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2003

GO TO 2004
LIVE FOREVER (dir: John Dower, R) - Greg says, "Here's my absolute favorite documentary of 2003 - the comical tale of the chart war between the British bands Oasis and Blur. In the glory days of the mid-90s, cool independent music stole the limelight from the manufactured pop trolls for a few years at the same time that Tony Blair was reinvigorating a country reeling after too many years of Thatcherism. A sense of optimism prevailed, but was quickly dampened by the realization that being British makes absolutely no sense if you aren't miserable. As the 90s creaked to a close and whatever you call the decade we live in now (the Noughts?) ushered in such horrors as those demons from American Idol, Blair assumed the role of Bush's lapdog and a comfortable cynicism returned among the young hipsters. But for a moment, all of England was dreaming."
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (dir: Andrew Jarecki, Not Rated) - Greg says, "2003 was a great year for documentaries. SPELLBOUND, WINGED MIGRATION and THE FOG OF WAR followed on the heels of BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and proved that a non-fiction film could be a successful commodity. In this crowded field, CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS rose to the surface as not only the best doc of the year but one of the best films period. The strange and sad odyssey of one Long Island family's downward spiral amid accusations of child molestation will haunt you for days. The undertakings are rendered eerier than necessary by The Friedman's proclivity for videotaping nearly everything that unfolds in their house. Family meals, discussions and arguments are all preserved for posterity. Never has voyeurism been so immediate and claustrophobic. Amazing."
THE DREAMERS (dir: Bernardo Bertolucci, NC-17) - Greg says, "Bernardo Bertolucci makes an electrifying return to relevance with his best film since THE LAST EMPEROR. Set against the turbulence of the French student protests in the spring of 1968, Michael Pitt stars as Matthew, a young American student whose love of cinema leads to a friendship with cinephile siblings Theo and Isabelle. As he becomes entangled in their insular and seductive world, he realizes he isn’t dealing with a typical brother and sister relationship. Faster than you can say three-way, Matthew is moved into their apartment and our slightly perverted trio is feasting on carnal delights like the world is ending soon. Bertolucci makes a glorious ode to filmdom while elegantly capturing the frivolity and heartbreak of young lust."
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE (dir: Sylvain Chomet, PG-13) - Michelle says, "Set against a Parisian underworld of gangsters and aged jazz performers, this sweet, animated adventure story features a grandmere and her fat, loyal chien, out to rescue a beloved grandson kidnapped while competing in the Tour de France. It’s clever and all-age appropriate, but what really fascinates about TRIPLETS is its grotesque visual and auditory aesthetic. Figures are reduced to their most iconic elements – people with elongated noses and skeletal limbs glide alongside waddling, rotund midgets – and a soundtrack of weird and catchy jazz backs a cacophony of plops, whistles, and cackles, rendering all actual dialogue unnecessary. It sounds heady and obtuse, but the simple narrative keeps it light and fun."
ALL THE REAL GIRLS (dir: David Gordon Green, Not Rated)
DOGVILLE (dir: Lars von Trier, R)
ELEPHANT (dir: Gus Van Sant, Not Rated)
THE INHERITANCE (dir: Per Fly, Not Rated)
KONTROLL (dir: Nimród Antal, Not Rated)
LOST IN TRANSLATION (dir: Sofia Coppola, R)

SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! (dir: Joon-Hwan Jang, Not Rated)
SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER... AND SPRING (dir: Ki-duk Kim, Not Rated)
THE STATION AGENT (dir: Thomas McCarthy, Not Rated)

 TAKE MY EYES (dir: Icíar Bollaín, Not Rated)
TARNATION (dir: Jonathan Caouette, Not Rated)   
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