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NOTE: All of these movies
were released from January 1, 2002 - December 31, 2002.
This list
was revised on 7/17/03 and 8/19/03. These revisions were very necessary.
2002: The Year in Film
2002
was the host of many good movies, but few great ones. I indulged myself in 135
pieces of art, as well as disaster. Memorably devastating films such as The
Pianist, Far From Heaven, and Minority Report were some of the
most shocking. Fun and interesting films, with a hint of comic relief, like
Chicago
and Adaptation also did extremely well on my list. But along with these
beautiful works, came wretchedly bad, stupidity fests. Missed opportunities were
delivered from the makers of Clockstoppers, The Transporter,
Death to Smoochy, and above all, Bad Company. Films intended for the
demographic teenage audience surprisingly improved, as I was captivated by the
mystically adapted Spider Man, comically charming Sweet Home Alabama,
and ripping Blue Crush. Unlike the disjointed and unbalanced 2001, the
year 2002, in film, had something for everyone. The past 365 days weren’t full
of masterful treasures, but they did have their fair share of good times. Upon
reflection, I can say that I enjoyed my experience at the theatre, almost every
time. Go Directly To The Top 10 ->.
The Worst
10.
Jason X – One of the best examples of a perfectly good script,
turned wrong, because of the cheesy visuals, bad acting, and the curse of the
“Friday the 13th” series.
9.
The Adventures of Pluto Nash – Watching The Adventures of
Pluto Nash is like staring at a blank screen. There is no plot, no payoff,
and no character development. The only difference is that instead of a blank
screen, we have to stare at Eddie Murphy’s now un-funny face for an hour and a
half.
8.
Kung Pow! Enter
the Fist – Wretchedly desperate, unfunny filmmaking. This
straight-to-video type massacre was brought to the big-screen, unluckily, and
suffered because of it.
7.
Death to
Smoochy – Excellent idea; bad movie. Dark comedies are always
risky, and Death to Smoochy didn’t payoff. It was extremely unsuccessful
both in terms of filmmaking and at the box-office.
6.
The
Transporter – With an excellent start, better than the fun and
entertaining xXx, I thought that The Transporter would be an
amusingly entertaining ride. Little did I know, it would turn into a stupid
kung-fu movie; utterly ridiculous.
5.
Abandon
– The cute works of Katie
Holmes have now dropped to a new, low level. Abandon is ridiculous, and
almost defiant to the interests of moviegoers, in its own nature. If I wanted to
see a dead plot with conventional twists, I would've gone to my local video
store and chosen one of the million movies that have already featured them. The
'good' intentions of this one are the least of my worries.
4.
National Lampoon's Van Wilder - Okay, I admit to forgetting
this one when first making this list. Unluckily, this grim and stupid humor came
back to mind. This is a film that's almost instantly forgettable; an insult to
the comically enchanting earlier National Lampoon's movies.
3.
Clockstoppers – Terrible to watch, and mathematically
incorrect; Clockstoppers is, hands-down, one of the worst films of the
year.
2.
The Hot Chick
– Where is the talent? Rob
Schneider used to be one of the greatest comedians ever; he perfectly showcased
his good taste in humor on Saturday Night Live in a fun and interesting manner.
The Hot Chick isn't funny, and certainly isn't intriguing. I would put a
bullet to my head if I had to view this one again.
1.
Jackass: The Movie
– Words cannot describe the
horror I experienced when viewing this film. I laughed once, at the very
beginning, but I really don't see how the rest of the material is intended to be
funny. The stunts are stupid, gross, and an insult to anyone of any
intelligence. Blah.
Dishonorable Mentions:
Hey Arnold! The Movie,
Bad Company, The Time Machine,
Brotherhood of the Wolf,
Resident Evil, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,
The Mothman Prophecies,
The Tuxedo.
The Best
--10.
TIE--
13 Conversations About One Thing
– Expanding on the idea of
happiness, and how to achieve it, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing
is amazingly powerful in its dialogue, and instantly raveable. I applaud all of
its excellent performances, as well as thoughtful actions. Jill Sprecher writes
and directs this into perfection.
Adaptation
– Showcasing, not one, but two dynamite performances by Nicholas Cage; Spike
Jonze’s Adaptation is comical, as well as beautifully written. Equally
pleasing to watch, as cinematically respectable, this lightly humorous film
about writers block has something for everyone. It is stylish, funny, and
well-done.
9.
Frailty
– Intelligently inspiring, and psychologically terrifying, Bill Paxton’s
directorial debut is nothing short of unflawed. Once my favorite film of the
year, Frailty claims the ninth spot on my top ten list, and is well
deserving of the position. Excelling under its fabulous writing and wonderful
acting, this is certainly one of the best horror films of all-time.
8.
Minority
Report – Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece is visionary, as well
as shockingly terrifying. In its vile self-motivated world, this is an accurate
prediction of what may come in the future. We are moved by this undoubtedly
life-affirming film, made with wit and originality. Spielberg is one of the best
filmmakers alive today
7.
The Lord of the
Rings: The Two Towers – One of the only sequels that I know is
better than its predecessor. An epic journey full of enchanting visuals, The
Two Towers is a brilliantly adapted from the priceless novel. The star, who
steals the show, is the computer-generated masterpiece, Gollum. Thoughtful,
powerful, and provoking.
6.
The Hours
– A portrait of three women’s lives, all inspired by the works of Virginia Woolf,
Steven Daldry’s The Hours is magically triumphant. Performances by Meryl
Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman bring out the best in this gorgeously
made drama. From the opening credits, to the ending finale; The Hours is
captivating.
5.
8 Women
– Musicals have really been
great this past year. Like Chicago (number three on this list), 8
Women combines uniqueness, talent, and charm to create a perfectly
entertaining tapestry of cinema at its best. Director Francois Ozon proves his
worthiness once again, heading this one with flare and perfection.
4.
25th
Hour –An ironically stunning collage of great performances,
Spike Lee’s 25th Hour is mystifyingly beautiful. Rosario
Dawson, Edward Norton, Barry Pepper, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are all equally
great in the magnificently written roles put to life by the creative David
Benioff. This is one of the holiday season’s biggest treasures.
3.
Chicago
– A lively, cheerful, and at the same time, dark musical full of color. The
sharp singing, dancing, cinematography, choreography, direction, and acting are
simply beautiful. Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones are superb
performers, that head this sexy show, and make it a full-fledged knockout.
2.
Far From
Heaven – Made in the style of a true fifties movie, but
discussing issues that were kept quiet in that time period, Todd Hayne’s Far
From Heaven is a beautiful film about prejudge against African Americans and
homosexuals. Julianne Moore gives a career-best performance, and Dennis Quaid
provides handsome support.
1.
The Pianist
– Roman Polanski’s artful representation of
Warsaw
during the Holocaust is a winner. Adrien Brody gives an amazing performance as
Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish pianist who escapes the train that heads to Nazi
controlled death camps, and must fight a heart-wrenching battle for survival in
what’s left of
Warsaw.
Honorable Mentions: About a Boy (Not Reviewed),
The Grey Zone (Not Reviewed), Frida,
Spirited Away, Road to Perdition,
Moonlight Mile, One Hour Photo,
Signs.
Notable Films I Missed: Ivans xtc., Invincible.
Memo to the Academy (Favorites Underlined)
Best Actors: Daniel Day Lewis in Gangs of New York, Jack
Nicholson in About Schmidt, Robin Williams in One Hour Photo.
Best Actresses: Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven, Diane
Lane in Unfaithful, Salma Hayek in Frida.
Best Supporting Actors: Phillip Seymour Hoffman in 25th Hour,
Paul Newman in Road to Perdition, Robin Williams in Insomnia.
Best Supporting Actresses
– Kathy Bates in About Schmidt, Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago,
Meryl Streep in Adaptation. |
