Best Movies 2003

5. Winged Migration

This film is a documentary on the migration pattern of birds. This is mainly a visual film, with very little narration. What you see tells you all you need to know. The cameras fly with geese, storks and cranes. You feel the full cycle of the migratory birds from all over the world.

You will go all the way to the Arctic to see courtship, nesting, birth, and first flight. Then these little ones must fly south. You will see the long treks these birds must take to complete their migratory routes.

4. Touching the Void

This is a true story of two men attempting the previously unachieved. In the mid 1980’s Simon and Joe are going to attempt to reach the top of Siula Grande, a high mountain peak in Peru. After successfully ascending to the top, they run into trouble on the way back.

Joe breaks his leg. The two battle on with Simon roping Joe down the mountain. Then Joe goes over an overhang. Seeing no other solution, Simon must cut the rope. Joe falls into a deep crevice, so Simon, assuming his friend is dead, continues back down. Amazingly, Joe is still alive, and this is the story of how he got back down.

3. Lost in Translation

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an over the hill actor who goes to Tokyo to do a commercial. On this trip he meets Charlotte, a bored newlywed of a photographer, who was busy with business. They are both stuck in a strange place without much to do.

As they start to spend time together, self examination takes over. These two expose their lives to each other in ways few people do. Jet lag, boredom, and culture shock, all lead to this intriguing relationship.

2. Finding Nemo

This animated, aquatic adventure, follows the plight of Marlin, a clown fish living on the great barrier reef. He loses his son Nemo, on his first day of school, when he disobeys, and swims toward a nearby boat. He is scooped up by a diver, and Marlin now desperately searches for his son.

Marlin finds help in his quest from Dory, a blue tang with short term memory loss. The odd couple encounters dangers everywhere they go on their impossible mission to find Nemo. Meanwhile, Nemo is living in a dentist office in Sydney. When Nemo learns of his fathers search for him, he plans a daring escape to reach the seas.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Part three of the Lord of The Rings trilogy continues the saga of good versus evil in middle earth. The fellowship has been broken, and Frodo and Sam are off to Mount Doom to try to destroy the ring. They have reluctantly accepted the assistance of Gollum, who knows the way, but will steal the ring if he gets the chance.

Meanwhile, the dark lord Sauron has unleashed his minions upon the lands of men, and great battles will follow. The goal is to survive as long as they can, until Frodo can destroy the ring. If he can, Sauron’s power will be weakened severely, and the tide will turn.