Rearranging my closet, I found an old agenda (2003/2004) with a list of all the films I saw in 2003. In total, I saw 64 films in the movie theater.
Here was my top ten:
10. The Saddest Music in the World (dir. Guy Maddin) – My favorite Guy Maddin film.
9. Dogville (dir. Lars Von Trier) – In my book, Von Trier redeemed himself for Dancer in the Dark. Mometarily, at least.
8. Spider (dir. David Cronenberg) – A small film by Cronenberg but one of his most interesting with a riveting lead performance by Ralph Fiennes.
7. Ce jour-là (dir. Raoul Ruiz) – A lesser known Ruiz film featuring the prolific auteur at his most Bunuelesque.
6. Les Invasions Barbares (dir. Denys Arcand) – a return to form for Arcand
5. In America (dir. Jim Sheridan) – one of the most surprisingly touching films I saw that year.
4. Good Bye Lenin! (dir. Wolfgang Becker) – Communist chic comedy.
3. Zatoichi (dir. Takeshi Kitano) – Kitano’s best film.
2. 21 Grams (dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu) – I’d be curious to revisit it since so many people I know hate it. But they also hate Babel which I loved as well.
1. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (dir. Chan-Wook Park). Still beats out Oldboy as my favorite of his films. It undoubtedly helped that I saw it at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal without any expectations.
Not a bad year in film. My runners-up were American Splendor, Sweet Sixteen, 28 Days Later, Memories of Murder, and Dirty Pretty Things.
Major films that are deliberately missing on my list but are present on most others: Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King, Lost in Translation, FInding Nemo, and Mystic River.
Films that I hadn’t seen yet in 2003 that I later saw that could have also been contenders: All the Real Girls, Capturing the Friedmans, The Fog of War and Unknown Pleasures.
My Worst 10 (in no particular order)
Matrix Revolutions – Enough said.
Kill Bill, Vol. 1 – I still hate it more than Vol. 2 although that one could be a case of diminished expectations.
Casa de los Babys – Sayles at his most politically shallow.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Turning against Tarantino and Rodriguez in a single year)
Foolproof – I don’t even remember seeing this film but it was Canada’s attempt to make a Hollywood style heist film starring Ryan Reynolds when he was best known for Van Wilder and inexplicably executive produced by Atom Egoyan.
Spun – Was supposed to do for crystal meth what Trainspotting did for Heroin. Egads.
The Hebrew Hammer – Painfully unfunny attempt at a “Jewsploitation” film.
XX/XY – Earnest indie films at their worst;only dumped into theaters after Mark Ruffalo made it with You Can Count on Me.
