motion Picture: Paris Hilton, in the You-Know-What. (And I don’t mean her hit reality show The Simple Life.)
Best Supporting Object in a TV Show: Jessica Simpson’s Louis Vuitton Murakami handbag on her and husband Nick Lachey’s hit MTV reality show Newlyweds, in which she brought it everywhere – even while camping.
Page-Turner of the Year: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Best News That the Stork is Coming: Gwyneth Paltrow’s baby with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
Best Wedding That Happened: Bachelorette-no-more Trista Rehn and her chosen mate Ryan Sutter became the first reality dating show success.
Best Wedding That Didn’t Happen: J. Lo and Ben’s, a.k.a. Bennifer, cancelled Santa Barbara, California wedding.
Best Media Whores: Bennifer.
Kiss of the Year: Britney and Madonna at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Best New Reality Show: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy on Bravo.
Reality Show Contestant of the Year: Hagrid look-alike Rupert Boneham of Survivor: Pearl Islands. (Need I explain why?)
Most Entertaining Divorce of the Year: Liza Minelli and David Gest.
Most Saddening Divorce of the Year: Jennifer Garner and Scott Foley.
TV Show We’ll Miss the Most: (tie) Friends and Sex and the City.
Best Beverly Hills 90210 Impersonation Without Tori Spelling: The hit TV soap The O.C. on Fox. (O.C. stands for Orange County).
Best Touched By An Angel Impersonation Without Being Preachy: The hit TV dramedy Joan of Arcadia on CBS.
Best Anti-Bush Proclamation About the Iraq War: (tie) Dixie Chick Natalie Maines, in which during a concert in London said that she was "ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas" and Michael Moore, upon accepting his Best Documentary Oscar, declares that "we live in fictitious times" and that Dubya is a "fictitious president."
Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Finally, all those Filipino films are out of the theaters to make room for the Best Film of 2003. Go and see what all the fuss is about.