I've decided it's about time I did a rundown of the top fifteen films I'm most anxious to see this upcoming movie season, which includes any film that technically qualifies as a 2003 release even if many of us won't have the opportunity to see some of them until after the new year. Please remember that all release dates are subject to change and may be on a limited basis at first.

15. RETURN OF THE KING (December 17). Those of you that have read my reviews or spoken to me in person know that I was not really a fan of the first two installments of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I think the first two films clearly suffered from the lack of a real ending, compromising a great deal of suspense in the overall story. That said, Return of the King will have an actual conclusion, which should make this film superior to its predecessors assuming that it doesn't trip up on too many special effects along the way. To be honest, I'm also anticipating the release of this film simply so I don't have to read or hear about how much everyone else is dying to see it. With all due respect to Peter Jackson's skills as a director, let's be done with this trilogy and move on to something else.


14. SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE (December 12). In one of the greatest casting choices in the history of film (I mean it), Jack Nicholson plays an older man who only dates younger women, particularly those young enough to be his daughter. Those who have seen Jack in real life by the side of Gen X actresses such as Lara Flynn Boyle don't need me to explain how brilliant it is to have Nicholson in this role. The premise is clever in that he falls in love with the mother (Diane Keaton) of his girlfriend (Amanda Peet), who is actually (gasp!) the same age as him or was at least born before he graduated from high school. Sure, it's a Nancy Meyer's movie (her last was What Women Want) and probably won't be something to rave about, but it should be a worthwhile diversion.

13. KILL BILL VOLUME 1 (October 10). I've already expressed my concern about the film being divided into two separate movies, but there's no denying this is a must see, even if it does mean the end of Tarantino's streak of great movies (the only good buzz is from Ain't It Cool News, which is hardly reliable). I'm more than a little disappointed to hear that Volume 1 is more action and less of the Tarantino dialogue we've become accustomed to, and I suspect Volume 2 will be the better film. Still, I'm definitely interested to find out what the reality is after all of this talk and anticipation.

12. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (October 17). At one time I was dead against remaking this cult classic, but after seeing one of the best teaser trailers to come out in years, I now have every intention to see this film and I'm actually looking forward to it. If it can deliver the goods in the suspense department (which I'm hearing is the case), expect this massacre to be a large draw and surprise a lot of box office analysts. Could this be the return of the serious horror film?


11. PAYCHECK (December 25). John Woo hasn't made a decent film since Face/Off, so there's not much reason to expect much out of him these days, except for the fact that his latest film is based on a short story by Phillip K. Dick (just like Minority Report). Woo is all about style and flair and usually has problems with storytelling, so with Dick's excellent plotting abilities as a base, the combination should prove to be effective. Ben Affleck -- in desperate need of a hit -- stars as an engineer who has been working on a top secret project for two years, only to wake up one morning to discover that his employer has erased parts of his memory concerning his work. Sounds interesting, to say the least. The film also stars Uma Thurman and Aaron Eckhart, which is a good sign.

10. MYSTIC RIVER (October 8). I'm divided when it comes to the trailer for this film; I love the tone and gloomy atmosphere of the whole thing, but it also appears to show us a lot of revealing moments without really laying out the plot other than a teenage girl being murdered. Normally I'd see this as a bad sign, but with the always competent Clint Eastwood behind the camera, not to mention an excellent cast composed of Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, and Marcia Gay Harden, I'm betting this is going to be a solid drama or thriller (it appears to be a bit of both). Besides, I like the three guys back in the old neighborhood vibe.

9. MASTER & COMMANDER (November 14). Don't let the fact that this film was pushed back from a summer release date to the fall fool you into thinking it has problems; if anything, I'd say the move to a pre-Thanksgiving date is a vote of confidence for this Russell Crowe-starring epic. With Peter Weir (The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society) behind the camera, I'm betting this film based on a series of popular novels will be worth the price of admission...and maybe more. Another thing to consider: when was the last time Russell Crowe made a bad movie?


8. THE ALAMO (December 25). The Christmas Day release date is a statement of quality in itself, and even though much of the pre-production talk was merely about making an entertaining action/drama that the whole family could enjoy, word is the folks at Disney feel they might have something more than that on their hands. Director John Lee Hancock proved to be quite capable with last year's The Rookie, teaming up once again with Dennis Quaid in the lead role. The entire concept of defending what's yours no matter what the cost could connect with audiences.

7. STUCK ON YOU (December 12). Could this be the return of the Farrelly Brothers that we've all been waiting for? After striking critical and box office gold with There's Something About Mary, the gross-out humor duo have disappointed in their attempts to capture the same magic once again, but with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear playing conjoined twins, I suspect Stuck on You will get them back on track. If the trailer is any indication, this should be the funniest film of the year and may prove to be big at the box office going up against so many dramas.

6. THE LAST SAMURAI (December 5). Director Edward Zwick and Tom Cruise tell the story of modernization in Japan in the late 1870's, told through the eyes of an American sent over to teach them to abandon the ways of the samurai and adopt more modern techniques of warfare. After being captured by a group of samurai, he begins to adopt their ways in both battle and honor. Expect plenty of action, great costumes, and surely a number of well-choreographed fight sequences. From what I've seen, what I like about The Last Samurai most of all is the noticeable lack of special effects and what appears to be good-old-fashioned character development and storytelling. A novel concept, indeed.


5. 21 GRAMS (November 21). Coming out of the Toronto International Film Festival, some folks (such as Jeffrey Wells) are raving about Alejandro González Iñarritu's follow-up to Amores Perros, while others seem to have mixed emotions but definitely consider it to be a movie worth talking about. The film tells three interconnected stories related to tragic car accident, involving a single mother (Naomi Watts), a dying math professor (Sean Penn) and an ex-convict (Benicio Del Toro). Supposedly the film is brutally harsh and uncompromised and has been casually compared to Traffic (grainy cinematography with a lot of short scenes), which is the kind of stuff I tend to enjoy, but I'm wondering how well it will attract moviegoers in the middle of the holiday season.

4. HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (December 26). Many of you probably haven't even heard of this film yet, although the novel by Andre Dubus III was a selection in Oprah's book club. Jennifer Connelly stars as an alcoholic abruptly left by her husband, and in the process manages to have her home off the coast of California seized and put up for auction. Ben Kingsley plays an exiled Iranian air force colonel who buys the home, entering himself into a battle that goes further than either of them anticipated. The early buzz on this film is encouraging (some are suggesting it could be this year's big sleeper), but then again this will be Vadim Perelman's debut as a director. Only time will tell.

3. BIG FISH (December 10). I have slight reservations about Tim Burton as a director, sometimes seeing his work as nothing more than the total sum of its parts. Of course, at one time Steven Spielberg was in line to direct this film, which gives the project a boost of confidence in my mind, not to mention a story that seems to be a perfect match for Burton's offbeat style. The vastly under-appreciated Billy Crudup (Almost Famous) plays William Bloom - a man trying to learn more about his father's past as a traveling salesman, piecing together the facts from a series of bizarre stories he's been told over the years. Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Helena Bonham-Carter, Steve Buscemi, Alison Lohman, Jessica Lange and Danny DeVito round out an impressive cast.


2. COLD MOUNTAIN (December 25). Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley was an underrated gem if you ask me, so I'm betting Cold Mountain will attract some of the attention that film should have earned. The a-list cast doesn't hurt either, featuring Jude Law as a Civil War soldier trying to make his way back home to his wife, played by Nicole Kidman. Based on Minghella's past efforts, I think it's safe to assume Cold Mountain is going to look beautiful and have a great sense of atmosphere, but the fact that it's based on an award-winning novel by Charles Frazier doesn't hurt either.

1. THE MISSING (November 26). Based on the novel "The Last Ride" by Thomas Eidson, this is the project Ron Howard decided to take on after electing to not direct The Alamo. Also a western, The Missing is set in 1886 and tells the story of a father (Tommy Lee Jones) who returns home after abandoning his family, only to discover his wife has passed and his daughter Maggie (Cate Blanchett) wants nothing to do with him. However, when Maggie's daughter Lily (Thirteen's Evan Rachel Wood) is kidnapped by a group of ex-Army outlaws, the two set out to find her. So far The Missing has been more-or-less under the radar, but you can expect that to change quickly. With an excellent cast and what sounds like an interesting and compelling story, Ron Howard could be on stage collecting another award sooner than anyone expected. I haven't even seen a trailer yet (just a few pictures and a wonderful poster) but my gut tells me to keep an eye on this one.

Posted September 25, 2003 | link