film: commentary

> 2002: YEAR IN REVIEW
Film Critic John C. Lyons wraps up the year in pictures.

Well it's March, and you know what that means, Oscar season is upon us! Since there is a lot of garbage playing the theaters this time of year, I can now go back and list my favorite films from 2002. I have also included a selection of Surprises (films that were better than I expected), Wastes (just a couple major stinkers this year), Ones that Got Away, and Best DVDs also.

THE GREATS
Bowling for Columbine
Chicago
Gangs of New York
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Panic Room
Punch-Drunk Love
Minority Report

Chicago, Gangs of New York, and The Two Towers have all been showered with nominations this year, and if you have not seen any of these films yet you should snatch them from the rental racks when they arrive! Chicago is good, good fun. Gangs is very strong and grueling, and Towers continues the Lord of the Rings upwards on its increasingly epic scale. I have added two personal favorites to my list from this past year that aren't "award material". I am a David Fincher (director) junkie, and I enjoyed every frame of Panic Room. Minority Report was a bit under-rated for being such a good film.

THE PLEASANT SURPRISES
Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Spider-man
The Bourne Identity
Adaptation
Jackass

Ok, so Star Wars Ep. II was not as poor as Star Wars Ep. I. My review here lead another person to write a review at EEc. I am sorry but I think the series is going down the tubes and I don't think I am the only one with this feeling. It's all about spectacle now and little of anything else. However, on subsequent viewings I feel a little better about Episode II, enough to list it here. Spider-Man was a fun comic-book flick and the big box office winner from 2002, the DVD edition was terrible however. And I don't know if I have ever laughed during a movie so much as I did for Jackass.

THE WASTES
Femme Fatale
Mr. Deeds

Adam Sandler re-hashed his same (now dull) act yet again, and Femme Fatale was just pathetic.

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY!
The Hours
The Pianist
The Rules of Attraction
Road to Perdition
Y Tu Mamá También

I wanted to see each of these movies. But at this point I either have not had the opportunity or the time.

BEST DVDs!
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 4 Disc Extended Version
Le Pacte Des Loupes (AKA Brotherhood of the Wolf) 3 Disc Canadian Version (the US version is a bare-bones)
From Hell: Limited Edition
Traffic: Criterion Collection
25 Years [on earth]: Special Edition (because I made it)

So there you have it. Another year, another list. I hope that you stick with us here through 2003, it is going to be a great year for movies! Thanks for reading!

By John C. Lyons
Film Critic

(03-0228)