From: Sam Hallgren
To: Adam Kempenaar, Eric Baker
Subject: The countdown begins...
10. Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron) - 'Y Tu Mama' makes it into my top ten only because, when I tried to decide between it and 'Bowling for Columbine,' I could only think of the things that annoyed me about 'Columbine.' And 'Y Tu Mama' was unlike anything I had ever seen. It’s about class, sex, friendship, loyalty. It’s a road trip movie, a coming-of-age movie, a thoughtful (if incomplete) meditation on modern-day Mexico. If the plot feels a little too tidy at the end, for the most part the film feels incredibly organic. And the acting is honest and relaxed and, in the very best way, improvisational. Maribel Verdu gives the female performance of the year as the boys’ seductress; and Gael Garcia Bernal is amazing as the lower middle class half of the two friends.
9. About Schmidt (Alexander Payne) - As a monument to the sustained greatness of Jack Nicholson, 'About Schmidt' is a great success. Film historians generations from now won’t have to ask, sadly, wistfully, what happened to Nicholson in the latter part of his career. Unfortunately, the film itself is undermined by the larger-than-life presence of Big Jack. What remains is still brilliant black comedy and keen -- if occasionally mean-spirited -- social observation. 'About Schmidt' is a more-than-worthy follow-up to Payne’s 'Election' (one of the best films of the '90s). This film, like a few other best-of-2002, will likely improve on re-examination.
8. Chicago (Rob Marshall) - As promised (by reviewers, friends, acquaintances), 'Chicago' proved to be one of the best times I’ve had at the theatre all year. It’s never more than an entertainment, and it never tries to be more than an entertainment, and that’s part of what makes this film such a fun time. As a general rule, I don’t like musicals -- not on stage and not at the movies. But 'Chicago' has great performances (it’s perfectly cast), great music, and unflagging energy. The film’s creative use of editing is alone worth great praise -- it accomplishes on film what would be impossible on stage. And the film’s cynicism -- a flaw for some critics -- is what made it so much fun for me: there were no heroes in the story and no one is redeemed; and this gave all the singing and dancing a nasty edge that made up for the film’s unapologetic superficiality. It was the quickest 113 minutes I’ve ever spent in a movie theatre.
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