Mike’s 11 Top Ten movies of 2003
The Swimming Pool. Enigmatic, erotic, and very very French.
School of Rock. Wry, smart comedy with heart.
Capturing the Friedmans. Unsettling documentary leaves you wondering exactly what you just saw.
The Cooler. William Macy’s is a loser who gets one last shot. The gritty side of Vegas has seldom been shown so well.
In America. A family of illegal Irish immigrants finds a beautiful new life in a squalid enchanting New York.
Seabiscuit. A horse racing tale with heart and a fine evocation of Depression-era America.
Mystic River. Clint Eastwood’s adaptation of Dennis Lahane’s novel is complex and serious with a first-rate ensemble.
American Splendor. Paul Giamatti is writer Harvey Pekar in a defiantly quirky biopic.
Master and Commander: Far Side of the World. One of the best seafaring adventures ever, with another strong performance by Russell Crowe.
House of Sand and Fog. A truly tragic drama about willful people and a house. Fine work from Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
The Station Agent. Peter Dinklage inherits a railroad stationhouse and deals with his own loneliness. With Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale.
