@ The Movies: Top 10 In 2002

Top Picks Run Genre Gamut

The time to list my top 10 movie picks has come again, and I have to say, this year it was an especially difficult task to narrow the list down. Unlike the last few years, 2002 offered an unusually large variety of great movies to pick from.

I'll admit I'm really not a fan of assigning ranks or "the best" mantles to movies that I see, simply because each movie has its own audience. Here are the movies that found me -- and stuck with me -- in 2002.

10. "Austin Powers in Goldmember" -- The uproarious celebrity cameo opening alone qualifies it for this list, but in the end, this top 10 notice is more a salute to the fresh, unfettered joy the entire "Austin Powers" trilogy has brought to us since we first met the "International Man of Mystery."

9. "Far From Heaven" -- Not only is this melodrama set in the '50s, it actually feels like it was made in the '50s -- thanks to beautiful cinematography, subtle direction by Todd Haynes, and memorable performances in a not-so-idyllic-world by Julianne Moore, Dennis Haysbert and Dennis Quaid.

8. "Minority Report"/"Catch Me If You Can" -- OK, so the top 10 list technically has 11 movies. But Spielberg is a master filmmaker, and deserves the dual mention. Whether it's a frighteningly real futuristic thriller, or a strange-but-true caper comedy-drama, he makes you believe. For an audience member, you can't ask for anything more.

7. "Ice Age" -- Once again the animation community manages to give their live-action counterparts a run for their money with a touching and entertaining tale of tolerance, friendship and family.

6. "Spider-Man" -- Director Sam Raimi spins a brilliant mix of action and subtlety, while the dual role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man gets the depth it needs for the movie to click from a soulful Tobey Maguire. Finally, "Wonder Boy" Maguire and wunderkind director Raimi got the worldwide recognition they both so richly deserved.

5. "Adaptation" -- "Being John Malkovich" director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman pull off another irreverent masterpiece, which this time finds Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) literally wrapped up in his own post-"Malkovich" screenplay. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

4. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" -- For the lack of better words, it's the most "engaging" romantic comedy in years. Move over Julia, Reese, Cameron and J. Lo -- Hollywood's new romantic leading lady is named Nia Vardalos -- and she's a hell of a screenwriter, to boot.

3. "Road to Perdition" -- This gangster drama finds Tom Hanks mastering an uncharacteristic morally ambiguous role, and showcases another brilliant performance from Paul Newman. What more is there to say?

2. "Gangs of New York" -- Martin Scorsese's brutally realistic period revenge drama has all the goods, from a compelling story to its cesspool set pieces and gritty performances. Don't let Leonardo DiCaprio's top billing fool you, though: Daniel Day-Lewis owns this movie.

1. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" -- Peter Jackson's film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary masterpiece gets twice as big with this second film in the trilogy -- and in this case, bigger is better. Marked by its epic vistas, brilliant visual effects, breathtaking action and memorable performances, "The Return of the King" can't come soon enough. When all is said and done, "The Lord of the Rings" is going to be one hell of a nine-hour movie.

A Second Opinion

Every diagnosis deserves a second opinion -- so here are local6.com film critic Debra Scott's top 10 picks for 2002.

1. "Gangs of New York"

2. "Chicago"

3. "Adaptation"

4. "Frida"

5. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

6. "One Hour Photo"

7. "The Kid Stays in the Picture"

8. "Bowling for Columbine"

9. "The Pianist"

10. "About Schmidt"

More Info: For more of2002, check out film critic Michelle Solomon's Celebrity Chatter column.

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