January 29, 2004 -- It is time to look back on the year 2003. It was a good year for movies. I skipped most of the bad ones and I wound up with more "A" (four star) movies on my list than I usually have. Usually, there are six to eight A films, but this year, there were 12 A-grade films on my list.

As usual, many of the top films are released in December. I saw a number of these films on screeners (thanks to the studios, publicists and the Online Film Critics Society). The rest, I saw in Laramie, Cheyenne or Denver. Don't feel left out if you haven't seen all these films. Lots of people haven't seen them all yet. Some of them are already available on home video. There are some acclaimed films that I haven't yet seen, such as “Monster,” starring Charlize Theron, and “Thirteen,” starring Holly Hunter. Both Hunter and Theron have been nominated for Oscars for their respective performances in those films. I also haven't seen some foreign films like “Osama,” “Evil,” “The Twilight Samurai,” “Twin Sisters,” “Elary,” or “Makeup.” I also haven's seen some documentaries like “Balseros,” “The Fog Of War,” “My Architect,” or “The Weather Underground.”

I did see “Lost in Translation” and “Mystic River,” but they didn't make my list, although you will find them on many other critic's top 10 lists. I found “Lost in Translation” to be too slight to be considered for a top 10 list, or even top 20 or 30. It is a lukewarm romantic comedy, filled with the kind of superficial ramblings about the meaning of life you hear in freshman college dorms. “Mystic River” has a weak story with some serious flaws at the climax. The performances are O.K., but the characters don't require, or display, much emotional range. “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” did not make my top 10 list, but is an honorable mention. This is a case of a filmmaker who doesn't know when to stop. There are half a dozen endings to this film. Enough already!

Below the list of top films are a list of honorable mentions, followed by lists of my picks for top director, top actor, top foreign film, etc. Those lists are followed by a list of the worst films I saw this year. The first two films on my honorable mentions list, Millenium Actress and Swimming Pool were nearly as good as the films at the bottom of the list, but they got squeezed out to make the list shorter. One thing that makes my list different than most is I've got more comedies in my list. Most actors, directors and critics agree that it is a lot tougher to make a good comedy than it is to make a good drama, but then they go ahead and omit the comedies from their top 10 lists anyway. I practice what I preach.

4. In America This is a semi-autobiographical story by writer-director Jim Sheridan and his family. It was written by Jim and his daughters Naomi and Kirsten. There are flashes of mythical and magical qualities in this film about Irish immigrants in New York City. First-rate performances by the whole cast, including Samantha Morton as Jim's wife, and Djimon Hounsou, who plays a neighbor to the family, who both received Oscar nominations for their performances in this powerful dramatic film. The film also has some comic touches.

6. The Barbarian Invasions A great screenplay and solid acting illuminate this portrayal of a dying professor in Canada. This French language film by writer-director Denys Arcand is a followup to his earlier film, “The Decline of the American Empire,” it offers a lot of insight into life, death and relationships, while continuing some political themes from the earlier film. The sadness of the impending death of the central character is offset by the heartfelt efforts of his relatives and friends to make his last days on earth as comfortable as possible. The dialogue is very sharp and witty. The insights into human nature and society are just as sharp and biting.

7. Cold MountainDirector Anthony Minghella (“The English Patient”) has outdone himself with this epic romance set against the backdrop of the Civil War. The snub of this film by the Oscars this year is thought to be a response to Miramax studio's heavy-handed tactics in the past that helped secure undeserved Academy Awards for “The English Patient” and “Shakespeare in Love,” among others. Too bad, I thought “Cold Mountain” deserved a best picture nomination more than most of the films that actually were nominated this year (with the exception of “Seabiscuit,” of course). It is certainly better than “Lost in Translation,” “Mystic River,” or “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” This film has some strong female characters, a quality lacking in many films this year. Renée Zellweger did get an Oscar nomination for her scenery-chewing performance as Ruby Thewes. Nicole Kidman and Jude Law headline the film as star-crossed lovers separated by the bloodiest war in American history. The acting is great, the story is powerful and great production and set designs, costume designs, and the sparkling cinematography help cement this film into my top 10 list.

8. Shattered GlassA solid screenplay and great performances by Hayden Christensen as Stephen Glass and Peter Sarsgaard as Chuck Lane anchor this based-on-fact story about Stephen Glass, a young writer for The New Republic Magazine, who fabricated a number of stories. This is a great inside look at journalism gone wrong. It also shows how the reporter was caught by investigations conducted by other reporters. Although Sarsgaard has been recognized by some critics groups for his performance, Christensen really carries the film and all the supporting roles are strong. This is an example of solid ensemble acting.

9. Love Actually This film has one of the more complex storylines of any film seen this year. Writer-director Richard Curtis does a great job of keeping lots of multiple storylines going simultaneously. This film may set some kind of record for the most characters and the most storylines in a romantic comedy. The all-star cast doesn't hurt the film either. It stars Hugh Grant, Billy Bob Thornton, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth and Keira Knightley. Bill Nighy steals the show as a disarmingly candid washed-up rock star. This is a great Christmas movie. It is funny and very romantic, with just a touch of sorrow.

10. Sweet SixteenA hard-as-nails story of a boy in Scotland who dreams of buying a house for his mother to live in when she gets out of prison. The story is extremely powerful. This is a very depressing film, but also very well crafted. Unforgettable characters form the backbone of the tragic, character-driven plot. The film is in English, but the Scottish accents are so thick, subtitles are provided. This film is available now on DVD. Directed by Ken Loach (“Bread And Roses”).

11. Millennium actress (Sennen joyu) This is the best animated film of the year (at least for adults, kids will undoubtedly prefer Finding Nemo). This classy Japanese animation features a rich and complex story line combining fantasy, movie and historical elements blended together. Great animation, a great story and memorable characters. This is definitely aimed at movie lovers. This is available on home video.

Best director

1. Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini (American Splendor)
2. Gary Ross (Seabiscuit)
3. Richard Curtis (Love Actually)
4. Anthony Minghella (Cold Mountain)
5. Thomas McCarthy (The Station Agent)

Best actor

1. Bill Murray (Lost in Translation)
2. William H. Macy (The Cooler)
3. Tobey Maguire (Seabiscuit)
4. Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent)
5. Paddy Considine (In America)

Best actress

1. Samantha Morton (In America)
2. Charlotte Rampling (Swimming Pool)
3. Naomi Watts (21 Grams)
4. Diane Lane (Under the Tuscan Sun)
5. Patricia Clarkson (The Station Agent)

Best supporting actor

1. Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
2. Chris Cooper (Seabiscuit)
3. Dustin Hoffman (Confidence)
4. Jon Voight ( Holes)
5. Alec Baldwin (The Cooler)

Best supporting actress

1. Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain)
2. Sigourney Weaver (Holes)
3. Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool)
4. Hope Davis (American Splendor)
5. Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog)

Best adapted screenplay

1. American Splendor
2. Seabiscuit
3. Shattered Glass
4. Cold Mountain
5. Under the Tuscan Sun

Best original screenplay

1. The Station Agent
2. The Cooler
3. In America
4. Love Actually
5. Sweet Sixteen

Best foreign language film

1. The Barbarian Invasions
2. Millenium Actress
3. City of God
4. Together
5. The Man Without a Past

Best cinematography

1. Winged Migration
2. Girl With the Pearl Earring
3. Seabiscuit
4. Cold Mountain
5. The Cooler

Best original score

1. The Cooler
2. Seabiscuit
3. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
4. Love Actually
5. Under the Tuscan Sun

Best breakthrough performance

1. Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent)
2. Keira Knightley (Bend It Like Beckham)
3. Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider)
4. Tony Cox (Bad Santa)
5. Martin Compston (Sweet Sixteen)

Best breakthrough filmmaker

1. Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini (American Splendor)
2. Billy Ray (Shattered Glass)
3. Richard Curtis (Love Actually)
4. Peter Hedges (Pieces of April)
5. Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow)

Best documentary film

1. Capturing the Friedmans
2. Winged Migration
3. Step Into Liquid
4. Stone Reader
5. Stevie

Best animated feature

1. Millenium Actress
2. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
3. Finding Nemo
4. Looney Tunes: Back in Action
5. Brother Bear

Best visual effects

1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. Peter Pan
3. The Matrix Revolutions
4. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
5. X2: X-Men United

Best art direction

1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. Seabiscuit
3. Down With Love
4. The Matrix: Revolutions
5. The Matrix: Reloaded

Best costume design

1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. Down With Love
3. Seabiscuit
4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
5. Kill Bill: Volume 1

Best film editing

1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. The Cooler
3. Seabiscuit
4. Love Actually
5. Cold Mountain

Best sound

1. Seabiscuit
2. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
3. The Matrix Revolutions
4. The Matrix Reloaded
5. Open Range

Links to reviews of all the films:
A through B   C through D   E through G   H through I
J through L   M through N   O through Q   R through S   T through Z

The Worst Films of 2003

While I saw most of the best films of the year, I purposefully missed most of the worst films, including such stinkers as Gigli (nine Razzie nominations), Bad Boys II, Alex and Emma, Kangaroo Jack, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, Darkness Falls, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, Boat Trip, Cold Creek Manor, View from the Top, Gothika, Uptown Girls, Honey, Grind, National Security, Beyond Borders, My Boss's Daughter, From Justin to Kelley (eight Razzie nominations), Just Married and The Real Cancun, so this is not in any way a list of the worst of the worst films, just the worst of the films I saw. After all, I don't get into the movies for free, and I don't like to waste my money, but I got fooled into spending too much on the following films anyway (and I only spent $3 on Charlie's Angels):