Recently, I gathered in front of my computer in the beautiful facilities of LodgAngeles in downtown Austin, Texas, to hand out the coveted Lodger Awards (dubbed the Lodgeys by my friend Johnny Oh!) for the best and worst in films from 2002. The list of winners and losers went something like this...

Lodger's Top Ten Films of 2002

1. Y tu mama Tambien

2. Far From Heaven

3. Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el sexo)

4. Adaptation

5. The Piano Teacher (La Pianiste)

6. Ararat

7. Talk to Her (Hable con ella)

8. Igby Goes Down

9. Nicholas Nickleby

10. Bloody Sunday

I had little doubt when I saw "Y tu mama tambien" at SXSW in March of 2002 that I was seeing the best film of the year. Everything about this movie clicked with me. I just bought it on DVD a few weeks ago and I have already re-watched it four times. It's just a beautiful and brilliant film. And while this year saw its share of remarkable and amazing films, no film ever blew me away like "Y tu" did. From the story, to the script to the actors' amazing bravery, to the honest presentation of Mexico that becomes beautiful for both its treasure and its trash, "Y tu mama tambien" is a masterpiece, an instant classic. Not just the best film this year, but one of the best films of all time.

"Far From Heaven" is an amazing film and Todd Haynes, Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid, among others, will surely be singled out for Oscar nods and awards. This is a great film and in any other year it would blow the competition out of the water.

"Adaptation," "Ararat," "Sex and Lucia," "Talk to Her" and "Nicholas Nickleby" were certainly some of the best scripts of the year. This was certainly a writer's year!

Some stats:

Of these films, only 3 are purely American. Three of them are in Spanish. One is French. Two are from the UK, albeit one having some American ties. One is Canadian, with strong ties to France and Armenia. Five of the 10 had subtitles, albeit "Ararat" only at rare times.

All of these could best be described as Dramas although half have some lighter moments. Of all ten, perhaps only "Nicholas Nickleby" could be considered a comedy as much as it is a drama.

Four of the ten have gay elements to them. Three of them feature attractive young men in the lead roles. Three of them feature females as the protagonist.

All are in color. Four of the ten were released before the fall of the year. None are documentaries or animated. None are silent or could be considered "musicals."

Of the ten, only one played at SXSW, Austin Film Festival or Agliff (the Austin Gay Film Festival). "Y tu mama" played at SXSW in March. Two had not opened in Austin as of 12/31/2002 and I was lucky enough to see them at press screenings.

Films I haven't seen (because they haven't opened in Austin or I haven't seen a press sneak of them) which may have ended up on this list: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The 25th Hour, Antwone Fisher, Max, and The Pianist.

And then there's the ones that I just wasn't motivated enough to see when they did come out this year like Lord of the Rings 2, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and XXX.

The nominees:

The Good Girl

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist

Pinocchio

Serving Sara

Skins

And the Lodgey goes to...

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist

It's been a long time since I saw this many horrible, godawful films in one year. And there were several that just missed the list, like Claire Denis' bloody mess "Trouble Every Day." But from it's opening in January of the year it was clearly evident that Steve Oedekerk's masterbatory, unfunny, waste of time "Kung Pow" would end up at the top of the heap. No film came near it, although many came close, including Roberto Benigni's massacred fable from Italy. Whew. The stench in here is ungodly. Someone light a match.

Just for the sake of honesty, let me say that there were a couple of Austin films that were on this list that I ultimately decided to remove from consideration. In a year rife with this much studio junk, there's no need to pick on the locals.

Nominees:

8 Mile

Jackass

Joshua

And the Lodgey goes to...

Jackass

A "cheesy" film is one that is horrible but is saved from being bad by becoming so bad as to be good, or funny, or interesting, or cultish. Although I gave it glowing reviews at the time, "Jackass" is surely a horrible movie. My review was tongue in cheek tinged with honesty but it's clear that the "Jackass" franchise is just stupid and pointless. Still, I could watch it again and again. This one is saved by its overwhelming (seemingly) unintentional homoeroticism rather than its unintentional humor.

Nominees:

8 Legged Freaks

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Jackass

Notorious C.H.O.

The Sweetest Thing

And the Lodgey goes to...

Notorious C.H.O.

No one, and I mean no one, is funnier than Margaret Cho. Of all the comedy films I saw this year, the only one I want on DVD is "Notorious C.H.O."

Nominees:

Adaptation - Spike Jonze

Far From Heaven - Todd Haynes

Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el sexo) - Julio Medem

Signs - M. Night Shyamalan

Y tu mama tambien - Alfonso Cuaron

And the Lodgey goes to...

Todd Haynes

What a tough call. I think that of all of these directors, it is clear that Shyamalan is the one who is going to wow mainstream audiences for decades to come. He is the next Hitchcock. He knows all the tools of the trade. His ability to create suspense and to evoke humor from intense situations is already light years beyond any other director out there. Likewise, Alfonso Cuaron has proven himself so interesting as a director with his amazing and brazen audacity. But the raw, open emotions displayed in "Y tu mama" proves that he is capable of eliciting a sort of honesty from his films that just isn't quite as evident in his contemporaries. But, alas, this is Todd Haynes year and he deserves kudos for the amazing attention to detail he shows with "Far From Heaven." He does what Cuaron does so effectively in "Y tu mama" but in just the opposite manner, displaying honesty, truth and raw emotions by covering rather than uncovering, hiding rather than exposing. Curaron shows us the truth behind the facade. Haynes shows us the facade and allows us to discover the truth beneath it for ourselves.

Nominees:

Far From Heaven

Frida

Minority Report

Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el sexo)

Y tu mama tambien

And the Lodgey goes to...

Far From Heaven

Without a doubt, there was not a more visually stunning film this year.

Nominees:

Gael Garcia Bernal - Y tu mama tambien

Keiran Culkin - Igby Goes Down

Ray Liotta - Narc

Diego Luna - Y tu mama tambien

Tom Hanks - Catch Me If You Can

And the Lodgey goes to...

Diego Luna

There is no doubt that Gael Garcia Bernal is one of the most exciting, attractive and talented actors to emerge since Brando. But in watching "Y tu mama" again and again, it is Luna's performance that becomes more and more clearly amazing. Bernal's Julio is simply raw, splayed youth, jangled, free and uninhibited. But Luna's Tenoch is so much more than just this. Perhaps it is a better character, or more precisely, a more complex one, but Luna exposes layer upon layer in his performance that shows us a fragile, frightened, scarred young man masking himself with his raw, jangled, seemingly liberated self. Bernal bares his soul in "Y tu mama." Luna bares his soul AND shows us the tattered remnants of the mask it has been hiding behind. Both performances are powerful and amazing and both deserve to be applauded and lauded for their amazing bravery and honesty. These actors are two to watch closely.

Nony Lamm - Group

Diane Lane - Unfaithful

Julianne Moore - Far From Heaven

Paz Vega - Sex and Lucia

Maribel Verdu - Y tu mama tambien

And the Lodgey goes to...

Nony Lamm

I was amazed when Diane Lane's name began to get bandied about at Golden Globe time. This was a performance I'd earmarked for mention in my year end thoughts since seeing it in the summer. I thought I was the only one who had noticed it. I guess I was wrong. Regardless, it is a powerful performance but, truth be told, one I no longer considered once others had suggested they had seen exactly what I had seen in her performance and remembered it just as vividly.

It also seems wrong to gloss over Verdu's performance in "Y tu mama." She is every bit the equal thespian to Luna and Bernal in this beautiful film. Re-viewing her performance as I have over the past few days, I know it is her beautiful tenderness, honesty and fearlessness that makes the film exactly what it is. She is the impetus for every moment, every action, every blink of the eye in the film and for a film of such immense emotional power, that is really saying something.

But no performance touched me and became more real to me than Lamm's in the little seen indie flick "Group." Viewed during the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, "Group" was a TBA showing that I probably wouldn't have even went to if I wasn't bored and got free passes. Wow. Am I ever glad I got to see this amazing film! Perhaps Lamm's character is one I could easily identify with. And perhaps the film is somewhat contrived. But Lamm's emotional and tearful improvised breakdown on camera is undoubtedly one of the most real moments ever caught within a camera's lens. Profoundly moving and poignant, Lamm's fear, her honesty and courage, helps her gain the willingness and the ability to open up to a breakthrough moment that is as beautiful as it is troubling. I only hope that others get a chance to see this amazing performance.

Nominees:

9 Queens

Adaptation

Roger Dodger

Sunshine State

Y tu mama tambien

And the Lodgey goes to...

Roger Dodger

The closest thing to Mamet without going over.

Nominees:

Adaptation

Far From Heaven

Safety of Objects

Sex and Lucia

Talk to Her (Hable con ella)

Y tu mama tambien

And the Lodgey goes to...

Y tu mama tambien

I left six nominees here because I couldn't pick one to leave off. This year was a writer's year in film and the six films above each broke new ground in character, plot, device and/or dialogue. But it is the subtle nuances, the wonderfully interwoven plot elements of "Y tu mama" leading up to that amazing climax that will affect and move me for the rest of my life. I highly recommend these six films simply only the basis of the interesting stories they tell and the amazing way that they tell them.

Most importantly, "Y tu mama" used narration in a stunning and emotionally devastating way that no other film I have ever seen has ever done.

Nominees:

Bloody Sunday

The Kid Stays in the Picture

Minority Report

Solaris

Spy Kids 2

And the Lodgey goes to...

Bloody Sunday

No film captured a moment in time with the visuals quite like this one did.

(Note: My use of the term "visual effects" is not quite the same as others. I mean the overall visual qualities of the film: How it looked and how this visual image reflected the context of the film. This is a combination of Art Design, Set Decoration, Cinematography, props, costumes, and technical effects, computer generated or otherwise).

Nominees:

Rory Culkin - Signs

Kieran Culkin - Igby Goes Down

Jessie Eisenberg - Roger Dodger

Emile Hirsch - Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

Tyler Posey - Maid in Manhattan

And the Lodgey goes to...

Jessie Eisenberg

A few years ago, in 1991, when I started making my fave lists of the year, long before filethirteen was a reality, I got mad that Jack Lemmon was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for "Glenn Gary Glennross." He was a lead actor, the lead actor in that film. And he gave an amazing performance, the best of his or any other career. The fact that he didn't win that year just broke my heart. That's when I knew the Oscar was just as meaningless as any award I could give out. Hence, the Lodgey's were born!

Somewhere in there, I also decided that young actors should be singled out seperately from their older peers simply because younger actors are generally ignored by the Academy and other voting bodies. The Academy used to give out statuettes for juvinile performances, but that was year's ago.

I bring this up because this year Keiran Culkin was nominated (by me) in both the Best Actor and Best Young Actor categories for his work in "Igby Goes Down." At first, I put him in both thinking that the Best Actor nod would eventually be bumped for a better performance by an older male actor, but that didn't happen. I had also shortlisted Culkin's turn in "Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" for mention (in the youth category) but eventually that too was bumped in favor of Eisenberg and Posey.

And even though this is the Culkins' year (his brother Rory didn't do too bad and we are expecting quite a comeback from Macaulay), I just had to go with Eisenberg here. When you see his performance in "Roger Dodger," you'll know why. He's amazing, adept, fascinating and perfect. Yet another young actor with limitless possibilities facing him (and, by extension, us. Lucky us).

By the way, Eisenberg and Culkin's co-Altar Boy Hirsch were both in the disappointing "Emperor's Club."

Nominees:

Abigail Breslin - Signs

Everlyn Sampi - Rabbit-Proof Fence

Kristen Stewart - The Safety of Objects

Alexa Vega - Spy Kids 2

Evan Rachael Wood - Little Secrets

And the Lodgey goes to...

Kristen Stewart

To be honest, it's usually quite difficult for me to find 5 names here but this year was quite easy. All five of these young ladies were perfection in their respective roles. But it is Stewart in "The Safety of Objects" who truly gets the gift of the best role of the bunch. She wins almost by default here.

And the Lodgey goes to...

All of them in Austin Powers in Goldmember!

Nominees:

Dogtown and Z Boy

Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

Easy Listening

Igby Goes Down

Y tu mama tambien

And the Lodgey goes to...

Dogtown and Z-Boys

Infested with a thousand glam slam pop rock songs from the 70's "Dogtown and Z-Boys" is as much about the music of the moment as it is the characters and the images. This is what the Best Use of Music Lodgey Award is all about. Not just picking good songs or having a good soundtrack but juxtaposing them against the images to create a moment. "Dogtown" is perfect at doing just that.

Honorable mention goes to "Easy Listening" for making me a new fan of The 101 Strings, no small feat, I might add.

Nominees:

Bowling for Columbine

The Cockettes

Dogtown and Z Boys

The Kid Stays in the Picture

The Smith Family

And the Lodgey goes to...

The Smith Family

In a year of fascinating documentaries focusing on a wide variety of topics, it is hard to pick just one. Surely Michael Moore should be given huge kudos for creating what must be the highest grossing doc in decades. But no film presenting reality affected me more than "The Smith Family." What a story!

Nominees:

Insomnia (that it was good)

Scooby Doo (that it was fun)

All the cameos in Austin Powers in Goldmember

THE climax in Y tu mama tambien

Nicholas Nickleby (that it was so gay)

And the Lodgey goes to...

The climax in "Y tu mama"

Even I didn't see this one coming. What a powerful and amazing moment of screen history.

Nominees:

Cockettes

Group

Jackass

Nicholas Nickleby

Y tu mama tambien

And the Lodgey goes to...:

Y tu mama tambien

Simply because it is the best film of the year. And it isn't really a gay film. Except it is.

Nominees:

The Hours (Moore and Collette)

Punch Drunk Love (Sandler and Watson in silhouette)

Roger Dodger (Eisenberg and Berkley)

Spider-Man (Dunst and the upside down Maguire)

Y tu mama (spoiler)

And the Lodgey goes to...

Y tu mama tambien

Thanks to MTV for the category!

And the Lodgey goes to...

Ralph Waite - Sunshine State

Too bad nobody saw it.

And the Lodgey goes to...

Goldie Hawn - The Banger Sisters

And I'm gay!

And the Lodgey goes to...

Jackass

And the Lodgey goes to...

Nicole Kidman in "The Hours"

Nominees:

Frida

Far From Heaven

Nicholas Nickleby

Solaris

Star Trek: Nemesis

And the Lodgey goes to...

Frida

For the necklaces if nothing else.

Nominees:

Bloody Sunday

Far From Heaven

The Hours

Nicholas Nickleby

And the Lodgey goes to...

Bloody Sunday

(see Best Visual Effects above)

And the Lodgey goes to...

Alma Mater

And, while were at it, "Easy Listening" too, both of which were in competition at the Austin Film Festival in October.

And the Lodgey goes to...

My Name is Buttons

Of course, I have a secret crush on Courtney Davis, so...

Seriously though, no other Austin film came close to being as well-crafted or as entertaining as this one.

And the Lodgey goes to...

PG

It played at SXSW although I saw it elsewhere. The filmmaker has a name almost as generic as the title of his short, but he will nonetheless one day be a household name, at least in households where movies are treasured. Too bad I can't remember it now.

Nominees:

Willem Dafoe - Spider-Man

Cuba Gooding Jr. - Snow Dogs

Hayden Christensen - Star Wars 2

Steve Oedekerk - Kung Pow

Matthew Perry - Serving Sara

And the Lodgey goes to...:

Matthew Perry

This guy deserves a kick to the crotch for this piece of shit film he foisted on the unsuspecting public. What an asshole!

Nominees:

Joey Lauren Adams - Beeper

Jennifer Aniston - Good Girl

Sandra Bullock - Murder by Numbers

Elizabeth Hurley - Serving Sara

Wynona Ryder - Mr. Deeds

And the Lodgey goes to...:

Sandra Bullock

Sandy, its okay if we don't give a shit about the film you're in, but you should at least care a little.

And the Lodgey goes to...

Tim Blake Nelson - The Good Girl

Although the whole fucking cast deserves this one!

Nominees

Miguel Arteta - The Good Girl

Steven Brill - Mr. Deeds

Claire Denis - Trouble Every Day

George Lucas - Star Wars 2

Phil Alden Robinson - Sum of all Fears

And the Lodgey goes to...

George Lucas

And I thought Matthew Perry was an asshole! Lucas needs a doctor to investigate his seriuous head trauma. It's getting bloated and stinky from lack of oxygen due to being caught up in the sphincter muscle that is his ego, I mean asshole.

Nominees:

Chateau

Dahmer

Family Fundamentals

Joshua

Kung Pow

And the Lodgey goes to...:

Chateau

Chateau may be a really nice film, but it looks like shit.

(Note: "Chateau" hasn't been officially released yet, but I saw it at a film festival so I'm including it.

Nominees:

The Good Girl

Kung Pow

Mr. Deeds

Serving Sara

Sum of All Fears

And the Lodgey goes to...:

The Good Girl

Mike White is all washed up.

Nominees:

Kung Pow

Mr. Deeds

Serving Sara

Skins

Sum of All Fears

And the Lodgey goes to...:

Kung Pow

Two words: What script?

Nominees:

Joshua

Men in Black II

Snow Dogs

Spider-Man

Star Wars 2

And the Lodgey goes to...

Star Wars 2

Simply on principle.

And the Lodgey goes to...

Emily Osment - Spy Kids 2

Rory Culkin she ain't.

Nominees:

The Importance of Being Earnest

Joshua

Kung Pow

Scooby Doo

Star Wars 2

And the Lodgey goes to...

The Importance of Being Earnest

Completely wrong and inappropriate.

Nominees:

The butt tattoo scene in "The Importance of Being Earnest"

Kung Pow

The accents in "The Good Girl"

Mr. Deeds

Serving Sara

And the Lodgey goes to...:

Kung Pow

As embarrassing as shitting in a crowded theater, which is what OeDeKerk does here in effect.

Nominees:

Chicago

The Good Girl

The Hours

Simone

Skins

And the Lodgey goes to...:

The Hours

No film had me more giddy with anticipation, and more unimpressed upon exiting the theater.

Lodger2003

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