| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallipoli - PG |
"From a place you've never heard of, comes a story you'll never forget." Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I. Peter Weir has long been one of my favorite directors, and he has had a career consumed by subtle, quiet, lingering films. He can make the most banal concept seem thrilling and suspenseful; a perfect example is the Harrison Ford film "Witness." It could have easily become a stupid, insulting, exploitative "thriller." The ending is, in retrospect, quite ridiculous. But Weir has a strange ability to make anything seem realistic. "Gallipoli" is one of his older films, from 1981, and it stars a huge cast of names - most famous today, of course, Mel Gibson...whose name is now splattered across the front of the DVD case. The story is a true one and follows a group of young Australian men who join the ANZACs in World War I. They are sent to Gallipoli, and amidst personal and emotional turmoil they must learn to band together and fight the Turkish Army. "Gallipoli" is a great film - slow, subtle, low-key. It's a bit like an Australian version of "All Quiet on the Western Front." I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys slower films and can appreciate character-driven dramas. |
December 17, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Volver - R |
"Don't say that, Raimunda, or I'll start crying. And ghosts don't cry." After her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations she couldn't resolve during her life. "Volver" explores and elucidates, vividly and dazzling, that thing we call womanhood. Once again, Almodóvar demonstrates that he is one of the few male directors who understand the woman's psychic. The way they cope with tragedy, the manner in which they support and encourage one another, the way they deal with the opposite sex; "Volver" is all about women. It really doesn't matter that the film is not perfect. The twists and turns are easy to predict - there are hardly any surprises in the film - but then I have always thought Almodóvar is a far better director than he is a writer. It works because the film is always on target, on message. Penelope Cruz blossoms under Almodóvar's self-assured direction. Sensual, earthy, charming; she reminded me of Sophia Loren in her prime. Almodovar's stock company of actors performs admirably well too. Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas and Chus Lampreave shine in key supporting roles. It's top tier Almodóvar - his winning streak continues. |
December 17, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Il y a Longtemps que Je T'aime (I've Loved You So Long) - PG-13 |
"The worst prison is the death of one's child. You never get out of it." A woman struggles to interact with her family and find her place in society after spending fifteen years in prison. A well written and exceptionally well performed tale that explores the depths of acceptance. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Juliette, a woman returning to society after a fifteen year spell in jail. Mostly met with hostility, she is embraced by her sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein) and treated with caution by her sister's husband and curious daughter (Lise Segur in an amazing performance). The film focuses on emotional details and provides us with a realistic cross-section of humanity. Reaction to Juliette is experienced via a variety of characters. Director Philipe Claudel makes intelligent choices in terms of what is revealed about Juliette; his style is an unobtrusive one that gives the performers plenty of room to move. Zylberstein and Thomas are great together, convincing us of their history and their private pain. The film doesn't wrap anything up for convenience; it reminds us that life is always gray. It is engaging cinema. |
December 16, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit - PG |
"It's the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble." A toon hating detective is a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder. Imagine a world where Bugs Bunny was your next door neighbor and Mickey Mouse came to one of your parties. That is the magical world of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a remarkable movie, not only in the visual achievement of the film, but also it stars both Disney and Looney Toon characters. Produced by Steven Spielberg, rights owned by Buena Vista (part of the Disney empire), and directed by Robert Zemeckis, there is a lot of talent involved with this melding of live action and cartoon characters. This, of course, is not the first melding of people and cartoon, one just has to look back at Mary Poppins, but this is the most advanced convergence of real life and cartoon life. The story involves a cartoon rabbit actor, Roger, who is accused of murder. Before Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) took over Toontown (where all of the cartoon characters live, a town that looks like it came out of a child's nightmare), there was no way to kill a cartoon character. But Doom found a way to administer capital punishment for his citizens (by using paint thinner, or course) and Roger is on the lam. He finds aid in a drunk detective (Ed Hoskins) who spiraled down from the heights of the business after a cartoon killed his partner, his brother. The movie features the sexiest cartoon character since Betty Boop, who is also in the movie, in Jessica Rabbit, married to Roger. Why would she marry Roger Rabbit? Easy, he makes her laugh. The story is a pretty standard "whodunnit" movie, but the movie itself is much much more than that. Such a creative merge of hardboiled detective story and cartoons of the 1940s is a joy to watch. And the end of the movie discusses the zany ideas of "strip malls" and "free ways" in such a way to bring out some of the biggest laughs of the movie. A trailblazing movie is entertaining to a point, Who Framed Roger Rabbit has the plot to keep the viewer interested throughout the entire picture. |
December 16, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Did You Hear About the Morgans? - PG-13 | December 16, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Crazy Heart - R | December 16, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Manhunter - R | December 15, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Fa Yeung Nin Wa (In the Mood for Love) - PG |
"Feel the heat, keep the feeling burning, let the sensation explode." A man and a woman move in to neighboring Hong Kong apartments and form a bond when they both suspect their spouses of extra-marital activities. Flawless. Criticism is pointless; critique is mandatory. In this rumination about love and the passage of time, Wong Kar-Wai presents himself as a perfect interpreter of film language and there are so many levels of analysis to choose from it's almost impossible to know where to begin. Everything onscreen and in the text is completely under Wong's control, from each exquisitely structured shot (his use of walls to frame narrow passageways is astonishing) to the graceful, perfectly placed tracking camera (the cinematography is by Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee), from the subtle mix of neon and natural colors to the gorgeous costuming (by William Chang) intended to highlight so many moods and desires, from the straightforward storytelling to the ambiguities of movement and action (every nuance is open to interpretation and every interpretation has merit), from the soundtrack's use of a doleful string quartet to the tropical simplicity of Nat King Cole's Spanish crooning, and, finally, from the truly sublime performances of Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu Wai, playing neighbors whose spouses' affair unintentionally allow them to find a true but painful love to their wonderful supporting cast (particularly Ping Lam Siu, Rebecca Pan and Lai Chen). One of the crowning achievements in all of cinema, unforgettable and haunting. |
December 15, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Chungking Express - PG-13 |
"If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years..." Two stories, two lovelorn cops, two objects of desire: one a big-time heroin dealer in deep trouble with her boss after the cargo disappears, the other a seriously flaky take-out waitress who inadvertently gets hold of the keys to her admirer's apartment, all shot in a breathless kaleidoscope of color and hand-held camera work to create a mesmerizing portrait of Hong Kong in the 1990s. I finally got a chance to finish this movie and I have to say that I love it. It's a very expressionistic piece with a lot of attention to film details, such as editing, framing, camera-work, etc. that makes film geeks like me gush with enthusiasm. There's a buoyancy and an energy to almost every second of the film that makes the budget production quality seem like an enhancement rather than a problem--it's as though this film could only be made on a limited budget, using a hand-held camera, cheaper filmstock and so forth. First of all, this film is not about story or even characters in the traditional story sense, although there is a little character development, it's more about communicating the experience of the characters to the audience in a way that incorporates the entirety of the film. In that way, it reminds me of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. However, this film is a bit more centered on the characters' experience of getting over heartbreak and attempts to find new love amidst the heartbreak. The acting in the film is just fine, although I'd have to give the upper hand to the second half of the film's duo over the first. However, despite the solid acting overall, this film is really a director's film. Some of the tricks that director Wong Kar Wai pulls are just so perfect in capturing mood and emotion. The writing is a little unspectacular, but then again, the use of voice-over and the simplistic nature of the dialogue all help drive the experiential effect of the film. There are weaknesses in the film, like the story and the occasional moments where my suspension of disbelief is tested, but these are minor details, since the film's emotional and experiential power had me feeling quite effervescent at the end of the film. I loved it. |
December 11, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Negotiator - R |
"He frees hostages for a living. Now he's taking hostages to survive." In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth. Lieutenant Danny Roman, just married and quickly becoming recognized as one of Chicago's top hostage negotiators, has his life turned upside down when he's framed for the murder of his partner and embezzlement of his department's pension fund. With the evidence piling up against him and unsure of who he can trust, he resorts to desperate means by taking hostages himself and acquiring the services of an unknown by equally skilled negotiator (Spacey) in order to clear his name. Sharp, intelligent thriller should be your run of the mill cop flick, but the plot twists are so convincing, the police procedures so realistic, and the acting done with such great conviction that you don't want to miss a single moment of it! Jackson and Spacey ignite the screen, but they're surrounded by a top-notch supporting cast. A great piece of work from all those involved. |
December 10, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Damned United - R |
"They love me for what I'm not... ...they hate me for what I am." A look at Brian Clough's 44-day reign as the coach of Leeds United. "The best football coach the England team never had." So goes the last line of the best sports film you never saw. Or maybe I can change that condition by urging you to see one of the best recent sports films, better than current favorites such as We are Marshall and Gridiron Gang. Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) rose in the late sixties and early seventies to become coach of the premiere British football (soccer) team in England. But his tenure lasted an ignominious 44 days. Director Tom Hopper skillfully navigates parallel scenes: 1974, when Clough was made coach of Leeds, back through the years from his coaching the little Darby team to Leeds. And beyond. What makes this film so unusual is the uncompromising portrayal of that flawed coach with his ambition, ego, inferior complex, and, of course, his genius with football. Or I should I say with choosing Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall) as his assistant, a bowling pin shape of a man gifted with insight about players' strengths and a perfect complement to the abrasive Clough. However, if the film is flawed it makes apparent Taylor's humanity and never reveals, except with locker room pep talks, the humanity Clough must have had to lead so many teams to greatness. The actual playing, both original footage and reenacted version, occupies a relatively small part of the film because the emphasis is on character, primarily Clough and Taylor, who border on "bromance," but also minor characters such as Darby club president, Uncle Sam (Jim Broadbent) and rival coach, Don Revie (Colm Meany). Everyone is in character, so when the real people show up in the usual credit roll at the end, you could easily pick out the actor to match, so close even in appearance. Because this tale tells mainly about the Clough flaws that lead to his disgrace, The Damned United is uncompromisingly, sometimes painfully, real in the most satisfactory way. Even though Clough lost, the film wins. But wait, the suspense continues because the credit sequence will tell you the next act in Brian Clough's career. Second acts fit honest films like this. |
December 10, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Extract - R |
"He's not a lover. He's not a fighter. He's a small business owner."
Joel, the owner of an Extract plant, tries to contend with myriad personal and professional problems, such as his potentially unfaithful wife and employees who want to take advantage of him. Filmmaker Mike Judge (look for his fun cameo) goes to the work force well again in this frequently on-target comedy about a frustrated, put-upon extract factory owner (Bateman sealing his hip-to-be-square fate/straight-man of the '00s) who faces sexual difficulties with his wife (a frigidly funny Wiig) and a pending lawsuit by an injured employee that may both gum up the works in his decision to sell the business. Absurdly amusing with a game supporting cast (particularly an out-there shaggy Affleck as the straw-that-stirs-the-drink barkeep bud catalyst to the plots at hand and Koechner steals the film as the next-door-neighbor-from-hell). Some big laughs sprinkled liberally among the smaller, the film succeeds most in depicting how stupidity reins in the workforce but doesn't quite match its bookend cousin, "Office Space". |
December 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Saw VI - R |
"The Game Comes Full Circle" Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. Those sadistic producers are at it again, this time bringing interested viewers the sixth installment of the grisly series. The annual games have begun and center around Detective Hoffman who believes his tracks are covered after the death of a federal agent who happened to be his most dogged pursuer. Unfortunately for Hoffman, the agent left behind some pivotal clues that may allow his colleagues to discover the killer's true identity. Meanwhile, viewers are offered further insight into the mind and motivation of the deceased Jigsaw, and just what it was that drove him to do the things that he did. The amount of violence and gore is actually toned down a bit this one, and there are a few interesting twists here and there so as to avoid the sheer boredom of a slasher exercise. Clearly nothing special, but not bad by the standards of this series. |
December 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) (Broken Hugs) - R |
"Ernesto, I've just been with the man I love. I'm happier than I've ever been, because he loves me too. No need to spy on us anymore" Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal his wounds from 14 years back. He was then still known by his real name, Mateo Blanco, and directing his last movie. Almodóvar's direction in this film is full of passion, and his precise work is mostly noticed on the extraordinary performances from the cast.Penélope Cruz is truly amazing, and the same applies to Lluís Homar.José Luis Gómez and Blanca Portillo also bring perfect works. I also enjoyed the references Almodóvar made to various classics of worldwide cinema very much.The references I am talking about are not only found on the story (which rounds on the world of cinema), but also on naughty moments which duplicate famous scenes from classic films (I recognized homages to directors Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and Luis Buñuel).However, Broken Embraces is not only a "greatest hits".Those homages are perfectly integrated to the phenomenal screenplay, which has a lot of impact and intensity. Broken Embraces is a true masterpiece, and it deserves a very enthusiastic recommendation, because this is one of those joys the seventh art brings to us on some occasions.I think this is Almodóvar's most mature and polished work to date, and I am very interested in seeing how his career will follow after this extraordinary film. |
December 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Out of Sight - R |
"Opposites attract." A career bank robber breaks out of jail and shares a moment of mutual attraction with a US Marshall he has kidnapped. No one has captured the brilliance of author Elmore Leonard onscreen as Steven Soderbergh did with Out of Sight. Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Frank understand Leonard's dark-comedic tone perfectly and use it to concoct a film that is in turn hilarious, thrilling and romantic--and not at all sappy-romantic, but cool-sexy-hot romantic. The cast is phenomenal. Soderbergh elicits a truly great performance out of Clooney and Jennifer Lopez really never has been better. The supporting cast really shines, with Ving Rhames, Catherine Keener, Don Cheadle, Albert Brooks (who is nearly unrecognisable for most of the film) and Luis Guzman all doing stellar work. Overall, a great comedic action-drama for adults. Tops in this genre. If possible, get it on DVD, where it looks fabulous. |
December 3, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Humpday - R |
"Sometimes male bonding can be taken a little too far." Two guys take their bromance to another level when they participate in an art film project. Movie about two college friends Andrew (Joshua Leonard) and Ben (Mark Duplass) getting together years after college. Ben has settled down and is happily married to Anna (Alycia Delmore). Andrew is single and somewhat wild. During one drunken night Andrew and Ben said they'll make a film of themselves for a sex film festival--they'll film themselves making love. The next day they regret it but neither one will back down. And who's going to tell Anna? This sounds like it has the makings of a dirty adult comedy...but it isn't. There are some very funny parts in it but mostly they deal with the situation in a realistic manner. It works because the script is very well-written and refuses to back down or take the easy way out. It's also an adult movie--it doesn't talk down to its audience or dumb it down for teenagers. Add to that three great performances by all the leads--especially Delmore. This is the type of movie that you see with friends and discuss afterwards. A well-done thought-provoking film. It is a little too long but worth catching. Recommended. |
December 3, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Final Destination - R |
"Just because you know it's happening, doesn't mean you'll see it coming." After a teen's premonition of a deadly race-car crash helps saves the lives of his peers, Death sets out to collect those who evaded their end. Death goes three-dimensional in this lame, predictable, excruciatingly irritating sequel. The story, if you even want to call it that, begins at a racetrack where a group of puerile, unappealing teenagers are fortunate enough to escape a sickening accident when one of them has a premonition of the whole thing. Assorted others escape as well and then....isn't it obvious by now what kind of events are going to escalate throughout the rest of the film? 3-D or no 3-D, the producers don't seem to comprehend that despite how many different ways people are killed, or how much shock value they try so desperately to provide, this is the same tiresome plot that was used in all three previous films. Even worse, the special effects are so laughably absurd, and the sheer idiocy of the script is so unavoidable that it's like watching a parody of the entire series. This doesn't even work as a brainless thrill ride because the only thing it succeeds at is making your brain hurt. |
December 2, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Carriers - PG-13 |
"They'll die out there." "Everyone dies" Four friends fleeing a viral pandemic soon learn they are more dangerous than any virus. Two brothers and two girls are traveling across country trying to avoid those who are infected with a horrible disease. The disease has killed most of the population. They are doing okay until they run across a father and his infected daughter, who are looking to get to a government clinic with a serum that promises a cure. The two groups are forced through circumstances to hook up and the journey changes their outlooks on the situation. It also marks the beginning of events moving out of everyone's control (or at least the realization that things are not in their control). Small scale film is a nice compliment to films like 28 Days Later or even the recent zombie cycle, though there are no walking dead or crazed cannibals here. It's a dark horror tale more about the horrors of life then of monsters and madmen. How would we react to a situation like this? This might be an indication of what we might do. I like that the film doesn't full tell us everything that happened before. Things are not overly explained. We're given enough to work things out for ourselves and its more frightening that way. Its not a perfect film, but it is compelling and tense. It's a good enough film to make me wonder why this film hasn't gotten a big release. Perhaps the lack of monsters and its reasonably realistic (and bleak) nature have made it a film the studio doesn't know how to market. I really like this film, it's a nice find. Recommended. |
December 2, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Armored (Armoured) - PG-13 | December 2, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Julie & Julia - PG-13 |
"Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do You Have What It Takes?" Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book. This creative split dual movie about two pairs of couples related by a book, entertains, creates laughter, and engenders reflective memories of Julia while introducing the audience to a new fact-based female character that has her own path to travel. This movie includes ample doses of rich, intelligent humor based on the circumstances, situation, and personality of the characters. Surprisingly, this movie also depicts more substantive depth while presenting a populist summer movie. This challenging endeavor captures the trials of working from anonymity to publication and fame as well as the trials of pursuing a wild dream in the context of a relationship. Meryl Steep deserves another Golden Globe nomination for best comedy actress. This is a fun summer time movie with heart and soul that delights. |
December 1, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Iron Giant - PG |
"It came from outer space!" A boy makes friends with an innocent alien giant robot that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy. Sometimes when watching an animated feature, I spend my time saying, "What great animation." When this happens, I wonder if I am doing what the producers wanted me to do. Like so many things, should I be so enamored with the technical part of the movie that I am distracted from the content. As I watched "The Iron Giant" I realized I had forgotten it was an animated feature. Don't get me wrong. I knew the enormous title character was animated, but the relationships among the characters and the intelligence of the script caused me to forget that these weren't actors. The movie is filled with tender moments, especially as they relate to our feelings of our own mortality. What I enjoyed is that the grownups aren't treated as garden variety bad guys. Even the military, which is nearly always portrayed as evil, finds itself in a contradictory position--having to go on faith. The animation is wonderful, but so are the "performances." No spoilers here, but I think the ending is a lovely tribute to the spirit of the life force in all of us--even those of us not made of metal. See this. |
December 1, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Rocketeer - PG | December 1, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Ninja Assassin - R |
"They won't stop until you are dead. Go now." A young ninja turns his back on orphanage that raised him, leading to a confrontation with a fellow ninja from the clan. Teen ninja protégé Raizo (Joon Lee) confesses to the love of his life, fellow student Kiriko (Anna Sawai), "I have no heart?" in "Ninja Assassin". Raizo has sacrificed all to transform himself into the perfect weapon. His Sensei Ozunu (the great Sho Kosugi) reminds the grown Raizo (charismatic Rain), the orphan he trained as a son, "Never forget who you are." The Way of the Ninja is merciless and unforgiving, and Kiriko's life is forfeit. Raizo, now renegade, seeks only vengeance upon the Ozunu Clan. The perfect assassin must now become benevolent protector and avenging angel? Raizo discovers who he really is. This is the paradox of Director James McTeigue's bloody and stylish "Ninja Assassin". Although the story by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski glosses upon this internal conflict in a standard issue vengeance tale, the spectacular bloody mayhem, and Rain's cool presence overcome much of the routine narrative exercise. "Ninja Assassin" does not always make sense, but it is captivating to watch. Whether it is blindfolded Raizo wielding his chain and blade against sword wielding rival Takeshi or Raizo fighting to the death in a burning clan compound, the movie is engrossing. Rain generates a graceful deadly fighting style. McTeigue's quick cut editing may mask some of the martial arts precision, or may be this is just his kinetic visual style. The sword fighting is more kung fu than bushido, but the effect is slick and powerful. Martial arts master Kosugi as Ozunu displays the more traditional katana technique in the climactic duel with Raizo. "Ninja Assassin" has visually stunning and bloody martial arts fighting scenes. Aside from some trite attempts at skewed martial arts wisdom about pain and vanquishing weakness, "Ninja Assassin" is a decent hero story. Raizo is sympathetic in his transformation. Trained to be the perfect shadowy assassin, one must know that he is not really a good guy. Rain as Raizo is compelling in this paradox. Raizo's vengeance is very human, but as noble protector he becomes hero. "Ninja Assassin" ultimately works despite itself. Director McTeigue brilliantly avoids tripping over himself by allowing the visceral action to morph and evolve. And Raizo is not some invincible cartoon?he is brutally bloodied in his horrendous battles. "Ninja Assassin" is thoroughly engrossing escapist fare. |
December 1, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Ghost World - R | November 28, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Politist, adj. (Police, Adjective) - Unrated | November 28, 2009 | N/A |
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