Charles Mitchell’s Favorite Films of 2003 (all films are ranked in order and out of five stars)

Copyright 2004 by Charles Mitchell

In 1986 a little Quebec film named the Decline of the American Empire became fodder for an infinite number of college essays in classes like sociology, English and history. That brilliant work was like an intellectual’s version of the Big Chill. Who can forget the scene where the female masseuse performs an intimate act while giving a history lesson to her client? Now 15 years later the sequel is even better. The Barbarian Invasions contains everything an art house flick should: intelligence, great acting and superb dialogue -- just to name a few. The same friends are back, only this time under tragic circumstances that could unite father and son. 2004 Oscar Winner for Best Foreign Language film.

2) Dirty Pretty Things *****

A wonderful look at what lengths illegal immigrants will go to in order to have a better life. Tragic, haunting, and at the same time, uplifting.

3) In America****^1/2

A nearly perfect tale of an immigrant family seeking the American dream while coming to terms with tragedy. If only it offered more shared scenes between the two male protagonists, who reach out to each other as one tries to come to terms with a death, and the other faces his own.

4) Whale Rider ****^1/2

A classic Joan of Arc tale. An insightful look into New Zealand’s stringent patriarchal Maori society and one brave little girl who dares to stand up to it.

5) Winged Migration ****^1/2

This documentary on the migration of birds is no Discovery Channel nature special. In the age of bad CGI the incredible visuals in this film could show Hollywood what real special effects are

6) Elephant ****^1/2

This tale is a not so subtle re-enactment of Columbine. Transparent metaphors, and predictable character motivation do very little to shake its brilliance. Uniquely directed by my favorite man behind the camera, (Gus Van Sant), it weaves back and forth between time and characters leading to the final comeuppance.

7) The Station Agent ****

A quiet film that ponders the question of friendship, and isolation and what it’s like to be different. Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) gives the performance of a lifetime as a man on a “train” to solitude.

8) Girl with a Pearl Earring ****

A servant girl (Scarlett Johansson) is so poor she sees the world in nothing but grays until she meets the painter who infuses her life with color, and passion. Outstanding art direction and cinematography turn every frame into a canvas that’s brushed in a palette of rich oils.

9) Swimming Pool ****

When a writer searches for inspiration she finds it in a highly sexual teenager. A twisted psychological thriller that is 2003’s answer to David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.

10) Mystic River ****

Sean Penn deserved the Oscar win for his meaty performance as father who seeks revenge when his daughter is murdered. 2004 Oscar Nominee for Best Picture.

11) Thirteen ****

Illustrates what little power an adolescent has when her world exists of drugs, violence, and a desperate need to fit in. For a night of teenage angst rent this effort along with 2002 gem Blue Car.

12) Capturing the Friedmans ****

A documentary of a Long Island family caught in a child molestation web. Although you may leave the theatre more confused about the family’s innocence, the flick does make you question the way police interrogate children about sexual abuse -- and by doing this, Capturing the Friedmans will capture your imagination.

13) The Magdalene Sisters ****

This vehicle tells the story of Irish penitential asylums for unruly young women, which seemed to emotionally cripple the “sinful” women it was trying to rehabilitate, rather than bringing them closer to God.

14) Shattered Glass ****

A must see for any budding reporter. Shattered Glass is Ethics 101 for journalism majors everywhere. A tight suspenseful story about a real young writer who fabricates articles at the esteemed New Republic magazine. Hayden Christensen, gives a fine performance, yet I can’t help wondering if he is just allowing his own insecurities to pour out, rather than genuinely acting.

15) 21 Grams ****

A raw tale that’s more about going on after a tragedy than it is about drug abuse.

16) The House of Sand and Fog ****

For the first time the bushy eyebrows of Jennifer Connelly make sense in this tale of a woman and an Iranian family who battle for a home, in a quest for the comfort of the past. But remember even if your house brings security if it’s built on sand it may not sink but nothing can stop the fog from rolling in.

17) Cold Mountain ****

Being a Civil War buff and a critic of Hollywood movies I was expecting to be disappointed by this endeavor. I wasn’t. Nicole Kidman aside, Tinsel Town didn’t romanticize the tale that much. The War Between the States is actually depicted with a cold brutal honesty.

18) Big Fish ****

Welcome to the zany mind of a southerner Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) with a penchant for telling tall tales. Why tell the truth when fiction is more colorful and captivating?

19) American Splendor ***^1/2

With nothing much going on his life a nerdy comic book fan decides to start writing one of his own, and his art becomes the voice of the everyday working man.

20) Raising Victor Vargas ***^1/2

An honest and revealing coming of age story. Raising Victor Vargas introduces us to a young Hispanic playa, (Victor Rasuk), in New York City who learns there’s more to becoming a man than sexual conquests and being revered by one's friends.

Honorable mentions:

The Company ***^1/2

A documentary style tale that tells us more about the process of dance than about performance. The dancers themselves embrace every movement with a quiet elegance that’s almost lost in the big theatrical ending.

Lost in Translation ***^1/2

A flick about reaching a turning point in your life, whether you’re in your forties or in your twenties like Scarlett Johansson in a thinly veiled portrayal of the picture’s director Sofia Coppola.

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