The Top Ten Films of 2002

1. 25^th Hour
Definitely Spike Lee's wisest work, and possibly his best -- it's right up there with Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. Lee is perhaps our greatest American filmmaker (the other candidate is John Sayles), and yet this is really his first film that feels like it comes from deep down in his soul. Here, for the first time ever, Lee takes the time to observe beauty, to ponder the existential questions of life. That's not to say the film is boring -- you'll find no 2001 pseudo-intellectual bullshit here. 25th Hour contains some of the most breathtaking acting you'll ever see, by Edward Norton, Rosario Dawson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox.

2. Road to Perdition
I've gotta admit it -- I'm a sucker for film noir, and this is one of the best in that genre in decades. It builds tension like few films ever have and, thanks to cinematographer Conrad Hall, it rivals Glory and Seven as the most exquisitely photographed film of the last quarter century. Plus you've gotta like any movie where Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, two of the most affable and engaging actors in Hollywood history, play cold-blooded killers.

3. Catch Me If You Can
A popcorn movie, but a really damned good one. You can knock it for being frivolous, but it's one of the most expertly crafted, most goll-darn enjoyable films ever made. Plus, those opening credits rock.

4. About Schmidt
The finest performance of Jack Nicholson's career, which should tell you all you need to know. Because most movie tickets are sold to twentysomethings, very few films get made about the difficulties of growing old. About Schmidt joins The Wild Bunch, On Golden Pond, and In the Line of Fire as one of the best American films ever made on the subject.

5. Antwone Fisher
Rookie director Denzel Washington overdoses on close-up shots, but that's about the only flaw this film has. Most of the time a story like this would have become a cliche-ridden movie of the week, but Washington turned it into one of the most genuinely moving films Hollywood has ever churned out. I can count on one hand the number of movies at which I've cried, and Antwone Fisher is one of 'em.

6. Rabbit-Proof Fence
Australian director Phillip Noyce's film tells the story of three half-Aborigine girls and their their struggles with the government's attempts to control their lives. It's a story of human triumph, eerily similar to Schindler's List, and features a bravely defiant performance by 14-year-old first-time actress Everlyn Sampi. Given such inherently powerful material, most directors would have shot themselves in the foot by overdoing things, but Noyce has instead made a nuanced, thoughtful, and ultimately moving film. 

7. Bowling For Columbine
Michael Moore literally invented his own film genre with Roger & Me and his cable show TV Nation, and he continues to perfect that form with Bowling For Columbine. Dealing with a plethora of topics from militarization to Marilyn Manson, the film raises questions it knows it can't answer -- but for Moore, the important thing is merely asking the questions nobody else will ask.

8. The Pianist
A simple tale of a human survivor. Adrien Brody's performance is unforgettable.

9. Adaptation

10. Y Tu Mamá También
At first glance this seems like a fun, witty film about some kids on a road trip -- and then, when you least expect it, becomes something entirely different. With this film and the nearly-as-good Crimen de Padre Amaro both being released this year, let's cross our fingers and hope that this means the beginning of a bold new era in Mexican cinema. Amazingly, the same actor, Gael García Bernal, plays the lead in both films, turning in remarkable performances in two roles that could not be more different from one another.

Acting Awards

Best Actress  Diane Lane, Unfaithful

Best Actor  Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt

Best Supporting Actress  Maribel Verdú, Y Tu Mamá También

Best Supporting Actor  Chris Cooper, Adaptation

Best Cameo Appearance  Viola Davis, Antwone Fisher

Henry Thomas Award (best performance by a child actor)  Everlyn Sampi, Rabbit-Proof Fence

Hepburn-Tracy Citation for best acting in tandem  Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt, Kissing Jessica Stein

Best Ensemble Acting  The cast of 25^th Hour

Alan Rickman Memorial Award for worst acting performance  Samuel L. Jackson, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Filmmaking Awards

Best Director  Spike Lee, 25^th Hour

John Sayles Award (Best original screenplay)  Antwone Fisher, Antwone Fisher

John Huston Award (Best adapted screenplay)  Charlie Kaufman, Adaptation

Woody Allen Award (Funniest screenplay)  Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt, Kissing Jessica Stein

Best Cinematography  Conrad Hall, Road to Perdition

Best Editing  Kurt Engfehr, Bowling For Columbine

Misc. Awards

Most ingenious concept for a movie  Adaptation

Most dimwitted concept for a movie  We Were Soldiers

Best Song  Eminem, “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile

Best Score  John Williams, Catch Me If You Can

Benjamin Braddock Citation (Best overall use of music in a film)  Bowling For Columbine

Saul Bass Citation (Best opening credits sequence) Catch Me If You Can

Fincher Award (Most disturbing film)  Stevie

Truman Show Award (Best movie poster design)  25^th Hour

Matewan Award (Best movie nobody saw)  The Cat’s Meow

Passenger 57 Award (Worst film of the year)  Not given this year.

 

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