Movie Reviews 2004
Here’s one we missed the first time around, so we caught it last night at the local $3 theatre. And it was just as we expected: a poor man’s Indian Jones. Right down to a father/son duo, a la Ford-Connery: Nicolas Cage & Jon Voight.
This was a fun (and at times silly) romp. If you enjoyed the Indiana Jones series, put this on your Netflix dvd list.
7 stars
A wonderfully animated film of the undersea about a vegetarian shark (Jack Black) who disappoints his father (Robert De Niro) but befriends a small fish on the reef (Will Smith), whose “best friend” (she thinks otherwise) is the fish who works at the whale wash (Renee Zellwegger), while he’s being seduced by the sexy fish (Angeline Jolie). Sykes (Martin Scorsese) plays the mobster fish who has Smith sent out as shark bait.
8 stars
STEP INTO LIQUID (2003):
Another watery dvd, this one in the very large footsteps of Bruce Brown’s Endless Summer. This excellent film takes you to the Hawaiian Islands for big wave surfing, and to Lake Michigan for little wave surfing, then to Maverick (NorCal) & offshore SoCal for giant wave surfing (in which you have to be towed into the wave by jet ski).
Fun footage; great surfing; superb photography. Directed by Bruce’s son, Dana Brown. If you enjoy this one, go back and rent the original Endless Summer; madcap surfing adventures around the world. I still recall seeing it at Coronado High’s auditorium back in 1966.
8½ stars
OK, I admit it. I rented this because I still have a crush on Kim Basinger. Oh, Kim, did you need money that badly? Or I guess it’s true that there just aren’t that many good roles for aging beauty queens (Kim is now 51 and still looks pretty darn good).
But this movie was bad! The story line was awful (Kim, a high school science teacher, is kidnapped and makes a connection using a busted wall phone with an unknown – to her – teenager on a cell phone who rides to her rescue in a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me fashion); the acting was terrible; and the drama was, well, not so dramatic. I often wonder what makes me keep watching a movie long after you realize how bad it is – and I honestly still can’t tell you. Thank god I didn’t waste an afternoon and money at the movies.
1 star
An excellent film, even though it falls short of greatness. I’m subject to tears in a sad movie, but this one did not quite pull them out. (Irene & Tracy, on the other hand…) ‘Sad movie? Sad movie, you say? I didn’t know this was going to be a sad movie. I thought it was about boxing!’
Actually, I tried to avoid most of the hype and stories while waiting for this movie to finally make its Sacramento appearance, so I did not know most of the story. Then, when it did arrive, we were in LA at the horse races!
Clint Eastwood is all over this movie. He directed, starred and composed the musical score (!). And he is fully deserving of his Academy award nominees (more on those in a later e-mail) for both acting and directing. Hilary Swank, as advertised, also excelled, as did Morgan Freeman (who also did the voice-over).
Definitely worth a look at the big screen before Academy night.
9 stars
This had the markings of a pretty good movie: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, & Jennifer Lopez. The plot was ok: A middle-aged guy decides that he’s bored with life and wants to learn to ballroom dance, falls in love with Lopez (guy fantasy material), all the time wondering what he’s really doing.
This man from Mars learned a while back from a very intelligent woman from Venus that although men do not believe they are “cheating” on their wives (or significant others) if it’s merely ‘emotional cheating’; in fact, in many ways it can be much worse than ‘physical cheating.’ The producer of this movie thought it would be ok if all Gere did was cheat emotionally on his wife. He could have the Lopez fantasy, and no one would be hurt.
You’ll have to see the movie to find out if Sarandon buys this male-oriented view of cheating, or whether she slaps Gere upside the head like he deserves.
But, frankly, you may not get a chance, because this movie was so lame (as in awful acting) that the couple of stars I’m going to give it might actually prevent you from wasting an evening watching it on dvd. Or you can take a cue from Tracy and decide that it’s a good time for a nap.
Admittedly, it was fun to see Anita Gillette (wasn’t she famous for being on game shows?) back in action. She was fun as the owner of the dance studio.
(Note: This made its way to the top of our Netflix list because Tracy complained that “her” movies somehow were falling out of the Top 10 to-see list. Her pleas may fall on deaf ears next time.)
3 stars
This was an ambitious epic, trying to make sense of the eccentric life of Howard Hughes. It’s been critically acclaimed: It took a Golden Globe for best drama; Leonardo DiCaprio got best actor, but I think it falls short of brilliance.
As good of a job as DiCaprio did (he WILL deserve an Academy nomination), there were just too many holes. How did Hughes make his money? It's not clear here. Maybe it’s not interesting, because the film was about how he spent - and wasted - millions and millions of dollars.
The best scenes are the back-and-forth between DiCaprio & Alan Alda, who plays a U.S. senator - especially in the Senate’s oversight hearings into federal money paid to Hughes to build airplanes that were never delivered. Great theatre!
Cate Blanchett was brilliant as Katherine Hepburn. She and Alda could be up for supporting nominations.
Good, but not great.
7½ stars
A true story about an ex-basketball high school star who takes over the coaching duties at his inner-city alma mater, Richmond High. Coming off a lousy prior season, Samuel L. Jackson does an excellent job as the strong-willed coach who takes over a bunch of undisciplined high school kids and turns them into winners, both on and off the court. Coach Carter turns the team around in the course of a single year - and the film manages to hit every imaginable cliché (and jump shot) as he does so. But it’s not athletic excellence that Coach Carter strives for; it’s academic success and improved self-esteem that take precedence in his book. In that it's a worthy effort.
(The movie is based on a true story but, I’ll be frank, I do NOT know how closely the movie parallels the truth.)
There are some good sermons in this movie. Tracy especially liked the scenes that showed good teachers willing to go out of their way -- and the brief speech by one teacher upset that he's been asked to go out of his way at all -- and the fact that the movie stressed the need for more parental involvement in their kids' academic lives. Other sermons, however, are painful to watch: Coach is willing to end the season when his players don’t measure up academically, but he turns the other way when he catches many of his players -- including his son -- at a sex/drugs/booze party at an away game party?
Not bad, but it certainly can wait for a dvd rental (at 2:16, a long one).
6 stars
BIG FISH (2003):
This was as odd as we expected it to be. Billy Crudup (yup, that’s his name) plays Will Bloom, who brings his dying father’s stories (read: myths) to life. This one just never quite clicked with me, but if you missed it at the theatre, you should probably give it a try on dvd.
6 stars
NO GOOD DEED (2002):
Now, this Samuel L. Jackson effort was painful. He's gotta regret ever making this turkey.
It’s the story of a cop (Jackson) who stumbles onto the wrong group of criminal misfits and must suffer the indignities of being held captive as they plot their insider bank robbery.
But, wait, Jackson is free for a while - but, no, he is tied up again (willingly) because he “owed” co-star (and bad girl) Milla Jovovich a favor. They also share a love for classical music, and they do a duet together (he on the cello; she on the piano) while she’s guarding him; I’m not making this stuff up! The old couple is a riot - fortunately, we’re spared graphic scenes of their airplane sex act - but because this is supposed to be a drama, I don’t think they were supposed to come off as comic relief.
Jovovich is cute, and it’s fun to see how easily she manipulates all of the men in her life. But other than that, this movie is not worth the price of a dvd. Forget this one and see Jackson as Coach Carter instead.
1 star
Frankly, I was expecting disappointment because of the number of TV trailers I’ve seen, but we wanted to see this because we like Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson. And it was better than we expected. A nice romantic comedy that wasn’t too schmaltzy, even if it had its low moments. Some far too predictable scenes; other plot lines, however, surprise you. We left the theatre smiling.
By now you probably know the story line: Quaid’s sports magazine (he’s the advertising director) gets sucked up in a buy-out with a huge conglomerate, and he’s demoted to working for the hotshot half his age (Topher Grace, That ‘70s Show, Mona Lisa Smile, in a good role). Complications arise when Grace falls for Quaid’s college-aged daughter, Johansson.
I have to admit it’s going to be fun watching Johansson (age 19) grow as a person and an actress. I didn’t like the Johansson-Murray duet in Lost in Translation (even if the critics did; she was 18), but the Horse Whisperer (14) and Girl with the Pearl Earring (18) showed promise. She’s about the age of my younger daughter, and it’s easy to see her (or my older daughter) in similar situations (which is probably why I did NOT like Translation!). She was serious in this movie in her limited but important role, while maintaining her college-aged charm and demeanor. I think someone like Reese Witherspoon would have mangled this role (and probably demanded that the movie be about her).
Fun for a winter afternoon; at least make sure it’s high on your rental list come spring.
7½ stars
An excellent film based on a real life drama that occurred in Rwanda in 1994. As the world sat by and watched – I’m sorry, Americans were probably watching Seinfeld – almost a million Rwandans died during a bloody civil war between warring tribes.
Don Cheadle gives an Oscar-worthy performance as a non-political family man who manages a Belgian four-star hotel in the capital city. Against his wishes, his hotel turns into a refugee camp – and he’s forced to cash in all of the chips that he has to try and prevent genocide from entering the hotel compound and killing his family and hundreds of others.
Nick Nolte appears as the powerless U.N. (Canadian) colonel with a limited force. His performance – and I’m a Nolte fan – is an embarrassment to the film. Fortunately, there are plenty of strong performances from others who help the film overcome Nolte.
Go see it on the big screen.
9 stars
A brilliant performance by Johnny Depp (can this be the same guy who played the wonderfully swashbuckling Capt. Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean?) as Sir James Matthew Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan.
Movies don't get much more touching than this one. Beautifully acted -- sweet but not syrupy -- Kate Winslet and her overly protective mother, Julie Christie (the inspiration for Capt. Hook!), and Dustin Hoffman give fine performances, as does Barrie’s frigid wife, Radha Mitchell, as well as Winslet's children.
Fresh off a bomb at Hoffman’s London playhouse (1903), Barrie becomes very close to Winslet and her four young boys (whose father recently died) and plays upon the boys’ imagination (and his own, of course) to create his next play, Peter Pan. If your eyes stay dry when the “on-stage dog” comes out for his final performance, well, then, you no longer have any little boy or girl left in you.
See it at the theatre before it starts to accumulate its Oscar nominations.
9½ stars (Tracy gives it two wet eyes and an 11 of 10)
We waited so long to see this movie that it was almost as if 21st Century America had pushed it from the main stage to the seedy downtown independent theatre where we saw it. Shades of the 1940s?
This is an excellent film, worthy of the kudos it has received. Liam Neesom plays Dr. Kinsey (in what should be an Oscar nomination), the sexual-mores-studying pioneer in the late 1940s who, after conducting thousands of personal interviews, told America that people actually DO have sex -- and not necessarily within the boundaries of marriage, and not necessarily with someone from the opposite sex. Shocking!
While it is almost comical to hear what passed as sex education in the 1940s, and what was depicted as fact, it becomes less humorous when you realize that we're reliving those time today in the so-called morals of the Red states (those are the states, you might have read, where Desperate Housewives is the #1 show on TV, and divorce rates are through the roof).
The movie extols Kinsey's virtues as a sex-researching pioneer, but it does not gloss over his warts and ethical breaches and those of his fellow researchers. And it does a good job showing how America reacted when Kinsey published his findings. Shocking! It makes you wonder why it took close to 20 years after Kinsey's first report for this country to emerge from its own sexual repression.
The supportive cast is excellent: Laura Linney as his (generally understanding) wife; Timothy Hutton, Chris O'Donnell & Peter Saarsgard as Kinsey's researchers; John Lithgrow as his domineering, moralizing father (there's an excellent scene toward the end when Neeson interviews his father and learns of his repressed secret); Oliver Platt as the University of Indiana president; and a wonderful cameo monolog by Lynn Redgrave near the conclusion of the movie.
If you can still find it at a theatre, go for it. It's Oscar bound.
9 stars
Here's one we're glad we did not spend an afternoon watching at the theatre -- but it does rise to the level of watching on dvd.
Tom Cruise plays a cold-blooded hit man (with seemingly no concern for invisibility), with a full plate of contracts to complete before the night is over. Jamie Foxx plays the daydreaming cab driver (who's only running cabs temporarily -- for 12 years now ) who is in the wrong place at the wrong time when he picks up Cruise for what becomes an all-night cab ride of death.
The movie is fast-paced and well filmed in the gritty night of Los Angeles; the musical score greatly enhances the action on the screen. Cruise is good; Foxx is better. But there are so many holes in the script that you keep talking to the tv set! Granted, you need to stretch believability in most of these movies, but this one seems to do it in spades.
A good rental for a wintry evening, but don't expect a lot.
6 stars
First, the bad. Kevin Spacey (at 45) has a tough time playing a young, hip Bobby Darin (who died at 37). You'd think in the era of computer enhancements, they could have done a better of job, but...
Having said that, sit back and enjoy this off-beat (and fairly rosy) looked at the short, sweet life of Bobby Darin -- his singing career, his family life, his marriage to cutie-pie Sandra Dee (well played by Kate Bosworth) and his acting career -- as told through the eyes of both an older and younger Bobby Darin.
A very good supporting role cast with John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn & newcomer William Ullrich (the young Darin). Spacey does all of his own singing, and he does a fine job.
Strong suggestion: Don't go into this movie trying to compare it to Ray. They are totally different movies about two totally different performers. Ray Charles was a mega-super star; Darin a poor man's Sinatra, though he was far more than a one-hit wonder. (You might be surprised how many songs you recognize between “Splish, Splash” & “Mack the Knife”; and did you remember his being up for Best Supporting Actor in 1963, losing to Melvyn Douglas?) All in all, not a bad career for a sick little kid who wasn't suppose to live beyond the age of 15.
Go see it on the big screen.
8½ stars
This was one of the best Adam Sandler movies in awhile, and it’s probably because a) Sandler did not act his normal act and b) it wasn’t really about him. It’s about (and here’s my one major drawback in the movie) an Anglicized version of an immigrant success story.
Beautiful 28-yr old Paz Vega, a Spanish newcomer to U.S. screens (watch out, Penelope Cruz!), sneaks across the border with her young daughter to live with her cousin in LA. Before too long, she’s the non-English speaking housekeeper for Téa Leoni & Adam Sandler (and Téa’s mom, Cloris Leachman). There she runs into a very dysfunctional family.
Leoni is very good (though over the top) as the neurotic, moody, low self-esteem mom and wife, who hates having a gawky, pudgy 10-yr old (newcomer Sarah Steele) as a daughter, and who makes it a habit to do inappropriate things. Kudos to Leoni for playing a messed-up woman, complete with emotional outbreaks and a tear-streaked face. (In between, however, Téa looks great!) Leachman is wonderful as Téa’s mom and retired (and drunken) jazz singer; she might be up for a supporting actress nomination for this role. Sandler plays the low-keyed owner/chef of a high-end Beverly Hills restaurant that does quite well, thank you, even though he seems to have to apologize for everything he does (yes, it does get a bit annoying).
But the movie is about Vega, her relationship with her daughter (who does narration in the movie, reading her college application essay), her relationship with Leoni, Sandler & Leachman and her own growth as a woman, friend and mother.
It’s worth the price of admission.
8½ stars
I've got a dvd movie sleeper for you for over the holidays: THE TERMINAL, with Tom Hanks & Catherine Zeta-Jones.
This flick was panned by the critics and ignored by the movie-going public, but I thought it was entertaining and a wonderful outlet for Hanks' thespian skills. You undoubtedly know the story line: Hanks, an Eastern European traveler, gets stranded at JFK Airport while his country is going through a civil war. He knows little English and is stymied by an officious post-9/11 bureaucrat from going beyond the international terminal until his passport status can be restored.
Zeta-Jones plays an international stewardess who admittedly has a bad way with men (well, one at least) -- and she gets together with Hanks in an unexpected way. She's a fun side story with a big heart and a gorgeous smile.
Maybe this movie bombed because it was a low-keyed comedy with dramatic sidelights -- but remember IT'S A COMEDY, so don't get too hung up over holes in the story and a little bit of silliness! There's no academy awards on the horizon, but it's worth a look on dvd.
7 stars
A raw, depressing view of two dysfunctional couples via a very confusing screenplay. While the individual performances by its stars (Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Jude Law & Clive Owen) were not all that bad, the sum was far less than its parts.
I wouldn’t bother seeing it on the big screen; it might depress you less if you pay less to see it at home. Be prepared for very raunchy language, though.
5 stars
Clearly the stars in this one had more fun making their movie than did those in Closer. But you felt like you were intruding on their inside jokes - and even those were difficult to follow. Oh, and then at the end, you discover that what you saw wasn’t really what happened. I guess that makes the film “edgy.”
Frankly, I’d edge it off your theatre list and onto your maybe-I’ll-see-it-on-dvd list. Not only can you rewind to see if you heard the dialog right, the popcorn’s cheaper at home.
6 stars
Absolutely delighted that I did not waste an afternoon at the theatre watching this silliness. Tracy, who really wanted to see this, fell asleep within the first 30 minutes - then for some unknown reason did not want to keep it around. Hmm. Did I sound that disappointed when she woke up?
But if you want to put it on your dvd list, make sure you have a comfortable pillow…and a good book.
2 stars
Another Tracy must-see dvd (I think she lasted 45 minutes with this one), which, too, was sent back before she got a chance to finish it. Not nearly as good as Damon’s first effort. It was confusing and dark and lacked much entertainment value. Although I do recall a good chase scene or two.
4 stars
ROGER & ME (1989):
Finally, we have a winner. I missed this when it was in the theatres 15 years ago. Frankly, a documentary about GM plants closing in Flint, Michigan did not seem all that entertaining. But I was wrong.
Michael Moore did an excellent job trying to make sense of plant closures as he stalked Roger Smith, the chairman of the GM board, seeking an interview. While he was more successful with Charlton Heston (in Columbine), this is a must-see dvd if you missed it in the theatre.
The interviews with Bob Eubanks (he of the Newlywed Game - and a Flint native; I bet Bob rues the day he ever cracked jokes with Michael), Pat Boone, Anita Bryant & the spokesman for GM are worth the price of the dvd. Michael also pokes fun at the Flint officials who try to make Flint a tourist mecca (but that target was far too easy!).
With the massive outsourcing of jobs to other countries, this movie is still very relevant.
9 stars
Hysterically wicked. At times it’s sad and depressing – but also funny, poignant and edgy. Miles, a wine snob still down over his two-year old divorce, takes his college roommate, Jack (with whom he has nothing in common), for a pre-wedding bachelor week in the Central Coast wine country. Jack insists on one more fling before he ties the knot, and they both get more than they wished for in the bargain. In a way, a guy’s chick flick.
9 stars
If you need your eye candy on the big screen (Pierce Brosnan & Salma Hayek), go see this fun (but too often corny) jewel theft caper on the big screen. Otherwise, an ok movie for a cozy winter night at home with your own microwave popcorn. Woody Harrelson is miscast as the FBI agent; but he seems to have fun anyway.
6 stars
This is far more than a guy getting out of shape by eating every meal at McDonald’s for 30 days, it is an (excellent) indictment of the entire food industry. Michael Moore could have done this film, except that he’s, well, fat already! This is a must-see for every school board member, principal and teacher, as it’s also an indictment on how we try and feed our kids at schools. You’re guaranteed to eat a lot more salads after watching this.
8½ stars
RAY:
And what a one to come back with. Jamie Foxx does an Oscar-worthy job as the young Ray Charles (it follows Charles' life until 1966). It'll make you want to go out and buy a Ray Charles CD. Trust me.
9 stars
This one was really bad. Not only did it steal its theme (lamely) from Groundhog Day, but it stole some cutesy parts from The Wedding Singer (which I liked) trying to re-live the chemistry between Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore. It failed miserably. Put it on the bottom of your dvd rental list – and be lucky if it never pops to the surface.
2 stars (only because the walruses and the penguin were cute)
My Best of 2004:
*Finding Neverland (9½)
*Sideways (9)
*Ray (9)
Kinsey (9)
Hotel Rwanda (9)
*Million Dollar Baby (9) [Academy winner]
Beyond the Sea (8½)
Spanglish (8½)
My Best of non-2004 films:
Roger & Me (9) (1989)
Step Into Liquid (8½) (2003)
(*Academy Award nominees for Best Picture)
