The Ten Best Films of 2003

Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2003 issue of The Whalesong, the University of Alaska Southeast's college newspaper. I did not start my website until later next year, but since I have created an annual "Ten Best Films" column at my Film as Art site, I thought it appropriate to dig this out and include it here.

2003 was an exceptional year for art-house movies and independent films. Most of the big-budgeted films were major disappointments (Matrix sequels anyone? Or how about Hulk? Anyone? Anyone at all?), but that was all the better for the smaller, lower-budgeted films to throw their hats into the ring as contenders. As a result, many of the films on this list might be movies that you’ve never seen, let alone heard of. Still, you have every right to know about these smaller movies, if for no other reason than the fact that the big movies that came out this year, bluntly, sucked. If you, like myself, was disappointed with the Hollywood outings this year, consider this list to be an attempt to point everyone in the right direction.

1. Whale Rider, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Rawiri Paratene and directed by Niki Caro. Hands down, the best family film in years. A coming-of-age story of a little girl from a small native tribe in New Zealand—and to say anything else would ruin the surprises in this astonishing film that both children and adults will cherish. Castle-Hughes turns in one of the greatest child performances in the history of cinema, and the visuals are often so breathtaking that the move you in a way that no words could possible capture. Incorrectly rated PG-13 by the Academy, this is a film for ages 7 to 204, and believe me—everyone in that age range will be incredibly moved.

2. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, starring Russell Crowe and directed by Peter Weir. Russell Crowe masterfully plays Captain Jack Aubrey, in what is sure to be a major (if not the major, sans Return of the King) Oscar contender. His ship and crew struggle to survive against the unstable nature of the ocean and enemy French vessels that outnumber them in both size and weapons. Okay, so a few big-budgeted films have to be on the list, and against all odds, director Weir (whose credits also include Witness, Dead Poet’s Society, and The Truman Show) and Crowe manage to craft a film that successfully walks the line of wide-open, sea-faring epic and deep, intimate relationships between the crew of the Surprise, set to the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. The result is a rousing adventure story with unforgettable characters, in a film which just might be the best of its kind ever made.

3. Lost in Translation, starring Bill Murray and directed by Sofia Coppola. It’s difficult to create a film that is driven completely by dialogue, but Sofia Coppola has crafted a real winner here. If her acting stint in Godfather Part Three taught Coppola anything, it’s that her strength is on the other side of the camera. She proves her directing chops with Lost in Translation, and also single handily brings dignity back to Bill Murray, who turns in one of his best performances as, ironically, a has-been movie star. The plot is simple, about two Americans who meet and spend a week together in Tokyo, Japan, but the interaction between these two characters makes for a film so charming and ultimately so rewarding, you’ll wish that you could take these people home with you!

4. Monster, starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci and directed by Patty Jenkins. Much has been said about Charlize Theron as serial killer Aileen Carol Wuornos, and I’m hard pressed to find anything to add. Here is truly one of the greatest screen performances of all time—Theron embodies Wuornos and in doing do demands that her story be taken seriously. Gripping, disturbing cinema is made more so not only because we sympathize with Wuornos but because in a small way, we relate to her. The title is therefore ironic and poignant, adding extra layers to this mesmerizing film. One of the great screen biopics.

5. Mystic River, starring Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, and Tim Robbins and directed by Clint Eastwood. Eastwood’s best film since A Perfect World is a powerful essay on sorrow and how different people cope with loss. Sean Penn will likely take home the Oscar for best actor (though it should go to Bill Murray for Lost in Translation); his performance as the grieving, alcoholic father of a murdered daughter is superb, but it is Tim Robbins who stands out the most, as a man struggling to overcome a past of sexual abuse who may or may not be the killer of Penn’s daughter. Fine performances all around, though the true power is in the script, which focuses on the destination of despair and the consequences of personal vengeance.

6. The Target, starring Dennis Hopper and Christopher Lambert and directed by Jean-Pierre Roux. Rarely does a flawed film cancel out its shortcomings by the sheer brilliance of what works about it. This tiny character-study from South Africa manages to do just that. What begins as an underwhelming action film quickly turns into a gripping human drama about redemption and rediscovering childhood innocence. With surprisingly wonderful performances by Dennis Hopper and Christopher Lambert (who both prove their acting chops yet again after some decidedly poorly-picked roles in recent years) and beautiful South African locales (including cameos by Ladysmith Black Mambazo), this film flew under the radars here in America and only received a direct-to-video release. That’s a shame; it marks the return of Hopper and Lambert into the cinematic arena.

7. Elephant, directed by Gus Van Sant. The man who brought us popular but conventional dramas like Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester takes a turn for the better, creating a stirring and controversial film about the day of a high-school shooting. Van Sant’s answer to the tragedy of Columbine is violent, tragic, and it offers no answers as to what would cause a horrifying event like this. Many critics have dismissed Van Sant as exploitive for offering no solution; others have found his film to be highly appropriate in the way that it has no answers, but only shakes its head sadly on the desensitization of in America today. I side with the latter group.

8. Kill Bill: Volume One, starring Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu and directed by Quentin Tarantino. There’s a plot in Kill Bill somewhere, but I could have cared less about it. This is a film completely about the delivery of exhilarating action sequences, and no film since The Matrix has pulled off scenes of the type this rich, complete with slick moves and clashing weapons for nearly every moment of screen time. Here is a film with martial arts that move like ballet, in a hilarious spoof of the old martial-arts genre films a la Zatoichi and low-budget martial art epics. The result is a celebration of fighting and violence, but only a fake-blood, cartoon-sort of way.

9. The Station Agent, starring Peter Dinklage and directed by Thomas McCarthy. Just explaining the premise should allow the charm of this film to speak for itself: A reclusive dwarf moves to an abandoned train station just outside of New Jersey, meets a hot dog vender who has no customers and a mourning woman who nearly runs him over twice. Quirky and refreshing, this very human drama defies convention to create a wonderful character study, with often witty dialogue from well-defined characters.

10. The Dancer Upstairs, starring Javier Bardem and directed by John Malcovich. Actor John Malcovich’s directorial debut is a masterpiece, about a detective tracking down a guerilla-like revolutionary in an unnamed Latin America country. This plot line develops with some interesting twists, which ties into the detective’s romance with his daughter’s ballet teacher. Steering clear of conventional sappiness and cheap thrills often associated with this type of film, Malcovich weaves his story with just right dramatic note, soliciting some flawless performances from his cast. Again, this film practically flew under the radar here in America, but it is well-worth finding.