Reference

Movies 2010

Movies: 106 || Actors: 14

Dogtooth (2009) 8.00 [D. Yorgos Lanthimos] 2010-01-01

Absolutely weird and strange film about a man who isolates his family, two daughters and a son, in his house to protect them from the evils of the outside world. It would be simplistic to say that the children then develop their own twisted morality, even incest, as a result. It's hard to even describe the action of the film except that it involves the murder of a cat, various sexual encounters (with each other), and a bizarre and energetic dance sequence featuring classical guitar. It is a statement on morality and custom and culture, that it is the product of conditions that can be twisted, and results in what we might, offhand, think of as perverse. But I note that Lanthimos says he was inspired to make the film after a discussion with a friend who was getting married in which he questioned the entire idea of the custom of marriage.

Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Angeliki Papoulia, Christos Passalis, Mary Tsoni

Deep Blue Sea (2011) 8.00 [D. Terence Davies] 2010-01-01

Did not enter at the time I saw it but noted as I reviewed Davies' new film, "Sunset Song". A brooding, dark film, of insoluble human passions.

Rachel Wiesz, Tom Hiddleston, Ann Mitchell

Artist (2011) 8.20 [D. Michel Hazanavicius] 2010-02-04

Entrancing, expertly directed silent movie about silent movies and a matinee idol who refuses to adapt to sound, and the girl who loves him who does. Not quite "A Star is Born" but certainly reminiscent of "The Comic" at times. Clever use of music, then sound, effects, but not quite, and beautifully acted with meticulous attention to pace and body language. I didn't find the ending entirely satisfying-- not quite plausible-- but the gentle evocation of Peppy's devotion to George was quite moving at times, as when she sends an employee to buy up George's artifacts at public auction and then saves them for him.

Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Malcolm McDowell

Of Time and the City (2009) 8.60 [D. Terence Davies] 2010-11-01

Quiet, meditative, poetic look at changing Liverpool, the troubled past, the even more troubled future, through the lens of Terence Davies' repressive upbringing in a Catholic family. Lovely old film footage and the music in a Davies film is always special. There is a point at which it meanders a little, but that's forgivable. Davies' acute sensitivity, and no-holds barred comments on royalty and privilege-- make it all worthwhile.

True Grit 2010 (2010) 8.20 [D. Ethan Coen] 2010-12-31

Shrewd, tight remake of the 1969 film that gave John Wayne an Oscar for a jokey performance as an over-the-hill marshal who helps a young girl track down the killer of her dad. Jeff Bridges does better here as Rooster Cogburn, and so does Damon as LaBoeuf, replacing the ridiculous Glen Campbell. True Grit is told from the view of a woman with convictions, the now elderly Mattie, well-played as a 14-year-old by Hailee Steinfield. In this world, God's grace is arbitrary-- virtue is not rewarded. Mattie isn't even really interested in justice-- she just wants revenge. And Cogburn doesn't often bring men back in to be tried, which is why she chooses him for the job. Be it noted that it is essential, in such movies, for audience satisfaction, that the fantasy of instant, flawless identification is perpetuated, lest the audience become concerned that this kind of vigilante practice might lead to the deaths of innocents. Mattie spots Tom Chaney and instantly recognizes him because, hell, it's James Brolin.

Hailee Steinfield, Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, Barry Pepper, James Brolin

The Road (2009) 7.80 [D. John Hillcoat] 2010-12-28

Why? 111 minutes of wandering and suffering, wandering and suffering. There isn't a single scene that feels like it wasn't conceived to be what the writer thought the viewer would imagine it to be. When the viewer is called upon to be frightened they sleep in the dark; when a camp fire seems more picturesque, let's have a campfire. Worst of all, the relationship between father and son has that antiseptic "film crew in the house observing" feel to it: every gesture meant to show how devoted they are to each other, even if nobody behaves that way in real life. I thought of the relationship in "Pelle the Conqueror", which was far more convincing, and thus, far more heartbreaking.

Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-Mcfee, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Molly Parker

Charade (1963) 8.00 [D. Stanley Donen] 2010-12-25

Exceedingly clever, witty comedy-suspense film about a young woman whose husband was involved in the theft of gold during the later stages of World War II. Just as she was about to divorce him, he is murdered and three-- or four-- mysterious strangers are after her for the missing loot. Grant plays a debonair thief who seems to want to protect her-- or is he part of the gang? There are layers upon layers of deceit, the most central being the reversed roles: the lines initially written for Grant were given to Hepburn instead, turning the film into a sometimes edgey tease about romance.

Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Arthur Kennedy, Charles Coburn, Walter Mathau

Proof (2005) 7.50 [D. John Madden] 2010-12-22

Intriguing story about the daughter of a brilliant mathematician who may or may not have inherited her father's skill, or his mental instability, and her sister who wants to wrap her up and take her away. The romance never really shows any sparks (between the daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow, and a student, Jake Gyllenhaal) and it's hard to buy in to the premise, that 40 pages of exotic formulae can't be traced to a particular set of methods or styles with certainty. Diverting but not all that compelling.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anthony Hopkins

Black Swan (2010) 7.00 [D. Darren Aronofsky] 2010-12-22

"The Doors" was consumed, for a good portion of its running time, with presenting us with the manifestations of Jimmy Morrison's consuming addiction to alcohol. And there is nothing more boring than a drunk. Unless it's a ballerina consumed with self-destructive behaviors. The problem with both is that these protagonists' personal failures are dramatic because of their powers as artists at the bleeding edge of their crafts, and few directors are able to show us that edge, that hardness that brought them success while melodramaticlly diagramming their weaknesses. The result is unbelievable. Portman, all through her supposed ballet performances, displays all the tics and mannerisms of an actress trying desperately to convince you she is playing someone desperate, when the real thing would be trying desperately to show you that she is in control, professional, accomplished. Great dancers, and singers, in peak form, with the exception of Elvis Stoyko, don't concern themselves primarily with displaying their weaknesses, as both Val Kilmer and Natalie Portman do. More to the point, the whole concept of merging Nina's hallucinations with her morbid self-sacraficing physical sufferings simply didn't work: the drama veered into hysteria and made it all seem like a very bad horror flick, right down to the blood, the loud, sudden noises, and overbearing musical score. Equally disappointing: Aronofsky's gradual fading interest in the nuts and bolts of ballet: he should have studied Mike Leigh's "Topsy Turvy" for a stellar example of how to integrate the drama within with the drama.

Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassels, Winona Ryder

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I (2010) 7.00 [D. Peter Yates] 2010-12-08

Call me a party pooper, but I have never found Rowling's novels to be particularly clever or compelling and the same goes for the movies. The special effects are very good and the acting by some of the British stars is amusing, but the three principles are not really all that good at it, and everyone seems to be standing around waiting to deliver their lines. Even worse is the 45 minute stretch where Hermine, Ron, and Harry go camping and stand around looking morose-- why is this movie 146 minutes?

Fighter (2010) 8.00 [D. David O. Russell] 2010-12-30

Terrific film about boxer Mickey Ward and his brother. No one should mistake this for "Raging Bull", but it is tight, well acted, and well directed.

Mean Girls (2004) 6.00 [D. Mark Waters] 2010-12-06

Limp, uninteresting study of socialization of teen girls at American high school, cliques, and corruption, with Lindsey Lohan as naive home- schooled daughter of -- presumably-- missionaries-- suddenly thrust into social snake-pit of teen girldom and fairing poorly until she starts to behave like her nemesis. Only thing worth watching: Rachel McAdams as bad girl Regina George. This is the first of two Tina Fey movies (the other being "Date Night") which I found hugely disappointing.

Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfeld, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler

Conviction (2010) 7.20 [D. Tony Goldwyn] 2010-11-22

As expected (Hilary Swank is executive producer) the film contrives to tell it's story in a manner that most gloriously showcases Swank's acting chops thereby positioning her for a third academy award. Not this time. Swank plays Betty Ann Waters whose brother is convicted of murder by a cold-blooded corrupt police officer. Betty Ann never stops fighting for her brother's innocence, even attending law school and becoming a lawyer to fight the case. This could have been a much better movie had the other characters been offered a chance to exist apart from Betty's Ann amazing virtue. When her brother, Kenny, is released, the first question a reporter asks is how could he ever thank his sister enough for what she did for him. Swank demurely smiles. One actually feels bad for Driver, Leo, Rockwell, and all the others: there's no room in this movie for their characters. And in real life, Kenneth Waters was a violent, abusive, alcoholic, who died six months after he was released when he felt from a 15 foot brick wall while taking a shortcut on his way home. Still, it was clearly incompetent police work and Waters was not likely the culprit (blood at the scene did not match his, or the victim's DNA).

Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo

Limey (1999) 8.00 [D. Steven Soderbergh] 2010-11-21

After years in a British prison, Wilson travels to Los Angeles to find out who was responsible for his daughter's death years earlier in a car accident, and make sure he pays for it. High on the list of suspects is Terry Valentine, a wealthy record producer who lives in a very striking mansion in the Hollywood Hills. Valentine has some salubrious connections to the criminal underground, but Wilson is a fearless bulldog who will stop at nothing. Stylishly filmed and acted. Stylishly plotted. Wilson amuses us because of his indefatigable courage seems so at odds with his self-interest, and because he learns, in the end, that his daughter, who disapproved of his criminal lifestyle, may have been right all along.

Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzman, Peter Fonda, Joe Dallesandro

Winslow Boy (1999) 8.30 [D. David Mamet] 2010-11-21

Based on a successful play which was itself based on real events, "The Winslow Boy" is about a 13-year-old royal naval academy cadet accused of stealing a 5 shilling postal money order from a classmate and forging the classmate's signature. His family-- especially his old- school father and his independent sister, Catherine-- are convinced of his innocence and choose to fight it. They appeal to parliament for the right to appeal to the crown. The battle stretches over years and ends up costing far more than their money, as Catherine's scandalized fiancee urges them to quit. Superbly written and acted, it's really about the cost of being a true believer, of being passionate about causes (Catherine is also a suffragette), and about why it matters to be right.

Rebecca Pidgeon, Nigel Hawthorne, Gemma Jones, Jeremy Northam

Frontline: Confessions (2010) 9.00 [D. Ofra Bikel] 2010-11-11

Powerful documentary about 7 sailors based in Norfolk who were each charged with murder and rape, almost all of whom confessed, and were convicted even after an eighth man confessed to the crime, whose DNA matched evidence from the crime scene, and who insisted he did it alone.

Mysterious Skin (2004) 7.80 [D. Gregg Araki] 2010-11-06

Neil and Brian meet on a little league team in 1991, but soon afterwards, Brian quits the team. At his last game, he remembers a thunderstorm starting, and then nothing for five hours, until his sister finds him in his basement bleeding from the nose. Neil remembers a sexual relationship with the coach, and becomes a male prostitute, and a drug user, and one of those beautiful boys lost to the world.

Catfish (2010) 8.50 [D. Arial Schulman] 2010-11-06

This is the first film I've seen-- in spite of "The Social Network" that really integrates social networking, Google, and Facebook into the story. And it is a deeply surprising story, in that the twist is not what you expect, and there is a bigger, but more subtle twist on the twist. It's basically about Nev Schulman, a New York City graphic artist, who connects with a young girl named Abby in Michigan, who renders amazing artistic renderings of some of his photographs. Eventually, Nev connects with Abby's mom and her sister Megan, for whom Nev begins to have a romantic attachment, which is enthusiastically reciprocated. Anything beyond that is a spoiler, except, of course, that Nev and his brother and Henry Joost, their collaborator, set out to meet Megan and Abby and their mom, and that's where things get interesting. Let me say that you might be left wondering who is conning who at the end, or if the con really matters at all. As with "Grey Gardens", you may discover that the richness and complexity of human social behavior is far more interesting than the tabloids could possibly tell you.

Arial Schulman, Nev Schulman, Henry Joost

Bad Lieutenant (1992) 8.00 [D. Abel Ferrara] 2010-11-05

Gritty, bitter, unpleasant but well-acted story of a corrupt police Lieutenant in New York City, badly addicted to cocaine and heroin, and young women, and deeply indebted to gamblers. Keitel performance is brilliant at times-- at other times, queasy, as when he engages in this animalistic growl to express his desperation. Does it work? I'm not sure. But there isn't a single bad performance in the movie, and though some scenes are disturbing, it hangs together as a portrait of a broken, defeated man, who, of course, makes one final lunge at redemption, in an unexpected way, in response to a nun who wants to forgive those who have wronged her. Worthwhile, but not for the faint of heart.

Harvey Keitel

Videodrome (1983) 7.40 [D. David Cronenberg] 2010-10-31

Max Renn (James Woods) runs a TV station and he's always on the look-out for the unusual, the tintillating, the shocking-- anything that will grab an audience. One night, a technician at the station grabs a satellite signal of an unusally violent tv program. In fact, they wonder if the violence isn't real, making this film one of the earliest to deal with the subject of "snuff" films. Renn pursues the source of the video, eventually stumbling into some weird cult that is set on redirecting society away from tawdry, "soft" entertainments, to something that will put more backbone into society and purify it of liberal elements. Strange, strange story, partly trashy spectacle (as when body parts explode), partly high-brow sci-fi. But never really all that good.

James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits

Memories of Murder (2003) 8.00 [D. Joon-ho Bong] 2010-10-30

Oddly compelling Korean crime drama based on the true story of a serial killer operating in the Gyunggi region of Korea in the 1980's. A body is found, naked, hog-tied, and detectives Park Doo-Man and Cho Yong-koo quickly round up a few hapless suspects to torture. A detective from Seoul, Seo Tae-Yoon , eventually joins them, bringing sophistication and world-weariness to the equation, but he also, ultimately, finds himself out of his depth, as the bodies pile up and one suspect after another slips through their fingers. All this against a backdrop of political unrest as Korea holds their first democratic elections. Look for images of tunnels that appear in various incarnations, suggesting that nobody here has a clear view or understanding of the significance of what is happening. This really a remarkable movie that eventually wins you over with it's unpretentiousness and insight into crime and public fear, and with a refreshing taste for character development: no one stays the same as the mystery grinds these investigators souls into the ground.

Roe-ha Kim, Jae-ho Song, Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim

Never Let Me Go (2010) 8.50 [D. Mark Romanek] 2010-10-28

Three children grow up together at a British boarding school, only dimly, then more clearly, aware of their fate. The premise is sci-fi but the film is so naturalistic and so quietly matter-of-fact that you focus on the personalities, the feelings, and the attitudes of the three protagonists, Ruth, Kathy, and Tommy. They form a triangle of longing and frustrated desire, and the film is so quietly insinuating that a "shocking" development appears inevitable, after all. Weepy at times, or is it haunting? This is a delicate study of what we accept or don't accept about our lives, and how fateful decisions can be immersed in time and place and seem beyond our grasp. Incidentally, the actors playing the three major roles as young children look fabulously like younger versions of the adult actors in those roles.

Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly, Sally Hawkins, Andrew Garfield

The Town (2010) 7.40 [D. Ben Affleck] 2010-10-27

Self-indulgent and predictable thriller about the usual admirable bank robber whose girl alone recognizes his great soul and who struggles with what to do with all the money he steals so honorably. If criminals really acted like Doug MacRay, you'd wonder why the police ever bother to try an arrest them-- he's so downright mannerly.

Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm

Invictus (2009) 7.90 [D. Clint Eastwood] 2010-10-27

Clint Eastwood's sometimes interesting tribute to Nelson Mandela, who decided that the all-white rugby team was the way to unify the country after his polarizing election in 1994. He recruits Francois Pienaar, the captain of the rugby team, to the cause, and South Africa is slated to host the Rugby World Cup in 1995. The real events were unlikely enough, and Eastwood is a low-key director, but he is also one of the worst at working with actors and generally, as in "Invictus", gets poor performances. Eastwood's attempts to infuse the drama with cosmic significance merely drain all the fun out of it. But was there ever a more "wisened black dude" than Mandela, for Morgan Freeman to play? It's the role he always plays, in almost every film.

Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman

When the Levees Broke: a Requiem (2006) 9.00 [D. Spike Lee] 2010-10-20

Spike Lee's caustic look at Katrina and it's after-effects and the government mismanagement afterwards.

Four Friends (1981) 7.70 [D. Arthur Penn] 2010-10-20

Uneven but intriguing variation of "Big Chill" and "Secaucus Seven", about four friends, including a free-spirited girl, who make their way through the '60's, various relationships, disappointments and let downs, to find themselves at loose ends with life and each other. Melodramatic at times, but unpredicatable, and earnest. Georgia, the free

Roger Dodger (2002) 7.80 [D. Dylan Kidd] 2010-10-10

Roger is a lady's man. His nephew Nick is a 16-year-old high school student and a virgin. He badly wants to score and needs Roger's help, so Roger, flattered, presumably, takes him out on the town and gives him a double-dose of his "wisdom" about women. There are obvious problems-- the first being that either Roger has had some success with women and therefore feels qualified in some perverse way to guide Nick to success; or he has been a miserable failure, in which case we need a joke or some other kind of acknowledgement that he is a fool and Nick is a fool for believing he has any help to offer. But for a while, Roger Dodger wants to have it both ways. Roger is a a complete jerk with no appeal to women whatsoever, yet he seems to really believe he has been successful with women. We see nothing that leads us to think he has experienced anything other than rejection. But then, suddenly, women start responding to Roger the way they would respond to any jerk like him in real life, and then the movie suddenly becomes believable, as believable as the idea that they would find Nicky adorable because he's too dumb to be anything less than candid with them, even about his virginity. Every plot development seems to occur for the convenience of the plot of the movie; characters seem to have no existence outside of the script-- they walk on at the right moment to provide a drama. The conversation that opens the film, between Roger and several female-co-workers, requires that none of them have the good taste to stomp on him or walk away: their pupose is to be a punching bank for the writer's self-perceived "insights", which are too mean to be excused as the mere ranting of a character.

Idiots and Angels (2009) 8.50 [D. Bill Plympton] 2010-10-10

Wonderful animated film about a cur who grows wings that seem to have a mind of their own-- they want to do good. Angel hates people. He's selvish and peevish and lives alone. One day, a caterpillar lands on his head and grows into a butterfly, which Angel crushes in his hand. Before you know it, Angel has wings budding out of his back. His doctor plots to steal them for himself, as does his bartender, and others. He just wants to get rid of them, because they keep making him do "good", stopping a robbery, rescuing a bullied girl. It's an odd story-- not really parable, and not really rich psychologically, but the animation is wonderful, the music is very striking, and the story never flags.

Social Network (2010) 8.80 [D. David Fincher] 2010-10-03

Brilliant adaptation of the book by Ben Mesrich that has the smarts to move beyond the biopic into the important social issues raised by new technologies-- Mark Zuckerberg doesn't have many friends and his girlfriend dumps him because not only does he lack any basic social skills-- he's an asshole. Zuckerberg gets revenge by creating a website to rate girls at Harvard, which leads to an offer from a pair of twins called Cameron and __ Winklevos who want to create a social networking site for Harvard grads. Did that idea evolve into Facebook? (The Winklevos' idea itself seems derived from MySpace). Lawsuits follow success and Sorkin pegs his story to the depositions given during the legal process. Tight, funny, and dynamic, and, for once, technically astute. When Zuckerberg describes how he builds his first version, the mashup page, most of the descriptions are recognizable Unix commands that appear accurate. And the Winklevos' confrontation with president of Harvard, Laurence Summers, features Sorkin's famous wit at it's finest. The film never loses sight of the ironies: Zuckerberg's only friend, Eduardo Saverin, is actually wrong about how to exploit the new application, while bad boy Sean Parker (inventor of Napster) is usually right.

Jesse Eisenberg, Rooney Mara, Arnie Hammer, Andrew Garfield

Let Me In (2010) 8.00 [D. Matt Reeves] 2010-10-03

Remake of a Swedish Film (Let the Right One in) is surprisingly faithful to the bleak, grim spirit of the original. Twelve-year old Owen is bully-fodder as his local school, and depressed by the break-up of his parents' marriage, and friendless, until Abby moves in next door with her mysterious "father". Abby tells him right off the bat that she can't be his friend, but the two lonely adolescent's find comfort in each others' miseries and eventually grow loyal to each other, in spite of disturbing events in the neighborhood clearly linked to Abby. Gory at times, and exquisitely beautiful at others. Both of the child actors are superb, drector Reeves had the wisdom to adopt the best scenes from the original with more technical virtuousity. Nevertheless, the adults are a bit quick to adopt explanations of events that we know, as film-viewers, but that real person in that situation would not be likely to interpret quite so accurately. Disturbing and grim.

Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins

Fish Tank (2009) 8.80 [D. Andrea Arnold] 2010-09-27

Searing, realistic drama about an out-of-sorts teenager and her spiteful, uncaring mother, and her struggles to create an identify for herself amid poverty and confusing social situations. Mia is no wall-flower: she's tough and provocative and sometimes just asks for it, indulging in risky behaviors, while quietly ambitious to pass an audition for a dance show. Arnold is meticulous about capturing her life in all of its facets, its pace, its ambifuities. She pulls no punches when Mia indulges in a possibly inappropriate relationship with her mother's boyfriend-- remarkably without self-pity. Memorable and affecting, beautifully, dynamically directed-- some scenes are almost astonishing, while others, including a poignant farewell scene near the end, are transcendent and magical.

Katie Jarvis, Rebecca Griffiths, Kierston Wareing, Michael Fassbender

Disappearance of Alice Creed (2010) 7.70 [D. J Blakeson] 2010-09-24

Interesting and medium tight suspense film about two oddballs who kidnap a young woman and hold her for ransom from her father, whom she apparently despises. This is a film about twists and the art is not in the surprise-- the developments are not all that surprising -- but in the artfulness of the revelations. The problem is that a lot of the tension is derived form scenes in which the character appears to be acting in the way he thinks the audience expects, rather than as a response to the situation he is in. For example, Danny is in the bathroom trying to hide a bullet casing, without success. Vic hears him repeatedly flushing the toilet and gets violently hysterical. Why? He doesn't even know there is a bullet casing. Why on earth wouldn't he assume any of a dozen other alternative explanations for the repeated flushing of a toilet? That said, it has it's moments, and the ending is almost, gosh, lyrical.

Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan, Gemma Arterton

North Face (2008) 8.00 [D. Philipp Stolzl] 2010-09-21

Horrifying account of the 1936 attempt on the North face of Mount Eiger in Switzerland by two Germand two Austrian climbers, resulting in the deaths of all of them. Wonderfully filmed with attention to the details of climbing, and respect for the characters. There is a gratuitious romance and a thin subplot featuring the Nazis, but the real story is the dangers of climbing, and the tastelessness of tourists entertained by watching the disaster unfold through telescopes at the hotel.

Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) 7.00 [D. Adam McKay] 2010-09-21

Fans of Will Ferrell really should face the fact that he's really not all that gifted at comedy. He's a good mimic and a good physical comedian, but when it comes to really developing a good comic sequence or a funny scene, he's not all that impressive. Anchorman plays like a series of skits, some of which are funny-- like singing "Afternoon Delight" with his "team"-- and most of which are just skits. He rarely develops an idea that pays off later, something the best comedies strive for -- the schtick that unpeels itself like an onion, getting funnier and funnier as it's own internal path moves further and further away from sense and logic, while expanding the absurd narrative. Anchorman just pumps along, without making much effort to set up its own jokes. Event the West Side Story parody scene doesn't work because it changes gears from the rest of the comedy thereby undermining the joke-- that Burgundy is just a slightly exaggerated version of your average local TV anchorman: pompous and utterly trivial. That said, both Steve Carrell and Fred Willard are quite hilarious, when given a chance.

Will Ferrell, Christine Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010) 7.70 [D. Ricki Stern] 2010-09-16

Searing portrait of a narcissistic comedienne at work-- Joan Rivers, whose every waking moment seems to be all about me me me. If you can stomach an hour and a half of her vicious, no holds barred humour, there is an intriguing side to the story-- just how desperate is she? And how desperate, in general, is the industry of selling yourself as a comic artist? Rivers' naked neediness is in full bloom here, but she is too honest to not reveal the hurts and slights that drive her character, including the suicide of her husband Edgar Rosenberg after their failed TV talk show. Rivers is smart, and she is witty, but the glaring ommission of more contemporary commediens other than

Fantastic Mister Fox (2009) 8.00 [D. Wes Anderson] 2010-09-06

The story about a clever rogue who survives through shrewdness and determination-- frequently causing hardship and anxiety for those around him-- is an old one and given a fresh, and fun retelling here. Distinquished by stop-motion animation, on a very large scale, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is obviously aimed more at adults, though kids should get a kick out of it too. Refreshingly free of the smart-ass pop-culture references of the Shrek franchise, "Fox" sticks to it's story.

Winter's Bone (2010) 8.20 [D. Debra Granik] 2010-09-06

Ree is 17 and is stuck with caring for her two siblings, 12-year-old Floyd and Ashlee. Her mother has given up on life and is of no use to her; her father cooks and deals methamphetamine, and is on the run from the police. When Ree finds out that her house and land will be seized if her father is not found before his court date, she sets out to find him and discovers that her relatives are more devoted to the outlaw code than they are to their impoverished cousins-- they try to discourage her from looking further, and threaten violence when she refuses to quit. Stark, realistic, authentic, if occasionally patchy, this is a memorable film about a striking heroine whose stubborn determination is far more believable than usual.

jennifer lawrence, john Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Garrett Dillahunt

Our Town (2003) 9.20 [D. James Naughton] 2010-09-05

Powerful, rich, compelling version of the Thorton Wilder classic about life in small-town America, continent of North America, western hemisphere, the world. There is a not a false note anywhere in this extremely polished, well- developed production (for PBS), and moments of pure magic, and great sadness at the blindness of mankind.

Whip It (2010) 6.20 [D. Drew Barrymore] 2010-08-27

A little charming, modestly interesting, ultimately pedestrian directorial effort by actress Drew Barrymore. Juliette Lewis as an intimidating foe is the most interesting thing in the movie, other than underwater shots of Ellen Page swimming in her jockeys.

Scott Pilgrim Vs the World (2010) 8.10 [D. Edgar Wright] 2010-08-27

Imaginative, clever, and energetic and fun-- plays like a video-game-rock-video. Occasionally charming, and mostly flashy and amusing. The plot-- what there is of one-- is about a young lad who falls for the lovely

Michael Cera

Lost in La Mancha (2002) 7.60 [D. Keith Fulton] 2010-08-27

Documentary on Gilliam's attempt to film Don Quioxte in Spain and why he failed-- mostly because lead actor Jean Rochefort became ill and could not continue and, for some strange reason, no thought a replacement could or should be found. Fulton emphasizes the chaotic nature of Gilliam's approach to film production but didn't pick up on the irony of Gilliam's romantic idealization of dreamers like Quixote who are oblivious to the pain and suffering they inflict on others.

Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jean Rochefort

Guilty by Suspicion (1991) 6.00 [D. Irwin Winkler] 2010-08-27

Pedestrian, utterly undistinquished take on the McCarthy years. There is no reason to watch this film when you have "The Front", or, even better, "Fear on Trial" , or, for that matter, "High Noon", especially if you take note of the fact that the main character was a communist in the book it was based on, but the movie turns him into a harmless liberal, as if, oh, then it was wrong. And using Joseph Welch's famous "have you no shame" speech for DeNiro's character-- a witness, rather than a committee lawyer-- makes no sense at all. In fact, it made me cringe, because Winkler is obviously well-meaning, but clueless.

Robert De Niro

Husbands and Wives (1993) 8.50 [D. Woody Allen] 2010-08-04

Oddly engaging story -- once it's gets its momentum-- about a solid couple who announce to their friends that they are getting divorced, causing the friends (Woody Allen, Mia Farrow) to begin to question their relationship, and Allen to consider an affair with an admiring student.

Stalingrad (1993) 6.00 [D. Joseph Vilsmaier] 2010-08-02

Violent, lavish production about the battle that turned the tide against Nazi Germany, focussed on a group of soldiers and their earnest Lieutenant. Occasionally ridiculous, it does give you a feel for the absolute disaster the battle became for Germany, as the entire 6th Army became trapped inside a pincer movement by the Soviets. Stalin basically allowed the city to starve under occupation by the Germans, so he could cut them off and attack from all sides during the cruel Russian winter. Seen again 2022-01. The drama is primitive there is a bit of contrivance to show the "honorable" Germans while acknowledging the guilt of the Nazi Party and-- in one sharply revealing moment-- the guilt of those who did nothing to stop the atrocities.

My Son the Fanatic (1998) 7.80 [D. Udayan Prasad] 2010-07-29

I draw a blank.

Kids are All Right (2010) 8.60 [D. Lisa Cholodenko] 2010-08-01

Lovely, thoughtful film about children of a lesbian couple deciding to look up their sperm-donor "dad" and finding out that he's pretty cool.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2009) 8.00 [D. Banksy] 2010-07-19

Intriguing "documentary" about graffiti artists and the Frenchman who films them for a documentary, only to abandon the project to "Banksy" to become a graffiti artist himself, who then throws a massively ambitous show in Los Angeles. Hard to tell who is conning who here, though at times it has the feel of "Spinal Tap"; other times (the Disneyland Sequence) it feels like the real thing. Tackles the issue of authenticity in art, and how easily (or not) the public is duped into buying a new celebrity artist.

Inception (2010) 7.70 [D. Christopher Nolan] 2010-07-19

Dissatisfying but lively exploration of lame-brained futuristic concept: a team of -- well, not misfits, okay?-- geniuses contrive to enter the subconscious dream world of the heir to global energy consortium to manipulate his future plans. But he is not unprepared, which gives Nolan the rationale for a whole lot of chasing and shooting and action sequences. To give the illusion of depth, Cobb's dead wife keeps appearing in his dreams, interfering with his plans, and endangering the other participants. We eventually discover the shocking truth: Dicaprio is the worst front-line actor in Hollywood. The problem is that Inception is so fundamentally preposterous, even in it's own assumed mechanics. We never learn exactly how Ariadne's "designs" are transferred from her imagination into the dream world-- or why they need to be. Or why a "sedative" can induce a three- layered dream state. Or why the movie keeps trying to explain these elements to the audience instead of just treating them like components of the world of the story. The conclusion, the Robert Fischer's revelation, is so lame, it hurts the entire movie. Nolan is clever, but I doubt he understands the difference between sci-fi pablum like Face-off and the real thing like "Blade Runner". Has a few compelling moments, but ultimately not even as clever as "The Matrix", which featured the only major Hollywood actor DiCaprio is more expressive than. Everyone else in the film is good. Ellen Page is by far the most interesting thing in the film.

Leonard DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Cilian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaithe, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas

Claire's Knee (1970) 7.50 [D. Eric Rohmer] 2010-07-19

Foppish, silly French comedy-- allegedly a classic-- about a middle-aged diplomat who, on the verge of getting married, shows off his ability to manipulate a pair of teenaged girls to his friend, an attractive Italian novelist and poet named Aurora. Archaic sense of appropriateness-- he messes with these girls minds, but in Rohmer's romanticized universe-- romanticized from a middle-aged male point of view-- the girls find his interactions satisfying in that liberated continental way.

Days of Wine and Roses (1962) 7.80 [D. Blake Edwards] 2010-07-12

Powerful if dated story about a boozing pr man, Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) who persuades his teetotalling girlfriend Kirsten (Lee Remick) to join him. They marry and she gradually becomes just as dependent on him. When he finally bottoms out, she's not sure she's ready to get her own world straight. Lemmon is very good; Remick is inadequate. But it's a relatively gutsy story with some powerful moments. Too bad it eventually turns into an educational film on the dangers of booze, with Jack Klugman as the earnest, vapid voice of "reason".

Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Jack Klugman, Jack Albertson

Crooklyn (1994) 8.80 [D. Spike Lee] 2010-07-12

Enchanting, affectionate look back at Spike Lee's neighborhood, growing up in the 70's, with a generous helping of soul music, Sly, Jackson 5. The Carmichael's are a family of 4 boys and a girl, and it is the girl, Troy, who gives us the point of view of this unsentimental journey. Colourful neighbors, money troubles, surprisingly intense family squabbles that are settled quickly with screeching, wrestling, and parental intervention. The scenes of the neighborhood children all playing games outdoors on the street at the beginning are remarkable and exquisite.

Sin Nombre (2009) 8.00 [D. Cary Fukunaga] 2010-07-05

Vivid recreation of life among the illegals pouring into Mexico and then the U.S., focussing on the gang involvements of two young men, and the travails of a young woman whose deported father decides to take her back with him to New Jersey. Gritty and compelling, if not totally satisfying: either the translations or the original script features awkward, stiff dialog. Filmed in Mexico-- the director spent two years living among the gangs and the illegal immigrants before filming this story. Yet, it still feels schematic and uninvolving at times, especially the contrived romance between soulfull Kasper and waif Sayra. Very interesting exploration of the gang, the Mara Salvatrucha, based on Salvadoran gangsters who moved to the U.S. during the civil war, then back again, before branching out into Mexico and the U.S. again.

Fanny and Alexander (1982) 9.10 [D. Ingmar Bergman] 2010-07-04

Bergman's brilliant homage to the world of art and story and creativity vs. the world of religious certitude and self-denial. Fanny and Alexander are born to Oscar and Emilie Ekdahl, a theatrical family. The early scenes of the movie are lush with bawdy jokes, sumptuous meals, mischievous sensuality, and the wholesome unwholesomeness of an enlightened family. Not that we don't see warts-- Carl is cruel to his German wife, especially when she is most forgiving and loving, and Gustav has an open adulterous relationship with the maid, Maj. Then Oscar dies of a heart attack and Emilie remarries, to a charismatic Lutheran Bishop. The Bishop has a surprise in store: he expects Emilie and the children to live by his own severe code, in deprivation and discipline. The Ekdahls eventually discover Emilie's straits and attempt to remedy the situation and save the children. Beautifully acted and staged, with lavish recreations of 1905 Swedish life, and rich in themes of magic and spirituality that resonate through all of Bergman's films.

Pernilla Allwin, Bertil Guve, Borje Ahlsted, Ewe Froling, Gunn Wallgren, Jarl Kulle, Jan Malmsjo

Daybreakers (2009) 7.00 [D. Michael Spierig] 2010-07-02

Rather comical -- unintentionally, I think-- treatment of vampirism: the earth, in the future, is dominated by vampires who keep humans alive only to be used in blood farms to provide sustenance for the vampires. But they are running out of humans. Meanwhile, blood scientist Ethan Hawke has found a method for converting vampires back to humans. Nothing particularly interesting develops of this, and not much thought seems to have been given to what a planet like this would actually be like. But there are gallons and gallons of goo.

Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke

Madonna and Child (1984) 8.00 [D. Terence Davies] 2010-07-01

45 minute experimental black and white film about a man strugglling with sexual identify in old world Liverpool (1940's or so). Living with his mother -- who suspects something is amiss-- and with his Catholicism (he can't bring himself to confess) and dreary work-a-day world, he has a few furtive encounters, and castigates himself. Beautifully filmed, not much of a narrtive.

Basquiat (1996) 7.50 [D. Julia Schnabel] 2010-06-28

Undistinguished biopic of the New York graffitti artist and flame-out Jean-Michel Basquiat and the familiar struggle with success, setback, triumph, and early death. The movie covers the incidentals without any particularly revelatory moments-- not even a gratuitous swipe at the art establishment and the racket modern art dealership has become. Even a moment that might have summon a cheap sensation -- Warhol's death-- barely scratches the surface. Basquiat reacts, but we're not sure what to. At least we are spared descent into addiction syndrome, and endless boring cycle of abuse, despair, resolve, crisis, more abuse, more resolve, more despair, death.

Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie, Parker Posey, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman

Secret in Their Eyes (2009) 7.00 [D. Juan Jose Campanella] 2010-06-23

This was the Oscar winner for best foreign film, upsetting favorite "White Ribbon", a grave injustice. In spite of the foreign film of substance posture, this is a cheesie b-movie: contrived, pretentious, and badly written and directed, with pretensions: that the personal failures of Benjamin reflect the moral failures of the nation, through which a brutal rapist-murderer may have escaped justice in order to serve the political ends of the war on political dissent. There's a not a scene in the movie that feels authentic. The plot concerns an investigator with a government department who tries to unravel a rape-homicide, only to be thwarted by his corrupt superiors. In the meantime, he harbours an impotent infatuation for his beautiful boss-- who clearly reciprocates at times. We are supposed to find his failure to make a move on her admirable in some way, but instead it strikes me as lame. There's a modest surprise at the end, which is itself a surprise considering the stereo-typed characters.

Soledad Villamil, Ricardo Darin, Carla Quevedo, Pablo Rago, Javier Godino, Guillermo Francella

MicMac (2010) 7.00 [D. Jean Pierre Jeunet] 2010-06-23

Desperately clever comedy without a heart or soul-- by legendary director of Amelie and "Delicatessen". Features Jeunet's trademark inventiveness and imagination but without the central story line or characters to hold it together. The villains are introduced twirling their moustaches and the heroes are all quirky and cute and adorable, and all lack personality and dimension. Jeunet creates interesting events on film, and he gets good performances, but he doesn't draw out the drama and each scene deflates like a wet balloon. Disappointing.

Dany Doon, Andre Dussollier, Nicolas Marie, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Jule Ferrier, Dominique Pinon

Splice (2009) 6.00 [D. Vincenzo Natali] 2010-06-21

Why oh why did I talk myself into believing there might be an interesting science angle to this film? Preposterous thriller about a husband-wife scientist team who insert human DNA into one of their project organisms thereby creating a marvelous hybrid-- bird, human, lizard? Which, in the time-honoured tradition of Frankenstein, ends up biting them.

Sarah Polley, Adrien Brody

Spanish Prisoner (1997) 7.90 [D. David Mamet] 2010-06-19

The plot was probably clever once upon a time-- before it was copied so much it lost it's effect. Mamet writes great dialogue and constructs interesting scenes but he gives in too much to the Hollywood compulsion, to have big plot developments, action, and a climax.

Eliza's Horoscope (1975) 4.00 [D. Gordon Sheppard] 2010-06-19

Just about one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Sloppy, incoherent, amateurish, poorly acted-- the only reason I rented it was because some members of "The Band" were in it.

Children (1976) 9.00 [D. Terence Davies] 2010-06-19

Typical Terence Davies film: lyrical, delicate, patient-- a study of a young boy at a British school who doesn't fit in, is bullied by his classmates. At home, his abusive father is ill, and his brother struggles with sexual identify. Familiar enough, from "Distant Voices, Silent Lives"-- of which this looks like a rough draft at times.

The Trotsky (2009) 7.80 [D. Jacob Tierny] 2010-06-19

Amusing Canadian film about a Montreal youth who believes he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky and has been given a mission to liberate the oppressed masses, including his school-mates. His sister is devoted to him, but most others find him annoying or weird until the starts to gain followers at this public high school. Relatively fresh, and original, though production values are often quite low. The lack of money is obvious-- and one wonders if that weakness couldn't have been concealled a little more gracefully than when they try to trick out a hundred students to look like five times as many. It's got something-- life, exuberance, the audacity of making him a genuine leftist.

, ,

Kick-Ass (2010) 8.00 [D. Matthew Vaughn] 2010-06-06

In spite of the controversy, this is an interesting, fresh film, stylish and funny, and not entirely thoughtless. High-school student Dave Lizewski wonders why there are no more super-heroes-- then decides to become one-- "Kick-ass". Unfortunately, reality intrudes and he gets thrashed at his first intervention. But at a later attempt, he meets "Hit Girl", who does know what she's doing, and her father "Big Daddy". It's all a bit tongue and cheek, but with a nice thread of unreasonable plausibility running through it-- nobody can fly or catch bullets in their teeth-- but Hit Girl and Big Daddy can fight. Witty and dynamic and very funny at times, with a dark side to it.

Nicholas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Aaron Johnson

Red Shoes (1948) 8.00 [D. Michael Powell] 2010-06-05

Marvelous example of classic film-making-- exuberant, imaginative, tightly-woven-- about a young ballet dancer who, like the heroine in her signature performance, is simulataneously enraptured and enslaved by her obsession: her dance. If the ending is utterly melodramatic and a bit preposterous, the journey is exhilirating, beautifully rendered, and engrossing. A rarity: a big, studio production that is so artistic it feels like an independent film on steroids-- until that ending.

Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring

Distant Voices Silent Lives (1988) 8.50 [D. Terence Davies] 2010-06-01

Elegiac, sensitive mediation on growing up working class in Liverpool in the 40's and 50's, with a sometimes violent father and saintly mum, and everyone singing show and pop tunes at every opportunity. A little strange and exotic but it works. Many scenes also look like photographs come to life, complete with sepia tones and formal positions.

It's All Gone Peter Tong (2004) 7.80 [D. Michael Dowse] 2010-06-01

Bizarre parody of the DJ industry, about a successful DJ who falls deep into drug abuse, loses his hearing and his girl, and eventually regains control. Owes a lot to "Spinal Tap" and "A Mighty Wind". Likeable but uneven.

Paul Kaye, Beatriz Batarda, Kate McGowan

Brothers (2009) 7.00 [D. Jim Sheridan] 2010-05-17

One brother is an achiever, a war hero, married, and the object of his father's pride and devotion. The other brother is criminal, a loser, the object of shame. When the hero, Sam Cahill (Tobey McGuire) goes missing, bad brother Tommy tries his best to take up the slack, particularly with Sam's beautiful wife, Grace (Natalie Portman). Brothers tries to be gritty and authentic but ends up being pretentious and unconvincing. When Sam unexpectedly comes home-- after suffering a fairly preposterous trauma while captive--he becomes the now-familiar stereotypical soldier suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is oddly paranoid-- we don't see what he thinks he sees, unless it's audience expectation, that two young, attractive Hollywood stars (Gyllenhaal and Portman) could exist in the same frame without being attracted to each other. Nobody behaves either interestingly or plausibly, given what we are shown about their characters. And Portman still can't act. Pass on it.

Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Sam Shepherd, Mare Winningham, Carey Mulligan

Messenger (2009) 8.00 [D. Oren Moverman] 2010-05-16

Ben Foster is Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery who has three months of active duty left. After injuries in Iraq, he is assigned to the Casualty Assistance Office to act as a Casualty Notification Officer, paired up with someone with more experience, Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson). The name, I suppose, is meant to suggest his "by the book" approach to notifications. Montgomery chafes at this approach-- he wants to embrace the families, and let his emotions show. If there is a flaw in Messenger-- and it's not an insignificant flaw-- it's that it occasionally rolls out like a mental health tract: it is better to be emotional-- when the army, at least, believes emotional involvement with the families of casualties is unwise. Montgomery goes so far as to involve himself in the life of Olivia, the wife of a casualty. Everything is a bit tidy-- and predictable, especially when a motorcycle cop doesn't realize how incredibly weighty the task of Casualty Notification Officers is and dares to try to ticket them for going through an orange light, or when Montgomery rises at his ex- girlfriend's wedding to make an inappropriate toast-- just inviting you to believe that his wreck of a life is more substantial and real than the trivial lives of the wedding guests, and especially the bridegroom, and the most dishonest scene of all: Montgomery finally confiding in Stone how he was injured in Iraq-- why, you're a hero, dammit!-- to make this a great film, but it's really very good and definitely worth a rental.

Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi

Greenberg (2010) 8.60 [D. Noah Baumbach] 2010-05-16

Jennifer Jason Leigh also contributed to the story. Compelling story about a neurotic man named Roger Greenberg who goes to LA from New York to look after his brother's house for a time. He meets and instantly falls for his brother's personal assistant, Florence, a sweet girl who is unduly accommodating even as Roger shows more and more signs of unresolved issues. Roger also reconnects with a former bandmate-- a gem of a character-- who now works in computers because Roger turned down a promising record deal because it gave the company too much control. This is an astute, funny, moving story. Florence is a such a charming, believably likeable character that when Stiller, who plays Rogers a s genuinely unlikable character, attacks her, you want to smack him. This film is a gem-- beautifully written and developed and honestly filmed.

Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ivans, Susan Taylor, Chris Messina

Double Indemnity (1944) 8.50 [D. Billy Wilder] 2010-05-16

A film that completely lives up to it's reputation: Walter Neff is an insurance salesman who drops by the Dietrichson house one day to update an automobile policy: there he meets Phyllis Dietrichson, a bombshell, looking for mischief. They connect and she makes it clear she'd like to get rid of her boring, unsuccessful oil executive husband. Neff thinks he's got the inside track because he knows how his astute colleague, Barton Keyes, usually spots a fraud. The fun is watching Keyes and Neff try to figure out how much each of them knows or should know about the murder. You can't quite forget that it's a classic film noire, and the blonde wig is a miscalculation, and it's full of the conventions often parodied in the 1960's, but it still holds up very well, is well- acted and directed, and amusing.

Edward G. Robinson, Fred McMurray, Barbara Stanywyck, Tom Powers, Jean Heather

Pirates of Silicone Valley (1999) 8.00 [D. Martyn Burke] 2010-05-09

Surprisingly inventive and literate bio-pic on the early careers of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Steve Wozniak. No one will ever mistake this for a great film-making but it does it's dutiful task well enough to entertain and inform, with surprising audacity-- was no one afraid of a lawsuit?

Homicide (1991) 7.40 [D. David Mamet] 2010-05-09

Rather improbable story of a Jewish cop who uncovers a dark Jewish conspiracy surrounding the death of an elderly Jewish woman in a black neighborhood. All this while we are treated to somewhat gratuitous angry diatribes we are supposed to believe are due to his diversion from a truly glamorous case. In the meantime, Bobby Gold suddenly becomes a different character, a character out of a sophomoric novel about the struggle to find meaning in one's life. So, the provocative Mamet script is there at times, and there are flashes of inspiration, but the narrative dies in a swell of preposterous developments including a ridiculous death bed speech by his partner. Ebert gave it four stars. Unbelievable!

Joe Montegna, William H. Macy, Vincent Guastaferro

Disgrace (2008) 8.20 [D. Steve Jacobs] 2010-05-02

Meditative, somewhat bleak study of a college professor who seduces a student and is called before a disciplinary hearing. He refuses to make the usual excuses and is forced to take a leave, during which he visits his lesbian daughter on her farm. There is an incident which she handles in a way that disturbs him and leads to soul-searching and reflection-- but not in the usual directions. Unusually intelligent and provocative, well-acted, and written. Based on play by J. M. Coetzee.

Places in the Heart (1984) 8.00 [D. Robert Benton] 2010-05-01

Pensive, delicate portrait of a determined young widow struggling to make a go of it on a small farm after her husband is shot and killed by a drunken black man in a small town in 1930's Texas. Honest and thoughtful, with good performances throughout. Sally Field won an Oscar for her portrait of Edna Spaulding, who stubbornly refuses the bank's advice to sell the farm and split up her family. John Malcovich is a blind border with issues who believeably becomes attached to the family, and Danny Glover is an intinerent farmworker who offers his expertise on growing cotton in exchange for room and board. There is a somewhat gratuitous subplot involving Edna's sister, and a magical, somewhat mysterious conclusion.. But generally, a fine, well-made film.

Good Hair (2009) 8.50 [D. Jeff Stilson] 2010-04-24

Jaw-dropping documentary about the lengths and breadths black American women go through to make their hair look more "beautiful", including weaves, straighteners (relaxers), and other tools. Apparently nobody likes African American hair, least of all, African Americans. Chris Rock is your guide and wisely refrains from drawing out any political implications-- it's all self-evident in any case: there is a huge industry out there (obliquely owned by white corporations now) that caters to the desire of blacks to look more European. Black men complain that their women don't want them to touch their hair; nor do the women swim or go into hot tubs. Rather shocking and disturbing.

O'Horten (2007) 8.50 [D. Bent Hamer] 2010-04-24

A gentleman named Odd Horten retires as engineer on the railroad and has an eventful night during which he rediscovers something of a soul within himself-- in a very low-key, restrained way. He encounters an insistent child when he sneaks through a strange apartment on his way to a party, a demented "diplomat", the wife of a tobacco shop owner- all of whom contribute to his transformation, from passive, sedate, engineer, to a man with a renewed sense of pleasure in activites in life other than work.

Rififi (1955) 7.80 [D. Jules Dassin] 2010-04-24

Perhaps one of the earliest films of it's kind, a heist drama, directed by American Jule Dassin after he had been blacklisted by HUAC in 1951. Tight, superbly directed and edited, if somewhat dated in terms of realism. Tony Le Stephanois and his gang plan a daring robbery of a jewelry store. When the Grutter brothers find out about, they want the loot. While folllowing the cardinal Hollywood conventions of the time about bad guys, Rififi does have a flair for style and complex, running sequences, most notable of which is a long, 35 minute sequence of the heist itself during which not a single one of the team speaks.

12 (2007) 8.10 [D. Nikita Mikhalkov] 2010-04-19

Liberal, lengthy reinterpretation of "12 Angry Men", with a young Chechen boy charged with murdering his step-father. All the basic elements of the original are there, but there are lengthy speeches by many of the jurors about traumatic or tragic personal experiences, the point being that every man brings his life-experiences with him into the jury room and interprets the facts of the case in light of his emotional baggage. Be forewarned: the subtitles can barely keep up with the dialogue.

Prophet (2009) 8.70 [D. Jacques Audiard] 2010-04-19

Malik is a young French Arab sent to prison for assaulting a police officer. He claims he is innocent of the crime and he is, at the very least, innocent of the world. He quickly learns that to survive in prison he must make deals with those who control the guards and the other inmates. He eventually becomes a close confidante of Cesar Luciani, though he is regarded as a dirty Arab by Cesar's gang, and as a turncoat by the other Arab prisoners. The Prophet is a coming-of-age film, under the most brutal circumstances. Malik learns not only to survive but to prosper, at the expense of those who cross him or fail to fulfill their parts in his schemes. He has the twisted honor of the Mafiaso in "The Godfather": respected and feared. Ultimately, the audience is invited to admire his determination to take control of his life. "The Prophet" is a vivid, dark, powerful portrait of prison life in France, and the world of the criminal underclass.

Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup

Ayneh (the Mirror) (1997) 8.40 [D. Jafar Panahi] 2010-04-17

Mina's mother fails to meet her at school after dismissal, so various acquaintances and passer-bys help Mina try to find her way home. She is not exactly a passive participant: feisty and willful at times, she gets on the wrong bus and heads in the opposite direction of home. Along the way, Panahi offers up a vivid portrait of life in Tehran, and an assortment of characters who speak about their lives, their problems and their greivances, and you wonder if Mina is the kind of girl who will grow up to accept the control and authority imposed upon Iranians by Islamic law. Then, the film changes into a comment on the relationship between the child actor and the film-crew, and on the "mirror" image of fantasy in the reality of Mina's life. Mina the actress refuses the role imposed upon her by the director-- he makes her cry-- and flees to her home and doesn't want much help-- she knows the way if you would just point her in the right direction. Remarkable performance by Mina Mohammad Khani as the child.

Mina Mohammad Khani

Philadelphia Story (1940) 8.00 [D. George Cuckor] 2010-04-12

Tight, well-written comedy about a society girl, Hepburn, planning her wedding to a fop, while ex-husband Dexter (Grant) tries to manipulate things, and writer Conner (Stewart) is ordered to infiltrate the event and write about it for a spy magazine. Sophisticated humour, well-acted, and tightly directed-- perhaps the best of a genre, the escapist fantasy with stars, the Hollywood dream land of affluence and wit and flirtation.

Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Virginia Weidler, Ruth Hussey

Date Night (2010) 4.00 [D. Shawn Levy] 2010-04-10

Terribly under-developed extended sitcom that is a very pale, very dim revision of Neil Simon's "The Out-of-Towners". It's rare that so little effort or talent is so evident on the screen. Oddly well-reviewed by many critics-- I'm baffled. We walked out after about 20 minutes-- and that's rare for me.

Steve Farrell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Kristen Wiig

Chloe (2010) 7.50 [D. Atom Egoyan] 2010-04-10

Based on a French film called "Nathalie", somewhat implausible story about a woman who hires an escort to see if her husband would cheat on her, after having already convinced herself that he would. Or that he has-- she sees an e-mail to him saying "thanks for last night" with a picture of an attractive girl. She likes the escort (a very good Amanda Seyfried) telling her about what happened-- vicariously living the passion she used to feel, and there's an intriguing premise hiding here-- that she suspects he would cheat because if he behaved towards her the way she does towards him, she would but the film veers off with a number of improbable developments that don't make emotional or dramatic sense. Not one person in this film seems to be doing anything other than waiting around for a moment of dramatic significance. Disappointing.

Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson

Ghost Writer (2009) 7.20 [D. Roman Polanski] 2010-03-27

Hugely disappointing thriller about former British PM who may or may not have been in the pay of the CIA-- but who cares, when "Ghost Writer" doesn't even bother to establish the stakes here. None of the high-level dialogue among very powerful people sounds believable or even interesting. The new ghost writer walks into his first meeting with Lang and seems intent on beginning the entire task from the beginning, without even acknowledging that there must be notes, sketchs, outlines, recordings, etc., from his predecessor, which, considering this time constraints, would be essential to his task. Nor does it seem Lang has ever, in his long political career, ever been criticized by the media or by former cabinet ministers. How dare they! And what accent was Kim Cattrall attempting? The biggest problem with films like this is that they raise issues about real people-- like Blair-- and then propose such a preposterous conspiracy that the viewer probably assumes no real person was guilty of anything (the way Oliver Stones' JFK seemed to discredit suspicions about the Warren Commission). See "In the Loop" for a much better take. Watched again 2022-04-01. As time goes by, I am more willing to cut this movie some slack, because my expectations have been lowered. It's well-written, very well filmed, and very interesting especially as a codicil to Tony Blair's career and his massive mistake in supporting the Iraq War. It begins to stretch towards the end: why would the ghost readily allow

Ewan McGregor, Kim Cattrall, Pierce Brosnan

Coraline (2009) 8.50 [D. Henry Selick] 2010-03-27

Beautiful and beautifully creeply stop-motion animation about a young neglected girl who discovers a parallel universe through a small door in a spare room in her new house. At the end of a long tunnel, her parallel parents treat her much better than her real parents do, and the world seems brighter, more colorful, more enchanting. But there is a dark side, she discovers, she struggles to save herself, and her parents from a deadly evil. Wonderful animation, wonderful audio-- listen for how often there is no sounds at all-- and a clever story that doesn't seem at all aimed at children, really.

Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher

Rebecca (1941) 7.00 [D. Alfred Hitchock] 2010-03-27

Extremely dated melodrama about unbelievably naïve young girl who hooks up with titled British gentleman whose wife died in a tragic boating accident several years before, leaving him "a broken man", incapable of happiness. Yes, that kind of melodrama. After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, she returns with him to his inevitably spooky mansion and untrustworthy servants. Eventually, she will discover a shocking truth. In the mean time, you have to endure two hours of "please, please-- I'll do anything to make you happy". Though it is intriguing at times to meditate on what "great acting" meant in this era, especially as applied to Olivier, who often broods ridiculously.

Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Saunders

Funny People (2010) 7.80 [D. Judd Apatow] 2010-03-23

Starts out rather brilliantly-- and stays on track for about an hour, and then veers off into a very, very weak subplot, unfortunately featuring the director's real family in starring roles. Which is not to say they can't act-- they can-- but they have no business being in this movie and the second act is very obviously a device to get them in, regardless of it's impact on the whole movie.

Magdalene Sisters (2002) 9.00 [D. Peter Mullan] 2010-03-23

I thought we saw this earlier but I didn't review it. Powerful, realistic drama about the treatment of allegedly miscreant young girls in early 20th century Ireland by an association of institutions run by the Magdalene Sisters. Documents the abusive relationship between the sisters and the girls, many of whom were guilty of nothing more than flirtation or independent spirit. Some astonishing moments seem too odd and unexpected to have been based on anything other than honest recollection. The Mother Superior decides to show she has a sense of humanity by confessing a terrible sin, a "love"... for movies. So she obtains a movie to show the inmates: "Going My Way" with Bing Crosby as an adorable priest. It is clear she uses this to affirm just how generous and kind she really is-- and "mischievous"-- and Frears makes it look like the sick joke that it is. At another moment, inmate Bernadette is caring for a terminally-ill elderly nun-- well, not really "caring". The nun asks if she could stay a few moments just to keep her company. Margaret snarls at her: you never cared about us-- why should we care about you-- and leaves. Powerful and compelling and bitterly relevant. Denounced by a Vatican official who admitted he never saw the film.

Last Station (2009) 7.00 [D. Michael Hoffman] 2010-03-23

Leo Tolstoy runs away from home, at 80. His wife throws herself into a pond. His followers and family shout and run in consternation. All somewhat, at least partly true, and as melodramatic as any plot turn in "Anna Karenina", but not all that interesting in this film. Plummer is fine, and so is Helen Mirren as Sonia-- wait-- no they're not. I expected both to be far more impressive, so my feeling is that the director Michael Hoffman didn't really draw much out of them, and didn't really give them room to develop their characters.

Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McIvoy, Paul Giamatti, Kerry Condon

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) 9.00 [D. Mike Nichols] 2010-03-23

Elizabeth Taylor is searing as Martha and Burton is very good as George in this uncompromising version of the Edward Albee play that was nominated for every Oscar award category it was eligible for. George and Martha don't just fight-- the word doesn't do justice to their elaborate and ruthless attacks on each other, their sacrcasm, virtriol, irony, and, oddly, amusement and appreciation of each other. George Segal and Sandy Dennis play the unwitting casualties of their warfare, who become complicit in their own twisted way, before being strongarmed into full collaboration. Unsually powerful film, and unusually timeless: survives very, very well the years.

Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis

Tyson (2008) 8.00 [D. James Toback] 2010-03-14

Fascinating set of interviews and fight footage of Mike Tyson, who seems to be quite unlike his public persona, in this somewhat untrustworthy portrait. Even though untrustworthy, fascinating, because Tyson is allowed to speak unfettered by managers or media, and he does come off as surprisingly human and vulnerable, and certainly ill-used. I began to have doubts about the rape charges and his conviction, at least partly because of his candor on other subjects, and his general personality.

Shadows (1959) 8.00 [D. John Cassavetes] 2010-03-11

Cassavetes first film and a milestone in American Cinema: perhaps the first "independent" production. Improvised by the cast, and filmed in 16mm black and white on the streets and in apartments in New York, has a gritty, raw feel. Occasionally amateurish and under-developed, but compelling because of it's fidelity to the real lives of its characters. The main plot dynamic is an interracial relationship between Lelia and Ben, and the tension this creates with Lelia's brothers, one of whom is a jazz singer, the other a manager, and the other of indeterminate occupation.

White Ribbon (2009) 9.20 [D. Michael Haneke] 2010-03-03

There is not a false note anywhere in this elegiac, studied, and contemplative analysis of a small village in northern Germany in the early 1900's. The Baron rules benevolently; the local parson is loving but fiercely moralistic; the children seem to be harbouring secrets. When a series of inexplicable acts of violence break out, the cruel character of this society is revealled. Petty acts of vindictiveness and repression take place, and powerless individuals seek revenge or spite. Only the school teacher seems immune to this character flaw and it is through his eyes we recall the events years later, and he sees them as clues to the unfolding of Germany's history. Perhaps the best film by a very good, powerful director.

Shutter Island (2009) 8.20 [D. Martin Scorcese] 2010-02-28

If you accept that this is not really a suspense film-- more like a psychological thriller-- it plays better, at least afterwards. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a police detective called into a prison to investigate the disappearance of a female inmate. Everything is askew right from the start-- everyone, from the guards to the housekeeping staff- is acting strange. By the time we see the twist coming, the suspense has given way to mere curiousity and then, finally, to boredom. In retrospect, as an exploration of demented psychology, with a somewhat twisted, disingenuous 50's perspective to it, it plays nicely as exploration

Serious Man (2009) 8.00 [D. Ethan Coen] 2010-02-28

Opens with a flavourful telling of a Yiddish tale about a dybbuk, a demon, who visit a poor couple. The wife sees through the deception and stabs him. The husband believes his family is now cursed. The dybbuk insists he isn't a dybbuk and starts bleeding as if to prove it. Larry Gopnik is a professor in a Mineapolis college in the 1960's, it appears. He is a Job-like figure-- the victim of a series of inexplicable events that seem to destroy his life. His wife suddenly wants a divorce. The college isn't sure he should get tenure, while assuring him that the nasty letters they receive regularly about him have no impact. His son is into drugs. His brother is arrested. Gopnik goes to three Rabbis seeking advice. In the best scene in the movie, the last one, sees Gopnik's son instead of the father, and quotes Jefferson Airplane to him-- it's not as ridiculous as it sounds. Does it all hang together? Not yet, for me. I'm not sure this isn't just a series of disconnected unfortunate incidents in Larry's life. Well-acted and film, original, and dark.

Michael Stulhbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Alan Randall

Single Man (2009) 7.40 [D. Tom Ford] 2010-02-21

Vastly over-rated film of a Christopher Isherwood story about a gay college professor who loses his partner in a car accident and gradually gives up on life, only to encounter a promising relationship with a student. Yes, a young, attractive student, who just finds him so fascinating and attractive and is touched by his sensitivity and whatever. I found the concept troubling, and the relationship with the student somewhat contrived at best-- and it shows that movies about gay men are not immune to the Hollywood approach: matching up an aging star with an ingenue. Every scene was loaded with deep meaning and significance until none of them were. I strongly suspect that if the film were not about a gay man, it wouldn't have attracted as much attention as it did.

Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode

Moon (2009) 8.50 [D. Duncan Jones] 2010-02-14

Sometimes exquisite drama about a man operating a mining operation on the far side of the moon by himself, on a three-year-stint. He accidentally crashes a moon vehicle into a mining machine, and then makes a shocking discovery. Implausible developments early on become more credible as you discover more and more about his circumstances on the isolated moon base, and we begin to see the depths of his longing for home, and his confusion about his identity.

Sam Rockwell

Young Victoria (2009) 8.50 [D. Jean-Marc Vallee] 2010-02-14

Lovely, not entirely honest portrait of the young Queen Victoria, and her struggle to assert herself against her own family, the court, and the British political establishment, all of whom wish to control or manipulate her. Victoria famously stood up for herself, made a few mistakes, and then found a life partner who could both respect and protect her, in young Albert of Belgium. In real life, Albert was not wounded in the assassination attempt, and Victoria, supposedly interested in the plight of the poor, actually persuaded the Sultan of Oman to reduce his donation to the Irish (from 10,000 to 1,000 pounds) during the potato famine so as to not show her up (her donation was 1,000). The true part of the movie, perhaps, is Victoria's passion for sex, and her unwavering anger at her mother for imposing "the Kensington System" upon her in her childhood. She banished her mother to some remote chambers and generally refused any contact with her for the rest of her life.

Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany

Le Samourai (1967) 7.00 [D. Jean Pierre Melville] 2010-02-14

One of those European gangster films that seems to be inspired by 1950's Hollywood "B" pictures-- melodramatic and contrived and with an annoying sense of self-importance, as if it thinks it is revealling some profound existential truth through it's adherence to archaic movie conventions. Jef Costello (Alain Delon) is a contract killer, but he's mainly that pretentious alienated individualist who lives and dies by his own values, as ridiculous as they may seem. When the police nab him as a suspect in a hit, his own employer turns on him. Like "Gran Torino", the ending requires an absurd leap of faith, in an improbably sequence of events, and an even less probably development of character..

Alain Delon, Nathalie Delon

She's So Lovely (1997) 7.10 [D. Nick Cassavetes] 2010-02-14

Starts out as a fairly dark drama about a flighty, unstable young woman named Maureen, and her even less stable husband, Eddie (Robin Wright Penn & Sean Penn), and their struggles with addiction and mental illness. Eddie disappears, and Maureen goes looking for him, and a scary neighbor, Kiefer, tries to take advantage of Maureen. Eddie is hospitalized and ten years go by and Maureen is married and living in suburbia when Eddie is released, at which point the film slides into an uneasy comedy, at odds with the tone of the first half. Well acted and written, for the most part, but just doesn't pull it off in the end. The flippancy of later developments is jarring.

Country Boys (2008) 9.00 [D. David Sutherland] 2010-02-13

Fascinating documentary about two challenged young men in Appalatia

Crazy Heart (2009) 8.00 [D. Scott Cooper] 2010-02-13

This is a fine film-- I just felt it was a bit over-rated. It was compared by some to "The Wrestler" but the "The Wrestler" was far more authentic and honest a film. "Crazy Heart" stayed true to it's Hollywood roots-- you are supposed to love this alcoholic, washed-up, smelly, unkempt old country singer because, gosh, he's just so authentic and all. Bridges doesn't show us just what attracts Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) to the character. It's a mystery, and we're just supposed to believe in it, because, well, after all, it is Jeff Bridges, and he's an artist, damnit! There is an unforgivably gratuitous "crisis" near the end that sapped a lot of energy out of the plot. Aside from that, sure, it's a fine film, and most people will definitely enjoy it.

Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell

Precious (2009) 8.00 [D. Lee Daniels] 2010-01-30

Brutal, sometimes violently explicit film that loses most of it's momentum when it decides to not trust the audience to "get it", and takes another run at most of the points made in the first half.

Sun (2005) 9.00 [D. Alexsandr Sokurov] 2010-01-30

Elegant, low-key, and remarkable film about the life of Emperor Hirohito, the "Sun God", during last days of the World War II in Japan, his surreall daily routine, his meetings with McArthur and contacts with American GI's. Hirohito is an enigma-- studious, polite, and introverted, he writes poetry and quotes poems to his aids. McArthur sees him as childlike but criminal, but realizes he must be used to maintain order and stability in post-war Japan. He studies marine biology and actually published several papers on the subject. According to historians, he was not initially in favor of the war, but gradually became more and more involved, and may have been implicated in atrocities. His continued authority was, famously, one of the rejected conditions Japan offered for a peace settlement in May 1945, before the bombings.

Issei Ogata, Robert Dawson, Shiro Sano

Saddest Music in the World (2003) 8.50 [D. Guy Maddin] 2010-01-24

Based on a story by Kazuo Ishiguro, a wildly hallucinagenic tour-de-force twirled around a contest held by a beer company owner to find which nation can produce the saddest music in the world. Using black and white, out-of-focus, blurry, 8mm film and various other degradations (except dialogue, which is pristine ADR), Maddin creates a vivid, eclectic montage of bizarre sequences. It's actually more of a straight narrative than, say Eraserhead, and often funny and charming. Mark McKinney is superb as Chester Kent, a Canadian entering on behalf of the U.S., who is shacking up with his brother's ex-wife. And the brother, Roderick, enters the contest on behalf of Serbia, inspired to sadness by the death of his son and loss of his wife, Narcissa (Maria De Madeiro-- Bruce Willis' girlfriend from "Pulp Fiction"). It all ends with a fabulous, over-the-top, production number that almost seals the deal until Isabella Rosellin's glass legs … well, you just have to see it.

Isabella Rosellini, Mark McKinney, Maria De Medeiros, David Fox, Ross McMillan
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