Night Nurse

NIGHT NURSE (1931) - July 31, 2007
About a new nurse who begins to realize that something is amiss with her young patient, this was an entertaining pre-code film. Barbara Stanwyck was good in the main role, and Clark Gable (sans-mustache!) has a brief but memorable role as a sinister chauffuer (he punches Stanwyck in the face shortly after meeting her) who's behind the scam to kill Stanwyck's patient. **1/2

The Lookout

THE LOOKOUT (2007) - July 30, 2007
A well made film about a guy, struggling with brain damage after a serious car crash, who gets caught up in a plan to rob a bank. The film was more about the characters than the robbery, and featured some really good performances. After his phenomenal performance in Brick, Joseph Gordon-Levitt proves here that he'll never have to worry about being known as "that kid from Third Rock from the Sun." Jeff Daniels is also quite good as Levitt's blind friend (no surprise there). I wish I hadn't seen the trailer though. It pretty much gives away the entire movie. ***

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round

DEAD HEAT ON A MERRY-GO-ROUND (1966) - July 29, 2007
James Coburn was quite good as a charismatic thief/con-man who gets out of jail and immediately begins working on his next heist. And that's pretty much the only good thing about this otherwise dreadful film. The main problem here is that the film feels exceptionally disjointed; it's sort of episodic, with the Coburn character pulling off various cons to prepare for the heist. The only problem is that we never really find out what he's planning on doing, or how, or when. The film never really explains anything. One scene he'll be dating a woman so he can steal her keys to rob her (why -- I have no idea), then suddenly he'll be pretending to be an exterminator with absolutely no explanation as to what he's trying to do. Then finally they start to do the actual heist (the film doesn't bother developing the other three members of his little group at all -- at least I think there were three of them), but there's absolutely no excitement or tension because you have no idea what they're trying to do. Is it going well? Are they pulling off their plan? I don't know! Easily the worst heist movie I've ever seen. There goes my theory that you can't go wrong with a movie about a heist. *1/2

Sunshine

SUNSHINE (2007) - July 28, 2007
About a group of astronauts on a mission to reignite the sun after it starts to die, this was an interesting sci-fi film. It's sort of slow, and I couldn't help but compare it to 2001 (and obviously it isn't nearly as good as that film, but that's not really a fair comparison). But the performances were quite good, and in fact the parts where the characters were just talking were probably the best in the film. ***

The Simpsons Movie

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE (2007) - July 27, 2007
This basically plays out like a long, better-than-average episode of the show. About the Simpsons, and their quest to save Springfield after it's covered by a giant dome. It was probably funnier than the show has been in a few years (though still not quite up there with episodes from the show's prime). And though I'm normally annoyed by the show's abundance of celebrity cameos, there's an appearance here by Tom Hanks and it's probably the funniest moment of the film. The film drags a bit in the middle, but for the most part it was quite good. ***

SherryBaby

SHERRYBABY (2006) - July 26, 2007
The anti-No Reservations; it has a main character who is actually interesting, with a compelling lead performance from Maggie Gyllenhall, and features direction which doesn't seem effortless and perfunctory. Also: there is a child in this movie and she acts like a real child, not like an overly precocious caricature who could exist only in a screenwriter's imagination (unlike certain movies...). About a woman, just released from jail, who tries to make a life for herself and reconnect with her daughter. The film is essentially plotless but remains compelling throughout, mostly because of Gyllenhall's really impressive performance (I can't believe she wasn't nominated for an Oscar). ***

No Reservations

NO RESERVATIONS (2007) - July 25, 2007
A rote, bland romantic comedy about a no-nonsense chef who is forced to become a surrogate mom for her young niece, and who learns that there's more to life than just working in her restaurant. Yes, it's just as cheesy as it sounds. No... cheesier. It started out inoffensively enough, and I was pretty much enjoying it for the first half or so. But then it seriously started wearing out its welcome. The main problem was that neither of the two main characters were particularly interesting, and pretty much everything that happened to them was completely predictable. And given that the movie wasn't exactly plot-heavy, and entirely revolved around Catherine Zeta-Jones' character, the fact that the character sucked was sort of a deal-killer. It also didn't help that it was blandly directed by Scott Hicks -- bland is just a really good word to describe the whole film, as it felt like everyone involved was just going through the motions. **

I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY (2007) - July 24, 2007
What happened to Adam Sandler? Did his sense of humour change? Did mine? That can't be; I still think Happy Gilmore is a hilarious movie, but I didn't laugh one during this film. Not even a chuckle. I can't even say I was fully entertained during its long, almost two hour running time. Blech. *1/2

The Hills Have Eyes II

THE HILLS HAVE EYES II (2007) - July 23, 2007
Considering the frosty reception this got from the critics, I was bracing myself for something a lot worse. That's not to say that this was good, but it wasn't quite as bad as some people made it out to be. About a group of military trainees who find themselves being hunted down by the same group of mutants from the original film, the main problem here is Wes and Jonathan Craven's script. The characters are all generic and woefully underdeveloped, and say things like "I killed a man once, it was easy. That's why it's so scary." The performances are all fine, but bland, which doesn't really help matters -- it's pretty much impossible to care about these people as they get killed off. The direction, as long as you don't compare it to Alexandre Aja's, was actually fairly decent, and there were some pretty good bits of gore. Basically, this wasn't so great, but it could have been far worse. **

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004) - July 22, 2007 (Third Viewing)
Pure awesomeness. This seems to have been acknowledged as a lesser Wes Anderson film, though I can't say I understand why. It is almost inexplicably good, and I think it is pretty close to being a perfect movie. I know that sounds hyperbolic, but it's true. I can't think of a single fault. Wes Anderson's stylized direction has never been better; it's remarkable how consistently good this film looks. Anderson's style suits the material perfectly. It's also exceptionally well written -- it's funny when it needs to be, and dramatic when it needs to be, and always manages to strike a perfect balance between the two. A common complaint about this film seems to be that it's all style, and I find that to be complete hogwash. It's stylish, yes, but it also contains a surfiet of well-realized and memorable characters. Every role is perfectly cast, and even those without much screentime, such as Jeff Goldblum or Michael Gambon, manage to leave a lasting impression. Basically: I love this movie. I think it's Anderson's best, and I don't see how he could possibly top it, though he's certainly up to the task. ****

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947) - July 21, 2007
About a young girl who sets her sights on an older man, and the wackiness that ensues. This was essentially entertaining throughout, and of course Cary Grant was as good as ever. Shirley Temple, on the other hand, gave a performance that is best described as grating; her character was presumably supposed to be endearing, but she came off as more annoying than anything else. **1/2

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) - July 20, 2007
An entertaining film about the assorted adventures of two outlaws in the old west. It was well made and Paul Newman and Robert Redford obviously had good chemistry. It also featured some really nice looking cinematography from Conrad Hall. Thumbs up. ***

The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines

THE LIBRARIAN: RETURN TO KING SOLOMON'S MINES (2006) - July 19, 2007
About Noah Wyle, and his attempt to find the location of King Solomon's mines, this was a cheesy and pretty low-rent, but basically enjoyable adventure movie (not unlike the original). Wyle is actually quite good as the Indiana Jones-esque adventurer. The main problem here is the writing, which is pretty bad, and which essentially makes it impossible to forget that the film is a TV movie rather than a theatrical one (aside from the shoddy special effects and the fact that the movie has clearly not been shot on film). **1/2

An American in Paris

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) - July 18, 2007
A really enjoyable musical about an American artist in Paris who falls in love. The film was well made and quite entertaining throughout, though an extended musical number at the end perhaps went on a tad longer than it should have. Gene Kelly was really good in the main role, and the musical numbers were fun to watch. ***

Elizabeth

ELIZABETH (1998) - July 18, 2007
Not so good. About the first few years of Queen Elizabeth's reign, this was a very well acted but otherwise unspectacular film. One of the film's main problems is that it just isn't very well directed. Shekhar Kapur's ceaselessly moving camera reminded me of Michael Bay. And the murky, drab cinematography insured that the film was pretty much always dull to look at. One of the film's better moments, in which there is a montage of Elizabeth's various enemies being dispatched, was lifted shamelessly from the Godfather. The film itself was never altogether boring, though I can't say I was ever really entertained, either. **

Jeopardy

JEOPARDY (1953) - July 17, 2007
About a woman who finds herself at the mercy of an escaped convict when she attempts to get help for her trapped husband (who is trapped at the beach and only has a few hours before the tide comes up and he drowns), this was a well made little thriller. The performances were all good, particularly Ralph Meeker as the sinister convict, and John Sturges' direction was quite effective. ***

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1974) - July 16, 2007
Ellen Burstyn gives a really good performance in this film about a woman whose husband dies, and who takes her son and tries to make it on her own. Harvey Keitel and Kris Kristofferson are also quite good in supporting roles. This could have been a run-of-the-mill character study, but Burstyn's above average performance and Scorsese's stylish direction elevate it to something more. ***1/2

The Hitch-Hiker

THE HITCH-HIKER (1953) - July 15, 2007
A decent thriller about a sinister hitchhiker who terrorizes two friends on a road trip. It was reasonably well made and the performances were fine, though William Talman, as the hitchhiker, came off as more angry than sinister. There were some good parts though -- such as the part where the hitchhiker forces one of the two men to shoot a can out of his friend's hand, and the fact that the hitchhiker has some sort of lazy eye that allows him to sleep with one eye constantly open -- and the film was pretty much entertaining throughout (the 71 minute running-time probably helped), but it wasn't quite as good as the premise might lead you to believe (though it was about a million times better than this year's the Hitcher, which featured a similar story). **1/2

Dark Passage

DARK PASSAGE (1947) - July 14, 2007
About a man who breaks out of jail, and then slowly sets out to prove his innocence, this was a surprisingly good film. I say surprisingly because the first half or so consists mostly of shots from the main character's POV; I'm not generally the biggest fan of POV shots, and while it comes off as kind of gimmicky here, it actually does work reasonably well. Aside from that, the direction was quite good, and it goes without saying that Humphrey Bogart was excellent in the main role, as was Lauren Bacall. ***1/2

Die Hard: With a Vengeance

DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE (1995) - July 13, 2007
Ah, now THIS is a Die Hard movie. Though it's obviously nowhere nearly as excellent as the first one, it's looking pretty freakin' good after the outrageous fiasco that was Live Free or Die Hard. Featuring action and special effects that are about a zillion times better than the hyper-stylized trash from the most recent Die Hard film, this was a consistently entertaining film. It's violent and fun to watch, which is more than I can say for... well, you know. ***1/2

Superbad

SUPERBAD (2007) - July 12, 2007
A really funny comedy about a couple of friends, about to graduate high school, who attempt to get booze for a party in an attempt to woo a couple of girls. Much of the film's success owes to the two lead performances; Jonah Hill and Michael Cera are both really funny and have really good chemestry, and the scenes where they're just talking are among the best and funniest of the film. The movie also features a bunch of really good supporting performances. Also: it is yet another winner in the "lots of stuff happening in a short amount of time" genre, as if I needed more proof that it's almost impossible to go wrong with this type of film. ***

Love and Death

LOVE AND DEATH (1975) - July 11, 2007
About the wacky exploits of a man in 19th century Russia, this was a funny and enjoyable film by Woody Allen. This was the last of his early, sillier films (his next movie was Annie Hall), and it was good, but obviously it can't really compare to his later films. ***

The Most Dangerous Game

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932) - July 10, 2007
An entertaining and well made film about a man who hunts the people who shipwreck on his island. The film cuts right to the chase, and is super-short (about one hour), and is quite enjoyable throughout. Joel McCrea was good as the hunter who finds himself hunted, and Leslie Banks was nicely sinister as the hunter of men. ***

Transformers

TRANSFORMERS (2007) - July 6, 2007
Man am I glad I was never really a fan of the Transformers, because if I was, I'd be pretty peeved right now. Actually, I am peeved for having to sit through that thing, but I'd be more peeved. I didn't think it was possible for a film to feature even worse writing than License to Wed, but my God... this film had some of the worst writing I've ever seen in a theatrical movie. The dialogue was just so stilted and hackneyed, and the "humour" was about as juvenile as you could possibly imagine. If you told me the whole thing was written by a twelve year old, I honestly wouldn't be surprised. As for Michael Bay's direction, he is almost becoming a parody of himself with all the slow motion and sweeping camera moves. I actually thought the action in this film wasn't quite as bad as some of Bay's recent movies (I think with giant robots he's finally found material that suits his way over-the-top style of action), but there was just so much of it, especially towards the end. It was mind numbing. And can someone please explain to me why this film needed to be almost two and a half hours?? Oh man. So boring. *

License to Wed

LICENSE TO WED (2007) - July 4, 2007
This movie offended me. I'm offended that anyone could make a movie so moronic, with characters who act in such an incredibly illogical way -- and then what? Who's supposed to like this movie? About a couple who want to get married, but must first pass an insane marriage course by the reverend who is to marry them, this was just bad. It was decently made and the performances were fine but it was just such a relentlessly dumb film. It wasn't funny. I really don't know what else to say about this stupid movie. Too horrible... 1/2*

Bobby

BOBBY (2006) - July 3, 2007
A reasonably well made film about the day leading up to Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in the Ambassador Hotel, from the point of view of a cornucopia of characters. I think that's the main problem with this film; there's just far too many characters, none of whom become people we know well enough to really care about. The performances were pretty much all quite good, and some of the characters made more of an impact than others, but the way the film kept bouncing from character to character to character, I couldn't help but feel somewhat detached. The ending was well done, though. **1/2

The Big Clock

THE BIG CLOCK (1948) - July 2, 2007
A well directed and well acted film noir about a man who is given the task of finding the key suspect in a murder, who unbeknownst to his employers, is himself (he is innocent, of course). It's an interesting premise, and is executed quite well (I particularly liked the whole ending sequence, in which the man must avoid several witnesses after the building he works in is locked down). Ray Milland was really good in the main role, and John Farrow's direction -- featuring a lot of long takes and nicely flowing camerawork -- is impressive. ***1/2

Jeepers Creepers

JEEPERS CREEPERS (2001) - July 1, 2007
A suspenseful and well made film about a brother and sister on a road trip, who find themselves terrorized by a strange creature. Though the first half (in which they first encounter the Creeper and his weird house, and which featured some nicely suspenseful moments) was definitely better than the second (which gets a bit silly, with the Creeper ultimately sprouting wings and flying away), this was still a fairly effective thriller/horror film. ***