Best Films Of 2002
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- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsAl PacinoRobin WilliamsHilary SwankTwo Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.Shadows Of The Internal Reflection
To me this is easily Nolan's most underappreciated film. Somehow the Hillary Seitz adapted screenplay and Nolan's vision/direction work wonders here in my mind. I've seen the original Norwegian film, and while it is good, I really don't think it's fit to lick the boots of this monster. I think most people have missed the deeper meaning of this version, or they don't let it grab them because it actually is such a scary thing in reality. The consequences of past choices. The way Nolan and his Cinematographer use dark and light here, and the setting itself also adds extra layers of depth to the film. The original Insomnia uses mostly just light, and in a slightly different way, but both are done effectively. If the subject matter of this reversion, (I don't really consider it a remake, but a reversion.) is fully understood, I really feel that this is a horror film in a very real sense. To let it fully penetrate your consciousness is a challenging and down right horrific thing...and you know why? Every person has crossed the line. Every adult has even defied their own values at some point. Every person has crossed God, or crossed the very lifegiving force of nature if you prefer. At least in some way, all adults have done it, and there is no going back. No one can truly escape this film's deep truth if looked at honestly. To me, this is not only Nolan's most underappreciated film. After Memento only, this is easily in my mind, his best film overall. Internally startling, but great! 9/10 - StarsAdam CurtisRobert ReichAnn BernaysA documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful means of persuasion for both governments and corporations.The in depth story of how the ruthless and the super rich of the 20th century gained control over the minds of the masses on the back of Freudian psychology, classic manipulation, and mass media. Not everything is put together here with complete accuracy, but it is fairly close. 8.5/10
- DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsSam RockwellDrew BarrymoreGeorge ClooneyAn adaptation of the cult memoir of game show impresario Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell), in which he purports to have been a C.I.A. hitman.Outrageous fun. 8/10
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioCameron DiazDaniel Day-LewisIn 1862, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer.America was born in the streets.
- DirectorSpike JonzeStarsNicolas CageMeryl StreepChris CooperA lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen."No one's ever done a film about flowers before." 8/10
- DirectorRandall WallaceStarsMel GibsonMadeleine StoweGreg KinnearThe story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.Not nearly everything is done as well as it could have been done here. However what is amazing to me about this film is that battle wise, it is apparently a very close to an exact representation as far as the battle goes. This aspect of the film is crazy, as it should be, this is a recreation of the bloodiest battle in American history. War is insanity really, unless it's entirely in defense. This is just another one of the films that helps prove that fact. Insane indeed!
- DirectorFernando MeirellesKátia LundStarsAlexandre RodriguesLeandro FirminoMatheus NachtergaeleIn the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.This film was raved about by some critics. I actually didn't think it was quite as effective as it could've been. Nonetheless, it is still a very good film.
- DirectorDylan KiddStarsCampbell ScottJesse EisenbergIsabella RosselliniAfter breaking up with his lover and boss, a smooth-talking man takes his teenaged nephew out on the town in search of sex.Funny, and smarter than it may appear to many.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HanksChristopher WalkenBarely 17 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.Cartoonish in it's delivery for sure, but somehow Spielberg made this work pretty well. It's certainly easy and fun to watch.
- DirectorGaspar NoéStarsMonica BellucciVincent CasselAlbert DupontelEvents over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in an underpass tunnel.I can't say that I like Gaspar Noé films all that much. I've seen quite a few of them and so far, this is the only one I've really thought was any better than your average film.
- DirectorBarrie McLeanStarsLeonard CohenPema OzoktenTsering Sonam
- DirectorMark A. CatalenaStarsJim LaddRobbie RistNikki Sixx
- DirectorStephen GaghanStarsKatie HolmesBenjamin BrattCharlie HunnamAn investigation of a college student's missing boyfriend becomes quite strange when she begins to see him periodically.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsAdrien BrodyThomas KretschmannFrank FinlayDuring WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsRosario FloresJavier CámaraDarío GrandinettiTwo men share an odd friendship while they care for two women who are both in deep comas.7.5/10
- DirectorOmar Al-QattanMichael SchwarzTells the story of the seventh century prophet who changed world history in 23 years, and continues to shapes the lives of more than 1.2 billion people. The film takes viewers not only to ancient Middle Eastern sites where Muhammad's story unfolds, but into the homes, mosques and workplaces of some of America's estimated seven million Muslim to discover the many ways in which they follow Muhammad's example.
- DirectorRoger AvaryStarsJames Van Der BeekIan SomerhalderShannyn SossamonThe incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.
- DirectorJean-Claude BrisseauStarsCoralie RevelSabrina SeyvecouRoger MiremontNathalie teaches Sandrine that sexual transgression can cause violent pleasure and give those who use it a powerful weapon to climb the social hierarchy. They decide to get a job in a bank, a place where victims abound.If the subject matter sounds interesting to you, give this a try. While this film is a far cry from perfect. It has enough good and unique aspects to it for me to rate it. 7.5/10
- DirectorSam MendesStarsTom HanksTyler HoechlinPaul NewmanA mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.
- DirectorPeter KosminskyStarsMichelle PfeifferRenée ZellwegerRobin WrightA teenager journeys through a series of foster homes after her mother goes to prison for committing a crime of passion.
- DirectorKaren MoncrieffStarsDavid StrathairnAgnes BrucknerMargaret ColinA troubled young woman is encouraged by a teacher to enter a poetry contest.
- DirectorEllory ElkayemStarsDavid ArquetteKari WuhrerScott TerraVenomous spiders get exposed to a noxious chemical that causes them to grow to monumental proportions.5.5/10 What? Are you people on drugs? Or you just need some better ones? If you want to watch something silly funny and just relax and take a break from the trials of real life. This is a really fun film. Even Roger Ebert gave this the same rating as I have. Not that I always agree with him on films, because I definitely do not. 7.5/10
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom CruiseColin FarrellSamantha MortonJohn works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.I have a love hate relationship with Spielberg, though I've never met him. :) Anyway, I enjoy quite a few of his films, yet I really hate some of them too. His approach to storytelling itself is not really my cup of tea. However sometimes he has pulled off some pretty great things. The Color Purple and Jaws to me are his two best films for sure. Minority Report is a very good adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story; A writer I very much enjoy. In my book, this is one of the better Spielberg films. 7.5/10
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsGreg KinnearWillem DafoeMaria BelloThe life of TV star Bob Crane and his strange friendship with electronics expert John Henry Carpenter.
- DirectorPaul DavidsStarsPaul DavidsJoanna MalanosTonatiuh MalanosA documentary "buddy movie" about a Los Angeles artist and a native American Shaman in Sedona, Arizona. The artist turns to the Shaman for spiritual rejuvenation following the death of his father. An intimate, music-filled film.
- DirectorMenno MeyjesStarsJohn CusackNoah TaylorLeelee SobieskiA film studying the depiction of a friendship between an art dealer named Rothman and his student, Adolf Hitler.7/10
- DirectorD.J. CarusoStarsVal KilmerVincent D'OnofrioAdam GoldbergAfter a tragic incident, a man drifts into a world populated by thugs and speed junkies.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsMel GibsonJoaquin PhoenixRory CulkinA widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.
- DirectorMark PellingtonStarsRichard GereLaura LinneyDavid EigenbergA reporter is drawn to a small West Virginia town to investigate a series of strange events, including psychic visions and the appearance of bizarre entities.
- DirectorLiliana CavaniStarsJohn MalkovichDougray ScottLena HeadeyA dying family man in need of money is persuaded to assassinate a European crime boss.
- DirectorRob MarshallStarsRenée ZellwegerCatherine Zeta-JonesRichard GereTwo death-row murderesses develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity, celebrity, and a sleazy lawyer's attention.
- DirectorNeil BurgerStarsDylan HaggertyRaymond J. BarryRenee FaiaAlmost forty years after the John F. Kennedy assassination, an ex-Marine named Walter Ohlinger has come forward with a startling claim.
- DirectorJohn WooStarsNicolas CageAdam BeachPeter StormareTwo U.S. Marines in World War II are assigned to protect Navajo Marines, who use their native language as an unbreakable radio cypher.The film is actually quite good. One of the main drawbacks about this film however is it's focus. The timing seems off regarding some aspects in my view, which is the fault of the director. John Woo is better at creating beautiful looking battle scenes than he is at letting characters capture their moments and develop. At times the war violence definitely also looks too impressive and choreographed, which in another way slightly takes away from the film. Are we watching a ballet, or a war film here? At the same time the story is mostly very good and Cage in my view was excellent. Even despite a director who's not overly great with developing characters and allowing us to feel them fully. Somehow, Cage still manages to create something special here. Despite what anyone may say about Cage, the guy, when given the right role can knock it out of the park. He pretty much does here. The film and his character in some ways are certainly a little Hollywood cartoonish one could say, but you also have to give some credence to the fact that some people really were and are brave war heroes. Extraordinary events like war can lead to extraordinary actions by human beings, sometimes both good and bad.
I have heard there is now a Director's cut of this film available, and to be honest I'm not sure what version I saw, since I just streamed it. Anyway, even so, there's little doubt in my mind that the best Cage/Woo film will probably always remain as, Face/Off. Nonetheless, this film is well worth checking out. 7/10 - DirectorSteven ShainbergStarsJames SpaderMaggie GyllenhaalJeremy DaviesA young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns into a sexual, sadomasochistic one.
- DirectorJonas ÅkerlundStarsJason SchwartzmanJohn LeguizamoPatrick FugitA drug dealer introduces one of his customers, a 'speed freak', to the man who runs the meth lab. A crazy three-day adventure ensues.
- DirectorMatthew BrightStarsMichael Reilly BurkeBoti BlissJulianna McCarthyThe story of serial killer Ted Bundy.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorTen years after initially meeting, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala, while Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.
- DirectorAdrian LyneStarsRichard GereDiane LaneOlivier MartinezA New York suburban couple's marriage goes dangerously awry when the wife indulges in an adulterous fling.
- DirectorGuillaume NiclouxStarsThierry LhermitteMarion CotillardSamuel Le BihanIt's been six months since Rachel Siprien disappeared. At the request of Rachel's mother, private detective François takes over the investigation. The young woman, with a complex and multi-faceted personality, is part of a strange network made up of her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, her stepfather and everyone who knows her well or even slightly. François begins to frequent these various friends and acquaintances, and penetrates Rachel's daytime and nocturnal habitat. He spies, asks disturbing questions, and intentionally fills in the blanks left by those he questions.
- DirectorTom TykwerStarsCate BlanchettGiovanni RibisiRemo GironeA woman takes the law into her own hands after police ignore her pleas to arrest the man responsible for her husband's death, and finds herself not only under arrest for murder but falling in love with an officer.
- DirectorRobby HensonStarsBilly Bob ThorntonPatricia ArquetteWilliam DevaneSheriff Hardwick investigates the death of Mona, a transexual woman. The judge asks that the case is archived to prevent it impacting the upcoming elections, but the evidence keeps coming in.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
- DirectorMehdi NorowzianStarsJoseph FiennesElisabeth ShueSam ShepardA recently-released prisoner and a troubled young boy share a pen-pal relationship, both connected by their past.
- DirectorNick CassavetesStarsDenzel WashingtonRobert DuvallGabriela OlteanJohn Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.
- DirectorRoger MichellStarsBen AffleckSamuel L. JacksonKim StauntonA young lawyer and a businessman share a small automobile accident, and their mutual road rage escalates into a feud.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstWillem DafoeAfter being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.
- DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsDennis QuaidJD EvermoreRachel GriffithsA Texas baseball coach makes the major league after agreeing to try out if his high school team made the playoffs.
- DirectorOlivier AssayasStarsConnie NielsenGina GershonChloë SevignyA French corporation goes head-to-head with an American web media company for the rights to a 3-D manga pornography studio, resulting in a power struggle that culminates in violence and espionage.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsAdam SandlerEmily WatsonPhilip Seymour HoffmanSocially frustrated Barry Egan calls a phone-sex line to curb his loneliness. Little does he know it will land him in deep trouble and will jeopardize his burgeoning romance with the mysterious Lena.6.5/10
- DirectorJacques NolotStarsVittoria ScognamiglioJacques NolotSébastien VialaIn a Parisian porn theater, a cashier, a 50-year-old man and a young projectionist are drawn into a complex love affair.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsJulia RobertsDavid Hyde PierceDavid DuchovnyA day in the life of a group of men and women in Hollywood, in the hours leading up to a friend's birthday party.
- DirectorWalt BeckerStarsRyan ReynoldsTara ReidTim MathesonThe most popular kid on campus meets a beautiful journalist who makes him realize that maybe he's afraid to graduate.
- DirectorSteve BeckStarsJulianna MarguliesGabriel ByrneRon EldardA salvage crew discovers a long-lost 1962 passenger ship floating lifeless in a remote region of the Bering Sea, and soon notices that its long-dead inhabitants may still be on board.
- DirectorLouis LeterrierCorey YuenStarsJason StathamShu QiMatt SchulzeFrank Martin, who "transports" packages for unknown clients, is asked to move a package that soon begins moving, and complications arise.