My DVD Collection

If you haven't seen this, see it. It is one of the most popular films of the 80s and lives up to its acclaim.

This is no ordinary horror film. It is a combination of thick drama, science fiction and slasher horror. When put all together you get the ultimate horror film. As Access Hollywood says, "This is the most frightening film since The Exorcist". They couldn't be more right. What is more scary than a bunch of zombified people on a permanent murderous rage? Probably nothing. The direction was great. Maybe that's because Danny Boyle directed. Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris were amazing and Brendan Gleeson and Megan Burns were great supporting performers. This movie in general was great and had a very impressive screenplay. If you're not for the slasher/gory types of horror, this probably won't be your cup of tea. Although if you do like a good scare, then I highly recommend this.

Incredibly funny. Possibly the best comedy I've seen in the past 5 years. Steve Carell is hysterical!

Never forget this 1970s disaster flick. One of the best.

All Time Classic.

Just ordered and received the Criterion Collection version of this DVD.

Review coming soon.

Very similar to [i]Crash[/i], yet totally unique. This is one of the best films of the year and one of the most emotional films ever made. Alejandro González Iñarritu takes four different stories from four different locations around the world, which are uncannily similar in many ways, and shows how they are interconnected. He incorporates all the stories into one delicately, yet with power that will rip your heart out and let you feel it. It's almost painful to watch these characters go through what they do in this film over little things like misunderstandings with identity and communication. Iñarritu shows how even the little things like these can steer our lives into disastrous directions which in the end affects the world and mankind. The actors in this film are incredible, especially Brad Pitt in his supporting role. He should definitely receive and Oscar nomination. This film should also receive Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay. In the end, this film is more memorable to me than [i]Crash[/i] with its messages and morals. This is an important film, probably the most important film of the year. This has earned a spot on my all-time favourite films list. It's mesmerizing, beautiful and portrays such a strong message. I highly recommend this to everyone.

Very entertaining and fun. Cate Blanchett is hilarious!!

This Canadian masterpiece won the Oscar in 2003 for Best Foreign Film. Denys Arcand was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay in the same year. This movie is astonishing and very genuine.

Although it's only 80 minutes, this movie has a lot more than some do in 3 hours! Stunning scenery also.

HILARIOUS! A strong comedy farce that WILL make you laugh!

Very funny.

HILARIOUS. Johnny Depp is perfect in these quirky roles. His voice is on par with his character and he, in my opinion, does a better job than Gene Wilder did in the '71 original.

This is, without a doubt, Kevin Smith's greatest accomplishment. This should never be compared to his other films because this one is far superior. Unlike [i]Clerks.[/i] or [i]Mallrats[/i], this actually has some poignancy and warmth. I'm not saying Smith's other films are bad, I love them actually, but they aren't good films like [i]Chasing Amy[/i] is.

Holden (Affleck) and Banky (Lee) are comic book artists. They share an apartment and have been friends for twenty years. At a convention one day, they meet a fellow comic artist named Alyssa Jones (Adams). Holden quickly falls for her only to find out that she is a lesbian. They spend a lot of time together trying only to be friends, but Holden can't resist and confesses his love to her. Surprisingly, she feels the same way and they begin seeing each other. Now Holden has to deal with Banky's jealousy and his girlfriend's very [i]eventful[/i] past.

Ben Affleck has never really came off as an actor to me, but here he proves me wrong. He was terrific in his role and I'm sorry I've ever doubted him. Jason Lee was great, too. But the performance that was the highlight of the film was Joey Lauren Adams as Alyssa the lesbian comic book artist. She was absolutely amazing and fun to watch, also. She reminds me of a young Jennifer Tilly (which is a good thing). She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in this film. A hilarious appearance by Jay and Silent Bob was fun to see, too.

This movie is underrated. It isn't recognized like Kevin Smith's [i]Dogma[/i] or [i]Mallrats[/i] which is unfortunate because this film could run laps around them with its eyes shut. This is a comedy/drama which may at times come off as a chick flick, but it really isn't anything like that. Smith's use of dialogue makes for hilarious and memorable scenes.

This movie is touching, hilarious and downright brilliant. A big thank you to Kevin Smith for making this because it has become an instant favourite of mine. I highly recommend this film. If you haven't seen this, go rent it now. Thank me later.

This is a remarkable film. Alfonso Cuarón's first amazing film is also the most amazing film of the year. 2006 is slowly turning into one of my all-time favourite years for cinema. It has already released six of my all-time favourite films. Incredible.

This futuristic thriller is set in 2027, where no child has been born for 18 years and science is at loss to explain the reason. In a climate of nationalistic violence, Theo Faron, joins forces with his revolutionary ex-wife Julian in order to save mankind by protecting a woman who has mysteriously became pregnant.

That is the plot for this brilliant movie. Clive Owen is spectacular and so is Claire-Hope Ashitey. Julianne Moore has a very limited role, but it still shines. Pam Ferris was great in a surprisingly well done supporting role. Kudos to Michael Caine, also. I recommend this film to everyone. It's one that shouldn't be missed. Although it's fictional, it's important and informative.

The Oscars need to watch out for this one, Claire-Hope Ashitey is the real standout and she should be taken into consideration. This should also be nominated for Best Picture, Director and for its brilliant cinematography.

An instant masterpiece.

Review coming soon (03/10/07)

This movie is so real... it's perfect. Fernando Meirelles is one of the best directors of our time and this movie is one of the best of the decade.

Although it is divided in sections and segments, this is hilarious and most segments are well done. Others are pretty bad.

Definitely one of the best movies of 2005. Why this wasn't nominated for Best Picture is beyond me. Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz are both amazing in their roles and Fernando Meirelles proved himself once again to me that he is one of the best directors of today. His previous film, "City of God" made me ecstatic knowing that a movie this powerful would ever make me so thankful for having eyes to view such a masterpiece. He is a cinematic genious. John Le Carre's novel must have been astounding for such a solid screenplay to come from it. The cinematography and original score are also fantastic. This movie is beautiful and should be taken more seriously by viewers. It has such low ratings for an average day masterpiece. Watch this. It's amazing.

"Political thriller" at its best.

I just discovered this movie today. It was on sale at the local video store and I said to myself... "why don't you give the good old Canadian movies a chance? They're probably good." So I did and it turned out to be one of the best film experiences I have ever had. This movie is one of a kind.. a masterpiece! Nothing like I have ever seen before. Not many people have heard of this movie because it's Canadian, but it should be known worldwide. It's one of the best movies I have ever seen and I am proud that it is made by a fellow Canadian. Jean-Marc Vallée has definitely earned my respect. Making a movie like this is hard and he pulled it off. This movie took home thousands of awards here in Canada [10 Genie Awards and 12 Jutra Awards] which it rightfully deserved. I am still simply amazed at this movie's perfection. I will recommend this movie everywhere I go now and it is one of my new favourites. I love this movie. See it... see it again, and love it like it should be loved. It's amazing.

One word... "WOW". This was amazing.

When I first heard of this movie, it was in 2001 upon its DVD release. I was sketchy about watching it for two reasons. I was only 11 years old and I wouldn't have appreciated it to its full extent and it seemed to be boring. Now, 5 years later, I have gathered my negative opinions about this film and Björk and thrown them away. I watched this with an open mind and was utterly shocked at how visually stunning and brilliant this movie was. It's the 2nd best film of 2000. It's very underrated and should not even be compared to other films that year like Gladiator and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This film surpasses most films in its genre. The performance by Björk is not only Oscar-worthy, but is probably one of the most in-character performances I have ever seen. She was absolutely phenomenal. Catherine Deneuve has always been one of my favourite foreign actresses and her supporting role made the film that much better. Director Lars von Trier always knows how to make a movie. Ever since I saw Dogville, I have been watching his movies and loving them. I will remember this movie as one of the best ever. I am disappointed in myself for not watching this until now and I suggest this film to everyone and anyone. One hundred percent masterpiece.

Susan Sarandon's career performance. Superb.

This was the most enjoyable movie I have seen this year. First of all, let me exclaim my love for Meryl Streep. She is a goddess. Acting is so effortless for her... her performances are flawless and she is still sexy as hell. Yes. I said it. She is. People say she is the highlight of the film (which I can't deny), but there are also two other amazing performances. Emily Blunt (who I have never seen before) gave a terrific supporting performance as Miranda's 1st Gucci-wearing assistant. She is terrific. Stanley Tucci, well now, he is just hilarious. He always gives great performances and he is such a strong character actor. Bravo to all three of you. Anne Hathaway is still learning the principles of acting and with working with a legend like Meryl Streep she will become one successful actress. I do like her, but she always has her faults. She is so beautiful and always plays frumpy girls.. I wish she would take on stronger roles and become one of film's strongest leading ladies. This movie has a great story (adapted from the novel by Lauren Weisberger) and I would love to see it nominated for an Oscar or two (I doubt it, but that would be very nice). I highly recommend this movie, not only to women, because guys will like it, too. It's not a "chick flick". I hate that term. Go and see it. It's great. The best movie of the year so far.

Dumb... but funny.

In what was Stanley Kubrick's last film, his best work shone through. This is nothing like Dr. Strangelove or The Shining. This isn't like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Barry Lyndon. It's better. When you finish watching this film, you cannot come to a sudden conclusion like "I loved it" or "I hated it". You have to interpret everything and understand the picture before you judge it. It was the most strangely beautiful movie I have ever seen. A shocking masterpiece from the mastermind himself: Stanley Kubrick. What a way to go out, Mr. Kubrick... with a masterpiece. The way you interpret the film can ruin it for you or make it for you. Dissect each scene and understand how things link together. For example, understand that this movie cannot be taken seriously all of the time. The whole 'masked ball' scene could possibly be a figment of Bill's imagination... or maybe we just saw it differently that he did. After all, Kubrick wants to leave the audiences with something to discuss after the film. There are many loose ends which I personally like in a film. Cruise and Kidman were fantastic in this movie. Kubrick's finest work which was unfortunately not acknowledged like his others. It was misunderstood by the public which lead to its downfall and negative reviews from the critics. What the hell do they know anyways? Simply an amazing movie. One of the best and most underrated pieces of art out there.

One of the most interestingly eye-opening films of the 90s. With director Peter Weir, I always know I am in for a different kind of film; one that has more poignant issues and other existential themes incorporated into it. With Fearless, Weir shows us the upsides and downsides of what it's like to survive a traumatic event like an airplane crash.

Based slightly on the airline crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in 1989, this film is very detailed in the crash itself and has many sad scenes that can compare in sadness to those of United 93. Max Klein (Bridges) is a survivor of an airplane crash. Many die, including his business partner, and the trauma transforms his life. He enters an altered state of consciousness; soon after the crash he even thinks he is dead, and begins rethinking life, death, God, and the afterlife. Existential questions start to preoccupy his life. He moves away from his wife (Rossellini) and son but, encouraged by an aircraft company psychiatrist (Turturro), he tries to break the depression and apathy of another survivor, Carla Rodrigo (Perez), who lost her baby son during the flight. Eventually Max's increasingly dramatic attempts at pushing the boundaries between life and death succeed in jolting Carla from her uncertain state.

Amazing performances highlight this film. Rossellini and Turturro are good, but it's Rosie Perez that steals the show. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role in this film, but lost to Anna Paquin. Her role as a grieving mother may be one we normally see in films, but the way she portrayed her character was something I will never forget. Her spirited performance made the character very memorable.

The anchor of this film, however, was Jeff Bridges. He is an underrated actor and is overlooked by the Academy on many occasions. His performances in The Fisher King and this film are some of the best examples of well written and well acted intimate portraits on film. The chemistry between Bridges and Perez is also something truly remarkable. The scene where Perez has to say goodbye to Bridges so he can get on with his life and get back to his family is one of the saddest goodbyes I have ever seen.

The cast was great, but I do believe that Tom Hulce's character was quite annoying and totally unnecessary in most scenes he was in. Maybe if they had recast that character it would have been different because Tom Hulce slowly got on my nerves.

Overall, this film is very satisfying. It's inspiring, really. It'll make you happy and sad and it will make you realize that you have to live your life to the fullest. This film is unfortunately underrated mainly due to the impossible to find DVD, but if you do find it, I suggest that you see it because it's a great movie that should be seen. One of the best of 1993.

This is funny. Good performances from three of Hollywood's leading ladies.

Classic. A very good movie.

Brilliant... just brilliant! Darren Aronofsky is a genius and this is in the same league as his previous masterpiece Requiem for a Dream. With so many people disliking this film and many people I know telling me to avoid it, I was hesitant to see this. However, after I watched it for the first time I was amazed. Not only amazed at the mindblowing film experience I had just had, but amazed at why so many people hated this film.

It is absolutely brilliant; one of the most original and thought-provoking films I have ever seen. I believe that many people disliked this film because their tiny minds couldn't understand the very beautiful plot. It's really not that confusing when you think about it. If you have the patience and attentiveness, you'll understand it.

Between Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain, there are large differences, but they are still both very similar. His imagination and creativity are evident in both films, but with The Fountain, you just have to expand your mind a little bit more. In both films, the acting is top notch. One of the best performances I have ever seen has come from an Aronofsky film: Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream. Hugh Jackman was phenomenal in this film. He did everything right, everything that would help the film's plot progress he did and he did it so well. I was very impressed with him. I no longer see him as Wolverine, but as a great actor. Rachel Weisz was, of course, terrific as well and it was great to see Ellen Burstyn, too.

The technical aspects were mesmerizing especially the cinematography. Matthew Libatique is a wonderful cinematographer and his work on this film is Oscar-worthy. Unfortunately, this film was snubbed of all it's potential Oscar nominations just as Requiem for a Dream was (minus the Burstyn nod). The original score was absolutely beautiful, too. Clint Mansell was also snubbed by the Academy, but did receive a Globe nomination. Even the visuals were terrific. I just feel that these people aren't being acknowledged as they should be.

The critics were very harsh towards this film and I really don't understand it. I can understand how many of the stupid little people out there don't like it since their small and feeble brains can't comprehend such brilliance, but the critics have disappointed me (as always). As long as some people out there appreciate this masterpiece, then I'll be happy.

In the end, my appreciation for Darren Aronofsky has grown immensely. He's one of my favourite directors of today. Everything he produces is genius and I hope it remains that way. This film is breathtaking and I can't even express how much I loved this film. I just hope that all of you who haven't seen it will watch it and open your minds to absorb an amazing story. I also hope that all of you who have seen it and didn't like it, perhaps rewatch it and give it another chance, because you might just notice something that you missed the first time around. Highly recommended and one of my new personal favourites.

Great. One of the best of 1993.

I'm in the mood for praising this movie so I will get right at it. This isn't like a Martin Scorsese film at all and that's why I loved it so much. The subject of the film was similar to that of Goodfellas or Casino, but the characters and character development was something totally new. The three writers that worked on this film have brought something new for Scorsese to work with and I think that it turned out beautifully. Martin Scorsese is one of my all-time favourite directors and it's really surprising and pleasing to see him do something different.

All the historical events I was a little bit aware of (I should brush up on my history) and I thought were very well written. But I wasn't focussing on the screenplay so much as I was focussing on the actors and the character development. From the beginning of the film I could tell that this would be a huge character film and I was looking forward to it because the characters were very interesting.

We are presented with Bill "The Butcher" Cutting (Day-Lewis) who is probably one of the best characters in recent film history. He is a ruthless killer who slaughters people for the sake of getting pleasure out of it. He's a very intelligent man with connections all over New York and conveys a frightening sense of an oddly vicious patriotism. His gang is also made up of ruthless killers and they are no better than he is when it comes to sympathy for the innocent. We are also introduced to Jenny Everdeane (Diaz) who first comes off as a very independent woman that makes her living going around the city as a pickpocket.

All the characters introduced are wild and villainous until we meet Amsterdam (DiCaprio). He has been raised amongst these villains after The Butcher murdered his father when he was a very young boy. Now, in his early twenties, he resurfaces and joins The Butcher's gang (with The Butcher being oblivious to Amsterdam's roots). Amsterdam now seeks revenge against his father's murderer and plans to take action as soon as he can befriend Bill.

The duality of the hero is one of the major themes in this film, but it's clear how the end will turn out when you realize how strong the character foils are. The Butcher, his gang and even Jenny are wild and unpredictable, but Amsterdam is cautious in his quest for revenge. He also shows his weak side when they hang that innocent father who says goodbye to his wife and son. Amsterdam shudders in disgust over The Butcher's actions and their blatant differences contribute tremendously to their respective character development.

Daniel Day-Lewis gives (what I think is) the best performance of 2002. He is brilliant as Bill "The Butcher" Cutting. He transforms into that character taking on the heavy accent and clever diction as well as the unhygienic appearance and intimidating gestures.

Overall, this film was terrific in every way. It was great to see Scorsese try something new, it was great to see a solid screenplay and it was very exciting to see one of the best performances of the decade from one of the best actors of our time. Daniel Day-Lewis, you have mastered the art of acting. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.

So amazing. Thora Birch is so great in the role of Enid. They made this movie perfectly.

I'll start by saying that this is by no means a masterpiece. It's very flawed with quite large plotholes and very visible mistakes. But don't let this turn you off of this film because it really is one of the most entertaining films of the 80s. John Cassavetes always makes good movies and with this he doesn't disappoint. His unique style of filmmaking is what makes him so extraordinary, but with this movie I felt that he hollywoodized it a little bit more than it should have been.

Gena Rowlands is absolutely brilliant in her role as the ass-kicking, mob-killing, tough-talking, car-tipping heroine Gloria Swenson. She is the perfect protagonist: a middle-aged woman who has a heavy criminal record is protecting a six-year-old Puerto Rican boy who has lost his family to a mob killing. She hides him from the mob, but finally gives up hiding when things get serious. She fights back with a vengeance because no one shoots at Gloria and gets away with it. Gena Rowlands, in one of the best performances of the 80s, was nominated for Best Actress in 1980 (losing to Sissy Spacek for [i]Coal Miner's Daughter[/i]).

Unlike Cassavetes previous films ([i]Rosemary's Baby, A Woman Under the Influence, Faces[/i]) this is going against the grain of independent and arthouse cinema and making a true Hollywood picture. No matter, Cassavetes still pulls off what is a great movie. He only made this movie, he said, so his wife (Rowlands) could have a great and independent character to play. I'm glad he did, though, because Rowlands shines in her role.

The ending left me a little uneasy, though. I wish it would have ended differently. I won't spoil it for anyone, but it should have ended with two more casualties. That's all I will say. The screenplay is no more than average. It's interesting and a little original, but what makes it memorable is the strong lead character (Gloria).

John Adames plays the child and is almost unwatchable in some scenes, but for the most part he holds his own. For his first acting job he did ok. I won't patronize him, but he did mess up many of times and it was quite evident in the film. But other than that, he did a fair job.

So overall, the film is 'good', but Gena Rowlands performance is sensational, brilliant, superb, out of this world... I can't keep going or else I will run out of page room. She makes this movie and having said that, I recommend you all to see it mainly for her performance alone. Enjoy.

Umm. Wow. This is a shocker. I would have never thought that a movie with John Cusack and Anjelica Huston could be this well acted. I like them both, but wow. Anyways, Stephen Frears is a great director and he brought his own special touch to this movie. Annette Bening had an awesome supporting role which earned her an Oscar nomination. Anjelica Huston also received one. This was a great con-artist movie and there is a slight twist ending. I recommend this to anyone who likes suspense-filled endings. There is one shot, too, at the end of the film of Anjelica Huston in an elevator, which has to be one of my favourite and best photographed scenes ever. Well done.

A perfect movie. 1967 classic with Spencer Tracey at his best.

This film has become one of the all-time great cult classics. It's hilarious, yet dark, plot and great characters make this film truly terrific. Bud Cort's character, Harold, is a 20-year-old "man" who is obsessed with death and often finds himself spending his free time pulling off phony suicide attempts and hanging around at funerals. Luckily for him, at one of these funerals he meets Maude (Gordon). When he gets to know this 79-year-old woman who has an appetite for life they become close friends. It is an odd relationship, but it works because Maude is the only person Harold can relate to in the world and even though there is a large age difference, this relationship grows on screen and is fun to watch; refreshing. Ruth Gordon gives a stunning performance and shows how funny she can really be. The scene where she gets pulled over while transporting a tree to the forest is the funniest. The idea of a young man craving attention (since he is not getting it from his mother) and then meeting a woman who gets all the attention for being so outgoing and eccentric fullfils his dreams of having a solid parent figure in his life, although his idea of a parent is somewhat altered. That's why Maude becomes more than a friend to him and the relationship becomes quite close. It's a magical story and this movie is one of my favourites.

The best one of the series so far. The kids are more mature which leaves room for the story to mature. Definitely gonna watch this again.

I think it's quite noticeable that the series is maturing. With more adult subject matter and bigger responsibilities for the three main stars, they are maturing, too. There are many flaws, but that's nothing new to the series.

With not only a new director for this film, but a new screenwriter (for the first time in this series), this film actually seems like a movie and not a biblical epic. Trimmed down to a decent 138 minute runtime, this film feels more human than the others. Is this is a bad thing for the series? Making a Potter film that actually leaves out a lot of the magic could result in poor reception from die hard fans of the novels, but I think they'll be just as pleased with Goldenberg and Yates' effort to bring Potter and friends to the screen while still maintaining that magical essence.

I am pleased with David Yates' job as the director of this fifth installment because he actually made this movie feel different from the series... in a very good way. The series was becoming something of a nonsensical fantasy that didn't even offer logical explanations to even the most basic problems. Potter isn't a child anymore so he cannot be parading around with his wand spitting out abra-kadabra spells and making books levitate anymore, he actually has some responsibility and growing up to do and what better way to show that than with a grown-up film. Even the brilliant Alfonso Cuarón couldn't accomplish that with his third installment and the nearly-unknown Yates has actually made a decent grown-up Potter film. Impressive if you ask me.

I'm assuming the adaptation is decent on the account of I haven't read this book. I read Potter books #1-3 and stopped because the films began coming out and I didn't want to compare the films with the books since 'the book is always better than the movie'. Why would you want to be disappointed? Anyways, I found the story to be good, but with Steve Kloves no longer writing the screenplays, some of the supporting characters seemed to have disappeared. I must say that I miss Klove's writing, but not Newell, Cuarón or Columbus' direction. I guess you can't have it all.

The performances from the young cast are actually decent this time, especially from (the highly overrated) Daniel Radcliffe. Over the years, the Potter series seems to be the place to be for some of Britain's finest actors. Emma Thompson appears once again (in a brief cameo), Ralph Fiennes returns as the dark Lord Voldemort and Gambon, Coltrane and Smith all reprise their roles, too. What I was glad to see was Alan Rickman being given a somewhat more important role. Not so much a larger role, but a more important one in relation to the storyline to come. Finally, Imelda Staunton. She was perfectly cast as Professor Umbridge and gave one fine performance as the austere totalitarian.

Overall, not a perfect Potter film, but the best one I've seen yet. It does lack some magic which disappointed me a little (and I am sure I wasn't the only one), but I was glad to see the film as a whole maturing and becoming more adult-oriented. The younger Potter films were fun, but we can't live in childlike fantasy forever because as Potter grows up, we grow up with him.

I recommend this to fans of the Potter series and to anyone looking for a good summer film. It's far better than the botchy pile of so-called celluloid that they named Transformers.

This film was highlighted by the sensational performance from the one and only Glenn Close. She is once again terrific and makes this movie. This may seem like a story that is told over and over again, but don't let this turn you away from this film. There's something quite original about this movie that I have never seen before. The cinematography was great and the story was also great. Elizabeth Banks provides a new, fresh talent which I look forward to seeing in many more movies to come. A great film... it draws you in, it's pretty much mesmerizing. I recommend this to everyone.

Only appropriate to watch every Halloween! This was one of my favourite movies as a kid and now, every Halloween, I watch it. It's still as funny as ever (even though it's corny as hell).

Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker are great, but Bette Midler steals the show. Hilarious performances.

Every kid (and parent for that matter) should see this movie. It's perfect for the season and gets you in the Halloween mood.

Dark and gloomy, but reveals the true sides of humans. It is a genuine movie with a strong ending and moral.

Funny, but VERY corny. Still a lot of fun and Patricia Arquette is quite good.

This is one of the best movies of 2005. I bet 8 out of every 10 people haven't even heard of this movie. Well, it's a true gem. It is unique and genuine. Amy Adams lights up this film with her presence and she deserved her Oscar nomination. This is a great movie and I recommend it to all.

The best of 1997. Thousands time better than Titanic.

Review coming soon (05/04/07)

This is one of the greatest films I have ever seen with my two eyes. It's a beautiful movie even though it may sound like a sex fest. The sexual content in this film is not meant to be exploitative, but like a great piece of art.

The chemistry between the two main characters is fantastic. Mike Figgis' screenplay is brilliant. So touching and heartwrenching. These characters aren't your average day Romeos and Juliets, but they are some of the most likeable characters in all of film history, in my opinion. When you watch Ben the alcoholic and Sera the hooker, you get the feeling that you know them personally. Their characters are brilliantly written and their on-screen presence is luminating.

Nicolas Cage is brilliant in one of the best acted roles of the 90s and Elisabeth Shue is not only a sight for sore eyes, but she can act the roof of any house. Cage and Shue were both nominated for Oscars for their performances, with Cage bringing it home.

This film is mesmerizing. It's hard to watch because it's so heartwrenching, yet you can't take your eyes off of it because it's so sexy; almost hypnotic. One of the greatest achievements in cinema from the 90s, I believe.

This film will make your laugh, cry, get angry and sympathize over these characters and their decisions. One of my favourite films of all-time.

There has never been a better acted, better cast movie all year. I'd even go as far as to say in a decade there hasn't been a better acted film by an ensemble cast. This is one of those films you go to see and you don't quite know what to expect. You know it isn't going to be an all-out action fest. You know it isn't going to be a gore-filled thriller, this movie is something very special. It's outrageously funny and heartwarming at the same time. The characters are amazing and the chemistry between them is great. Also, Michael Arndt has written one of the best screenplays ever. Carell and Arkin bith give memorable performances as does newcomer Abigail Breslin. The movie is simply about Olive (Breslin), a 7-year-old beauty pageant hopeful who is accepted into "Little Miss Sunshine", a pageant in California. Her family gathers their things and heads out for a trip (which is full of twists and turns, both good and bad.. but mostly bad) in their VW bus to Redondo Beach to have Olive compete for the title "Little Miss Sunshine". The best film of 2006 so far and one of my new personal favourites. I smell Oscar for this incredible film.

Hilarious!! British comedies are the best. I love Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. This film will get you in the Christmas mood for sure.

The beginning of this film was very annoying. After it picked up the pace and established Andy Kaufman not only as a huge loser, but a comedic genious, it got slightly better.

It's not Jim Carrey that annoys me, because I think he's a terrific actor. It's Kaufman. The fact that he thought he was funny and didn't give two craps about his audience was the worst part. This film's first half portrayed him as a huge ass, but as the film progressed we learn more about Andy's inner-self and non-comedic life.

I soon realized that this was an excellent biopic with one amazing performance from Jim Carrey. In the last 30 minutes of this film, it felt like it was a whole different movie. It changed from annoying to hilarious and emotional. The funeral scene was very sad and possibly one of the saddest from recent films.

The best part of this entire film was the last scene. It could be interpreted a few different ways, but the way I took it was that Andy was still alive and playing yet another prank on the world. It's what he did best, like he said. To fake your own death is beyond cruel, but this film shows that side of Andy and takes a risk to put this in the film when it is not a known fact. I think it makes the character of Andy Kaufman that much more interesting.

A solid film from Milos Forman, but not [b]great[/b] on my scale.

Absolutely hilarious. Although it isn't quite as funny as The Holy Grail or Life of Brian, it is definitely up there. This comic team has made another movie that will be remembered.. especially by Python fans. Also hilarious is the opening short film attatched to this movie. Great fun, but very sexual.

One of the best action movies of the year. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are a terrific match. The chemistry is amazing and the action scenes always get me excited. They should definitely make a sequel.

The most interesting and amazing movie EVER!

Perfect. The second best movie of 2003.

Review coming soon (03/10/07)

This is the best movie of 1980. I loved this film and it rightfully won its Oscar for Best Picture. So many times it has been argued that Raging Bull was a better film and should have taken the honour that year, but after viewing this masterpiece I can't go along with that anymore. This movie has one of the most perfect taglines ever: "Some films you watch... others you feel". It's so sad and depressing, yet uplifting at the same time. You are drawn into the lives of these characters and you feel for them as they go through this hard time. Calvin and Beth Jarrett (Sutherland and Moore) just lost their eldest son, Buck, in a boating accident. Their youngest son, Conrad (Hutton), blames himself for his brother's death and after an attempt of trying to kill himself, he was put into a hospital. When he returns, his father supports him all the way and tries to give him all the help he can. His mother, on the other hand, acts as if she hates him and doesn't treat him with anything close to the love she gave Buck. The family has crumbled and this is the story of the re-birth of relationships and love. Two outstanding performances in this film come from Timothy Hutton (who won an Oscar for his role) and Mary Tyler Moore (who was nominated). It's such a sad movie, a tearjerker, even, so I warn you, be prepared to feel this movie as if it was happening to you.

This is a wonderfully magical film. It takes you away from the theater and makes you feel as if you are in the movie. That's what I love about this film. Guillermo Del Toro is one of the most imaginative directors out there. He can be compared to the likes of Hayao Miyazaki when it comes to his imagination.

His previous films [i]Mimic[/i] and [i]Hellboy[/i] didn't really interest me and I didn't like them at all, so naturally I wasn't expecting much until I saw this trailer. It looked so magical and beautiful and I had to see it.

Ivana Baquero did a absolutely terrific job. She had the character down perfectly and is a fine young actress. The movie is about a young girl and her pregnant mother who are traveling to a rural area in upper Spain so they can be with her mother's new husband. The young girl has a vivid imagination and loves to read fairy tales. She wanders off one day into the forest behind their home and comes across a labyrinth where she meets a faun who tells her she is the princess of their world. Her imagination leads her into all kind of trouble, but in the end it's her imagination that saves lives.

One of the, if not the best, fantasy movies I have ever seen and definitely one of the best pictures of the year. A job well done by Mr. Del Toro.

This film has been nominated for six Academy Awards this year and hopefully it can walk away with a few statues. I can see this film winning Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Score. If it's lucky, it can take the Original Screenplay award, also. Amazing film. Go see it, you won't regret it.

This is the most underrated film of the past decade. It's brilliant. Gary Ross is slowly becoming on of my favourite writers. With such great films like [i]Big[/i], [i]Dave[/i], this and [i]Seabiscuit[/i] he should be receiving a lot of attention.

Ok. I am going to say it plain and simple: This film should have been nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress in 1998. William H. Macy was terrific. He adapted to his character perfectly and was near-perfect. Now Joan Allen, she was superb. She could have easily won the Oscar, but no, she wasn't nominated. A shame.


This film earned three Oscar nominations in 1998, Best Original Score, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. With its 50s look and style, this film triumphed with nominations in the tech categories. A beautiful film to watch, especially with the colour bursts in the black and white world of Pleasantville.

Overall, this film is one of my new favourites. It's an amazing film and truly poignant. I recommend this film to everyone. Anyone can enjoy this film and take away an important message that can help change lives. It's an important film.

This is the best disaster movie of all time. Nevermind the overrated Titanic, watch this classic. I just purchased the Special Edition which was released May 9th, and is it ever amazing. The special feature list is so long and there are over 9 full-length featurettes. This movie is one of the best, if not the best, movies of 1972. Gene Hackman should have been nominated for an Oscar for his stellar performance and Shelley Winters should have won an Oscar for hers, too. The all-star cast was simply perfect and the visual effects for that decade were out of this world. They still are pretty impressive. The only Oscar this film earned was for Best Original Song ("The Morning After"). It was a well deserved award, although this film deserved way more. It is still entertaining and will never die. It has spawned many sequels/remakes and they never even compare to this. Terrific, terrific, terrific. That's all I can say.

This is one of the greatest mysteries on film I have ever seen. Easily one of the best films of the year. I would love to say it IS the best of the year, but Little Miss Sunshine still tops my list. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale give terrific performances as does Caine and Bowie. Christopher Nolan's brilliance shines through with another masterpiece. He is a genious and this movie falls in line with his previous achievements (Memento, Batman Begins). The story is impeccable and the twists are some of the best I have ever seen. I have a feeling this film is going to be overlooked at the Oscars and won't get the recognition it deserves. A Best Director nomination is in order for the outstanding Christopher Nolan and a Best Adapted Screenplay nod, also. Watch this movie not only for the amazing stars in it, but for the amazing screenplay and direction. The magic "tricks" are also something to get excited over. 'The Transported Man' is a great trick and it got me to say "wow" everytime they performed it. A terrific film. Once again I say, one of the best of 2006.

So awesome. Kathy Bates.. once again is stunning.

Although Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder pulled off an excellent original, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick just seem to make me like The Producers that much more. The comedy is perfect and the cast is (of course) absolutely phenomenal. Nathan Lane (who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance) was absolutely hilarious. Matthew Broderick was funny, too. Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Roger Bart were all good supporting performers, but the best role in the film goes to Gary Beach's character. The film's musical pieces were absolutely amazing and better than ever and the art direction was great, too. This stands up to the original version and any other version it can be compared to. This film was terrific and should be watched by any musical follower. Congratulations Mel Brooks on a very clever story!

So, I've been hearing people call Ratatouille the best and most original Pixar film yet. I do agree that this is very original and quite amazing, but I don't agree that it tops films like The Incredibles, Finding Nemo and Toy Story.

With that said, I do however believe that this is the best film I've seen so far this year. With such an original story and the most vivid animation I've ever seen, Brad Bird completes yet another animated masterpiece. I can see it now... another Oscar in his hands next February for this film. Everytime Pixar makes a film, the story is always impressive and original and never does one flop. It's amazing.

Rémy (Oswalt) is a street rat who dreams of becoming a great chef just like his human idol, Auguste Gusteau (Garrett). One day, he and his brother Emile (Sohn) sneak into a house and try to steal ingredients for one of Rémy's recipes, but they end up waking up the owner of the house and everything goes wrong. She whips out her shotgun and starts chasing Rémy, Emile and their whole clan out of the fields. As they try to escape via the river they lose Rémy in the process. Now alone, he ventures into the sewers and stumbles upon a building that he discovers was Gusteau's famed restaurant. There he meets up with a garbage boy named Linguini (Romano) who realizes that Rémy can cook so they team up and try to restore the reputation of the once legendary restaurant.

Ratatouille is probably the most fun I have had all year in a movie. It offers everything a nice comedy can give. A terrific original story, likeable characters, hilarious lines and slapstick humour and not to mention amazing animation. When it comes down to it, I think that Ratatouille could even be considered the funniest movie of the year. With other strong comedies this year like Knocked Up and Hot Fuzz one would think that an animated film couldn't stand a chance against adult humour. Compared to the immature humour in Knocked Up, this seems like comedy gold. It's funny and warmhearted at the same time. I really enjoyed watching this movie.

The voice work was also well done. The actors all fit their respective roles perfectly and their characters seemed that much more realistic because of it. Oswalt, Romano, Holm, Garofalo, Sohn, Dennehy, Garrett and especially O'Toole were spot on and their characters were perfectly voiced. When I watch a Pixar movie, it's very different compared to other animated movies. I actually feel like I am watching a live-action movie and then I realize that it's just brilliant computer animation. Pixar always offers a great and enjoyable movie-going experience for me.

Overall, Ratatouille is so far the best film I have seen this year. It's the most enjoyable, the funniest and the most original, also. This isn't just for kids, this is for adults to see, too. I am sure you all know that by now after watching Pixar's previous greats, but just in case, this is an all-ages appropriate film. Whether you're 4 or 40, this will probably have you smiling.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone.

Bette Midler's best performance.

One of the most exquisitely written films I've ever seen. Wes Anderson is misunderstood as a director, I think. His contruction and technique is quite obviously zealous, but this isn't appreciated by many people who see his films. His first feature, Bottle Rocket, isn't just that little indie comedy that stars the Wilson brothers, it's a film that deals with the seen and unseen troubles in these characters' lives. His films have improved over the years as well. Rushmore was a terrific achievement for him and proved his talents as an actors director. The characters in his films are some of the funniest characters who suffer heartbreak, depression and other trials, yet are still entertaining to watch for the subtle and dark humour.

In Tenenbaums, Anderson gives his best screenplay yet. This time, he wrote the screenplay alongside Owen Wilson (who also stars in the film). A simple story of a broken family that gets back together although they are all living through lies and secrets.

HILARIOUS! The best of 1986 (comedy wise).

This is the best movie of 1996. Not my favourite, but the best. Fargo will always hold the title of my favourite movie from 1996. This movie was a masterpiece. It was made by Mike Leigh, one of the greatest dramatic directors of today. This film is so incredible in many ways. The story is ingenious; after her parents die, a young black woman (Jean-Baptiste) seeks out her natural birth mother only to discover her mother is white. Equally shocked to learn her daughter is black, Cynthia (Blethyn) insists it's a mistake. But she soon realizes it's true and when she springs her newfound daughter on the rest of the family, the resulting chaos leads to a series of secrets and lies being revealed at last. A true Best Picture contender if I ever saw one. I wish this would have won Best Picture because movies like these need more appreciation, I think. Brenda Blethyn gives one of the best performances in years. It's too bad for her she was competing against the amazing Frances McDormand that year. Marianne Jean-Baptiste is also incredible. They both garnered Oscar nominations in 1996. This isn't a movie to be missed... if you haven't seen this, add it to your "too see" list and watch it as soon as possible. A true masterpiece.

Se7en (1995)
director: David Fincher
starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Roundtree

When I first watched this film four years ago, it was the most thrilling and exhilarating film I had ever seen. Nothing compared to it in terms of suspense and thrills. When I watched this film recently, I realized why this film had such an impact on me four years ago. This film is by far the most suspenseful film I've seen and it plays with your fears like they are toys. The direction is impeccable; David Fincher is highly aware of this film's genre and uses it to the best of his ability. He bides his time and keeps all of the thrills contained until the climax and definitely unleashes them in the conclusion. Comparing Se7en to thrillers released after 1995 is difficult because none of them hold a candle to this masterpiece. The only films of this genre who are anywhere near the quality of Se7en are The Descent, 28 Days Later and Zodiac (which was also directed by Fincher). Through examining the film's genre and visual style, it is easy for me to say that Se7en is one of the best films I have ever seen.

When thinking of the horror genre, the first thing that usually comes to mind is monsters, zombies, ghosts or some other fictitious creature that we normally see attacking people in films. When The Silence of the Lambs was released, it re-introduced the idea of realism in horror films. Realism had not been popular in the horror genre for decades; in the 1950s, most of the thrillers were in the film noir style where the villain was not a monster, but rather an insane human who was battling himself as well as others. The duality of the characters was what made them frightening. For example, Harry Powell (played to perfection by Robert Mitchum) from The Night of the Hunter was one of the most frightening antagonists from the '50s. But the idea of realism was lost until 1991, when it became more popular.

In 1995, Se7en introduced what would become one of the iconic villains of the 1990s: John Doe. He was a human. He was evil. He was real. He murdered people, but added a twist to his killings: he murdered them based on their sins, one death for every one of the seven deadly sins. The one difference between Se7en and other horror films incorporating realism is the fact that the villain doesn't have an inner battle with himself. Usually we know the villain's past and usually this past is what causes the villain to become villainous in the first place. With John Doe, we don't know his past, he doesn't have fingerprints and he is nameless. The fact that he has no identity is one of the most important bits of this film. Having the villain appear half way through the film and giving him no identity gives the evil deeds in the film much more ambiguity in terms of whose fault they were. The evilness ultimately lies in the victims. Yes, murder is a sin, and we see what becomes of John Doe in the conclusion, but his victims died because of the evil he saw in them. In terms of film history, Se7en is groundbreaking in the originality department. It establishes new takes on both the villain and on realist horror conventions. It's brilliance should be remembered for it brought around a totally new type of psychological thriller.

Se7en was not only revolutionary in what was aforementioned, it also exuded mastery in the editing department. The opening credits of this film are almost as intense as the film itself. They display graphic images of grisly murders, mutilated bodies and bloody jars. What we are watching is John Doe at work in his scrapbook where he keeps pictures of his killings. The sharp and jolting editing mixed with the also gruesome song "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails gives the opening credits an extremely eerie feeling. This is a perfect introduction for it establishes what we can expect from the film itself. Stylistically, this film is excellent. The editing, music, cinematography and art direction are used perfectly in accordance to the thematic elements. The dark look this film has diminishes hope and the dirty city gives the feeling of unease not only for the characters, but for the viewers, too.

Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman both give deep performances. The two characters they play each have their gloomy, secretive sides, but are likable characters nonetheless. Kevin Spacey gives yet another astonishing performance as the villain in this film, John Doe. Unfortunately, he goes uncredited on the film's posters and opening credits, but for good reason: shock value. His monologue in the police car as Brad Pitt interrogates and mocks him is amazing and proves why he is such a fantastic actor.

Se7en is one of the essential films of the 1990s. It redefined the horror genre and established new techniques and conventions that shocked the viewing public. It's a disturbing film which has poignancy in its core, but I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart. It's grisly and graphic, but the gore is necessary for such a film. It instantly became one of my favourite films and I think it could easily pass as my favourite film of all-time. An excellent thriller that will be recognized as revolutionary for years to come.

The Shining (1980)
director: Stanley Kubrick
starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Joe Turkel

Reading the novel before seeing the film is almost always recommended, but in the case of The Shining, I would stay as far away as possible from the novel and focus on the genius of this film. Nothing against Stephen King (I'm a fan), but the novel and the film are two totally different experiences. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this film, along with The Exorcist, is my favourite classic horror film. As always, Kubrick didn't take his film down a simple path and that's what I like about this particular horror film. With so many loose ends and unexplainable happenings, this film is truly frightening and a masterfully directed work of horror.

If Kubrick had not directed this, it wouldn't be half the film it is or have half the popularity it has. It's one of the most well-known films of the 1980's for certain scenes alone. If Kubrick wasn't enough to make this film a huge success, we're also lucky to get Jack Nicholson in the lead role. The performances in this film are impressive, yet some seem to think they are overacted and too hysterical. After watching Making 'The Shining', a 1980 short documentary filmed by Stanley Kubrick's daughter Vivian (which is a special feature on the Stanley Kubrick Collection edition of The Shining), I've learned that Kubrick worked his actors to an extreme limit, until they broke down and gave the performances we see in the final cut of the film. Shelley Duvall's shrieks and hysteria may be annoying at times, but her performance is quite impressive knowing what she went through to get through filming.

The psychological side to this film is what frightens me the most. It's not the axe rampage that Jack goes on or the elevator spewing blood in the corridor, it's mostly the scenes of silence where we see what seems like Jack dealing with his growing insanity or Danny being taken over by his "imaginary friend" and writing haunting messages in lipstick. The ending to this film is also confusing and affects the film as a whole and how true the film has been up to that point. I love the mystery that this film has and doesn't quite solve. Leaving the ending open and up for interpretation is something Stanley Kubrick is known for in many of his films and I admire that greatly. He can accomplish a solid film that will become critically and commercially successful, and still have a cinematic masterpiece that can be analyzed conventionally and contextually from top to bottom and still not be fully examined.

I could talk about this film for hours because it had such a great effect on me and my mind. One of the greatest horror films of all time and probably my favourite Stephen King adaptation (even if it may not be 100% faithful to the novel). Bravo to Stanley Kubrick for another showcase of excellence. He certainly is a master.

Strong ensemble cast makes this film what it is.. Incredible.

Sideways can be easily considered the best movie of the year. If it wasn't for Million Dollar Baby, this film should have easily grabbed Best Picture. Paul Giamatti was robbed of an Oscar nomination and that will forever go down in Oscar history as one of the worst snubs. Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen both received nominations, as they should have, and Alexander Payne was nominated for Best Director. This film won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar (won by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor) and finally broke the barriers for Comedies to go beyond stereotypes and win Oscars now. This film is incredible. The dramatic atmosphere, yet subtle comedy makes it so enjoyable. It is a touching movie that everyone should see. It's not boring, it's creative and artistic. I love it. Quite simply the best of 2004.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
director: Jonathan Demme
starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Kasi Lemmons

Horror films have forever been popular in movie-going society, but not until The Silence of the Lambs was released did the genre take a drastic turn. Not only does this film excel at frightening its viewers and giving them nightmares about cannibalistic serial killers, more importantly, it breaks the the old horror film stereotypes and introduces fresh and very brave new film conventions. Horror films have almost always portrayed women as weak and helpless characters. They're always either the damsel in distress, being rescued one way or another by a man or the promiscuous teenager who is naked for half of the film. The Silence of the Lambs takes the weak female character stereotype and completely reverses it. In this film, the main character, Clarice Starling, is a strong, independent woman who holds her own in a male-dominated workplace and solves the mystery without any help from men. This may sound like a feminist rant, but this is a groundbreaking film in terms of female liberation and deserves high recognition.

This film is hardly geared toward women, but it does directly deal with the role of a strong woman in a male-dominated society. This political statement propels the main character into the history books as one of the most important heroines of all-time. However, Clarice Starling isn't the first female heroine in a horror film (even though she may be the most popular). Ellen Ripley from the Alien films made her debut in 1979 in the horror franchise and not only kicked alien ass, but film stereotype's ass into the history books as a strong female heroine in a horror film. Starling is played flawlessly by Jodie Foster, a role she was born to play. Foster shines in all of the scenes, but most evidently in the scenes with Anthony Hopkins. She is brilliant and their eerie chemistry is almost pleasing to watch. Foster was lucky enough to take home the Oscar for her portrayal of Clarice Starling which is, undoubtedly, one of the most deserved Oscars in recent memory.

Aside from the feminism, this film has other groundbreaking elements to it as well. The film's main male character is Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Dr. Lecter was once a psychiatrist, but was arrested for murder and found to be a serial killing cannibal, hence the nickname he acquired. What's shocking about Lecter is his tone and diction. He's a very intelligent man, but uses his wisdom and serenity in a way that draws you in as he fools with your mind. What's groundbreaking about this character is that he is a villain, but he isn't the villain the protagonist is looking for. He actually aids the Clarice into finding the "bad guy" from behind his bars. Lecter is portrayed by the fantastic Anthony Hopkins, who also took home an Oscar for his 17-minute performance. Hopkins' performance is the shortest to win an Oscar for Best Actor, but it is far from small in power. Although given such a short amount of screen time, Hopkins steals the film as Hannibal Lecter and creates what has become one of the most popular and recognizable film characters of all time. He is frighteningly chilling and evokes such evil in his eyes that he becomes the character.

In the scene where Starling visits Lecter in prison for the first time and for most of the thrilling conclusion, the cinematography stood out as brilliant and I could not get it out of my mind. Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto has worked on many films (Badlands, Philadelphia and The Sixth Sense to name a few) and has been recognized by many critics and film institutions to be one of the best cinematographers out there. Fujimoto worked with director Jonathan Demme on The Silence of the Lambs so wonderfully and produced some of the most frightening scenes in film history. Fujimoto utilizes so many different camera angles in this film that intensify the scenes and generate such great suspense. He is a master of his craft and he proves this to us through his excellent work in this film.

Recognized as one of the greatest films of all-time by many sources, The Silence of the Lambs was a huge success when it was released in 1991 and has endured time and is still a huge success now. Creating two legendary film characters, one who is one of the most recognized villains of all time and the other who is one of the greatest heroines of all time, staying true to the novel which the film was based on and winning five Oscars in the major categories is only a few of this films' achievements. It's an iconic thriller and has gone down as one of the best. If you have been living under a rock and haven't seen this film, I cannot recommend it more. See it, you won't regret it.

Alfonso Cuarón's debut film Sólo con tu pareja is one of the best Mexican made films of the early 90s. This isn't really saying much, I guess, since Mexico didn't make that many films in the early 90s compared to bigger film producing countries. Nevertheless, this is an impressive debut from Alfonso Cuarón, the man who went on to make some of my all-time favourite films (Y tu mamá también and Children of Men).

Written by Alfonso's brother Carlos Cuarón, this film is a satiric sex comedy that can be compared in many ways to Cuarón's later film Y tu mamá también. Just like también, this film opens with a sex scene and has many other sex scenes throughout (in this film, however, the sexual content is used in comedic effect for the most part).

Tomás Tomás is a commonly seen character in Mexican cinema. He's a well known man that could get all the women he wants and does. His doctor friend tells him that he should be tested for HIV because he has a lot of random sex and when he finally does get tested he hits on the nurse taking her home later that night. When he brings her home, he realizes he also has a date with another woman and brings her to his friend's apartment which he is supposed to be watching. During the night, he plays a game of back-and-forth between rooms via the window ledge so he can keep up his appearance and not seem like a total loser for trying to pull off two dates in one night. Unluckily for him, one of his dates became fed up with his absence on their date and stormed out of his apartment and his other date found out he was seeing another woman at the same time. He lost both women and ended up looking like a fool.

Putting the bad night aside, Tomás finds another woman, this time believing it to be true love. She lives in the room next to him and he spies on her from the window ledge. He hasn't spoken to her yet in fear of making a fool of himself. When he actually does speak to her, they get along great, but she says she is engaged and soon to be married. More bad luck comes Tomás' way when his nurse date, still angry and seeking revenge, altered his HIV test results making him believe his test came out HIV positive. Depressed, suicidal and in love, Tomás faces the biggest decision of his life.

The plot, which sounds like a bad Mexican soap opera, is actually quite fun to watch play out and isn't as cliché as it may sound. The only clichés that come into play in this film are the ones of Mexican culture which Cuarón uses effectively in solidifying his satirical themes. One of the other main themes in this film is the focus on HIV. This film shed new light on the disease and was even controversial in dealing with the topic in a comic way.

This film not only marked the cinematic debut of director Alfonso Cuarón, but also the cinematic debut of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. They both worked together on numerous projects before Sólo con tu pareja, but this was their first feature length collaboration. They've also worked together on The Little Princess, Great Expectations, Y tu mamá también and Children of Men. A fantastic team, both of them being some of my favourite people working in world cinema today.

Alfonso Cuarón is one of my personal favourite directors. He is an impressive artist that has made fantastic films and written some wonderful stories. His vision is impressive, inspirational and loyal to Mexican culture. It's inspirational especially knowing that Sólo con tu pareja (and Y tu mamá también) was Cuarón's only Mexican-produced film, the rest of his films being produced by the USA. He remained loyal to his Mexican roots and wasn't Americanized at all when filming the rest of his films in the USA.

Overall, this film is a fantastic debut for Cuarón. It may not be his best work, but it definitely defined him as a director and proved to audiences that he is someone to watch out for. He has most recently established himself as one of the top Mexican directors (among the likes of Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Del Toro), but is not only known to Mexicans, he's known internationally (especially after filming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). If you're a fan of Mexican cinema, Alfonso Cuarón or even a good satiric comedy, I highly recommend this film to you.

This film is flawless in every aspect. The animation is absolutely PERFECT. I hesitate usually when I want to call things perfect because they usually aren't, but here, "perfect" is the only word that suffices. Hayao Miyazaki is one of my heroes. He blends together his imagination with the most vivid and colourful animation you have ever seen and comes out with masterpieces. This film won an Oscar (2002) for Best Animated Feature Film and beat out four other films which were all American (Treasure Planet, Ice Age, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Lilo & Stitch). I am not saying Japanese animation is better than American animation (look at all the works of art Pixar has come out with), I just think that Hayao Miyazaki is a genius and in my books he is the father of animation and imagination. This movie is one of my favourites. People can criticize all they want saying how can an animated film be one of your favourite movies of all time, but if you've seen it, I am sure you can understand. Watch it. It's absolutely perfect.

One of the best movies of 2005. Very underrated and not known by most people. Should have won the Original Screenplay award at the Oscars, too. Noah Baumbach created an amazing film, here. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney should also have been nominated for Oscars. This movie just blows me away... it's just amazing!

The one problem I had with this movie is... the sepia toned still images in the middle of the film. It ruined 1/4 of the movie. Terrible decision to put them in. Judy Garland was fantastic, though. One of the best performances ever. James Mason was great, too. What more can I say. One of the best films of the 50s and the best film of 1954.

This is one sequel that completely demolishes the original in almost every aspect. I only liked the original and I wasn't really excited to see this one, but when I watched it in my film class I was so surprised. This one is so amazing. The story is great and the effects are so much better. I guess becasue the original had a budget of $6.5 million and this one had a budget of $100 million... that can really make or break an action movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger is so great as the Terminator. He was made to play this role. Linda Hamilton is awesome, too. She really got in shape for this movie, I was impressed. Furlong was good, but this and American History X are the only 2 movies I really remember him from. Can't say he made a good career for himself. Robert Patrick is an awesome villain; probably one of the best and most remembered to this day. The whole conversion from 'bad' to 'good' by Arnold is great and the way James Cameron directs this movie is stunning, also. I have never been a huge fan of the sci-fi / action blockbusters, but this movie has a lot of meaning and cultural tone to it and I really, really liked it. This has to be one of the most entertaining and one of the best movies I have seen. I highly recommend this movie to everyone. Not a movie to be missed!

This is one of the most talked about movies of the 90s. It shouldn't be popular for it's action/sex scenes, but for its groundbreaking screenplay that took two women and placed them in male roles. The stereotypical housewife would not rob a bank or kill people. These two women have been placed in the roles of males which was something new to cinema. No longer were women portrayed as housewives or vulnerable sex slaves after this film came out because women understood that they have to be strong independent individuals. Although these women look happy and stable, under their core they are hurt. Hurt by the disrespectful men in the film and have had enough of it. Even though they are fleeing after murdering a man, they are still strong women and all they want is their freedom back and a chance to live a life where no one, especially a man, can tell them how to live. Another reason this film was groundbreaking was because the director was a man. Ridley Scott, the director of such films like [i]Alien[/i] and [i]Gladiator[/i]. Such a masculine man came along and made a film about two female buddies who go on an anti-male adventure to escape their decrepit lives. Sarandon and Davis are perfect in this film and both are deserving of their Best Actress nominations. Perfect acting and a perfect screenplay are two major components that lead to this perfect film.

GREAT! Nicole Kidman's best performance.

One of the greatest comedies of the 80s and all-time, this film is as inspirational as it is hilarious. Directed by the great Sydney Pollack, this film is one of the most popular films of 1982 earning around $177 million at the box office and also earning ten Academy Award nominations.

I can't praise Dustin Hoffman enough. To take and literally transform himself into a woman is really quite impressive. He does it just as effectively as Robin Williams in [i]Mrs. Doubtfire[/i], and that right there is scary. Although this film is a comedy, it was recognized by AMPAS which is rare. Dustin Hoffman could have easily won Best Actor in 1982 instead of Ben Kingsley. Most people will disagree because when they think of a comedy versus a drama there stands no chance for the comedy. Well, in this case, you are most definitely wrong. Dustin Hoffman's perfomance is absolutely the best of the year.

Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) is having trouble finding a decent acting job in New York. He has a reputation of being hard to work with and no one wants to hire him. This is until he transforms himself into Dorothy Michaels and lands a starring role on the most popular soap opera in New York. Everything is going well for him until he meets his co-star, Julie (Lange), and falls in love with her. It's not that she doesn't notice him, because she is very fond of Dorothy and admires her integrity. It's the fact that Julie doesn't know his secret identity and he can't express his love for her since she thinks Michael is a woman.

Jessica Lange, who garnered an Oscar for her role in this film, is wonderful. She was apparently hard to campaign since her role was considered leading, even though she eventually won the Supporting Actress award. One of her competitors in that category was co-star Teri Garr. They were both terrific in this film and I do believe that if Lange would have been pushed Lead, Garr could have won Supporting. Bill Murray, Dabney Coleman, Geena Davis and Charles Durning were all also great.

This film reaffirmed the female liberation theme among movies of the late 70s and 80s. This time, however, it was through a man's eyes which is totally different, but works wonders. An inspirational film for young actors everywhere.

Wonderful film. My favourite of 1982. Go and see it if you haven't already. You'll feel good afterwards.

Amazing and groundbreaking.

Such an amazing and original film. Felicity Huffman is by far the Best Actress of 2005. This is underrated and is one of the best movies of 2005.

This is a perfect movie. The screenplay is one of the best I have ever seen. Andrew Niccol is a genius and can compare to the likes of Charlie Kauffman with this. He hasn't done many other memorable works (Gattaca, S1m0ne, Lord of War), but this picture proved he has an imagination like no other. Peter Weir is a fantastic director and Jim Carrey.. well what can we say about him? He is absolutely and positively perfect for this role. His performance was left out when it came to the Oscars in 1998, but that's okay because he did win the Golden Globe that year. Ed Harris was fantastic and Laura Linney was great, also. Linney captured her character which was probably hard to do. She plays an woman who is an actress who is acting in the real life of Truman Burbank where she acts as if she is living her real life, although it's only a performance. She did a great job. This movie is probably one of the best of the decade and was not recognized like it should have been. It's the second best movie of 1998 and one of my favourites of all-time. Instantly classic screenplay. I will never forget this film.

This is by far the best film of 2006. It is not my favourite, but it is the best. Brilliantly directed and written by Paul Greengrass, this movie will bring back haunting memories from the 11th of September, 2001. This film was absolutely frightening; imagine being on that plane which is being hijacked by four men. [i]United 93[/i] tells the story of the fourth hijacked plane on September 11th, 2001 that didn't reach its destination. The other three planes hit their targets, but with the courage of many passengers on United Flight 93 they managed to stop the hijackers and foil their plans to crash this plane into the White House. The plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and there were no survivors. This is by far the saddest movie I have ever sat through. At moments I almost had to pause it so I could catch my breath because it was so emotionally powerful. I am not afraid to admit that I cried during this film. It was so terribly sad, especially when the passengers were calling their families and telling them they love them and saying goodbye. Paul Greengrass should receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director. It's hard to sit through, but in the end you will be glad you saw this. God bless all of those passengers on United Flight 93, you are true heroes, and all the other people who died on September 11th, 2001.

Terrific. This is a classic comedy which everyone should remember. Blake Edwards is simply incredible.

Angela portrays Tina perfectly. Fishburne is also incredible. Oscar worthy performances.

Perfection.

Not a GREAT adaptation of the book, but definitely worth watching for an amazing performance from Glenn Close.

The ultimate comedy classic.

Nevermind Hairspray, Enchanted or Across the Universe, Sweeney Todd is the best musical of the year. This is a Gothic masterpiece from director Tim Burton that was revived from Stephen Sondheim's 1979 stage production. This film is probably the best stage-to-screen adaptation since Chicago and is one of the truest musicals I've ever seen. It's not afraid to be a musical with probably less than 30 minutes of actual speaking dialogue and that's something risky in modern cinema. Burton had trouble finding a studio to produce this film because of the fact that none of the musical numbers had upbeat pop songs (and I'm sure the excessive violence didn't help much either). What can you expect when the film is a revival of a Sondheim musical? West Side Story still manages to do well with teenage audiences, so why can't this? Luckily, Paramount picked this project up and it's now being called one of the best films of the year.

Tim Burton has worked with Johnny Depp in six films now and I'd have to say, this is their best work yet. It seems like Burton took bits from all his previous films and combined then into one. It's little bit Corpse Bride, a little bit Sleepy Hollow and a little bit Edward Scissorhands all at the same time. This film is so dark that it screams "Tim Burton" and anyone watching this will know who directed it from the first frame.

I'll be honest, when the film first started (after the credits... the credits were terrific), I wasn't all that impressed with the first musical number. Depp's vocals weren't exactly pleasing to the ears and the song was downright depressing, but it fit the scene perfectly. The moment Sweeney Todd encountered Mrs. Lovett for the first time was when I was glued to this film. The scenes they shared together were absolutely fantastic and from "The Worst Pies in London" on, I was in love with this movie.

In the 1979 stage production, the set consisted of a small rotating piece like any normal stage play. This wasn't nearly enough to depict London as Sondheim imagined it, but was exactly what the stage had room for. This is where Burton's vision is brought to life in the film version; London is a character on its own in the story and to characterize it you need a film. Burton's vision of the dark and grimy London was displayed beautifully by production designer Dante Ferretti and set decorater Francesca Lo Schiavo in the film giving London a character that is not only thought of, but can now be seen.

A razor-wielding Johnny Depp gives his best performance since the first Pirates of the Caribbean film and embodies Sweeney Todd showing us not only the dark side of Sweeney Todd, but the deep emotions of his past life as Benjamin Barker that conflict with his now demonic barber persona that seeks revenge on the people who stole his family. People have been critiquing his vocals saying they're not up to par to be in a musical like this. First of all, did you expect Depp to whip out a voice like Pavarotti? I don't think so. Secondly, the character doesn't need a big voice. Sweeney Todd's songs are angry, yes, but a huge voice for such a subdued character would not work. I think he was perfect in his role and should not be forgotten come Oscar time.

I know that Sweeney Todd is the main character, but the character that stole the film (in my opinion) is Mrs. Lovett. Helena Bonham Carter gives a fantastic performance in this film as the dark, quirky and loveable pie maker. This is a character that has been perfected in the past by such greats like Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone, but I do say that Helena Bonham Carter does not fail to deliver. She also embodies her character (which isn't seen to its full potential until the near end), but what makes Mrs. Lovett memorable is her witty humour and sometimes careless behaviour. Her "Worst Pies in London" scene is hilarious and character blooms when she performs "By the Sea", but it's not until "Not While I'm Around" with Ed Sanders that we see the reality of this character. Carter does a phenomenal job as Mrs. Lovett and I also think she shouldn't be overlooked come Oscar time.

The rest of the cast is also great (especially Rickman), but the performance from Sacha Baron Cohen will still be the most memorable if for anything it's comedic relief. The score was fantastic and kept true to the original and the costumes by Colleen Atwood were also wonderful.

Overall, this film is absolutely brilliant. Tim Burton is a visionary and Depp and Carter are both terrific. If it wasn't for No Country for Old Men, this would be my favourite film of the year. I recommend this to everyone. There is excess amounts of blood and brutal killings in this film, but they are dramatized in the same way Sleepy Hollow was (the blood looks like watered-down paint so don't be turned off by that). One of the best films of the year, Sweeney Todd should be seen by all. Go and catch it while it's still in theatres now.

There are no words that exist that can express my love for this film. Sheer brilliance from all fronts, especially Daniel Day-Lewis' performance, or rather personification, of Daniel Plainview and Paul Thomas Anderson's masterful direction. Easily the greatest film of the year and perhaps one of the greatest of the decade. This film is extremely relevant to today's time and issues and should be seen by everyone. It's very long runtime might turn people off, but I will make it my duty to recruit people to see this masterpiece.

"I... drink... your... MILKSHAKE! I DRINK IT UP!

Review coming soon .

This is one of the greatest cinematic experiences of the year. Directed by Sean Penn, this film makes every other film this year look weak and unimportant. Sean Penn, to me, has never been known as a director, but he has directed some great films in the past (The Crossing Guard, The Pledge, The Indian Runner), but none come even close to the greatness of Into the Wild. This is Penn's best film to date and I will always remember this film for a few reasons that I will explain throughout this review.

Adapted from the novel by Jon Krakauer, the story is based on true events that happened in the early 90s. Christopher McCandless, a young student, graduates from University only to donate his entire savings of $24,000 to charity and destroy all of his identification so he can move into the Alaskan wilderness. He doesn't know how long he'll be there, but he's prepared to face nature. Leaving behind a rough relationship with his parents (played by William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden), Chris changes his name and begins his journey into the wild.

Through the film, Chris' philosophical outlook on life let's us know that he doesn't believe life should depend on communication with others. Having relationships and friends is something that doesn't need to be maintained in life to fulfill it. However, on his journey he encounters many different people that he forms relationships with that help him through this adventure. It's not only everyone that Chris meets that learn from him and his philosophical look on life, but it's Chris himself that learns from these ordinary people. He gets to hear people's stories and empathize with them. He becomes a better person by doing so.

There are many encounters that Chris makes on his journey and they are all important in one way or another. The one that stuck with me and really pulled on my heartstrings was his encounter with Ron Franz (portrayed brilliantly by Hal Holbrook). The relationship they form is touching and the scene with their parting ways is very, very sad. Hal Holbrook hasn't been recognized by AMPAS in all of his cinematic career (which seems like forever), but I do believe he will be nominated this year and it will be a very deserved nomination.

The whole supporting cast was terrific in each of their encounters with Chris and each of them helped shape his character. With such a character to play, Emile Hirsch was up for a great challenge. Seeing him as an actor in only small roles (Lords of Dogtown, Imaginary Heroes), I was very impressed with the performance he pulled off in this film. Not only did he interract with the other characters well, he emodied this character and made me feel his pain. It's sad, but uplifting at the same time. I think Emile Hirsch is this year's Ryan Gosling. The performance is that good and I do hope to see him recognized for this effort.

As for the visuals, the cinematography is beautiful. Eric Gautier, who has photographed other films like The Motorcycle Diaries and some segments in Paris, je t'aime, helps show us why Chris wanted to live in the wild in the first place. He lets us see the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness from angles that can only be dreamt of. It was truly a gorgeous experience. Also, the score was fantastic. Composed by Michael Brook with Kaki King and Eddie Vedder, the music not only helps the characters' emotions come through, but it generates the mood when there are no characters on the screen. Also, the wonderful original soundtrack to this film is written by Eddie Vedder and some of the songs are already being awared. "Guaranteed" and "Rise" are only a few of the many that go perfectly with this epic two and a half hour film.

The running time is perfect (although some may beg to differ). It lets us see the relationships blossom between Chris and the people he encounters in a more than basic way. If this film was crammed into a 90 minute running time, the result wouldn't be as stunning.

Overall, I loved this film. It's one of the best of 2007 and one of the most memorable of the decade. The performances are top-notch (especially from Hirsch, Holbrook and Keener) and the technical aspects are nothing less than excellent. Sean Penn's best film to date, Into the Wild is strongly recommended by me. See it as soon as you can.

This is the best film of the year so far. It's compiled of eighteen different short films that are all love stories of some kind set in Paris. All of them stand out in their own distinctive way, but there are a few that were just jaw-droppingly beautiful and well put together.

For example, Le Marais was my personal favourite because it had such terrific writing and a wonderful performance (from Gaspard Ulliel who I was surprised by... plesantly surprised). I also loved Tuileries from Joel and Ethan Coen. The Coen Bros. are two of my favourite people in the film industry and I love all of their work. When I heard they were directing a short in this film I was really excited to see what it would be like and I have to say that Tuileries was not what I expected. It was better than I expected, actually. The camera work and the music worked so well together and I loved the opening shot where we see the tunnel expecting a train to come and Steve Buscemi's head just pops into view and he looks so confused. Priceless face. Place des Victoires from Nobuhiro Suwa takes the prize for having the best performance in it. Miss Juliette Binoche can do no wrong and here, she is so wonderful. She is truly one of the best actresses of our time. The short overall was sad, but very well made. I also loved Parc Monceau, Pigalle, Faubourg Saint-Denis and (what probably is my favourite or second favourite one) 14e Arondissement from Alexander Payne.

There were also a few of the shorts that I didn't care for as well. Montmartre and Loin du 16ème didn't really make an impact on me and I didn't find them all that memorable. Catalina Sandino Moreno was wonderful to watch, but I guess I really didn't understand what the film was supposed to mean. Also, Porte de Choisy, Tour Eiffel and Père-Lachaise didn't quite catch my attention all that well either. However, I think that Porte de Choisy might be the most memorable one because it was so wacky and kind of freaked me out. All of the chinese women with different hair-dos grouped together waving goodbye to Barbet Schroeder after he cut their hair was just plain creepy. I didn't find this one enjoyable at all (but it did have wonderful cinematography).

Overall, all of the films offered something wonderful (even if I found some of them fell quite flat). The concept of this whole film (which was thought of by Emmanuel Benbihy and Tristan Carné) is beautiful. The idea of having eighteen different stories all dealing with eighteen different kinds of love is really unique and I loved watching every story unfold. I also loved seeing some of my favourite actors in this film (Steve Buscemi, Juliette Binoche, Gena Rowlands, Natalie Portman, Bob Hoskins, etc.) and some of my favourite directors directing it, too (Joel Coen, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer, Alfonso Cuarón and Gus Van Sant).

I highly recommend this film to everyone. It's a terrific segmented piece that beats down all others like it out there (especially something like Coffee & Cigarettes, no offence Jim Jarmusch). It's a story of love in the greatest and most romantic city in the world. Paris, I love you.

I wouldn't think that Pedro Almodovár could outdo his previous masterpiece [i]Todo sobre mi madre[/i], but I was wrong. This movie is much better than his other films and the most original, also. Almodovár knows how to handle his female cast beautifully and works so well with the women's emotions.

The story goes like this:
After an encounter at a theater, Marco (Grandinetti) and Benigno (Cámara) meet at a private clinic where Benigno works. Marco is there because his girlfriend, Lydia (Flores), who is a bullfighter and has just been gored by a bull and put into a coma. It so happens that Benigno is looking after a woman (who he is in love with) who is in a coma, also. Her name is Alicia (Watling) and she is a ballet dancer. The lives of these four characters flow in all kinds of different directions, past, present and future, dragging all of them towards an unsuspected destiny.

The cast is terrific and they work together perfectly, especially Cámara and Grandinetti in their scenes. The story is brilliant, one of the best I have heard in recent years. This film won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay of 2002. Before I had seen this movie I would have thought that it's competitor in that category, also a foreign film, would have won (Y tu mamá también). I bet that after anyone watches this they will have no doubt that it is the best story of the year.

The ending of this movie is tragic... actually, the whole movie is tragic, but the ending will shock you and probably sadden you, too. You get to know these characters well and what ends up happening to them is very sad. Like most of Almodovár's other films, this movie has tragic results with slight comic relief and some creepiness, also.

Almodovár as a director is a visionary. He earned an Oscar nomination for this film for Best Director and I completely understand why. He is a brilliant man with a passionate flare for filmmaking. His films can be labelled many things such as inspirational, heartbreaking and provocative. They'll suck you in and spit you back out with such force that you won't know what just hit you.

A brilliant movie from a brilliant director. Nothing more you need except an astounding cast, and with this film, you get that, too. Go rent this today and be amazed by its captivating story.

This is probably one of the funniest films of the past few years. The humour is so dry, but the delivery of the lines are perfect. I have yet to see Shaun of the Dead, but I can tell that this filmmaker is really terrific. His films a basically mockeries of other classic films. Unlike Scary Movie, this film actually pulls off the whole spoof idea with still having an amazing screenplay.

The whole buddy movie idea was much more enjoyable here than in films like Bad Boys or something more dramatic like Rain Man. It just works a lot better here. Maybe it's the great writing... Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are absolutely hilarious together. Pegg the hardass and Frost the dumbass. It really is a funny combination and the chemistry between them is great.

A great and funny ensemble makes for hilarious scenes. The supporting cast includes greats like Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Billie Whitelaw and Stuart Wilson. Also, hilarious cameos from Steve Coogan, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy and Cate Blanchett.

The film is clearly spoofing the Bad Boys kind of movies and it really pulls if off well. Edgar Wright really makes these films truly genuine even though he gets most of his material from other films (spoofing it). His previous film, Shaun of the Dead spoofed George A. Romero's zombie series and [from what I've heard] that worked out wonderfully well, too. Thanks to Edgar Wright and performers Pegg and Frost, his films are huge hits.

Genuinely funny, extremely violent and really, really fun, this movie is a film that should be seen by all people. To me, it's already a classic. I have a feeling this film will be a huge hit in a few years and will be remembered for a long time. Cult status perhaps? I hope it becomes widely recognized.
I highly recommend this to all.

Now this is a movie! After watching a summer full of movies that went from bad to worse, this quiet, little film makes withstanding those bad movies all worth while. I waited months and months for this movie to come out on DVD so I could actually watch a film this year. This film has been compared to [i]The Notebook[/i] and I can see where the comparison comes in, but this film was a lot better and more heartwrenching to me. This film is like a long poem; it pulls at your heartstrings and leaves such an impact on you for a long while after you've watched it. This is a film that you not only watch, but feel as well.

Actress Sarah Polley of films like [i]The Sweet Hereafter[/i] and [i]My Life Without Me[/i] directs this beautiful film. In her directorial debut she has accomplished more of a film than most directors do in their whole career. This very Canadian film was based on a short story by Alice Munro called "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" and the screenplay was also written by Polley. She has made a name for herself as a director now and I think she should be making more films if she has this kind of insight and vision.

The beauty in this film comes out through the gorgeous landscapes and the little things that most people do not notice in other films. Set in Ontario, Canada during the winter (I can vouch that we do have a beautiful winter season in Ontario), this film's outdoor scenes are very memorable in both mind and spirit. The very talented actors in this film are what make most of the scenes hauntingly sad and vividly memorable. Julie Christie's performance has been called one of the best female performances this year. I choose to call it the best female performance this year (so far). Gordon Pinsent has been underlooked because most of the praise has been going to Christie, but I believe that his performance in this little independent film is just as worthy of praise as Christie's. The one scene that had me near-tears was when Grant comes back after 30 days to visit Fiona in the home and she has no clue who he is. She's oblivious to her condition and she has now transferred her feelings for her husband of 40 years to a wheelchair-bound man (Aubrey) in the home. Grant visits her everyday and watches as she cares for this new man the way she cared for him. Truly heartbreaking.

Such an amazing achievement for Sarah Polley and a milestone in her film career. Christie and Pinsent have never been so amazing and Dukakis lends a great supporting hand with her performance, too. I recommend this to anyone who has a heart. It will make you sad, but in the end, you will feel Grant's pain and agree with his final decision in relation to Fiona's feelings for Aubrey.

One of, if not the best, movie of the year.

Dead Man (1995)
director: Jim Jarmusch
starring: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Lance Henrikson, Robert Mitchum, John Hurt, Alfred Molina, Gabriel Byrne, Iggy Pop, Billy Bob Thornton, Crispin Glover

Quite the obscure film, but also one of the best films of the 1990's. Jim Jarmusch, director of such 1980's classics like Stranger Than Paradise and Down By Law, helms this fantastic satire on American Westerns and American culture in general. This film is like a two hour poem that doesn't fail to impress and ignites a sense of existentialism in the brilliant story by Jarmusch. I've never been a fan of the Western genre, but what Jarmusch does with this film is completely different than what Sam Raimi did with The Quick and the Dead or what James Mangold did with 3:10 to Yuma. Both are solid Westerns, but Dead Man has a much deeper meaning and a satiric side that allows it to comment on American culture in a way that Westerns usually do not.

This film is different in its treatment and representation of Native Americans, also. The normal stereotypes of natives are present, but the natives themselves prove not to be such people. One of the film's main characters, Nobody (Farmer), is a Native American, but proves to be smarter than anyone else in the whole film. Exposed to not only American, but European culture when he was a child, he is aware of poetry and identifies Depp's character as the famous poet William Blake. Indeed named William Blake, Depp is not the poet, but just an average man with the same name. The pairing of Depp and Farmer in this film is something truly poetic in itself. The conversations between the two and the teachings are most often poignant and have extreme importance to the rest of the film.

What I like the most about this film is that every scene is crucial and needed to explain the film's message. It's a fantastic film and the writing and direction by Jim Jarmusch is a rarity nowadays. His vision is brilliant and his overall representation of America is avant-garde, yet contemporary.

The black and white treatment of this film is strangely beautiful and necessary in keeping with the poetic mood. There's one scene where William Blake and Nobody are riding on horseback through a forest, leaves falling slowly from the treetops... it left me speechless. It was beautiful and was probably my favourite scene in the film (aside from the fantastic ending).

This film is a fantastic achievement for Jim Jarmusch, but hasn't received much critical praise and is considered a waste of film by some. I found it to be one of the greatest and most interesting satire I've ever seen. This is one of my new favourite films and probably one of the best from the 1990s. Highly recommended.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
director: Blake Edwards
starring: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney

Audrey Hepburn is truly the epitome of class. She is gorgeous and funny in this film and really steals the show. This 1961 classic is probably Hepburn's most well-known film and role (this and My Fair Lady's Eliza Doolittle) and also one of her best performances. She is fantastic and I could watch her all day. This film is simple and one of the best romantic comedies of the 1960's.

There were plenty of flaws in this film, however. The character development was a little limited and I would have liked the characters to be developed a bit more. Mickey Rooney's character was offensive, similar to Rob Schneider's character in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and I was not a fan of that. A few other minute flaws were evident, but the pros were greater than the cons here and I really enjoyed this film as a whole.

This film has become a huge pop culture hit and had one of the most recognizable songs of the 60s in it: "Moon River". The song was beautiful then and is still beautiful now. Watching Audrey sing it while sitting in her window, playing her guitar is truly a fantastic scene and is one of the most memorable from the film. I still believe this film is all about Miss Hepburn and Holly Golightly and it will forever be recognized as her most famous role. A nice story from Truman Capote also adds to the enjoyment of this film. Its quirky quotes make for some hilarious scenes and its serious quotes make for some sentimental scenes. An all around great film that anyone can enjoy.

"He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's"

2046 (2005)
director: Wong Kar-wai
starring: Tony Leung, Ziyi Zhang, Li Gong, Faye Wong, Takuya Kimura

One of the best films I have ever seen. Easily one of my absolute favourites and one of the best films of the 21st Century. The thing is, when people ask me if I like this more than In the Mood for Love, I won't be able to answer. They are both totally different films (even thought this is the sequel to In the Mood for Love). They are both equally amazing, but in terms of favourite, 2046 is mine (with In the Mood for Love just a small margin behind it).

I can't get over the mixed reviews I have been reading for this film. It deals with the beauty of love like no other film I have seen (save In the Mood for Love) and incorporates science fiction elements into the plot that makes the story so much more brilliant and the characters so much more real. Science fiction elements make these characters seem real? Yes, I believe they do. The scenes on the train to the year 2046 are not only superbly shot and masterfully visualized, but a good deal of the development and existential occurrences in the characters happen on this train, in the future. I haven't seen a film or read a book that put science fiction elements to such good use since I read Slaughterhouse-Five; or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Wong Kar-wai has always been a favourite of mine ever since I saw In the Mood for Love four years ago. The plot of that film never interested me before I saw it, but that was around the time I began broadening my tastes and watching more foreign films. After I saw In the Mood, I was mesmerized and completely captured by the beauty of it. The story of Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-Zhen made me feel uncannily close to them and I knew at that moment I had to watch 2046. For some ridiculous reason, it took me almost four years to watch 2046, but those four years let me mature that much more and see many more films that would allow me to appreciate this film like I have. I have never felt as close as I have with characters in a film as I do with the ones in In the Mood for Love and 2046 (I have yet to see Days of Being Wild, unfortunately).

The visuals are what keep me mesmerized and the screenplay is what keeps me emotional, vice versa even. When I say emotional, I don't mean bawling my eyes out sad, I mean infatuated. I am literally infatuated with this work of art. This film is a collaborative effort, I do believe. Wong Kar-wai is the mastermind behind this trilogy, of course, but credit also goes out to the actors (Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Li Gong, Faye Wong, Ziyi Zhang), Christopher Doyle the cinematographer (along with Kwan Pun Leung and Lai Yiu Fai), William Chang the production designer/costume designer/film editor, Alfred Yau the art director and Shigeru Umebayashi the composer of the original score. Combining all these talents together has brought the world two epic films that have changed my outlook on cinema and art in general.

2046 is the epitome of film, in my opinion. It has everything I look for in a film and it has pleased me like only a few select others have. It really is a masterpiece and I cannot recommend this more. I hope you all see this and take something away from it, whether it be visually or emotionally (or hopefully both).