2002. FiLM BiTCH AWARDS

Awards Page Index * OSCAR coverage here
'02 FiLM BiTCH Awards

Medalists are indicated by colors. GOLD. SILVER. BRONZE.
Honoring favorite cinematic achievements of 2002. 5 nominees in most categories. Semi Finalists and Finalists refer to achievements that were considered and are well regarded. The choice is often difficult. Contenders I only think it's fair to show what I've seen. If you're disappointed in my choices you can't just assume I didn't see something. That's what I always assume about the Academy voters! I don't think they see as many movies as devotees. So if you want a complete list of the 90 or so movies I saw in 2002 you can click here.

Majors / Technicals / Extras 1 / Extras 2 / Scenes 1 / Scenes 2

= Best Character Intro =
Everyone stops when they walk into the room


8 Women	Chicago	Road to Perdition
Pierrette The last to arrive. All eyes are on her.	Mama Morton She deserves a lot of tat for what she's got to give.	The Reporter The camera and arches fetishize his entrance.

:: Best Individual Line Readingi:
(yes, I am obsessed)


Auto Focus	Far From Heaven	Minority Report	Morvern Callar	Road to Perdition
"Tell them it's normal. I'm normal" -Gregg Kinnear doing his damndest to save the movie.	"I just adore it. That feeling it gives." -Julianne Moore at her most transcendence. A superbly meta turn.	"I'm so tired of the future." Samantha Morton eerily on her game as Agatha.	*"It's the same everyone Morvern, so quit dreaming."* -Kathleen McDermott giving great debut.	*"There are only murderers here."* -Paul Newman's grave majesty in the cellar.

:: Best Titles/Credit Sequence i:
the bookend nominees are


Catch Me If You Can Opening Titles	Far From Heaven Opening Title	Monsoon Wedding Opening Titles & End Credits	Panic Room Opening Credits	Punch-Drunk Love End Credits
Line driven story animation set to John Williams' best score in years gets you jazzed from the first frame.	The retro-fonted title appears as the rapturous score and camera soar heavenward. The movie never comes back down.	Exuberant and vibrantly colorful screen -perfectly in sync with the brilliant and evocative score.	Preternaturally stylish right from the start. Bold architecturally minded titles amid the Manhattan skyline.	In lieu of opening credits we get peculiar chapter color bleeds and end credits in the same abstract fashion.

Finalists: Chicago Just one short starburst of a title after entering Roxie's head. And then glitzy titles, interspursed with clips at the end. 8 Women Each actress gets her own signature flower in the opening credits. The shot of the deer afterward is priceless. Semifinals: Spider-Man -The webby titles would have scored higher had we not seen this sort of thing so frequently, and much as I used to love him, I'm anxious for Danny Elfman to stop writing the same score each time out now. He's approaching John Williams territory. World Traveller Beautifully moody moving roadmap with low key titles to open the film.

... Best Opening Scene ...
first impressions are


Adaptation	Chicago	Heaven	Minority Report	Talk to Her
Being Charlie Kauffman... 'I'd love to find a portal into your brain.'	Inside Roxy Hart. She longs for Velma Kelly's stardom and... "All That Jazz"	Phillipa and the bomb. Ending in the harrowing phone call.	"Murder" A Red Ball. Detective Anderton goes to work.	Pina Bausch's modern dance and the crying man.

*Finalists:Austin Powers in Goldmember -*** All the cameos and most of the laughs. Too bad it's so front-loaded. * Roger Dodger -Roger's work lunch theories. Semi-Finalists: 25th Hour -Monty meets his dog. * About Schmidt -Schmidt the clockwatcher and retiree. * The Hours -Virginia and the river * Morvern Callar -Christmastime with her boyfriend * Y Tu Mama Tambien -Boys will be boys

~/~j Best Ending j~/~
the ***SPOILERS*** are


8 Women	Chicago	Far From Heaven	Late Marriage and/or Monsoon Wedding	Lovely & Amazing
" Il N'y A Pas D'Amour Hereux" Curtain call. The year's most unexpectedly poignant finale.	"Isn't it great? Isn't it swell? Isn't it? But nothing stays..." Roxie's fantasies coming to an end to dazzling applause.	Devastating. Cathy Whitaker abandoned again. Even the camera will leave her, drifting ever up until she's out of view.	The Jekyll & Hyde of arranged marriage fable finales. They're both perfect conclusions to fine films. Reality or fantasy? Go ahead, choose your poison.	A lowkey and resonant moment as Annie prepares lovingly for her mother's return. Befitting of the film's title.

*Finalists:* *About Schmidt-* That final weepy smile. Sublime. * The Piano Teacher -A chilling offscreen exit * *Attack of the Clones* Storm Trooper armies. "Victory? Victory you say?" ...or maybe I was just glad it was over? Semi-Finalists: * Morvern Callar -"This is dedicated to the one I love" * Y Tu Mama Tambien -The tangible passing of a friendship. All grown up.

= Top Dozen Scenes/Sequences of 2002 =
* aside from the aforementioned scene categories *


8 Mile Last "Battle"	25th Hour "Fuck You"	25th Hour Teacher and Student.	Adaptation Dial Tone.	The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat) Escape
Eminem takes down his opponents -aided considerably by great cinematography and editing.	Monty lashes out at everyone. And then turns his anger back where it belongs. Stunning.	A thrilling setpiece as the camera glides to and from a moment of indiscretion with teacher and student.	The great Meryl Streep rises up to her old game during a telephone epiphany. Wickedly funny and relaxed.	The Inuit myth's primary mental hook is this superb and enthralling chase, barefoot on the ice.

Frida The Trolley	The Hours Train Station	Minority Report The Mall	Roger Dodger Park Bench	Spider-Man Discovery
Gold dust, tragedy, skeletons - If the whole film were this visually inspired it might've been best of the year.	Virginia has it out with Mr. Woolf in the film's signature scene. This scene is why the Academy'll give it up for Kidman.	Your guide through this visually intense sequence of delights is Samantha Morton: "Don't go home. He knows!"	This fine-tuned witty ensemble hits its peak as the newly introduced foursome chat about their first times.	The thrill of discovery. Peter tries Spider-Man's powers on for size. He likes them. He likes them a lot. "Go web, go!"
		*Finalists:* Far From Heaven -"Elle's betrayal" * Gangs of New York "Coffins and Soldiers" * Signs -"First Footage Shown" * Unfaithful "Train ride home" * Lovely & Amazing -"Body critique" * Semi-Finalists: *Gangs of New York* "Amsterdam Discovered" * Far From Heaven "Daquiries" * The Piano Teacher "The Instructions" * Tadpole -"Cafe Boulet" * Reign of Fire "Storytelling" * The Ring -"Crazy Horse" * LotR: The Two Towers -"An evil tear" * Lovely & Amazing -"McDonalds" * LotR: The Two Towers -"Gollum's monologue" * Far From Heaven "Ask me to dance"
Talk To Her "Shrinking Lover"	White Oleander Ingrid & Claire
Almodovar's inspired silent film diversion -or is it? The narrative chugs straight through it.	Demonic imprisoned mother meets angelic foster mom and circles in for the kill. Pfeiffer at her most hair raising.

Here's to a cinematic 2003