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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 14, 2002
1 Monster's Ball -- An excellent ensemble cast -- especially Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton -- breathes life into a suffocating tragedy of racism, capital punishment and family skeletons. The best new movie produced in 2001.
2 Kandahar -- A Western woman's journey through Afghanistan reveals the emotional wreckage resulting from Taliban rule. Director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's quasidocumentary is a sobering piece of work.
3 Black Hawk Down -- Director Ridley Scott commands a gripping, fact-based story of a U.S. Special Forces operation in Somalia in 1993. A movie war more hellish than Saving Private Ryan. One of the best films of 2001.
4 Iris -- The life and mind of author Iris Murdoch are dramatized at two crucial stages by Kate Winslet (inquisitive, adventurous youth) and Judi Dench (aged dementia). Golden Globe-winning support by Jim Broadbent as Murdoch's devoted husband.
5 A Beautiful Mind -- Russell Crowe places himself in Oscar contention with a sterling portrayal of John Forbes Nash, a schizophrenic mathematician. Winner of four Golden Globes; nominated for eight Oscars.