2002 Film List - Page 3

Scott Weinberg · 12-21-2002, 04:10 PM

I just wanted to add that after seeing the trailer for Nicholas Nickleby I'm pretty excited about seeing the film.

Doesn't seem like there has been tons of buzz but it does seem to be getting at least decent critical notice.

Seth, check my list.

I've watched it twice now, and am surely falling in love with the movie.

Seth Paxton · 12-22-2002, 01:49 AM

Well maybe you were the critical notice I mentioned.

Yeah, that trailer really sold me. I was wondering why a stuffy, dry period piece was getting some critical discussion. Then I saw a trailer for a fun, funny, interesting film that looked to be quite upbeat, or at least up tempo. Just waiting on the arthouse to do their job now.

Crocodile Hunter 2 of 10
WTF!?!?!

This was supposed to be a movie, right? Kudos only to the interesting, yet annoying as hell star. "I'm bugging the hell out of this animal and, CRIKEY, it's getting mad." It's hard for that to get old over and over for 90 minutes. :p)

Lowell_B · 12-22-2002, 03:31 PM

Updated my list with:

Gangs of New York ****/****

Really just a fantastic movie, gorgeous cinematography, great acting and cast, and what glorious sets! While I don't think the movie to be too long, the middle just isn't as good in comparison as the beginning and end imo. I may downgrade it to ***1/2 stars, but as it stands a great **** movie from Scorsese.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ****/****

Wow. Better by a hair than the first one, it seemed to have better pacing and flow better than the theatrical FOTR cut. Still, some minor flaws that really prevent it from being as great as it could be. I wonder if in the screenplay, any time Gimli talked it just said "Insert Cheesy Joke Here". I mean come on, he had generally no use in the movie except for "comic"(which is highly debatable.) relief. Also, the Arwen dream scenes could've benefitted from some trimming. I can't wait for the extended cut and ROTK though.

Lowell

Jason Seaver · 12-22-2002, 06:41 PM

Boy, will I be glad when Christmas is over and I have time to watch movies again...

Adaptation is a smart, extremely clever movie that doesn't quite attain the dizzying heights of creativity that the director & writer's previous collaboration, Being John Malkovich, did but is pretty darn worthy in its own right. Can Nicholas Cage be nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor?

½

Evelyn is pure formula, but it's a quality example of the genre. As a Christmas treat that you can take your grandmother to, it's a complete success.

"It could have used some trimming but I can't wait for the extended cut." LOTR fans are weird.

Edwin Pereyra · 12-24-2002, 01:34 AM

Updated with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intacto.

~Edwin

Scott Weinberg · 12-24-2002, 10:40 PM

Updated with:

Love and a Bullet -

- Dialogue-heavy and derivative, but fun in a cheesy B-movie sorta way. Treach plays a young hitman who falls for his latest target. Hardly an original idea, but delivers cable flick fun in small doses.

8 Women -

- Delightful comedy/musical/murder mystery, laden with the finest French actresses of the past 40 years. If you can get past the mild weirdness of watching subtitles songs (it's easy) and you don't mind your cinematic confectionry a little on the sweet side, there's a lot of fun to be had with this one. And dear sweet lord is Emmanuelle Beart the peak of all things drop-dead gorgeous.

Far From Heaven -

- Sort of a dark flip-side of Leave it to Beaver and a pretty damn compelling dramatic tale in its own right. Todd Haynes recreates the 1950's down to the most minute detail, and offers up dual tales of 'societal taboos', resulting in a side of the Golden Era generally unseen before. The movie looks as if it were a particularly brave and insightful drama produced in 1953, and I mean that as a high compliment. Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid deliver fantastic performances, if you need a little more prodding.

Chicago -

- Having no experience with the stage show, I cannot comment on comparisons. As a movie, it's a dizzyingly cool time. Zellweger and Zeta give stunningly swingin' performances, John Reilly gets to warble a melancholy ditty, and try not to smile when Gere gets into the act. First-timer Rob Marshall brings a palpable 'Broadway' feel to the film, and I think it's one of the best musicals I've ever seen.

Seth Paxton · 12-25-2002, 12:12 AM

Pluto Nash 2 of 10
There was some parts of it that were almost good. And the basic premise seemed fine. I couldn't really identify any bad acting (though Randy Quaid has some blah moments) and the film has many good actors in it. But something is really wrong. Production value was one thing that jumped out. Overall it's not quite awful, but generally just cheaply done.

Had it had some of the flare of Total Recall or Fifth Element, they might have had a hit. That probably explains how they managed to cast so many good people, on paper I can see it looking like a big, fun film. Too bad it was made like Ghosts of Mars.

Unfaithful 7 of 10
A pretty good thriller/drama that reminded me of In the Bedroom mixed with Presumed Innocent. It's an interesting story, Gere I think does the most with his role even though Lane is getting all the talk. Neither is Oscar level, but it makes for an interesting, entertaining film. It's biggest fault is not where the story goes, but in how it presents it. In most ways you've simply seen it all before (although the acting is solid as I said). Had it stayed more stark, dry even, then the impact of the emotions would have felt more honest. Instead the film chooses to pump up every moment with traditional scoring, etc. right out of mainstream dull cinema. So they end up taking the edge off of some of the more interesting scenes.

Edwin Pereyra · 12-25-2002, 11:34 AM

Updated with David Cronenberg's Spider and Spike Jonze's Adaptation.

~Edwin

John Spencer · 12-25-2002, 07:18 PM

Updated with Murder By Numbers, The Rookie, and The Sum Of All Fears, all of which are no threat to my current top ten. But a couple of them may reach my bottom ten if I'm forced to sit through them again at another family gathering.