I’m not going to lie to you – 2003 wasn’t a great year for movies. Part of the problem is that I didn’t see as many as I normally do; the other part is that a lot of 2003 releases sucked. As a result, I could only find nine movies that I liked enough to even rank. To fill in the gap, I’ve also ranked my 4 least favorite movies of 2003. Here’s hoping that 2004 is a better year.


1. Lost In Translation
This movie is beautiful in every way a film can be. It has interesting and relevant characters, wonderful, understated performances, beautiful photography, and a sense of lyricism that reminds me of the best work of Stanley Kubrick or Terence Malick. There's no question that this was the best film of the year.


2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
It's nice to be excited about a movie again. After so many high-profile disappointments, The Return of the King reminds us what entertaining adventure movies are all about. This is epic filmmaking at its best - romance, battles, terror, comedy, and action. Peter Jackson and his team have once again shown us that it pays to care about story, character, and the little details. Granted, it's choppy in places, and the pacing could stand to be improved, but we can't overlook what a Herculean task it was to whittle a 4 hour and 30 minute film down to 3 hours and 30 minutes. I can't wait to see the extended cut.


3. My Architect
This is as good a documentary as I’ve seen in a long time. It’s fascinating to watch Nathanial Kahn uncover the story of the father he never really knew. The film seems almost completely structure-less, and yet its meandering pace has a certain pleasing flow that makes it a joy to watch. As predicted by several of the architects in the film, it’s Louis Kahn’s buildings themselves, particularly the Exeter library and the capitol of Bangladesh, that best communicate the essence of the man himself. If nothing else, the film will make you want to experience Kahn’s work. (Few films have inspired me to travel to both Fort Worth and Bangladesh.)


4. Hulk
I'm going to say this, and I'm only going to say it once: Hulk was not an action movie. It was a character piece that happened to require a lot of special effects. Ang Lee understood this, and he did a great job of making Hulk into the the film that it should be. Not only that, he made it using an ambitious visual style. Perhaps it's not the first time we've seen this style of editing, but he used it to great effect in a film not likely to attract a lot of cineastes. Ang Lee may never get to direct a big-budget tentpole film again, and that's a shame because he's one of the few directors out there who has managed to make one that has a soul. He should be applauded for his courage.


5. Finding Nemo
This is not my favorite Pixar film, but so what? They continue to prove that even their average pictures are funnier, better written, and more entertaining than most studios' best work. (Are you listening, Disney?) Pixar can keep making these “average” films forever, as far as I'm concerned.


6. The Matrix Reloaded/The Matrix Revolutions
You either loved these movies or hated them, and I'm not going to try to change your mind. I loved them. The Wachowski Bros. made exactly the films they should have made, and I thought they fulfilled the promise and vision of the first film. The last two films were less commerical and less astounding than the first one, perhaps, but they continued to be challenging. My only disappointment was that the story had to end.


7. Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns
I heard people complain that this film was too long, and maybe it is. It's difficult for me to be objective about this movie due to my long-standing affection for They Might Be Giants. Personally, I couldn't get enough. I'll happily sit through the three hour director's cut of this movie. There is a three-hour director's cut, right?


8. Intolerable Cruelty
This is another great comedy from the Coen Brothers. If the Coens have taught us nothing else, it's that George Clooney is a great comedic actor, and he doesn't disappoint here. His chemistry with Catherine Zeta-Jones is questionable, but tight writing and slick execution make this a very fun movie. I don't think it's the best movie they've ever made, but it seems like I say that every time they make a movie, only to eat my words later. Intolerable Cruelty definitely deserves multiple viewings.


9. The Core
"The Core" was one of the most entertaining films of the year. I haven't laughed as hard at a movie in a long time. What's more, I was never bored, and that's more than I can say for a lot of movies in 2003. If you're looking for a fun movie, watch The Core.