Cassava Films - The List of 9

the list of 9 for february 11, 2003:
THE NINE CUTEST UNKNOWNS IN 2002 CINEMA

This time around I am eschewing my usual list of the nine most overrated films of the year, mainly because (with the notable exceptions of The Hours and Frida) 2002 didn't really have many titles that fit that description. So I'm trying something different. I'll be frank: This is a sexist list. I am only listing girls. If you want to send in a list of the nine cutest boys who have emerged in 2002 cinema, go ahead, though it seems Orlando Bloom and the lads from Y Tu Mama Tambien have it clinched. Anyway, throughout 2002 I saw some fresh new faces emerge in cinema, talented young ladies who had remarkable on-screen appeal. Here they are. For my shallow male and lesbian readers, I'm including key nudity information.

ROSAMUND PIKE. This is the starlet who inspired me to make this list. Maybe it's because she reminded me of a woman I used to date (albeit an idealized version) but she was the only thing that stood out in the otherwise forgettable Die Another Day. Will her Bond Girl status kill this English knockout's burgeoning career? I'll bet not. Does she get naked in the film: NO.
CARA SEYMOUR. Another charmer from the British Isles, her role as Nicolas Cage's sort-of love interest in Adaptation seems as though it was written for Emily Watson, but the deceptively plain-Jane Ms. Seymour makes the part her own. Does she get naked in the film: NO.
PAULA GARCES. Judging by the number of searches for "paula garces nude" that had horny Googlers landing at this site throughout the year (my small review of her teen sci fi flick Clockstoppers must have had that n-word somewhere on the page), Ms. Garces already has leagues of fans, though Clockstoppers seems to be her only major role thus far. She plays a teen in that movie but she is apparently pushing thirty and already a mother. Good for her, as she's still quite the looker. Does she get naked in the film: NO.
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL. [Link to pic removed due to overly high traffic.] The one woman on this list with a really good publicist, it seems you can't walk five steps without seeing Ms. Gyllenhaal's face or hearing her name. Her being born into Hollywood semi-royalty (brother Jake has the girls drooling; father is director Stephen; mother is writer/producer Naomi Foner) doesn't hurt, but considering that only a few hipsters saw her breakthrough role as a sweet-natured masochist in Secretary, her career has already become something other actresses would kill to have. Does she get naked in the film: YES.
MIA MAESTRO. Argentinian actress was only slightly known for the art film Tango before her role as real-life friend Salma Hayek's sister Cristina in Frida put her on the map. I must say, out of character she's cute but no stunner; it must be that 1920's bob haircut in Frida that tickled my fancy. But then, I think any woman in a bob looks great, so there you go. Does she get naked in the film: YES.
NEHA DUBEY. Just as Maestro upstaged her Frida costar (in my opinion), so too did little-known Indian actress Dubey outshine pop star Vasundhara Das in the foreign hit Monsoon Wedding, playing the blah bride's outgoing cousin. Does she get naked in the film: NO.
LEONOR WATLING. Already an established actress in her native Spain, Watling didn't do much in Pedro Almodovar's Talk to Her besides lie in bed, in a coma, topless. Still, she's awfully cute. Hopefully more of her films will be shown stateside one day. Does she get naked in the film: YES.
AMY ADAMS. Making braces beautiful, Ms. Adams played Leonardo DiCaprio's poor duped fiancee in Catch Me if You Can. She has a lot going for her and hopefully she will win a few roles that give her a bit more to do. Does she get naked in the film: NO.
JULIE-MARIE PARMENTIER. Young costar of the little-seen, highly-disturbing French drama Murderous Maids, freckle-faced Parmentier has undeniable charm, though as with Mia Maestro, without her period hairdo she's not as striking. Jeez, maybe I should just travel back in time and live in the 1920's. Does she get naked in the film: YES.