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BURNING IMAGES: The Best Films of 2002 By Rachel Deahl Review Film Critic Things never get more hectic at the movies than right now, in the throes of the holiday season. As the studios scramble to screen all their Oscar hopefuls before the New Year in order to undercut the deadline for Academy consideration, viewers are bombarded with a barrage of noteworthy films. But, like standing before a tree sprinkled with elegantly gift-wrapped boxes, the dilemma at the box office is choosing wisely and being able to see past the hype to pick the films worth tearing into. To help you in that endeavor, here's a list of ten films to check out. Some I can recommend and some I'm betting on to be winners. Recommended: "About Schmidt" This searing, dark, hilarious satire from Alexander Payne ("Election") is
set in the writer/director's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. It's there that
Jack Nicholson, starring as the titular Joe Warren Schmidt, is beginning
his retired life.
Stepping down as the top executive at an insurance firm, Warren is looking ahead to what should be good years of leisure he's worked hard to afford himself. But looking around at his life's achievements and his family (which includes a grating wife and estranged daughter), he's left with an empty, helpless feeling that he deserves better. Delivering a specifically American odyssey, complete with a vulgarized Leopold Bloom for the 21st century, "About Schmidt" is an honest, at times heart-breaking, tragicomedy about coming to terms with ourselves. Easily one of the best films of the year, with an exceptional turn from Nicholson as the despicably lovable, empathetic Schmidt, "About Schmidt" should not be missed. "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" Click for the Official Site For those who were wowed by the first film in Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings," this follow-up delivers more of the same: phenomenal special effects combined with unparalleled set design. Picking up like the second part of "To Be Continued" miniseries, "The Two Towers" follows the disparate journeys of the Fellowship, with the remaining members separated and mired in their own journeys. Centered on the battle for middle-Earth, the most thrilling scenes in the film revolve around a massive battle between humans and orcs. Adding a fluidity and seamlessness to the computer animation, Jackson produces another wonderfully vivid interpretation of Tolkien's world. That the film is essentially the same thing as "Fellowship" is more of a triumph than a disappointment, as it leaves you with the same anticipatory feeling for the next installment. George Lucas should be taking notes. "Punch Drunk Love" Click for the Official Site Although this bizarre romantic comedy from director P.T. Anderson ("Boogie
Nights," "Magnolia") was given a limited release back in November,
hopefully audiences will still have the chance to see it this holiday
season.
A groundbreaking effort, "Punch Drunk Love" is undoubtedly one of the most unusual and bravest American films of the year. An unnerving and exhilarating romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor comic, the film stars Adam Sandler as a socially retarded small business owner, prone to uncontrollable violent outbursts. Seemingly a tale about its unlikely hero's affair with a bubbly Brit (Emily Watson), "Punch Drunk" is actually a genre-breaking deconstruction of Sandler's celebrity, romantic comedies and our strange fixation with both. More revelatory than it is enjoyable, "Punch Drunk Love" is unlike anything in recent memory. "Solaris" Click for the Official Site This intellectual studio project from Stephen Soderbergh ("Traffic") is a
wonderful remake of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film of the same name.
Tarkovsky's film was called the Russian "2001" upon its release, but
Soderbergh rightly evokes two other American films for this skillful sci-fi
love story: "Vertigo" and "Blade Runner."
In a vaguely futuristic world, George Clooney stars as Dr. Kelvin, a brooding shrink who is reeling from the untimely death of his wife. When he's rocketed off to help the ailing crew of a mission monitoring the planet Solaris, the Dr. boards the ship to discover an apparition who seems to be the reincarnation of his dead wife. Complicating matters is the fact that the creature is self-aware, cognizant of the fact that she shares a distinct bond with Kelvin's wife, but at the same time, is not Kevlin's wife. Exploring issues of death, religion and love, "Solaris" touches on many of the long-running philosophical questions of life. But, most interestingly, it focuses on the "Vertigo" theme about the devastating way love is always mediated by perception and memory. A Few Good Horses: "Catch Me If You Can" Click for the Official Site This anticipated release, which marks one of the two films in the Leonardo DiCaprio double exposure (the second being "Gangs of New York"), also boasts Stephen Spielberg behind the camera. Based on a true story about a con man, the film is a chase in which Tom Hanks' FBI agent attempts to bring down DiCaprio's smooth-talking, elusive shark. Though it looks rather slight from the trailers, we have to assume there was something interesting that drew this talent to the project. "Gangs of New York" Click for the Official Site Rumors of difficulties on the set and release delays have shrouded Martin Scorcese's highly anticipated epic about 19th century New York City street gangs in an air of mystery. Reports about DiCaprio badmouthing the film were released along with a string of stories that Scorcese was wrangling with his moneyman, the infamous Miramax studio head, Harvey Weinstein. The latest word says test audiences are coming out of theaters with mixed reviews. But rumors aside, the potential for greatness seems as high as it does for disaster. Scorsese is ripe for a hit and he's returning to his most fertile and successful subject matters here: New York City immigrants and the mafia. With its star-studded cast (which includes DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and Jim Broadbent), it's hard to resist getting excited for this one. A short list of other films that will probably be worth the while: "The Hours" "Talk to Her" "Adaptation" "Far From Heaven"
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