#118 The Best Films of 2003

Some have been calling this an "off" year for the cinema, but some of my favorite films in a long, long time came down the pike this year. Here are my faves in alphabetical order.

American Splendor: Part bio-pic, part documentary, this look at the life of Harvey Pekar usurps Ghost World as the best film adaptation of a comic book.

City of God: This energetically paced tale of one boy's attempts to escape the poverty-stricken favellas of Brazil is worth a look for it's honest storytelling and amazing soundtrack.

Kill Bill: This was the film that Quentin Tarantino was born to make. It's essentially an kung-fu, exploitation revenge film with a touch of anime thrown in for good measure. Whatever it is, I want to see way more of it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Who would have thought that Peter Jackson, a Kiwi schlockmeister with a handful of zombie films under his belt, would outdo Spielberg and Lucas with three, unmarred blockbuster fantasy epics? Peter Jackson is now officially a god.

Lost in Translation: Sophia Coppola found her voice with this very personal tale set in the vibrant and lonely city of Tokyo. Bill Murray's performance contains his usual unpredictable wit and rewards audiences with brief and tantalizing glimpses straight into the talented actor's soul.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: Peter Wier's take on Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels is cinematic, gripping and extremely smart. Russell Crowe rises above his annoying press and reminds us why we loved his early acting roles. I pray the film merits a sequel.

Millennium Actress: The life of an aged Japanese actress flashes before our eyes in this animated realist drama. Anime director Satoshi Kon is rapidly making a name for himself in the world of animation. While Hayao Miyazake's shadow looms large over the mostly inane field of Japanese animation it would be a great mistake to overlook this amazing film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Hollywood finally figures out how blockbusters should be made. This appealing slice of action is fun, engaging and imaginative. An off-the-wall performance from Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow cements his deserved place as one of our generation's great stars.

The Triplets of Belleville: This off-kilter, French film is another spectacular example of the happy hybridization of hand-drawn and computer generated animated styles. The film is largely dialogue free, has a dark sense of humor and contains some of the most interesting set-pieces (especially the films extended opening scene) to come out of European since Delicatessen.

Winged Migration: The life-or-death transcontinental flights of the world's bird population is documented with miraculous camera work that has to be seen to believed. Of course, this film isn't a documentary in the strictest sense. It's more of a reality/nature show. Check out the supplements on the DVD and you'll see what I mean.

Late Addition:
28 Days Later: What an oversight! Danny Boyle's re-interpretation of the zombie horror film is a serious contender for one of 2003's best.