What Are This Year's Best Movies?

I think I'll be writing a top 10 movie list for 2003 in a couple weeks for Willamette Week, or at least the web version. I'm curious what people think some of the candidates are. Personally I'm a big fan of (in no particular order) Lost In Translation, 28 Days Later, Elephant, I'm Going Home, The Man Without a Past, Cabin Fever, City of God, and a few others. Care to make your case for another?

Comments

[allan]

Okay, so it's not high cinematic art, but I thoroughly enjoyed and was moved by "Seabiscuit". The message of the movie was that your success has as much, if not more, to do with your attitude as with your ability. Not a startling revelation this; yet, the movie made the point very well, or rather, the story does, which is why the public was so taken with Seabiscuit at the time. Here was a horse that was too small to be a winner, legs too short, knobby knees, and didn't even have a good gait, but he didn't know that. He just made up his mind, "I don't care who you are, I'm crossing that finish line first." And he did. It affirmed for me that our true strength is deep inside. No allegorical symbolism, just a good moving story.

[Brian]

I definitely thought it was a good movie. It
made me want to read the book.

[Rebecca]

I loved 28 Days Later as well... very bizarre and dark. And Seabiscuit was good, I agree. Not too much of a "feel-good" movie, but still kind of has that family entertainment/animal success ju nu sais qua (sp?).
I'll look for your top ten list!

[Sara]

'Spellbound' is a must-see before you make this list, so is 'Whale Rider'. Also, 'Bend it Like Bekham' wasn't bad... Otherwise 'Kill Bill' and 'Lost in Translation' are always safe bets.

[Brian]

I really want to see "Spellbound", but it's not
available on video yet. That's the thing that
makes these top 10 lists irrelevant to me, the
fact that hardly anyone, even critics, sees
everything -- let alone a part time critic
like me. I also really want to see "Northfork"
and "Rivers and Tides" but won't get to before
I turn in my list.

[Ned]

1. Lost in Translation
2. Spellbound
3. Whale Rider
4. Lost In La Mancha
5. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
6. 28 Days Later
7. Master and Commander
8. Down with Love
9. Thirteen
10. LOTR: Return of the King*

So bad, they are crimes against humanity:

Bad Boys II
Love Actually

* Haven't seen yet, but will certainly be in my top 10 for this year.

[Brian]

Great list, Ned! When I turn in my list to WW
on Monday I may have the same #1.

[Mike]

man, you don't know what you're talkning about. Bad Boys 2 is the best action movie of the year, hands down. You got to be crazy not to like a movie like that. It's definitely way better than the first part. The rest of your list is all right. But I don't agree with this part of the list.

[Jesse]

Great movies do not start coming out in October. Many of the best movies of 2003 came in before we came close to reaching Cold Mount Doom. Unfortunately, there were not not that many great movies this year at all. But these movies stood out in my mind above all the others.

1. 21 Grams
2. City of God
3. The Barbarian Invasions
4.The Good Theif
5. The Dancer Upstairs
6.Kill Bill Vol. 1
7.Owning Mahoney
8. Elephant
9.In America
10. Buffalo Soldiers