Valkyrie

VALKYRIE (2008) - Dec. 27, 2008
An entertaining thriller about the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler and overthrow his government near the end of WWII. It's a bit light on character development, but that's pretty much a non-issue as the film still does a good job of building tension and remaining enjoyable throughout. Though obviously German with English subtitles would have been ideal, the film at least allows the actors to speak naturally, rather than try to have them all attempt German accents. ***

Bee Movie

BEE MOVIE (2007) - Dec. 26, 2008
A cute animated movie about a bee who decides to sue the human race after discovering that people have been stealing and selling their honey. The film is essentially entertaining throughout, though it's definitely better for the first little while, before the whole "bee lawsuit" silliness kicks in. It's decent enough, but somewhat underwhelming considering that this is Jerry Seinfeld's first major project since his classic sitcom. **1/2

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (2008) - Dec. 18, 2008
About a man who is born old and ages backwards, this was a really well made and well acted film. It's quite long (almost three hours) but certainly never boring. Though the film traces the whole life of Benjamin Button, it is surprisingly uneventful; this is the type of movie that just slowly washes over you. I enjoyed it, and I suspect that it'll get better on repeat viewings. ***1/2

Seven Pounds

SEVEN POUNDS (2008) - Dec. 17, 2008
Well made and very well acted but saddled with a narrative structure that keeps the audience at an arm's length for most of the movie, this is a decent film that could have easily been so much better. About a mysterious man who seems to want to help people, though his motivations (and ultimate goal) are kept obscure for almost the entire running-time of the film. This mysteriousness results in a film which is woefully uneven -- the parts with his burgeoning relationship with Rosario Dawson are quite compelling, but it's hard to become too involved in the rest of the film when the audience is left so thoroughly in the dark. **1/2

Punisher: War Zone

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008) - Dec. 12, 2008
I was sure there was nowhere to go but up after the insipid Thomas Jane version from a couple of years ago, but this was just as bad, if not a little bit worse. This was an unpleasantly boring, disjointed mess of a film. Ray Stevenson was a good choice for the Punisher, but he's completely wasted here -- the role, as portrayed in this film, doesn't even require an actor, just a guy who can look tough while holding a gun. The movie was pretty violent, I guess -- or so I could gather from the ridiculously over-the-top squishy sound effects during all the action scenes -- but it was cut so choppily it was hard to tell. I think one of the many, many problems with War Zone is that it seems to spend less time with the Punisher than with the villain and his cronies, who all seem to be played for camp value -- subtlety is definitely not a word in this film's vocabulary. It really doesn't help that it's clear right from the opening frames that Lexi Alexander is completely inept as a director -- the non-action stuff looks ugly and unpleasant, and the action is almost completely incoherent. I never thought I'd be longing for the comparatively sure hand of Jonathan Hensleigh, but here we are. *1/2

Gran Torino

GRAN TORINO (2008) - Dec. 10, 2008
I think Clint Eastwood can basically do no wrong as a director at this point. Though this was probably the weakest of his most recent batch of films, it was still quite good -- it was well directed, of course, and featured a really good performance from the man himself. Though I wish the trailer hadn't given away so much of the plot (it pretty much gives away the entire movie), it doesn't really matter all that much; the film is much more about the quiet moments between the characters than it is about the stuff that happens. ***

Yes Man

YES MAN (2008) - Dec. 8, 2008
A basically entertaining film about a man who decides to improve his life by saying "yes" to everything (hmmm, what sounds familiar about that title and premise...?). It's pretty funny in parts, and mostly enjoyable, though the repetitive nature of the film does get wearisome after a while, and the expectedly melodramatic third act was expectedly (and unfortunately) melodramatic. Regardless, it's easily Jim Carrey's best comedy in quite a while, and a definite step in the right direction. **1/2

Hancock

HANCOCK (2008) - Nov. 29, 2008
Though Peter Berg isn't going to make my list of favourite directors any time soon, his work here is competent -- which is far more than I can say for his last film, the Kingdom. He still uses the shaky-cam far more than I'd like, but his direction here is practically Kubrickian compared to what he did in that film. At least I could always tell what was going on during the action scenes. Aside from Berg's surprisingly competent direction, the film itself was quite good; it started out as an intriguing character study about a very flawed superhero, and unfortunately became a lot more conventional after a certain point. Will Smith gave one of his better performances as the titular Hancock, and the film, despite its disappointing third act, was definitely a better-than-average summer blockbuster. ***

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - Nov. 27, 2008 (6th Viewing)
WALL-E = AWESOME. Even on the small screen. ****

Born to Fight

BORN TO FIGHT (2004) - Nov. 22, 2008
About a group of athletes who travel to a small village, which winds up being occupied by brutal terrorists who plan to blow up Bangkok with a nuclear missile. The film opens with a really exciting, '80s-style action scene involving a fight atop two moving trucks. It's pretty sweet. It slows down quite a bit after that, with not much action to speak of until about the one hour mark, when the athletes start to fight back (who all conveniently get to use their sports skills to fight the terrorists). At this point it was almost literally non-stop action until the credits rolled. The amount of action towards the end was almost overwhelming, however it was mostly pretty sweet, and it was quite well directed (it was refreshingly devoid of both quick-cuts and close-ups during the action). There were also a lot of elaborate stunts that were impressive, to say the least -- I don't care how advanced special effects get, there's nothing that can compare to good old fashioned stuntmen getting into shenanigans. ***

Home Movie

HOME MOVIE (2008) - Nov. 21, 2008
Another entry in the "found footage" horror subgenre, this was about a couple, living in the middle of nowhere, who begin to realize that their kids may just be evil. The film refreshingly features a lot less shaky-cam than other movies of its ilk, with the camera on a tripod for much of the time. The performances were a bit spotty -- Adrian "Nathan Patrelli" Pasdar (sporting a huge, ridiculous goatee) was quite good as the husband, however the woman playing his wife didn't fare quite as well. The movie was pretty much entertaining all the way through, though it suffered from a bit of repetitiveness, especially in the first half (ie. the kids do something terrible and borderline evil -- usually involving one of the family's many, many pets -- and the parents are horrified. This repeats itself several times). There comes a point at which it starts to really stretch credibility that the parents would still be willing to live in the middle of nowhere with these kids, as they're clearly psychopaths. **1/2

Let the Right One In

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) - Nov. 15, 2008
A really well made but slow-paced drama about a socially awkward young boy who befriends a girl who turns out to be a vampire. It's really well acted and directed, though the typically foreign art-house pacing does hurt it a bit. It's a testament to how well made and acted it is that it's never boring, despite how slow-moving it is. ***

The Quantum of Solace

THE QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) - Nov. 10, 2008
Though it's still missing a lot of the elements that made James Bond such a compelling character in the first place, this is a definite step in the right direction after the sub-par Casino Royale. It's short, which helps, and though it does drag in parts, it's pretty much entertaining all the way through. Bond feels more like Bond here; he's more charismatic than he was in the last one, and there's none of the lengthy introspection that made him seem so egregiously un-Bond-like in Casino Royale. Daniel Craig still feels like an iffy choice for Bond, but I'm definitely more sold on him now than I was after CR. Marc Forster's direction was also pretty good, though he does rely a bit too much on the old shaky-cam/quick-cut style of action, but that is, lamentably, pretty much a given these days. My one major complaint is that Mathieu Amalric makes for a completely lame villain. He's more smarmy than sinister; more shady businessman than Bond-level supervillain. He's pretty much the opposite of memorable. ***

Changeling

CHANGELING (2008) - Nov. 10, 2008
Clint Eastwood's hot streak continues. About a woman whose missing son supposedly returns -- only he's not actually her son. A battle with a corrupt police force ensues. Featuring expectedly stellar direction from Eastwood, and some really nice looking cinematography from Tom Stern, this was definitely a good-looking film. It was fairly slow-paced, but I was completely entertained throughout (my attention waned a bit towards the end, but that may have been because I had to go to the bathroom pretty badly). The performances are all really good, centred by an astounding performance from Angelina Jolie -- I've never been completely sold on Jolie as a great actress, but I guess I am now. It was a really impressive performance, and not just for the sheer endurance of all that crying she had to do, but for the quieter moments as well. ***1/2

Role Models

ROLE MODELS (2008) - Nov. 7, 2008
Though not the most laugh-out-loud funny film I've seen in a while, this was still a cute and entertaining comedy about a couple of guys who are forced to be big brothers to a couple of kids after getting arrested. Both Paul Rudd and Stiffler were good, and it was enjoyable throughout, even in the expectedly emotional third act (which featured not one, not two, but three fake break-ups. Four if you count the one between Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks, though that happens pretty early in the film -- but it was still a million times better than the treacly last act of Zack and Miri). ***

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (2008) - Nov. 3, 2008
About a guy and a girl -- best friends since childhood -- who decide to make a porno in order to solve their financial woes. Though Kevin Smith's direction seems to be getting more and more bland with each subsequent film, the movie features the type of snappy dialogue we've come to expect from Smith, and contains a number of laugh-out-loud funny moments. However, Smith seems to have learned everything he knows about drama from episodes of Full House and movies of the week; the film's third act features some over-the-top sentimentality that is so heavy-handed it literally makes you cringe. I think all good comedies need to have -- to a certain extent -- heart. However, Kevin Smith seems to be operating from "the Big Book of Hoary Movie Cliches", and he cranks it all the way up to eleven. **1/2

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON (2006) - Oct. 26, 2008
About a camera crew who follow around an aspiring horror movie villain (in this movie's universe, characters like Freddy and Jason are real people), this was a clever satire on horror movies, specifically slasher movies. The film does a really good job of skewering various horror movie cliches, while never becoming the overt comedy you suspect it might. The film does falter, however, in the third act, when it loses the documentary format altogether and becomes an all-out slasher movie. At this point the low budget, previously not a hindrance, becomes readily apparent, as does the director's talent (or lack thereof). While the documentary stuff looks good and is fairly well directed, the slasher movie stuff (in which they were obviously going for a much more overtly cinematic vibe) looks fake -- it kind of reminded me of the artificial cheesiness of Vince's films in Entourage; it's like they were trying to make it look like a real movie but couldn't quite pull it off. It's too bad -- if the whole movie had been as good as the first half, this easily would have been an instant classic. **1/2

Saw V

SAW V (2008) - Oct. 25, 2008
Another October, another mediocre installment in the Saw saga. This one is slightly better than the last one, if only because it wasn't ridiculously convoluted. Also, David Hackl's direction, while bland, was at least competent and not full of empty stylishness like the aggressively bad Darren Lynn Bousman. The scenes with the strangers stuck in a typically convoluted series of traps were essentially entertaining, but all the stuff with the detective investigating Jigsaw was dull and pretty much completely superfluous. **1/2

Max Payne

MAX PAYNE (2008) - Oct. 18, 2008
Wow. It takes some serious incompetence to take a game as exciting and fun as Max Payne and turn it into something so dull and dreary. This film strikes all the wrong notes pretty much right from the get-go, with Mark Wahlberg essentially playing the most cliched gritty cop imaginable, and with anything even remotely resembling fun being tossed out the window in favour of a convoluted mystery. The movie also all-but-abandons Max Payne's signature gunplay (ie. the thing that actually made Max Payne worthwhile in the first place), with no action at all until the third act -- at which point it's almost impossible to care, even if the action had been decent (it isn't). The film is decently acted and features competent, if somewhat uninspired direction (though the essentially monochromatic cinematography gets a bit tiresome after a while). It does seem pretty clear that most of this film's problems can be attributed to Beau Thorne's turkey of a screenplay. Boo-urns. *1/2

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - Oct. 14, 2008 (Fifth Viewing)
Prediction: Pixar will never again make a film this good (though I probably would have made that same prediction after Toy Story 2. And the Incredibles). This movie is seemingly impossible to top, but I suppose if anyone is up to the task it is Pixar. ****

Perfect Blue

PERFECT BLUE (1998) - Oct. 11, 2008
Well, now that I've seen all four of Satoshi Kon's films, I can say without hesitation that the man has talent up the yin-yang. This was an exceptionally well made film about a young pop star who decides to make the transition from singer to actress. As her role in a film starts to parallel her own life, and a website started by an obsessed fan seems to get more and more personal, the lines between what's real and what isn't start to blur. The film is splendidly directed by Kon, who does an excellent job of allowing the viewer to get inside the main character's head, as well as creating a pretty tense atmosphere throughout. This is also definitely the type of film that seems like it would benefit from repeat viewings (which seems to be the case with pretty much all of Kon's films), as not everything is spelled out for the viewer, with the conclusion putting many of the events of the film in a whole new light. Good stuff. ***1/2

Quarantine

QUARANTINE (2008) - Oct. 10, 2008
Though this remake is almost identical to its inspiration, REC, it still somehow manages to lose something in the translation. Where the original managed to maintain a fairly high level of tension throughout, this one is only sporadically suspenseful and contains some added stuff which only serves to unnecessarily pad out the runtime. The film also makes the questionable decision to spell out what's happening to the people in the apartment much more so than in the original, which significantly downgrades the creepiness factor. It's pretty clear right from the get-go that Quarantine really has nothing to add to the original -- it's at its best when it's most closely aping REC (such as the tense finale), which makes the whole thing feel completely redundant. **

Fatal Move

FATAL MOVE (2008) - October 7, 2008
Convoluted almost beyond belief, I was essentially able to follow this up to about the half-way mark, but it just got more and more confusing until I essentially had to throw in the towel and resign myself to being baffled by the whole thing. The plot (or what I could follow of it) involved the usual assortment of determined cops and ridiculously duplicitous criminals. The action was generally passable, though it was marred by an abundance of some seriously fake looking CGI blood. I might have been able to overlook the weak storytelling if the action had been exciting, but there wasn't all that much action, and what there was was mediocre at best. *1/2

Eagle Eye

EAGLE EYE (2008) - Sept. 27, 2008
About a man and woman who are both thrust into some serious shenanigans after receiving phone calls from a mysterious and sinister woman. I can see why it's getting a bit of a critical drubbing -- this is a seriously silly thriller that just gets sillier as it goes along, and which pretty much requires you to check your brain at the door. It's also just as derivative as people are making it out to be. But you know, I still somehow managed to enjoy it. Not sure why. Aside from being a bit overlong, I thought it was pretty entertaining throughout, and well directed by DJ Caruso (with the exception of the car chases, which were a bit more choppily edited than I would have liked). It's not a classic by any means, but I can certainly think of worse ways to spend a couple of hours. ***

Burn After Reading

BURN AFTER READING (2008) - Sept. 17, 2008
An enjoyable film by the Coen Brothers, which... Ummm... I've been lazy with this journal. It's been over two months since I watched this film, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. I did enjoy it quite a bit -- though I can't remember if I liked it enough to give it three and a half, or just three. I'm going to go with three. ***

Afterwards

AFTERWARDS (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
Same deal with this as with Burn After Reading. I waited way too long to write this. About a lawyer who meets a man who claims he knows when people are going to die, this was well made, and featured some really good performances from John Malkovich and Romain Duris. It was quite slow, but I was entertained throughout. ***

Martyrs

MARTYRS (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
Though this starts out as a fairly typical French horror film, it eventually becomes something... different. About a couple of girls who seek revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured one of them, eventually finding out that what happened to her was far more sinister than they could have ever realized. It's definitely well made, and the first hour or so was quite entertaining. The last half hour or so gets a little bit repetitive, with probably a few more scenes than necessary of the girl getting repeatedly beaten, but it definitely leads to a pretty interesting payoff. ***

Chocolate

CHOCOLATE (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
This is the newest film from the director of Ong-Bak and the Protector, and despite the absence of Tony Jaa, this features action that's easily just as good if not better than in those films. It's pretty clear that Prachya Pinkaew is awesome at directing action but pretty awful at everything else -- the first half hour or so, featuring almost no action, is tough to sit through. But it's worth it for what follows: once the action kicks in, it pretty much doesn't stop until the movie ends. And man, is it good. If this movie is any indication, JeeJa Yanin should have a promising career ahead of her. ***

Lovely, Still

LOVELY, STILL (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
Featuring an expectedly excellent performance from Martin Landau (and an equally good performance from Ellen Burstyn), this film was otherwise somewhat mediocre. The director is clearly going for a stylized, fairy tale sort of vibe, and while that never quite connects the way I'm sure the director wants it to, the film is cute and essentially entertaining. But then there's the dark ending, which is certainly interesting on its own, but is completely incongruous with the rest of the film. If the movie had a slightly more grounded tone I think the ending would have worked really well, but as it stands it felt out of place. **

Good

GOOD (2008) - Sept. 12, 2008
Almost ridiculously stagey (I'm not sure if I've ever seen a movie where its origins as a play were so blatant, not just because of the talkiness but also because of the overly-theatrical style of the dialogue), and completely lacking in subtly, this does feature an expectedly good performance from Viggo Mortensen. About an academic who, against his better judgment, joins the Nazi party in WWII-era Germany. The film was pretty much completely over-the-top, but it was sporadically entertaining, and featured a pretty impressive Atonement-esque steadicam shot right at the end of the film. **

Che

CHE (2008) - Sept. 12, 2008
A sprawling, four-and-a-half hour epic about Ernesto "Che" Guevara -- the first half dealing with his successful revolution in Cuba, and the second half dealing with his not-so-successful revolution in Bolivia. There is little doubt that this is seriously overlong -- each half probably could have benefited from half an hour to an hour's worth of cutting -- but I'm definitely glad to have experienced this on the big screen. Despite its endurance-test running time, I was certainly never bored, and many sequences were downright riveting. It helps that Benicio Del Toro gives a powerhouse performance as Che, turning him into someone we really come to care about and identify with. The same can't really be said about the supporting characters, unfortunately, who are all pretty much interchangeable, and whose motivations are mostly hazy at best. This is probably due at least somewhat to the movie's steadfast naturalism -- this is not a movie that spoon-feeds the viewer anything, instead aiming for a very gritty, documentary-like vibe. This approach actually works really well, making the film feel pretty unique among other epics of the same ilk. ***

Gigantic

GIGANTIC (2008) - Sept. 11, 2008
A quirky romantic comedy about a bed salesman, in the process of trying to adopt a baby from China, who winds up falling in love with the daughter of one of his customers. The film is a bit quirkier than it needs to be at times, and could have definitely used some trimming, but the performances were good and the characters were interesting enough to keep the film enjoyable throughout. Though I have to say, I'm a bit perplexed about the subplot in which a crazy hobo continually tries to kill the main character. **1/2

The Brothers Bloom

THE BROTHERS BLOOM (2008) - Sept. 11, 2008
A really entertaining and well made film about a couple of con-men brothers, one of whom winds up falling in love with their latest mark. The film is directed with panache by Rian Johnson, who shows his range in this follow-up to the much grittier Brick. And while I don't think this film is quite as good as that one, it is fun and quite enjoyable. ***

Fifty Dead Men Walking

FIFTY DEAD MEN WALKING (2008) - Sept. 11, 2008
A generally well made but somewhat uneven film about a young man in 1980s Ireland who winds up becoming a police informer within the IRA. It was entertaining enough, but after a while I started getting sick of it. It probably didn't help that I missed a good chunk of the dialogue thanks to the thick Irish accents. Note to self: heavy accents + Ryerson's crappy sound system = a bad scene. Something to keep in mind for next year's festival. **1/2

Acolytes

ACOLYTES (2008) - Sept. 10, 2008
Though this film ends on a uncharacteristically high note, it's pretty much mediocre all the way through. The unnecessarily confusing plot revolves a group of Australian teens who stumble onto a body and subsequently get mixed up with a sinister serial killer. The film is reasonably well made, but is saddled with thoroughly unlikable characters who make the type of decisions that could only be made by characters from a movie. The movie also features a plot which is unnecessarily convoluted, which makes it much harder to follow than it needs to be. Though the ending was pretty sweet, it doesn't really make up for everything that precedes it. **

Slumdog Millionaire

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008) - Sept. 10, 2008
An enjoyable film about a young man in India who gets investigated by the police after almost winning the grand prize on India's Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Essentially a love story, the film isn't great by any means but it's well made and entertaining throughout. ***

The Silence of Lorna

THE SILENCE OF LORNA (2008) - Sept. 10, 2008
Though well directed in their usual cinema-verite style by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, this was an otherwise unspectacular film about a woman who gets caught up in a greencard marriage scheme. All the performances are very good, but the film ultimately feels kind of pointless. The film is at its best in developing the relationship between Lorna and her drug-addicted fake husband -- after he leaves the picture the film sort of loses steam. **1/2

Flame & Citron

FLAME & CITRON (2008) - Sept. 9, 2008
A well directed but somewhat dull movie about a team of assassins working for the resistance in World War II era Denmark. The film is stylishly directed by Ole Christian Madsen, and features some striking cinematography, but it ultimately fails to hold the viewer's interest for the whole 130 minute running time. There are some really exciting scenes here, and the whole thing is certainly well acted and well made, but the film is undone by its somewhat repetitive nature and the lack of really compelling characters (even the titular Flame and Citron never really become people we care all that much about). **1/2

The Wrestler

THE WRESTLER (2008) - Sept. 9, 2008
Wow! Well, it's official: Darren Aronofsky is a good director, if not a great one. I'll have to watch Requiem for a Dream again to see if it's as bad as I remember it being, as the man clearly has some serious talent. About an aging, washed-up professional wrestler who struggles to find a place for himself outside of the only thing he really knows: wrestling. The film is centred by a truly phenomenal performance from Mickey Rourke -- I really can't say enough good things about his performance; it is crazy good. I'm sure this would have launched a pretty big-time comeback for Rourke if he weren't so screwy-looking. I'd be willing to bet serious money that he'll get an Oscar nomination next year. The performance is just that good. The film is excellently written by Robert D. Siegel, who paints a haunting and deeply effective portrait of a damaged character. And Aronofsky's direction is just as good -- he discards all his usual stylistic quirks and tells the story in the most straight-forward way possible (which isn't to say that the direction is bland, just not flashy at all) which certainly proves to suit the material perfectly. Ultimately, even if the movie weren't that great it would be worth it if only for Rourke's amazing performance. Fortunately, the film is definitely up to his level. ****

Management

MANAGEMENT (2008) - Sept. 9, 2008
A generally affable romantic comedy about a hotel employee who almost instantly falls in love with one of the guests. I was enjoying this quite a bit up to a certain point, but the film's freewheeling vibe eventually causes the viewer to lose interest -- the couple spend a big chunk of the film broken up, and after a while the whole thing starts to lose its momentum. It was entertaining enough, mostly, but by the end I was definitely ready for it to be over. Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn were both quite good, but even their easy-going chemistry ultimately couldn't save the film. **1/2

Deadgirl

DEADGIRL (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
Oh, the humanity. This was an awful film -- it was competently directed, I guess, but it was badly acted, cheesy, overly-quirky and just plain bad. Featuring characters who do things that no rational person would ever do, and some really clunky dialogue, it seems pretty clear that most of this film's problems come from Trent Haaga's truly terrible script. This is a maddeningly bad film, and towards the end I was getting really restless, just waiting for it to be over so I could leave. Yowza. *

Uncertainty

UNCERTAINTY (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
Hmmm... this was somewhat interesting, but I think I'd classify this as a mostly failed experiment. About the two very different paths a day can take for a young couple, the film features the two stories intercut together, a choice which results in the movie essentially feeling like two movies crammed together. On one hand there is a drama about the couple finding a stray dog and then going to a family dinner, and then on the other hand there is a thriller about the couple finding a cell phone and playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the people who want it back. I kept waiting for there to be some kind of reason as to why these two particular stories should be told together in this format, but it never happens. Nor is the opening ever explained, in which the two characters flip a coin and then go sprinting off in different directions -- I know this was supposed to represent the two different paths the day takes, but why were the characters actually doing that? It doesn't make sense. The performances were all quite good and the film was reasonably well made, but the odd structure never justified itself. **1/2

Disgrace

DISGRACE (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
John Malkovich gives a really excellent performance -- probably one of his best, at least that I've seen -- in this otherwise mediocre film about a disgraced professor who moves in with his daughter in a remote farm in South Africa. This film has a few good things going for it, Malkovich's performance most notably, as well as competant direction and some reasonably powerful moments, but for the most part it just wasn't all that interesting, and it went on way longer than it needed. **1/2

Still Walking

STILL WALKING (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
A delightful and really well made film set over the course of a day at a Japanese family gathering. Like Hirokazu Koreeda's previous film, Hana, this is full of really great characters (it helps that it's very well acted), and despite its slow pace, it's completely entertaining throughout. Under a lesser writer/director, the film's completely plotless nature and more leisurely pace may have become oppressive, but here it's a joy to watch, as Koreeda does a great job making sure that the family dynamic seems real without becoming dull, and heartfelt without becoming sentimental. ***1/2

Is There Anybody There?

IS THERE ANYBODY THERE? (2008) - Sept. 7, 2008
About a young boy whose house doubles as a retirement home (much to his chagrin), who winds up striking up a friendship with an aging magician, played beautifully by Michael Caine. The film was directed by John Crowley, who also made what was easily the best movie of the festival last year, Boy A. This was a rather gigantic step down from that. It was probably a bit too quirky for its own good, and just wasn't really able to hold my interest for the whole 92 minutes. It was at its best during the scenes with Michael Caine and the kid -- they both have great chemistry together, and both performances are quite excellent. Unfortunately, there's a lot of extraneous stuff with the quirky residents of the retirement home, when all we really want to see is Michael Caine and the kid interacting. Watching this film, it's pretty clear that Mark O'Rowe -- the writer of Crowley's two previous films -- had an equal hand in the success of those movies. After the phenomenal Boy A, there was really nowhere to go but down for John Crowley, I was just hoping it wouldn't be this far down. **1/2

Kisses

KISSES (2008) - Sept. 7, 2008
An entertaining -- if somewhat slight -- film about a couple of kids in Ireland who who decide to run away to the big city, and get into all kinds of shenanigans over one long night. The accents were kind of brutal (the director, in his introduction, even warned the audience that it would take a while to get used the thick accents), and I did miss a fair chunk of dialogue -- but this wasn't exactly a spy thriller where you need to get every word to keep up, and for the most part just getting the gist of what the kids were saying was enough. This was a cute film, though even at a short 72 minutes it still felt, in parts, like it was overstaying its welcome a tad. **1/2

The Burning Plain

THE BURNING PLAIN (2008) - Sept. 7, 2008
This is the directorial debut of Guillermo Arriaga, and while it is certainly a good film, coming from the man who helped bring us stuff like Amores Perros and 21 Grams, this can't help but feel like a bit of a disappointment, or at least a minor work. Arriaga shows a sure hand directorially, and wisely avoids handheld camerawork, presumably in an effort to distance himself stylistically from his former partner, Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film features the type of fractured narrative that Arriaga has made his name with, and is filled with very strong performances. It doesn't have the same kind of scope as some of his previous films, but as a smaller-scale, more low-key drama it works very well. I do have to question Arriaga's choice to withhold key information until almost the end of the film -- while it is a pretty nifty twist (and one I didn't see coming at all), the viewer's understanding of the characters and their motivations would have been enhanced by having all the information from the get-go. As it stands, it's the type of thing where you really have to see the film again, as many of the characters are put in a whole new light. ***

Vinyan

VINYAN (2008) - Sept. 6, 2008
About a couple who, after spotting what could be their missing son in a video shot in Burma, decide to head down there to see if they can find him. Things almost immediately go bad for the couple, and then proceed to go from bad to worse. Well directed and featuring some good performances, particularly Rufus Sewell, this was a bit slower than it probably needed to be, but did a good job of maintaining a steadily escalating atmosphere of dread. It kind of falls apart at the end, with a denouement that stretches credibility to its very breaking-point. It's a bit unfortunate, because up to that point the film manages to maintain a realistic, gritty tone which is completely at odds with the conclusion. I did really like the opening credits, which I thought did a fantastic job of establishing the tone of the film. **1/2

Sauna

SAUNA (2008) - Sept. 6, 2008
Though I can't say I completely understood this movie, I can say that I enjoyed it. About a team of Russians and Swedes who set out to define the border between their two countries after a brutal war, and who wind up in a small village right next to a mysterious white building, this film was a fairly adept mix of drama and horror. Slow paced but never boring, the film was well directed by Antti-Jussi Annila, and featured some nice looking widescreen cinematography. The ending was kind of baffling at first, but the more I think about it the more I think I have a fairly good handle on what happened (also: at the screening I attended, the director mentioned an idea he had for a sequel, involving a group of modern-day soldiers investigating the sauna. It seemed like he was half-joking, but it sounds like a pretty sweet idea to me). ***

The Sky Crawlers

THE SKY CRAWLERS (2008) - Sept. 6, 2008
This was a bit of a disappointment. Set in an undetermined future, in which war is a constant -- though it's waged by corporations rather than traditional armies, and there doesn't seem to be much at stake (it's briefly implied that the war is ongoing solely because society needs a war to keep them occupied -- an intriguing, 1984-esque idea that goes absolutely nowhere). Because there's nothing really at stake, the pilots (most of the movie takes place within a tiny airfield in which a handful of pilots reside) who fly the fighter-planes are all completely laid-back, not really caring about anything other than a small concern for their own well-being. This could have made for a splendidly atypical war film if the characters became people we really care about, but this never really happens -- all the characters are somewhat thin, and most of the time with the protagonist is spent leading up to a twist that's obvious almost right from the start. Add to this a conclusion that practically defines the word "anticlimactic", and you have a movie which, though well made, never really lives up to its potential. **

JCVD

JCVD (2008) - Sept. 5, 2008
Mildly entertaining, though given the many awesome possibilities that the premise entailed, this can't help but be a pretty big let-down. About Jean-Claude Van Damme -- playing himself -- who winds up in the middle of a hostage situation in a bank. Van Damme gives a surprisingly good performance, but the film itself is woefully generic, and features a non-linear narrative that does the movie much more harm than good. One of the bigger problems with the film is the cinematography, which can only be described as disastrous. Everything is ridiculously over-exposed, which makes a big chunk of the screen completely white for much of the film. I find it hard to believe that anyone could find that visually pleasing, but I guess it was intentional, so... to each his own, I guess. **1/2

RocknRolla

ROCKNROLLA (2008) - Sept. 5, 2008
Another stellar Guy Ritchie film at the festival, and this time (unlike Revolver) I'm sure others will agree with me. Featuring a diverse cast, including Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson (all of whom are very good), this is a flat-out enjoyable movie that definitely ranks among Richie's best. It's just as well-directed as we've come to expect from Richie, and also features the type of snappy dialogue that he's become known for, as well as a stellar use of music. The film has a lot of characters and a lot of plot-threads, but unlike Revolver it all comes together quite nicely. ***1/2

Three Monkeys

THREE MONKEYS (2008) - Sept. 5, 2008
Oh man. This actually started out really well -- the opening sequence was really compelling and suspenseful, and just generally well done. It's all downhill from there. About a driver who is paid to take the blame on a hit-and-run charge for his boss, and how this affects his wife and son. The main problem with this film is that it takes an intriguing premise and goes absolutely nowhere with it, moving at a snail's pace and never developing the characters beyond the mundane. I went with it for a while, but there came a point at which the glacial pace wore me down. The film's cinematography doesn't do it any favours, giving all the dark scenes a murky, grainy look -- like they were shot through a wire mesh -- and everything else an unpleasantly desaturated, greenish hue. This is exactly the type of pretentious foreign art-house film that tends to give all foreign films a bad name. *1/2

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (2008) - August 30, 2008
A mostly enjoyable sequel, featuring some really impressive action set-pieces that easily exceed anything from the first one. However, outside of the action scenes, this is definitely a big step down from the original. It's missing that certain spark -- it's hard to put your finger on it, but it just doesn't feel as fun as the first one, despite the fact that it's clearly trying to be. It probably doesn't help that it's a tad on the overblown side; though Hellboy and his team were fighting supernatural monsters in the first one, it was mostly grounded in reality. This one has no such grounding, finding the team in increasingly fantastical settings. Guillermo del Toro's visuals are as inventive as ever, but the film itself definitely falls short of the original. **1/2

Million Dollar Baby

MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004) - August 25, 2008
It took me long enough, but I finally saw this movie. Obviously, I would have enjoyed it much more if I hadn't known about the twist with Hillary Swank's character, but despite that this was still a very compelling, well-made drama with some great performances. Clint Eastwood's direction is as good as ever, and the film also features some nicely moody cinematography. ***1/2

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - August 23, 2008 (Fourth Viewing)
Man, what can I say about this movie? Other than that it's awesome? Because it is awesome. Super awesome. I think it's starting to become pretty clear that this film is creeping into my all-time top ten. It's that good. I've seen it four times now, and I still cease to be amazed by how good it is; it never fails to move me, to excite me, and to just generally remind me of how awesome and inspiring it is to watch a truly great movie on the big screen. ****

Vicky Christina Barcelona

VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA (2008) - August 22, 2008
On one hand, I've gotta give props to the Woodster -- he's definitely trying to do something interesting, and to make a genuinely good film, something which definitely can't be said for most of his efforts from the past decade or so. On the other hand, this just wasn't that great. It certainly wasn't bad, but... let me put it this way: the film is only 96 minutes, but as I was watching it I was sure it was two hours, if not longer. The film meanders a lot, and I know what the Woodster was going for, but it just doesn't work a lot of the time. Much of it feels oddly pointless, particularly in the mid-section of the film. Also, although the writing cannot be mistaken for anything but a Woody Allen product, it seems like he's trying to do something different directorially, which I can't say I'm a big fan of. Not that I'm against him trying out new things, or evolving as an artist, but it seems to me like he's thrown out many the hallmarks of his established style (such as lots of meticulously composed long takes) in favour of something much more conventional and bland (I don't think I've ever seen so many close-ups in a Woody Allen film). I still think this was a good movie, but also a definite misstep for the Woodster. **1/2

The Dark Past

THE DARK PAST (1948) - August 20, 2008
An entertaining if somewhat dated and stagy film about a criminal, recently escaped from jail, who holds up in the home of a psychiatrist. The film features good performances from William Holden and Lee J. Cobb, and decent (if somewhat bland) direction by Rudolph Maté. **1/2

The Gambler

THE GAMBLER (1974) - August 19, 2008
Featuring a really impressive performance from James Caan, this was a good character study about a couple of days in the life of an English professor, who also happens to have a bit of a gambling problem (putting it mildly). It was completely plotless, but remained fairly entertaining throughout if only for Caan's performance, and the interesting look at an otherwise intelligent character who is so hopelessly addicted to gambling it impacts everything he does. The direction is ho-hum; I'm sure this film would have been remembered more if the direction were a bit better. Oh well. ***

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - August 17, 2008 (Third Viewing)
After watching this for the third time, I think I can say without hesitation that this is one of my favourite films of the decade. It's right up there with There Will Be Blood, the last really great film of recent memory -- in fact, I think it might even surpass it. I say that because I feel like WALL-E is ridiculously close to being a perfect film; there isn't a single wasted moment to be found. This is the type of movie that a lot of directors probably want to make, but don't have the talent or the balls to do so -- a movie which tells its story primarily through visuals rather than dialogue (something which is, paradoxically, especially rare in contemporary animation, despite the fact that this type of storytelling is ideally suited to the medium), and which introduces characters who are essentially mute and expects us to care about them. This is where WALL-E really shines -- WALL-E himself is such a great character, who exudes charm and personality without ever uttering a word. He will surely enter the pantheon of great movie characters, or at least he should if there's any justice in the world. His romance with Eve is one of the most effective and affecting movie romances I've seen in a long, long time. This is a perfect film, or close to it, because it elicits pretty much every emotion you could ask for from a movie: it's funny, exciting, sad, moving and exhilarating. It's filmmaking distilled to its very essence, and delivered in the most satisfying way imaginable. It's perfect. ****

Mirrors

MIRRORS (2008) - August 16, 2008
Though reasonably well made by Alexandre Aja, this film is definitely not on par with his two previous efforts. About an ex-cop, now a security guard, who discovers that there's something sinister afoot with the mirrors in the old department store he's guarding. Aja does his best, but it's hard to make a really compelling villian out of something as broad as all mirrors. It doesn't help that every scare here is of the "Boo!" variety. It also doesn't help that the film ultimately becomes like pretty much every Asian horror remake, with the protagonist having to solve a decades-old mystery. The film is never boring, though, and reasonably suspenseful in parts. It's also notable for having one of the most brutal scenes I've seen in a while (if not ever). **1/2

Marie Antoinette

MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006) - August 13, 2008 (Second Viewing)
Featuring stunning cinematography and great direction by Sophia Coppola, this is easily among the best looking films I've ever seen. The film also does a really good job of making Antoinette a sympathetic character, courtesy of both Sophia Coppola's script and Kirsten Dunst's performance. ****

Tropic Thunder

TROPIC THUNDER (2008) - August 11, 2008
An enjoyable spoof about a group of clueless actors who find themselves lost and alone in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle. Much like Ben Stiller's last film as writer/director/star, Zoolander, this wasn't always laugh-out-loud hilarious but it definitely had its moments, and it was entertaining throughout. ***

For Love of the Game

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME (1999) - August 10, 2008
A really enjoyable film about an aging baseball player who, during what may be his final game, looks back at his life -- particularly at his five-year relationship with his on-again off-again girlfriend. This was a really well made film; the baseball scenes are really exciting, and the stuff outside of the game were just as good. It's very often schmaltzy, but never in a bad way. It also features a really good performance from Kevin Costner. ***1/2

The Bishop's Wife

THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947) - August 9, 2008
A well made if somewhat slow-paced movie about a troubled bishop, who receives help in the form of a charming angel. The film's biggest undoing is that it often feels a bit pointless -- a good chunk of the film's running time is devoted to the angel and the bishop's wife just going around having a good time, which gets tiresome after a while. Cary Grant was good, though. **1/2

The Pineapple Express

THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (2008) - August 8, 2008 (Second Viewing)
This is a really enjoyable film, thanks mostly to the better-than-average direction from David Gordon Green, and the great chemistry between Seth Rogen and James Franco. Though the film is still quite enjoyable during the action-heavy third act, the stuff where the two characters are just talking is where the movie really shines. ***

King of the Hill

KING OF THE HILL (1993) - August 7, 2008
A well made slice of life about a poor boy in the 1930s, and the various shenanigans he gets himself into. This was easily the most straight-forward Steven Soderbergh movie (at least that I've seen); it contains none of his usual stylistic quirks, and I really doubt I would have been able to guess that he had directed it if I hadn't already known. The pared-down style works for the story, and the film was really engaging all the way through despite being entirely plotless. It helps that the performances were all quite good, including a young Adrian Brody. ***

3:10 to Yuma

3:10 TO YUMA (2007) - August 5, 2008
A superlative western about an outlaw who finds himself being escorted to a prison train by a determined rancher (an a few others). This was a really well made film, featuring interesting characters and great performances. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are both in peak form here, and I particularly liked the relationship between their two characters (and Ben Foster was a definite scene-stealer as one of Russell Crowe's smarmy henchmen). James Mangold's direction is particularly good; he makes good use of the widescreen frame and directs the action sequences with a steady hand, making them exciting without ever resorting to the quick-cut/shaky-cam trope that so many contemporary directors fall back on when they can't think of any other way to make an action scene work. The film lags a tiny bit around the mid-section, but that's a minor complaint. It really is too bad they hardly ever make westerns any more, especially when they're this good. ***1/2

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR (2008) - August 3, 2008
Though far from a great movie or even a good one, this wasn't quite the flat-out disaster that many people are making it out to be. It's silly, and, more often than not, badly written; the action direction also leans far more towards quick-cut/shaky-cam than I'd like, and the overblown conclusion goes on a bit longer than it needs to (other than the Jet Li / Michelle Yeoh fight, which is disappointly short). But it's mostly entertaining (or never completely boring at least). It probably helped that my expectations were pretty much rock bottom. **

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) - August 1, 2008 (Second Viewing)
Wow! Obviously, this is a really good film, and watching it again just cements that. But it was watching this on IMAX that really impressed; the scenes that were actually shot on the IMAX format were easily the most impressive-looking thing I've seen in a movie theatre. The clarity of the image was pretty much stunning (sort of like going from VHS to DVD). Good stuff. ****

Whistling in the Dark

WHISTLING IN THE DARK (1941) - July 30, 2008
An entertaining film about a host of a murder-mystery radio show who gets kidnapped and blackmailed into coming up with the perfect murder. It's never really laugh-out-loud funny, but it's enjoyable throughout and features an affable lead performance from Red Skelton. ***

Resident Evil: Extinction

RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION (2007) - July 29, 2008
Though this is a huge step up from the abysmal Apocalypse, it's still pretty mediocre. There's nothing overtly bad about it (the direction is fine, as are the special effects and the performances), there's nothing very good about it either. The film establishes a lot of characters, but never really goes anywhere with any of them. The whole thing feels kind of truncated, like they took out everything but what they needed for the action, leaving the film somewhat hollow. **

Pretty Woman

PRETTY WOMAN (1990) - July 28, 2008
Another film about prostitutes, though that's about where the similarities end -- this was pretty much the complete opposite of My Own Private Idaho. It was sort of a relief to watch a movie with no pretensions other than to entertain; though at over two hours this film was clearly too long, it was well acted and entertaining all the way through. It's cheesy, and pretty much exactly what you'd think it would be, but it's quite enjoyable. ***

My Own Private Idaho

MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (1991) - July 27, 2008
About the exploits of a couple of male prostitutes, this was a really well directed film, but ultimately it was too strange and obtuse to ever really get into. Featuring dialogue that shifts jarringly from Shakespearean to naturalistic, and a freewheeling plot that never really goes anywhere, this feels more like a failed experiment than anything else (and makes Gus Van Sant's last few films seem almost conventional in comparison). I was never bored per se, but the film kept me at an arm's length with its constant oddness. **

Step Brothers

STEP BROTHERS (2008) - July 26, 2008
About a couple of dim-witted 40-year-olds who find themselves living together after both of their single parents get married, this was a sort of mediocre but enjoyable comedy. It's the third Will Ferrell / Adam McKay collaboration, and like the other two it is clearly too long -- someone needs to explain to Ferrell and McKay that 90 minutes is the sweet spot for a silly comedy like this, and that anything much longer than that tends to overstay its welcome. The other major problem with the film (and this isn't necessarily the film's fault) is that the trailer gives away pretty much every major joke/scene from the first hour or so of the movie, making it feel somewhat superfluous to sit through. The film is redeemed by a few surprisingly funny moments, mostly thanks to John C. Reilly. **1/2

The Pineapple Express

THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (2008) - July 24, 2008
Though not quite the film of the summer I had once expected it to be, that was probably an unfair prediction; this was a really enjoyable film (if a tad overlong) and more proof that you can't go wrong with a film about lots of stuff happening in a short amount of time. About a couple of pot-heads who go on the run after one of them witnesses a murder, this was a fun movie which was also surprisingly violent (it's clearly meant as a homage to some of the buddy films of the '80s). Much of the reason it works so well is thanks to Seth Rogen and James Franco, who are both very good and have great chemistry together. ***

An American Crime

AN AMERICAN CRIME (2007) - July 22, 2008
A boring, pointless and unpleasant film about a couple of young girls who are left with a complete stranger by their parents; this turns out not to have been the wisest choice on their part. The movie features some above average performances -- both Katherine Keener and Ellen Page are quite good -- but little else to speak of. The direction by Tommy O'Haver is bland, and combined with the murky cinematography, creates a film that is as boring to look at as it is to have to actually watch. The movie is mostly plotless, and features long stretches in which nothing much happens, which you would think would lead to some really well developed characters. Not so. This makes it tough to care too much when the bad stuff starts to go down in the latter half; it also makes it tough to see these scenes as anything other than pointless unpleasantness. Boo-urns. *1/2

The Shawshank Redemption

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) - July 20, 2008
Well, I guess now I know what all the fuss is about. I can't believe I waited so long. This is a great film, perfectly directed by Frank Darabont and filled with memorable characters and excellent performances. Morgan Freeman gives one of his best performances ever, and Tim Robbins is equally good. In fact, all the performances are well above average, making many of the side-characters more interesting than the protagonists from lesser films. This is also one of those rare movies that has an unusually long running time (about two hours and twenty minutes) but doesn't feel long in the slightest. It's pure gold all the way through, from the opening frames right to the ridiculously moving finale. ****

Harsh Times

HARSH TIMES (2005) - July 19, 2008
Mostly plotless, about the exploits of a couple of friends in a tough part of LA, this film was essentially a showcase for a stunning performance by Christian Bale (playing a character who couldn't be more different from Bruce Wayne). Its rambling, unfocused vibe hurts it a bit, and it goes of the deep end towards the end, but it is redeemed by the above-average performances. **1/2

The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) - July 18, 2008
Though this film has been hyped up to an almost ludicrous degree, I think it actually manages to live up to the hype; this is a really good film, maybe even a great one, and one I think I'll have to see at least once more to fully appreciate. The film does a phenomenal job of capturing what makes the character of Batman -- and the world he lives in -- great. It helps that everyone involved is pretty much at the top of their game: Christopher Nolan's direction is just as good as it has ever been (including the action, a notable weak spot in the original) and his screenplay is complex and real without ever losing sight of the fact that this is a summer action movie, and a Batman movie. The performances are all superb, including, of course, the much-ballyhooed Heath Ledger, who gives a pitch-perfect rendering of the Joker. The film is exciting, featuring a perfect balance between action and plot; it's long but it doesn't feel it at all. It essentially takes everything that was good about Batman Begins and makes it better, removing all the less-effective stuff in the process. ****

Batman Begins

BATMAN BEGINS (2005) - July 17, 2008 (Third Viewing)
This held up a lot better the third time than the second (the close proximity between the first and second viewings probably didn't help) -- this is definitely a well above average summer blockbuster. My only major complaint this time around is the action; it's not the worst action ever, but it's definitely mediocre. Thankfully, there's not all that much of it. Above all, this is just a really good drama. Christian Bale is perfect as Batman / Bruce Wayne, and he's surrounded by equally talented actors. And Christopher Nolan's direction, excluding the action, is expectedly stellar. ***1/2

Wanted

WANTED (2008) - July 16, 2008
That wasn't so good. Loosely based on Mark Millar's ultra-violent comic about a world taken over by supervillians, this was about a young man who finds out that his father was a member of a fraternity of assassins, and that he's inherited skills from his father that make him a killing machine. It's entertaining for a while, in a really over-the-top sort of way, but after a while it starts getting tiresome and seriously wears out its welcome. There are a couple of decent action sequences here, but for the most part they're bogged down by the director's relentless flashiness. **

Hellboy

HELLBOY (2004) - July 14, 2008 (Second Viewing)
A really enjoyable film about a demon, escaped from hell, who helps the U.S. government fight various monsters. Featuring the type of inventive visuals Guillermo del Toro has become known for, this is just a really fun movie. ***1/2

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - June 30, 2008 (Second Viewing)
It's official -- I love this movie. Many times when I watch a film for the second time, particularly in such close succession with the first viewing, I hone in on the flaws much more, and generally enjoy the film much less. Then there are the truly great films, the ones which seem to get better and better on each subsequent viewing. This appears to be one of those films. Despite having just watched this a couple of days ago, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found myself getting just as sucked into the story. WALL-E is just such a great character, and the film is so well-crafted; it really is a joy to watch. I can't wait to see it again. ****

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - June 27, 2008
I didn't think it was possible, but Pixar have topped themselves -- this is an amazing film, and almost certainly Pixar's best. A rousing triumph from start to finish, this was an awe-inspiringly good film. About a lovable but lonely robot, tasked with cleaning up a barren, abandoned Earth, whose life is turned upsidedown when a female robot named Eve comes to scan the Earth for any signs of life. The film does an impressive job of developing WALL-E and Eve; even without any dialogue, both characters are more likable and fully realized than most humans in the average Hollywood film. There is so much to love in this movie -- from the direction (this is a visually stunning film) to the characters to... well, everthing, I really can't think of much to complain about in this film. It takes a premise which sounds iffy on paper (a whole film revolving around an essentially mute, R2D2-esque robot) and turns it into something magical, something which so perfectly utilizes all of the strengths of the animated medium (telling a story through visuals and imagery) and none of the weaknesses (excessively chatty, wisecracking characters and a tendency to cater to the lowest-common-denominator). It is the rare film that you watch and you realize -- right away -- that you are watching a classic, a film that will be talked about and remembered for years to come. This is one of them. I loved it. ****

The Love Guru

THE LOVE GURU (2008) - June 18, 2008
Oh, the humanity. This was an awful film -- about a guru who is recruited by the Maple Leafs to help their star player get back together with his wife, this was a bad, terminally unfunny film. The humour isn't even hit and miss -- it's all miss, no hit. I don't think I've sat this stone-faced in front of a movie since Schindler's List. Some comedies aren't necessarily laugh-out-loud funny, but manage to get by on charm and the likability of the characters. This film is essentially just series of gags (most revolving around balls or similarly scatological humour), so the complete absence of laughs means it's essentially worthless as a piece of entertainment. *

The Happening

THE HAPPENING (2008) - June 18, 2008
A seriously flawed, but still entertaining and mostly well-made film. About a strange disease that makes people immediately commit suicide, the main problem is the off-kilter, sometimes unintentionally campy tone. It seems like Shyamalan is going for a sort of '50s vibe, like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but it doesn't entirely work. It doesn't help that Mark Wahlberg -- who is a good actor -- is clearly miscast, and seems to strike many of the wrong notes in his performance. Shyamalan's direction is mostly quite good (it's definitely a nice looking film), and there are a few sequences here that are just as good as anything he's done; this is definitely not the disaster that many are making it out to be, but it's not exactly in the same league as something like Unbreakable or Signs. ***

Be Kind Rewind

BE KIND REWIND (2008) - June 17, 2008
A silly but basically entertaining film about a couple of guys who accidentally erase all the tapes in their store, and decide to remake the films themselves and rent them out -- a scheme which proves to be surprisingly popular. The film meanders a bit more than it needs to, and it's never quite as delightful as it's clearly trying to be, but it's affable enough for the most part. I should mention, though, that the cinematography is surprisingly bad, giving the whole film an unpleasantly muddy look. **1/2

Jumper

JUMPER (2008) - June 16, 2008
A generally entertaining if somewhat mediocre action film about a guy who has the power to teleport (or "jump") anywhere he wants, and the shenanigans he gets into once a group called the Paladins starts chasing him down. The film feels more like a string of loosely connected set-pieces than a cohesive whole, and the characters are woefully underdeveloped -- we never learn a thing about Samuel L. Jackson's villain beyond "Jumpers, I hate these guys!" and his motivation remains baffling throughout. The film was competently directed by Doug Liman (and I did like the scene where Hayden Christensen and the other jumper fought throughout the world), and it wasn't boring, it was just... meh. **1/2

Cause for Alarm!

CAUSE FOR ALARM! (1951) - June 15, 2008
About a housewife whose paranoid husband accuses her of trying to murder him and then promptly dies, leaving her to frantically try to recover the letter to the DA that he just mailed. It's a simple premise, but it's well executed and briskly paced, running at a snappy 74 minutes. The film was well directed, and Loretta Young was quite good in the main role. This film is a great example of how to take something fairly simple and make it far better than you'd expect. ***

Magnolia

MAGNOLIA (1999) - June 13, 2008 (Sixth Viewing? Seventh?)
Man, PT Anderson. This movie is so amazingly good on every level: the performances, the direction, the script, the cinematography, the score... this was an incredibly powerful film, which doesn't feel overlong at all even at three hours. I love everything about this film. I particularly like PT's use of the score, which I think is downright revolutionary, or at least I've never seen anything quite like it -- it's pretty much brilliant, but then everything about this film is pretty much brilliant. ****

Boogie Nights

BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997) - June 12, 2008 (Fifth Viewing? Sixth?)
Pure, unadulterated awesomeness. Watching this film, and basking in its seemingly non-stop greatness, it's hard to deny that Paul Thomas Anderson is quite possibly the best director of all time; certainly, he's the best living director. There are so many great moments in this film, including a couple of sequences which are about as good as anything I've ever seen -- there's the part in which Rollergirl and Jack film "On the Lookout", while Dirk takes a beating in the truck; then there's awesomely bizarre drug-deal sequence with Alfred Molina. Most directors are lucky enough to have one or two moments like this in their entire career; moments when everything just comes together so perfectly. PT Anderson has had a few in every film he's made. Honestly, from the performances to the direction to the perfect use of music, I don't have a single complaint about this film. ****

The Incredible Hulk

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008) - June 9, 2008
A sort of mediocre but basically enjoyable superhero film about the Incredible Hulk getting angry and smashing things. It accomplishes its unstated goal of essentially erasing the memory of Ang Lee's more character-oriented film, and unlike that one delivers pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a Hulk movie (the Hulk getting angry and causing mayhem). The movie is at its best during the action scenes -- particularly the final one in which the Hulk takes on Abomination in the streets of "New York" (a very poorly disguised Toronto) -- but the film is oddly lifeless during the non-action parts, as if all involved knew that the destruction is what people came for and went on autopilot for everything else. It wasn't bad, per se (I was never bored), but it wasn't that great either. **1/2

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (2008) - June 7, 2008
Another summer, another terrible Adam Sandler film. This was a slight step above his last film, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, but really, that's not saying much. The film, about an elite member of the Israeli military who fakes his death and comes to America to be a hairdresser, suffers from the same dearth of laughs that has plagued the last few Sandler films. It's just not funny. At all. It's not particularly entertaining, either. It is remarkably even-handed, given the subject matter, which is impressive. But it just wasn't very good. **

Shaun of the Dead

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) - June 6, 2008 (Second Viewing)
Man, what a great movie. What I really love about this film is that it's a great parody of zombie movies, but the parody elements are always secondary to the characters and plot -- this is not a mere "spoof" movie. You could go into this without having seen a single zombie film and still enjoy it heartily; if you happen to catch the references, then that's just the icing on the cake. It's also a really great zombie movie on its own, never skimping on the gore and stylishly directed by Edgar Wright. It's really well acted, particularly Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who obviously have really good chemistry together. Oh, and it's frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious. So yeah... good stuff. ****

Kung Fu Panda

KUNG FU PANDA (2008) - June 4, 2008
Though it's not quite the way-above-average animated film I was lead to believe (mostly from Jerry Beck), this was an enjoyable animated film, refreshingly devoid of the type of embarrassingly juvenile gags that tend to ruin movies of this ilk. Jack Black was good as the titular panda, as were all the other performances (the film was expectedly packed with recognizable voices, though they didn't seem like they were crammed in solely for their star appeal, as is generally the case with Dreamworks animated films). This may not have been anything too special, but it was well-animated and quite entertaining. ***

Running Scared

RUNNING SCARED (2006) - June 2, 2008
A silly but enjoyable and very over-the-top film about a man on a desperate search to find a gun used during a shootout over the course of a very long night. The film was briskly paced, and featured a better-than-average performance from Paul Walker. It was kind of like Shoot 'Em Up, but much much better. ***

The Strangers

THE STRANGERS (2008) - May 31, 2008
An effective though highly flawed horror film about a couple who go to a country home and are terrorized by a trio of masked invaders. The film does a really good job of maintaining a fairly suspenseful vibe, and uses silence to great effect. The shaky-cam direction does get a bit tiresome, and the drab, yellowish cinematography doesn't help either. The film's biggest issue are the three bad guys, who appear to know that they're horror movie villains ans and act accordingly; they pop up and appear sinister and then disappear in ways that are entirely dictated by the film's direction, and which lack any sort of logic. This might have worked better in another film, but the gritty, fairly realistic tone is at odds with the fun-house theatricality of the three bad guys. The film was essentially entertaining throughout, and it certainly didn't overstay its welcome, but given the premise it should have been so much better. **1/2

Schindler's List

SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) - May 27, 2008
A very long but well made film about a German who, during the war, opens a factory and eventually winds up saving hundreds of Jews from the concentration camps. It was slow, and probably too long at well over three hours, but it was certainly never boring. The performances were all exceptional, particularly Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. Spielberg's direction was also quite good. And -- I never thought I'd say it -- Janusz Kaminski's cinematography was excellent. The stark, high contrast black and white suits the film perfectly; this is easily the best looking Spielberg/Kaminski collaboration. ***

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN (2008) - May 26, 2008
Well, that was a bit of a let-down. After the first film, which was such an enjoyable adaptation, my expectations for this were pretty high. But while the first film was reasonably faithful to its book, this one makes a lot of needless changes which really don't make much sense. The film alters the sequence of many of the events from the book, which I can understand for the most part, but it also adds a lot of superfluous stuff, such as political intrigue with the villain (presumably in an effort to make him a more fleshed out character, but it's completely unnecessary). There's also a long battle which comes midway through the movie which only serves to add to its long running time (and in fact as the fight went on, I was starting to think that it was actually the final battle, and that the film was going to end sooner than I thought, which obviously turned out to be far from the truth). There were still a lot of good things in the film -- it was well directed and the performances were all very good (with the possible exception of Ben Barnes, who is essentially good as Caspian, though he seems to be basing his Spanish accent on Ricky Ricardo). But the film dragged quite a bit, particularly in the middle, and lacked much of the sense of wonder from the first one. **1/2

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) - May 24, 2008 (Second Viewing)
I still think that this is the weakest of the four Indiana Jones films, but I also still think that's it's a rollicking good time, despite its flaws. ***1/2

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) - May 18, 2008
Not too shabby! Maybe it's because I was expecting the worst and significantly lowered my expectations, but I actually enjoyed this film quite a bit. My biggest fear -- that Spielberg-ruiner Janusz Kaminski's fingerprints would be all over the film -- proved to be mostly unfounded, as he actually did manage to reign himself in and did a decent enough job of aping the look of the first three films. My other fear, that Harrison Ford is simply too old and gruff to convincingly step back into Indiana Jones' shoes, was also happily laid to rest; Ford managed to be as charismatic as ever, and is in good enough shape that he didn't look at all out of place in the usual assortment of fistfights and over-the-top stunts. Shia LeBeouf was another pleasant surprise, and actually turned out to be a fairly good sidekick for Indy. This was far from a perfect film (it's a bit slower than the previous films, and perhaps a tad overlong. Also, the inclusion of some overtly sci-fi elements towards the end felt a bit out of place) -- it is the weakest of the series so far, but not at all by the wide margin I had feared. Good stuff. ***1/2

Untraceable

UNTRACEABLE (2008) - May 17, 2008
An all around mediocre film, from the ridiculous, frequently cringe-worthy screenplay, to the bland direction (is this really the same guy who did Primal Fear and Frequency??), to the unpleasantly murky, grayish cinematography. The performances are mostly mediocre, though Diane Lane tries her best wring something good out of this crap pile (she's about as good as you can hope for in a movie this bad). The whole movie just feels so contrived and artificial... Blech. *1/2

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE - May 16, 2008 (Fourth or Fifth Viewing)
Like Temple of Doom, this has a hard time measuring up to the high standard set by Raiders, but really, it would have been impossible to top that film. This is probably the strongest of the two sequels, and features all the rollicking action and humour that the series is known for. It's definitely the most light-hearted of the three films, but it works (and special praise must go to the moment where Indy's cohorts think that he's gone off a cliff, and he comes walking up behind them -- I haven't laughed that hard in a long time). Sean Connery is a welcome addition to the series; he definitely has really good chemistry with Harrison Ford. ****

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) - May 15, 2008 (Fourth or Fifth Viewing)
Though not quite a masterpiece on the level of Raiders of the Lost Ark, this was still really enjoyable and a much better-than-average summer blockbuster. Steven Spielberg's direction is, yet again, superlative -- the Indiana Jones trilogy should be required viewing for any action director. Spielberg manages to take sequences which would come off as over-the-top under a lesser director and makes them exciting. The film is maybe a bit too silly at times, and a tad darker than I'd necessarily like, but it was still quite good. ***1/2

Raiders of the Lost Ark

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) - May 14, 2008 (Fifth or Sixth Viewing)
Wow! It's easy to forget what an amazing director Steven Spielberg was in his prime, but this is a pretty stunning reminder; I think this is very close to being a perfect film. Certainly, it is a perfect summer blockbuster, and the absolute antithesis to the type of garbage we tend to see these days. Spielberg's direction is almost ridiculously good, with the more dramatic stuff faring just as well as the action (and there isn't a hand-held camera in sight, which would be almost unheard of in a contemporary action film, and which proves beautifully that that hand-held/shaky-cam is absolutely not needed to craft an exciting action scene). Then there's the performances -- there's a reason Indiana Jones is such an iconic character; Harrison Ford's performance has just the right amount of charm, gravitas, and badassery. The other actors are just as good. John William's score (which has to be one of the most recognizable scores of all time) is as effective as it is memorable. Man, what a great film this was. I remembered it being excellent but it was even better than I had remembered. ****

Alone

ALONE (2007) - May 10, 2008
Though not quite as good as the directors' previous effort, Shutter (it lacks the sustained tension of that film, though this was more of a drama/horror hybrid), this was still a well made and enjoyable film. About a woman who finds herself haunted by visions of her Siamese twin, who died when they were separated (a procedure which was done at her behest). Though the twin essentially appears as the now-standard long-haired girl of Asian horror, her appearances are brief enough that this doesn't feel like yet another Ring knockoff. ***

Sleepless in Seattle

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993) - May 7, 2008 (Second Viewing)
A decent romantic comedy about a guy who goes on the radio talking about how he misses his dead wife, and a woman who hears this and falls in love. Though it is written by Nora Ephron, who also wrote the superior When Harry Met Sally, it lacks much of the wit and charm of that film, coming off as far more conventional. It also doesn't help that Ephron's direction is mediocre, and relies far too much on music to underscore every single emotion in the film. Of course, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are at their charming best here, which definitely helps, though the fact that they barely even meet until the last few minutes of the film makes it somewhat tough to really be rooting for their relationship. **1/2

Speed Racer

SPEED RACER (2008) - May 4, 2008
An odd follow-up to the Matrix Trilogy from the Wachowski Brothers, this was an interesting if not entirely successful adaptation of the popular Japanese cartoon. The Wachowskis' direction is aggressively stylish (this is quite possibly the most colourful film in the history of cinema), and for a while it works. But at 129 minutes the film is ridiculously overlong, and by the end the film's bombastic sensory assault gets wearisome. It's surprisingly well acted and it's definitely exciting in parts, but it's just far, far too long. **1/2

Iron Man

IRON MAN (2008) - May 3, 2008
A better-than-average, though flawed, superhero film. For one thing, the film is too long; there's much more setup here than is really needed (the whole first hour probably could have been condensed into 15 minutes). Jon Favreau's direction is very good, if somewhat bland. The film never feels too action-heavy, though it does feel a bit action-light in the first hour (in fact, the first time Tony Stark gets into his real Iron Man suit and dispatches some bad guys, it suddenly occurred to me that, yes, I am watching a superhero movie -- something I had pretty much forgotten up to that point. I guess that's either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your point of view). Robert Downey Jr. was just as good as everyone has been saying, though I'm not sure if the film itself was quite up to his level. Certainly, it's nowhere near the ultimate superhero film everyone seems to be proclaiming it to be. ***

When Harry Met Sally

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989) - Apr. 29, 2008
An above-average romantic comedy about a couple who, over the course of a bit more than a decade, run into each other a few times and then proceed to become good friends and fall in love. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are both very good as the couple, and have definite chemistry together. The film is quite well written, though it is mostly plotless and feels a bit meandering at times. Still, it is a good film and justifiably a classic in the genre. ***

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY (2008) - Apr. 26
An enjoyable follow-up. Like the first one, it's mostly episodic, and like the first one, some of the bits work better than others. But it's pretty much always entertaining, and a decent enough entry in the "lots of stuff happening in a short amount of time" genre. ***

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (2008) - Apr. 25, 2008
A pretty routine romantic comedy elevated by some really funny performances, and some laugh-out-loud funny moments. Jason Segel proves that he definitely has what it takes to be a leading man. Like pretty much all Judd Apatow productions, it feels slightly overlong, but not nearly as much as some of his other films. ***

Baby Mama

BABY MAMA (2008) - Apr. 23, 2008
Basically entertaining up to a certain point, and... that's all I wrote when I first watched this film, and now it's about a month later and I've pretty much completely forgotten it. I think that tells you all you need to know. **

The Palm Beach Story

THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) - Apr. 20, 2008 (Second Viewing)
A classic romantic comedy. Both Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea are perfect in their roles, and Preston Sturges' writing and direction are superb. Romantic comedies of this caliber almost never get made anymore, and I'm really not sure why. ***1/2

The Forbidden Kingdom

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (2008) - Apr. 19, 2008
About a kid from Boston who travels back in time and finds himself on a mission in China, with help from Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Rob Minkoff's workmanlike direction suits the material fine but tends to be a bit bland (though all things considered, that's that's not really something to complain about too much in an action film these days -- it could have been so much worse). The characters never really become people we care about too much, so it slows down a bit between the fight scenes. The fight scenes are good though, particularly the inevitable fight between Chan and Li. **1/2

Walk Hard

WALK HARD (2007) - Apr. 14 (Second Viewing)
I quite enjoyed this. John C. Reilly's hilarious performance goes a long way to making this as good as it is; Jake Kasdan's direction is also quite good, and his script with Judd Apatow is good as well. ***

The Ruins

THE RUINS (2008) - Apr. 13
A satisfyingly violent adaptation of Scott Smith's novel. I wasn't sure if the whole notion of killer vines would work on film (it could have looked pretty silly), but they pulled it off fairly well. It's definitely not as good as the book, but it's entertaining and well made, for the most part. ***

Street Kings

STREET KINGS (2008) - Apr. 11
Featuring Keanu Reeves as a cop so grizzled he takes his gun with him into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and drinks vodka out of little airplane bottles, this was a cheesy film -- but it was the best kind of cheesy. It was a really enjoyable cop thriller about a gritty cop trying to solve the murder of his ex-partner. It's pretty predictable all the way through and hard to take too seriously, but it was very entertaining and featured some really good performances, including a scenery-chewing turn by Forest Whitaker. ***

Bruiser

BRUISER (2000) - Apr. 10
Blech. I think Romero should stick to films with zombies in them. Though this had a decent enough premise -- a put-upon working schlub snaps and gets revenge on those who have wronged him -- it almost immediately strikes all the wrong notes and by time the end credits have rolled, it's become a ridiculous mess. Romero takes a good premise and completely squanders it; he attempts to make the film some sort of fantasy, but fails miserably. And WHAT IS THE DEAL with the scene in which the protagonist puts a beer bottle in a tennis ball launching machine while one of his enemies is practicing his swing? You expect the beer bottle to launch out and nail the guy in the head, or something -- anything -- but there's absolutely no payoff. Why would they even set something like that up if they're not going to do anything with it? It's an insult to the audience. *1/2

Three Kings

THREE KINGS (1999) - Apr. 8, 2008 (Third or Fourth Viewing)
Yeah! Though I remembered this being really good, it was perhaps even better than I remembered. First and foremost is David O. Russell's direction, which is truly impressive. Newton Thomas Sigel's cinematography is equally good; this is a very good looking film. The film works really well both in its dramatic and comedic moments, and all the performances are quite good. Good stuff. ****

The Seven-Ups

THE SEVEN-UPS (1973) - Apr. 5, 2008
Roy Scheider is quite good in this film about a group of cops investigating a string of kidnappings. The film was expectedly slow-paced, and somewhat hard to follow at times, but it was well made and never boring. Plus, it featured what had to be one of the best car chases I've ever seen. It was almost ten minutes long, and it was awesome; most contemporary directors (Michael Bay, Paul Greengrass, etc.) could learn a thing or two from this film. The ominous score by Don Ellis was also a highlight. ***

Mr. Baseball

MR. BASEBALL (1992) - Apr. 2, 2008 (Second Viewing)
A somewhat cheesy but enjoyable film about an aging baseball player who's forced to play in Japan after his team trades him. The whole thing plays out exactly like you'd think it would, but it's well made and features an expectedly charismatic lead performance from Tom Selleck. ***

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) - Apr. 1, 2008 (Third or Fourth Viewing +1)
WOW. I knew that this was a masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made, but nothing could have prepared me for the awesomeness of seeing this on the big screen (other than the removal of the intermission, which kind of sucked). This is a monumentally great film, and seeing it in a movie theatre was amazingly hypnotic. I don't think any director ever has or ever will be able to so perfectly match visuals with sound; this is a mind-bogglingly well directed film. Stanley Kubrick is the master of cinema, and I highly doubt any director will ever be able to surpass him (though PT is actually getting scarily close). ****

[REC]

[REC] (2007) - Mar. 31, 2008
About a reporter who, along with her cameraman, ends up getting stuck in an apartment building with a rapidly growing population of zombies (the running kind, not the slow lumbering kind). The Blair Witch-style handheld direction is a bit annoying at first, but it actually does work quite well -- the film is gripping and suspenseful, particularly towards the end. I wish I could have seen this on the big screen; it would have been a perfect Midnight Madness film. Oh well. ***1/2

Intermission

INTERMISSION (2003) - Mar. 30, 2008
Though this wasn't quite as good as John Crowley and Mark O'Rowe's most recent effort, the stunning Boy A, it was still a very enjoyable film about a bunch of characters in the Dublin area. And despite the surfeit of characters, the film does a very good job developing all of them and making them people we care about (unlike something like Stop-Loss, which had less characters and more time to work with and still failed to make us care about any of them). ***1/2

Stop-Loss

STOP-LOSS (2008) - Mar. 29, 2008
A well acted but otherwise mediocre film about a soldier who comes home from his tour of duty in Iraq, only to find that he has been stop-lossed and must return for another tour. Meandering and overlong, the film was heavy-handed and featured some surprisingly bland/inept direction from Kimberly Peirce. The performances were quite good, though, particularly Ryan Phillippe in the main role. **

Nez Rouge

NEZ ROUGE (2003) - Mar. 27, 2008
A poorly-directed but essentially entertaining romantic comedy that seriously overstays its welcome (why is it so hard for a lot of directors to wrap their minds around the simple fact that romantic comedies over 90 minutes rarely work?). About a woman who befriends a notoriously tough critic in order to get revenge over a bad review, the film is more enjoyable in its first half, before it becomes a fairly standard romantic comedy. The performances were fine for the most part, though the chemestry between the two leads was questionable. And the bizarre twist at the end, in which it's revealed that one of the main characters is actually Santa Claus, seems like it belongs in another movie. **

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (2008) - Mar. 26, 2008
Featuring very good performances all around, this was an enjoyable romantic comedy set in 1930s London. Frances McDormand is quite good in the main role, as are the supporting cast (Ciarán Hinds in particular is really good as her would-be suitor). ***

21

21 (2008) - Mar. 24, 2008
What happened? Adapted from a fairly decent book, this was a bad, bad film. Filled to the brim with paper-thin characters -- none of whom seem authentic in the least -- the movie wasn't interesting, and worse, it was boring. The screenplay was a mixed bag of all the cheesiest cliches you can imagine, and Robert Luketic's aggressively bland direction ensured that the film was never interesting to look at (pretty much the polar opposite of the last film I watched, Police Beat). None of the actors make any kind of impression, even the usually reliable Laurence Fishburne and Kevin Spacey (who are both completely wasted here). Boo-urns. *1/2

Police Beat

POLICE BEAT (2005) - Mar. 23, 2008
An oddly hypnotic film about a Rookie cop in Seattle. The film contains absolutely no plot -- it follows the cop over the course of a few days, with occasional narration in an African language about his girlfriend, who is away on a camping trip with another guy. It sounds bizarre, and it is, but it really works. Despite its complete plotlessness the film is absolutely never boring; the 81 minute running time probably helps, as does the beautiful direction and cinematography, which assure that the film is always interesting just to look at. ***1/2

The Bank Job

THE BANK JOB (2008) - Mar. 18, 2008
A stylish and enjoyable film about a group of small-time criminals who are recruited to rob the vault of a bank in London in the 1970s. Jason Statham is quite good in the main role, and the film is entertaining throughout, though there's probably a bit more going on here than I'd like (the overly busy plot deals with the London underground, secret photographs, blackmail, and double, triple and quadruple-crosses -- among other things). I would have probably preferred less of that other stuff and more heisting. Oh well, it was still a good film. ***

Doomsday

DOOMSDAY (2008) - Mar. 15, 2008
Though it definitely isn't as good as Neil Marshall's previous effort, The Descent, that's hardly even a slight against it, as that film would have been next to impossible to top. The film owes a large debt to stuff like Escape from New York and (I assume) Mad Max, but it never feels like a mere ripoff of any of those films. Marshall wears his influences on his sleeve, but he definitely goes his own way with them. This is a really enjoyable, fun film, and though it has its flaws, it's still one of the better and more memorable action films I've seen in a while. ***1/2

Semi-Pro

SEMI-PRO (2008) - Mar. 13, 2008
How will Ferrell can be so funny on SNL, and so flagrantly un-funny on the big screen is one of life's great mysteries. Though there are a few chuckles here and there, the film is mostly laugh-free and worse, it's boring and doesn't really feature any characters worth rooting for. It's also badly directed and murkily shot (in fact this has to be one of the ugliest looking films I've seen in a long time). *1/2

Devil in a Blue Dress

DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) - Mar. 9, 2008
A noirish thriller about a man who's hired to find a missing woman, and who winds up getting mixed up in all kinds of shenanigans. It definitely reminded me of films like the Big Sleep (complete with a somewhat hard-to-follow plot). Denzel Washington was, of course, very good, and the film also featured a memorable supporting role from Don Cheadle. ***

Larceny, Inc.

LARCENY, INC. (1942) - Mar. 8, 2008
An enjoyable film about a criminal who gets released from prison and, having a hard time going straight, starts planning his next heist. Edward G. Robinson gives a charismatic lead performance, and the film is quite enjoyable throughout. ***

Terror on a Train

TERROR ON A TRAIN (1953) - Feb. 29, 2008
An essentially entertaining film about the efforts to find and diffuse a bomb on board a train that's transporting dozens of highly explosive mines. The film contains some nicely moody black and white cinematography, and is well acted, though even at 72 minutes it feels padded-out and overlong. **1/2

Awake

AWAKE (2007) - Feb. 28, 2008
Another sad example of a film which is completely spoiled by its own trailer. This was a basically decent, though somewhat mediocre film about a young millionaire who undergoes open-heart surgery only to find himself conscious during the procedure. It was entertaining enough (for the most part), and featured a refreshingly brief running time of under ninety minutes, but it probably would have been a bit more enjoyable if every twist hadn't been spelled out in the trailer. Oh well. **1/2

Vantage Point

VANTAGE POINT (2008) - Feb. 20, 2008
About an assassination attempt on the President told from several different points of view, this film featured a second half which was much better than the first. The first half, in which the action is constantly being rewound (literally rewound) so that the story can be told from a different point of view, feels a bit more gimmicky than anything else. The film becomes much more involving when it abandons this and becomes more conventional. The film's other big problem is Pete Travis' direction, which is mediocre, for the most part. Most of the action scenes suffer from the usual quick-cut/shaky-cam laziness, though there is a lengthy car chase towards the end which is surprisingly exciting. The film also feels like it was clearly watered-down for a PG-13 rating, which is unfortunate. The performances are all quite good, though Matthew Fox is less-than-convincing when he tries to speak Spanish. (Also: I've heard this film described as being Rashomon-like. Anyone who still compares it to Rashomon after seeing it deserves to be punched in the nose). **1/2

There Will Be Blood

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007) - Feb 16, 2008 (Fifth Viewing)
This is a great, great film. I've seen it five times now and I still feel like I should see it again. Good stuff. ****

Definitely, Maybe

DEFINITELY, MAYBE (2008) - Feb. 13, 2008
Sort of like How I Met Your Mother: the movie, this is about a father who tells his daughter the story of how he met her mother, only without telling her which woman in the story turns out to be her mom. The director definitely gets props for trying something a bit different in a well-worn genre, though the film is otherwise entirely conventional (not that that's necessarily a bad thing). The film does overstay its welcome a bit (no romantic comedy should be over 90 minutes -- no exceptions!), and it is a bit disheartening to see an actor as good as Derek Luke relegated to playing the sassy black friend, but this is generally an enjoyable film. **1/2

There Will Be Blood

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007) - Feb. 11, 2008 (Fourth Viewing)
I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE! I DRINK IT UP! ****

In Bruges

IN BRUGES (2008) - Feb. 8, 2008
A really well made film about a couple of hitmen who go to Bruges to hide out after a job goes bad. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were both really good as the two hitmen, and made each of their characters people who we really come to care about. The film does a really good job mixing drama and comedy, and features some surprisingly funny parts mixed in with dramatic moments, without it ever feeling incongruous or forced. I also liked how the film takes its time at the beginning setting up the characters, which just makes it all the more effective once the plot stuff starts kicking in. And then there's Ralph Fiennes, who is perfect as the two hitmen's somewhat psychopathic boss, and who steals absolutely every scene he's in. ****

The Hulk

THE HULK (2003) - Feb. 6, 2008
Hmmm... I guess there's a reason that this flopped. It's clearly too long, and worse, the whole father/son dynamic between Eric Bana and Nick Nolte just doesn't work (and takes up the bulk of the film). It's too silly. Eric Bana does the best he can do with the material, and Jennifer Connelly somehow manages to pull off a performance that is far better than the film deserves. But Nick Nolte is just way too over-the-top. **

The Great Debaters

THE GREAT DEBATERS (2007) - Feb. 2, 2008
About a black debating team in the 1930s and the many obstacles they face, this was mostly entertaining, if somewhat overlong and a bit ham-fisted. It's elevated by some excellent performances -- Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker are as good as ever, and all the members of the debating team are quite good as well. ***

Rambo

RAMBO (2008) - Jan. 29, 2008
A fitting conclusion to the Rambo series (assuming that this really is the last one). About Rambo, very grizzled and working as some kind of snake-wrangler, who must rescue a group of missionaries in Burma. Stalone does a good job showing what this character would be like in his 50s, and (as the director) updating the film's style for modern audiences while still making it feel like a Rambo film. It's entertaining throughout, and then there's the film's spectacularly violent climax, which has to be one of the better things I've seen in a while. ***

Rambo III

RAMBO III (1988) - Jan. 28, 2008
Like the second one, this is a full-out over-the-top '80s action film -- this one finds Rambo helping Afghan rebels fight the Russians in order to rescue his mentor. Though the action isn't quite as satisfying as the action from the second one (the action here is a bit explosion-heavy), this was still basically entertaining. Plus, it featured one of the better bad guy deaths I've seen in a while (Rambo pulls the pin off a grenade attached to a guy's vest, then pushes him down a pit with a rope tied around his neck, his neck snaps, and then the grenade blows him up. Good stuff.) **1/2

Rambo: First Blood Part II

RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II (1985) - Jan. 27, 2008
An enjoyable sequel. Rambo is in full '80s-action mode here; all traces of the conflicted, somewhat mentally imbalanced soldier from the first one are gone, replaced with a much more straightforward action hero. It's good, but definitely in a different way than the first one -- by the end of the film it has become even more over-the-top than Commando, with Rambo taking on an entire army, first on foot then in a helicopter. It's silly, but fun. ***

First Blood

FIRST BLOOD (1982) - Jan. 26, 2008
About a Vietnam vet who gets himself arrested, goes crazy, breaks out of jail and then wages war on the local police force from the forest, this was a pretty good film. It's probably at its best at the beginning, before it becomes Rambo versus a bunch of inept cops in the forest (not that that stuff was bad, but it starts to drag a bit in the middle), but it was short, and pretty much enjoyable throughout. ***

Cloverfield

CLOVERFIELD (2008) - Jan. 23, 2008
Maybe it's because my expectations were lowered considerably after hearing about how shaky the camerawork is in this film, but I actually really enjoyed this. Perhaps it's the lack of quick cuts, but I found that the action -- even at its very shakiest -- was never as disorienting or hard to follow as something like 28 Weeks Later or the Paul Greengrass Bourne movies. In fact, the faux home-video style was actually really effective in drawing the viewer in, and some of the action sequences were amazingly visceral. The characters could have been better, but they were probably good enough considering how short the film is and how much stuff happens (I think they managed to strike a fairly good balance between developing the characters just enough so that you care about them, and maintaining a fast/exciting pace throughout). ***1/2