fling93 loves fishies

My Top Ten Films of 2003

I haven’t really followed the Oscars that closely ever since Forrest Gump beat out Shawshank Redemption, but in light of the somewhat recent nominations, here’s my list of — well, not the best films of the year, but the best films I’ve seen that you might have overlooked…

10) In America
Touching story of an immigrant family in New York City shown through the eyes of the two young daughters (both excellently acted by real-life sisters, Sarah and Emma Bolger). However, it’s a pretty uneven film, as some of the scenes quite don’t hold together.

9) Swimming Pool
It’s about a novelist getting away from it all to refind her muse and getting interrupted by her publisher’s promiscuous daughter. Slowly paced at first, but you get to see plenty of the lovely Ludivine Sagnier (and I mean plenty) to tide you over until the plot twist hits. Not quite enough to make this a great film, but still well worth seeing. The interplay between her and the disapproving Rampling is quite interesting as well, as well as the film’s depiction of the creative writing process.

8) The Magdalene Sisters
An eye-opening and harrowing story of what some girls in Ireland were put through by the Catholic Church when they didn’t conform. I kinda expected a heavy-handed fairy tale, like Evelyn, but this is a much darker film with realistically complex characters.

7) Better Luck Tomorrow
Well, I’m probably a bit biased because I’m an Asian. An exciting film about a group of middle-class Asian high school students who, because they are overachievers, know that they can get away with murder. The plot’s may seem a bit farfetched, but you get caught up in the colorful (if a bit two-dimensional) characters and the stylish direction.

6) Whale Rider
Not a very complicated story, but it’s very wonderfully acted by both the young Keisha Castle-Hughes as well as Rawiri Paratene as her grandfather who refuses to see her as who she is destined to become (and whose performance had to walk a fine line for this film to work). Breathtaking and moving.

5) Dirty Pretty Things
I don’t know how this one slipped under the radar, given that it’s directed by Steven Frears (Dangerous Liasons, High Fidelity, and The Grifters) and features Audrey Tautou (Amelie). A very well-made thriller with unpredictable twists and turns and populated with some very interesting characters played by a solid ensemble cast. A few plot holes, but they didn’t become apparent to me until after the movie was over.

4) Monster
I plan to review this one soon, but if Charlize Theron doesn’t win the Best Actress Oscar (as serial killer Aileen Wuornos), I’ll be shocked. I’ve always thought she was a good actress, but this performance floored me (and it’s not just the makeup). A tough movie to watch, but well worth the experience.

3) Lost in Translation
It’s got quite a bit of buzz now, so perhaps you have seen it by now. There isn’t much of a story. It’s just one of the most realistic and touching depictions of how an unlikely relationship develops between two outsiders. I’d never liked Bill Murray, but he is clearly a much better actor than I ever gave him credit for. And Johansson more than holds her own (I’d actually seen her before, as a twelve-year-old in Manny and Lo, another sweet and excellent film).

2) The Station Agent
Reviewed here. Pretty similar to Lost in Translation, but populated with some more interesting characters (which is saying a lot). Doesn’t hurt that my review was, for some reason, #1 on Google for “Station Agent review” — for about a week (Google is weird).

1) House of Sand and Fog
Reviewed here. Ben Kingsley. Jennifer Connelly. ‘Nuff said! Go see!

Certain films aren’t on this list for several reasons. In case your personal favorite was left off, let me elaborate:

Films That Everyone and Their Grandma Has Already Seen

The whole point was to highlight films you might have missed, and well, you’ve probably seen all of these already. But here they are, in order of preference, in case you missed them:

Finding Nemo (Best! Movie! Ever! Buy the DVD!), Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (you don’t need me to tell you to watch it), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (glad to see Quentin back), The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions (I reviewed Revolutions here and analyzed it here in what has become, by far, my most widely read post), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (a great ride, and Depp does a hilarious job channelling Keith Richards).

Films I Saw That Didn’t Make the Cut

From good to bad: Love Actually, Identity (the beginning seems like a very bad film, but stick with it — trust me!), X-Men 2, Seabiscuit, Silvia, Big Fish (reviewed here), Mona Lisa Smile, and American Wedding. And probably some others that I can’t remember.

Films I Haven’t Seen But Want To

In order of preference: 21 Grams, American Splendor, Cold Mountain, A Mighty Wind, Les Invasions Barbares (The Barbarian Invasions), Mystic River, The Life of David Gale, Thirteen, The Last Samurai, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, School of Rock, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

I keep a complete list of films I want to see on my Palm handheld (pretty handy when I stop by Blockbuster), so suggestions are always welcome!