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Kim Hollis' Top Ten Lists for 2002
2002 was a wonderful year for film, and I say this because I want to talk as much about the movies that I was sad that I had to exclude from my top ten list as the ones that were on the list. In a year where even some of the films on my "worst of" list are movies that I was just vaguely indifferent to rather than violently against, it was truly a pleasure and a delight to be a cinephile. The year's most exquisite experience at the cinema belongs to Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece of animation and fantasy. The story is eminently watchable (and re-watchable), as an entire new world is created before the audience's very eyes. The animation is fluid and akin to a painting come to life. I remember a time when I was a young girl much like the heroine, Chihiro, bored with everything and pouty as hell. At that age, it was books like Frank L. Baum's Oz series that brought me escape, so the similar parallel world created in this film is resonant and delightful. I expound on the wonders of About a Boy in my commentary on Best Picture, but am compelled to add a couple of additional remarks. When I initially started to compile my list of favorites, the film was ranked a bit lower. Then the DVD release came out and I revisited the movie a second time, at which point I realized it just makes my heart sing. There can be no greater praise. Showing my tendency toward loving animated films, Lilo & Stitch is simply a delight. Much like Chihiro, the experiences of Lilo, Nani, David and Stitch are affecting because they're real. That may seem like an odd comment about a movie that tells the story of a bad alien who accidentally invades the Hawaiian Islands, but the honest evaluation is that everyone has felt lonely or misunderstood at some point in their life (some of us more than others, of course). This Disney film is unique in that it has some of the most fully-developed characters ever seen in one of their animated productions, and what is even more amazing is that it's all done in an hour and a half. It was a pleasure to give this movie to my young niece as a Christmas gift and see her watch it the first time. I geek out for the Lord of the Rings films as much as, well, the rest of the world, apparently. This year's edition is one of the top grossing films of all time, and it is certainly an audience pleaser, with an amazing, drawn out battle along with one of the best creature creations since perhaps the original Star Wars series in Gollum. Peter Jackson has done a commendable job of translating the book to film, and it's very easy to immerse oneself into this fantastic Middle Earth that he has created. A film that has received far less notice than it deserves, Roger Dodger is a talky treatise on relationships, love, growing up, and self-confidence. Campbell Scott gives the performance of the year as the seemingly sexist and lecherous Roger, who takes his nephew out for a night on the town to teach him the art of the pick-up. As it turns out, Jesse Eisenberg gives a revelatory performance as the nephew, and combined with his supporting role in The Emperor's Club, he is certainly one of the rising young talents of the year to watch. I'm always partial to dialogue-driven stuff, so this movie really hit the spot. Closing out my top ten are the delightfully subversive Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which finally puts the attention-deserving Sam Rockwell in a true starring role, and Chicago, which wowed me with its cynical look at the media, the legal system, and the entertainment industry. About Schmidt filled my quirky Royal Tenenbaums slot, with a performance from Jack Nicholson that breaks his usual mold. The little-seen Quiet American features another tremendous performance from Michael Caine, and deserves better treatment despite what some consider to be fairly controversial subject matter. Finally, the heartwarming The Rookie belongs among the best sports movies of all time, giving Dennis Quaid a chance to shine as the unlikely pitcher Jim Morris, who managed to hit the major leagues in his late 30s. Ultimately, my decision on which films to include on my list came down to one qualifier when all else was equal: would I enjoy watching it again? All of the movies on my top ten list are definitely enjoyable on multiple viewings, and occasionally more is revealed on second glance than I caught the first time around. For this reason, I had the heartbreaking decision to leave a number of fantastic movies off my list, movies that in another year would probably have been included. I'd be remiss not to mention them. That list is comprised of the devastating The Pianist, the Ben Harper documentary Pleasure and Pain, Jerry Seinfeld's biting Comedian, and the creepy and elegantly-styled The Ring. Brown Sugar, a music-driven and crowd-pleasing romantic comedy could easily have been there, as could the hilarious quintet of Barbershop, Undercover Brother, Death to Smoochy, Big Trouble, and Super Troopers. Rounding out my "I wish I could have included them" list are Road to Perdition, The Bourne Identity, The Hours, Catch Me If You Can, Frailty, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Y Tu Mama Tambien and The Son's Room, not to mention the indie comedies The Importance of Being Earnest (sorry, Colin) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Never has there been a year when I've emerged from theaters so satisfied, with quality being the key word for the year.
Special Recognition AwardBest Line in a Forgettable FilmxXx is a trifle and utterly forgettable (and I say that despite all love for Vin Diesel), but it does go down as a classic for a throwaway line from a character who probably gets only 35 seconds of screen time. "Bitches, come!" will be a favorite that I will be quoting for a long, long, long time.
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Thursday, April 25, 2024
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