Listing

It's that time of year again.  My friend Jesse Walker is making his top ten film list.  But not for 2012.  Rather, for every year that ends in a 2 for as far back as he dares go.  He's actually been doing it for ten years now, but that hasn't stopped him.  We start with 2002.

Here's his top 10:

1. The Wire
2. Talk to Her
3. Mai's America
4. The Office (Season 2)
5. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
6. Decasia
7. The Quiet American
8. Dirty Pretty Things
9. About Schmidt
10. City of God
 
I have some disagreements with this last.  As Jesse knows, I don't believe in putting TV shows on movies lists, so #1 and #4 are out before we start (though both are excellent shows).  Talk To Her and Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind I like, but I'm not as thrilled by The Quiet American, Dirty Pretty Things and About Schmidt (made in-between two better films from the same director).  I haven't seen #3 and #6. #10 would definitely make my top ten list--might even top it.

Here are his honorable mentions:

11. Man on the Train
12. 25th Hour
13. The Girl on the Train in the Moon
14. Femme Fatale
15. Hero
16. Chicago
17. Punch-Drunk Love
18. In Smog and Thunder
19. 28 days later…
20. Biggie & Tupac

I don't think I've seen #11, and I'm sure I haven't seen #13, 18 and 20.  25th Hour I like--it may be Spike Lee's best (perhaps because he didn't write it).  Femme Fatale has some great shots (what Brian De Palma film doesn't?) but doesn't hold together well (what Brian De Palma film does?).  Hero is okay but Zhang Yimou has done a lot better. Chicago, which won the Best Picture Oscar, isn't much. Regarding Punch-Drunk Love, PTA makes interesting films, but I don't think he's made a good one since the 90s.  28 Days Later... is a great zombie film.

Here are a few titles that would have made my top ten list:

About A Boy

Jackass: The Movie

Catch Me If You Can

Here are some other films of 2002 that I liked:

Big Trouble, 24 Hour Party People, Adaptation (two-thirds a classic), All Or Nothing, The Kid Stays In The Picture, Bend It Like Beckham, The Good Girl, Whale Rider,

Other 2002 films of note:

 

Clockstoppers, The Panic Room, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Hollywood Ending, Spider-Man, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Undercover Brother, The Bourne Identity, Lilo & Stitch, Minority Report, Men In Black 2, Road to Perdition, Signs, One Hour Photo, 8 Mile, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (or as I used to call it, "Harry And The Chamberpot Of Secrets"), Death To Smoochy, Die Another Day, Gangs Of New York, Lord Of the Rings: The Two Towers, Ali G Indahouse. Antwone Fisher, Auto Focus, Ballistic: Ecks vs.Sever (notable for the title alone), Better Luck Tomorrow (which I seem to recall Jesse liked), Bowling For Columbine, Bubba Ho-tep, Frida, Full Frontal, The Good Thief, The Guru, The Hours, House Of Fools, Igby Goes Down, In America, Infernal Affairs, Irreversible, The Magdalene Sisters, Morvern Callar, Narc, Phone Booth, The Pianist, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Ripley's Game, Russian Ark, The Salton Sea, Secretary, Sunshine State, Tadpole, Welcome To Collinwood