3. “In America”
Jim Sheridan‘s “In America” is a deceptively simple family drama that infuses its hard-knocks story of a lower-class Irish family’s immigration to NYC with sly magical realism, hinting toward a fairy-tale that never undermines the film’s moving drama. A raging attendant (Djimon Hounsou) of the family’s dilapidated apartment complex comes to represent the story’s misunderstood “monster,” one who requires the inherent goodness of the film’s young heroines — two daughters, played by real life sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger — to cleanse him of his inner demons. Meanwhile, the film’s emotionally ravaged parents struggle to find the proper footing necessary to start a new life for their young girls; and as a couple dealing with the aftermath of grief and searching for the strength to love, Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine strike a perfect chemistry. But it’s Sheridan himself, dexterously navigating between emotional weight and buoyancy, who gives “In America” its real magic.
2. “21 Grams”
A critically ill mathematician, a grieving mother and a born-again ex-con collide in the second collaboration by writer Guillermo Arriaga and director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu. Told in the now-trademark time-jumping narrative style, “21 Grams” is a look at the weight of guilt, the cost of redemption and what helps us through times of immeasurable pain. Anchored by a triumvirate of raw lead performances by Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio del Toro, “21 Grams” steadfastly refuses an easy resolution, leaving the audience with a toll on its heart far greater than the film’s title.
1. “City Of God”
Just when we thought the gangster genre had been driven into the ground, “City of God” exploded like a thousand firecrackers into cinemas. Set in the forsaken favelas of Rio de Janeiro, and focusing on two boyhood friends who take divergent paths to adulthood, the crackling picture did everything a filmmaker is not supposed to do — span decades, with a cast of hundreds, full of child actors — but arrived with an electric vibrancy common to much of the best Latin American cinema of the decade. While one turns to a life of crime as a drug dealer and merciless gangster, the other pursues his love of photography, and fate eventually intercedes. The duality that strains the childhood friendship is brilliantly captured by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, who saturate the film in deep, gorgeous colors that are jarringly juxtaposed against the often shocking and graphic violence that permeates the slums. Filmed on location in the grimy streets of Rio — rocketing back and forth in time and making room for tangents which illuminate rather than distract — and populated by amateurs and actual gang members, “City Of God” paints a bracing portrait of the allure of a gang when life gives you so few options, and the hope that beats in the hearts of those searching for something more.
Honorable Mentions:
2003 was a contentious year among the staff, not everyone was in the tank for “Lost In Translation” or “28 Days Later” (and some protested their appearance) nor was everyone on board for the excessive Gus Van Sant films (initially we gave an individual spot to “Gerry” as well), but such is life. Bumped off the list, but still of value were the first installment of Quentin Tarantino‘s kung-fu revenge homage, “Kill Bill,” David Gordon Green‘s tender, yet quirky indie love story, “All The Real Girls,” and Aki Kaurismäki‘s second installment in his serio-comic trilogy, “The Man Without A Past.” Oliver Assayas‘ “Demonlover” didn’t quite make the cut either, but it’s probably the lovely Connie Nielsen‘s strongest performance ever, outside of her work in Susanne Bier‘s “Broder.”
Props also go to Todd Phillips‘ hilarious frat comedy, “Old School,” Terry Zwigoff‘s anti-PC hand-grenade “Bad Santa,” the final installment of the “Lord Of The Rings” trilogy, and the immensely entertaining and engaging “X2,” still a high-point in comic-book movies. Alec Baldwin gets points for his performance in “The Cooler” as does Jennifer Connelly for her turn in “The House Of Sand And Fog.” Your 2003 thoughts?
— Oliver Lyttelton, Rodrigo Perez, Beau Delmore, Kevin Jagernauth, Sam Mac, Astrud Sands