A word of warning right off the bat: I'm the guy who doesn't seem to get around to seeing award-bait movies. Sorry, but that's how I am. I'll be the first person in line to see anything with Eliza Dushku, but if someone's performance is being billed as a "tour-de-force," I don't see it until it hits video. That being said, my list might stand out like an overall-wearing hayseed at a black-tie dinner, but I can only do my best. Anyway, on to the list.
TOP 10:
1.) 8 Mile (Curtis Hanson): Here's what I think. I think if the unstoppable cultural juggernaut which is Harry Potter had come out two weeks later than it did, 8 Mile would be getting the kind of attention that it deserves. As is, it got completely buried in the avalanche of promotional tie-ins and collectible I-don't-know-whats. If it had stayed on the radar, people might have realized that this was an extremely well written and produced film, because it did what a movie is supposed to do: it made its audience feel something. Rarely does a studio film do such a good job at connection its central character with the audience. I'd be willing to bet that everyone who saw that movie felt connected to Rabbit, and ended up rooting for him, wanting him to succeed and beat the odds. Sure, it was uplifting, and maybe that's the easiest emotion to ring out of people, but dammit, this movie really brought it out. Plus, it introduced the rap battle to cinema, which kicks serious ass.
2.) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson): A lot of you probably expected this to be my number one, and don't get me wrong, I loved it, but that should tell you how strongly I feel about my number one. Unlike Ryan, I think this sequel is better than the original. The Fellowship of the Ring was a great setup, and Towers really moved things forward, and we finally get a glimpse of the role that everyone has to play in the last great war of Middle Earth. Plus, as a comedian I recently saw pointed out: "this movie's first five minutes is how normal movies end," with one of the coolest action scenes ever, and from there, it just keeps upping the ante. The performances were spot-on, and the CGI work on Gollum was much better than expected.
3.) Bowling For Columbine (Michael Moore): My nod to best documentary of the year goes to Michael Moore's latest, which is equal parts funny, fascinating, scary, and thought-provoking. Unlike others, I don't mind that Moore doesn't supply us with all of the answers in a big ball. I love the Charlton Heston scene more than I should, because no one is talking about the fact that Heston didn't begin limping, moving slowly, and talking slowly until Moore started asking the tough questions. Suddenly, this blustery nitwit who thinks holding a rifle makes you a real man, this buffoon who gives all gun owners a bad name and image, didn't have much to say, and was suddenly supposed to be sympathetic because he's old. He was old 4 years ago after Columbine, too. Anyway, anti-Heston rant aside, this was one of the most memorable films of the year.
4.) The Ring (Gore Verbinski): The scariest movie of the year without question, this is one of those horror films that sticks with you. Some seriously disturbing imagery, coupled with some fine performances did what most modern horror movies can't: they made me forget the conventions of a horror film. Every surprise was exactly that to me, and I was genuinely frightened for the characters. A simple concept, and yes, it's a remake, but it was so well done that it belongs up here.
5.) Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes): Yeah, the early Oscar buzz made this film the redheaded stepchild of this year; the film that everyone decided it would be cool to bag on. I thought it was so well made, so wonderfully acted, that it deserved a spot in the top five. We've seen a lot less good character films like this in the past few years, and I think it shows. Tom Hanks and Paul Newman are still at the top of their games, and Sam Mendes brings together a taut and fascinating dark tale.
6.) Jackass: The Movie (Jeff Tremaine): Yeah, maybe it's the kind of idiotic crap that has parents up in arms, but dammit, I couldn't stop laughing. Probably the funniest film of the year, and unquestionably the most disgusting. The question has to be asked here and now: Is there anything this team of morons won't do to get a laugh? I hope not.
7.) Minority Report (Steven Spielberg): Maybe Roger Ebert went a little nuts when he named it the best film of the year, but I can't disagree that it's a great movie. Some of the best pure science fiction since Blade Runner, and Spielberg really showed the kind of visionary sense that he's lost over his last few films. Sure, there are some problems with the ending, and some action scenes fall flat, but the rest is so good, it makes the bad look better.
8.) The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman): Another possibly shocking entry… I just remember this film incredibly fondly. It had a very tight and reasonably smart story, a good performance by Matt Damon, and some excellent action scenes sprinkled in. In particular, the Mini car chase is one of the best scenes put onto film this year.
9.) Dogtown and Z-Boys (Stacy Peralta): A close second to Bowling for Columbine as far as documentary of the year, this surprisingly informative chronicle of the early southern California skateboarding scene was simply mesmerizing to watch. The sheer volume of footage these skaters shot for no real reason was just incredible, and helped transport us back to the beginning of what is quickly becoming one of America's premiere sports.
10.) Wet Hot American Summer (David Wain): What? Didn't this come out in 2001? Why yes it did, but it's my list, so I'm adding it here. I'm adding it because this is truly a comedic classic, and deserves attention any time you can give it. Besides, does it really matter that my last spot isn't Spider-Man? Seriously. So I tell you this: More than any other film on this list -- GO SEE THIS MOVIE. IT'S VERY, VERY FUNNY, AND YOU WILL LOVE IT.
Worst Films of 2002: xXx, The Sweetest
Thing, Scooby-Doo, Life or Something Like it,
The New Guy
Best Performances of 2002: Ian McKellan -- The Lord
of the Rings: The Two Towers; Tom Hanks -- Road to Perdition;
Matt O'Leary -- Frailty; Eliza Dushku -- Any movie she
was in this year; The guy who had a toy car shoved up his ass
-- Jackass: The Movie
CGI Creations of 2002: Yoda -- Star Wars: Episode
2 - Attack of the Clones; Gollum -- The Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers; Ben Affleck's hair
Movies I Wouldn't Have Seen Even If They Were Playing on the
Inside of the Windshield of my Car: Punch-Drunk Love,
Eight Crazy Nights, Maid in Manhattan, The Adventures
of Pluto Nash, Death to Smoochy
Things for Smeagol to do in 2002: Find the precious,
kill the mean hobbitses, get the precious, love the precious,
find a way to diversify portfolio to reflect changing global economy
as it pertains to the precious.
When all is said and done, I think that 2002 will go down in the books as a damn good year for film. At the very least, it was the best year since 1999 (Fight Club, American Beauty, Magnolia and Being John Malkovich amongst many others). This past year got off to a surprisingly good start with the dumping ground known as January (The Count of Monte Cristo, Brotherhood of the Wolf), produced some great Summer fare (Insomnia, Spider-Man) and ended with one of the best Decembers on record (Adaptation, About Schmidt, Spider, Talk to Her).
There were also some nice surprises scattered throughout the year. We got some good to great sequels (Spy Kids 2, Blade 2, Red Dragon, The Two Towers), more amazing documentaries than I can ever remember seeing in a given year (Dogtown and Z-Boys, The Kid Stays in the Picture, Scratch) and some great performances from the most unexpected of people (James Van Der Beek in The Rules of Attraction, Adam Sandler in Punch-Drunk Love, Ray Liotta in Narc and Val Kilmer in The Salton Sea).
The greatest thing about 2002 though, is that for the first time since I can remember, I had more candidates (30+) for my top 10 list than I had for my "worst" list (about 15). This unique trend is one that I hope continues.
Note: The two best things that I saw in 2002 were Band of Brothers and City of God. Because one was an HBO miniseries and the other isn't scheduled for release until 2003 (Jan. 17th), I left them off the list.
TOP 10:
1.) Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese): This great historical epic was my most anticipated film of the year (and of 2001 actually, which is when it was originally scheduled to open) and not only didn't it disappoint, but it truly impressed. Not in the cannon of the great Scorsese films, but lets face it, that's a tough league to be in. Still, Gangs excited like no other film that I saw this year and Daniel Day-Lewis (the best thing about the project, though far from the only good thing) gave a performance for the ages.
2.) Chicago (Rob Marshall): No, I'm not on the Miramax payroll. Anyway, I'll be the first to admit that Chicago is as light-as-a-feather and contains a thin story that's really just an excuse for some great song and dance numbers (which are masterfully executed by the cast and director), but no other movie entertained me more all year. This is a true crowd-pleaser in the best sense of the word, and is the one title on the list that I will more than likely revisit the most in the years to come. O.k., the real reason that it ranks so high is because Catherine Zeta-Jones is a goddess and about the finest woman in Hollywood.
3.) Bowling for Columbine (Michael Moore): I laughed, I reflected, I listened to others cry their eyes out in the theater. This most entertaining of documentaries totally blew me away and although it's basically just a propaganda piece, it's the most entertaining and thought-provoking one that I've seen.
4.) Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes): This was my favorite film of the year for the first half of 2002, and although it sort of fell off the radar in the last few months, there's no denying the love I had for it when I first walked out of the theater. This is the year's most beautifully shot (by the late Conrad Hall, who should be recognized at this year's Academy Awards) film and it contains two of my very favorite supporting performances (Jude Law and Paul Newman). Not just a simple tale of revenge (which some also accuse Gangs of New York of being), but a multi-layered look at a father/son relationship and a time and place far different than the one we know today.
5.) Frailty (Bill Paxton): The best horror film in at least ten years not only features Matthew McConaughey's best work since Dazed and Confused, but an amazing directorial debut (and quite a good performance to boot) by Bill Paxton.
6.) The Pianist (Roman Polanski): Much smaller in scope than Schindler's List, though no less powerful, this return to form for the recently slumming Polanski is a wonderfully told and executed story of survival. Adrien Brody (in easily one of the best performances of the year) excels in this true tale of a man who survived the horrors of the Holocaust and lived to tell about it.
7.) Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes): Haynes graduates to the big leagues with his amazing recreation of the 1950s (or, as he said at the press junket for the film, the way the 50s were invoked in the films of the time). Everything from the production design and costumes to the flawless work by the cast (Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert) and wonderfully written (and deeply moving) story, are all top-of-the-line.
8.) Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron): The best foreign language film of the year was sexy, funny, sad and thought provoking. It was also shocking (as many people in the age range of my parents have told me) in its realistic and uncensored look at the coming-of-age of two teens and the older woman that they hit the road with. Cuaron is moving on to helm the next Harry Potter chapter, and I can only imagine what will take place between Harry, Ron and Hermione, but I know for a fact that it will be more exciting than their last adventure.
9.) The Hours (Stephen Daldry): This is the one title on the list that surprised me the most, and the one that I never would have expected to be on it a year ago. From the cast (Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore) and the plot description, to the poster and trailer, I expected a stuffy and boring chick flick, but what I got was something far greater. The Hours contains some top-notch performances, a marvelously crafted (and expertly edited) story (3 actually, with the Moore segment registering the strongest) and a wonderful Phillip Glass score, all working together to tell of a day in the life of three different woman in three different eras. One of the most powerful movie-going experiences of the year.
10.) Spider (David Cronenberg): Haunting and beautiful, Cronenberg's stark look at a schizophrenic (Ralph Fiennes in one of the strangest performances ever) reliving his childhood, and one particular incident that changed his life forever, is a masterful achievement. Although it currently comes in at number ten, it's so memorable (even more than some others that are ahead of it) that when I look back upon this list sometime down the road, there's a good chance that it will move up the ranks.
Worst Films of 2002: Death to Smoochy,
Harvard Man, Queen of the Damned, Heaven,
Collateral Damage
Best Performances of 2002: Daniel Day-Lewis -- Gangs
of New York, Adrien Brody -- The Pianist, Julianne
Moore -- Far From Heaven, Nicolas Cage -- Adaptation,
Catherine Zeta-Jones -- Chicago
Best Films You've Never Seen (and in some cases never even
heard of): The Rules of Attraction, The Man from
Elysian Fields, The Salton Sea, Lovely & Amazing,
24 Hour Party People
Most Overrated: 8 Mile, Minority Report,
Signs, Tadpole, Secretary
Best Trailers: Gangs of New York, The Rules
of Attraction ("backwards" Teaser), Punch-Drunk
Love, The Two Towers, Adaptation
TOP 10:
1.) About Schmidt (Alexander Payne): No film in this year came close to moving me as much as About Schmidt. Jack Nicholson gives the performance of his career (I believe that is saying something) in this examination of life's time lost, and small, seemingly insignificant chances at redemption. By far, About Schmidt is my favorite movie of 2002.
2.) The Kid Stays In The Picture (Brett Morgen, Nanette Burstein): I said in my original review that for the true cinemafile, Robert Evans' documentary is "a shot of adrenaline with an ecstasy chaser." I still stand by that statement, and this is still the most fun I had at the movies all year.
3.) Bloody Sunday (Paul Greengrass): A stunning, true depiction of an infamous and bloody confrontation in Northern Ireland. It's matter of fact, point blank "documentary" style makes this film so much more powerful than its Hollywood counterparts could have dreamed of. Thank God this wasn't made in Hollywood.
4) The Pianist (Roman Polanski): It would he hard, it seems, to make an original story of the Holocaust by 2002. So many of the tragic stories sadly have the same fate. But Roman Polanski tells a tale of complete originality, based on a true survivor story, and it is important and moving, with an exceptional lead performance from Adrien Brody.
5.) Adaptation (Spike Jonze): As a struggling screenwriter, I so related to the protagonist's struggles throughout the first ¾ of its run that it was almost painful. But even the film's abstract final 20 minutes cannot diminish the film's message, and in many ways, makes it. This was a whole lot of fun, with Nicolas Cage's best performance since Raising Arizona.
6.) Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson): There was a time, decades ago, when theater owners proudly announced "Garbo Talks!" and it was a cinema shattering experience. While it is probably not as significant, they can now exclaim "Sandler Acts!", and within P.T.Anderson's brilliant character study, it is as surprising in its own quiet way, and I guarantee you will never watch Happy Gilmore the same way again.
7.) Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes): Director Todd Haynes creates such a perfect vision of 1950's Technicolor melodrama that when "real life" dramas occur, it seems all the more powerful. This is probably the best looking movie of the year, and Oscar should just shut down its "Best Actress" voting process in awe of Julianne Moore.
8.) Y Tu Mama Tambien(Alfonso Cuaron): Porky's with brains. Spring Break with vision. Road Trip with a life-changing road trip. I only describe Y Tu Mama Tambien in this way to entice even the lowest common denominator to see this great film.
9.) Secret Ballot (Babak Payami): Leave it to a small budget Iranian film to truly show the precious nature of democracy. Sure it has subtitles (cursing it to doom in the States), but it is what is not said in Secret Ballot -- what is left to visual interpretation -- that is this film's essence.
10.) No Such Thing (Hal Hartley): Hal Hartley's modern day "Beauty and the Beast" is not for all tastes to be sure, but if Oscar is going to hand out Best Actor statuettes for silly performances like Denzel Washington's "urban monster" in Training Day, surely a solid, amazing performance such as Robert John Burke's "The Monster" here deserves to be considered.
Worst Films 0f 2002: Swept Away, Vulgar, Death To
Smoochy, Men In Black 2, Sonny
Best Performances of 2002: Jack Nicholson -- About
Schmidt; Julianne Moore -- Far From Heaven; Daniel
Day-Lewis -- Gangs Of New York; James Nesbitt --
Bloody Sunday; Robert Evans --The Kid Stays In The Picture
Most Overrated Films Of 2002: Minority Report,
Road To Perdition, Gangs Of New York, Changing
Lanes
Most Underrated Films Of 2002: Frailty, No
Such Thing, Mostly Martha
The First Annual "Dan Tester Is Single And Available
Award": Diane Lane
What a strange year. I could've never guessed that my favorite filmmaker, Martin Scorsese, would release a film that easily met and, perhaps, exceeded expectations, but would still be trumped by a director who is clearly a student of his work. Regardless, 2002 proved to be a better movie year than 2001, and was capped by a terrific December in which most of the high profile releases actually lived up to their advanced hype.
TOP 10:
1.) City of God (Fernando Meirelles): Apparently most critics are regarding this as a 2003 release (it'll open in the U.S. on Jan. 17), but since it's the Brazilian entry for the forthcoming Oscars, this critic sees it as a 2002 film. A movie so great that it seriously made me re-evaluate every other film I'd seen previously in 2002. Suddenly, 4 star films seemed like 3 star ones, and 3 star flicks appeared as if they needed at least a half star demotion. From the intricacies of the story, to the masterful filmmaking, to the pure, unbridled inspiration I felt while watching this film, Fernando Meirelles' City of God is nothing short of breathtaking. This epic crime story set amongst gang culture in the slums of Rio de Janeiro manages to feel fresh and original, although it is actually quite derivative, which is a testament to just how well-made this movie is. Stunning from first frame to last.
2.) Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese): This long-awaited film is drenched with the adrenalin and urgency that only a very few filmmakers could bring to a period piece. Taxi Driver's hellish vision of New York City circa the 1970s is a logical descendant of Gangs of New York's brutal depiction of the Five Points of New York in the mid-1800s. A small story of revenge told within a large framework, with both aspects being balanced seamlessly. Daniel Day-Lewis gives, hands down, the best performance of 2002.
3.) The Grey Zone (Tim Blake Nelson): A Holocaust film, which doesn't render the atrocity as exclusively a part of history. Tim Blake Nelson's (did he really direct O?) film about the Sonderkommando (a unit of Jewish prisoners who aided the Nazis in exterminating other Jews detained in Auschwitz) is unrelenting, both in its power to horrify and, most importantly, in its ability to provoke thought. Without question, the most challenging film of 2002.
4.) 13 Conversations About One Thing (Jill Sprecher): An adult drama with intersecting characters and story lines that avoids the noxious pretentiousness of many other recent films mining the same territory (Magnolia anyone?). A philosophical, yet level-headed movie, which respects its characters and its audience. Alan Arkin's fabulous performance spearheads the all-around terrific work of the great cast.
5.) Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes): Has any film made more critics' "best of 2002" lists? I know it's the trendy choice, but Todd Haynes' latest work deserves all of the accolades it's receiving. An inspired and beautiful take on the 50s melodrama (and, jeer at me if you'd like, better than any Douglas Sirk film I've seen). Julianne Moore: Make room for your forthcoming Oscar.
6.) Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson): After the disaster that was Magnolia (not to mention the involvement of Adam Sandler), I couldn't have been more skeptical when sitting down to watch P.T. Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love. After a disjointed first 10 minutes, the focus of this innovative love story takes shape, and before long I was barely even conscious of the fact that I was watching Sandler on screen. And that is, quite possibly, the biggest movie accomplishment of the year.
7.) Road To Perdition (Sam Mendes): A spacious and ethereal take on the gangster movie. The late Conrad Hall's gorgeous cinematography is the highlight of Road To Perdition, which isn't to slight the fabulous performance by Paul Newman or the film's highly interesting exploration of familiar (but very relevant) themes. Sam Mendes has established himself as a talented and diverse filmmaker.
8.) Spider (David Cronenberg): I've always admired the work of David Cronenberg, but never before has one of his films connected with me as deeply as Spider has. A truly psychologically stirring movie and, as Ryan alludes to on his list, one that will probably continue to get better with age.
9.) Frailty (Bill Paxton): An atmospheric and tense directorial debut from Bill Paxton. Brent Hanley's tightly-structured, clever screenplay anchors this film, which straddles the border between horror and thriller. Unlike many other actors turned directors, Paxton seems to possess the instincts of a natural storyteller and that ability makes for a striking film.
10.) Dogtown and Z-Boys (Stacy Peralta): On the level of pure entertainment value, no film provided a bigger bang for my buck than Stacy Peralta's exceptional documentary about the origins of contemporary skateboard culture. Peralta, who was also a member of Dogtown's (Los Angeles) Z-Boys, assembles the abundance of footage at his disposal in a clear, concise manner, which injects the film's fun atmosphere with a great dose of substance.
Worst Films of 2002: Amy's Orgasm, John Q., One Hour
Photo, Signs, Sonny
Best Performances of 2002: Alan Arkin --13 Conversations
About One Thing; Adrien Brody -- The Pianist; Daniel
Day-Lewis -- Gangs of New York; Julianne Moore -- Far
From Heaven; Miranda Richardson -- Spider
2002 Film I Most Recommend to Cinema Students: Morvern
Callar (Lynne Ramsey)
2002 Film I Most Regret Not Yet Having Seen: Y Tu Mama
Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron)
NOTE TO U.S. DISTRIBUTORS: Release These Foreign Films!:
Something To Remind Me (Christian Petzold), 7 Days In
Tehran (Reza Khatibi)
CURTIS
RAINES:
1.) About Schmidt (Alexander Payne): Alexander Payne and Jack Nicholson make one hell
of a team, I said it once and I'll say it again… any movie
containing a character with a mullet pretty much has a strangle
hold on my top ten list.
2.) The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson): I'm a nerd. Peter Jackson's a nerd. J.R. Tolkien was a nerd. Mix those three ingredients together and you've notched a hole in my two slot. I'm saying it right now…Two Towers will win best picture and Peter Jackson should win best director. Of course, I also said Nicholas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley were a "match made in heaven."
3.) Welcome to Collinwood (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo): I haven't seen nor heard anything about this movie since its release, but I'm not afraid to put it at number three. I don't know, maybe I was in a great mood or high on crack the night I saw it, but I loved nearly everything about this film, especially Sam Rockwell.
4.) Adaptation (Spike Jonze): Although I appreciated the irony of the last twenty minutes, it really was unnecessary and the lone reason in dropping this movie from the two to the four spot. Still, very solid flick. Great performances throughout.
5.) Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson): Still can't believe how Paul Thomas Anderson transformed Adam Sandler into a serious, legitimate actor. Hey Ben Affleck, Keanu Reeves, just a thought, but maybe you two should go hang out at P. T. Anderson's house for a few days. (I'm sure Dan Tester would concur with the Ben Affleck advice.)
6.) Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron): No, I'm not putting this on my list just so people will think I'm articulate and diverse for including a foreign film. It genuinely is a great movie that deserves this spot. But seriously… don't you think I'm articulate and diverse for putting this on my list?
7.) Road To Perdition (Sam Mendes): I still have no idea why that feel good five minute epilogue was shot, let alone included in the final cut. Maybe Steven Speilberg slipped into the editing room and sabotaged it.
8.) Story Telling (Todd Solondz): The maid's conversation with the little boy about her son being on death row is easily the funniest scene of the year. Then again, what conversation about death row isn't hilarious?
9.) Insomnia (Christopher Nolan): What's this: Robin Williams in a good film… no way. Well, got news for you, he was actually pretty damn convincing in it too. Christopher Nolan is a sure-fire stud. Can't wait 'til his next project.
10.) Spider-Man (Sam Raimi): So I may lose any credibility I have whatsoever by including this flick. But what can I say? Spider-Man was my favorite comic growing up and the transition to the big screen was superbly done.
Worst Movies of 2002: 1.) Pluto Nash, I-Spy, Showtime
(3 way tie) 4.) Death To Smoochy 5.) Serving Sara
Best Performances of 2002: Alan Arkin -- 13 Conversations
About One Thing; Daniel Day-Lewis -- Gangs of New York;
Sam Rockwell -- Welcome to Collinwood; Julianne Moore --
Far From Heaven; Jude Law -- Road to Perdition
The "What in the Hell is the Big Deal About This Movie?"
Award: My Big Fat Greek Wedding
The "Please Go Away Forever, You Big Fat Piece of Crap"
Award: Eddie Murphy
The "Please Explain To Me Why This is Entertaining"
Award: Acrobatic fight scenes with wire and cable assistance
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