2002

GO TO 2001

2002

GO TO 2003

STOKED: THE RISE AND FALL OF GATOR (dir: Helen Stickler, R) - Greg says, "This is DOGTOWN & Z BOYS' ugly cousin. Mark 'Gator' Rogowski was one of the top pro skateboarders in the 80's. When the shift was made from 'vert' or ramp skating to street skating, he couldn't make the adjustment and his fame and money waned. A loose cannon to begin with, he soon went over the edge and thought it would be a good idea to hit a girl on the head with a pipe and dispose of her body in the desert. This genuinely affecting story illustrates how the superficiality of fame can create an emotional void in people that cannot be filled. Not even by hitting girls in the head with a pipe."

THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST (dir: Aki Kaurismaki, PG-13) - Greg says, "This witty fable from Finland's comic master Aki Kaurismaki so completely charms you with its unique worldview that it might as well be from outer space. The tale of a man who loses his identity after being beaten by thugs only to rediscover who he really is was a smash at Cannes in 2002, winning the Grand Prix and Best Actress for Kati Outinen for her performance as the Salvation Army worker who slowly falls in love with our unnamed hero. Absolutely do not miss this magical and heartbreaking masterpiece."

IRREVERSIBLE (dir: Gaspar Noe, Unrated) – Greg says, "Legendary Chilean crackpot Alejandro Jodorowsky once said that his life was a search for the ultimate poetical act. He said that he couldn’t disregard violence from being beautiful because there was poetry in it. Such is the case with IRREVERSIBLE, perhaps the most brutal and shocking film ever released. It is ugly. It might be perverse. If movies had existed 200 years ago, the makers of this one would have been publicly stoned or locked away forever. But it is poetic. It is a justifiable act of art. The puritanical mentality that says ugly things should be hidden away and not seen does not stop ugliness from existing or brutal acts from happening. I personally want to be aware of these things. To lay witness to the true ugliness of the world is the only way to hold honest reverence for beauty. You cannot have one without the other. And that is why IRREVERSIBLE deserves to be seen. The film that caused uproars around the world starts with a scene of vengeful violence and then unfolds in reverse to explain what revenge is being sought for. It then continues back further and we see the characters in happier times. The compelling aspect of this technique is that we know the outcome. We know these people are destined for disaster because we have already seen what happens to them. The reverse storytelling is not a gimmick or, as in MEMENTO, a puzzle to be solved. It is a device that allows the characters to gain a unique empathy from the viewer because we know their fate. So I believe that Mr. Jodorowsky would approve of IRREVERSIBLE, though he probably wouldn’t want to watch it with his grandmother."

THE WAY HOME (dir: Jeong-Hyang Lee, PG) - Greg says, "This adorable import from South Korea became one of that nation's most popular films of all time, and it's easy to see why. On the surface it's the simple story of seven-year-old Sang-Woo being sent to the countryside to visit his grandmother for the summer. He is a spoiled city kid who whines ferociously at her lack of modern amenities. He gradually, and begrudgingly, comes to appreciate her way of life, but not before attempting to make misery for her. The more complicated issues arise in the film as it subtly addresses the influence of disposable Western culture on ancient societies. The real treasure of the movie is Eul-Boon Kim who plays the grandmother. She was found in a tiny village and not only had never acted in a film before, she had never seen a film before."

SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (dir: Chan-wook Park, R) - Bart says, "I hate to think that the South Korean New Wave has come and gone already. For a while it seemed like every month we were getting a brilliant new movie from the third most densely populated country in the world, but they seem to be having some kind of a dry spell lately. The provocative OLDBOY was most westerners' introduction to this nation's cinema, but countless other equally memorable films came from there around the same time: ATTACK THE GAS STATION, OASIS, SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER... AND SPRING, MEMORIES OF MURDER, SAVE THE GREEN PLANET, TURNING GATE, TAKE CARE OF MY CAT - many of which force the audience's complicity in some form of torture. Best of all might be this first (OLDBOY is the second) in Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy - a beautiful and disturbing and deeply affecting story of a deaf man whose attempts to acquire a kidney transplant for his sister go horribly wrong."

BLISSFULLY YOURS (dir: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Not Rated) - Bart says, "It's summertime! Don't you wanna take a walk in the woods with your lover and lie down by a stream and do what comes natural? Not a whole lot happens in this enigmatic Thai masterpiece from one of the most intriguing new directors in world cinema (don't worry, you can call him 'Joe'), but once the young couple in the film take their romantic break from civilization you'll be absorbed and entranced and in the mood for a little amore al fresco."

ADAPTATION. (dir: Spike Jonze, Not Rated)

CITY OF GOD (dir: Fernando Meirelles, Not Rated)

FAR FROM HEAVEN (dir: Todd Haynes, Not Rated)

INFERNAL AFFAIRS (dir: Wai-keung Lau / Siu Fai Mak, Not Rated)

OASIS (dir: Chang-dong Lee, Not Rated)

PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (dir: Paul Thomas Anderson, Not Rated)

SWEET SIXTEEN (dir: Ken Loach, Not Rated)

24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (dir: Michael Winterbottom, Not Rated)

Also:

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) 8.6/10 (257663 votes)
...aka Herr der Ringe: Die zwei Türme, Der (2002) (Germany)
...aka Two Towers, The (2002) (USA: short title)
Spider-Man (2002) 7.4/10 (137910 votes)
Cidade de Deus (2002) 8.8/10 (115166 votes)
...aka City of God (2002) (International: English title) (UK)
...aka Cité de Dieu, La (2002) (France)
...aka God's Town (2002) (International: English title)
Minority Report (2002) 7.7/10 (107910 votes)
Catch Me If You Can (2002) 7.7/10 (102956 votes)
Pianist, The (2002) 8.5/10 (93670 votes)
...aka Pianist, Der (2002) (Germany)
...aka Pianista (2002) (Poland)
...aka Pianiste, Le (2002) (France)
Bourne Identity, The (2002) 7.7/10 (92416 votes)
...aka Bourne Identität, Die (2002) (Germany)
Gangs of New York (2002) 7.3/10 (87086 votes)
28 Days Later... (2002) 7.5/10 (77104 votes)
...aka 28 Days Later (2002) (UK: closing credits title)
...aka 29 Days Later (2003) (USA: longer version)
Chicago (2002) 7.3/10 (69890 votes)
...aka Chicago (2002) (Germany)
Bowling for Columbine (2002) 8.2/10 (67084 votes)
...aka Bowling for Columbine (2002) (Germany)
...aka Bowling à Columbine (2002) (Canada: French title)
Road to Perdition (2002) 7.7/10 (65148 votes)
Equilibrium (2002) 7.8/10 (63514 votes)
...aka Cubic (2003) (Europe: English title: video title)
Ying xiong (2002) 8.0/10 (63436 votes)
...aka Hero (2003) (USA)
...aka Jet Li's Hero (2003) (USA)
...aka Quentin Tarantino Presents Hero (2004) (USA: promotional title)
...aka Ying hung (2002) (China: Cantonese title)
Ice Age (2002) 7.4/10 (55105 votes)
Adaptation. (2002) 7.8/10 (52408 votes)
Red Dragon (2002) 7.3/10 (51109 votes)
...aka Roter Drache (2002) (Germany)
About Schmidt (2002) 7.3/10 (45476 votes)
25th Hour (2002) 7.9/10 (44061 votes)
Punch-Drunk Love (2002) 7.4/10 (39153 votes)
About a Boy (2002) 7.4/10 (39031 votes)
...aka About a Boy oder: Der Tag der toten Ente (2002) (Germany)
...aka Pour un garçon (2002) (France)
Hours, The (2002) 7.6/10 (35462 votes)
Count of Monte Cristo, The (2002) 7.5/10 (31205 votes)
...aka Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) (USA: complete title)
Hable con ella (2002) 8.0/10 (29101 votes)
...aka Talk to Her (2002) (International: English title)
Mou gaan dou (2002) 8.1/10 (25944 votes)
...aka Infernal Affairs (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Mou gaan dou (2002) (Hong Kong: Cantonese title: alternative transliteration)
...aka Non-Stop Way (2002) (Hong Kong: English title: literal title)
...aka Wu jian dao (2002) (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Irréversible (2002) 7.3/10 (22997 votes)
Frida (2002) 7.4/10 (20248 votes)
Whale Rider (2002) 7.7/10 (18633 votes)
...aka Geliebte Giganten - Wale (2003) (Germany)
...aka Te kaieke tohora (2003) (New Zealand: Maori title)
Bubba Ho-tep (2002) 7.4/10 (18264 votes)
In America (2002) 7.9/10 (18187 votes)
Far from Heaven (2002) 7.5/10 (16678 votes)
...aka Loin du paradis (2002) (France)
Narc (2002) 7.4/10 (15505 votes)
...aka Narco (2002) (Canada: French title)
Dirty Pretty Things (2002) 7.5/10 (14685 votes)
Lilja 4-ever (2002) 7.8/10 (12275 votes)
...aka Lilya 4-ever (2003) (International: English title)
Auberge espagnole, L' (2002) 7.3/10 (11913 votes)
...aka Auberge espagnole, L' (2002) (USA)
...aka Casa de locos, Una (2002) (Spain)
...aka Euro Pudding (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Pot Luck (2003) (Canada: English title) (UK)
...aka Spanish Apartment, The (2003) (USA)
Quiet American, The (2002) 7.3/10 (11630 votes)
...aka Spy, The (2003) (Philippines: English title)
...aka Stille Amerikaner, Der (2003) (Germany)
...aka Un américain bien tranquille (2002) (France)
Boksuneun naui geot (2002) 7.8/10 (10616 votes)
...aka Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2006) (International: English title)
Antwone Fisher (2002) 7.3/10 (10493 votes)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) 7.6/10 (10465 votes)
24 Hour Party People (2002) 7.3/10 (9574 votes)
...aka Twenty Four Hour Party People (2002) (UK: DVD title)
Magdalene Sisters, The (2002) 7.9/10 (9459 votes)
...aka Magdalene Sisters, The (2002) (UK)
Mies vailla menneisyyttä (2002) 7.7/10 (8284 votes)
...aka Homme sans passé, L' (2002) (France)
...aka Man Without a Past, The (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Mann ohne Vergangenheit, Der (2002) (Germany)
Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road (2002) 7.7/10 (7725 votes)
...aka I-60 (2002) (USA: promotional abbreviation)
...aka Interstate 60 (2002) (USA: short title)
À la folie... pas du tout (2002) 7.3/10 (6766 votes)
...aka He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not (2002) (International: English title)
Bloody Sunday (2002) 7.8/10 (6508 votes)
...aka Sunday (2002) (Australia: TV title)
Tasogare Seibei (2002) 8.2/10 (6359 votes)
...aka Twilight Samurai, The (2004) (UK)
Spellbound (2002/I) 7.9/10 (6028 votes)
Dolls (2002) 7.8/10 (5749 votes)
Sweet Sixteen (2002/I) 7.5/10 (4440 votes)
...aka Felices dieciseis (2002) (Spain)
...aka Sweet Sixteen (2002/I) (Spain)
Lost in La Mancha (2002) 7.4/10 (4433 votes)
Amen. (2002) 7.4/10 (3926 votes)
...aka Amen (2002) (France)
...aka Eyewitness (2002/II)
...aka Stellvertreter, Der (2002) (Germany)
Nicholas Nickleby (2002) 7.3/10 (3794 votes)
Devdas (2002/I) 7.3/10 (3613 votes)
Lunes al sol, Los (2002) 7.7/10 (3556 votes)
...aka Lundis au soleil, Les (2003) (France)
...aka Lunedì al sole, I (2003) (Italy)
...aka Mondays in the Sun (2002) (International: English title)
Être et avoir (2002) 7.9/10 (3502 votes)
...aka To Be and to Have (2002) (International: English title)
Uzak (2002) 7.6/10 (3486 votes)
...aka Distant (2002) (International: English title)
All or Nothing (2002/I) 7.5/10 (3427 votes)
...aka All or Nothing (2002) (France)
Homme du train, L' (2002) 7.4/10 (3349 votes)
...aka Man on the Train (2002) (USA)
...aka Man on the Train, The (2002) (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
...aka Zweite Leben des Monsieur Manesquier, Das (2005) (Germany)
Kid Stays in the Picture, The (2002) 7.4/10 (2792 votes)
Kukushka (2002) 7.9/10 (2747 votes)
...aka Cuckoo, The (2002) (International: English title)
...aka ëÕËÕÛËÁ (2002) (Russia: original Cyrillic KOI8-R title)
Tweeling, De (2002) 7.7/10 (2531 votes)
...aka Twin Sisters (2002) (Europe: English title)
Fils, Le (2002) 7.4/10 (2211 votes)
...aka Son, The (2002) (International: English title)
Ônibus 174 (2002) 7.9/10 (2051 votes)
...aka Bus 174 (2002) (International: English title)
He ni zai yi qi (2002) 7.4/10 (2043 votes)
...aka He ni zai yi qi (2002) (China: Mandarin title: alternative transliteration)
...aka Together (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Together with You (2003) (UK)
In This World (2002) 7.5/10 (2010 votes)
Oasis (2002) 8.1/10 (1878 votes)
Xiao cai feng (2002) 7.3/10 (1814 votes)
...aka Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002) (UK) (USA)
...aka Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise (2002) (France)
...aka Little Chinese Seamstress, The (2002) (International: English title)
Yossi & Jagger (2002) 7.7/10 (1793 votes)
...aka Yossi VeJager (2002) (Israel: Hebrew title)
Valentín (2002/I) 7.6/10 (1612 votes)
...aka Sueño de Valentín, El (2003) (Spain)
...aka Valentin (2002) (International: English title) (Italy) (Netherlands) (USA)
Historias mínimas (2002) 7.6/10 (1598 votes)
...aka Intimate Stories (2003) (USA)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002) 7.6/10 (1535 votes)
...aka Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Story of the Funk Brothers (2002) (USA: promotional title)
Jibeuro (2002) 7.6/10 (1484 votes)
...aka Way Home, The (2002) (International: English title)
Fubar (2002) 7.3/10 (1469 votes)
...aka Fubar: A Documentary by Farrel Mitchner (2002) (Canada: English title: complete title)
Home Room (2002) 7.3/10 (1415 votes)
Ten (2002) 7.3/10 (1395 votes)
...aka Ten (2002) (France)
Weather Underground, The (2002) 7.7/10 (1392 votes)
Knafayim Shvurot (2002) 7.7/10 (1287 votes)
...aka Broken Wings (2003) (UK: literal English title)
Stevie (2002) 8.1/10 (1169 votes)
Edi (2002) 7.8/10 (1102 votes)
Chihwaseon (2002) 7.3/10 (1087 votes)
...aka Drunk on Women and Poetry (2003) (UK)
...aka Owon Jang seung-eop Chihwaseon (2002) (South Korea: recut version)
...aka Painted Fire (2002) (USA)
...aka Strokes of Fire (2002) (International: English title)
En la ciudad sin límites (2002) 7.4/10 (914 votes)
...aka City of No Limits, The (2002) (Europe: English title: Berlin film festival title)
Im toten Winkel - Hitlers Sekretärin (2002) 7.3/10 (892 votes)
...aka Blind Spot. Hitler's Secretary (2002) (International: English title)
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (2002) 7.4/10 (869 votes)
Trials of Henry Kissinger, The (2002) 7.7/10 (783 votes)
...aka Procès de Henry Kissinger, Le (2003) (France)
Kannathil Muthamittal (2002) 8.2/10 (758 votes)
...aka Amritha (2002) (India: Telugu title: dubbed version)
...aka Peck on the Cheek, A (2003) (USA: literal English title)
Lugares comunes (2002) 8.0/10 (707 votes)
...aka Common Ground (2003) (USA: literal English title)
...aka Common Places (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Lugares comunes (2002) (Spain)
Tracker, The (2002) 7.5/10 (622 votes)
Oso rojo, Un (2002) 7.3/10 (576 votes)
...aka Oso rojo, Un (2002) (Spain)
...aka Ours rouge, L' (2002) (France)
...aka Red Bear (2002) (International: English title)
Smashing Machine, The (2002) 7.6/10 (558 votes)
...aka Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Mark Kerr, The (2003) (USA: cable TV title)
Space Station 3D (2002) 7.3/10 (538 votes)
El Alamein (2002) 7.5/10 (502 votes)
...aka El Alamein: The Line of Fire (2002) (International: English title)
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002) 7.6/10 (472 votes)
Fine mrtve djevojke (2002) 7.3/10 (464 votes)
...aka Fine Dead Girls (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Nice Dead Girls (2002) (International: English title)
Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election (2002) 7.9/10 (431 votes)
Gomgashtei dar Aragh (2002) 7.3/10 (428 votes)
...aka Marooned in Iraq (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Songs of My Motherland (2002) (International: English title)
Saenghwalui balgyeon (2002) 7.6/10 (365 votes)
...aka On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate (2002) (International: English title)
...aka Turning Gate (2002) (International: English title)
Stone Reader (2002) 7.6/10 (347 votes)
EvenHand (2002) 7.5/10 (323 votes)
Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony (2002) 7.5/10 (313 votes)
Balseros (2002) 7.3/10 (303 votes)
...aka Cuban Rafters (2002) (Canada: English title) (International: English title)