10
Best Films 2003
1) CITY OF
GOD – Hands down the best film of the year. Nothing
else came close. Had Miramax not spent 100 million on Cold Mountain,
this would be the movie they’d push for Best Picture. They’d
probably win too.
2) THE GOOD THIEF
– This cool, sexy, thinking man’s Ocean’s Eleven,
was the most overlooked film of the year. Fox Searchlight dropped
the ball by releasing it in April, thus hurting its chances for
Oscar gold. Neil Jordan’s script, direction, and the lead
performance by Nick Nolte are all top notch.
3) DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
– Brilliant crime thriller from Stephen Frears. The two
lead performances, the screenplay, and the direction are all Oscar
worthy.
4) SWIMMING POOL
– Star-making performance by Ludivine Sagnier. In a perfect
world, she’d get a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
5) TUPAC: RESURRECTION
– Did exactly what a good documentary is supposed to: inform
and entertain.
6) THE COOLER
– This little gem blindsided me. I didn’t see it coming.
Alec Baldwin’s never been better (ditto for Maria Bello).
7) MATCHSTICK MEN
– Shame on Warner Brothers for not promoting Alison Lohman.
Ms. Lohman (24 yrs old) was much more convincing as a 14 yr old
than (the ridiculously overrated) Scarlett Johansson (19 yrs old)
was playing a married woman in Lost In Translation. Yet it’s
no secret who’s going to get the nomination.
8) BAD SANTA
– Billybob Thornton gives the performance of his life as
an “Eating, drinking, shitting, fucking, Santa Claus”.
9) SCHOOL OF ROCK
– Pleasantly surprised by this crowd pleaser. Normally I
can’t stand Jack Black, Richard Linklater, or Mike White,
but I went into this with an open mind and enjoyed it.
10) INTOLERABLE CRUELTY
– I’m amazed at how poorly received this film was.
It had everything going for it: Two charismatic leads, decent
supporting cast, and a great script directed by the Coen Bros.
For some reason, audiences didn’t respond. I still dug it
though.
10 Worst Films of 2003
1) HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES
– How the hell did this film get a theatrical release? Student
film-level production values, direction, and acting.
2) NO GOOD DEED
– Almost works as camp. There’s a reason why this
movie opened in extremely limited release (one theater in Florida
- where I saw it), then proceeded to go straight to video despite
a cast of Samuel L. Jackson, Milla Jovovich, and Stellan Skarsgard.
It’s terrible. Has to be seen to be believed.
3) JUST MARRIED
– Painfully unfunny and unimaginative.
4) A GUY THING
– Absolutely nothing in this film works.
5) THE HULK –
Hulk boring (and over directed).
6) HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE
– Oh how the mighty have fallen. Harrison Ford passed on
the Michael Douglas role in TRAFFIC to do K 19, and then follows
that up with this. No wonder he wants to do another Indiana Jones
flick.
7) CHARLIE’S ANGELS:
FULL THROTTLE – An embarrassment to all involved.
A 90 minute music video.
8) DUMB AND DUMBERER:
WHEN HARRY MET LLOYD – Jim Carrey, Matt Stone,
Trey Parker, and the Farrelly Brothers all passed on this. Much
props to all of the above.
9) IN THE CUT
– Nothing wrong with Meg Ryan showing us her tits. Would’ve
been nice if there was a halfway coherent story. Jane Campion
also wins the “Worst black dialogue written by a caucasian”
award. Sample: “There be a website for that.” “I
be take care of my girls.”
10) ANYTHING ELSE
– Further proof that Woody Allen has nothing left to say.
Is it me or does Woody only know how to write one character? Jason
Biggs plays a (surprise, surprise) neurotic Jewish writer from
the Upper East Side.
If El Tipo Suave
picked the OSCARS
- Best Picture - CITY OF GOD
- Best Director
- Katia Lund & Fernando Meirelles, CITY OF GOD
- Best Original
Screenplay - Stephen Knight, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
- Best Adapted
Screenplay - Neil Jordan, THE GOOD THIEF
- Best Cinematography
- Bob Richardson, KILL BILL
- Best Actor -
Nick Nolte, THE GOOD THIEF
- Best Supporting
Actor - Alec Baldwin, THE COOLER
- Best Actress
- Charlize Theron, MONSTER
- Best Supporting Actress - Alison
Lohman, MATCHSTICK MEN
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