2003 Redux

Quick note to anyone seeing this first time and being like, "Good golly, miss molly what is going on around here!?": Click here and it'll take you to the initial entry where I explain all of this madness. It's kinda like trying to get caught up on LOST, it's never too late, kids! Now, let's get on with the show.

2003 (Original List):

10) Gerry
9) Matchstick Men
8) Mystic River
7) 21 Grams
6) Old School
5) The Shape of Things
4) City of God
3) Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
2) The Secret Lives of Dentists
1) Lost in Translation

Now here's my 2003 List if I were to write it today:

10) Mystic River
9) The Secret Lives of Dentists
8) The Shape of Things
7) All the Real Girls
6) City of God
5) Old School
4) Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
3) Capturing the Friedmans
2) The Station Agent
1) Lost in Translation

Observations:

- I guess it makes sense that Lost in Translation would maintain its position atop the mountain, it's a juggernaut, what can I say. It also hasn't lost any of its allure. Sure, Scarlett Johannson is a bit overexposed, but the central appeal of the film still remains intact. It's just one of those rare occasions where the synergy of all of the filmmaking elements worked in perfect harmony. It's almost assured a coveted spot on my Top Ten of the Decade list (coming in 2010!).

- The fall of The Secret Lives of Dentists is pretty much a result of the same issue I had with The Pianist. It's not a reflection of the film's quality as both films are terrific, but I simply haven't seen either of them in years.

- Other than that, there are no real risers or fallers that were previously on the list other than TSLoD. The rest of the movement is pretty much just an upward or downward shift by about two spots, pretty negligible really. The big impact comes from three newbies: All the Real Girls, Capturing the Friedmans, and The Station Agent.

- If you haven't seen any of David Gordon Green's films, do yourself a favor and check him out. He's one of the few American auteurs who makes truly unique films that are firmly grounded in reality yet manage to possess a dreamlike quality to them. I feel that All the Real Girls is his best film and any other year in a top ten that isn't so strong, it'd definitely be a top-fiver. Nonetheless, that doesn't diminish its quality, it's a wonderful film.

- Capturing the Friedmans is quite honestly the best documentary I've ever seen. We're truly lucky because as much as we can bitch about how "they don't make 'em like they used to", we are smack-dab in the middle of the golden age of documentaries. Every year, there are a slew of documentaries coming out that are relevant, thought-provoking, and with the advent of DVD, extremely current. As a result, I've seen a shitload of documentaries over the past handful of years and CtF surpasses them all. When I watch a documentary, I want something that makes me asks questions, not some Michael Moore-esque polemic that tells me how to feel or think. I want something that presents an issue to me, shows me all sides, and allows me to draw my own conclusions. CtF aces this test as the whole theme behind it is the elusiveness of truth and how despite all of the information we gather, sometimes the truth is unattainable. I was haunted by this film and couldn't get enough of its story. Immediately after the film, I devoured all of the extra footage on the DVD b/c I wanted to arrive at a conclusion that I was comfortable with, but that never happened. Maybe that's why I love the film Zodiac so much, as it deals with the basic human need to KNOW the rational truth. There's something hard-wired into our DNA that requires an explanation and a satisfactory resolution. When we don't get it, it's like a tick burrowing into our brain that we can't root out. I find that fascinating.

- And then there's The Station Agent. Its ascension to the number 2 spot should surprise no one as I've maybe seen this film more than any other film on this list by far. It's what I'd consider to be a near-perfect film that has established a permanent residence in my psyche. Once in a blue moon, you find a film that tonally hits every note just right and this film does just that. Just goes to show that these lists are organic and forever changing. You can check out a film long after you've already formulated an established list and it just destroys everything in its path. It's the best kind of surprise.

- As soon as I'm done sifting through my other lists, I'll have to see how this one stacks up. This appears to be about as strong as it gets from top to bottom.