1. "Minority Report"(2002)
Intelligent isn't a word that's often used to describe a sci-fi action movie. It certainly applies here. Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg waited nearly two decades to join forces for a cerebral popcorn flick that may have been too dark and complicated for simple-minded summertime audiences. Loosely based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, the film presents an intriguing and realistic vision of a future similar to two celebrated Dick adaptations, "Blade Runner" and "Total Recall". In the year 2054, Cruise is the chief of Washington D.C.'s Pre-Crime Unit- a specialized police force that apprehends would-be killers before the murders even take place with the foreknowledge provided by three powerful psychics(Samantha Morton deserved Best Supporting Actress consideration). Cruise gets to do what he does best and that's run after being pegged as a suspect by his own controversial crime-fighting squad, while Spielberg delivers the kind of peerless entertainment he first perfected in "Raiders of the Lost Ark".
2. "Catch Me If You Can"(2002)
Accuse me of favoritism all you want, but in my book(or blog) Spielberg made the two best movies of 2002. Leonardo DiCaprio finally began living up to the huge expectations brought on by "Titanic"(more on that later) in this immensely enjoyable fact-based tale as charming 1960s con man Frank Abagnale, who successfully posed as a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer while simultaneously passing over $1 million in bad checks. Leo gets stellar support from '90s golden boy Tom Hanks as the straight arrow FBI man hot on his trail and Christopher Walken as his slightly roguish pop. This is a once-in-a lifetime collection of superior talent(watch out for a young Amy Adams!) in one of the most pleasing flicks of this or any other celluloid era.
3. "The Pianist"(2002)
It took nine years for another major director to tackle the Holocaust after 1993's "Schindler's List"(okay, the Spielberg worship will stop now) and Roman Polanski, an actual survivor of the Nazis' horrific crimes, brought realism and restraint to his obviously painful recollection of one of the darkest chapters in human history. The exiled filmmaker received heavy praise for his most acclaimed work since "Chinatown" and a redemptive Academy Award for Best Director, while Adrien Brody became the youngest recipient of the Best Actor Oscar at age 29 for his role as a Jewish-Polish pianist and composer who lived to tell of the ever-worsening conditions of the Warsaw Ghetto. Polanski's film came up short in it's quest for the top prize, though. Somehow, "Chicago" won Best Picture.
The second chapter in Peter Jackson's revered trilogy only deepened the devotion of it's growing legion of fanatics. Many would take up residence on Middle-earth if they could, which is just a testament to how immersive J.R.R. Tolkien's world is. Andy Serkis should have been recognized with a Best Supporting Actor nomination(maybe even the win) for showing us what Jar Jar Binks should have been, not that this series was ever slighted during awards season or anything, while the climactic battle of Helms Deep upped the action quotient considerably. Jackson makes breathtaking use of the New Zealand backdrop, and effortlessly sidesteps the inherent difficulties of following up an immensely popular predecessor.
5. "Spider-Man"(2002)
The superhero movie renaissance that still rages on today officially started in 2002, when the crown jewel of Marvel Comics finally made his way to the big screen after several years of false starts and legal entanglements. Tobey Maguire was perfectly cast as high school nerd Peter Parker who yearns for the affections of neighbor and classmate Mary Jane(Kirsten Dunst). Aided by a radioactive spider bite and some eye-popping CGI, he fights crime in New York as his webslinging alter ego and clashes with the sinister Green Goblin(Willem Dafoe). There are some corny lines and moments and Dafoe's face is scarier than the Green Goblin mask, but overall Sam Raimi's sunny, upbeat blockbuster was a triumphant introduction to a legendary character and was exactly what audiences needed and wanted post- 9/11.
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| "You're calling me a disgrace? You made "Death To Smoochy"? |
Al Pacino's last good one for a long while(before his celebrated career took a rather ugly slide) was Chris Nolan's psychological suspense thriller. The acting legend plays a sleep-deprived LAPD detective summoned to a small Alaskan town to aid in the investigation of a teenage girl's murder. Robin Williams' turn as a quietly unhinged killer also happens to be his last respectable role before he descended into a string of unforgivable comedies. This overlooked gem had little chance of making a big impression at the box office with an early summer release that saw it sandwiched between "Spiderman" and "Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones", but it seems to have found a nice afterlife on cable.
7. "About Schmidt"(2002)
Jack Nicholson is entertaining even on autopilot, but when he's fully invested in a character, you're in for something special. The three-time Oscar winner drops all his trademark mannerisms and disappears into the role of 66 year old sad-sack retiree Warren Schmidt, who takes a long hard look at his life and realizes it was devoid of passion and purpose. His often hilarious odyssey to try and change that before it's too late should speak to any age group. Kathy Bates makes an appearance you won't soon forget, while director Alexander Payne proved that "Election" was no fluke, and would go on to continue his mastery of the comedy/drama with "Sideways" and "The Descendants".
8. "The Hours"(2002)
Nicole Kidman donned a prosthetic nose and claimed the Best Actress Oscar to complete her post-Tom Cruise reinvention that saw the Aussie beauty arguably become Hollywood's most sought-after actress. Many subsequent projects proved unworthy of her talents, making this triumphant turn as wounded novelist Virginia Woolf the high point of an up-and-down career. Woolf's tragic tale is told in lengthy flashbacks to 1923, while parallel stories detail the similarly pained lives of two women(Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep) she indirectly influenced in 1951 and 2001. That's three great actresses in three time periods, each one aided by David Hare's Oscar-nominated script and Stephen Daldry's subtle direction.
9. "Adaptation."(2002)
Remember when Nic Cage was an interesting actor? My research shows that the guy actually once gave a damn and did make some movies were worth watching, but I'm not here to talk about his hellish descent into career-killing paycheck roles. Cage perfectly captured the tortured existence of a screenwriter(or any 'creative' person, for that matter) in a wholly original and semi-autobiographical tale from the unorthodox duo behind "Being John Malkovich", Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman. The one-and-only Meryl Streep and Best Supporting Actor winner Chris Cooper only added to the universal critical praise of this quirky gem.
10. "Gangs of New York"(2002)
Martin Scorsese's long gestating 19th Century epic is noteworthy for two reasons- it marked the first of five collaborations with his new favorite leading man Leonardo DiCaprio(the duo have seemingly struck up a working relationship similar to the legendary director's previous alliance with De Niro). The second reason is pictured above. Daniel Day-Lewis' role as charismatic killer Bill the Butcher is what really got all that 'greatest actor in the world' stuff started and it hasn't dissipated one bit in the decade since. Scorsese didn't seem totally comfortable sustaining this film's grandiose scale over it's butt-numbing three hour length, but his ambition and effort is at the very least commendable, and he's just that rare filmmaker incapable of making a bad movie.
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