BEST OF ENTERTAINMENT 2002
Best of movies
By Taylor Gibbons
Skiff Staff

Best films of 2002
1. “Gangs of New York”
2. “The Ring”
3. “Insomnia”
4. “Minority Report”
5. “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”

The top notch performances, engaging storyline, epic and fascinating backdrop make “Gangs of New York” the best film of the year. Not every critic agrees, but for my part, I’d say that Martin Scorsese has outdone himself with this one. Kudos to this movie for revisiting an almost forgotten part of America’s history in such grand fashion. Before I saw “The Ring,” I hadn’t gotten scared at the movies in years. What this movie was, essentially, was an old fashioned ghost story brought to the screen with such art that most people didn’t even notice. “Insomnia” was a tense, insidious mystery that offered a great alternative to a lot of the forgettable popcorn flicks that were out at the time. A really enjoyable piece of filmmaking. Steven Spielberg served up equal helpings of fast paced action and moral pondering in “Minority Report,” resulting in a movie that was a real pleasure to watch. Peter Jackson and crew of “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” did a great job of working from some highly regarded source material, and produced an epic with almost universal appeal.

Best film actors of 2002
1. Daniel Day-Lewis
2. Al Pacino
3. Adam Sandler
4. Anthony Hopkins
5. Toby Maguire

As Cutty, Daniel Day-Lewis created a character that was larger than life yet multifaceted, abhorrent, yet sympathetic, and always completely engaging. Al Pacino always does a great job, and he did not disappoint this year as a haggard, slowly unraveling detective in “Insomnia.” Adam Sandler surprised just about everybody this year by delivering a passionate performance in “Punch Drunk Love.” Anthony Hopkins has played Hannibal Lecter so many times that at this point he can probably order a side of fava beans in his sleep. Toby Maguire was given the chance to flex some muscle as none other than Marvel Comics premier superhero, Spider Man. To the surprise of some, he tackled the role quite well, demonstrating a really impressive range of acting abilities.

Best film actresses of 2002
1. Meryl Streep
2. Emily Watson
3. Michelle Pfeiffer
4. Jodie Foster
5. Natalie Portman

It’s fascinating to watch Streep in “The Hours,” as she carries this character, a woman who is simultaneously very strong yet suffers from critical emotional weaknesses, through the course of the movie and the character’s own revelations. Watson graced the silver screen in three films this year including “Red Dragon,” “Punch Drunk Love” and the underrated Sci-fi adventure “Equilibrium.” Michelle Pfeiffer’s initial cold strength and subsequent changes over the years through interactions with her daughter in “White Oleander” all make for one powerful performance. Jodie Foster does an excellent job of portraying a suburbanite in “Panic Room,” forced to her physical and emotional limits within the course of one night, recalling in some ways her performance as Clarice Starling in 1990’s “The Silence of the Lambs.” Returning to the role of Queen Amidala in “Attack of the Clones,” Portman lent a new warmth and depth to the character not seen in “The Phantom Menace.”