Guns, dorks, writers and orcs: the best flicks of '02

This past year wound-up being one of the best for cinema in recent memory. Sure, filmgoers had to wade through junk like "Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever," "Men In Black II" and "XXX," but without the bad does one truly have a barometer to measure the good? I think not.\nIn many respects 2002 was reminiscent of 1999, another stellar year in filmmaking when revolutionary works such as "The Matrix," "American Beauty" and "Fight Club" were unleashed upon an unsuspecting public. Unsurprisingly, many of the minds behind these debut and/or breakthrough features (i.e. Alexander Payne, Sam Mendes, David Fincher, Spike Jonze and Paul Thomas Anderson) released their follow-up flicks in 2002 (hence the similarity). And luckily there was nary a sophomore and/or junior slump in the bunch.\nEven the guys who brought pie humping and woodwind masturbation into the mainstream with "American Pie" (also released in '99) managed to make one of the bitter flicks of the year with the surprisingly heartfelt and hilarious, "About a Boy."\nHere is a list of the Top 10 films I managed to catch in 2002. Admittedly, there's many critically lauded and surely worthwhile flicks I've yet to see (i.e. "Frida," "Far From Heaven" and "Antwone Fisher" to name a few), but these films have either failed to hit town yet, just arrived in town and I've been too busy to catch them or they simply didn't interest me (Salma Hayek in a unabrow...no thanks). So without further ado, here's my clichéd, ordered by preference and in all likelihood, later to be amended list.\n1) "Bowling for Columbine" - Michael Moore managed to make the most important film of 2002, documentary or otherwise. It's a film that every U.S. citizen should see regardless of age, sex, race, income or political leanings. This is hands down the most heartbreaking and hilarious film of 2002 and no, it's not just about guns. \n2) "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" - One name summarizes this film's inclusion on the list: Gollum. Forget Jar Jar and Dobby, ol' Sméagol's the real deal so far as computer-animated characters go. Andy Serkis, the voice and face behind Gollum, is deserving of an Oscar. It also didn't hurt that the flick contains some of the best battle sequences ever committed to celluloid.\n3) "Adaptation" - Just as trippy as Jonze and Kaufman's previous collaboration, "Being John Malkovich," only more accomplished. "Adaptation" is the most original film of 2002 and features Nicolas Cage and Chris Cooper in brave, career-best performances. \n4) "Narc" - Certainly a throwback to the '70s heyday of hard-boiled cinematic police yarns (i.e. "The French Connection" and "Serpico"), "Narc" is the best cops-and-crooks flick since "Heat." This second film from writer/director Joe Carnahan (his first being the little-seen cheapie, "Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane"), showcases under-appreciated actors Jason Patrick and Ray Liotta in roles they can really sink their teeth into. The film also boasts the best and most jarring opening sequence of any film in 2002. This is the movie that the overrated "Training Day" wanted to be. \n5 & 6) "Punch-Drunk Love"/ "About Schmidt" - Two films about two sad bastards - one young, one old - both great. Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson play against type and reap the benefits in small, darkly funny flicks from immensely talented writer/directors P.T. Anderson and Alexander Payne. Both works make me look forward to the stars' upcoming collaboration in the presumably lighter, "Anger Management."\n7) "The Rules of Attraction" - Roger Avary's pitch-perfect rendition of Bret Easton Ellis' seemingly unfilmable novel is a revelation. The camera work and editing are top-notch and James Van Der Beek's performance as a soulless, drug-pedaling lothario moves him well away from the "Creek." Lastly, the European Vacation Montage is the most fun three minutes I've spent in a theater all year.\n8-9) "Road to Perdition"/ "Gangs of New York" - Two period epics surrounding the familial battles of Irish toughs, one the dream project of New York's foremost cineaste, Martin Scorsese, the other the second project from British stage director-turned-filmmaker, Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"). Kudos to both Jude Law and Daniel Day-Lewis (in the year's best overall performance) for playing memorably filthy creeps filmgoers loved to hate.\n10) "Y Tu Mamá También" - Bar none the freakiest, sexiest, saddest and simultaneously funniest film I saw last year. It's a Mexican flavored melding of "Catcher and the Rye," "On the Road" and soft-core pornography. Bold and vivacious in ways few films have the stones to be, Alfonso Cuarón's latest is a stunning piece of work. It boggles the mind to think that Warner Bros. is going to unleash this guy on the next "Harry Potter" flick.