Movie reviews January - August 2005

The A List
2. The Station Agent-- A-. Requires the right frame of mind, ie "I was just about to pick up my book, but wow I have a free 90 minutes, so I better watch that Peter Dinklage flick Dan told me about." If you crave action, look elsewhere. Also requires a couple of power boosts of suspension of disbelief. Best line: "Do they have clubs for you people?... [I won't spoil the punchline]"
3. Million Dollar Baby-- A--Morgan Freeman with a good script is really really impressive. Hilary Swank too but her role doesn't let her break out.
4. 42 Up-- the whole series is an A. Like duplicate bridge but with people.
7. Crash-- A--superb. Be forewarned: the coincidental connections between the 20+ characters are contrived, and many of the roles are themselves over-the-top. Because I liked this movie, the conceit makes the movie literary. If I didn't like it, the coincidences would be exhibit A for "writing so bad it offends geometry and good taste." Hypocrisy, maybe, but even bad actors (R.Philippe, M.Dillon) turn in good performances here. The theme of racial prejudging (not prejudice) is handled aloofly; if this movie were a congressional committee, it would be bipartisan, down to the same number of summer interns from each party.
11. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle-- A-. The movie is stupid but likable. I didn't realize Asian 20s smoked that much pot. Pretty good soundtrack.
18. Sin City-- A. Be warned: you need an almost pathological dissociation to see this much gory violence and not care. But that said, it is only once every 50 movies or so that I see a totally new film style. Blair Witch was one example, the first Matrix movie was another, Elephant another too. Sin City is the latest. The colors are extraordinary and the actors (most of them) are so heavily disguised that their familiarity doesn't get in the way. I liked Mickey Rourke in this better than in anything since Angel Heart. Nick Stahl is fun to watch, even Elijah Wood gets over himself. See it.
19. Hotel Rwanda-- A-. Nice touch by the director. Suspenseful. Don Cheadle is impressive, and Nick Nolte actually acts.
13. Aviator-- A- A hell of a lot better than the last Scorscese movie (Gangs) which stank the joint out entirely. I didn't know much about Howard Hughes before, and he seems like an interesting guy. Cate Blanchett has been better, but Kate Beckinsale makes the sale, if you know what I mean (and I think you do). Alan Alda is irritating, Alec Baldwin a bit more convincing than he was in the Cat in the Hat.
24. Vera Drake-- A-. Mike Leigh is an absolutely amazing director. Topsy-Turvy is one of my favorite movies of all time. This one is a bit more reserved and forlorn, but Imelda Staunton is just great.
27. Heaven-- A-. Wow! Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi are great together (I have liked both of their past movies very much; don't remember seeing them together before). Pretty strange movie though--reminds me of American Beauty in the cinematography.
38. The Cooler-- A-. William H. Macy is among the greatest actors working today. I loved this movie, add it to his list (Fargo, Boogie Nights, Oleanna, House of Games, Seabiscuit, State and Main). I know you have seen the others already (shame on you if you haven't), so go rent Oleanna. Now. NOW!
39. Riding Giants-- A. Cowabunga! Surfing rules... doesn't seem to pay very well though.
42. Intermission-- A-. Nice job all around. Irish.
43. Garden State-- A. I loved it. Natalie Portman is always a little hard to take, especially when you are supposed to feel sorry for her, but Zach Braff has a lot of zest, and the plot is engaging. Good date movie.
44. Saved!-- A. Right on. Macaulay Culkin shows some moxie, and the confrontations between Jena Malone and Mandy Moore are hysterical.

Don't Worry, B Happy
1. Kind Hearts and Coronets--B+--Now let's play word association... Alec Guiness... Obi Wan Kenobi! In order to replace (or at least supplement) this associaton, see this movie, in which Sir Alec plays 12 different parts, including a duchess, with great comic effect.
5. Last Samurai--B-. On the bright side, lots of nice Japanese costumes. Battle scenes are fun. On the other hand, Tom Cruise is not believable. More of a cartoon than a movie.
8. The Jacket--B+. Watch those credits at the end... Co-produced by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh (and Peter Guber): that explains it! (Mark Cuban gets an executive producer credit, go figure.) It is a genre movie (noir thriller with time travel, you know, Dark City but without the aliens) lifted by really nice performances. Kris Kristofferson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, even Keira Knightley (before this movie, I suspected she was actually one of the imagineering robots you see at the Disney rides). Adrien Brody is very very convincing. He is a good actor, but I hear he is a bad person. If he were a good person but a bad actor, he would probably be teaching high-school drama, so where is the justice?
9. War of the Worlds--B-. "Oh the humanity.". Didn't like it. Even allowing for the scientology. Morgan Freeman mails in a voice-over--I fear an early sign he is going the Samuel Jackson route.
10. The Big Red One--B. I can't recommend it, unless you want to know what WWII movies looked like before Band of Brothers (which BTW is an A+). Cheap thrills from seeing Mark Harmon with a beard (what if Luke Skywalker had a Sherman rifle and a belt full of grenades?).
12. Upside of Anger--B-. Not terrible. With this genre (soap opera), I find it helps to have extremely low expectations. I liked the ending, and I liked Joan Allen: she is the thinking person's desperate housewife. The real problem with this movie is it is too candy-coated. The actresses are models, Costner is a mimbo, the narration is vapid, the gay boyfriend is insinuating. Only Joan Allen achieves suspension of disbelief. The Thanksgiving movie she did with Katie Holmes and Oliver Platt is a lot better.
21. Seabiscuit--B. It's probably good to be reminded that the little guy can win if only he tries hard enough and doesn't quit. Aw shucks. William H Macy steals the show.
14. Devils on the Doorstep--B. Steven Soderbergh liked it, so I guess it's got film snob appeal. I liked the scenes with the prisoners, but who really wants to relive the Japanese occupation of China?
23. Shaun of the Dead--B+. I hope we will see more from Simon Pegg. I liked this send-up of George Romero horror with British humor and a nice love story besides.
25. House of Flying Daggers--B+. Nice action, nice costumes, but you have to tolerate the plot and the writing. I suspect it makes suspension of disbelief impossible even in the original.
26. Lonesome Dove--B. See it if your Tivo breaks and you have already seen every episode of Deadwood at least twice.
29. Must Love Dogs--B-. Should be called "Must hold nose," but no harder than when watching prime-time TV. It's actually pretty funny, and John Cusack (Say Anything) and Diane Lane (A Little Romance) are sentimental favorites for 40-somethings--I feel like I grew up with them. Diane Lane is 8 days older than I am, and I saw her in A Little Romance when I was 14. John Cusack (a year and a half younger than I am) with Ione Skye (and Lili Taylor) was a high point in 1980s teen movies. So we all need to cut them a lot of slack. Wish the writing had been better. Especially with Christopher Plummer, Stockard Channing, and Elizabeth Perkins (remember About Last Night?) in support.
30. Gunner Palace--B-. Yes, we know, war is bad. And this documentary on GIs in Iraq has some interesting footage, but mostly wasted time watching a vapid private play electric guitar. I would like to have seen more on the Iraqis.
31. 24 Hour Party People--B+. I liked God Save the Queen, and I knew people who listened to Joy Division, but I never liked them myself. Steve Coogan is great as Tony Wilson, who founded the music label.
35. Collateral--B+. Good flick! Jamie Foxx brings it home.
36. I'm Not Scared--B+. But you will be when you see this movie. Italian boy gets kidnapped in the south, pretty realistic.
37. I'll Sleep when I'm Dead--B. Clive Owen is a fascinating actor to follow around. I liked Croupier better. This movie reminded me a little of Gangster No. 1, one of Paul Bettany's first movies.
41. Around the World in 80 Days--B. I know, I know, what the hell am I doing watching this movie? I happen to like Jackie Chan, okay? This movie is really for kids (below the age of 12 and of average or below intelligence), but I enjoyed it.
33. The Leopard--B. Of some historical interest, but I don't think you have time for that.
47. Kung Fu Hustle--B+. Steven Chow has got a fresh eye and a wild imagination (he did Shaolin Soccer too). The Landlady kicks some serious bootay.
48. Layer Cake--B. Like pizza, British tongue-in-cheek gangster movies are always good, even when they are bad. You may have Lock, Stock... in the back of your mind when you see Layer Cake, but unfortunately it has none of the dry wit, the clever plot twists, or the fresh dialogue of Guy Ritchie's breakthrough hit. Colm Meaney is disappointing here--I think his career jumped the shark when he played an out-of-control DEA agent in Con Air (the Waterloo of many notables). Too bad: he was great in The Snapper and The Commitments. Nevertheless, the movie hits the spot, with good stuff from Daniel Craig, Jamie Foreman (a reckless drug runner), and Michael Gambon (as the uber-boss).

Don't Bother C-ing It
15. The Grudge--C+. Sigh. I liked Ringu (and The Ring), and I liked Sarah Michelle Gellar in the Dangerous Liaisons remake, so I thought I would like this. I was wrong. Can you believe they made a sequel?
16. The Ring II--C-. Loved Naomi Watts in The Ring. Should have quit while I was ahead.
17. Red Eye--C. It certainly made my eyes red.
20. Romper Stomper--C. I can't recommend this movie to anyone, unless your ph.d thesis is on the career arc of Russell Crowe. He has the same deadpan stare here as in later films, but you can see that on imdb in a fraction of the time.
6. Secret Window--C--They should have kept the secret. Johnny Depp is an amazing talent. And John Turturro pulls off a Mississippi drawl tolerably (hard to imagine until you hear it). So I bought it for the first 60 minutes, then it turns maudlin and cheap.
22. Overnight--C+. What a pain in the ass Troy Duffy is. The Boondock Saints was terrible, that's why he'll never work in this town again--forget the conspiracy.
28. Assault on Precinct 13--C. Tchock, tchock, tchock... that's the sound of the cogs of studio machinery chunking out a formulaic action flick for the M18-49 demographic. Too bad. Good cast, good original movie, bad remake.
32. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow--C. Nope. Leave it alone. Feh.
34. The Saddest Music in the World--C. Totally bizarre. I can handle a lot, and I will see anything with Isabella Rossellini in it, but this reminded me of Eraserhead. Stay away.
40. Bon Voyage--C+. So go already. Gerard Depardieu, Isabelle Adjani.
45. De-Lovely--C. Really, really, REALLY boring. And I wanted to like it.
46. Coffee and Cigarettes--C. It's a Jim Jarmusch flick. Go see the new one with Bill Murray instead, or see Down By Law again.

Movie Reviews, 2004

I saw only 66 movies last year (down from about 100 in 2002), of which 59 were DVD rentals, the majority of which were released in theaters in 2003 or earlier. So this isn't a 'best of 2004' list, just some suggestions for the off-night rental. Enjoy!
Dan

BEST PICTURES (MAINSTREAM CHOICES)
1. The Fog of War (2003)--Errol Morris on his worst day is better than Michael Moore at his best... and I mean no offense to Errol Morris by mentioning him in the same sentence as the pompous windbag from Flint. If you haven't already, see Morris's Thin Blue Line (1988); it was probably the genesis of the current boom in documentaries (Roger & Me came a year
later).
2. Touching the Void (2003)--I can't say enough about it. A must-see. MUST SEE!!
3. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)--I don't know if I liked this one more or less than the other two. I did fast-forward through the last 30 minutes, which otherwise would have tanked the movie for me.
4. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)--Another great documentary. If you haven't already, see Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996), which is even better.
5. Dinner Rush (2001)--Danny Aiello's best role since Do the Right Thing. Edoardo Ballerini is strong too; you may remember him as Alvarez on Oz (on HBO).
6. Spellbound (2002)--Consensus top 10. Today's speller is tomorrow's crossword champ....

BEST PICTURES (BUT HIGH BETA)
7. City of God (2002)--A little choppy, but the story pulls it through. Doesn't make me want to vacation in Rio anytime soon.
8. Elephant (2003)--Innovative film-making. An out-of-body experience. Like Blair Witch, but without the bad audio.
9. Dirty Pretty Things (2002)--Is that Audrey Tautou (from Amelie)? Playing a Turk? Stephen Frears strikes again (and if you haven't seen his other films, go get The Grifters, High Fidelity, Dangerous Liaisons, Sammy and Rosie, Prick Up Your Ears, etc. etc. etc.).
10. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)--Innovative. I might not have liked it quite so much if I weren't into biking.
11. American Splendor (2003)--Giamatti breaks through. Hope Davis is wonderful too.
12. L'Auberge Espagnole (2002)
13. Next Stop Wonderland (1998)--Won't make many top ten lists. Hope Davis is good in it.
14. 28 Days Later (2002)--This is the good stuff: British post-apocalypse survivalists.
15. Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (2002)--Dogtown and Z Boys is better, but it still works.
16. Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns (2003)--You have to like They Might Be Giants... but I happen to love them
17. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)--I loved it! I loved it! The Coen brothers are underrated (despite being pretty highly rated). George Clooney isn't just a mimbo, at least when he is directed by he Coens... Go see O Brother Where Art Though? and Three Kings too.

SAW THEM IN THE THEATER--FOUR GOOD ONES AND A STINKER
18. Supersize me (2004)--Tremendous. Loved it. Got me eating even more Kashi.
19. Closer (2004)--Usually I find Julia Roberts tedious and cloying. But she was great in this one. Jude Law is like DiCaprio, but more sufferable. Clive Owen is superb; see him in Croupier if you haven't already.
20. Sideways (2004)--Outstanding. Paul Giamatti continues to impress (as he did in American Splendor , but here more accessibly). Watch out for the photo of him and his dad (Bart) in the first 15 minutes. Virginia Madsen is great in the role... she is this decade's answer to the Big Chill, but no so smarmy. I don't get the Sandra Oh-mania, but she was fine too.
21. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)--Touching and original. I liked Jim Carrey in this role, and Kate Winslet is as good as she was in Heavenly Creatures (i.e. very very good).
22. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)--Liked the original. Slept through most of the 2004 remake. Woke up from time to time and wished I hadn't.

PRETTY GOOD (BUT HIGH-BETA)
23. Bad Santa (2003)--Hilarious
24. Shaolin Soccer (2001)--Strong caveat: this is mainstream Chinese moviemaking... so it has really strange plotlines and emotive acting... totally absurd but fun to watch anyway
25. Zatoichi (1989)--More bizarre but watchable martial arts, this time Japanese. Tries to be like Kurosawa but doesn't quite make it. Even with the subtitles it's hard to follow.
26. The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)
27. Donnie Darko (2001)--More teen angst. Has cult status, but not really a cult movie.
28. On Guard (1997)--Daniel Auteil is in usual form. Nice period piece.
46. The Reckoning (2004)--Paul Bettany plays a traveling actor in the middle ages. Terrific flick.

I LIKED IT DESPITE STRONG MISGIVINGS BEFORE VIEWING... i.e. I liked it but felt guilty about it
29. In America (2002)--This movie was made for Jim McGuire. All it lacked was a solemn reading of the poem about the guy who freezes to death.
30. You Got Served (2004)--In the strong tradition of Bring It On and Drumline... If you haven't seen any of these, see Drumline first, unless you are a Kirsten Dunst devotee, in which case see Bring It On.
31. Thirteen (2003)--Kids and Bully are both better movies.
32. The School of Rock (2003)
33. Bowling for Columbine (2002)--Elephant is better. But he has a point about those Canadians; if they own the guns, why don't they use them?

BETTER THAN I EXPECTED
34. Shattered Glass (2003)--Watch the DVD extras... they interview the real ex-journalist.
35. Matchstick Men (2003)--Best Nicolas Cage movie since Valley Girl (well, he made a couple of good ones since then, but not many).
36. Pieces of April (2003)--Katie Holmes vehicle. Oliver Platt and Patricia Clarkson married? They must be about 20 years apart.
37. Anything Else (2003)--It's Woody Allen through the mouth of Jason Biggs. Not too bad.
38. Owning Mahowny (2003)--Philip Seymour Hoffman is a good actor. Really.

SOMEWHAT OVERRATED BUT PRETTY GOOD ANYWAY
39. Monster (2003)--The DVD extras on the making of the movie were better than the movie.
40. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)--A heck of a lot better than Vol. 1.
41. Hellboy (2004)--Latest entry in the obscure-comic-book-hero-made-into-a-movie genre
42. Bourne Supremacy (2004)--Not enough of Franka Potente; see her in Run Lola Run. Matt Damon has exactly one facial expression for the entire movie.
43. Hero (2002)--Jet Li! Yeah! Lots of martial arts, not much martial artistry.

BETTER THAN WATCHING GRASS GROW, BUT ONLY MARGINALLY MORE EXCITING
44. Veronica Guerin (2003)--Cate Blanchett can't save it. Maudlin.
45. Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman (1944)
47. The Human Stain (2003)--This one has Wentworth Miller, whom I met about 10 years ago at Deer Island, when he was 16. Doesn't save the movie though. Nicole Kidman is not believable as a charwoman. Boring movie.
48. Once Were Warriors (1994)--I got this because Bryant Gumbel said he liked it. It's a bit like a Lifetime made-for-TV movie, but featuring Maoris (I guess that makes it more authentic).
49. Man on the Train (2002)--Aging French gangsters. Enough said. Like Swimming Pool, but without Ludivine Sagnier.
50. Out of Time (2003)--Denzel. Eva. Dull dull dull.
51. Final Destination (2000)
52. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)--Had they fallen?
53. Sweet Sixteen (2002)
54. Ride with the Devil (1999)--Stars Jewell (the singer) but drags nonetheless.
55. Walking and Talking (1996)--Catherine Keener is good, but it moves slow slow slow.

I DIDN'T LIKE IT, DESPITE HIGH EXPECTATIONS
56. All About Eve (1950)--Yap yap yap... will someone make Bette Davis shut the hell up? Who could feel sorry for that woman?
57. Sharpe's Waterloo (1997)--The books are better
58. The Newton Boys (1998)--Matthew McConaughey needs to be hit in the face with the flat part of a shovel. Now that would be entertaining!

SAW THEM ON AN AIRPLANE--YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
59. Dodgeball (2004)--I would never have paid to see this movie. I laughed heartily though. Not Ben Stiller's worst movie of the year.
60. The Butterfly Effect (2004)--Stars that guy who dates Demi Moore. Not so good.

DIDN'T GRAB ME, SO I TURNED THEM OFF (USUALLY WITHIN 10 MINUTES)
61. Big Fish (2003)--I like Burton, but this had the saccharine alarm ringing off the hook before the opening credits
62. I Capture the Castle (2003)--Some kind of English thing. Couldn't be bothered to watch it.
63. The Quiet American (2002)--Probably it's a good flick, for someone who has no other demands on his time.
64. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)--It's Ang Lee, so it's almost an obligation to see it, but I've found some of Alison's shows on the Food network more engrossing.

WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?
65. Mystic River (2003)--A piece of crap. This is a DVD for laying down and avoiding. What a misuse of talent.
66. The Junction Boys (2002)--Bear Bryant played by Tom Berenger. Please.