December 28, 2003Top Five Movies of 2003See if my list matches yours...here's the thumbnail: Kill Bill; X-Men II; Undercover Brother; The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. (The official title of this list is "Top Five Movies That I Saw For The First Time in 2003" since two of them were released before 2003. Carry on.) Kill Bill, Volume One. Un-freaking-believable. Some say it was nothing more than a bloody homage to 70s flix, to which I respond: so what? It was done masterfully. Uma Thurman is amazing. Soundtrack is incredible. Visually stunning. Cartoonish, over-the-top violence. Can. Not. Wait. for Volume Two! X-2: X-Men United. As good as the first X-Men movie, with more nuance and more time to absorb details. Ian McKellen deserves an Oscar for his performance as Magneto, IMO. His ability to project assured, cool authority is brilliant. Undercover Brother. Arguably the funniest movie that I have seen in some time. Eddie Griffin is wonderful and "inhabits" the role of Undercover Brother perfectly. The Chief of The Brotherhood, formerly seen on "Larroquette," is perfectly cast, as is Smart Brother, Sistah Girl, and Conspiracy Brother. The only mis-step (as noted in the linked review) is Chris Kattan as Mr. Feather, whose over-the-top antics just go too far. This is an inspired film, both spoofing and praising racial stereotypes of all kinds while making you laugh. The soundtrack, of course, is great. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. The film that changed me. Prior to watching this sometime during the summer of 2003, I never ever ever enjoyed "Westerns" and would avoid them at all costs. Once I saw this, however, it all changed, and you can now find me on Saturdays watching "The Virginian" and "High Chapparal" on the Hallmark Channel. And scanning TV listings for other Eastwood flicks (Pale Rider, Joe Kidd, High Plains Drifter, etc). And contemplating dressing myself in appropriate garb. But back to G/B/U - the pacing - the dialogue - the scenery - the double-crossing - the music - the overall effect - this movie is Great.Hey, I didn't say that they had to be *released* in 2003. Hard to believe that it took me so very long to see G/B/U, isn't it? Since seeing it a few months ago, however, I am a devoted Clint Eastwood fan. Shouldn't you be, too? And there you have it...four great movies that I enjoyed in 2003. Oh, you want a fifth? Um...lemme think about it. Posted at December 28, 2003 05:25 PM | TrackBackCOMMENTS!
Interesting - I was about to post about Kill Bill on my own site. Definitely my fave of 2003. Sure, the story is a revenge plot without the plot. Doesn't matter. The style tells the story better than words ever could. The use of anime - and the parallel use of anime-style live action - was brilliant. Tarantino definitely redeemed himself from the letdown of *Jackie Brown*. I've only seen it once - I'm overdue for a return viewing. I'd add: *Lost in Translation*. Lovely, tender film, with great performances by Scarlet Johansen and Bill Murray. Also, the Cameron Diaz mockout character is superb. :) *Dirty Pretty Things*. Odd yet moving film about illegal immigrants working under the legitimate skin of London. I might add LOTR: ROTK to this list - haven't seen it yet... Posted by: Kensho Godchaser (Jay Allen) at December 28, 2003 07:55 PMGasp! Kensho, how could you not love "Jackie Brown"? It is one of the most poignant love stories I've ever seen! And Robert Forster as Max Cherry -- perfect. Posted by: david at December 28, 2003 07:57 PMLoTR:RotK Sorry David. :) I *appreciate* Jackie Brown, but I can't love it. There are some great things about it - Rochester, NY native Forster, of course, being one of them. (Go, hometown boy!) Cinematically, Tarantino did some neat things, such as the tri-split-screen between Forster, Grier and Jackson, which wipes off Kurosawa-style just as Forster discovers his gun missing. But the ending strikes me as flat, and all told, the film felt like Tarantino was trying too hard. Grier's long walk through the mall in particular struck me as a clear rip-off of a similar scene at the beginning of *Rashomon*. Too much imitation, not enough originality. Fortunately, Kill Bill didn;t suffer from any of these problems. Volume II, where are you?? Posted by: Kensho Godchaser (Jay Allen) at December 28, 2003 09:16 PMAmee Donavan Pornstar Post a comment
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