Some films ranked, some films rank
By Terry Jinks
Special to Inside
Do more people go to the movies and church under clouds of war? Evidently Americans want something to believe, or to suspend belief, and are willing to pay to get their choice of message.
No fewer than nine films released this past year (that’s nearly one-tenth of the total) already are ranked in the Top 100 all-time box office earnings, and climbing. In just seven months “Spiderman” is number five on the list and climbing. Further down but looking up are “Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones,” “Signs,” “Scooby Doo,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” “Men in Black II,” and “Ice Age.”
That said about the gazillions of movie dollars counted, there is no accounting for the actual tastes of moviegoers. A couple of these films should be ranked in the “rank films” rankings. No film in recent history has been as dull and predictable as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and done so well (about $215 million to date). It is number 37. People still want to believe. Watch for “Divorce,” the big fat disappointment sequel.
Here are my top picks for 2002:
Number One: “The Road To Perdition.” In Depression-era Chicago hit man Michael O’Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is known to friends and enemies as the “Angel of Death.” O’Sullivan is devoted to his private life as an upstanding husband and father of two young boys. But when those two worlds collide, taking the lives of his wife and younger son, O’Sullivan and his surviving son embark on a journey of revenge. This film will do well at the Oscars. Intelligently scripted by Scott Frank, directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes with veteran Oscar-winning cinematographer Conrad Hall, it stars multiple-Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Paul Newman who took time out from shooting to appear at the Chicago Film Critics Awards last year.
Number Two: “Far From Heaven.” Julianne Moore deserves a best actress nomination for her role as a 50s suburban housewife who, against the social norm of the day, befriends her black gardener (Dennis Haysbert) when she catches her husband (Dennis Quaid) kissing another man. This film approaches the age-old question of what is it like to walk in someone else’s shoes with deftness, sensitivity and beautiful acting. It is an exceptional film.
Number Three: “Bowling for Columbine.” Michael Moore is on the film scene again with his latest documentary on gun violence in America. The film details Moore’s relentless search for reasons why the United States has more deaths by gun than any other country in the world. It uses the Columbine shootings and interviews with parents and students as a backdrop. There are countries with more guns per capita without the Americans’ propensity for shooting each other but as the film reveals, we still don’t know why. “Bowling” is equal to “Roger and Me,” perhaps better.
Number Four: “Secretary.” A naughty little film about a straight-laced lawyer, E. Edward Grey (James Spader), and his sadomasochistic secretary, Lee (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Directed by Steven Shainberg and written by Erin Cressida Wilson, it involves Edward’s constant vigil for Lee’s clerical errors so he can take it out on her appreciative bottom. It works so well because of Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of a shy type, with real girl-next-door looks, who enjoys self-abasement to the max. She is always worth the price of admission and could easily be an Oscar contender for best actress.
Number Five: “Antwone Fisher.” Chicago native Derek Luke is a Navy sailor with a temper problem. Rookie director Denzel Washington, who plays a Navy psychiatrist, works to put Luke in touch with his past and the mother who abandoned him. It will hit a deep nerve for both blacks and whites for its socially conscious and heart-rending performances. My only real complaint? The tear jerking is overdone.
Number Six: “Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother, Too).” Sexy and smart, more than you expect. Two friends from different social classes in Mexico become obsessed with an older woman. Their drive to a beach vacation spot is a journey through personal and political turmoil.
Number Seven: “Lovely and Amazing.” Family drama at its twisted best. Kathleen Keener stars.
Number Eight: “The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers.” The trilogy continues its lordly excellence.
Number Nine: “About Schmidt.” Jack Nickelson was never better and his performance deserves an Oscar.
Number Ten: “About A Boy.” This movie is way beyond standard romantic-comedy movies normally associated with Hugh Grant.
These wonderful films, among many released in 2002, have the common qualities of all good films. They are capable of making us think and feel about things in new or different ways. They can change a life. That’s what the good ones do. That’s art.
Terry Jinks is a voting member of the Chicago Film Critics Association |
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