2002 was a good year for movies. I saw 37 movies in theaters and a number on DVD. There is something more real about movies than about "real life" at times. A good director can assemble something larger than the sum of its parts. This year's films follow in the table below. As before, there are 2 ratings - the first is the more objective one (some combination of reviewers and myself) and the second is the "personal satisfaction" rating which is a measure of how much I enjoyed the movie.
| About Schmidt | January | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Chicago | January | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Talk to Her | January | @@@ | @@@@ |
| City of God | February | @@@@ | @@@ |
| 13 Conversations about One Thing * | February | @@@ | @@@ |
| The Truth about Charlie** | February | @@ | @ |
| The Guru | February | @@ | @@@@ |
| The Safety of Objects | March | @@@ | @@@ |
| 8 Mile* | March | @@@ | @@ |
| View from the Top | March | @@ | @@@ |
| Drop Dead Gorgeous* | April | @ | @@@ |
| Bend it Like Beckham | April | @@@ | @@@ |
| A Mighty Wind | April | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Laurel Canyon | April | @@@ | @@@ |
| X-Men II | May | @@@ | @@@ |
| Matrix Reloaded | May | @@@@ | @@@ |
| The Hours ** | May | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Identity | May | @@ | @@@ |
| Down with Love | May | @@@ | @@ |
| The Trio* | June | ? | @@ |
| Amor de Hombre* | June | ? | @@@ |
| The Matrix Reloaded (IMAX) | July | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)* | July | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Mango Passion | July | @@ | @@@ |
| Waking Life* | July | @@ | @@@ |
| Swimming Pool | August | @@ | @@@ |
| Le Divorce | August | @@ | @ |
| Camp | August | @@ | @@@@ |
| The Magdalene Sisters | August | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Irreversible* | August | @@ | @@ |
| Winged Migration | August | @@@@ | @@@ |
| The Italian Job** | October | @@ | @@ |
| Finding Nemo** | October | @@@@ | @@@ |
| The Fight Club* | October | @@@ | @@ |
| Lost in Translation | October | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Mystic River | November | @@@@ | @@@ |
| Die, Mommie, Die | November | @@ | @@@ |
| Return of the King | December | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Barbarian Invasion | January | @@@ | @@@@ |
| American Splendor** | January | @@@@ | @@@ |
| Japanese Story | February | @@@ | @@@@ |
| The Trip * | February | @ | @@ |
| The Dreamers | February | @@@ | @@ |
| Touching the Void | February | @@@ | @@@ |
| My Architect | February | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Master and Commander** | March | @@@ | @@ |
| Matrix Revolutions** | March | @@ | @ |
| Triplets of Belleville | March | @@@@ | @@@ |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | March | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Gloomy Sunday | April | @@ | @@@@ |
| Madame Sata* | April | @@ | @@@ |
| Haz Conmigo Lo Que Quieras | April | ? | @@@@ |
| O Fantasma* | April | @ | @@ |
| Mambo Italiano* | May | @@ | @@@ |
| Connie and Carla | May | @@ | @@@ |
| 101 Rent Boys* | May | ? | @@ |
| I Will Survive* | May | ? | @@ |
| Super Size Me | May | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Km.0* | May | @@ | @@@ |
| The Station Agent** | May | @@@@ | @@@ |
| Something's Gotta Give | May | @@@ | @@ |
| Shrek 2 | June | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Carandiru | June | @@@ | @@@ |
| The Stepford Wives | June | @@ | @@ |
| Fahrenheit 9/11 | June | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Chasing Papi * | July | ?? | @@ |
| Nine Dead Gay Guys | July | ?? | @@ |
| De-Lovely | July | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Party Monster * | July | @@ | @@ |
| Bear Cub | July | ?? | @@@ |
| Adored | July | @ | @@ |
| Close to Leo * | July | ?? | @@ |
| Boom! | July | @ | @@ |
| The Village | August | @@ | @@ |
| Maria, Full of Grace | August | @@@@ | @@@ |
| Broadway, The Movie | August | @@ | @@@ |
| Irma Vep* | August | @@@@ | @@@ |
| The Last Shot | October | @@ | @@ |
| I Heart Huckabees | October | @@ | @@@ |
| Rules of Attraction* | October | @ | @@ |
| Around the World in 80 Days** | October | @ | 0 |
| Primer | October | @@@ | @@ |
| Forbidden Planet * | November | @@@ | @@@ |
| Kinsey | November | @@@ | @@@ |
| Noi* | December | @@ | @@@ |
| Bulgarian Lovers* | December | ?? | @@@ |
| Mapp and Lucia* | December | @@@ | @@@ |
| Hero* | January | @@@@ | @@@ |
| Sideways | January | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Better Luck Tomorrow* | January | @@@ | @@@ |
| Million Dollar Baby | January | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Decline of the American Empire* | January | @@@ | @@@ |
| The Aviator | January | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Being Julia** | February | @@ | @@@ |
| Shaun of the Dead* | February | @@ | @@ |
| Vera Drake** | February | @@@ | @@ |
| Alfie** | February | @ | @@ |
| Collateral* | March | @@@ | @@@ |
| La Vraie Vie en Rouen* | March | @@ | @@@ |
| Grande Ecole* | March | @@ | @@ |
| Bride and Prejudice | March | @@ | @@@ |
| Garden State* | March | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Upside of Anger | April | @@ | @@@ |
| Pieces of April* | April | @@ | @@ |
| 3 Dancing Slaves | April | @@ | @@ |
| Somersault | April | ?? | @@ |
| Salt* | April | ?? | @@ |
| Music from the Inside Out | May | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Spanking the Monkey* | May | @@ | @@@ |
| Crash | June | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Hitch ** | July | @@ | @@ |
| Summer Storm | July | ?? | @@@ |
| Cote d'Azur | July | ?? | @@@ |
| Sugar * | July | ?? | @@ |
| Happy Endings | July | @@ | @@@ |
| Mysterious Skin | July | @@@ | @@@@ |
| The Closet * | July | @@ | @@ |
| Closer | July | @@@ | @@ |
| Broken Flowers | August | @@@ | @@@@ |
| L'Auberge Espanol* | August | @@ | @@@ |
| The Aristocrats | August | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Capturing the Friedmans * | September | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Latter Days* | September | @@ | @@@ |
| Junebug | September | @@@@ | @@@ |
| Capote | November | @@@ | @@@@ |
| Sweet Sixteen * | November | ?? | @@ |
| Young Gods * | November | ?? | @@ |
| Star Wars III (Revenge of the Sith) * | November | @ | @ |
| Reykjavik 101* | December | @@@ | @@@ |
| Testosterone* | December | @ | @@ |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory** | December | @@@ | @@ |
| Wedding Crashers** | December | @@ | @@ |
| Syriana | December | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Young Adam* | December | ?? | @@ |
| The Producers | December | @@ | @@@ |
| Brokeback Mountain | December | @@@@ | @@@@ |
| Heathers* | December | @@@ | @@ |
| Fag Hag* | December | ?? | @ |
| The 24th Day* | December | ?? | @@ |
| Gone But Not Forgotten* | December | ?? | 0 |
| Layercake* | December | @@@ | @@@ |