CinemaSpeak.com readers agree -- the best film of 2003 is Camera Obscura. CinemaSpeak.com writers apparently feel otherwise. See below for details...

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RYAN KUGLER:

Top 10:

1.) Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino): First things fucking last -- I do agree with the majority who feel that Kill Bill should have been one three-hour flick, instead of two ninety-minute ones. It isn't. So, I have to look at what exactly it is, and what it is, is pure cinematic poetry. This is a beautifully crafted work, which is criminally entertaining, and which single-handedly kicked the ass of every other film released in 2003. Nothing that played last year was more exciting, and nothing was more, "just plain cool." I loved every second of it, can't wait for the DVD, and my anticipation for Vol. 2 is through the roof. Unfortunately, word around the campfire is that the continuation has been pushed from Feb. to this summer (so that it can premiere at Cannes), so the wait might be a bit longer than expected. I'm currently in the process of dealing with this.

2.) City of God (Fernando Meirelles & Katia Lund): God, what a great film. This is simply one of the best foreign films that I've ever seen, as well as one of the best crime dramas. I first witnessed this astonishing motion picture at a film festival at the tail end of 2002, but since it didn't have its "official" domestic premiere until early 2003, I decided to wait until this year's list to include it. I did manage to see it again when it opened last Jan., and it was just as powerful as the first time. City of God is an instant classic, and a title that I'll be recommending for years to come.

3.) Irreversible (Gaspar Noe): I pretty much said all that I had/have to say in my five star review (on this very site). Nothing's changed. Noe's brilliant meditation on time and violence remains one of the most disturbing and memorable movie going experiences that I've ever had. It's also my favorite DVD of the year. There's nothing better than saying to a buddy, who hasn't a clue, they need to borrow the disc. The phone calls after the borrowings have been some of the best (and most heated) conversations that I've had all year.

4.) 21 Grams (Alejandro González Iñárritu): From the director of the equally amazing Amores Perros, comes the most uniquely structured and finest-acted film of 2003. Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts each turn in career performances in this puzzle of a story. It was probably the most challenging sit of the year, but once the pieces align (and everything comes together), 21 Grams offers more rewards than any other film that I've recently come in contact with.

5.) The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Peter Jackson): I said it on the CinemaSpeak message boards, and I'll say it again right here: Return of the King is probably the greatest fantasy/adventure film that I've ever seen. Loved Fellowship, really liked Two Towers, but this really brings the whole series to a rousing finish, and in the process, makes the first two chapters that much stronger. I look forward to sitting down in Nov. with all three extended cuts, so that I can view one of the greatest achievements of modern cinema. Even with all of my over-the-top hyperbole, please keep in mind that Heavenly Creatures is still Peter Jackson's finest (so rent it now), and Rocky III is still the best Pt. 3 of all time.

6.) Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola): If ever a film demanded and deserved a second viewing, this is it. Don't get me wrong, I really liked it the first time, but felt that it was a bit thin and quite overrated. In fact, it wouldn't even have made this list if not for my second viewing during the last weekend of Dec. It was during this time that I was able to see just how special this small film really is. Bravo to Coppola, Murray, Johansson, the music supervisor and everyone else involved in this beautiful love letter.

7.) Mystic River (Clint Eastwood): Sean Penn's performance as a grieving father seeking both an answer and revenge for the murder of his daughter, is the finest of 2003. He's helped along with great support from Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne and Marcia Gay Harden, all working at the top of their game. Guiding them all is Eastwood's masterful direction -- his finest since Unforgiven. This is a gripping crime drama/character study, and the only negative thing that I can say about it is that I saw 6 films last year that I liked a little bit more.

8.) The Secret Lives of Dentists (Alan Rudolph): I've never been a fan of Rudolph's work in the past, but with this little seen gem, he has crafted one of the greatest (and most realistic) looks at marriage and family that I've witnessed. Campbell Scott (who after Roger Dodger and now this, is turning into one of my favorites) and Hope Davis are perfect as a married couple of dentists going through a relationship crisis. Denis Leary adds nice comic support as one of Scott's angrier patients, who as the film progresses also becomes the wilder and more daring side of his conscience. Seek this one out on video. It's really unique, and it's really well done. Really.

9.) American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini): The second most original film of 2003 (it had the title locked up until I saw The Triplets of Belleville, which gets my "huh" award) is an entertaining look at the lives of real-life characters Harvey Pekar and his wife Joyce (wonderfully portrayed by Paul Giamatti & Hope Davis, respectively). This winning mixture of comedy, drama, documentary-style filmmaking, animation, etc. is a fresh burst of cinematic energy. If Giamatti doesn't get nominated (which he won't), there's no justice in the world of the Academy.

10.) Big Fish (Tim Burton): I figured that I needed at least one sentimental, feel-good film on the list, so I tossed a coin between my two favorites (and this beat out Whale Rider). I absolutely loved this return to form by Burton, and would probably rank it among his very best (Ed Wood, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands). Sure, it's a bit on the sweet side, but it's earned. I bought it all hook, line and sinker. Along with Lost in Translation, Big Fish contains the year's best ending, a deciding factor when placing it on this list.

Worst Films of 2003: Dreamcatcher, Jeepers Creepers 2, Matrix: Revolutions, American Wedding (saw on video), Spy Kids 3D: Game Over
Best Performances of 2003: Sean Penn (Mystic River), Ben Kingsley (House of Sand & Fog), Charlize Theron (Monster), Benicio Del Toro (21 Grams), Naomi Watts (21 Grams)
5 Reasons Why I Wish We Were Able to do A Top 15 List: Whale Rider, Elephant, Capturing the Friedmans, Spellbound, May (saw on video)
5 Reasons Why I Wish We Were Able to do A Worst 10 of the Year List: Anger Management, House of 1,000 Corpses, Poolhall Junkies, Freddy Vs. Jason, Anything Else
Biggest Disappointments: Intolerable Cruelty, Cabin Fever, Once Upon A Time in Mexico, Wonderland, The Missing


WARREN CURRY:

Top 10:

1.) Sweet Sixteen (Ken Loach): Ken Loach is the best non-documentary political filmmaker currently working. In my opinion, there's not even a close second. Loach has been making movies since 1969, and this film about a teenage boy desperately trying to keep his Scottish working class family together certainly ranks as one of his finest to date. A message heavy movie told without the heavy-handed baggage often inherent in work of this type. Phenomenal…

2.) Lost In Translation (Sophia Coppola): If romantic comedies were more like Lost In Translation and less like formulaic, cutesy and totally unrealistic nonsense like Love Actually (yes, I saw it -- blame my girlfriend), I'd be a wholehearted fan of the genre. Sophia Coppola's sophomore effort oozes atmosphere and boasts wonderful performances by the two irresistible leads, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. (Was 2003 her year or what?) A slowly unfolding, beautiful melody of a movie.

3.) Funny Ha Ha (Andrew Bujalski): An unwritten rule of mine: only films that receive a legitimate theatrical release are eligible to make my 10 best of the year. Well, CinemaSpeak is the lawless land of movie websites, so I'll gladly break my own rule to laud Andrew Bujalski's superlative debut. Film festival favorite Funny Ha Ha is unmistakably an American indie, but it embodies all of the best elements that the description implies. It's a character study that plays with a very loose plot, but the complete unpretentiousness of the filmmaking and performances is totally absorbing. Kate Dollenmayer is fabulous as the confused, yet unbelievably charming, 20-something Marnie, who's my favorite movie character of the year.

4.) Capturing The Friedmans (Andrew Jarecki): I still haven't totally shaken off the disturbing effect of Andrew Jarecki's documentary about an upper middle class suburban family ripped apart by seemingly preposterous allegations of repeated sexual abuse of the neighborhood children. I can't tell you how many complex internal conversations I've had with myself when pondering this film…and I swear I'm sane.

5.) The Fog of War (Errol Morris): Am I ever glad that Dan Tester took on this reviewing chore for CinemaSpeak, because I don't think I can accurately and concisely sum up my thoughts and feelings regarding Errol Morris' incredible portrait of major American events in the 20th Century via the observations and reflections of former Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara. It's the most interesting history lesson I've ever had, and as is the case with every Morris film, I walked out feeling substantially more intelligent than I did going in.

6.) Marooned In Iraq (Bahman Gohbadi): Very few films I've seen recently blend disparate moods as well this Iranian movie does. Director Bahman Gohbadi amazingly manages to tie together whimsical humor, moving drama and devastating tragedy without, even for a second, losing focus in this road movie about an elderly Kurdish musician's journey to find his ex-wife, who's the victim of Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons attack against the Kurdish people of Iraq. The impact of this film stays with you for the long haul.

7.) Bus 174 (Jose Padilha): Any fan of City of God (and I hope that's everyone who's seen the movie) should make it a point to catch this documentary. Concerning a 2000 Rio De Janeiro bus hijacking, perpetrated by a grown up Brazilian street kid, that turned into a Dog Day Afternoon-esque media circus, Bus 174 is like the most intense of thrillers injected with a horrific dose of reality. The shocking negative image sequence of a multitude of prisoners stuffed in an unfathomably overcrowded and unsanitary prison cell, pleading desperately for someone to heed their cries for help, is the single most indelible, powerful and appalling image of 2003. I fear that when I see this a second time, I quite realistically might regret not putting it at #1.

8.) Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (Helen Stickler): Movies about skateboarders should be all fun, right? Not this one. Sure, there are more than a few enjoyable elements (namely that awful 80s fashion!), but Helen Stickler's documentary about skate star-cum-cold-blooded murderer Mark "Gator" Rogowski is a captivating chronicle of the frighteningly rapid and violent demise of a person who got way too much way too young. This movie, ultimately, comments on so much more than merely its subject. Just like Bus 174 is a great companion piece to City of God, you couldn't go wrong with a double feature of Stoked and Dogtown and Z-Boys.

9.) XX/XY (Austin Chick): XX/XY connected with me on a very personal level. Movies that focus on the relationships of young adults usually have little to say, but Austin Chick's thoughtfully written and directed film speaks volumes about the difficulties of love. It's not often that you see film characters this honestly flawed, and I find them painfully easy to relate to.

10.) Owning Mahowny (Richard Kwietniowski): I like movies about gambling, especially those mainly or partially set in casinos, and Owning Mahowny is a bottomless well of entertainment. In the contest of 2003 indie movies focusing on the exhilaration and dangers of those wonderful palaces of gaming, Owning Mahowny obliterates the more heralded The Cooler in terms of quality. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays the same loser he does in every movie, but manages to find new ways to breathe life into these characters. Probably the most fun I had at a movie in 2003.

Worst Films of 2003: Cabin Fever, In The Cut, Japanese Story, Spun, Paycheck (didn't see)

Best Performances of 2003: Paul Giamatti (American Splendor), Ben Kingsley (House of Sand and Fog), Peter Sarsgaard (Shattered Glass), Charlize Theron (Monster), Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen)

The Grossly Overrated: Bend It Like Beckham, In America, Kill Bill: Volume One, 21 Grams, Whale Rider

Also Great: American Splendor, Buffalo Soldiers, Pieces of April, Raising Victor Vargas, Spellbound

Meant To See: The Barbarian Invasions, Lilya 4-ever, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, The Secret Lives of Dentists