Oscars coming up - but what about the real best of 02?

[JussiK]

Never mind the Oscars, of course, but which film would you nominate as the best of 2002? I'd say it's got to be either Noe's L'IRREVERSIBLE or Almodovar's TALK TO HER. Noe's film smashed thru your skull and pounded you into submission. Almodovar did the opposite.

Other faith-restoring films were BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, FAR FROM HEAVEN, L.O.T.R : THE TWO TOWERS, De Palma's FEMME FATALE, PRINCESS OF THE DESERT from Korea - a truly epic period swordfight adventure - and the outstanding TUNA NEGRA from Spain. - Brazil seems to be the source for quality titles this year.

The DVD realeses were Pitof's amazing VIDOCQ, Christopher Gans's LE PACTE DES LOUPS / THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF and Bava's HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD.

[Com King]

Jussik, I absolutely didn't like IRREVERSIBLE. This movie was made to shock and it shocked, but I don't find it a good movie, at least the beginning.

The idea of starting from the end is not new neither. The only good part of the film for me is the end, which is chronogically th beginning, where you see a pretty happy couple, filmed very naively.


For me the best movies of last year were The Pianist (Adrien Brody is simply amazing), Photo Obsession, Bowling for Columbine, and forgetting Minority Report would be a crime( this is pure entertainment but everything is perfect), and to finish Bloody Sunday. My vote goes to The Pianist.

[markydefad]

I still have some movies to catch ("The Hours", "The Pianist", "Talk To Her")...BUT of the movies I've seen, my fave is "Adaptation" directed by Spike Jonze and written by the wonderful Charlie Kauffman. It stars Nicolas Cage in his best performance since "Moonstruck" (unfortunately, Jack Nicholson is probably gonna take the Best Actor Oscar) and Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper in two performances that should make them front-runners for supporting Oscars.

This movie is soooooo damn clever and insider Hollywood hilarious. I can't say enough good things. And I can't say too much, cause the fun is in discovering all this stuff for yourself as the movie unfolds.

Now, if "Spider Man" or "XXX" was your fave film of 2002, you probably ain't gonna dig "Adaptation".....but if you like to be challenged by supremely clever writing, give it a try.

I also enjoyed "About Schmidt" (Alexander Payne is a terrific talent...3 excellent movies in a row: "Citizen Ruth", the brilliant "Election" and now "Schmidt") and Todd Haynes' "Far From Heaven" with my fave female performance of the year...Julianne Moore.

"Chicago" was entertaining, BUT somewhat disappointing in my opinion. The performers were really helped by the rapid-fire editing. Conventional wisdom in Hollywood is that none of them could perform their roles on stage--certainly not Zellweger or Gere. :roll:

[Nano]

I'll go with "Lucia y el sexo", "Memento" (I saw it last year) and of course "Mulholland Drive".
Marky, I envy you! With the Argentine crisis the possibilities for me to see Jonze's film are close to zero. Ditto for the last of Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh and my cult favorite Brian De Palma.

[K-Bee]

I've seen a lot of flicks throughout the last year, and yes, I did enjoy Spiderman. it stays very true to the Marvel series and the guy who playes J.Jonah Jameson is truly amazing.
Hardly awards material though.

The film that touched me the most was definetely Bowling For Columbine. Damn that makes you think --- A LOT.
it proves that you can be serious and witty at the same time and still make an important statement.

[JussiK]

Dom K, I can well understand people not liking IRREVERSIBLE. But in this age of DIE ANOTHER DAY and other sad multiplex fodder anything transgressive, personal and nonconformist should be applauded. Gaspar Noe does not compromise at all and his vision sure is bleak and ugly. Pretty it ain't but powerful cinema, certainly! When the film played in Finland last September there were no shocked walkouts but still plently of people seemed to be visibly shaken when the lights came on. I only wish I had seen someone throw up or faint during the fire extinguisher scene...- By the way what did you think of VIDOCQ? It played here very briefly but got good reviews plus a great turnout. Oddly, it's the only film that actually seems to work better as a dvd realese!

[Com King]

Jussik, I haven't unfortunately seen Vidocq, but I'm surprised that it had a good review in Finland. I think the critic were really bad here in France ....

I'm OK with you to say that movies like "Irreversible" are too rare, but I think there are more brilliant way to grab the public attention .... Have you seen "Requiem for a dream" by Darren Aranofsky? .... It's not the most violent movie I saw in my life, but it's without a single doubt the one who most agressed me, in a positive way ... It's extremely powerful, at the end it's becoming hard to support and you are almost happy when you see "End" .... but Wow ... This is brilliant ...

[Marcio**]

The latest news in Brazil: a movie called "Hours" or "The Hours", Nicole Kidman surprises !!!

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[JussiK]

Dom - yep, saw "Requiem..." and liked it a lot of course. But still, personally I prefer a film that really takes you by surprise, is politically incorrect and presents a personal viewpoint, no matter how warped. The best geniuses are the mad ones - think Ken Russell. So, give me those, if there's not a good 70's giallo from italy to see, that is! Can't get enough of those fashions, red herrings, dodgy bossas on the soundtrack, the murders and most of all, Edwige Fenech. - "City Of God" from Brazil - anybody seen this? Hasn't opened over here yet but the word is this film is the most exhilarating thing.

[Nano]

So, Jussi, you love Ken Russell... I should have guessed it before! :D

I remember going to see Edwige Fenech films (ah, those showers...) when I was a teenager. There was no porno multiplexes at the time, so we kinda learned what was it all about going to see that... :-? I remember I LOVED Gloria Guida's tits in "Night nurse"... which appeared bare maybe on 1% of the film. Ah, repression! :)
Our cult national favorite was Isabel "Coca" Sarli, she did bizarre classics like "Carne", "Fuego" and "The virgin goddess" (this one in lyp-synched English!) Great tits and grand camp entertainment, maybe you know her, if not believe me you should.
"Coca" was directed in softcore films only by her husband, actor-director Armando Bo, who was the only one with permission to touch her. So there's plenty of cuts in the middle of any hot scene to close-ups of her titties being massaged by Armando's hands... Trash culture if there is one.

[JussiK]

Ah but naturally I do know and do love the fabulous Ms Sarli - when a teenager the image of her in FUEGO nearly made me..well, drop my bag of candy, let's put it that way. A big woman like they do not really come these days, she is forever burned into my retinas. FUEGO is happily now available on vhs - a dvd realese cannot be far away!

[Nano]

Jussi, let me tell you our beloved Ms. Coca is alive and well, living surrounded by many dogs and cats, and recently did introduce a TV rerun of all her films. She also did a "comeback" (?) movie with an art director, Jorge Polaco, called "La dama regresa" in 1998. Polaco is also really bizarre (he has a fixation with old women in the nude) and the movie was thrashed by everybody but you have to see it, of course

[JussiK]

Old..or more politely "mature" women such as Ms Coca in the nude is something that can't turn too many people on. But can you turn away, I mean wouldn't you just at least want to have a mortified peek? Stacked like she is, I'm sure there's a lot to see of her these days. I only hope she's in better shape than say Andrea True. Speaking of naked ladies of a certain age, can someone verify the rumour that the Queen of the Granny Fanny flicks Karin Schubert recently finally decided to call it a day and stuck her head in an oven or something?