NUMBER ONE No doubt. No question. Nothing comes close. This is the best movie of the year. So many chilling moments occur here that it is impossible to compile a favorite moments list. And this plus FotR and TTT is the greatest cinematic experience of my life, and the best movie and adaptation ever made on film. At the heart of it all is the brilliant Peter Jackson. No one else could have done this and had the vision he had. My only complaint is that it ended. Next year...there will be no LOTR. That shire tune will not be heard in a new LOTR movie again. What, oh what, will I do next year without LOTR on the big screen? This movie has meant so much to me and my growth for loving movies and film. I will now watch all three movies every Christmas break/Oscar season. Renewing my faith that pure and utter brilliance can occur at the movies. From the visual brilliance, to the chilling music, to the heartwarming and sometimes tragic story, to the stellar ensemble cast. Without a doubt, the best movie of the year. After two years of coming in at #3, the movie finally takes the #1 spot. And very deservingly so.
	NUMBER TWO Comedy, drama, romance. Call it what you want, I call it all three. And I call it the runner-up movie of the year. I fell in love with this movie when it released. I was expecting to be disappointed b/c negative reviews started coming in, but I was anything but disappointed. At the heart of it all is Tim Burton, who really knows what he's doing here and he does it so well. His balance of reality and fantasy in this movie is perfect. His imagination is unstoppable, thank goodness. The screenplay is also strong. There are moments you are laughing so hard, and then there are times you are crying like a baby. I tear up just thinking about a couple of scenes. The acting is great as well, esp. the acting of Albert Finney and Jessica Lange, not to mention Ewan McGregor and Billy Crudup. It's a great family flick that is so fresh and original. Take your family and friends to this one. Oh, and bring something to wipe your eyes with.
	NUMBER THREE This is a movie that I was expecting too much out of and was a tad disappointed. Still, it is a highly recommended movie about family, love, friendship, immigration, a new life, death, new life. So many things. The heart of the story is Jim Sheridan who directed and co-wrote the movie. His vision of life here is so simple, yet so complex. At the end of the movie, you feel as if you wanted to get more from the movie. But that is how it is really supposed to be. It's not an overly dramatic look at life and family, it is a simple look at life and family. Kudos to the actors in the film who were not ACTING this family, but BECOMING this family. Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton, and Sarah & Emma Bolger all deserve applause for their accurate and chilling work. A great family movie and one that will tug at your heart and make you thankful for the simplest of all things...life.
	NUMBER FOUR Yes, I know. An animated film, but it's such a good one. I think it's the best animated film since Beauty & The Beast, and that is saying a lot. The story is a great one about a father and son who are trying to get back to each other. It sounds simple, I know, but what these two fish go through, who they meet, the obstacles they face. It's a highly entertaining and captivating journey for both of them, and the audience is pulled right into it as well. There is great writing here and tremendously well done voice-over work from Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks, just to name a couple. A great family film with material not just for kids, but people of all ages.
	NUMBER FIVE This is definitely the biggest surprise of the year. I went into this movie expecting to be completely disappointed and instead I was genuinely shocked and surprised at how amazing this movie was. I usually hate most movies like this. The story doesn't play out chronologically correct, it is a bit muddled, a lot of editing. But it never gets so bad that you can't figure things out. That is why I think I love the story so much. And the acting. Def. one of the most amazing ensemble casts of the year. It is headed by the brilliant Naomi Watts, whose performance here is nothing short of breathtaking and stellar. And Del Toro and Penn didn't do too shabby either. All around brilliant perfs. And the direction by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu is one to see. It is visually stunning work. Hard to follow at times, but overall, one thrilling ride that knocked my socks off.
	NUMBER SIX I initially reviewed this and loved it. And the more you think about the movie the more you adore it, or at least that is what has happened to me. I can't wait to buy this DVD. This is one of the most beautifully shot movies I have ever seen and one of the best performances of last year was in the movie as well, the one Ms. Scarlett Johansson. The direction from Peter Webber was also stellar. The score, art direction, costumes. All around a really great movie. The story drags a little, but it still works admirably. The more movies I see from 2003, the more I think it was a much stronger year for movies than I initially thought. This is without a doubt one of those little surprises that I unfolded when watching it. Wonderful movie.
	NUMBER SEVEN Finally another great movie I screened that made my top 10 look somewhat complete. Thank God I got LiT out of this top 10. Blech. I am still shocked at how much I liked this movie. I was expecting it to disappoint, and it did NOT. Wonderful work all around, mainly by the sheer perfection of Johnny Depp's Oscar-nominated performance. You CAN'T hate the performance. It's impossible. And the direction, writing, and technical aspects were all top notch as well. And I think I have a new crush. Knightley is just a dream. Great flick and this is TRUE quality entertainment!!
	NUMBER EIGHT During this movie I was stunned at how much I was feeling like I shouldn't be loving the movie so much but all the while having a big smile on my face loving every minute of it. And I don't know why I loved it. The story was so captivating for one thing and there really wasn't a lot going on here. Todd McCarthy did a wonderful directing and especially writing job when making this film. The amazing cast of Peter Dinklage, Patty Clarkson, and Bobby Cannavale helped this movie too not just be a slow-paced seemingly movie about nothing. A little gem that really surprised me.
	NUMBER NINE This movie really crept up on me and gave me quite a surprise. I mainly saw it for the out-of-nowhere Oscar nods, but when I was watching it, I was so involved and so captivated by this amazing story of life in the Brazilian slums. The many array of different characters and stellar storytelling of them was captivating and the screenplay was top notch. Fernando Meirelles has such an artful eye and his direction here was captivating. The cast of unknowns also did a tremendous job. It's a very important, informative, and intriguing movie.
	NUMBER TEN This was a GREAT movie. Thank God it didn't disappoint. From the moment Evan Rachel Wood graces the screen, a really spectacular performance. Completely worthy of an Oscar nomination, I am saddened that she did not make the cut. Loved every minute of the perf. Holly Hunter is who really took me a-back though. I was mesmerized by her chillingly REAL performance. Hunter and Wood are just so PERFECT for these two parts. They work together beautifully. As far as the story is concerned. At first I thought it was dragggin and a little 'been there, done that' but then the movie just completely takes off. The writing (Catherine Hardwicke and Nikki Reed) is so eerily REAL and ACCURATE. Some of the scenes were so difficult to watch, but the fact is, THAT HAPPENS, which makes the movie even more amazing. Great screenplay. And Hardwicke's directing was superb. Absolutely and completely compelling. Great work.
	And Very Enthusiastic Honorable Mention Goes To... Look up. No, seriously, look up. The list above would be a little different if this baby would have been released in theaters this Oscar season, instead of airing as an HBO miniseries. Either way, I am just glad the film was made and the adaptation was made from stage to screen. This is a very important and effective movie about, well, everything. It's all here. Mike Nichols is of course the heart of it all. His vision is truly remarakable and I don't think anyone could have done this like him. The cast is also quite stellar. Esp. Meryl Streep, Jeffrey Wright, and Mary-Louise Parker. Those three perfs. would more than likely garner Oscar nods, if this work was on the big screen. Great work from the whole cast though, not just those three. I can't compare this to the stage version, but I can say that AiA on screen here was a great ride and experience that I will never forget, though in some parts it is a little overrated.

2003 SCREENED MOVIES (& RANKINGS WITH GRADES):
01.> Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King - (A+)
02.> Big Fish - (A)
03.> In America - (A)
04.> Finding Nemo - (A)
05.> 21 Grams (A-)
06.> Girl With A Pearl Earring - (A-)
07.> Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl - (A-)
08.> The Station Agent - (A-)
09.> City Of God - (A-)
10.> Angels In America - (A-)
11.> Thirteen - (B+)
12.> Matchstick Men - (B+)
13.> Mystic River - (B+)
14.> Shattered Glass - (B+)
15.> Elephant - (B+)
16.> Cold Mountain - (B+)
17.> Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World - (B)
18.> American Splendor - ***1/2 (B)
19.> Down With Love - (B)
20.> A Mighty Wind - (B-)
21.> Whale Rider - (C+)
22.> Seabiscuit - (C+)
23.> Monster - (C+)
24.> Lost In Translation - (C+)
25.> Kill Bill, Vol. 1 - (C+)
26.> Something's Gotta Give - (C+)
27.> Pieces Of April - (C)
28.> Bruce Almighty - (C)
29.> The Cooler - (D+)
30.> House Of Sand & Fog - (D+)


To see Oscar Sights Top Movies of 2004, go HERE.
To see Oscar Sights Top Movies of 2002, go HERE.
To see Oscar Sights Top Movies of 2001, go HERE.