It's All About Love (2003) - Young turk Vinterberg returns with Hindenburg-like disaster

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Steamy 'amour' in a pitch black and stylized space are teased on this poster for Thomas Vinterberg's It's All About Love

In the year 2021, John lands in New York, where people perish of poor hearts on a daily basis and are simply left in the streets. He goes there to finish his divorce from his celebrated, rich figure skating wife. The two still seem to love each other.

It's All About Love is written and directed by Danish master filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg (Sneblind (1990)), whose 4th film it is. Mogens Rukov (The Inheritance/Arven (2003)) contributed to the script.

More elements of the plot in It's All About Love: The figure skater has been cloned. Both her and her husband come from Poland. In Kenya people float. And Sean Penn (Hurlyburly (1998)) flies around (in airplanes) and philosophizes about life. There is a theme of snails and laboriously photographed scenes with many actors, who speak but say nothing. The close relationship at the heart of the film is suddenly disturbed by some Bergmanesque shouting arguments - and violence.

Everything rings false and seems static, fatally boring and utterly, horribly self-indulgent and pretentious, as if this was the grand, uncontrolled epic creation of a 17 year-old art cinema student. Joaquin Phoenix (Ladder 49 (2004)) and Claire Danes (The Flock (2007)) turn in jolting efforts, but they cannot change the fact that this if one of the most disastrous follow-ups to a global breakout success (Vinterberg's Dogme masterpiece sensation The Celebration/Festen (1998)) by a newly minted, celebrated filmmaker. Outrageously overrated locally (in Denmark's infamously self-congratulatory and nepotistic film and media industry), It's All About Love is a pure blood catastrophe.

 

Related posts:

 
Thomas Vinterberg: 2020 in films - according to Film Excess 

Another Round/Druk (2020) - A perfect gem, a wonderful film, Vinterberg's true celebration 

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) - Vinterberg's plush but grating English adaptation

The Hunt/Jagten (2012) - Vinterberg's strongest film since 1998 is a reversed Celebration  

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Submarino (2010) - Vinterberg's elegant, downbeat Copenhagen-set social realism drama
Dear Wendy (2004) - Vinterberg and Von Trier's unpopular, gun-themed mega-flop  

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

The Celebration/Festen (1998) - Vinterberg's charged, stirring Dogme drama masterpiece

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 10 mil. $

Box office: 1 mil. $

= Box office disaster (returned 0.1 times its cost)

[It's All About Love was released 10 January (Denmark) and runs 106 minutes. Vinterberg reportedly spent 2½ years writing the script. A stunning 23 companies and support bodies collaborated in the financing and production of the film. Shooting took place in Italy, Paris, France, Kenya, Sweden, Vancouver, British Columbia, New York, Copenhagen, Denmark, England and in Oslo, Norway. The film opened #110 to a 2k $ first weekend in 2 theaters in North America, its peak there where it grossed just 6k $ (0.006 % of the total gross). The film's biggest markets were its home market Denmark, where it sold 50k tickets, grossing 530k $ (53 %), Greece with 149k $ (14.9 %) and France with 123k $ (12.3 %). The film won 3 Robert awards, Denmark's Oscar. Vinterberg returned with Dear Wendy (2005). Phoenix returned with a voice performance in Brother Bear (2003) and a physical performance in The Village (2004); Danes in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). It's All About Love is rotten at 19 % with a 3.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of It's All About Love?

The In-Laws (2003) - Fine cast fuel amusing hijinks in under-appreciated remake

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A festive matrimonial gathering of Hollywood stars make up the poster for Andrew Fleming's The In-Laws

A young couple are getting married, and their parents are finally about to meet: But her foot doctor father and his CIA hotshot father get closer to each other than anyone could have guessed on this eventful weekend.

 

The In-Laws is written by Nat Mauldin (Downtown (1990)) and Ed Solomon (Charlie's Angels (2000)) and directed by Andrew Fleming (Bad Dreams (1988)). It is a remake of Andrew Bergman's same-titled 1979 action comedy hit.

The poster makes the film look like a Meet the Parents (2000) style romcom, but this is more of a buddy-tasting action comedy. Being unfamiliar with the original film is not a handicap in this case and may even be advisable. I found myself easily let along by the charming stars: Albert Brooks (The Scout (1994)) as the neurotic scaredy cat doctor, and Michael Douglas (Traffic (2000)) as the nonchalant, 'I-can-do-anything' type are both well-cast, share chemistry and are genuinely funny together. Brooks' scenes with David Suchet (Effie Gray (2014)) as Jean-Pierre (among other things appearing in a red thong!) are also a hoot. With Candice Bergen (Rules Don't Apply (2016)) as heavily combated ex-wife, and Ryan Reynolds (6 Underground (2019)) with strangely over-plucked eyebrows as the cute son getting married. 

The In-Laws doesn't take itself seriously but it is a bowl of laughs, while it also trails around admirably as a kind of fun field trip, particularly for fans of its two seasoned, headlining stars.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 40 mil. $

Box office: 26.8 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.67 times its cost)

[The In-Laws premiered 19 May (USA) and runs 98 minutes. Shooting took place from June - August 2002 in California, including in Los Angeles, in Chicago, Illinois and in Ontario, including in Toronto. The film opened #5, behind fellow new release Bruce Almigthy and holdover hits The Matrix Reloaded, Daddy Daycare and X2: X-Men United, to a 7.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 20.4 mil. $ (76.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Italy with 1.2 mil. $ (4.5 %) and Spain with 777k $ (2.9 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. Fleming returned with 3 TV credits prior to his theatrical return, Nancy Drew (2007). Douglas returned with a voice performance in Freedom: History of US (2003, TV-series) and theatrically in The Sentinel (2006); Brooks in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005). The In-Laws is rotten at 33 % with a 5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The In-Laws?

Identity (2003) - Mangold succeeds with crafty thriller

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Mortal danger, mystery and scares are teased on this deft poster for James Mangold's Identity

Ten strangers meet at a small hotel on a very rainy night, soon facing someone unknown that starts eliminating them one by one.

 

Identity is written by Michael Cooney (Murder in Mind (1997)) and co-produced and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker James Mangold (Heavy (1995)), whose 5th feature it is.

The semi-psychological, somewhat baloney-ish plot is a bit hole-ridden but fair, with some  Se7en (1995) inspiration dripping off it. But the pay-off is considerable, and Identity is staged highly professionally. 

Amanda Peet (Gulliver's Travels (2010)) is lovely here, and the editing is tight. And God, how it rains in this modern high-concept thriller.

 

Related posts:

James Mangold:  The day after the day after ... the 2018 Oscars

Oscars 2018: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites

The Greatest Showman (2017) - Brace for an infectious musical show (executive producer/director (reshoots))

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

The Wolverine (2013) - Many good elements in Mangold's Japan-set superhero adventure actioner 
Knight and Day (2010) - Diaz and Cruise invigorate Mangold's action romance

1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Girl, Interrupted (1999) - Girls with mental problems explored in compassionate, strong film 

Top 10: Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Cop Land (1997) - Stallone faces corruption and turns in some good acting in fine crime drama 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 28 mil. $

Box office: 90.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.22 times its cost)

[Identity premiere 23 April (Los Angeles) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including in Los Angeles. Angelo Badalamenti made a score for the film, but it was replaced with one by Alan Silvestri. The film opened #1 to a 16.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 2 more weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 52.1 mil. $ (57.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 5.2 mil. $ (5.8 %) and Germany with 4.7 mil. $ (5.2 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Mangold returned with Walk the Line (2005). John Cusack (Reclaim (2014)) returned in Runaway Jury (2003); Peet in Something's Gotta Give (2003). Identity is fresh at 63 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Identity?

The Italian Job (2003) - Gray impresses with slick heist remake

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Sexy stars align on this neat poster for F. Gary Gray's The Italian Job

After a violent betrayal in Italy, professional fixer Charlie Crockett gathers a team of experts to carry out an elaborate revenge in Los Angeles with a prize of gold bullion at its conclusion.

 

The Italian Job is written by Donna and Wayne Powers (Deep Blue Sea (1999)) and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker F. Gary Gray (Friday (1995)), loosely remaking the same-titled 1969 British film by Peter Collinson.

Attractive and entertaining, this heist picture benefits from intelligent heists, a rapid pace and handsome cinematography (by Wally Pfister (The Prestige (2006))) to go with the handsome cast: Edward Norton's (Fight Club (1999)) villain and Charlize Theron (Æon Flux (2005)) are especially commendable, along with the Mini Coopers, which are dope. The soundtrack cements the cool vibe of The Italian Job (excellent use of To Get Down by Timo Maas), and Gray's music video background is seen and felt clearly here. This may also be the film's minor weakness: It is an exciting case of fast in - fast out; cool but easily forgotten afterwards.

 

Related posts:

F. Gary Gray: Straight Outta Compton (2015) - Gray's N.W.A. biopic is excellent 

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Law Abiding Citizen (2009) - Gray and stars are in trouble with this jumbled revenge thriller

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 60 mil. $

Box office: 176 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.93 times its cost)

[The Italian Job was released 30 May (North America) and runs 111 minutes. Norton was paid 1 mil. $ for his performance in the film; Jason Statham (The Transporter (2002)) got 450k $. Shooting took place around September 2002 in Italy, Manitoba, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release Finding Nemo and holdover hit Bruce Almighty, to a 19.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#4-X-#5), grossing 106.1 mil. $ (60.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 12.8 mil. $ (7.3 %) and Australia with 6.9 mil. $ (3.9 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Plans for a sequel never came to fruition. Gray returned with 4 music videos prior to his theatrical return with Be Cool (2005). Mark Wahlberg (All the Money in the World (2017)) returned in I Heart Huckabees (2004); Theron in Monster (2003); and Norton in After the Sunset (2004). The Italian Job is fresh at 72 % with a 6.4/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Italian Job? 

The Haunted Mansion (2003) - Haunted house ride adaptation an FX-driven slumber

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A cobweb-dressed mansion entrance lures prospective audiences on this poster for Rob Minkoff's The Haunted Mansion

Jim Evers is a realtor with a busy career, who has difficulty finding time to see his family, who therefore are forced to spend their family weekend visiting a large estate in Louisiana that 'the big man' intends to sell ...

 

The Haunted Mansion is written by David Berenbaum (Elf (2003)) and directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King (1994, co-director)). It is based on Disney's theme park ride of the same name.

Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)) is so lovable and funny that one is happy at the outset of The Haunted Mansion, which bodes well for this ride-inspired studio creation. The family vs. work conflict, however, vanishes as various more or less stupid and unimpressive 'horror' special effects are unleashed within the house. Here also Terence Stamp (Crow (2016)) delivers a laconic butler performance with an excessive British accent. 

The Haunted Mansion; (not really that) close - and definitely no cigar!

 

Related posts:

Rob Minkoff: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) - Vexing, over-stimulated time-travel adaptation

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 90 mil. $

Box office: 182.2 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.02 times its cost)

[The Haunted Mansion was released 26 November (North America) and runs 87 minutes. Shooting took place from December 2002 - April 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana and in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 34 mil. $ 5 day-long Thanksgiving opening weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#3), grossing 75.8 mil. $ (41.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 29.7 mil. $ (16.3 %) and the UK with 14.8 mil. $ (8.1 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. The film was remade by Disney as Haunted Mansion (2023) to a much steeper flop result. Minkoff returned with The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). Murphy returned with voice performances in Shrek 2 (2004) and 2 Shrek 2-related productions prior to his physical theatrical return in Dreamgirls (2006). The Haunted Mansion is rotten at 13 % with a 4.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Haunted Mansion?

High Tension/Haute Tension/Switchblade Romance (2003) - Aja arrives with suspenseful gore horror

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A young woman sits in a shadowy, creepy space without much clothes on holding a nasty pair of shears on this grimy poster for Alexandre Aja's High Tension

A young lesbian couple venture out into the countryside to visit the one woman's parents for the first time. But a killer in a boiler suit ruins the visit...

High Tension is written by Grégory Levasseur (Mirrors (2008)) and co-writer/director Alexandre Aja (Furia (1999)). 'High tension' is a literal translation of the film's original French title.

It feels like a young filmmaker's first film, (it is Aja's second), and he asserts himself here as a visually talented horror connoisseur. The actors are game, and the film is highly suspenseful in several of its nightmarish scenes, (the title isn't false advertisement in this case.) The highly unpleasant style thank goodness doesn't reach the heights of Aja's fellow Frenchman Pascal Laugier's Martyrs (2008), which just makes High Tension a more tolerable watch. 

The climax has a twist that has some audiences outright reject the film, but I didn't take affront with its nonsense dimension. Rather I relish the visual surplus energy and declaration of love for especially The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) that is clearly visible in High Tension.

 

Related posts:

 

Alexandre Aja: Piranha 3D (2010) - Aja's gory sexploitation remake is a hoot 

Mirrors (2008) or, The Haunted Department Store 

The Hills Have Eyes (2006) or, My Big Fat Mutant Cannibal Family Trip

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 2.5 mil. $

Box office: 6.2 mil. $

= Minor flop (returned 2.48 times its cost)

[High Tension was released 18 June (France) and runs 95 minutes. Shooting took place in Bucharest, Romania. Lions Gate cut 2 minutes from the film to secure an R rating for their wide release in North America, which they spent 14 mil. $ rolling out (English dub, prints and advertising): The film opened #10 to an 1.8 mil. $ first weekend in 1,323 theaters, its peak, grossing 3.6 mil. $ (58.1 % of the total gross. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Italy with 874k $ (14.1 %) and France with 700k $ (11.3 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 1/4 star review, translating to 4 marks under this one. Aja returned with The Hills Have Eyes (2006). Cécile de France (Loup! (2002, short)) returned in Petits Mythes Urbains (2003, TV-series) and theatrically in Around the World in 80 Days (2004); Maïwenn (Télé Gaucho (2012)) in I'm an Actrice (2004, short) and theatrically in Le Genre Humain: 1ère Partie: Les Parisiens (2004). High Tension is rotten at 40 % with a 5.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of High Tension?

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

 The Top 10 of the Year

1. Finding Nemo - Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich + Best Adventure Movie of the Year + Best American Movie of the Year + Best Family Movie of the Year + Best Mega-hit Movie of the Year + Best Poster of the Year + Most Profitable Movie of the Year: 282.12 mil. $ range

2. School of Rock - Richard Linklater + Best Big Hit Movie of the Year + Best Breakthrough Performance of the Year: Jack Black + Best Music Movie of the Year

3. Elephant - Gus Van Sant + Best High School Movie of the Year + Best Societal Critique of the Year + Best True-Crime Movie of the Year + Best Youth Movie of the Year + Most Deserved Hit of the Year

4. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (documentary) - Errol Morris + Best Biopic of the Year + Best War Movie of the Year

5. Six Feet Under - season 3 - Alan Ball, creator + Best Continuing TV-series of the Year + Best Drama of the Year + Best Los Angeles Title of the Year

6. Anything Else - Woody Allen + Best Huge Flop Movie of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Romcom of the Year + Most Under-appreciated Movie of the Year 

 

7. Memories of Murder/살인의 추억 (Sarinui chueok) - Bong Joon Ho + Best Crime-Drama of the Year + Best Serial Killer Movie of the Year + Best South Korean Movie of the Year

8. Elf - Jon Favreau + Best Christmas Movie of the Year + Best Huge Hit of the Year 

9. 24 - season 3 - Robert Cochran, Joel Surnow, creators + Best Action Title of the Year + Most Suspenseful Title of the Year

 

10. Monsieur Ibrahim/Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran - François Dupeyron + Best Adaptation of the Year + Best Coming-of-age Movie of the Year + Best Paris Movie of the Year

Other great 2003 movies (in alphabetical order):

21 Grams - Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu

Bad Santa - Terry Zwigoff + Best Dark Comedy of the Year

Casa de los Babys - John Sayles + Best Low-Budget Movie of the Year

Coffee and Cigarettes - Jim Jarmusch + Best B/W Movie of the Year

Dogville - Lars Von Trier + Best Big Flop Movie of the Year + Best Danish Movie of the Year + Best Ensemble of the Year: Nicole Kidman, Ben Gazzara, James Caan, Lauren Bacall, Harriet Andersson, Chloë Sevigny, Patricia Clarkson, Paul Bettany, Stellen Skarsgård, Zeljko Ivanek + Best Epic of the Year + Best Experimental Movie of the Year

Evil/Ondskan - Mikael Håfström + Best Period Movie of the Year + Best Swedish Movie of the Year

The Five Obstructions/De Fem Benspænd - Jørgen Leth, Lars Von Trier

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - Gore Verbinski + Best New Franchise of the Year + Best Pirate Movie of the Year

 

 

Something's Gotta Give - Nancy Meyers + Best Screen Couple of the Year: Jack Nicholson & Diane Keaton

The Triplets of Belleville/Les Triplettes de Belleville/Belleville Rendez-vous - Sylvain Chomet + French Movie of the Year + Most Undeserved Flop of the Year

 
Good, recommendable 2003 movies (in alphabetical order):

American Splendor - Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Beyond Re-Animator - Brian Yuzna + Gore Movie of the Year + Best Horror Comedy of the Year + Best Spanish Movie of the Year

Bruce Almighty - Tom Shadyac

The Company - Robert Altman + Best Dance Movie of the Year + Best Mega-flop of the Year

The Cooler - Wayne Kramer + Best Las Vegas Movie of the Year

Freaky Friday - Mark Waters + Best Fantasy Movie of the Year

The Green Butchers - Anders Thomas Jensen + Best Comedy of the Year

House of Sand and Fog - Vadim Perelman

The Hulk - Ang Lee + Best San Francisco Movie of the Year + Best Superhero Movie of the Year + Most Expensive Flop of the Year: 38.92 mil. $ range 

 

The Human Stain - Robert Benton

 

Matchstick Men - Ridley Scott

Mona Lisa Smile - Mike Newell + Best Massachusetts Movie of the Year

Noi the Albino/Nói Albinói - Dagur Kári + Best Icelandic Movie of the Year

 

 

Open Range - Kevin Costner + Comeback of the Year: Kevin Costner + Best Western of the Year

Owning Mahowny - Richard Kwietniowski + Best Canadian Movie of the Year

Reconstruction - Christoffer Boe + Best Art Film of the Year + Best Copenhagen Movie of the Year + Best Debut Movie of the Year + Best Romance of the Year

The Skeleton Key - Iain Softley + Best Louisiana Movie of the Year

Song for a Raggy Boy - Aisling Walsh + Best Box Office Disaster of the Year + Best Irish Movie of the Year

The Station Agent - Tom McCarthy + Best Independent Movie of the Year + Best Dramedy of the Year + Best Shooting Star Actor of the Year: Peter Dinklage

Swimming Pool - François Ozon + Best Erotic Movie of the Year

The Bottom 10 of the Year

1. Rapid Exchange (video) - Tripp Reed

 

 

2. Out for a Kill - Michael Oblowitz + Most Deserved Flop of the Year 

 

3. Freddy vs. Jason - Ronny Yu + Most Undeserved Hit of the Year 

 

 

4. Gothika - Mathieu Kassovitz

5. Time of the Wolf/Le Temps du Loup - Michael Haneke + Worst $ Return of the Year: 0.04

6. My Life Without Me - Isabel Coixet

 

7. Marci X - Richard Benjamin + Career-Killer of the Year: Richard Benjamin

8. The Core - Jon Amiel + Most Ridiculous Movie of the Year

9. Dreamcatcher - Lawrence Kasdan

10. The Recruit - Roger Donaldson


Other failed, poor and/or mediocre 2003 movies and TV-series (in alphabetical order):

Angels in America (miniseries) - Mike Nichols

Carnivàle - season 1 - Daniel Knauf

Final Destination 2 - David R. Ellis

Girl with a Pearl Earring - Peter Webber 

The Man of the Year/O Homem do Ano - José Henrique Fonseca 

Oldboy/올드보이 (Oldeuboi) - Park Chan-wook + Most Overrated Movie of the Year
Old School - Todd Phillips 

Once Upon a Time in Mexico - Robert Rodriguez 

Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior/องค์บาก - Prachya Pinkaew + Best $ Return of the Year: 18.3 times its cost + Best Martial Arts Movie of the Year + Best Thai Movie of the Year

 

Runaway Jury - Gary Fleder + Worst Poster of the Year

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring/Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring/봄 여름 가을 겨울 그리고 봄/Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom - Kim Ki-duk 

[61 titles in total]

Notes:

The second updated lists of 2003 in films and TV-series brings the title count up by 15 to now 61 reviewed titles. No new titles make it to the Top 10 in this update, while 2 etch their ways onto the Bottom 10 list.

The Top 10 boasts an impressive 6 masterpieces: Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich's universally beloved oceanic adventure fable Finding Nemo reigns supreme and is the only 2nd animated film to rank 1st so far, (after Pixar's Inside Out (2015)), and in a rare occurrence also the year's most profitable film. 2nd best is Richard Linklater's rock 'n roll family music comedy School of Rock; and 3rd is Gus Van Sant's Columbine High massacre-inspired true-crime drama Elephant. The Top 10 list goes on with Errol Morris's dizzying Robert S. McNamara documentary biopic Fog of War; the 3rd season of Alan Ball's poignant funeral home drama Six Feet Under; Woody Allen's hilarious, incisive New-York-set relationship comedy Anything Else; Joon Bong Ho's astounding serial killer crime-drama Memories of Murder; Jon Favreau's Christmas cheer laugh-fest Elf; the 3rd season of Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow's suspenseful action series 24; and rounds off withFrançois Dupeyron's warm, erotic coming-of-age drama Monsieur Ibrahim. 

Among the other great titles of the year we find Lars Von Trier's staggering US examination, drama epic Dogville, Sylvain Chomet's eccentric, original animation delight, The Triplets of Belleville, Terry Zwigoff's anti-Christmas comedy Bad Santa, Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu's fate-crossing heavy drama 21 Grams, John Sayles' adoption drama Casa de los Babys, Gore Verbinski's swashbuckling family favorite Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Mikael Håfström's engrossing period school-set youth drama Evil.
And among the noteworthy if merely good outputs are Christoffer Boe's Copenhagen-set love-themed art film Reconstruction, Robert Altman's ballet portrait The Company, Anders Thomas Jensen's outrageous and hilarious macabre comedy The Green Butchers, Mark Waters' body-swap fantasy comedy Freaky Friday, Ang Lee's spectacular superhero action adventure Hulk and Kevin Costner's awesome return to directing, classical western Open Range.
On the year's Bottom 10 list, the leader is still Tripp Reed's action video banality Rapid Exchange. 2nd place is taken by new entry Michael Oblowitz's laughably poor actioner Out for a Kill, with Ronny Yu's loud, inane Freddy vs. Jason claiming bronze. The list goes on with Mathieu Kassovitz's awful horror Gothika, Michael Hanekeis apcalyptic, depressant head-scratcher Time of the Wolf, Isabel Coixet's depressing bore My Life Without Me, Richard Benjamin's class and race comedy disaster Marci X, Jon Amiel's deeply inane disaster/sci-fi movie attempt The Core, Lawrence Kasdan's career-crippling, expensive flop horror Dreamcatcher, with Roger Donaldson's dull agent thriller The Recruit now rounding out the list. Gary Fleder's showy courtroom thriller Runaway Jury and Mike Nichols' too opulent AIDS miniseries Angels in America escape the list in this update.
Cementing their names in 2003 were Lars Von Trier, who aside from the incredible Americana drama Dogville also released the evocative artist competition documentary The Five Obstructions (with Jørgen Leth), Johnny Depp, who broke through as a major A level marquee star with Pirates of the Caribbean while also head-lining smaller hit Once Upon a Time in Mexico, - and Jim Carrey, who reaffirmed his staying box office power again with Bruce Almighty. On the other end we saw diminishing returns from senior stars like Dustin Hoffman (Runaway Jury), Al Pacino (The Recruit), Julia Roberts (Mona Lisa Smile) and Nicolas Cage (Matchstick Men) and a wobbly, mega-budgeted new venture from HBO in Daniel Knauf's Carnivàle TV-series. Adult dramas had it tough: Dogville, The Human Stain (both with Nicole Kidman), Owning Mahowny, House of Sand and Fog and Girl with a Pearl Earring all bombed. And an eye-popping Marvel adventure, - incredible in hindsight, - lost most of all (Ang Lee's Hulk.)

 

On the 2004 Oscars:

Billy Chrystal hosted the night, which became the most-watched telecast in 4 years with incredible 44 mil. viewers. The night had one overwhelming winner in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won the 11 Oscars it was nominated for, tying most wins ever with Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997), and becoming the largest sweep for a single film in Oscar history.

LoTR 3 took home Best Picture, Director (Peter Jackson), Adapted Screenplay (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Jackson), Score (Howard Shore), Song (Walsh, Shore and Annie Lennox's Into the West), Sound Mixing, Art Direction, Makeup, Costume Design, Editing and Visual Effects. The other films nominated in the Best Picture category were Lost in Translation, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Mystic River and Seabiscuit.

Mystic River won Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins). Charlize Theron won Best Actress for Monster; Renée Zellweger Supporting Actress for Cold Mountain. Sofia Coppola won Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation; Finding Nemo Best Animation, Denys Arcand's French The Barbarian Invasians Best Foreign Language Film; Errol Morris and Michael Williams' The Fog of War Best Documentary. The short Oscars went to Chernobyl Heart (doc.), Two Soldiers (live action) and Harvie Krumpet (animation). Russell Boyd won Best Cinematography for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, which also won for Sound Editing. Blake Edwards won an honorary award.

On the 2003 Cannes Film Festival

French opera and theater director, filmmaker, actor and producer Patrice Chéreau acted as jury president for the 56th festival, which saw Gus Van Sant's American Elephant win the Palme d'Or. The other films in the main competition were: At Five in the Afternoon, The Barbarian Invasions, Bright Future, The Brown Bunny, Carandiru, Les Côtelettes, Dogville, Father and Son, Incantato, Little Lili, Mystic Rover, Purple Butterfly, Shara, Strayed, Swimming Pool, That Day, The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story, Tiresia and Uzak.

 
Biggest flops of the year:

[The loss is based solely on the cost and box office earnings for the films. Marketing costs and additional revenue (home video, TV rights and other auxiliary profits) are not taken into account] 

1. The Hulk  38.92 mil. $ range (NEW ENTRY)

2. Dreamcatcher - 37.72 mil. $ range

3. Matchstick Men - 35.8 mil. $ range
4. The Core - 30.64 mil. $ range

5. The Human Stain - 20.84 mil. $ range (NEW ENTRY)

6. Marci X - 19.36 mil. $ range 

7. Mona Lisa Smile - 15.78 mil. range
8. Anything Else - 12.6 mil. $ range
9. The Company - 12.44 mil. $ range

10. Out for a Kill - 10.78 mil. $ range (NEW ENTRY)

= Combined losses: 234.88 mil. $

Biggest hits of the year:

[The gain is based solely on the cost and box office earnings for the films. Marketing costs and additional revenue (home video, TV rights and other auxiliary profits) are not taken into account] 

1. Finding Nemo - 282.12 mil. $ range
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - 121.68 mil. $ range
3. Bruce Almighty - 112.8 mil. $ range
4. Elf - 55.16 mil. $ range
5. Freaky Friday - 44.32 mil. $ range

6. Something's Gotta Give - 26.68 mil. $ range

7. School of Rock - 17.48 mil. $ range

8. Gothika - 16.64 mil. $ range

9. Freddy vs. Jason - 15.96 mil. $ range
10. Bad Santa - 12.4 mil. $ range

= Combined profits: 705.24 mil. $ range

2003 titles on the watch-list:

The Room, Camp, The Card Player, Latter Days, A Mighty Wind, Cold Mountain, Thirteen, Pieces of April, Zelary, Big Fish, Harvie Krumpet, Boundin', Destino, Nibbles, Two Soldiers, (A)Torzija, Most, Chernobyl Heart, Asylum, Ferry Tales, My Architect, All the Real Girls, Wasp, 7:35 in the Morning, Two Cars, One Night, Tupac: Resurrection

Previous annual lists: 

    
2021 in films - according to Film Excess 

2020 in films - according to Film Excess 

2019 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2019 in films - according to Film Excess 
2018 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2018 in films - according to Film Excess  
2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2017 in films - according to Film Excess
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2016 in films - according to Film Excess

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2014 in films - according to Film Excess
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2013 in films - according to Film Excess    
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V] 
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2012 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2012 in films - according to Film Excess
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess   

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess   
2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
2001 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

1995 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

What do you think of the 2003 lists?
Which 2003 titles would make it to your top and bottom lists?
Which worthwhile 2003 titles are missing on the watch-list?