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Bernie's Commercial, Highly Controversial Top Ten of 2003Mar 22 '04 (Updated Mar 23 '04) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Commercially, there weren't too many memorable films made last year, but here are just a few. Hope you like my list. On the eve of my birthday (this is a big one, folks - the big 4-0), I've decided to undertake the challenge of listing my picks for the best of 2003. This is something that most of my compatriots have already done, and now it's my turn. Please forgive the lack of so-called "art-house" picks on this list -- my theatre relationship is with a mainstream house, so all I get to preview are mainstream flicks, for the most part. So, here it is - my commercial, highly controversial top 10 of 2003 - take it or leave it! 10) Something's Gotta Give - Jack (Nicholson) will be Jack, but even the master at playing the sanity-challenged can meet a match made in cinematic heaven. The womanizer who normally dates women half his age (hey, I can relate, these days) falls for an older woman (Diane Keaton, in a marvelous performance) and there is something to be said for age-similar chemistry after all. 9) Peter Pan - I may catch some flack for this entry, but I don't care - this is my list! I've never cared for the previous cinematic versions of this story, like the Disney animated tale or the '60's version which I've always felt played it too safe. This version is more faithful to the book the way I remember reading it (okay, a lot of subplots are considerably shortened, but what did you want from a two-hour movie) and Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) is always a marvelous screen villain. 8) X-2: X-Men United - If ever a sequel captured the essence of it's source-material in a great way, X-2 did. Not only did we get to learn more about the characters from the comic book, we also got to see them challenged in ways that the first movie never could. The men were rendered impotent early on and it was up to the distaff members of the team to save the day. And let's face it - Alan Cumming is cool as Nightcrawler. 7) The Italian Job - I'm surprised that I actually enjoyed this movie as much as I did, given the star. Mark Wahlberg has never excited me as a movie actor. Charlize Theron and Edward Norton, though, have both made my acting A-list. The three actors, however, have managed to craft an entertaining heist caper and even the supporting characters kept me involved and intrigued. 6) Finding Nemo - At least one animated film always makes my top ten list and this year, the folks at Pixar have once again proved that cartoons aren't just for kids anymore. This tale about a fish trying to find his son in the vast ocean is all heart. Do I need to say more? 5) Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - Russell Crowe plays Captain Kirk on the high seas and Paul Bettany is a cross between Spock and McCoy, but as a friend of mine aptly pointed out, this is indeed Star Trek on the ocean - kind of appropriate since, when Trek was first developed, it was supposed to be high-seas adventure in outer space. A well-crafted battle pic. 4) Seabiscuit - I'm not going to say too much about this reality-based horse tale. The only thing I will say, though, is the actors kept me believing in this nag. But, despite the rest of the high caliber acting in this story, William H. Macy steals the film. Three cheers for this uplifting little movie. 3) The Last Samurai - A lot of critics panned Tom Cruise's latest and many compared it to Braveheart and there are certainly many similarities, but the best scenes in this movie, I felt, were the interactions between Cruise and Ken Watanabe as the latter taught the former what it means to live and die by principals. 2) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - Johnny Depp's performance was over-the-top, as well it should have been in this action adventure from the Bruckheimer factory. But don't discount Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom or Keira Knightley, either. If you're looking for raucous adventure and just plain cinematic excitement, you don't need to look any further than this film. Unless, of course you'd like to try... 1) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Peter Jackson's final installment in the highly successful cinematic masterpiece. The awards the film has won were long-deserved and should be regarded as praise for the trilogy rather than just this chapter. J.R.R. Tolkien would be very proud that the spirit of his tale was duly captured and bottled for years to come. This is the tale Star Wars could have been. George Lucas, are you reading this? Well, there you have it -- my list of the best of 2003. If you choose to try out my recommendations, you're in for 25 hours or so of great viewing. If you choose not view these, that's fine, too. There are a lot of other tales that weren't half bad last year either. Speaking of which, next I have to try and put together a "worst list", don't I? Well, given last years B-list, that shouldn't be too hard. Enjoy!!! And dim the lights and pass the popcorn...I'll see you on Epinions.  |
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by cripper by Stephen_Murray
