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

50 First Dates

50 FIRST DATES (2004) - Feb. 16, 2006
A sort of cross between Groundhog Day and Memento, this was a silly but essentially entertaining romantic comedy. The humour was somewhat hit-and-miss, though there were a few funny parts. Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore were both good in this, their second film together (the superior Wedding Singer being the first). As far as Adam Sandler movies go, this falls somewhere in the middle (it wasn't as good as something like Happy Gilmore, but it was a masterpiece compared to, say, the Longest Yard). ***

Match Point

MATCH POINT (2005) - Feb. 15, 2006
Well, it's official: the Woodster is back! Though this wasn't quite up there with classics like Hannah and her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors (which this film was quite similar to) it was still quite excellent. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was really good in the main role, as was everyone else, and Woody Allen's writing and direction were expectedly superb (or maybe not so expectedly, considering some of his recent missteps). Plus I've been thinking about this movie pretty much nonstop since I saw it a few hours back, and that's always a good thing. I just wish I hadn't seen the trailer, as it ensured that there were very few surprises. ***1/2

Monkey Business

MONKEY BUSINESS (1952) - Feb. 14, 2006
Is it even possible for a movie featuring both Cary Grant and a chimp to be bad? The chimp, unfortunately, didn't have a very big part, but the movie was still quite good. Cary Grant plays a scientist who invents an anti-aging formula (with the help of the chimp). Wackiness ensues. ***

The Money Pit

THE MONEY PIT (1986) - Feb. 13, 2006 (Second Viewing)
Tom Hanks gives a really good performance in this wacky comedy about a couple who buy a house that seems like a good deal, until they realize it's falling apart (literally). A basically run-of-the mill romantic comedy that's elevated by a really engaging, wacky performance by Tom Hanks. ***

She's Having a Baby

SHE'S HAVING A BABY (1988) - Feb. 11, 2006
Made by John Hughes (in the '80s, when he was still good), starring Kevin Bacon and featuring Alec Baldwin (in a way-too-small role), this film isn't quite as good as one might hope. It's certainly not bad, but it's definitely not in the same league as some of Hughes' classics. The performances were all really good, particularly Kevin Bacon. The main problem is that almost all the screen-time is given to Bacon's character, with Elizabeth McGovern's character hardly being developed at all. This makes it sort of hard to root for their relationship, particularly since they spend most of the movie fighting. I spent a good chunk of the movie wondering why Kevin Bacon's character didn't just leave. I guess Hughes was trying to go for a less conventional sort of vibe, but it would have been nice to have a little more evidence that the two characters actually loved (or even liked) each other. **1/2

Firewall

FIREWALL (2006) - Feb. 8, 2006
A run-of-the-mill but entertaining thriller. Harrison Ford stars as a family-man who's forced to steal money from the bank he works for by a sinister British bad guy (played well by Paul Bettany). It was a bit on the long side though, and certainly could have benefited from a bit of trimming. It felt long particularly towards the end, but then it was totally redeemed by one of the best fight scenes I've seen in a while. Ford and Bettany just go at it in a really brutal, gritty fight scene that was far better than anything I would have expected in a movie like this. It was awesome. ***

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) - Feb. 7, 2006 (Third or Fourth Viewing)
It was interesting watching this film after reading the book, which makes it somewhat less mysterious (knowing what the apes are thinking, knowing what the deal is with the ending, etc.). The odd thing about this movie is that it's so slow-paced, yet completely hypnotic and never boring. It helps that Kubrick's direction is superlative (of course) and so the film is always interesting to look at. Kubrick's use of sound is just as good; the classical soundtrack is the perfect accompaniment to the visuals. As well, many of the scenes are completely silent, or with just the sound of breathing, to great effect. Basically -- it's a masterpiece; a great film by a great director. ****

Sorry, Wrong Number

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER (1948) - Feb. 5, 2006
Starring Barbara Stanwyck in a performance that can best be described as over-the-top (putting it mildly), this was a cheesy but basically entertaining film noir. The movie hasn't aged very well, and features a plot that gets more and more convoluted as the film progresses. However it was essentially well made and was never boring. **1/2

Volunteers

VOLUNTEERS (1985) - Feb. 4, 2006
An entertaining but basically forgettable comedy, there's probably a reason why this is one of Tom Hanks' lesser known films. That's not to say it was bad; it was enjoyable throughout. Tom Hanks was good (sporting a bizarre 1930s accent) as were John Candy and Rita Wilson. The movie was a bit on the long side, but aside from that it was pretty good. ***

Last Holiday

LAST HOLIDAY (2006) - Feb. 2, 2006
A sheer delight from start to finish, this movie stars Queen Latifah as a woman who finds out that she's dying, and decides to go out with a bang. Latifah gives an excellent performance, and creates a character that we really come to care about. The supporting performances, by people like Timothy Hutton and Gerard Depardieu, are just as good. At just under two hours the movie was really entertaining all the way through. It's not exactly going to win any Oscars, but it's fun and it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. ***1/2