The Best Films of 2003
By Nareg Torosian

The 2003 movie year saw the first significant increase in movie ticket prices in nearly a decade, but that didn’t stop entertainment-starved consumers any. Guys named Frodo, Sparrow, and Nemo were the stars of the year’s biggest blockbusters, though none appeared on California’s gubernatorial ballot. 2003 marked the return of old-Hollywood (read: big-budget) epic filmmaking with “Cold Mountain,” “The Last Samurai,” and “Master and Commander” clogging up the cineplexes. Bill Murray, Charlize Theron, Tim Robbins, and Alec Baldwin turned in career performances, while former comedians Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin were regaled to sappy sitcom dad roles. Sean Penn pulled off one of the best one-two punches in acting history with his roles in “Mystic River” and “21 Grams,” but it was a very strong year for women to pull off dual roles as well – just look at Scarlett Johansson, Hope Davis, Cate Blanchett, and Nicole Kidman. Tabloid fodder Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez gave birth to a turkey named “Gigli,” while AARP poster children Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton earned healthy returns on “Something’s Gotta Give.” It was a defining year for franchises: “Lord of the Rings” closed with a bang; “The Matrix” ended with a clang (two of them, no less – and the last one was MUCH louder than the other); “X-Men” fans were left clamoring for more; and the newly converted that saw “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” can’t wait until February. But most impressive of all was the string of excellent documentaries that arrived in smaller theaters (“The Fog of War,” “Capturing the Friedmans,” and “Spellbound,” among many others), some of which had more thrills than your best Hollywood fare.

As has been the case for me for the past few years, the difficulty of making a top 10 list was not in selecting the films but in their ordering. Of the 250+ films released this past year, I only gave 24 ratings of ***1/2 or higher and had a pretty good idea of which were going to appear on my year-end list.

Before getting to my top 10, here’s a list of fine films that barely placed out but deserve recognition: “28 Days Later,” a revitalization of the zombie flick by Danny Boyle; “In America,” Jim Sheridan’s deeply personal story of Irish immigrants in the modern-day United States; “The Good Thief,” a brooding, moody heist flick with a world-weary performance by Nick Nolte; “Owning Mahowny,” one of the best films about gambling ever made and featuring another terrific Philip Seymour Hoffman performance; “The Cooler,” a warped Las Vegas fairy tale with fine performances from William H. Macy, Maria Bello (a Villanova grad!), and a scarily good Alec Baldwin; “Elephant,” Gus Van Sant's low-key, unobtrusive recreation of the Columbine massacre; “The Company,” Robert Altman’s superb look at the world of ballet; “Thirteen,” a harrowing look at adolescence and parental neglect; “Bad Santa,” a mercilessly funny sucker punch to the groin of Christmas joy with a career comedic performance by Billy Bob Thornton; and “Better Luck Tomorrow,” a blazing teen drama that marks director Jason Lin as a talent to watch.

Now, here are the films that I believe were the best of 2003. Please note that I exclude foreign films and documentaries from these lists, as I reward them in separate categories in my yearly film awards list. (Note: There's no Best Foreign Film category this year, as the Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s “The Son” was the only foreign language film to make much of an impression on me.)

10. “The Station Agent” – Director: Todd McCarthy
In this near-perfect slice-of-life comedy-drama (wow, look at all the hyphens I just used!), a hermetic midget named Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage, in a towering performance) inherits an abandoned New Jersey train station after his only friend dies. While he is there, he meets an incorrigibly talkative hot dog vendor (Bobby Cannavale) and a divorcee (always reliable Patricia Clarkson) who is mourning the loss of her son. The three become unlikely friends and fight their urges for isolation. A warm and funny indie gem from first-time writer/director McCarthy.

9. “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” – Director: Quentin Tarantino
That six-year wait was worth it. Quentin Tarantino’s first film since “Jackie Brown” was, as the director put it, “the grindhouse movie to end all grindhouse movies.” Influenced in equal measures by Sergio Leone, Akira Kurosawa, and the Shaw brothers, Tarantino created an exhilarating action film that may well be the bloodiest in cinematic history. I can’t wait until Volume 2.

8. “Monster” – Director: Patty Jenkins
On paper it seemed impossible, but after putting on unflattering makeup, thrift store clothes, and an extra 30 pounds, Charlize Theron became Aileen Wuornos. In what will be the performance to beat for the new millennium, Theron plays Wuornos, a woman who, after an abusive childhood, found herself turning tricks at a Florida truck stop. After she took an innocent lover (Christina Ricci), her inner demons bubbled to the surface, and she began killing her more predatory clients. Wuornos became the first convicted female serial killer in the United States, and this unflinching, unforgettable feature tells her story.

7. “Northfork” – Directors: Michael & Mark Polish
Imagine Terrence Malick directing “Wings of Desire,” and you might get a feel for this beautiful, otherworldly film. Then again, maybe you won’t. This multilayered parable on life, death, and nature in a small 1955 Montana town is almost beyond description and will not be to everyone’s taste. But those with open minds (and fans of James Woods, Nick Nolte, and Daryl Hannah) should look into this complex masterpiece from the Polish brothers (“Twin Falls Idaho”). It’s a testament to the power of independent filmmaking.

6. “Whale Rider” – Director: Niki Caro
One of the sleeper hits of 2003 was this mystical fairy tale from New Zealand about a twelve-year-old girl (Keisha Castle-Hughes) who is denied leadership of her Maori tribe by her traditionally minded grandfather (Rawiri Paratene). But this film, the first by Caro, sidesteps formula while being completely palatable and, in its concluding sequences, becomes a thing of transcendent beauty. Newcomer Castle-Hughes is astounding and gives one of the greatest performances by a child actor in cinematic history.

5. “21 Grams” – Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Mexican director Inarritu (“Amores Perros”) made a scathing English-language debut with this strongly acted film about chance, coincidence, and coming to grips with death. The fractured structure mirrors the tumult in each of the main characters’ troubled lives: Sean Penn’s professor who receives a heart transplant; Naomi Watts’ former drug addict who is trying to lead a normal life; and Benicio Del Toro’s ex-con who becomes a born-again Christian. Gripping from start finish, this one will leave you shaking.

4. “Finding Nemo” – Director: Andrew Stanton
The most important animation landmark since “Toy Story,” Pixar’s latest creation was also the most fun film of the year. Intelligent, funny, inventive, and thrilling – sometimes all at the same time – it’s no wonder that the Pixar team houses the greatest creative minds in Hollywood. And few vocal performances in animated film can match the work done here by Ellen DeGeneres.

3. “Lost in Translation” – Director: Sofia Coppola
Silencing critics who said she would amount to nothing without the help of her father, Sofia Coppola wrote and directed this brilliant character study about a washed-up, middle-aged actor (a never-better Bill Murray) who meets a newly married but neglected young woman (Scarlett Johansen in a breakthrough performance) while in Tokyo. Finally, a relationship movie about an actual relationship.

2. “American Splendor” – Directors: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Among the many things this small movie accomplished, the biggest was proving that Harvey Pekar was not an asshole. Married writer/directors Berman and Pulcini combine live action, animation, documentary, and dramatic reenactments, and even switch actors with the real-life characters they’re playing, to tell the story of Pekar, the author of the “American Splendor” comic book and frequent guest of the Letterman show during the 1980’s. A film that champions the life of the average man, this is one of the most original and unconventional biopics ever made.

1. “Mystic River” – Director: Clint Eastwood
An unparalleled masterpiece. The story of three childhood friends (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon) who are reunited after the murder of Penn’s daughter has the intrigue of a murder mystery, the psychological depth of a character study, and the weight and emotional power of a Shakespearean tragedy, with a violent climax that will stay with you long after you’ve seen it. Marcia Gay Harding, Laura Linney, Laurence Fishburne, and Toby Eulick round out the year’s best ensemble cast. This proves once and for all that Clint Eastwood’s achievements as a director are equal if not greater than those during his career as an actor.