Best Films of 2003

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:07:34 GMT

The finale to the second best trilogy of all time was a fantastic one. The final 45 minutes could have moved along slightly faster; but over a magnificent piece of film.

Old School

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:07:51 GMT

A movie that gets better after seeing it more than ten times. It's just a constant laugh riot and a movie that proves "love, is a mother f*cker, eh"

Finding Nemo

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:07:59 GMT

A movie that's so fun to watch I didn't care if we ever found him.

Love Actually

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:08:09 GMT

One of the best christmas films of all time. So many wonderful stories about love, each could have had its own film.

City of God

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:08:20 GMT

A very powerful, scary, and explicitly gorgeous film. I am still in awe.

Stuck on You

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:08:31 GMT

This is a hilarious film made by the ingenious Farrelly Brothers. It goes way past what is seen as jokes and they once again make the "abnormal" triumphant and smart in hopes that the public will one day find "different" people to be "normal" But with the 4.8 rating, people clearly only go with what's on the surface.

Big Fish

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:08:40 GMT

A colorful and endearing epic full of adventure and life lessons. The most family friendly Tim Burton film yet, haha.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:08:52 GMT

Could possibly be Tarantino's best film. Unbelievable fight scenes, insane screenplay and good enough acting.

School of Rock

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:09:11 GMT

An even better performance than in Shallow Hal. Jack Black is on his way, thank God. He has a great arsenal of singing, acting, and comedy.

The Matrix Reloaded

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:09:29 GMT

Nearly over-the-top in most scenes; but my God this is glorious sequel to its revolutionary beginnings. We'll leave the too-over-the-top for the third and final film (farther down the list)

X2: X-Men United

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:10:05 GMT

One of the best super-hero sequels I've seen. It plays off the original and creates an even better story.

21 Grams

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:10:17 GMT

A film that gets much better with each viewing. The director spent so much time perfecting this film, and it shows. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Elf

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:10:25 GMT

Not a great film; but Will Ferrell is such a comic talent. He can make a stupid script hilarious. Newhart is enjoyable as well.

Anger Management

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:10:32 GMT

Such a dynamic duo, it was almost unfathomable when I first heard about the pairing. Now I can't wait to see if they do it again. Jack makes Sandler funnier and Sandler makes Jack hilarious. Great John C. Reilly cameo, too.

Seabiscuit

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:10:41 GMT

A high quality film and epic for all the good reasons. Bridges is bomb.

Bruce Almighty

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:10:51 GMT

Very funny, but for Jim Carrey it was just all right. I expect so much from him and this one seemed too mainstream and hokey. The parts where he could let loose were great; but the parts where he had to stick to script needed some work. Carell is funny but annoying in this.

Identity

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:11:05 GMT

Not the type of film I typically like but this one held my interest all the way through and gave me a big old tasty present at the end.

Lost in Translation

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:11:26 GMT

Just as i was getting "lost" in this movie it ended. It was almost real good at many parts. Overall is was pretty good. Murray can do no wrong.

Bad Santa

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:11:42 GMT

What a terribly good movie. Tasteless and "bad" but somehow makes you still care about the horrible title character by the end.

The Last Samurai

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:11:57 GMT

An epic with an abundance of possibilities but didn't hit it quite hard enough on all its cylinders for me to love it. But it's hard to really say anything bad about.

Cold Mountain

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:12:11 GMT

Another very good movie Renee Zellwegger has to ruin. "Hey look, we're all entertaining and fine actors; but wait Renee has to come in and overact to try to stand out and be cute but powerful and not a typical female actress and now she's ruining the movie - make her stop!!" - Jude Law, Phil Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, etc.

The Italian Job

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:12:22 GMT

Another very good movie Mark Wahlberg has to ruin. "Hey look guys, we can all act and we're believable and easy to watch, hurray! Oh no, here comes Mark, he's going to try and say more than two lines in one cut, somebody stop him!!" - Donald Sutherland, Ed Norton, Charlize Theron, etc.

Bad Boys II

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:12:38 GMT

Bigger badder and better than the first. That's what a sequel should be and they did, yeaaaoo.

28 Days Later...

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:13:03 GMT

Boyle can do it all - drugs, love, zombies. Cillian Murphy is excellent in a Zombie (kind of) film that I actually enjoyed.

Mystic River

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:13:21 GMT

Damn depressing but undeniably well-acted and directed. The ending was somewhat worth the wait.

Runaway Jury

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:13:37 GMT

A clever and entertaining trial film. An excellent cast set at a good pace with pretty decent writing.

American Splendor

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:13:49 GMT

It's good to see Giamatti in a lead role. He does an excellent job depicting such a curmudgeon. Hope Davis is a delight as well.

The Life of David Gale

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:14:03 GMT

A surprisingly well-done film that's modest in every way but gets its message across without preachiness.

American Wedding

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:14:12 GMT

This third one was slightly funnier than the second. Stiffler endures with more of a starring role in this one. The music was once again a key positive ingredient.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:14:24 GMT

Maybe a little too epic for its own good. Wier is a great director; but I felt this film could have been cut in half. I was annoyed by many of the characters by the end. Crowe however, is unstoppable.

The Matrix Revolutions

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:14:46 GMT

We finally make it to the third installment. As you can see, I didn't care for this one as much. I expected a big surprising finish but everything leading up to it was so huge that you realize they just ran out of absurd ideas and came up with a still-absurd but less than awe-inspiring idea.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:15:03 GMT

Depp is becoming a film chameleon, disguising himself very well in each role. He sort of reminds me of Keith Richards and Bill Nighy in this role.

A Mighty Wind

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:15:16 GMT

Christopher Guest's direction and cast are always a delight to watch. This one might their best yet. We will see with time.

Step Into Liquid

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:15:28 GMT

This is one of the better sports documentaries I've seen, and it's about surfing! I never really thought much of the sport and certainly didn't know much about it, according to this film. Now, I can't wait to get out and catch some waves!

Veronica Guerin

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:15:39 GMT

Blanchett has officially become my favorite actress. Like Depp, she is a chameleon in each of her roles. It seems like every damn film I see her in, I don't realize it's her until halfway in or when it's over. She has beauty, talent, and extreme like-ability. I am excited to start "looking" for her films now.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:18:12 GMT

As good as "Once Upon a Time in America" but much much spicier!!

The Cooler

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:15:50 GMT

Like Giamatti, it's good to see Macy in a leading role. He is at the top of his game in this low-budget story of an unlucky man who gets lucky in several different ways, by the end.

Capturing the Friedmans

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:16:44 GMT

An excellent documentary that I will have to surely see again. Any American could enjoy this.

Gods and Generals

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:17:07 GMT

The most indie epic I've ever seen. The battles are great and the acting is decent. I had some concerns on the script.

Shanghai Knights

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:17:38 GMT

About as good as "Noon", nothing too great but certainly good enough entertainment for me. Wilson and Chan are a great pair, at the same level as Chan and Tucker.

Open Range

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:18:39 GMT

Bring the western back, damn it! I love these films, and this one is no exception.

A Decade Under the Influence

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:24:17 GMT

If you love the films of the 70s as I do, you will at least like and possibly love this documentary. It features a lot of the great directors in interviews, too.

Radio

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:16:00 GMT

This film was trying too hard and didn't have resounding success. However, I still watched the entire thing and enjoyed what it was about. Gooding Jr does a fine job; but the supporting cast could have been a little more supportive.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:19:45 GMT

Easily the least-likable of the trilogy. It's hard to top T2. The new baddie was cool and hot in that outfit. The kids brought it down a little and some of action seemed a little cheap.

Secondhand Lions

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:16:13 GMT

I'm not really sure what this film was trying to be. The acting was good and story was good; that's as much as I can put down without going to into a long series of questions.

Shattered Glass

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:20:02 GMT

Hayden Christiansen CAN act, he just needs a good script and director (unlike in 'Clones')

Hulk

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:20:18 GMT

I think it was pretty good. Not your typical comic book movie, and I think that's the main reason it didn't get a great reception. Ang Lee is a damn fine director, he just apparently shouldn't be making comic book movies.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:20:30 GMT

I usually put one or two romantic comedies on here and this one certainly deserves. Kate Hudson is adorable and and Matty McC is tolerable. Could have used a little more Goldberg though, that guy IS gold.

Something's Gotta Give

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:25:32 GMT

Another great pairing for Jack and my second romantic comedy, but for the older audience. All right, it's hard to watch Keanu try to act; but I still enjoyed it overall.

In America

Fri, 15 May 2009 04:28:16 GMT

Hell's Kitchen never looked so good, I mean bad. I don't know, but this film of an Irish immigrant family tugs at the heart and soul with such ease. Hounsou is someone to look for, too.