The Two Mrs. Carrolls

THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS (1947) - Dec. 20, 2006
About a painter who remarries after his first wife dies suspiciously; after a while his second wife begins to suspect that something isn't quite right. Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck were both really good. I particularly liked the scene where Stanwyck first realizes that something is wrong, and discovers Bogart's most recent painting. The film was well directed, and featured some nicely moody cinematography (which seemed to get moodier as the film progressed). ***

It's a Wonderful World

IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD (1939) - Dec. 17, 2006
Another winner in the "lots of stuff happening in a short amount of time" genre, this was an enjoyable film about a private eye, on the run from the cops, trying to figure out who framed his client for murder. He meets a woman on the way, and of course they bicker a lot while falling in love. It's not the freshest story (even for 1939) but it was well made, and of course Jimmy Stewart and Claudette Colbert were both quite good as the couple. ***

Valley of the Kings

VALLEY OF THE KINGS (1954) - Dec. 16, 2006
About an archaeologist who, along with a woman he winds up falling in love with, seeks out a tomb in Egypt that will confirm a story from the Bible. There's quite a bit here that clearly inspired Spielberg when he made Raiders of the Lost Ark (there's even a character named Sallah, which could be a coincidence though I doubt it). It's hard not to compare this to that movie, and obviously it's not nearly as good, but it was still entertaining throughout and contained some good set-pieces (a carriage-chase through the busy streets of Egypt was a highlight). ***

Grand Central Murder

GRAND CENTRAL MURDER (1942) - Dec. 13, 2006
An essentially entertaining though pretty much forgettable film starring Van Heflin. About the murder of an actress, and the gathering of suspects that follows. Much of the film is told in flashback as the various suspects tell their stories. The film was reasonably well made and featured a good performance from Heflin. Thank you, Turner Classic Movies! **1/2

The Killing

THE KILLING (1956) - Dec. 9, 2006
Though not quite as excellent as some of his later masterpieces, this was still an exceptionally good film by Stanley Kubrick. About the planning and execution of a robbery at a race track, this was a really well made and entertaining film. Kubrick's direction was, of course, top notch, and the film featured some really striking high-contrast black and white cinematography. The non-linear narrative worked quite well, and is especially impressive considering when it was made. The performances were also really good; there are few people who can play tough guys as well as Sterling Hayden. ***1/2

Die Hard 2

DIE HARD 2 (1990) - Dec. 8, 2006 (Fourth Viewing? Fifth?)
Why can't they make action movies this good anymore? What's the deal? What's so difficult about it? Though the first one remains the superior film (it would be pretty hard to top that one) this was still a really good sequel. Featuring some really well made and violent action sequences, and a really good performance from Bruce Willis, this is definitely a classic of the action genre. ***1/2

The Pursuit of Happyness

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006) - Dec. 7, 2006
Will Smith gives a really good performance in this otherwise well made but unremarkable film about a man struggling to raise his son and make ends meet while working as an unpaid intern at a stock brokerage. There's nothing wrong with the film, there's just nothing terribly memorable about it (aside from Smith's surprising performance). **1/2

Blood Diamond

BLOOD DIAMOND (2006) - Dec. 4, 2006
About a man who is separated from his family and forced to sift for diamonds, and who subsequently finds a giant diamond and hides it. He's then convinced by a diamond smuggler to dig it up and sell it. The bulk of the movie basically consists of the two men traveling across the country in an attempt to retrieve the diamond, and the many obstacles they encounter on the way. The main problem here is that the movie is seriously overlong, and feels that way for almost the entire running-time of the film. Several scenes feel either too long, or entirely superfluous. It also tends to be a bit on the preachy side (we get it, they've got it bad over there). It's well made and well acted (Djimon Hounsou gives a particularly impressive performance), but yeah, too long and too preachy. **1/2

Superman Returns

SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006) - Dec. 3, 2006 (Second Viewing)
This was a really good superhero movie. It's definitely a very long film, but it didn't really seem overlong this time around... at least not by much. A lot of stuff happens, but I can't really think of anything major that could be cut out. The performances were all really good, particularly Kevin Spacey (as good as Gene Hackman was in the original, he can't touch Spacey, who is absolutely perfect as Lex Luthor). This is a really good looking film; the direction and cinematography are top-notch. There's enough action to keep things moving but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. Good stuff. ***1/2

The Secret Life of Words

THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS (2005) - Dec. 2, 2006
A slow-paced but never boring film about a factory worker who spends her vacation (forced on her by her boss) working as a nurse, caring for a burn victim on an oil rig. She is shy and doesn't talk much, but a friendship slowly forms between them. Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins both gave really excellent performances as the nurse and the burn victim, respectively. Basically a character study, the film works because the performances are so good, and because it's very well made. ***

The Holiday

THE HOLIDAY (2006) - Nov. 30, 2006
Well, I think that may qualify as too much of a good thing (there's a reason why 90 minutes is the standard run-time for a romantic comedy -- much more than that is generally just too much, no matter how well-made it is). This was almost two hours and twenty minutes, and given that it contained two completely separate stories, it basically felt like two different romantic comedies crammed together. It was well made, and certainly well acted, and I was never bored (I mean, there was nothing here we haven't seen a million times before, but I guess you have to expect that out of a movie like this), but jeez... Does a cheesy romantic comedy like this really need to be almost as long as the Godfather? I don't think so. **1/2

Apocalypto

APOCALYPTO (2006) - Nov. 29, 2006
I think I need to see this movie again; I had the misfortune of sitting next to a morbidly obese, miserable excuse for a human being who spent the entire duration of the film alternately breathing so loud he sounded like an asthmatic Darth Vader, and talking - not whispering, but talking - to the person next to him. So I basically spent the entire movie in varying degrees of annoyance. Which is really too bad, because the movie seemed pretty good; I've actually been thinking about it quite a bit since I saw it. Well anyway, I'll hopefully see it again and then I'll know for sure what I thought of it. ***

Suspicion

SUSPICION (1941) - Nov. 26, 2006
An enjoyable and expectedly well-made film by Alfred Hitchcock about a woman who marries a man and then slowly realizes that he's not who he seems to be. Cary Grant was quite good as the man whose motives may or may not be sinister, as was Joan Fontaine as his wife. Though the original ending clearly would have been better, it was still quite good. ***

Slither

SLITHER (2006) - Nov. 25, 2006
An entertaining horror comedy about a meteor that crash lands in a small town, and the trouble that ensues when an alien infects one of its residents. James Gunn, who wrote and directed this movie, and who also wrote the very mediocre Dawn of the Dead remake, did a much better job here; the movie is silly but enjoyable throughout. The film features some pretty good and very over-the-top gore, and is at times a monster movie and at times a zombie movie of sorts. The performances were good -- Gregg Henry was a scene-stealer as the town's sleazy mayor, and Nathan Fillion was his usual charismatic self as the hapless sheriff. Mark my words: within five years he'll be a big star. ***

Deja Vu

DEJA VU (2006) - Nov. 20, 2006
Well it's pretty hard to go wrong with a movie involving time travel, and this is no exception. About an ATF agent who, while investigating a ferry explosion, is given access to technology that enables him to see four days into the past, and to even travel there himself. Tony Scott has wisely chosen to tone down the way over-the-top style he adopted for his last couple of films, which makes this movie far more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise (as much as I liked Man on Fire, it could have been so much better if it weren't for Scott's overbearing and overwhelmingly distracting visual style). As for the performances, there are few actors out there more charismatic than Denzel Washington, who is at his best here (and who needs to act more). The film is maybe slightly overlong, but aside from that it was quite enjoyable. ***

The Black Dahlia

THE BLACK DAHLIA (2006) - Nov. 18, 2006
A somewhat mediocre film by Brian De Palma. De Palma's direction was probably the highlight, as the film was filled with his usual stylistic quirks. At the same time it almost felt like he was on autopilot, like De Palma-by-numbers. The film's plot was ridiculously convoluted, featuring so many subplots and twists that when the credits rolled I was left scratching my head, wondering what I had just seen. The performances were mostly okay; Aaron Eckhart was good, but Josh Hartnett was blander than usual, if that's even possible. Hilary Swank gave a good performance, and seemed to be the only one trying to affect a '40s accent, though I can't say I buy her as any sort of seductress (she looks as mannish as ever in the film). The film was very long, and while I was basically entertained the whole time, a shorter, less convoluted movie would have been nice. **1/2

I was a Male War Bride

I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE (1949) - Nov. 17, 2006
A mostly entertaining though somewhat disappointing film starring Cary Grant about a couple of Army officers, one American and one French, who go on a mission and fall in love in the process. They decide to get married, but the only way they can move to America together is if Grant registers as a war bride. Wackiness sort of ensues, but not as much as you'd think. For one thing, all the war bride stuff doesn't even happen until the last twenty minutes or so, and Grant isn't forced to pretend he's a woman until the last five. It's almost like two movies in one: there's the first hour or so, in which the bickering couple slowly fall in love and finally decide to get married. This is the point where the usual romantic comedy would end. Then there's all the stuff with the couple trying to figure out how they can be together, and trying to get their paperwork in order (much of this section deals with the couple trying to overcome bureaucratic hurdles; it's not as wacky as it sounds). The whole thing felt overlong at an hour and forty minutes, particularly the latter half (one example of this is the sequence in which Grant tries to find a place to sleep in an army base, getting rejected everywhere he goes. It's almost ten minutes long and probably didn't need to be longer than two). It's not all bad, though. Cary Grant isn't capable of not being charming or giving a bad performance, so he was obviously quite good. Ann Sheridan was good as well. The film had quite a few funny moments, and was generally entertaining. It's just, all things considered, I was expecting more. **1/2

The Fountain

THE FOUNTAIN (2006) - Nov. 15, 2006
Well, that was surprising. After the unpleasant and over-the-top Requiem for a Dream, I didn't think Darren Aronofsky had a movie this good in him, but, well, here it is. Featuring a complex narrative which interweaves three stories in three different time periods, all starring Hugh Jackman. The bulk of the film stars Jackman as a doctor struggling to find a cure for his wife's cancer, but then there is also a story about Jackman as a Spanish Conquistador, and one about Jackman in the future, flying through space in a strange, snow-globe-esque spaceship. The three stories are all linked, though it is not immediately clear how (other than the fact that they all star Jackman and Rachel Weisz); the film is a bit puzzling, particularly the first half, but never in a bad way. It all comes together by the end in a way that is satisfying, if not entirely clear (this is a movie which makes you think, which is not a bad thing). It's all anchored by a really phenomenal performance by Jackman, which is particularly impressive seeing that he plays three characters who are all very different and yet the same. The film is really well directed by Aronofsky, who deftly weaves the three stories together, and features some really stunning cinematography by Matthew Libatique. The ending goes on for maybe a tad longer than it should, but that's a really minor complaint for an otherwise really intriguing, well-made film. ***1/2

Casino Royale

CASINO ROYALE (2006) - Nov. 13, 2006
This was a decent Bond film marred by extreme overlength (two and a half hours!). It's at least an hour too long. It's also much grittier than the last few Bond films, but at the same time the producers seem to want to have it both ways -- the film contains quite a few big action setpieces which were clearly shoehorned into the film's plot (the over-the-top conclusion set in a sinking building is a prime example of this). A direct adaptation of the book would have definitely been preferable. As for Daniel Craig, there's no doubt that he's a really good actor, but whether or not he's a good Bond is still a bit of a question mark. He doesn't quite seem to have the necessary charisma, but that may or may not be his fault. The guy playing Le Chiffre was appropriately sinister but somewhat bland (certainly not the most memorable bad guy, aside from the whole blood-tears thing). And did I mention how long it was? Sweet Jesus. **1/2

Saboteur

SABOTEUR (1942) - Nov. 12, 2006
About a man who has to go on the run after being wrongly accused of sabotage at the factory in which he works, this was classic Hitchcock. Robert Cummings was good as the man on the run, as was Pricilla Lane as his love interest. The film was, of course, really well directed by Hitchcock, and featured some classic set pieces, including one in a movie theatre (in which gunshots on the screen mask real gunshots) and one in the Statue of Liberty. There were also some pretty good instances of dark comedy, such as the billboards which seem to taunt the main character. ***1/2

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT (2006) - Nov. 11, 2006
A lousy movie about a troubled teen who is sent off to Japan after destroying his car in a drag race (in an enjoyable sequence featuring a cameo from Home Improvement's Zachery Ty Bryan) and then finds his way into the drift-racing scene. That's pretty much it as far as the plot goes -- there's a subplot involving the Yakuza, and another about the main character's troubled relationship with his dad, but neither really go anywhere. The movie is basically just an excuse to get to the racing scenes, which are competently directed but not all that exciting. As far as this series goes this was slightly better than 2 Fast 2 Furious, but that's not saying much. **

Visions of Light

VISIONS OF LIGHT (1992) - Nov. 7, 2006
This worked pretty well as a companion piece to the Cutting Edge, as it was basically the same idea: clips and interviews with well-known cinematographers. Like that film, it was quite interesting and quite entertaining. ***

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

THE CUTTING EDGE: THE MAGIC OF MOVIE EDITING (2004) - Nov. 7, 2006
An enjoyable and informative documentary on the history and craft of movie editing. Featuring a lot of clips, and a bunch of interviews with some of the most well-known and well-regarded editors, it was really interesting and entertaining throughout. ***

Stranger than Fiction

STRANGER THAN FICTION (2006) - Nov. 6, 2006
A well-acted film featuring a pretty strange premise (a man suddenly starts hearing a woman's voice narrating his life, and tries to track her down after she announces he is to die), this was good if a bit overlong. Will Ferrell was surprisingly good in the main role, making Harold Crick someone we really cared about. Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah and Emma Thompson (she needs to act more) were also expectedly good. The film was well-made but a tad on the long side. I'm between two and a half and three on this one, but it was good so I guess I'll give it a three. ***

Marie Antoinette

MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006) - Nov. 6, 2006
Wow. I loved this film. It was phenomenal. Just on a visual level it was pretty much perfect -- I liked Sophia Coppola before but as far as I'm concerned this has raised her to a whole new level. Kirsten Dunst was surprisingly good in the title role, and made Antoinette someone we actually came to care about. Coppola's choice to contemporize the way everyone acted, Antoinette in particular, probably helped (at the start of the film, she seems as bemused at the pompousness of Versailles as the audience). This choice -- as well as the sporadic use of contemporary music -- could have been disastrous, but it absolutely works, making the characters much more relatable, if not entirely accurate (the brief inclusion of a sneaker seems to be Coppola's way of acknowledging to the audience that while this is a historical tale, it is still her film). The movie features a slower, more leisurely pace, but I was never bored for a second. The pacing suited the film perfectly, really drawing the viewer in and setting the perfect mood and tone. This was a great, great film, and I have to say that I'm a bit shocked it was received so negatively. ****

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (2006) - Nov. 4, 2006
An enjoyable if somewhat uneven film about Borat Sagdiyev and his wacky exploits as he travels across America with the ultimate goal of marrying Pamela Anderson. The film was amusing and essentially entertaining throughout, though some sections worked better than others. **1/2

My Favorite Wife

MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940) - Nov. 3, 2006
A delightful and surprisingly funny romantic comedy about a man whose wife, missing and presumed dead after six years lost at sea, returns home the day he remarries another woman; wackiness ensues. Cary Grant was... well, do I even need to say it? He was perfect as the befuddled husband of two wives, and Irene Dunne was also really good as his first wife (they previously teamed up in the Awful Truth, and I think this was just as good if not better, though I seem to be in the minority on that one). ***1/2

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA (1974) - Nov. 2, 2006
featuring a really good opening in which the titular line is uttered, the movie sort of goes downhill from there. About a man who travels across Mexico in order to retrieve the head of Alfredo Garcia, this was a decent film, though it was essentially plotless and I found myself losing interest as the film progressed. It did pick up towards the end, and the last 20 minutes or so were pretty good (and quite violent). **1/2

Flushed Away

FLUSHED AWAY (2006) - Nov. 1, 2006
About a rat who discovers a whole rat city in the sewer after being flushed down the toilet, this was a cute and enjoyable film, though definitely not as good as the previous Aardman effort, the Wallace and Gromit movie. Visually the film was quite impressive, managing to retain the Aardman charm while making the leap into computer animation (in fact the characters are designed as though they're made of clay). But while it was enjoyable enough, there wasn't anything all that special about it. ***

Overnight

OVERNIGHT (2003) - Nov. 1, 2006
An interesting documentary about Troy Duffy, a bartender and filmmaker who got a huge deal from Miramax to make the Boondock Saints, and how it all went wrong. The problem with this film is that Duffy is not really an ideal subject for a movie; he comes off as a pretty big jerk, and while there's a perverse pleasure at first of seeing what the buffoon will do next, eventually I got sick of him. **1/2

Throne of Blood

THRONE OF BLOOD (1957) - Nov. 1, 2006
A well-made but super-duper slow movie about a couple of soldiers who run into a spirit who predicts their future, and how that essentially screws them over (adapted from Macbeth). Akira Kurosawa's direction was quite good, and Toshiro Mifune gave an expectedly excellent performance, but the movie was so... very... slow. I dunno, it seems like it might improve on repeat viewings, so maybe I'll watch it again some day, but I'm not in all that big of a hurry. **

The Squid and the Whale

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (2005) - Oct. 29, 2006
A really well acted film about a couple going through a divorce, and the effect this has on their two kids. The performances were all quite good, though Jeff Daniels was definitely the standout as a pompous writer whose best days are behind him. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, who collaborated with Wes Anderson on the Life Aquatic, this reminded me of Anderson's films in some ways. Not in the visual style, obviously, but in the way it was written and in the characters (it sort of reminded me of the Royal Tenenbaums). ***

Double Indemnity

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) - Oct. 28, 2006
Fred MacMurray was good as an insurance agent who gets caught up in a scheme involving murder in this film noir by Billy Wilder. Barbara Stanwyck made for a good femme fatale, and Edward G. Robinson stole every scene he was in as MacMurray's surly boss. The film was really well written (not surprising considering it was cowritten by Wilder and Raymond Chandler) and featured expectedly snappy dialogue. it slowed down a bit in parts, but was otherwise quite good. ***

Saw III

SAW III - Oct. 27, 2006
A decent conclusion to the Saw trilogy (the first Saw trilogy, at least -- obviously, more will me made, though I'm not sure where they'll go from here). Featuring mediocre direction from Darren Lynn Bousman, whose over-reliance on quick cuts got annoying fast. Jigsaw's traps are getting a bit old at this point, and the film seemed somewhat pointless at first, though it did improve as it progressed. On the plus side it was quite brutal, with the highlight clearly being the scene in which Jigsaw receives brain surgery (the audience reaction when the doctor pulled out the little power saw was worth the price of admission alone). **1/2

Full Tilt Boogie

FULL TILT BOOGIE (1997) - Oct. 26, 2006
An enjoyable and in-depth documentary about the production of From Dusk Till Dawn. Looks at pretty much every aspect of the production of the film, though it doesn't go into pre or post-production, which would have been interesting (though I suppose it would have had to have been much longer at that point). The film unfortunately dwells quite a bit on all the union troubles the production had, at which point the movie slows down considerably. **1/2

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) - Oct. 24, 2006
An interesting musical about a young couple in love. It was quite different from the usual musical in that there wasn't a single spoken line of dialogue -- everything is sung (though there aren't really any songs in the movie, more like sung dialogue). It sounds strange, but it actually does work. Featuring some very colourful direction from Jaques Demy, and good performances all around. ***

Stray Dog

STRAY DOG (1949) - Oct. 22, 2006
About a cop whose gun is stolen, and who then becomes determined to catch the man who is using it to perpetrate a series of crimes, this was really well directed by Akira Kurosawa, though it was somewhat slow paced. Toshiro Mifune gave an excellent performance as the cop, and though the movie felt slightly overlong, it was really well made (though the quality of the transfer on the Criterion DVD was surprisingly bad). ***

The Prestige

THE PRESTIGE (2006) - Oct. 20, 2006
Another winner from Christopher Nolan. About a couple of rival magicians who obsess over out-doing each other, this was a really twisty, well made film. Christopher Nolan's direction was quite good, and of course the film was told in a non-linear fashion (which worked really well). Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale were both perfect in their roles, and the film was very entertaining throughout despite a run-time of over two hours. ***1/2

Breathless

BREATHLESS (1960) - Oct. 20, 2006
I'm not sure if this is my first or second viewing of this film. I know I've seen the first 10 minutes, but after that it stopped being familiar. Anyway, this was a good, surprisingly straight-forward film from Jean-Luc Godard about a man on the run after shooting a cop. ***

Flags of our Fathers

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2006) - Oct. 18, 2006
A really well made but somewhat overlong film about the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, focusing on the three men who survived the battle and who were forced to tour the country hawking war bonds. Featuring uniformly excellent performances, particularly Ryan Phillippe and Adam Beach, and expectedly stellar direction from Clint Eastwood. The film managed to strike a good balance between visceral combat scenes, and more dramatic scenes with the three men dealing with their memories of the war back home. ***

Weird Science

WEIRD SCIENCE (1985) - Oct. 15, 2006
Well, that was definitely one of John Hughes' weaker films, and a bit of a let-down considering that it has attained somewhat of a cult status over the years. About a couple of social outcasts who somehow manage to make a woman with their computer, the sort of fairy tale premise wears thin after a while, and the whole thing is a bit too silly to ever really get into. It was well acted and well made, but it just didn't really work (for me, at least). **

The Grudge 2

THE GRUDGE 2 (2006) - Oct. 14, 2006
This was a decent sequel, but it's hard for me to completely judge this film as I saw it with a really terrible audience. Featuring three different storylines about people who are affected by that crazy grudge house, the film was, like the first one, basically just a series of scary set-pieces. Some of these sequences were more effective than others, which made the film feel somewhat uneven. And though the whole concept of a long-haired ghost stalking people has lost a bit of its freshness (putting it mildly) the film actually does manage to be pretty creepy in parts, if not very original. I thought this was okay, but who knows, maybe I would have liked it more if I hadn't seen it with such a crappy audience. **1/2

Eyes Without a Face

EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1959) - Oct. 13, 2006
An eerie film about a surgeon whose goal is to replace his daughter's face after she is disfigured in a car accident. The film is well made and a bit unsettling in parts, but it's too slow-paced to ever really get into. **1/2

Forgotten Silver

FORGOTTEN SILVER (1995) - Oct. 13, 2006
An enjoyable and well made mockumentary about a fictional unknown New Zealand director who discovered sound and colour before anyone else. The film was entertaining and reasonably convincing (I can see people being fooled by it, though I did find it a bit sad that a classroom full of film students were pretty much all fooled). ***

Kiss me Deadly

KISS ME DEADLY (1955) - Oct. 13, 2006
About a private eye who finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy after he begins to investigate the death of a hitchhiker he picked up, this was a well made film noir. The direction was good (I particularly liked the scene in the boxing ring), as was the acting, though the film was probably a bit overlong. Then there is the bizarre ending, which clearly inspired the glowing suitcase from Pulp Fiction, and which really has to be seen to be believed. ***

Man of the Year

MAN OF THE YEAR (2006) - Oct. 11, 2006
A decent but sort of mediocre film by Barry Levinson about a Jon Stewart-esque comedian who decides to run for president (and wins). The performances were good, and the whole thing was affable enough for the first hour or so, if nothing too great, but things went downhill in the second half. It was definitely too long by at least half an hour; it really starts to drag towards the end. Plus there's a bunch of time spent with Laura Linney's character, a lot of which seems superfluous (the stuff towards the end where the film suddenly turns into a political thriller was out of place and unnecessary). The movie would have probably been better off focusing more on the stuff with Robin Williams, and less on the whole vote-count conspiracy thing (or not at all on the vote-count conspiracy thing, it was pretty stupid). **1/2

Crimes and Misdemeanors

CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989) - Oct. 8, 2006 (Fourth or Fifth Viewing)
I think I needed to watch a really good movie to get the stink of Texas Chainsaw off me. And they don't come much better than this; this is a great film and almost certainly Woody Allen's best. Featuring excellent performances from Anjelica Huston, Alan Alda, Mia Farrow and Sam Waterston. And then of course there's Martin Landau, who gives what has to be one of the best performances of all time as an opthamologist who has to deal with the guilt after having his mistress killed. Woody Allen is in peak form here: his writing and direction are pretty much perfect, and he gives one of his better performances as a struggling documentarian. Good stuff. ****

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING (2006) - Oct. 7, 2006
Hate is not a strong enough word to describe my feelings for this film. I loathed this movie. I despised it. I thought that there was nowhere to go but up after the last one, but I could not have been more wrong. This was an unpleasant, boring, repugnant and ugly little film. The characters were flat and underdeveloped, even by horror movie standards; the same goes for the plot. The film simply lurched from one scene of sadistic gore to the next - it's neither scary nor suspenseful - with nothing propelling the movie forward other than a desire to be as gross and unpleasant as possible. This was essentially a snuff film, but then I'm sure that even some snuff films are made with more intelligence and artistry than this festering, putrid pile of rat vomit. ZERO STARS

The Passion of Joan of Arc

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928) - Oct. 5, 2006
About Joan of Arc's last days before being burned at the stake, this was an interesting film. It was definitely well made, though the abundant use of close-ups did get a bit tiresome after a while (the protagonist is seen almost exclusively through close-ups -- I think it must be some kind of record). **1/2

The Departed

THE DEPARTED (2006) - Oct. 4, 2006
A really well-made film by Martin Scorsese about a violent mobster, the undercover cop trying to take him down, and the corrupt cop helping him out. The film was exceptionally well acted, and unsurprisingly, very well directed. It was probably a tad overlong, but that's a minor complaint. ***1/2

Lost in La Mancha

LOST IN LA MANCHA (2002) - Oct. 4, 2006 (Second Viewing)
A documentary about the disastrous and ill-fated production of Terry Gilliam's Don Quixote. This was an interesting film, if only to see all the things that can go wrong over the course of making a movie. This wasn't particularly something I needed to see twice, but it was entertaining. ***

Goodfellas

GOODFELLAS (2006) - Oct. 1, 2006 (Third or Fourth Viewing)
A classic. What can I say about this movie? It was perfectly directed by Martin Scorsese (who always seems to find the perfect musical accompaniment to every scene), and features really excellent performances from Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Lorraine Bracco, and an electrifying lead performance from Ray Liotta. It was really long but doesn't feel it at all. I have no complaints about this movie. ****

It Came from Beneath the Sea

IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955) - Sept. 30, 2006
A dated and surprisingly dull film about giant killer octopus who eventually attacks San Francisco. A big problem with this film was that the octopus itself barely got any screentime; the majority of the film consists of a couple of scientists and a naval officer's attempts to figure out what the creature is, and how to kill it (and a pointless love triangle between the three). Robert Gordon's dull direction doesn't help matters. Ray Harryhousen's special effects, though obviously far from realistic, are pretty much the only interesting thing about the movie. It's also pretty obvious that Gore Verbinski was inspired by this movie, as the scene in Dead Man's Chest where a boat gets attacked by the octopus was pretty much identical to a scene in this film. *1/2

Witness to Murder

WITNESS TO MURDER (1954) - Sept. 29, 2006
A mostly entertaining but fairly routine film noir about a woman who witnesses a murder and then struggles to prove what she saw. It was decently directed by Roy Rowland, and featured expectedly shadowy cinematography (I particularly liked the sequence set in the mental facility). The performances were all fine, though George Sanders was definitely the highlight as the killer, giving an enjoyably sinister performance. **1/2

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920) - Sept. 29, 2006 (Second Viewing)
Though this wasn't quite as bad as I remember it being, it still isn't quite the classic a lot of people make it out to be. It's sort of interesting, mostly from a historical standpoint, but it isn't very entertaining. The artificial looking sets and stagey direction make this little more than a curiosity. **

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES (2005) - Sept. 28, 2006
The Zhangster strikes again! This was a really moving film about a Japanese father, estranged from his dying son, who journeys to China in order to film a Chinese Opera in the hopes of reconnecting with his son. This was a really good looking film. I was just mentioning how John Huston is right up there with Kubrick in terms of his visuals; Yimou is even better (than Huston, not Kubrick, though he's close). Though the version I saw, infuriatingly, was partially out of focus. Along with Yimou's stellar direction was a really remarkable performance by Ken Takakura, who is pretty much perfect as the father who has a hard time expressing his emotions. It was a really really good performance, at a level you don't see too often. And man, towards the end... I don't think a movie has so thoroughly moved me to tears since Titanic. ***1/2

Broken Blossoms or the Yellow Man and the Girl

BROKEN BLOSSOMS OR THE YELLOW MAN AND THE GIRL (1919) - Sept. 27, 2006
This was actually quite a bit better than I thought it would be, considering how much I disliked the two other D.W. Griffith films that I've seen (Birth of a Nation and Intolerance). It's short (90 minutes) unlike those two, which helps. About a romance between a British girl and a Chinese immigrant, I'm sure Griffith had good intentions while making it, but it still comes off as pretty racist (the Chinese character is played by a white guy, and he's constantly being referred to as a chink -- even his girlfriend calls him "chinky" at one point). But as far as silent films go it was well made and reasonably entertaining. **1/2

Living in Oblivion

LIVING IN OBLIVION (1995) - Sept. 26, 2006
An enjoyable film about a day in the life of the production of a low-budget film. All the performances were quite good, but Steve Buscemi was definitely the highlight as the frazzled director (though Dermot Mulroney also deserves mention as an eye-patch wearing cinematographer). ***

The Asphalt Jungle

THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950) - Sept. 24, 2006
Superbly directed by John Huston, this was a really good heist film about a criminal who gets involved in a big heist, and all the things that go wrong. It sort of reminded me of Rififi, though obviously it's hard to top that film. Sterling Hayden is excellent in the main role, as are all the other performances. The dialogue was really good, and then of course there was Huston's direction. In terms of the composition of his shots I think he's right up there with Kubrick. I particularly liked the final shot of the film. ***1/2

Jackass Number Two

JACKASS NUMBER TWO (2006) - Sept. 23, 2006
This was exactly what you'd think it would be. Featuring Johnny Knoxville and his wacky band of misfits as they perform outrageous stunts and prank each other. A lot of the stuff they did seemed really dangerous, and it's a wonder that no one got seriously injured. But a lot of it was actually pretty funny in a sick kind of way, and it was essentially entertaining (though it did begin to get a bit monotonous by the end). **1/2

The Protector

THE PROTECTOR (2005) - Sept. 19, 2006
I think this might have once been a good film. It's hard to say; half an hour has been cut out of this version leaving it almost completely incomprehensible. Whoever did the cutting did a terrible job -- many scenes seem to begin or end arbitrarily, and the whole film has a choppy, outright confusing feel to it. The film is also, confusingly, dubbed in some parts, and subtitled in others. The action was really good though, with the highlights being the part where Jaa fights his way to the top of a building in one continuous shot, and the part where Jaa takes on a room full of guys, and proceeds to break more arms than Steven Seagal has in his entire career. I really do need to see the original, because this version was clearly butchered. **

The Player

THE PLAYER (1992) - Sept. 18, 2006
This movie starts out with an impressively long tracking shot, which soon reveals itself to be the highlight of the film. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with the movie, it just wasn't all that great. Tim Robbins was good as a sleazy movie executive who finds himself being stalked by a disgruntled screenwriter, as were the rest of the performances, but... Meh. **1/2

Outsourced

OUTSOURCED (2006) - Sept. 16, 2006
An enjoyable romantic comedy that is undone by a severe case of overlength. About a guy whose job is outsourced, and who has to go to India to train his replacements, the film is initially delightful, but has definitely worn out its welcome by the time the end credits roll. Which is too bad, because it definitely had a lot of promise. **1/2

The Missing Star

THE MISSING STAR (2006) - Sept. 16, 2006
A well made but outrageously slow-paced film about an Italian mechanic who travels to China in order to fix a machine sold to a Chinese company by his employers. He doesn't know what company actually bought the machine, so pretty much the entire film consists of him and his interpreter wandering around China searching for the right factory. The movie was well directed and the performances were fine, but jeez. It was just so slow, it was difficult to ever really get into it. **

The Caiman

THE CAIMAN (2006) - Sept. 16, 2006
A disappointing film from Nanni Moretti. About a washed-up film producer, and his attempt to mount a comeback with a film criticizing Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Moretti clearly doesn't care for Berlusconi; a big chunk of the film is footage from the movie within the movie in which Berlusconi is essentially portrayed as an incompetent criminal. The rest of the film was okay, but it didn't really amount to much. **1/2

The Dog Problem

THE DOG PROBLEM (2006) - Sept. 16, 2006
A really enjoyable and surprisingly well-made film (surprising considering it is written and directed by Scott Caan, from whom you wouldn't really expect much). But it was quite well made, and featured a really good performance from Giovanni Ribisi. The other performances were equally good, and the writing and direction were both top-notch. ***1/2

Seraphim Falls

SERAPHIM FALLS (2006) - Sept. 15, 2006
Featuring a couple of very grizzled performances from Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson, this was a really well made western. The plot was simple: one man (with the help of four hired hands) hunts down another. Much of the movie is without dialogue, focusing on Brosnan's character as he attempts to elude his hunters. It definitely worked, though the ending dragged on a bit longer than it really should have. If nothing else, it's worth it for the scene in which Brosnan removes a bullet from his arm, then cleans and cauterizes the wound with nothing but some whiskey, a large knife and a campfire. ***

Golden Door

GOLDEN DOOR (2006) - Sept. 15, 2006
About a family of Italians who decide to immigrate to America in the early 20th century (the exact year is never mentioned). The film, directed by Emanuele Crialese, who also directed the excellent Respiro, is certainly well made, but very very slow. It's never actually boring, but it's about as slow-paced as a movie can get without crossing the line into boring territory. It helps that it's really well acted and directed (plus it's Italian, so you pretty much know what you're getting into in terms of pace -- but even for an Italian movie this was slow). **1/2

The Half Life of Timofey Berezin

THE HALF LIFE OF TIMOFEY BEREZIN (2006) - Sept. 14, 2006
This was odd. For the first half or so, it almost feels like two different films: there's the stuff with the father who, in an accident at work, gets a lethal case of radiation poisoning, and then there's the Guy Ritchie-esque stuff with three bumbling gangsters trying to raise six thousand dollars for their boss. The plots do eventually converge, and it isn't quite as jarring as you'd think it would be (the gangster story becomes a bit more serious to match the tone of the radiation story). It was interesting, but I'm not entirely sure it worked; I think I'd rather have one story or the other (preferably the serious one, because the gangster stuff wasn't exactly fresh). Paddy Constantine, as the man with radiation poisoning, was almost certainly the highlight, as he gave a really excellent performance. **1/2

Black Book

BLACK BOOK (2006) - Sept. 14, 2006
A really well made, entertaining film about a Polish Jew in Germany, and her struggles to survive during World War II, eventually joining the resistance. She infiltrates Nazi headquarters by wooing a high-ranking German officer, and finds herself falling in love with him. The film was almost two and a half hours long but doesn't feel long at all -- my interest didn't wane for a second, which is rare for a movie of this length. The film was really well directed by Paul Verhoeven, and is a good companion piece for the equally excellent Soldier of Orange. It also features an outstanding lead performance from Carice van Houten (and in fact all the performances were really good). This is Verhoeven's first film in six years; I hope it isn't another six for the next one. ****

A Few Days in September

A FEW DAYS IN SEPTEMBER (2006) - Sept. 14, 2006
Here's another one I'll have to watch again. About three people waiting for a reunion with a spy of some sort, this movie seemed pretty good (though the intentionally out-of-focus cinematography got a bit annoying after a while) but I was asleep during a lot of it (and that's not a condemnation of the movie, I was just really really tired). So yeah, hopefully it'll get a release at some point because I really should watch it again. NO RATING

The Last Winter

THE LAST WINTER (2006) - Sept. 13, 2006 (S)
Jeez, talk about wasted potential. About a team of workers out in the Alaskan tundra who are supposed to build a new oil pipeline, and the weird stuff that starts happening once they get there. Though the film is very well acted (Ron Perlman and James LeGros were particularly good) and generally well made, it's ultimately undone by its overt preachiness (we GET it, global warming is bad) and some really stupid stuff towards the end that may have seemed good on paper... actually no, I can't imagine that it would seem like a good idea anywhere (murderous caribou ghosts? WTF?). There were some moments here and there that I thought were really effective (the scene where the team watches the final video of one of its members, the scene towards the end where Abby and James attempt to communicate via walkie talkie) and the film's look, with its bleakly white, Fargo-esque landscapes, effectively set the proper mood, but... I dunno, it all seemed to be building up to something really creepy, and what it did build up to was just silly (murderous caribou ghosts!). It sucks, because this could have been a great film and it wasn't even a good one. After the film, I overheard a guy calling it a "middling failure." That sounds about right. **

My Best Friend

MY BEST FRIEND (2006) - Sept. 13, 2006
An enjoyable comedy about a man who comes to the realization that he has no real friends, and who proceeds to try to find his best friend within a few days thanks to a bet. He eventually finds a friend in an outgoing but oddly friendless cab driver. The film essentially plays out like a romantic comedy without the romance, complete with a fake breakup between the friends. But it was entertaining, and Daniel Auteuil was quite good in the main role. ***

Black Sheep

BLACK SHEEP (2006) - Sept. 12, 2006
About a bunch of sheep who are driven bloodthirsty and mad thanks to some sort of genetic engineering gone wrong, this was expectedly silly but essentially entertaining. Nothing about it stood out as anything too memorable, though there were some pretty good parts (the part where hundreds of angry sheep descend upon a crowd of people was a highlight). This isn't quite in the same league as something like Shaun of the Dead, but it was a diverting enough time-waster. **1/2

Everything's Gone Green

EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN (2006) - Sept. 12, 2006
A really well made and enjoyable film about a guy who works the lottery office in Vancouver, and who finds himself involved in a scam of sorts. That doesn't really describe the movie too well, but I guess you can't really describe this movie in one sentence. Written by Douglas Coupland, the film features all the hallmarks of Coupland's novels: the quirky characters, the humour, the thoughtful dialogue. You wouldn't think he'd be able to do it, but he really does effectively translate the experience of reading one of his books to the screen. The film is also really well directed by Paul Fox, and features a really excellent central performance from Paulo Costanzo. ***1/2

Beauty in Trouble

BEAUTY IN TROUBLE (2006) - Sept. 12, 2006
A well made but slow and sort of overlong film about a married woman who befriends a kindhearted rich man while her husband is in jail (for stealing the rich man's car). The film doesn't have much of a plot, and at times feels a bit pointless, but it was okay. Not the best movie I've seen at the film festival, and not the worst. **1/2

10 Items or Less

10 ITEMS OR LESS (2006) - Sept. 11, 2006
Morgan Freeman, essentially playing a variation on himself, gives a phenomenal performance in this film about a past-his-prime actor who strikes up a friendship with a young supermarket clerk (played by Paz Vega, who actually manages to hold her own against Freeman). The film basically just consists of Freeman and Vega talking, but it's really entertaining throughout, mostly thanks to Freeman's charismatic performance and the quality of the dialogue. Good stuff. ***1/2

Diggers

DIGGERS (2006) - Sept. 11, 2006
A really well made and well acted film about a group of friends, all clam diggers, who find their livelihood at stake when a large corporation moves in and starts to make things more difficult. Though Ron Eldard, Paul Rudd and Maura Tierney were expectedly excellent (though Eldard didn't have nearly enough to do), Ken Marino was definitely the standout, stealing pretty much every scene he was in. ***

Love and Other Disasters

LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS (2006) - Sept. 11, 2006
An enjoyable but cliched and inconsequential romantic comedy (and just because they acknowledge that they're using cliches, that doesn't make them any less cliched). Brittany Murphy stars as Jacks, who along with her group of quirky friends in London, is on a search for true love. There were no surprises here - this is a movie that features both the fake breakup and the mad dash to the airport - but the film was still well made and an enjoyable enough way to spend an hour and a half. **1/2

The Host

THE HOST (2006) - Sept. 10, 2006
A really uneven film. About a giant mutated monster terrorizing Korea, this movie had some really good moments, but was otherwise so-so. The first scene with the monster, in which it runs amuck in park full of people was CLEARLY the highlight, and was probably one of the best scenes of its type that I've ever seen. It was awesome, but it was all downhill from there. There were a few other good scenes with the monster, but none of them could come close to the first one. The movie was otherwise way overlong; the family at the centre of the film was probably too large -- the movie could have been trimmed down quite a bit if there weren't so many central characters. **1/2

Shot in the Dark

SHOT IN THE DARK (2006) - Sept. 10, 2006
A really engaging documentary about Adrian Grenier and his efforts to forge a relationship with his long-absent father, and to figure out what being a father really means in the process. The documentary was really well made and entertaining, and Grenier's efforts to reconnect with his dad proved to be surprisingly compelling. The film was at times touching, and at times funny (such as the part where Grenier has to explain the title to his confused psychiatrist). Good stuff. ***1/2

Palimpsest

PALIMPSEST (2006) - Sept. 10, 2006
An interesting but really slow-paced drama about a gritty cop trying to solve a murder, and seemingly going crazy in the process. The over-the-top score seemed like it would be more at home in a horror movie, though I suppose it did help set the mood and tone. I really can't say much more about the movie; I was really tired during the screening and was very close to falling asleep on several occasions (and in fact I think I may have actually drifted off at least once). So yeah, another viewing would be a good thing, particularly after the whopper of an ending, which is the type that makes you see the movie in a whole different light. NO RATING

The Fall

THE FALL (2006)
Another self-indulgent, pretentious stinkpile from Tarsem. I really don't know what to say about this movie. It featured some impressive visuals; they obviously filmed in some interesting places. But the "story" is just pointless, and seems like an excuse to go from one interesting looking place to the next. I'm not sure why Tarsem didn't just make a Baraka type of movie, as the backgrounds seemed to be what he really cared about. Blech. I did like the ending though, with a series of clips of stunts from silent films set to a piece from Beethoven's seventh symphony. *1/2

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY (2006) - Sept. 9, 2006
A disappointment. Though Cillian Murphy gave an expectedly electrifying performance, this film is just not up to his level. For one thing, Ken Loach's direction is bland almost to the point of non-existence. Even more problematic, the film just isn't all that interesting; it probably didn't help that I knew nothing about the whole conflict, and I think the film assumes you have at least a little knowledge of the situation (a little bit of text at the beginning would have really helped). Aside from Cillian Murphy and a couple of other people, all the characters were pretty much interchangable. And there's a point where I thought the movie would end, but it keeps going for at least half an hour. Plus the strong Irish accents didn't help matters (I missed a good chunk of the dialogue). And then there's the little things, like why weren't there any squibs in this movie? It's a really minor complaint, but it kind of takes you out of the movie when a guy gets shot and just falls over, especially in a film that's otherwise so gritty. **

Hana

HANA (2006) - Sept. 9, 2006
An overlong but otherwise delightful film about a samurai who moves to a small village hoping to find leads in order to get vengeance against the man who killed his father. It sounds serious (and that's what I thought it was going to be) but it was actually a light-hearted comedy about the samurai and the quirky residents of the small, ramshackle village in which he resides. A lot of time is also spent on the blossoming relationship between the samurai and a single mother (though not quite enough to classify this as a romantic comedy). The residents of the town are endearing and became people I really came to care about, and the film was actually quite funny. My only real problem with this movie (though it's a big one) is that, at 127 minutes, it's just way too long. It overstays its welcome a little bit, and that's too bad because otherwise it's really good. ***

2:37

2:37 (2006) - Sept. 8, 2006
I don't think the word homage even applies here -- more like outright theft. This movie was very heavily "inspired" by Gus Van Sant's Elephant, and it shows. Like Elephant, the movie takes place in a high school over the course of one day leading up to a tragedy. And like Elephant, the movie follows a few different kids, and shows how their lives overlap. And like that film, this movie features a lot of long steadicam shots (though not nearly as many as Elephant, which was pretty much nothing but steadicam shots). It was good though, if not quite as compelling or well made as Van Sant's film. (An addendum: I can't help but be a little bitter that the director of this film is two years younger than me. What's up with that?) ***

Lights in the Dusk

LIGHTS IN THE DUSK (2006) - Sept. 8, 2006
I can't help but feel a bit disappointed by this, Aki Kaurismaki's first film since the excellent The Man without a Past. About a sad-sack security guard who aims for something higher, the main problem is that the film, and all the characters within it, are deadpan to a ridiculous degree. No one in the film seems to have any reaction other than a sort of curious disdain. When, towards the end of the film, the protagonist cracks a big smile, it seems weird and out of place. That's not to say that the film was bad; it was really well directed, and the performances were actually quite good, particularly the main guy (and that's no small feat, considering the narrow range of emotions he had to work with). **1/2

Big Bang Love: Juvenile A

BIG BANG LOVE: JUVENILE A (2006) - Sept. 8, 2006
A strange, strange movie. Starting off with a long, nonsensical speech and followed by a really bizarre dance number, this film initially seemed like it was going to be quite the ordeal. This turned out to be somewhat untrue, as the movie did improve as it progressed. A sort of murder-mystery set inside a very strange jail, the movie got better once the plot started to unfold. But the whole thing was just strange, and slow-paced, and pretty much pointless. *1/2

Syriana

SYRIANA (2005) - Sept. 6, 2006
Meh. This movie was well made but I felt oddly disconnected from it. It probably didn't help that it featured so many characters that I felt like I didn't really get a chance to get to know any of them. It also would have been nice if the movie had spent slightly longer chunks of time with each character; the movie kept zipping from subplot to subplot. I guess the problem was that they didn't feel like characters as much as devices to set the many many wheels of the plot in motion. It wasn't so bad though; it was well made and well acted. But did I really need a two hour movie to tell me that big oil companies are bad? **1/2

Crank

CRANK (2006)
Featuring a perfectly-cast Jason Statham as a hitman who gets injected with a bizarre poison that requires him to keep his adrenaline up to survive, this was a ridiculously over-the-top but really entertaining film. Though the two directors were clearly inspired by Tony Scott in their kinetic sense of style, they actually put it to better use here than Scott ever has (the style actually seemed to fit the movie, unlike in something like Man on Fire, where it felt shoehorned in and only served to distract the audience). Everything about this movie was insanely over the top, but it worked and I quite enjoyed it. ***

Idiocracy

IDIOCRACY (2006) - Sept. 1, 2006
A silly but enjoyable film about a man and a prostitute who, in an experiment gone wrong, are cryogenically frozen for over 500 years. When they wake up, they find that evolution has favoured the stupid, and that America has been dumbed down to a ridiculous degree. Though not as good as Mike Judge's last film, the cult classic Office Space, this was pretty entertaining and had its moments. It's a bit perplexing that it was shelved so long, but with the numerous digs at American culture, maybe it hit a bit close to home. **1/2

Invincible

INVINCIBLE (2006) - Aug. 31, 2006
An entertaining but seriously by-the-numbers film about a regular guy who winds up playing pro football. It was definitely well acted, it was entertaining enough, and it was well made, but it was just... I don't think there was a single moment in this movie that felt fresh. It was such a routine "feel good" type of movie, and it did absolutely nothing new. There was nothing in this film I haven't seen a dozen times before. It was redundant. I was thinking I'd give it two-and-a-half, because I was never bored and it was certainly a well put-together film, but the more I think about this movie the more it makes me mad. Was this movie written by a person? Or by the Feel-Good-Sports-Movie-Bot? **

Shutter

SHUTTER (2004) - Aug. 26, 2006
A seriously creepy movie about a photographer and his girlfriend who run over a girl on the street and then drive off. Strange things start happening, including a ghostly figure popping up in the photographer's photos. This was a really effective horror film; it wastes no time getting things started, and manages to maintain a fairly tense atmosphere for pretty much the entire movie. If I had one complaint about the film it is that, sort of like the Grudge, it's fairly light on plot, and basically just consists of one scary set-piece after another. But it's well directed and quite scary, so that's a minor complaint. ***1/2

Accepted

ACCEPTED (2006) - Aug. 19, 2006
An enjoyable comedy about a guy who, after being rejected by all the colleges he applies to, decides make up his own. Wackiness ensues. This actually kind of reminded me of a wacky '80s comedy (it seems like the type of movie that, say, Corey Feldman might have made). Justin Long is good as the Ferris Bueller-esque character who comes up with the plan to make the fake school, but without a doubt it's Jonah Hill who steals the show as Long's wacky best friend. He doesn't have all that big of a part, but he steals pretty much every scene he's in. ***

Snakes on a Plane

SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006) - Aug. 17, 2006
This movie gives you pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a movie called Snakes on a Plane. Its main problem is a severe case of overlength, exacerbated by a useless subplot on the ground which begs the question: if it doesn't have snakes, and it isn't on plane, why is it in Snakes on a Plane? It was useless and should have been cut out, along with a lot of other stuff, as this movie really had no right to be any longer than 80 minutes or so. Other than that it was pretty entertaining, and Samuel L. Jackson was really good, particularly in his delivery of the now infamous line involving motherfucking snakes. **1/2

Serenity

SERENITY (2005) - Aug. 15, 2006 (Fourth Viewing)
Serenity! I loves me this movie. I'd marry it if I could. What do I like about this movie? Everything! What do I not like about this movie? Nothing! Nathan Fillion is awesome in it, of course, as is everyone else. But I have to give a special mention to Chiwetel Ejiofor, whose brilliantly sinister performance turns the Operative into one of the most memorable movie villains in recent memory. Then there's the direction, the dialogue, the special effects... PURE GOLD. ****

The Eye 2

THE EYE 2 (2004) - Aug. 12, 2006
Quite a bit different from the first, this definitely isn't simply a rehash that movie (in fact this didn't really even have to be called a sequel, it had almost nothing to do with the original). About a pregnant woman who suspects a ghost is trying to do something sinister with her baby, this isn't nearly as creepy as the original, and in fact almost plays out like a drama for the most part. It was interesting, but definitely an inferior sequel. **1/2

The Eye

THE EYE (2002) - Aug. 12, 2006
A eerie horror movie about a woman who gets some kind of eye transplant, and then finds that she has the ability to see ghosts. The ghosts she sees don't have any makeup to make them look creepier; they just look like normal people, so at first I was thinking "this isn't scary!" But the movie does actually have a few tricks up its sleeve, and I have found myself a bit creeped out by it since seeing it. ***

Pulse

PULSE (2006) - Aug. 11, 2006
A cheesy but sporadically effective horror film about ghosts coming through the internet (which is just as silly as it sounds). Featuring some really mediocre dialogue, and subpar performances to match. It had its moments, but it was repetitive and, though suspenseful at times, not quite as scary as it tries to be. It doesn't help that this type of Ring knockoff is getting a bit tired at this point. **1/2

The Pink Panther

THE PINK PANTHER (2006) - Aug. 9, 2006
A really silly but entertaining movie starring Steve Martin as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. I'm not really sure why this film got such a bum rap; it probably helps that I have no memory of the original and thus nothing to compare this to and get angry about. The only really laugh-out-loud funny part was the whole "I would like to buy a hamburger" scene, but it was still quite enjoyable throughout. ***

World Trade Center

WORLD TRADE CENTER (2006) - Aug. 7, 2006
A powerful film about two cops stuck in the rubble in the World Trade Center, and the impact it has on their families. The movie is really well acted, and Oliver Stone wisely avoids the type of over-the-type over-direction he is known for, though the film's slow pace hurts it a bit around the middle. It was good, though, and actually got me pretty choked up towards the end there. ***

The Matador

THE MATADOR (2005) - Aug. 6, 2006
An enjoyable film about the unlikely friendship between a hitman and a business man. Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear were both really good as the hitman and his friend, and the movie was well written and directed. My only real complaint would be that I wasn't too keen on the cinematography, what with all the colors and such. I guess they do it with computers, and I've seen it in other movies, and I don't think it's ever been used well. ***

The Benchwarmers

THE BENCHWARMERS (2006) - Aug. 4, 2006
A lame, boring and very much unfunny "comedy". This was pretty much a disaster from minute one; usually with a bad comedy like this, it's at least a little bit entertaining for a while. Not here. Jon Heder proves to be a one-trick pony, playing a somewhat less bizarre version of Napoleon Dynamite, David Spade is David Spade, and Rob Schneider was miscast as an Adam Sandler-esque straight-man. Poop. *1/2

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY (2006) - July 31, 2006
Though it wasn't quite the laugh riot I was hoping it would be, this was still an enjoyable film about the wacky misadventures of a Nascar driver. The performances were all good, particularly John C. Reilly as Will Ferrell's slow-witted best friend. The movie was entertaining, though probably a tad on the long side. But then there was the part involving Michael Clarke Duncan getting really really angry, which was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while, and worth the price of admission alone. ***

Miami Vice

MIAMI VICE (2006) - July 28, 2006
Well, that was a bit of a let-down. A surprisingly dull movie about... I don't know, drug busts? It wasn't really about anything, nor were there any characters worth caring about. The performances were all fine, with the exception of the usually excellent Gong Li, whose accent made Jackie Chan look like Michael Caine, and who gave a surprisingly wooden performance. The problem with this movie was that it was too long, but even worse, it just wasn't all that interesting. The best part of this movie was the trailers. I don't think I've ever seen that many good trailers before one movie (Black Dahlia, Children of Men, the Departed, and Borat). **

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND (2006) - July 26, 2006
This movie is pretty much the definition of mediocre. It wasn't really bad, but it wasn't good either. I wasn't outright bored, nor was I fully entertained. The direction was bland, and the script was chock-full of cliches. The performances were good though, and the movie had an affable vibe that kept it from being all-out boring. Meh. **1/2

Find me Guilty

FIND ME GUILTY (2006) - July 23, 2006
After movies like xXx and the Fast and the Furious, Vin Diesel reminds us that yes, he really can act. Diesel, wearing a fat suit and a wig, gives a really engaging performance, his best since Boiler Room. About a mobster who chose to defend himself, entertaining the courtroom in the process with his wacky antics, this was well made and entertaining throughout, despite a longish running time of around two hours. Though on paper it seems as though Diesel's character might be a bit one-dimensional, Diesel's performance goes a long way in making sure that this isn't the case. I'm puzzled as to why this didn't get a wider release. ***1/2

Clerks II

CLERKS II (2006) - July 22, 2006
Kevin Smith redeems himself after the less than stellar Jersey Girl. Featuring the type of clever dialogue Smith became known for, the movie is actually quite funny at times, and enjoyable all the way through. Smith's only downfall is that he clearly sucks at plotting, and falls back on cliches way too often, which is why his movies are at their best when people are just talking. I remember the original being a bit better than this (I should probably watch it again), but it was still good. ***

Lady in the Water

LADY IN THE WATER (2006) - July 19, 2006
Well, you've got to hand it to Shyamalan, he's definitely trying something different. Whether or not he succeeded, I'm not so sure. A fairy tale-like film about a mythical being who somehow ends up in an apartment building, and needs help from the residents to get home. The performances were uniformly excellent, and the visual look of the movie was as superb as you'd expect from Shyamalan. But Night's trademark super-slow pace hurt the film, as did the somewhat underdeveloped characters and the ill-advised attempts at humour (though there were a few chuckle-worthy moments, on the whole I think Shyamalan should stick to drama). I'm glad the Shamster is trying something different, but on the whole this didn't really work. **1/2

X-Men: The Last Stand

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006) - July 19, 2006
A decent but essentially mediocre superhero film, though it definitely could have been worse. I was enjoying it up until about half-way through, after which I was still basically entertained, but I was just getting a bit sick of it. It wasn't all that compelling. It was certainly well acted, and competently directed by Brett Ratner, but... I don't know. There was a lot of stuff happening, and I don't know if it all tied together as well as it should have (if that makes sense). **1/2

Jason and the Argonauts

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963) - July 16, 2006
Though cheesy and badly dated, this was essentially entertaining. About Jason, and his quest to travel to the other side of the Earth to procure a magical artifact. I don't think there's a single element of this film that has aged well. Ray Harryhausen's special effects, though obviously not even a little bit realistic, were a highlight. **1/2

District 13

DISTRICT 13 (2004) - July 15, 2006
This movie starts with an elaborate chase scene which, even if the rest of the movie had sucked, would have been worth the price of admission alone. It then follows it up with a bunch of action scenes that are just as good, if not better than the first one. Good stuff. The plot, involving a walled-up slum in France, is interesting enough to keep things moving during the down-times (which are long enough to keep the action from becoming overwhelming, and short enough to ensure the film maintains a brisk pace throughout). The movie was really well directed, particularly the action (it's always nice when a director realizes that you don't need to have a million cuts a second to make an action scene exciting). ***1/2

You, Me and Dupree

YOU, ME AND DUPREE (2006) - July 12, 2006
First off, I should say that I just don't buy Matt Dillon as a romantic lead. I've got nothing against him, I think he's a good actor, but he's just wrong for this type of part. He just doesn't have the kind of charisma to pull it off (plus he's got kind of a sleazy vibe going). As for the other performances, Kate Hudson was fine, and Owen Wilson was Owen Wilson. The movie itself was a predictable, unfunny, overlong bore. It wasn't good. It was flatly directed, and filled with cliches. Of course, it's hard not to wallow in cliches in a genre as well-worn as the romantic comedy; the trick is to make it feel fresh even when it's not. This did not feel fresh. *1/2

Foreign Correspondent

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) - July 11, 2006
Joel McCrea stars as an American reporter who goes to England and finds himself embroiled in a sinister conspiracy. It was entertaining throughout, featuring typically stellar direction by Hitchcock, and an engaging performance from McCrea. ***

High Sierra

HIGH SIERRA (1941) - July 7, 2006
While it wasn't really a bad film, considering that this was basically a heist movie starring Humphrey Bogart, this wasn't quite as electrifying as one might hope. Bogart is quite good (no surprise there) as a man who is released from jail and immediately recruited for a heist. The movie isn't really about the heist, though. A big chunk of the screen-time is devoted to Bogart's attempt to woo a girl, a subplot that's almost entirely pointless and doesn't really go anywhere. The movie is never entirely boring, mostly thanks to Bogey's performance, but aside from that it was pretty underwhelming. **1/2

Little Miss Sunshine

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006) - July 6, 2006
A delightful, entertaining and surprisingly funny film about a family and their journey to get to a beauty pageant. The film featured one of the best ensemble casts I've seen in a while; every role was played to perfection (Alan Arkin was a scene-stealer as the surly grandpa, and Steve Carell proved he can do drama as well as he does comedy). The movie was really well written, and the characters became people we really cared about. It was also one of the funniest films I've seen in a while (who knew a car horn could be so funny?), and did a really good job balancing the hilarity and the poignancy. This was one of the best movies I've seen in a while. ****

Superman II

SUPERMAN II (1980) - July 2, 2006
Another enjoyable Superman movie, though this was probably the weakest of the three. Zod, with his obsession with making people kneel before him, made a good villain, and Christopher Reeve was as good as ever as Superman. Though I have to say, Superman's apparent ability to give a person a mini-lobotomy by kissing them is a little bit disturbing. What's the deal with that? ***

Superman

SUPERMAN (1978) - July 1, 2006
Like Superman Returns, this was quite good, but quite long. Though this film's run-time seemed a bit more justified, given the fact that it covered everything from Krypton's explosion, to Clark Kent landing and growing up in Smallville, to his eventual move to Metropolis and emergence as Superman. It was hard not to compare it to Superman Returns; while Christopher Reeve was just as good if not better than Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey is clearly the superior Lex Luthor. Also, the special effects in this one seem pretty hokey, particularly when compared to Superman Returns. I think Superman Returns is the superior film, but this was still pretty good. ***

Superman Returns

SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006) - June 30, 2006
A good, if somewhat overlong superhero movie. Brandon Routh was pretty much perfect as Superman/Clark Kent, as was Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor (I liked that he had an evil scheme befitting a supervillain of his stature). And Bryan Singer's direction was quite good, but... it was so long. At two and a half hours, there was so much movie crammed in there it seems like they could have split it up into two movies. Oh well. It was still a better than average superhero film. ***

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST (2006) - June 28, 2006
Wha happened? This was definitely a disappointment. Not that it was really terrible, but it pales in comparison to the first one. There were a few scenes here and there, glimmers of what made the first one so good, but for the most part it's missing the spark of that film. It didn't help that it was significantly darker than COTBP (both figuratively and literally), and unlike that movie, felt seriously overlong at around two and a half hours. It also didn't help that all the stuff with Davy Jones was dark and unpleasant. Bleh. Let's hope the next one is better. **1/2

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003) - June 27, 2006 (Second Viewing)
A rollicking adventure, and a superb film. Perhaps a bit on the long side, but that's a minor complaint, considering how enjoyable it is. Perfectly directed by Gore Verbinski, and featuring good performances all around (even Orlando Bloom). And then there's Johnny Depp, whose performance is as brilliant as it is bizarre, and who steals every scene he's in. Even if the movie sucked, it'd be worth it for that crazy performance. It didn't suck. ***1/2

Click

CLICK (2006) - June 21, 2006
About a man who finds himself in possession of a "universal" remote that can pause, fastforward and even skip time, this was a decent movie. The big problem was that the first half wasn't all that great; though the concept sounds pretty foolproof on paper, it just wasn't all that interesting (for the first half at least). But then at some point, a bit more than half-way through the movie, the tone changes pretty drastically, from silly comedy to something quite a bit more serious. Though it got somewhat melodramatic, this section of the movie was pretty good (a lot more Twilight Zone-y and a lot less silly). Plus, Adam Sandler gave a surprisingly good performance (though I guess I shouldn't be too surprised considering how good he was in PDL). It was essentially entertaining throughout, but yeah. A bit uneven. Plus, the absence of the two Sandler regulars was definitely felt. Where were they? **1/2

The Big Sleep

THE BIG SLEEP (1946) - June 19, 2006
An faithful adaptation of the book by Raymond Chandler. I was a bit confused while reading the book, and equally confused while watching the movie. I didn't mind so much while reading the book, because it was exceptionally well written. I minded a bit more here; flatly directed by Howard Hawks, the movie didn't exactly move at a brisk pace. Not that it was bad (Humphrey Bogart was pretty much perfect as Philip Marlowe), but perhaps a bit overrated. **1/2

Paradise Now

PARADISE NOW (2005) - June 18, 2006
A powerful movie about a couple of suicide bombers. Very well directed, well acted, and generally well made. The movie did a good job presenting both sides of the issue. And... I have nothing else to say about this film. Doritos are delicious. ***

Topper

TOPPER (1937) - June 16, 2006
About a freewheeling couple who die, and then decide to help out a stodgy banker as a good deed to get into heaven. Cary Grant was good, but Cary Grant is always good (and his part was too small). The movie itself was kind of iffy; it was basically plotless, and the main character (the banker) wasn't all that interesting. It was essentially entertaining but it did start to drag a bit towards the end. **1/2

The Lake House

THE LAKE HOUSE (2006) - June 14, 2006
Though the premise of this movie is a bit gimmicky (a man and a woman who live two years apart somehow write to each other via some kind of time-traveling mailbox), it works. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock were both really good, which helps. The obligatory fake-breakup felt even more artificial here than usual, and the movie does a really bad job keeping the last "twist" a secret, but aside from that this was pretty good. ***

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005) - June 12, 2006
A really enjoyable film noir buddy comedy / murder mystery. Written and directed by Shane Black, who wrote the first Lethal Weapon, and who does a good job here directing for the first time. The movie was surprisingly funny, with most of the laughs coming from the interplay between Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer (who were both quite good). The self-aware narration was sometimes a bit too clever for its own good, but aside from that, good stuff. ***1/2

The Omen

THE OMEN (2006) - June 9, 2006
A decent but overlong and kind of mediocre horror movie. The performances were good (Mia Farrow was really sinister as a demonic nanny, and it's always nice to see David Thewlis on the big screen), and it was reasonably well directed. The main problem was that, aside from a few creepy parts, the movie just wasn't scary. There were long stretches where you could almost forget you were watching a horror movie; it didn't seem to be building up any kind of tension, or dread. Plus, at almost two hours, it was definitely too long. **1/2

Cars

CARS (2006) - June 7, 2006
Well, this seemed like a good movie, but I'll have to watch it again to know for sure. I was really tired, and though I tried my hardest, I wound up falling asleep in the middle of the film. So yeah, another viewing is going to be necessary, especially since what I did see was good. NO RATING

The Da Vinci Code

THE DA VINCI CODE (2006) - May 19, 2006
A decent, though not particularly great, adaptation of the mega-popular book. Tom Hanks was good, because Tom Hanks is incapable of giving a bad performance, but he has definitely been better. Meh. **1/2

United 93

UNITED 93 (2006) - May 17, 2006
A sometimes harrowing, sometimes slightly dull recounting of flight 93, the one plane on 9/11 that didn't hit its target. Directed by Paul "one note" Greengrass, so it's obviously directed with a gritty, documentary-like style (though it works a lot better here than it did in the Bourne Supremacy). The movie cuts between stuff on the ground, with the people controlling the planes trying to figure out what's going on, and the stuff on the plane itself. My biggest complaint with this movie was that after a while, the stuff on the ground started to feel a bit redundant -- once the idea that there was a lot of confusion on the ground is hammered home, watching random workers exclaim "is it a hijacking?" "it can't be a hijacking!" "the plane disappeared!" etc., starts to get a bit monotonous, especially since there aren't any characters. The stuff on the plane was really good though, particularly towards the end. I wish there had been more of that and less of the other stuff. ***

Last Holiday

LAST HOLIDAY (2006) - May 16, 2006 (Second Viewing)
A really entertaning, funny and enjoyable film, centred by a very likeable performance from Queen Latifah. Say what you will about this movie -- it may by cheesy and manipulative and (insert jaded film-buff criticism here) but it's really well done and very enjoyable. ***1/2

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) - May 12, 2006 (Umpteenth Viewing)
What can I say about this movie? It's a classic, certainly. There are too many really funny scenes to mention, and though I've seen it so many times at this point that I've practically memorized it, I'm still really entertained and amused by it. ****

Poseidon

POSEIDON (2006) - May 10, 2006
It's strange for a movie like this to be as short as it is -- around 90 minutes. But watching it, it becomes clear why: it feels like double that. It probably doesn't help that the wave hits at around the ten minute mark, which leaves the characters slightly underdeveloped (to put it mildly). It also doesn't help that as soon as the boat flips, the characters spring right into action, going from one "exciting" set-piece to the next, with almost no down-time between them. And, although it's not a fair comparison, it's hard to watch a movie set on a sinking ship without thinking of Titanic, which is obviously the superior film in every conceivable way. It was nice seeing Richard Dreyfuss back on the big screen, and of course people like Josh Lucas and Kurt Russell are always good, but, well... The movie wasn't completely boring, it just got sort of tedious towards the end. **

Art School Confidential

ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL (2006) - May 10, 2006
This actually started out really well, but then sort of lost steam and petered out towards the end. About a idealistic young kid who goes to art school, only to find out it isn't quite what he thought it would be. The movie has a quirky charm, and for the first 40 minutes or so it really works. But there's a lot of superfluous stuff here; the comic it's based on was apparently too short for a movie, so it was expanded for the screenplay. You can tell. It feels padded. The performances were all good, as was Terry Zwigoff's direction. But it definitely would have benefited from a shorter running time. ***

Hostage

HOSTAGE (2005) - May 7, 2006
A surprisingly inert thriller. Featuring Bruce Willis, who plays a grizzled veteran of the force who looks like a scared child every time someone points a gun at him, and who spends the majority of the film on the verge of tears. The film was reasonably well made, it just wasn't very interesting or exciting, for whatever reason. **

Mission: Impossible III

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (2006) - May 3, 2006
An essentially entertaining action film, though it did grow a bit tiresome after a while as it was over two hours long and was essentially just a series of loosely strung together action set-pieces. It probably doesn't help that practically every one takes place in a different country, which makes the whole thing feel a bit disjointed. Philip Seymour Hoffman was excellent as a really sinister bad guy, though he didn't have nearly enough to do, and Simon Pegg was definitely a highlight as a wacky computer technician. The action scenes were all well done, but the movie definitely would have benefited from some trimming, and a bit more downtime between the action. **1/2

Silent Hill

SILENT HILL (2006) - May 2, 2006
Sweet Jesus. Based on the trailers, and the fact that the people behind the camera have talent (supposedly), this seemed like it should have been the first really good video game adaptation. It was one of the worst. It had some promise at the beginning; it had a creepy atmosphere and it seemed generally well made. But then it started to get strange. But not strange in a good way -- strange in a "what's supposed to be happening here?" type of way. Strange in a "why are the characters acting like this?" type of way. It just got more and more confusing, with random oddball stuff happening for no apparent reason. The plot had something to do with a ghost town, and a fire, and some weird little girl... I really actually have no idea what the plot was. Aside from being confusing, the writing was about on the same level as a low budget, straight-to-video movie, with such gems as "They used to say this town was haunted... I think they were right!" (this being after they've seen several bizarre demons, a swarm of giant cockroaches with human-like mouths, among other various bits of weirdness). The performances weren't much better. Even the usually reliable Sean Bean seemed completely uncomfortable with a forced, awkward American accent. The movie generally looked pretty good, but it was such a boring, baffling ordeal, I didn't really care. If I ever see Roger Avery I'm going to punch him in the stomach and demand my ten bucks back. *

The Descent

THE DESCENT (2005) - April 29, 2006 (Second Viewing)
As far as this type of horror movie goes, this movie is pretty much perfect. It's just riveting from start to finish. There is the first half, with the women struggling to find their way out of the cave, which is really good. And then there's the second half, with the monsters, which is even better than the first. It's edge-of-your seat and it's really well made. ****

Wolf Creek

WOLF CREEK (2005) - April 27, 2006
A brutal and entertaining horror film. This got a bad rap when it came out, and I'm not sure why. Sure it was pretty brutal to its characters, but all films of this type are. It probably doesn't help that the bad stuff doesn't go down until around the mid-point of the movie, with the first half spent with the characters traveling across the countryside and having a good time. This makes the sudden brutality of the second half more jarring than it would be otherwise. The movie was well made and entertaining, but I don't think I'll ever be able to look at Crocodile Dundee the same way. ***

Miller's Crossing

MILLER'S CROSSING (1990) - April 25, 2006
A really well written, well directed movie about gangsters in the '20s. The performances were all quite good, particularly Gabriel Byrne, and John Turturro as a sleazy, small-time thug. The Raymond Chandler-eqsue dialogue was really good... basically, this was just as good as you'd expect a gangster movie by the Coens would be. ***1/2

American Dreamz

AMERICAN DREAMZ (2006) - April 19, 2006
A decent but essentially forgettable film about an American Idol type of show. The film satirizes such fresh subjects as reality shows and President Bush. What a bold and fresh idea -- I've never seen anyone make fun of Bush before. Oh wait, I have, like a million times. The movie starts off well enough but got sort of tiresome towards the end (the amount of songs performed probably didn't help). The performances were all good - Seth Meyers stole pretty much every scene he was in as a sleazy agent - but aside from that it was pretty mediocre. **1/2

Lucky Number Slevin

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN (2006) - April 19, 2006
Well, that was a bit disappointing. The movie started well and ended well but most of the it was sort of a dud. Not that it was terrible (it was pretty much entertaining all the way through) but, well... For one thing, the dialogue was a bit too quirky for its own good. Plus the main character, for the sake of the twist at the end, was essentially not developed at all, which made his exploits during most of the movie sort of pointless. The whole movie was very obviously leading up to a twist, so it was sort of like, just get to it already. It did improve at the end, though. **1/2

Brick

BRICK (2005) - April 19, 2006
A high school detective movie, featuring the same type of hard-boiled dialogue that Sin City tried (and failed) to emulate. While Sin City's dialogue seemed like overblown parody that got tiresome pretty fast, here it really works. It helps that all the performances were really good; Joseph Gordon-Levitt in particular was exceptional in the main role. This was basically just a really good detective movie that just happened to be set in and around a high school. ***1/2

Hostel

HOSTEL (2005) - April 18, 2005 (Second Viewing)
A really effective horror/thriller. The film is perfectly paced, allowing us to spend some time with the characters before beginning the carnage. The whole last half was pretty much electrifying. And essentially all the bad guys get their comeuppance, with the main villain getting a particularly brutal death. I don't care what anybody says, this was a really good movie. ****

The Dark Corner

THE DARK CORNER (1946) - April 17, 2006
A well directed film noir about a detective framed for murder. Featuring Lucille Ball, who is actually quite good in a very non-Lucy Ricardo type of role. The film was entertaining throughout and looked good too, featuring the type of shadowy cinematography film noir became known for. I also liked the dialogue, with lines like "I'm easier to frame than Whistler's Mother." Good stuff. ***

Black Angel

BLACK ANGEL (1946) - April. 8, 2006
A decent film noir, though nothing particularly special. Flatly directed by Roy William Neill, the film was entertaining throughout (the 81 minute runtime probably helped). The performances were good, particularly Peter Lorre, but the film was basically just forgettable. **1/2

Dog Soldiers

DOG SOLDIERS (2002) - April 6, 2006
Though obviously nowhere nearly as good as the Descent - Neil Marshall's followup to this film - as far as Aliens-inspired films go, this was one of the better ones (the hack who directed Doom could learn a thing or two from Marshall). The film managed to develop the characters enough that we cared about them, while still moving at a reasonably fast pace. The action was good, and it was well directed. ***

Last Days

LAST DAYS (2005) - Mar. 31, 2006
Hmmm. This movie was really well directed and featured some good performances (though he has almost no coherent dialogue, Michael Pitt still managed to give a really good performance). However, it was the weakest of Gus Van Sant's recent trilogy; it lacked the bizarre hypnotic appeal of Gerry, or the emotional impact of Elephant. It was definitely well directed, featuring some Kubrick-like compositions, but it just wasn't all that interesting. I was never all-out bored, but I was never really entertained, either. **1/2

Serenity

SERENITY (2005) - Mar. 28, 2006 (Third Viewing)
Good stuff! This movie just seems to get better every time I watch it. Joss Whedon's writing and direction were top-notch, and the film was really entertaining all the way through. The performances were all really good, particularly Nathan Fillion and Chiwetel Ejiofor. As Grandpa would say, this was a first-class film. ****

The Awful Truth

THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937) - March. 24, 2006
An entertaining screwball comedy starring Cary Grant (excellent, as usual) and Irene Dunne (who was also quite good). The movie was based on a play and is actually quite stagey, but the dialogue was good and it was entertaining throughout. ***

Inside Man

INSIDE MAN (2006) - Mar. 22, 2006
An enjoyable but overlong film heist movie by Spike Lee. Featuring expectedly good performances by people like Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster, the movie was well made but distinctly uneven. It probably didn't help that a subplot about Christopher Plummer's Nazi past seemed superfluous and out of place. It also didn't help that the movie had the whole Spielberg thing going on, where it refused to end. **1/2

V for Vendetta

V FOR VENDETTA (2006) - Mar. 20, 2006
Though different from the original comic in many ways, this was still good in its own way. All around it was quite well made, and... I don't really have much else to say about this movie. I was a little bothered by a scene where V is revealed to have made an exceedingly complex layout of dominos, which must have taken him days if not weeks to complete. That sort of took me out of the movie, since I'm not sure that I buy that V would have taken a month off to erect a elaborate set of dominos. ***

Final Destination 3

FINAL DESTINATION 3 (2006) - Mar. 20, 2006
A silly but enjoyable slasher movie. It's essentially a series of loosely connected death scenes, featuring the bare minimum in terms of plot and characters to remain coherent. But the death scenes were all well done and the film remained entertaining throughout. The opening theme park sequence in particular was quite effective, doing a good job of slowly building tension. ***

The Palm Beach Story

THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) - Mar. 17, 2006
A really enjoyable romantic comedy by Preston Sturges. Featuring some really well-written, crackling dialogue and a couple of excellent performances from Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea, this was a really fun movie from start to finish. It even (sort of) managed to avoid the dreaded fake breakup, by essentially making the entire film the fake breakup. Why can't they make romantic comedies this good any more? ***1/2

Mean Streets

MEAN STREETS (1973) - Mar. 12, 2006
Featuring a couple of electrifying performances by Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, this was a somewhat underwhelming film by Martin Scorsese. It was certainly well made, and I was enjoying it quite a bit for the first little while, but it was ultimately undone by its plotless meandering. I was definitely never bored, but towards the end I was losing interest a bit. The performances were the highlight. **1/2

The Hills Have Eyes

THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006) - Mar. 10, 2006
A well-made and engaging horror film about a family who find themselves under attack by a band of radioactively mutated freaks. Featuring some surprisingly good performances, the film perhaps spends a bit too long setting things up (there's probably about an hour of build-up) but that's a pretty minor complaint. The whole latter half of the film is really suspenseful and pretty much riveting, and features some pretty satisfying moments of gore (mostly involving one of the survivors turning the tables on the freaks). The opening was also really effective, probably one of the better horror movie openings. The ending, on the other hand, could have been better, though it was nowhere nearly as bad as the almost movie-ruining stupidity of the ending for Alexandre Aja's previous film, High Tension. ***1/2

Sex, Lies and Videotape

SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE (1989) - Mar. 7, 2006
Written and directed by Steven Soderbergh, this was a really good movie, especially impressive considering this was his first film. Featuring some really good dialogue (he should write more) and good direction, and some really exceptional performances. Even Andie MacDowell was good, which is saying something. But it was James Spader who really stood out, giving a really impressive performance, one of the best I've seen in a while (you forget what a good actor he is watching Boston Legal, where he seems to coast along with two expressions: smug, and super-smug). ***1/2

Good Night, and Good Luck

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK (2005) - Mar. 3, 2005
A well made, well acted but not particularly interesting film about Edward R. Murrow's fight against Joseph McCarthy. The film didn't have much of a plot, and none of the characters were particularly well developed or interesting; they were just there. If Clooney's goal was to teach me about what Murrow did, and tell me why he was important, he was successful. If his goal was to entertain me... not so successful. I mean, what did I learn about Murrow as a person, other than that he was classy and a good journalist? Or any of those characters, for that matter? The film had some good performances, and Robert Elswit's black and white photography looked nice, but aside from that this was an unexceptional film. That's not to say it was bad, I was never really bored but it certainly wasn't one of the five best movies of the year. **1/2

The Lady Eve

THE LADY EVE (1941) - Mar. 2, 2006
An enjoyable romantic comedy about a con-artist who finds herself falling in love with her latest mark. Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda were both really good in the main roles. The film has a few twists and doesn't really play out the way you'd think it would, and it was quite entertaining from start to finish, featuring really good writing and direction by Preston Sturges. ***

16 Blocks

16 BLOCKS (2006) - Mar. 1, 2006
A decent thriller about a detective who must escort a suspect to the courthouse, running up against a group of corrupt cops on the way (led by a very sinister David Morse). Bruce Willis gave a good performance, though he was essentially playing the standard grizzled, alcoholic cop we've seen about a billion times before. Mos Def gave a bizarre and somewhat grating performance, seemingly channeling Anton Jackson from In Living Color. I sort of figured the character was supposed to be mentally retarded at first, but as the movie went on that didn't seem to be the case. The film was pretty much entertaining, but as much as it was trying to be it was never all that gripping. **1/2

Brokeback Mountain

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005) - Feb. 28, 2006
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were both excellent in this slow-paced but always entertaining film. About Ledger and Gyllenhaal and their struggle to maintain their relationship over the course of twenty years or so, the film was really well written and well directed by Ang Lee (unlike the criminally overrated Crouching Tiger). It certainly featured a leisurely pace, but this gave the film time to develop the characters, who became people we really come to care about. ***1/2

The Four Seasons

THE FOUR SEASONS (1981) - Feb. 27, 2006
About three couples who take four vacations over the course of a year (one for each season) this was a pretty good movie. It was exceptionally talky (the four different vacation spots essentially just give the characters four different backgrounds to talk in front of) but essentially entertaining throughout. Alan Alda's direction was bland, but his dialogue was good, though it did seem at times like he was trying a bit to hard to be clever. The performances were good, particularly Alda, and the movie was never really boring, but it would have benefited from a slightly shorter running time. **1/2

Marty

MARTY (1954) - Feb. 25, 2006
Featuring a surprisingly good performance by Ernest Borgnine, this film was essentially plotless but still quite entertaining throughout. The movie is basically just a couple of days in the life of this character (Marty); it remains compelling throughout because Borgnine is so good, and because he creates a character we really come to care about. ***

Uncle Buck

UNCLE BUCK (1989) - Feb. 24, 2006
An entertaining comedy starring John Candy and made by John Hughes. Though not quite as good as Hughes' best, it was still quite enjoyable. I don't really have anything else to say about this movie. So... Yeah. ***

The Best and Worst movies of 2005

THE BEST:
1) Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2) Serenity
3) Match Point
4) Broken Flowers
5) The 40 Year Old Virgin
6) Walace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-rabbit
7) A History of Violence
8) Downfall
9) War of the Worlds
10) Unleashed

THE WORST:
1) The Aristocrats
2) House of Wax
3) Doom
4) The Island
5) XXX: State of the Union
6) The Longest Yard
7) Aeon Flux
8) Fantastic Four
9) Kicking and Screaming
10) The Ring Two

Munich

MUNICH (2005) - Feb. 20, 2006
This could have been a really, really good movie. The potential was there. It was really well acted - Eric Bana in particular gave a really impressive performance, and all the supporting roles were really good. It was very well made, and featured some pretty riveting set-pieces. And considering the subject matter, it was remarkably even-handed, never reducing itself to a simplistic "good versus evil" type of thing. All good stuff! But, like pretty much every Spielberg movie from the last decade or so, it was seriously bloated. It was nearly three hours long and it shouldn't have been a minute over two. For the first hour or so I was really into it, thinking that Spielberg had finally made another really great movie. But then it started to lose steam, with several scenes that seemed either overlong or entirely superfluous. And then of course there's a point where it seems like it should end and it keeps going. It sucks, because at two hours long this could have been something great. ***

Only Angels Have Wings

ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939) - Feb. 19, 2005
Cary Grant gives a really good performance (no surprise there) in this otherwise unremarkable film. The movie was essentially plotless, and at around two hours felt overlong by at least twenty minutes. It was well made, and Cary Grant created an interesting character (who actually reminded me a bit of Mal from Firely), but its overlength made it hard to ever get really into. **1/2

Arsenic and Old Lace

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944) - Feb. 17, 2006
Frank Capra directs this film featuring Cary Grant in an absolutely hilarious performance. Based on a play and essentially taking place in real time, the film does feel a tad overlong at times, but was still really entertaining and enjoyable throughout. This was definitely one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while, thanks almost entirely to Grant's amazing performance; his various wacky reactions were a clear highlight. If I weren't already a fan of Cary Grant, I'd definitely be one now -- his performance in this movie was probably one of the best comedic performances I've ever seen. ***1/2