Top 24 Films of 2002

Orlando Bloom as Legolas in Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers.

Ten is an arbitrary number, so NPR's Bob Mondello offers his top 24 movies of 2002. Mondello says 2002 was a record year for box office sales and a better year than 2001 for movie quality. His list ranges from blockbuster adventure to documentary:

The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski.

The Fast Runner, directed by Zacharias Kunuk.

Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, directed by Peter Jackson.

All or Nothing, directed by Mike Leigh.

Talk to Her, directed by Pedro Almodóvar.

Far from Heaven, directed by Todd Haynes.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown, directed by Paul Justman.

Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall.

Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Bloody Sunday, directed by Paul Greengrass.

Catch Me if You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg.

Nine Queens, directed by Fabián Bielinsky.

Dogtown and Z-Boys, directed by Stacy Peralta.

Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore.

The Son's Room, directed by Nanni Moretti.

Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese.

Road to Perdition, directed by Sam Mendes.

Y Tu Mama Tambien, directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

Elling, directed by Petter Næss.

Intacto, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.

About Schmidt, directed by Alexander Payne.

Adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze.

The Hours, directed by Stephen Daldry.

Punch-Drunk Love, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.