The Penn and the sword equally mighty in 2003

Faithful readers, after a prolonged respite I've returned with yet another installment of my ceaseless and predominantly pointless lists. Another year has come and gone, and with it comes the requisite, and by requisite I mean clichéd, Top Ten Films List. One must keep in mind when reading this list that I didn't see everything that came down the pipeline in 2003, though I did my damnedest. This list is not set in stone, and therefore, the Irish immigrants of In America, the teen temptresses of Thirteen and Charlize Theron and her newly mangled mug (Monster) will be riding the pine -- for now. So, with no further ado:\n1.) Lost in Translation -- Seeing this flick made me wish that Sofia Coppola hadn't starred in Godfather III, but rather directed it over her once great father. With LIT, she guides Bill Murray to the best performance of his career (yes, this includes his masterful turn in Rushmore), transforms the already solid Scarlett Johansson into the 21st century's first full-blown ingénue, pens the year's best original screenplay and proves that her stirring debut, The Virgin Suicides, is no flash in the pan. This is small-scale filmmaking done to epic proportions. \n2.) City of God -- Imagine splicing Goodfellas and Kids together, displace said work to the slums of Rio de Janeiro and you might have some facsimile of a clue as to the power of City of God. Stylish, sexy and scary as all get out -- this film announces the unadulterated cinematic strength of Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles. Working with a talented cast of young amateurs and aided by the top tier cinematography and editing of César Charlone and Daniel Rezende, he's created a masterpiece. \n3.) Kill Bill Vol. 1 -- Bar none, the coolest flick of this past year. Quentin Tarantino's six-year hiatus serves him well. The man can still fuse sight and sound with the best of them i.e. Martin Scorsese, Cameron Crowe and Wes Anderson. Additional props must also be given for bringing Sonny Chiba to mainstream American audiences' attention in a role that just screams badass and for crafting the best cliffhanger ending I've ever seen. Sadly, Vol. 2 has just been delayed to April. It can't come soon enough.\n4.) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -- Peter Jackson has made the greatest epic trilogy of all-time. Sure, other films in other trilogies are better than any one installment of this one, but from beginning to end this one takes the cake. Better than The Two Towers and a tad shy of the greatness that is The Fellowship of the Ring -- ROTK features the most awe-inspiring battle sequences ever committed to celluloid. With spectacle this grand, one is well advised to take it in at least a few times in the theater.\n5.) 21 Grams -- Without a doubt the most heartwrenching (no pun intended for those who've seen it) movie of the year. Immaculately structured and acted from top to bottom, the film makes good on the promise hinted at in Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu's startling debut, Amores Perros. If Sean Penn is to win an Oscar this year (personally, I'm pulling for Bill Murray), I hope it's for this and not the more highly touted Mystic River. His performance here is a thing of beauty. Similarly, Naomi Watts ups the ante on her Mulholland Dr. tour de force with one of the most emotionally raw portraits of grief I've ever seen and Benicio Del Toro equals the greatness that is his Oscar-winning work in Traffic. \n6.) Cold Mountain -- Director Anthony Minghella is batting two for three with me. I'm one of the few who sees The English Patient for what it truly is -- overly emotional pretentious tripe. His follow-up, The Talented Mr. Ripley, is a riveting psychological thriller of Hitchcockian proportions. Now, with Cold Mountain he's made his best film to date. Sure, it's essentially "The Odyssey" played out during the Civil War, but I'll be damned if it's not a stirring piece of cinema. The flick's opening and only battle sequence is a real humdinger -- soldiers' clothes are literally blown from their bodies. As lensed by veteran cinematographer John Seale, this is the most sumptuous-looking film of the year starring Hollywood's most stunning actress (Nicole Kidman). \n7.) Big Fish -- With this beautifully realized and thoroughly whimsical slice of Americana, Tim Burton has made his most emotionally satisfying film since Edward Scissorhands. The picture is elevated to wondrous heights via the performances of Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney -- they inhabit the same role in youth and old age. You'll want to call your dad and/or grandfather once it's all over -- that is, if you can stop crying. \n8.) Finding Nemo -- More fish. More crying. I'm a puss.\n9.) The Last Samurai -- Kurosawa this ain't. Though, it's a fine samurai film nonetheless. Tom Cruise is good, but it's his Japanese counterpart Ken Watanabe who truly astounds. The lush cinematography of frequent Cameron Crowe collaborator, John Toll, doesn't hurt matters either. \n10.) Mystic River -- This stands toe-to-toe with Unforgiven and the criminally underrated A Perfect World as Clint Eastwood's best directorial effort to date. Who knew Dirty Harry had the capability of turning what would normally be your standard issue police procedural into a gangland saga of Shakespearean proportions? Apparently, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, who both kicked considerable ass in the film.