The Best of 2003
Glenn Kenny anoints his top ten
By Glenn Kenny
1. Spider
Underseen, underappreciated, featuring a breathtaking Ralph Fiennes performance, director David Cronenberg’s complex adaptation of Patrick McGrath’s novel is more than a harrowing exploration of insanity, it’s a small revolution in cinematic storytelling . . .
2. Mystic River
. . . while this masterpiece, directed by Clint Eastwood from Dennis Lehane’s novel, proves that cinematic classicism isn’t dead either—and that it can put across a story as powerfully as it ever could when the right people are calling the shots.
3. Kill Bill—Vol. 1
This delirious meta-movie inspired some of the stupidest punditry in a year of especially stupid punditry—although the idiocies being propagated about Bad Santa are beginning to catch up. If one judged movies strictly by the people that they pissed off, well, this would be number one through ten on my list. But Bill can stand pretty tall on its own blood-spurting merits, thanks.
4. The Man Without A Past
Delicate, melancholy, and at times side-splittingly funny, Aki Kaurismäki’s beautiful Finnish fable takes root in the viewer’s soul and contentedly grows therein.
5. American Splendor
The loser is the winner in this dazzling meditation on art and life, a multileveled chronicle of Cleveland malcontent Harvey Pekar.
6. Elephant
A high-school-day-in-the-life with a horrific ending, Gus Van Sant’s empathetic, tructurally daring film is the year’s most challenging picture.
7. Finding Nemo
A fun, funny, and beautiful fish story from Pixar, creators of yet another brave new cinematic world.
8. Lost in Translation
Sofia Coppola’s delicate character study spotlights Bill Murray at both his funniest (which means no one’s funnier) and most poignant (which means no one’s more moving).
9. demonlover
This gem drives the art movie to the edge of the cyberapocalypse and doesn’t look back.
10. In America
A beautiful, big-hearted tale of a family facing their newfound land—a generous, frustrating terrain—and a recent tragedy. A tearjerker without regrets.
More-Than-Honorable Mentions:
11. Big Fish
12. Friday Night
13. House of Sand and Fog
14. X2
15. All the Real Girls
16. 28 Days Later
17. Looney Tunes: Back in Action
18. The Legend of Suriyothai
19. Capturing the Friedmans
20. The Magdalene Sisters
Ed. Note: G.K. was unable to view The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by press time. This list originally appeared in the February 2004 issue of Premiere magazine.
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