8. "Punch-Drunk Love"
Once again P. T. Anderson proves himself the most exciting
filmmaker alive today. Here, the auteur of “Magnolia”
and “Boogie Nights” plays into and defies generic
conventions without making it feel forced. Adam Sandler, Emily
Watson and Phillip Seymour Hoffman make the movie a joy to watch.
The cinematography, score and color scheme are all gorgeous. This
is a painful, delightful movie.
7. "Adaptation"
Charlie Kaufman has written perhaps the most brilliant screenplay
ever, but it takes a while to fully sink in. Complete with sex,
drugs and car chases, it has everything a Hollywood blockbuster
could want, while simultaneously embracing and condemning its own
existence, transforming flaws into punch lines and strengths into a
satire of overused ideas.
6. "Y Tu Mama Tambien"
Alfonso Cuaron’s sexually-charged coming-of-age story becomes
more than the sum of its parts as two boys and an estranged-wife
journey the Mexican countryside. The ending is rushed and
doesn’t do the expertly drawn characters justice, but
Cuaron’s primarily un-Hollywood style has so much energy
through most of the movie it still satisfies.
5. "Bowling for Columbine"
Michael Moore has made an affecting documentary about guns.
It’s funny, uncomfortable and downright tragic. Despite, a
hokey ending and some vague questions, Michael Moore manages to
shock even himself. Watch the scene when K-Mart representatives
tell him they are no longer going to carry bullets. No one comes
out of this film without something to talk about.
4. "What Time is it There?"
Taiwanese director Tsai Ming Liang again uses his unique style of
long takes, no music and little dialogue. The movie is funny, but
the jokes are not staged or forced (you often laugh at the mundane
actions rather than the dialogue). The film is an insightful
collection of observations on human obsession and the unspoken
desires that drive us.
3. "Spirited Away"
Hayao Miyazaki (“Princess Mononoke”) has merged
compelling animated images (a band of coal-carrying vermin, a
dragon chased by a flock of paper birds, a stinky black blob, and a
train running up and down an endless ocean) with a coming-of-age
tale that is touched with warmth, devotion, catharsis and something
missing from too many movies: joy.
2. "The Fast Runner"
This film is good evidence that the best special effects are
natural; it does for snow tundras and igloos what “Lawrence
of Arabia” did for sand dunes and camels. The unique vision
is so captivating, you’ll walk out of the theater wondering
where your dogsled went only to remember we drive cars.
1. Far from Heaven Todd Haynes’ script/direction
and Elmer Bernstein’s score gorgeously complement the rich
color on screen. With brilliant design and luscious cinematography,
Haynes has crafted something truly poetic. It is the one true
masterpiece of 2002.