Publication Date: Friday, January 09, 2004

TAVERNETTI'S BEST MOVIE OF 2003: DIRTY PRETTY THINGS Stephen Frear's social-commentary thriller puts faces on the invisible: illegal immigrants struggling to survive in London. Dodging threats from all sides, the dispossessed live a masquerade of assumed names, fake passports and makeshift lies that threaten their sense of identity and core values. Audrey Tautou and Chiwetel Ejiofor deliver first-class performances as second-class citizens.

American Splendor: Documentary meets fictionalized drama and underground comics in Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's quirky, completely original hybrid. Cleveland's real Harvey Pekar chronicles his sad-sack life in comic-book panels and watches actor Paul Giamatti play him in reenactments. The bizarre new form results in a surprisingly heartwarming tale of true soul mates.

The Barbarian Invasions: After 17 years, Remy et amis return from Denys Arcand's "The Decline of the American Empire" with witty musings on life, love and the death of western civilization.

Elephant: More disturbing and difficult to ignore than an elephant in a living room, Gus Van Sant's fictionalized version of a Columbine-like massacre is a calculated, chilling nightmare that's impossible to shake off.

Lawless Heart: Inventive and charming, this small gem adds layer upon layer of complexity to its characters while giving insight into matters of the heart. Brits Tom Hunsinger and Neil Hunter let the story unspool from three points of view with the most fragile connective tissue holding everything together.

The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King: Against all odds, Peter Jackson waged a seven-year war to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved "Rings" cycle to the big screen. Despite a lack of narrative drive and innumerable endings, the final installment completes a most precious trilogy of hobbits, humans, elves and wizards in a world-saving fellowship.

Man on the Train: Panache partners with philosophical musings in Patrice Leconte's fresh spin on the buddy movie. Alternately funny and touching, the accomplished character study raises questions about the choices not made, the life not lived, the train not taken.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Irish documentarians Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain filmed what corporate-controlled Venezuelan television refused to broadcast: The April 2002 coup d'etat and subsequent populist revolution that restored Hugo Chavez's presidency. The riveting expose of media power and misuse extends all the way to the United States.

Seabiscuit: Gary Ross' nags-to-riches crowd pleaser is an American Dream trifecta. Three longshots -- racehorse, trainer and jockey -- gallop together into the winner's circle. Constructed like a 1930s Hollywood classic, the summer release might have left the gate too early for Oscar.

Winged Migration: Who would have guessed that a documentary on the migratory patterns of birds could be so beautiful and breathtaking on the big screen? No flight of fancy, the Jacques Perrin documentary provides an amazing bird's-eye view.

SusanTavernetti's Pans

TAVERNETTI'S WORST FILM OF 2003: KILL BILL:VOL. 1 Quentin Tarantino's self-indulgent slice-and-dice spectacle looks gorgeous but has nothing to say. This beautifully directed, empty-headed exercise is the most disappointing release of the year.

Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat: Two bored children on a rainy day would probably pray that this cat in the hat never comes back.

Dysfunctional Family: Taking swipes at family is fair game. But when stand-up comedian Eddie Griffin spews hate speech at Muslims (and misidentifies a Sikh as one), he crosses the line.

Gigli: Giggly? Jiggly? Rhymes with really ? No one -- including the characters -- can pronounce the thug's name in Martin Brest's bomb. A bad title is a bad omen.

View From The Top: Bruno Barreto's spoof of the "Fly Me" days of the early 1970s is the movie equivalent of airline food: Terrible.