How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Release Year: 2003

Director: Donald Petrie

Review:  I think this may be the very definition of 'chick flick'.  The romantic comedy that is clearly geared towards the feminine audience.  Andie(Kate Hudson) is an attractive journalist who has no trouble getting men.  Benjamin(Matthew McConaughey) is an attractive advertising executive who has no trouble getting women.  Andie decides to write an article on how even a girl as attractive and put together as herself can lose a guy if she commits common dating pitfalls.  Benjamin is locked in a bet that he can make any girl fall in love with him.  They, shockingly enough, play their game unbeknownst to one another, against each other.  Hilarity ensues.

 

So yes.  After that plot synopsis I'd definitely characterize this as a chick flick, it has all the symptoms: attractive leads, shallow views, over convenient scenarios and a predictable ending.  It may sound like I'm coming down hard on it, but in truth it wasn't terrible.  It was a decent film to zone out and get a few laughs.  It never approached intelligent, and both characters had the emotional depth of a puddle, but I knew what I was getting into.  It's quickly paced and at least fairly entertaining.
Rating: 2.5/5

The Room

Release Year: 2003

Director: Tommy Wiseau

Review: The cult phenomenon by writer/director/actor Tommy Wiseau, that is billed as the ultimate 'so bad it's good' movie.  And it certainly lives up to the bad part.  Unfortunately I didn't get to see the film in one of the increasingly popular midnight screenings, but I think I got the effect of the pure awfulness.  The magic is that it appears Wiseau thinks he is making an important film, completely ignorant to the abomination that the movie is.  There is not a single redeeming quality to the film as an actual movie going experience, but there is some fun to be had at its expense.  The awkward moments, clunky dialog and uncomfortable acting, all work to give you that special viewing experience of having a film so bad that you can laugh at it and have a good time.

Rating: 1/5

Dogville

Release Year: 2003

Director: Lars von Trier

Review: Stark. Barren.  Cold.  These are just a few of the adjectives that jump to mind when describing "Dogville", a film that explores the depths of human depravity.  A city girl gets chased by the mob into a small rural town, and seeks refuge.  What follows is one of the most unpleasant and bleak examinations of humanity that I've seen on film.  Director Lars von Trier seems to revel in stripping away any visual pleasure from the viewer.  This is a movie about suffering and misfortune and he doesn't want you to be comfortable while watching it.

From the beautiful opening overhead shot looking down into Dogville, you know this is not going to be an ordinary film.  The entire world that is shown is this town called Dogville.  The 'town' is simply a stage with primitive lines and sparse props as a rudimentary mockup of what resembles a town.  Every person in Dogville is known, plays a part in the story and can usually be seen at all times during the entire film.  No one can hide.  Everything is open. A theme which von Trier repeatedly comes back to.    This is a visually stagnant film.  There is no reprieve for the viewer from the hell in which Grace(Nicole Kidman) can't escape.  We are forced to focus on the acting, the suffering, the characters, rather than any visual eye candy.  It is an effective technique.  When stripped right down we can see the characters for who they are without distractions from clever camera techniques and dynamic lighting.

This is not an uplifting film.  It shows humanity in the worse possible light.  Evil and debauchery can arise anywhere, and no person is above stooping to incredible lows.  The film takes its time with this theme.  It does eventually pay off, with an incredibly affecting climax, but it doesn't make the journey any more pleasant.  In fact, I hated this movie while I was watching it.  It took all I had in me not to shut it off.  I hated all the characters.  I couldn't understand why they made the choices they did.  I was frustrated, angry and impatient.  However by the time it ended, I couldn't help but let a smile creep on my face, I had been reeled in.  It had worked.  This movie has a message, and it is delivered effectively, even if it is by means of an unconventional mechanism.  I have a hard time recommending this movie as it is so unpleasant to watch.  And yet, having had time to reflect upon it, I look at it more fondly since it has stuck with me.  The acting is great.  The actors rely on nothing but their acting and it carries the film.  I have no interest in ever revisiting the film, but I am glad that I have watched it. Sometimes the harder the pill is to swallow the more effective it is.
Rating: 4/5

Memories of Murder (Salinui Chueok)

Release Year: 2003

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Review: A film, by director Bong Joon-ho, based on the true story of South Korea's first serial murders.  In the film a series of women are found raped and murdered.  A team of investigators who are pressured by the mounting murders and an overbearing, curious, media begin to make mistakes.  Frustrations mount as they continue to fail to catch the murderer and desperation sets in.  

This is a solid murder mystery, but there isn't much new plot wise.  It follows the conventional movie arch that you would expect it to.  What makes this a good movie are the little things.  The emotions that the actors express are dynamic.  As the frustration mounts, so does the tension.  Song Kang-ho plays his part wonderfully, and the acting as a whole was fantastic.  There are several powerful confrontation moments that ride on the actors expressive delivery and they make the film.  While there isn't much surprising in the film, the way that it questions our assumptions of guilt is revealing.  It might be a straight ahead film, but it's very well made.
Rating: 4/5

Oldboy

Release Year: 2003

Director: Park Chan-wook

Review: The second film in Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy.  Oldboy is a powerful revenge thriller that is expertly crafted by Chan-wook to squeeze every ounce of emotion out of the viewer.  Oh Dae-su(Choi Min-sik) awakes imprisoned in a room after a drunken night and is held captive for 15 years, not knowing why or by whom.  When he is let free he is on a mission to exact his revenge on his captor. Even after repeated viewings this holds up as one of the greatest revenge films.  The tension and raw emotion Chan-wook captures is remarkable.  The nature of revenge and the the consequences of it are brilliantly explored.  The ultimate pay off is an astounding reveal and is the perfect ending to this fantastic film.  Chan-wook is a master at a gritty realist style ad it works wonderfully for this type of film.  'Oldboy' is quite simply the pinnacle of the revenge genre and is a flawless movie experience.
Rating: 5/5

Matchstick Men

Release Year: 2003
Review: A surprisingly imaginative and entertaining family film, 'Inkwell' blurs the real world with fantasy by allowing book characters to be read into the real world by 'silvertounges'. Unbeknownst to him, Brendan Fraser's character Mo, is a silvertounge, who accidentally reads a villain out of the book 'Inkwell' and inadvertently reads his wife into the book. The adventure to correct this mistake ensues, which features cameos from an assortment of characters from famous literary works. It's quite possible that I like the source material more than the movie, but I must admit I had never heard of the book the film is based on. It's not at the level of the best fantasy films, but 'Inkwell' is a solid movie, that is both fun and original.
Rating: 4/5

The Station Agent

Release Year: 2003
Review: This film was a fantastic examination of life, friendship and the everyday struggles of just being alive. There is barely a plot to speak of. The magic of this film lies in the unique characters that are presented to us. The film never challenges us with plot twists, or intense action scenes. We just get to hang out with this odd group of people, and that is enough.
Rating: 4/5

Mystic River

Release Year: 2003
Review: A solid crime drama examining friendship and the notion of justified revenge. Eastwood is a master at unraveling a story which keeps you engaged while continually challenging your assumptions.
Rating: 4/5