12 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 16, 2004 FRIDAY Focus 0 rom family-oriented morals taught endearingly by fish big and small, literal and figurative, to swashbuckling buccaneers and the mighty British fleet, the cinematic struggle of 2003 was settled on the high seas. On the independent side, documentaries also triumphed. The brutally intense world of spelling bees was revealed truthfully and the scandalous unraveling of a family showed truth is sometimes not so evident. The pages of classic comics were, once again, brought to life in both splendid and blind adaptations. Ultimately, though, the year was conclusive: It witnessed the closure of this generation's grandest sagas amid a sea of rehashes. Prophets foresaw the salvation of Zion, but failed to predict the apathetic reaction to a crippled conclusion. By destroying the One Ring and returning peace to the lands of Middle Earth, the Fellowship prevented complete trilogy disappointment and in the process capped off a year worth remembering. The Daily Film staff presents its lists of the top 10 films of 2003. - Zach Mabee, Todd Weiser and Adam Rottenberg 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 09 0 0J TODD WEISER O 1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The rare case of a tri- umphant cinematic vision, complete with inimitable WETA computer magic and affectionate storytelling execution, eradicating a few, trivial blemishes. Can the cin- ematic experience of a lifetime really be over? 2 Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola's second feature has the feel of a timeless album that you throw on whenever the right mood hits you. No plot tricks are at play here, simply the understated emotion of moments shared between two lives lost in transition. 3 Kill Bill: Volume 1-A bloody good visual feast topped off with an infectious love for the electrifying natural ecstasy of two hours of cinema. 4Capturing the Friedmans - How could a small Jewish family from Long Island elicit so much conversation from audiences? A documentary unlike any other with brutally intimate visuals and testimonials continually graying whatever truth exists. In America - Perfectly personal in every way as tears )stream from joy and grief in tandem. Heartwarming is not always such a dirty word. O 0 0 6 Irreversible - In reverse, "Memento"-like fashion, French director Gaspar Noe tests the limits of the art form and the limits of an audience's ability to handle ugliness; very difficult and ultimately brilliant. 7 Finding Nemo - The most touching "I love you" of 2003 curiously found itself between familial seafood in Sydney Harbor. Going underwa- ter, Pixar continues to hold the Castle Disney afloat. 8 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - Crowe 8continues fighting 'round the world, while Peter Weir captivatingly fills in the deafening details of 1805 seafaring. Still, Paul Bettany's Dar- winian ways and self-mutilation steal the thunder. X2 - In a year when comic book movies revealed their some- 9 times Hulk-sized holes, "X2" gave fans hope that only the strong would survive. I challenge you to find another action film that addresses the issues of post-Sept. 11 America and homosexuality. 1 Winged Migration - No complexity in this documentary U- "Friedmans" provided enough of that -just a wonderfully visual intimacy with a globe's worth of soaring wonders. O Finding Nemo - For some reason I cared more about little JNemo than I do about most other films' human characters. Is that unhealthy? Better Luck Tomorrow - And to think that all that time I spent not studying in high school I could have been commit- ting fraud, dealing drugs and killing people. "7 Kill Bill: Volume 1 - The first installment of "Kill Bill" provides proof positive that arrogance and neuroticism aren't bad qualities for a director to have. Is it April yet? 0 0 0 JOEL HOARD O 1 American Splendor - "Splendor" takes the story of bit- ter and cynical Cleveland file clerk-turned comic book writer Harvey Pekar, blurs the line between fiction and documentary and oddly turns into the most life-affirm- ing film of the year. 2 A Mighty Wind - When will America at large wake up and see Christopher Guest et al. as the comedic geniuses they are? Oh, right, when they acquire good taste (I'm just playin', America. You know I love you). Capturing the Friedmans - The scariest movie since "The Exorcist" - made even scarier by the fact that it all really happened. In America - Young actresses 4Sarah and Emma Bolger show once again that foreign children are better than American children at everything. 8 Big Fish - The second best fish-themed film of the year. Well, actually the fish doesn't really have that much to do with it. It's mostly about giants, Siamese twins and daffodils. 9Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - Easily the year's best epic adventure film. What the hell is a hobbit, anyway? O 1 Open Range - It's no "Field of Dreams," but it's good U V enough to make all the Costner hatas shut up - at least until his next movie. 0 ZACH MABEE through the Far East. 0 1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -The bittersweet culmination of Peter Jackson's faithful and glorious adaptation of Tolkien's timeless trilogy, "King" brings to an end a grand adaptation of fan- tasy's foundational work. In America - Director Jim Sheridan's emotive examination of the immi- grant experience in the United States. Told through the eyes of two precocious sisters, the story's ultimate triumph results in a beautifully memorable film. 3 Mystic River - A gritty, bleak drama containing all the essentials of Clint East- wood's greatest and most sublime westerns - not to mention some of the year's best performances by an amazingly skilled ensemble cast. 4Big Fish - This is the film that Tim Burton's imaginative hands were destined to fashion. Part magical realism and fantasy, part sad reality, "Fish" reminds even the most acidly cynical critics why people cherish storytelling. 6 Finding Nemo - Fun-filled animation at its finest: adventuresome and entertaining for children and emo- tionally significant and even more enjoyable for adults. Pixar wins again. 00 1"7 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - An epic tale of life on the high seas. It showcases maritime warfare as good as any and delves far deeper than most into the charged relations of shipmates. 8 Whale Rider - A challenging take on the paternalism and simplistic tra- dition of a tribal New Zealand town. It features a breakout debut perform- ance from phenomenal young actress Keisha Castle Hughes. Kill Bill: Volume 1- "Kill Bill" is Quentin Tarantino's sickly twisted dream- world realized. He pays his dues to gaudy kung-fu action with the finest exhibi- tion of his violently artistic, trademark style. 4 m