2002 Film List (1 Viewer)

[Scott Weinberg]

Added 13th Child (The Legend of the Jersey Devil), which received a small theatrical release in NJ last October.
It's pretty bad.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Douglas McGrath’s Nicholas Nickleby is a well-acted and engaging adaptation of Charles Dicken’s voluminous classic novel. All the side characters were quite strong aided by some good performances of supporting actors headed by Christopher Plummer.
The trailer makes this one look like a comedy but it is actually a light drama that pits good against evil. At times, there are films that do not warrant the “For Your Consideration” Academy Award nominations that they are being touted for during the Oscar season. But Nickleby manages to do well in some areas, one of which is Plummer’s supporting performance.
~Edwin

 

[Brook K]

Femme Fatale was a nice surprise. Entertaining, hot, thrilling, funny, and with DePalma's style and effects aiding the story rather than getting in the way. Big improvement over his last several features. B+
Why do indy blockbusters suck while the good ones struggle to make back their budgets? First Blair Witch, now My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Ok so suck was a little harsh, but this movie is average at best. Sure it charms a bit in the romantic department and has a few low-key smiles, but the dialogue is atrocious and trite, with terribly forced ethnic humor ripped off from much better comics (Woody Allen in particular). Let's not even mention the voiceover narration, better to pretend it didn't exist. I could go on but it isn't worth the trouble. C

 

[Jason Seaver]

Updated with Morvern Callar. Samantha Morton is a very good actress, but it's tough to keep me interested when her character doesn't actually do anything. :star:¾

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with David Twohy's Below and Hilary Birmingham's Tully. Both are good and recommended viewing.
~Edwin

 

[Brook K]

Didn't care for Below, Tully is still on my list.
Evelyn, like Antwone Fisher, Evelyn is a better story than it is a movie. A stirring, important story to be sure, but outside of Pierce Brosnan (the father), it introduces a lot of characters into the story and doesn't give them anything to do. It's this major legal case, and we rarely see the lawyers (Aiden Quinn, Stephen Rea) do anything lawyerly. We're told a bit about how important the case is to the church and state, but aren't shown why this is the case, or see anything from an alternate point of view (as in say Rabbit-Proof Fence). Brosnan's sons are afterthoughts, we get zero information on their treatment or welfare. Perhaps this is the best that could be done on the budget. Worth seeing, but perhaps not the movie it could have been. B-
Next: Comedian, Rules Of Attraction, Tully

 

[Brook K]

Comedian - Would agree with most reviews I saw of this. The Jerry stuff is gold and Orny Adams sucks. Riveting to see this huge star struggle and worry about losing "it", but the Adams stuff kills the movie. Its not terrible material, but it can't help but look pale next to Seinfeld. B
The Rules Of Attraction - Just couldn't get into this. Didn't take much interest in the characters or story. I appreciated a few of the stylistic flourishes and a couple of inspired musical choices (like playing George Michael's "Faith" while a couple of guys jump around a bed in their underwear), but ultimately it never amounted to much for me. C+
Next: Tully

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Added Ararat (3/5) and Home Movie (4/5).

 

[Brook K]

Nicholas Nickleby a classic story and I love Dickens' language, but the film never grabbed me. I was interested in where the story led (I've never read it) but not emotionally attached to the characters despite a few fine performances (Christopher Plummer, the actor playing Nicholas). It also has a deadly dull 10m stretch towards the end because of this. B-
Next up: Tully, Blade 2

 

[Brook K]

Added 2 more:
Blade 2 is the epitome of the lazy sequel. While it has some well executed action sequences and I always like watching Ron Perlman the script is a complete cliche (which I suppose in a weird way, fans could respect, accepting all the arch moments as humor, but c'mon) and rips off/repeats the two best elements of the original, the vampire rave and the mouthed expletives. I was going to be generous since I do enjoy this sort of story, but the ending is so ridiculous, I had to knock it down. C
Tully At first I found the acting to be very self-conscious and the movie a bit off and unconvincing, but as it went on, I got caught up in the characters and honest emotions of the piece and found myself both pleased and moved. B+
Will I ever be done with 2002? : Next: Love Liza, Jason X, Red Dragon, The Kid Stays In The Picture

 

[Brook K]

Ararat - I have to wonder at this film about the Turkish massacre of a million+ Armenians in 1915 and the ways current generations deal still deal with the memories and psychological damage. It must have been a very personal story for Egoyan to tell, so it puzzles me why he filtered such an important, painful, and almost unknown event through the guise of making a film-within-a film about it. This places a barrier between the audience and the actual events and also trivializes it at times. I know Egoyan likes to provide narrative twists and turns ala Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, but in this case, I think a more straightforward telling would have served better and been more informative and eye-opening to the audience. Still, the movie is never uninteresting and has some quality performances by Christoper Plummer, Arsinee Khajani, Bruce Greenwood, and Elias Koteas. B-
Reign of Fire - Cool dragons blow up stuff real good! Has its action cliches but nothing too egregious. Entertaining with some well done set pieces though I wish there was a big military vs. dragons Godzilla-type showdown scene. B
Have Love Liza and Jason X in the house to watch. After that is The Kid Stays In The Picture, Bowling For Columbine, and Red Dragon.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with Brad Silberling's Moonlight Mile - a film that desperately needs to come out of its shell.
~Edwin

 

[Brook K]

Love Liza is a pretty good film about a man (Philip Seymour Hoffman) trying to deal with the suicide of his wife. Thanks to Hoffman's performance, the film is touching and rings true despite some questionable script developments that would sink a lesser actor. Its also saddled with a trite ending that chooses hamfisted symbolism instead of something more challenging. B-
Jason X Why did I feel the need to see this? I guess it was the same compulsion that drove me to see the first 9. I should have known what to expect so I guess I can't be too harsh, these movies are what they are, but I thought this was the worst yet. The movie's cheap sets and cheaper actors make this look like some sci-fi channel product. The redesigned Jason is stupid. Every single one of the actors is incredibly annoying. Even the kills are blah for the most part and ineptly filmed. A few laughs but really the only good thing I can say about it is that its cured any desire I have to see the last Halloween film. D+

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Updated my list with the stupid DTV Slaughter Studios and the damn good HBO flick Live from Baghdad.
Man do I dig that Helena B. Carter...

 

[Lowell_B]

Updated with the excellent,
Bowling for Columbine (***1/2 / ****)
and,
Solaris (***1/2 / ****)
And the good, but should have been better,
Frida (*** / ****)
That just about covers it for 2002 films. There's still probably around 5 or so I still want to see at some point. I still can't believe I've seen pretty much every 2002 film that I want to. Time to start cracking on those 2003 flicks.
Lowell

 

[Brook K]

Red Dragon - Ok, the material is alright and I kind of dug Ed Norton here, but Hopkins seems to just be going through the motions, or maybe its a case of the character just being less interesting the 3rd time around, particularly in a film that just doesn't measure up to Mann's original Manhunter. B-
Bowling for Columbine and Solaris up next.

 

[Brook K]

Bowling For Columbine - I'm conflicted in my views on this film. The ideas and questions expressed in this film are important things that need to be expressed and asked. But Moore's methods of deception and manipulation seem to make him a purveyor of the very things he professes to hate. Incomplete

 

[Brook K]

Solaris - Appreciate Clooney's performance, some of the cinematography, and Soderbergh's desire to work on another noncommercial project, but I don't think he got it quite right. Perhaps it is closer to the book, I have no idea; but the film contains none of the philosophy or spirituality of Tarkovsky's version. Also, by giving more explanation and edge to the wife character, Soderbergh's version is more a Vertigo-like tale of obsession than painful love story that Tarkovsky created. I also much prefer Tarkovsky's ending. Perhaps if I'd never seen Tarkovsky's, I would like this film more, but I can't separate the two in my mind or resist making a comparison.
Also both supporting scientists were extremely annoying and needlessly interfered with the focus of the film.
B-
Next: The Kid Stays In The Picture

 

[Brook K]

Guess I'm the only one here :b
The Kid Stays In The Picture: Robert Evans can spin a great yarn and he has plenty of stories to tell in this documentary about his life. Using first person narration and stylish photographic collages, the filmmakers raise the movie far above the level of the A&E style typical biopic. And for the filmic minded, it mostly sticks to his moviemaking exploits and doesn't spend much time on the women he bedded, the trappings of celebrity, and thankfully doesn't go VH1 Behind the Music in its treatment of his drug addiction. Even if only half of what he says is true, it really is a wonderful life. Also, even if you've already seen this, renting the DVD is a must for the hysterical gag reel with Dustin Hoffman imitating Evans. B+
I believe the final 3 2002 films on my Netflix list are : Porn Star, Nowhere In Africa and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Added Tom Tykwer's Heaven (3.5 stars out of 5) - A flick that starts out as fascinating and eventually becomes a bit too abstract for its own good. Blanchett is absolutely fantastic throughout.