Bowling for Columbine strikes big for sheer truths

    by Brian Abrams

    New blood and independents showed up with brilliant works this past year, but the oppressive Hollywood marketing department outshined the little man in 2002.

    Important films were released, and most will be overshadowed by the Academy's picks: Martin Scorsese's pompous top-hat rivalry Gangs of New York, Alexander Payne's bungled revision of Louis Begley's novel About Schmidt and the overdramatic snore Far from Heaven to name a few.

    Managing to steer clear of the industry's persuasion, I drummed up ten movies well deserved of honorable commemorations.

    10. Barbershop. Jesse Jackson demanded an apology over the film's offensive humor toward civil rights leaders. Cedric the Entertainer's character instigated the complaint with obscenity toward "Jesse Jackson, Randy, Tito, Action, all of them!" The comic also finds fault with Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, only for mere locker room talk. Aside from such delightful controversy, the pleasantly underlying theme of solidarity finalized the decision to squeeze Tim Story's directorial debut onto my list.

    9. Insomnia. It's always a blast to watch Al Pacino's loud mouth in action, but this time we are thrown for a curve. This time around our main man is a low-key police officer in small town Alaska. Here's another shocker, he is on the trail of a wacko murderer played by none other than Mrs. DoubtfireÑRobin Williams. The movie itself was re-hashed from a 1997 Norwegian film, but who can deny the satisfaction of watching these two in action and out of their element?

    8. Y Tu Mama Tambien. Two hornball teenage boys convince a mamacita to join them in a vacation-turned-sexcapade. Sounds like a good premise for late night cable? Unlike most skin flicks on Showtime After Dark, this foreigner is more than meets the eye. A clever comedy and charming story of self-discovery, Y Tu Mama is appealing on multiple levels and to both genders. However, for those of you who don't wish to look past the surface, it's worth renting for the hotel room scene.

    7. All or Nothing. After showing one week at the Angelika Theatre in Dallas, Mike Leigh's latest piece on London blue collar life was sadly pulled. Phil (Timothy Spall) drives a taxi to support his family. His wife (Lesley Manville) rides her bike every day to work the checkout line at the grocery store. Daughter Rachel is a housekeeper for a retirement home, and son Rory grows fatter by the day.

A gruesome and hilarious film, All or Nothing hopefully will be on the video store shelves soon enough. In the meantime, catch up on Leigh's other marvels: Secrets & Lies (1996) and Naked (1993).

    6. Lovely & Amazing. Nicole Holofcener's second film to date breaks the mold for chick flicks with a contemporary story of four women desperately seeking self-worth. This is no sappy mothball Ya-Ya Sisterhood baloney; a solid cast and meaningful novellas make the movie true of its title.

    5. The Two Towers. Peter Jackson assumes the audience has seen his previous chapter, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and catapults us into a more complicated and in-depth tale of Middle-Earth. Our heroes have splintered, and their hearts grow more tired and sinister. In the second chapter of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic, Jackson's wonderful new creatures and lands revitalize the genre for fantasy and once again have the derailed Star Wars prequels backing down in defeat.

    4. 25th Hour. Spike Lee delivers to us a film that almost feels mainstream. We see the story of a drug dealer's last day before serving seven years in prison. His childhood friends (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper) and his fine woman (Rosario Dawson) take him out for one last night that transforms into a shameless defacing of one another. Lee keeps behind the camera, but his angry presence shines through with his belligerence toward Osama Bin Laden, and, as always, itÔs refreshing to receive the 46-year-old director's disgruntlements. Hoffman and actress Anna Paquin share the most captivating scene of the year in this brutal account.

    3. Roger Dodger. First-time director Dylan Kidd chanced upon Campbell Scott in a coffee shop where he desperately shared his run-ragged script. Shortly thereafter, Scott's networking and Kidd's raw talent joined forces and miracle-whipped this hip, innovative story. On the rebound, smooth-talker Roger (Scott) and his padawan nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) spend a rotten night on the town looking to score. Yes, itÔs another one of those low-radar independents, but look for it on DVD this March and you've struck gold.

    2. Punch-Drunk Love. Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) has rung the bell with this disturbing, tender, underrated revelation. An abused loner, played by Adam Sandler like you've never seen him before, discovers that love conquers all. The cheerful title and Sandler's name on the marquee give the impression you're seeing the follow-up to the wormy comedy Big Daddy (the retired couple next to me made this mistake and walked out after 35 minutes). Robert Elswit's cinematography should be rewarded, and Sandler will get robbed at the Oscars. It's a shame Happy Gilmore can't attack the undeserved winner at the podium with a nine-iron. Hats off to you, Mr. Sandler.

    1. Bowling for Columbine. Michael Moore's documentary on our nation's gun control mentality is argued as sheer propaganda and all too biased. Of course, this same crowd doesn't seem to mind when our media depicts the Middle Eastern leaders as the bad guys from the James Bond series.

    Moore exploits our recent internal tragedies, like the Columbine High shooting and the Oklahoma City bombing. He covers more ground investigating our fondness of violence, the corruption of corporate America and the Bush administration's warmongering.

    Poppycock or not, we are presented with views that pretty much are unsung.