Honorable mentions of 2003: Elf -- Because Will Ferrell
made the ultimate film fashion statement, wearing mustard yellow
tights and his big, hilarious heart on his sleeve. Hulk
-- Because director Ang Lee provides a primer on how to make
a comic-book movie rather than just a movie with comic-book
characters in it. Identity -- Because director James
Mangold and screenwriter Michael Cooney very nearly salvage
the now-cliched concept of non-linear narrative and create a
murder motel that's Psycho cool. Laurel Canyon
-- Because Frances McDormand gives the hottest female performance
of the year as a legendary rock producer believably bedding
a much younger man and struggling to connect with her more straitlaced
son. Lost in Translation -- Because director Sofia Coppola
is brave enough to trust the beauty of simplicity. And, finally,
Phone Booth -- Because director Joel Schumacher and rising
star Colin Farrell make an all-out adrenaline rush of 81 minutes
of a guy on hold.
And now for the numbers:
10. The Dancer Upstairs -- Because the sorrowful eyes
of actor Javier Bardem look the way a Latin American country
caught between the corrupt old ways and a rising revolution
must feel. Because debuting director John Malkovich's strange
intelligence stalks every shot. Because the film's unhurried
final scene knows a million ways to gently break your heart.
9. (tie) Mystic River and The Human Stain --
Because complicated works of fiction can make for flawed but
interesting films. Because Sean Penn's raw performance in River
is a stunner and Nicole Kidman more than leaves her mark on
Stain. Because directors Clint Eastwood and Robert Benton
don't ever let themselves get in any kind of a hurry.
8. (tie) Open Range and The Missing -- Because
directors Kevin Costner and Ron Howard prove that the truest
American cinematic art form still has a little kick left in
its corral. Because Costner wasn't afraid to lose what little
clout he had left on a flawed film he believed in -- and because
Howard was willing to dip into a Fort Knox of Hollywood political
capital for exactly the same reason. Because, placed side by
side, Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones are half of a Mount
Rushmore of weathered weariness and true grit.
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
-- Because Johnny Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow absolutely plunders
any preconceived notions of pirateness. Because director Gore
Verbinski's use of special effects complements -- and doesn't
compromise -- his storytelling technique. Because nobody guessed
that a movie based on a theme park ride could possibly be this
good. Because the gang's already agreed to a sequel.
6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
-- Because Paul Bettany is an actor whose talent far exceeds
his name recognition. Because Russell Crowe is an actor whose
talent far exceeds his rowdy reputation. Because director Peter
Weir is as comfortable capturing the camaraderie of men as he
is blowing a ship's mast to smithereens. Because it's about
time something on the big screen held a candle to A&E's Horatio
Hornblower series.
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King --
Because the trilogy reintroduced J.R.R. Tolkien as a household
name and introduced Viggo Mortensen as a star of tomorrow. Because
Peter Jackson and company survived. Because they got it right.
4. The Matrix Reloaded -- Because it's quite possibly
the most stylish action-adventure that will ever be made. Because
the trilogy changed the way movies will look for a generation.
Because the Wachowski brothers convinced us that Keanu Reeves
really could save the world.
3. Finding Nemo -- Because it marries technical wizardry
with good old-fashioned charm. Because you don't have to be
a preschooler to think it's laugh-out-loud funny. Because, if
they had to, our dads would brave the open sea, put up with
amnesiac fish, make friends with sea turtles and learn to speak
whale, too.
2. Kill Bill -- Because it's messy, ridiculous and
absolutely electric. Because Japanimation and Uma Thurman used
well can be beautiful things. Because, despite his too-long
hiatus from Hollywood, it took director Quentin Tarantino about
five seconds of film to prove that his juices still flow like
no one else's. Because with The Matrix and LOTR
trilogies a thing of the past, Vol. 2 promises us a reel
reason to live.
1. The Last Samurai -- Because John Wayne and Errol
Flynn don't make movies any more, but Tom Cruise does. Because
the smile and the swagger are only two weapons in a maturing
actor's growing arsenal. Because it's the most ambitious, stirring
epic since 1996's The English Patient. Because its star-vehicle
status is quietly and purposefully undermined by the exemplary
ensemble work of Cruise, Ken Watanabe and Koyuki. Because the
spirit of Kurosawa is alive and well, after all these years.
