2002 Film List (1 Viewer)

[Dana Fillhart]

Updated my list with Bowling for Columbine, 80%.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

El Crimen Del Padre Amaro
Lost In Translation – No, not the current Sofia Coppola film, but that is how I would characterize certain films that become box office hits in one country but along the way, something happens and don’t translate very well in other countries. It could be that country’s culture or its sociopolitical climate at the time that is oblivious to others outside of its borders.
Miyazagi’s Spirited Away and its low box office performance here in the U.S. is one example even with its English language version for the younger crowd. And for that reason the same can be said with the hit film Chicago that has Germans scratching their heads over there.
Which brings me to Carlos Carrera’s El Crimen Del Padre Amaro that is now Mexico’s #1 box office film of all time. This film must have struck a lot of chords in Mexico but it left me untouched, unmoved and indifferent much like its principal character.
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On another film, Moonlight Mile, there is definitely nothing lost in translation here. Simply forgettable.
~Edwin

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Just when I thought I had nailed down my Top Films for 2002 a few months back comes Aleksandr Sokurov's beautiful and mysterious Russian Ark planting itself firmly at #6.
~Edwin

 

[Brook K]

Agree with you on Russian Ark (though I have it even higher) and Padre Amaro. Moonlight Mile may be forgettable, but I enjoyed it while I was watching.
Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind - For half or more of this film I thought it was excellent, extremely funny, witty, and stylish with Sam Rockwell a standout and solid supporting work from George Clooney and Drew Barrymore. But for me the movie loses its way as it heads into the inevitable celebrity "downward spiral"; trying to explain Barris with awkward symbolism about his Mother, a nightmare sequence that seemingly belonged in another movie, and who could forget the always amusing "celebrity goes on bender and holes up in cheap hotel room".
For me it REALLY worked when it was a comedy, but stumbles when it tries to take itself too seriously. B
That's almost it for me. I think Nowhere In Africa and The Man Without A Past will close out 2002 for me. I'm mostly working on 2003, the S&S list, and Criterions I haven't seen, before the month-o'-horror starts.

 

[Lowell_B]

Updated my list with:
The surprisingly excellent:
Enigma (***1/2 / ****)
Philip Noyce's second very good film of the year (Rabbit-Proof Fence was better imo):
The Quiet American (*** / ****)
And the absolutely horrible:
The Truth About Charlie (* / ****)
I wish I wasn't compelled to watch this after renting it to see the excellent Charade, alas, I did. How this movie turned out as awful as it did is a surprise to me. An unmitigated disaster.
Lowell

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Added to my list a DAMN good movie that everyone but me has long since seen: Bloody Sunday - 4.5 stars out of 5

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Also added the silly Jean Reno flick Wasabi.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with Brett Morgen’s and Nanette Burstein’s The Kid Stays In The Picture
The third in the series of documentaries I have seen this past week following Lost In La Mancha and Capturing The Friedmans proves to be another winner as it chronicles the ups and downs of the life of Hollywood producer Robert Evans. His story is told with such frankness and audacity including some of the shortcomings in his own personal life that few people in his position (and ego) are willing to accept.
Next up in my documentary series: Stevie
~Edwin

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Added Love Liza which bring my 2002 tally up to 315!

 

[Arman]

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[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with Ramin Serry's Maryam.
The film tackles so many issues but none of them deep enough to leave a lasting impression. Maybe, an appropriate vehicle for its story would have been a documentary than the present one it took.
~Edwin

 

[Seth Paxton]

I finally caught The Kid Stays in the Picture
9 of 10, which puts it somewhere from 15-20 on my best of 2002 list.
Not just an interesting documentary, good at getting the viewer inside the head of the subject and giving them greater insight into the person, but also very stylish in the telling. There are several artistic choices made that give the picture added life and expand its watchability to audiences outside the high-art and cinephile circles.
I can't remember if I ever mentioned them in this thread, but I also added Secretary sometime back (8.5 of 10, good film) and Narc (8.5 of 10) which is a nice, gritty film that is better at being a tough, emotional cop film than Training Day was (which resulted in an Oscar win for acting).
I need to update my list post still.

 

[Arman]

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[Edwin Pereyra]

The Kid Stays In The Picture... Best documentary of 2002

I will have to agree with you there.
~Edwin

 

[Brook K]

Updated with what will likely be my last 2 2002 viewings for the foreseeable future.
People will pay extra for an ocean view
The Man Without A Past is a very enjoyable quirky gem from Finland. Director Aki Kaurismaki uses dry humor, a mannered romance in a most ill-mannered situation, a visual sense a half-turn from realism towards fantasy, and sets it all to a rockabilly beat. A flat out fun movie that just misses my top 10. B+
Nowhere In Africa a story of a family in crisis, both due to the pressures of history and the shaky interpersonal relationship between husband and wife. But while moving and interesting when shown primarily from the daughter's point of view, the movie shifts to a more story-telling oriented style that no longer really gets inside the characters and is more content to describe events in their lives. The Kenyan scenery and solid score help to create a more epic feel. B (another case of the "safer, comfortable" movie winning the Oscar)

 

[Arman]

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[Seth Paxton]

Wow, did Ghost Ship suck. I try to stay open but this script was really hack work, barely distinguishing itself from Event Horizon in plotline (someone should sue actually) and doing it much, much worse.
I gave it a 2.5 mostly on acting which was the only part worth a crap, and even then they were working with terrible dialog most of the time.
It didn't quite make my 10 worst of 2001 though.

 

[Seth Paxton]

24 Hour Party People
8.5 of 10
It's a little jumpy on the explanations of some of the major shifts, like the success of the rave scene suddenly, but the film has a great, fun style. On top of that Coogan is enormously entertaining as Tony Wilson.

 

[Bill McA]

Updated my List with:
Inner Senses
Friday Night
The Weather Underground
Unspeakable
Stone Reader