The Magnificent Seven
(The Best Movies of 2003)
Superheroes, serial killers, and… a spelling bee? This year’s best movies were once again a variety showcase. There was also a great mix of different genres, from fantasy and documentary to… a romantic comedy? Give us a romantic comedy set against the turbulent backdrop of a spelling bee, and we’ll officially have seen it all.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Peter Jackson, heir to George Lucas as the king of cinematic fantasy, closed out his vastly ambitious and visually stunning epic trilogy with this supersize final chapter. Unless he falls into the Cracks of Doom between now and March, we’re pretty sure he’s got the Best Picture Oscar in the Baggins.
Lost in Translation – Channeling the spirit (and style) of Wong Kar-Wai, Francis Ford Coppola’s prodigal daughter Sofia created an austere, funny-sad not-quite romance between an unlikely pair lost in the pachinko-parlor madness of Tokyo. And like Wong’s films, this one translated well.
Love Actually – This astoundingly smart and funny romantic comedy by Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis was the sort of offbeat thing only the Brits could make up. From a Prime Minister smitten with his secretary (all right, so maybe the Yanks could make this up), to a pair of soft-porn actors who exchange pleasant small talk while simulating sex, the characters in this group of interrelated stories were whimsical without the saccharine aftertaste. Probably because Richard Gere and Kate Hudson were nowhere to be seen.
Monster – Charlize Theron made herself utterly unrecognizable as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ feature debut, but what made this film truly remarkable—and disturbing—was Theron’s portrayal of the psychically damaged human being beneath the monster.
Mystic River – LOTR aside, the best cinematic literature of the year was this adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel. It was also Brian Helgeland’s best writing since his adaptation of L.A. Confidential, Clint Eastwood’s best directing since Unforgiven, and Sean Penn’s best acting since… well, ever.
Spellbound – This documentary dispelled the notion that spelling bees are just nerd-dominated snorefests. Okay, so most of them are pretty nerdy. But the eight brilliant, determined kids who competed in the 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. made for a funny, fascinating, and surprisingly suspenseful film. And they’re a helluva lot smarter than the guy in the big white house down the road.
X2 – Bryan Singer’s uncanny sequel to X-Men was cut so sharply you’d think Wolverine was the editor, and the debut of Nightcrawler was the most kinetic opening sequence we’ve ever seen in a superhero flick. Stan Lee is surely smilin’.