Movie Reviews 2005
THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA:
It's a shame there wasn't room to nominate Tommy Lee Jones as Academy Best Actor for his portrayal of Pete Perkins (he won the nod for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival), a border cowboy-foreman who befriends one of his workers, Melquiades Estrada, an undocumented Mexican up north of the border looking for work as a cowboy. In a semi-accident, Estrada is killed by a sadistic U.S. border patrolman, Mike Norton (in a fine performance by Barry Pepper, who played Roger Maris in Billy Crystal's 61*), then is left to be eaten by coyotes. When Perkins figures out it was murder, and police chief Belmont (Dwight Yoakum) has no interest in pressing charges, Pete seeks revenge. And he metes out frontier justice by making Norton help return the body to Estrada's home in the Mexican mountains for a proper burial.
While this is a slow moving film - and far from flawless - it is beautifully filmed and directed. Jones & Pepper are outstanding, as as is Julio Cedillo as Estrada and the side actors: Yoakum, Pepper's cute wife January Jones and the cafe waitress, Melissa Leo. Very much worth seeing on the big screen if you get a chance.
8½ stars
The lovely Gwyneth Paltrow stars as the unstable but brilliant daughter of a mad mathematician, Anthony Hopkins, who is declining rapidly - more mentally than physically - in his latter years. Brokeback Mountain cowboy Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a relentless student of Hopkins who wants to search the deceased man's papers for a hint that he produced something of interest in his declining years. What he finds becomes the focus of the story.
Is Gyllenhaal simply taking advantage of Paltrow's fragile nature for his own glory, or is he sincerely interested in promoting his former professor? Hope Davis does a fine job as Paltrow's less-than-smart and anal-retentive sister who comes from out of town to rescue Paltrow from both Gyllenhaal and the aftermath of their father's death.
This is a depressing movie in so many ways, but it is definitely worth a rental.
7½ stars
Sophisticated Chicago meets down home North Carolina common folk. Art auction house owner Madelaine and new husband Eugene head to North Carolina to see firsthand the crude artwork of a racist, sadistic, moronic (in my eyes, at least) artist and, for some inexplicable reason, Maddy loves the work and sets out to land the artist as a contributor. While down south, Maddy convinces Eugene to visit his parents, who live a half hour away. It's there, as the prodigal son returns home, where the clash of culture is obvious. Maddy is instantly seized upon by her very pregnant sister-in-law, Amy Adams, who is one of the favorites for Best Supporting Actress this year, as her new best friend, while her crabby husband (Eugene's younger brother, Johnny) is about as unlikable as a quiet person can be.
While this is an odd little film, the personalities are overwhelming. Eugene's mom is a pushy southern wife and mother, while his dad is laid back and rolls with the punches. Amy Adams drives you nuts as the wide-eyed, naive sister-in-law - which, of course, is why she is up for the Academy Award - and brother Johnny is about as ornery and unlovable as possible.
Worth a look on dvd.
6 stars
Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones reprise their roles as Mr. & Mrs. Zorro, and it's Zorro meets James Bond & Indiana Jones. The two stars provide ample eye candy for both sexes, but, frankly, it's too much swashbuckling and too little plot.
Rent it if you're desperate.
4 stars
Now, here's an odd little indie film that starts odd and ends odd, with lots of odd in between. It starts with a protracted view of the front of a Parisian suburban apartment, and you wonder what's up -- the credits having ended a while ago. Then you realize that you are viewing a video that had been left on the front step of a couple who have learned that they are being watched. But by whom and for whatever reason is never made clear. Nonetheless, it's a spooky film because of the drama that unfolds between and among the actors as more and more videos are left on the step. And there IS some good acting here, led by Juliette Binoche (of Chocolat fame).
Not the best subtitled movie you can find, but you could do worse.
5½ stars
I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy, but this clunker must be avoided at all costs. Let's start with the fact that it's a bad rip-off of one of my favorite 'romantic comedies-I'm not really dead' movies, Ghost. How Reese Witherspoon went from a highly acclaimed role as June Carter in Walk the Line to this turkey is beyond me. She needed a paycheck?
Here's the plot (trust me, if you end up watching this film after this review you deserve to have the plot given away): Dr. Elizabeth "Don't Call Me Lizzy" Masterson is a workaholic young doctor at a San Francisco hospital who simply has no time for a social life. As she's heading for yet another blind date, she's hit head on by a truck. Pan to David Abbott, played by Mark Ruffalo, who is despondent over the loss of his wife and in need of a furnished rental in the city. A flyer finds its way off of a bulletin board, flies through the air and sticks to David's leg - not once or twice, but three times.
It's fate! Ugh!
As David settles in to Elizabeth's apartment, drinking his way to oblivion, Elizabeth shows up to demand that he get out. Then she disappears. We soon learn that she's not really dead but in a hospital bed on life support. And her sister is being pressured to take her off support because, of course, that's what Elizabeth professed when she signed on as a doctor. It gets worse - trust me - but, of course, in the end, they live happily ever after. Oh, and guess WHO was supposed to be her blind date back at the beginning of this review?
It doesn't get much worse than this.
1 star
Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) pulls off a Charlize Theron, Monster-like performance in her portrayal of Bree, a Southern California man one step away from transforming from a man to a woman. He's about to undergo surgery when a complication arises: His son, now a gay, teenaged hustler in New York, is about to be released from juvenile detention and in need of adult supervision. Bree flies east and, after some give and take, takes "his" son on a cross-country road trip that reveals much about the characters of all of the actors. "Dysfunctional" does not come close to describing this family!
Huffman is one of the favorites - and very deservingly so - to win the Best Actress award at the Academy Awards next month. While you can occasionally catch a vocal glimpse of Lynette, her Housewives character, Huffman nails this role. Her husband, William H. Macy, is the film's executive producer. Kevin Zegers, a young Canadian actor plays her son, who is reluctantly along for the ride - and unaware of his female companion's past and his/her relationship to him. He'll be heard from again.
Another winner from an independent movie house.
9 stars
OK, you decided you wouldn't see this on the big screen because a) you didn't like the title and b) you figured it was sophomoric. So you put it on your Netflix list, waiting for it to rise to the top. Well, I am here to save you from that thinking. I strongly suggest you drop it like a hot rock. There is little to recommend this film is spite of all of the hype and advertising.
This movie is an excuse for four adult males to engage in juvenile behavior that is crude and offensive at every turn. It's hard to believe that Catherine Keener (who's up for a Best Supporting Actress award as Harper Lee in Capote) agreed to be in this crummy movie. The ONLY redeeming quality it had was it was filmed at a strip mall on Ventura Blvd. in Encino, where we've had several bagel breakfasts with daughter Jamie; the movie even plays on the real eBay store across the street.
Reviewers at Imdb.com gave it a 7.5. What were they thinking?
2 stars
OK, we don't like Russell Crowe or his attitude; and we don't like his demand that this Ron Howard-directed movie be brought back for a re-release because it wasn't hyped enough when it was first released. That's plenty of reason for us to cheer when it was all but ignored (three nominations: supporting actor, editing and make-up) by the Academy.
Say what you will, but this true story about a washed-up heavyweight boxer fighting for another chance may be the best boxing movie ever released. Crowe as James J. Braddock was terrific; Renee Zellwegger as his wife, trying to keep her family together during the early years of the Great Depression, was outstanding; Paul Giammatti is up for a best supporting actor award for his portrayal as Braddock's trainer; and other cast members lent this film authenticity. The fight scenes were brutal; if that bothers you, don't see it.
Did I mention Ron Howard directed it?
It's out on dvd, but I bet it was good on the big screen.
9 stars
My sympathies if you wasted popcorn money watching this at the theatres. Sure, young Rachel McAdams is a cutie-patootie, and this film actually did have some drama. But when it degenerated into an adult Home Alone, it lost me. Well, maybe even before that.
Cillian Murphy plays the bad guy (yes, his movie name is actually Jack Rippner, which leads to one bad joke and proof that the producers had a sense of humor) who "kidnaps" hotel concierge McAdams on a red eye from Dallas to Miami, holding her father hostage while she is forced to order a VIP (the head of homeland security) from one hotel room to another - to be set up for a kill. We never found out why or for whom. Oh, so many holes.
While some critics liked this, as did many voters at imdb.com (more than half gave it a 7 or higher), I think this is one you see on dvd if you're looking for a thriller that is not so thrilling. I've certainly seen worse.
5 stars
Pierce Brosnan plays an ecentric, aging hit-man/con-artist who befriends (in an odd sort of way) an American businessman, Greg Kinnear, who's depressed over a botched sales pitch in Mexico City. When is Brosnan telling the truth, and when is he BS-ing? This is a strange little buddy movie that takes some unexpected turns -- and, I think, is perfectly suited for a spot on your Netflix queue rather than a night out at the movies.
Remember, this is a comedy, not to be taken too seriously. Also, the violence is all off-screen.
6½ stars
A powerful political thriller/love story about a British aid worker, Rachel Weisz, who is murdered in Kenya because of discoveries she made about a pharmaceutical company peddling untested drugs on an unsuspecting population of Africans. Her quiet and unsuspecting diplomat of a husband, Ralph Fiennes, turns into a sleuth trying to understand and uncover the circumstances of his wife's death. Told through flashbacks and intricate plot twists, this film holds your attention -- and the superb acting of both Weisz (who won a Golden Globe for her performance) and Fiennes makes this a film you do not want to miss (we obviously almost did because we finally saw it on dvd, having missed it last summer).
It's directed by Fernando Meirelles, a Brazilian who last did City of God (2002), an outstanding documentary about ruthless gangs in Rio de Janeiro. Meirelles, the two stars, the cinematographer (wonderfully filmed in Kenya) and the film all may be recognized come Oscar time.
9 stars
MARIA, FULL OF GRACE (2004):
A poignant (HBO) story of a 17-year old Columbian girl who, after quitting her job on a flower plantation, becomes a mule for the drug lords, injesting packs of drugs to smuggle into New York. Catalina Sandino Moreno is excellent in her inaugural role as a naive (and pregnant!) young woman desperately looking to help her family -- and herself. The scenes from the flower plantation are startling; something that will make you think when you purchase that next bunch of flowers from your local grocery store.
As I read somewhere: "Based on a thousand true stories." In Spanish, with subtitles.
Worthy of a rental.
8 stars
Woody Allen meets Alfred Hitchcock? An intriguing tale of fidelity and morals, this film has a major and unexpected twist. Good acting, good story, good support characters (mom and dad especially) -- this one keeps you guessing: How much DOES luck have to do with life?
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers plays Chris, a newly-hired tennis teaching pro (at a posh London club) who is befriended by Tom (Matthew Goode), one of his first students, a young, rich, nice guy. This leads to a night out at the opera with Tom and his very well-to-do family, where Chris meets Tom's available sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer). But before Chris & Chloe become a couple -- and later marry -- Chris has a smitten moment with the fetching and sensual American girl Nola (Scarlett Johansson), only to quickly discover that she is Tom's girl friend. Oops!
Rhys-Meyers, having just pulled down a Golden Globe for his role as Elvis in a CBS mini-series, is the center of attention in this film, as he grapples with a new marriage, attempts at fatherhood, a new business life -- and the lovely and talented Ms. Johansson. Is he going to be good, bad -- or just plain lucky? This will get award nominations come Oscar time, so it's worth a trek to the theatre.
(Note: This movie received an R rating, but it is difficult to know why. Four seniors in front of us left half way through, but there were plenty of older patrons in the audience who did not leave. There is no explicit sex or violence. I've seen more explicit sex on TV, so maybe Woody WANTED an R rating, and he accepted it willingly.)
8½ stars
This George Clooney directed and acted intrigue is either a clever look at American foreign (read: oil) policy in the Middle East or a mishmash of stories that leaves one confused and unfulfilled. Or perhaps it is both.
It's a slow moving film that keeps you interested because you're trying hard to keep all of the pieces together - and to see how (or if) they fit together in the end. It's not a movie to see if you just want to be entertained; it'll demand your attention.
Clooney won a Golden Globe for his (very overweight) portrayal of Bob Barnes, an ex-CIA rogue agent who's still in the thick of the Middle East intrigue. Alliances and friendships seem to shift with each scene. Matt Damon does an excellent job as an oil analyst, who is befriended by a would-be reformer after a family tragedy.
If this is still at your local theatre, give it a go. If not, make sure it's high on your Netflix queue once it hits dvd.
7½ stars
A powerful movie about forbidden love (which, unless you've been on Jupiter the past six months, you know is about two gay cowboys) set from 1963 to the early 1980s. If the subject matter unsettles you, don't go; but don't be surprised when it lights up Oscar night. Heath Ledger & Jake Gyllenhaal are very believable, and the supporting cast - wives, families, friends - makes this one of the best of 2005.
9½ stars
Jeff Daniels plays perhaps THE most unlikable character of the year (if there ISN'T such an award, there should be) as the divorced dad from hell. Arrogant, pompous, selfish...you name it. Laura Linney, not so loving herself, plays the divorced mom. The two kids are pretty screwed up in their own right, especially the younger, who leans toward mom (with the older defending dad). Having said all this, this was a pretty darn good movie. If you can no longer catch it at an indie near you, put it on your Netflix list when it comes out.
8 stars
IN AMERICA (2002):
We missed this when it appeared in the movies; it has since been lingering on our Netflix queue, never quite making it to the top. I'm glad it did -- and I recommend you stick this toward the top of your own rental list.
This is a touching story about a family from Ireland (via Canada) who settle in New York City in search of their own American dream. Dad is looking for an acting job, but his acting skills are a bit stale. Mom tries to work while raising two girls - young son Frankie died before they left Ireland - and the entire family tries to cope as they hit rock bottom. Each, in their own way, also are trying to cope with the sudden death of little Frankie. The two daughters (sisters in real life) are absolutely adorable. One of their apartment neighbors, Mateo, is an unforgettable character.
A must-see movie.
8½ stars
A typical, over-the-top, slapstick Jim Carrey comedy about a couple that turns to crime when their high-flying life style comes crashing down along with Carrey’s Enron-like company. Even the beautiful Tea Leoni can’t tame Carrey in this madcap escapade. Alec Baldwin, as usual, does a great job as the evil company owner.
Making light of the plight of employees screwed by the bankruptcy of a huge corporation comes close to crossing the line, even for a Carrey movie. This is definitely one that can wait until the dvd comes out, but it probably deserves a spot on your Netflix list when it does.
Two notes: We had the “pleasure” of seeing this sitting near several women whose shrieking laughter tells you that some people thought it was funny, even if their noise was irritating to us. Also, whether you waste, er spend, your afternoon seeing this at the theatre or an evening in your home, make sure you see the beginning of the credits; it produced my biggest laugh.
5 stars
An intense Steven Spielberg drama that’s a violent, physical and psychological thriller – inspired by a true story – that tells the story of the revenge assassinations (unofficially) undertaken by Israel after the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Summer Olympic games in Munich.
The movie is blessed with outstanding acting, most notably by the lead actor, Eric Bana, the young Israeli Mossad agent recruited to head the assassination team, and Geoffrey Rush, Bana’s boss, who always seems to give intense performances. Rush could be up for a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
This film is not a clean movie where everything is wrapped up in one neat package. Instead, it comes off as a realistic drama where good guys die and innocent bystanders get hurt; good and evil are not black and white, and paranoia and guilt and remorse run rampant. It’s controversial and thought provoking.
This is a long film (2:40), but it’s worth a visit to the big screen.
9 stars
Chaos and dysfunction reign at the Stone's family holiday get-together as the oldest son (Dermot Mulroney) brings home his girl friend (soon to be fiance?), Sarah Jessica Parker, a Type A personality, to a close-knit, loosey-goosey family. Nobody even tries to warm to the uptight Parker, especially not mom-bitch Diane Keaton or youngest daughter Rachel McAdams. Dad, Craig T. Nelson, tries to referee, but fails miserably. Young black sheep son Luke Wilson plays the hippy-dippy son, who goes with the flow, as does the gay and deaf son. Eventually, Parker's sister, Claire Danes, is brought in to give some protection to her besieged sister. Each, in their own way, are very good in their roles. Keaton may be considered at Awards time.
This movie is NOT the grab-ass, laugh-a-minute flick that the trailers make it out to be, but is a far more sensitive treatment of family ties and holiday traditions. You'll laugh and cry. It's worth spending the time at the big screen over the holidays.
8½ stars
A sick little romantic comedy about the fictional Robinson family (of The Graduate fame), starring Jennifer Aniston (as the granddaughter of “Mrs. Robinson"); Shirley MacLaine (as Mrs. Robinson); Kevin Costner (as Beau Burroughs, aka Benjamin Braddock); and Mark Ruffalo (Aniston’s fiancé).
Aniston is darling as the confused daughter and granddaughter of two women who had slept with Costner 30+ years ago; MacLaine stole the show as the (don’t-call-me) grandmother, still protecting her family from the horny Costner. Plenty of other good supporting jobs, including Aniston’s dad, Richard Jenkins (Charlize Theron’s dad in North Country).
If you miss it over the holidays, it's at least worthy of a spot on your future dvd rental list.
7½ stars
Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon absolutely nail their roles as Johnny Cash & June Carter (they did their own singing, too), and this Oscar-worthy film is also worthy of your viewing. Even though I wasn't much of a Cash music fan, this biopic is reminiscent of the outstanding job that Jamie Foxx did in Ray last year -- even if the two films are very different. I don't think you need to be either a Cash fan or a country music fan to enjoy this movie.
Walk the Line follows Cash's life from a young boy up until his performance at Folsom State Prison in 1968 (ironically, we saw it at the Folsom theatres, a mile or so away from the prison). The growing love interest between Cash & Carter smokes on the screen, and much of that has to do with Witherspoon, whose stock goes up considerably with her role.
[Note: I figured Cash would sing "A Boy Named Sue" during the prison scenes, and I read some criticism about their leaving it out. Then I discovered that that song was not recorded until San Quentin the following year. Ha!]
Both Phoenix & Witherspoon should be considered for Oscar nominations, as should the film. Go see it.
9 stars
Keira Knightley steals the show in this fine "modern" production of the Jane Austen book. "Modern" because you never get a feel that the young ladies in this production (born into a relatively poor, but gentlemanly home, led by the indomitable Donald Sutherland) ever felt the hardships that came with life in late 18th Century England. Knightley is one of five daughters that need to have good marriages, but Keira's feisty ways may make it difficult to marry her off to a worthy suitor, no matter how cute and smart she is. Brenda Blethyn does a wonderful job playing the wacky wife of Sutherland as if her own real life depends on her children's futures.
This made for a pleasant Thanksgiving morning film, but it IS slow and methodical, and you need to be in the mood for this genre (e.g., my 20-yr old daughter took a two-hour nap).
7½ stars
HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE:
The best of the Potter series so far, although Richard Harris' replacement as Prof Albus Dumbledore, Michael Gambon, was a drag on the film. Apparently they let him re-create the role, because even if Harris was one of the best actors of his generation, you'd think they'd want his successor to continue Albus' character traits. Oh, well.
If you're a Potter fan, you've seen it already (perhaps twice); if you still haven't caught the bug, you should watch the first three on dvd, then catch this one on the big screen. But, as I have warned before, do NOT go back and re-read the book prior to seeing the film. Otherwise, you'll get too caught up in the differences.
8½ stars
An old-fashioned, feel-good, Disneyesque Kurt Russell/Dakota Fanning film that’s perfect to take the kids to see. Tracy has a 45-year crush on Russell, which prompted our attendance. Otherwise…
5 stars (adults)
8½ stars (for kids)
Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings) plays Tom Stoll, a family man, married to a cute and sexy wife (Maria Bello), living in a farmhouse with their two kids outside of a small town in Indiana. He owns a greasy spoon – Stoll’s Diner – and has a bit of bad luck when late at night two violent drifters decide they need coffee and money. Tom takes action and drops them both, and he becomes a small town and national hero.
Or does he?
Ed Harris, who plays a mobster from Philadelphia, is convinced that Tom is really Joey Cusack, a hit man from his past who had done him wrong.
Is Harris right, or is it simply a case of mistaken identity?
Violence begets violence, which begets violence. And it comes from unlikely sources. This is an interesting movie – with its share of violence (thus the title…duh!) – and you keep expecting things to happen that don’t.
Worth a look.
8 stars
This George Clooney-directed movie about Edward R. Murrow is a must-see. It’s an edgy, black and white depiction of Murrow taking on Sen. Joseph McCarthy – and the trials and tribulations that Murrow and his co-workers encounter with the network as they continue digging into McCarthy’s extravagances.
David Straithairn (playing Murrow) is a slam-dunk candidate for a Best Actor nomination, and Clooney may get a nomination for direction. It also stars Robert Downey, Jr. Great chemistry among the cast, and a pretty realistic look (or so I’m told) at backstage in the newsroom.
One major drawback, however, was the sound. I’d like to hope that we were just victims of a bum sound system (back screen at Tower); I had trouble hearing a good portion of the dialog. Just in case, I suggest you not see it there if you have a choice.
8 stars
This is an incredible film that should not be missed on the big screen. Phillip Seymour Hoffman nailed Truman Capote, and he’s gotta be the early odds-on favorite to win the Best Actor at next year’s Academy Awards. An acting job of a lifetime
The film depicts six years of Capote’s life – when he was researching and writing (and living) the 1959 Kansas farmhouse murders that became the subject of his non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood – the most intense six years of his entire career. Already a celebrated New York author, Capote takes advantage of some insider advantages (carefully cultivated with Catherine Keener, who plays Harper Lee, an old childhood friend; you might recall that name as the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, her only book), and he has unprecedented access to the alleged murderers. He never wrote another book.
10 stars
Through 95 percent of this movie, it teetered between very good to excellent. It chronicles the true story of a woman – Josie Aimes, played well by Charlize Theron – who is forced to work in the Northern Minnesotan iron mines to support her two kids after getting beaten once-too-many times by her husband. In the mines, Josie and her fellow female workers (allowed to work there – unwelcomed – because of a court ruling years earlier) are subjected to blatant sexual harassment by their co-workers, supervisors and mine owner.
[Note: The mine owner looks remarkably like Ken Lay, making it a) easier to dislike him and b) obvious who will play Lay when a casting director has to make that call.]
The resulting sexual harassment lawsuit becomes the first ever in the country.
OK, so what happened in the last 5 percent of the movie? Blatant Hollywooditis! Woody Harrelson is surprisingly believable as the young, reluctant lawyer for Josie, but the drama he creates at the preliminary hearing is enough to make you gag.
Plenty of good acting in this movie. Frances McDermond may be up for a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as a friend and fellow worker at the mine. Sissy Spacek and Richard Jenkins are good as Josie’s parents, as is McDermond’s husband, Sean Bean.
If the real court scene played out the way the movie did, I owe the directors an apology. But I ain’t holding my breath.
6½ stars
I took a bullet for you here. This Jennifer Lopez-Jane Fonda movie is painful, simply painful. The characters were awful, the dialog stilted and the plot stupid.
In a nutshell, Lopez works at a variety of odd (and low paying) jobs, only to fall for the “handsome” young doctor (gee, where have we seen this Maid in Manhattan moment before?), with an overprotective mother from hell. The problem is that the doctor is not even cute (he constantly sports a 4-day unkempt growth), Lopez is not very desirable (now THAT took acting) and Fonda is over-the-top obnoxious.
If you have a bad mother-in-law (I don’t), you probably should watch this to appreciate what you have. I feel sorry for any of you who sat through this on the big screen; I have no sympathy for the rest of you who fail to take this off of your Netflix queue after reading this review.
1 star
This Adam Sandler (and Chris Rock) remake of a Burt Reynolds movie has one really funny part: It turns out that Burt’s an inmate at the penitentiary, too, and he comes out of the woodwork to help coach and play on the inmate team, which gets to kick ass against the red-hot prison guard team.
OK, that’s it. I gave away the best part. Well, that and an obnoxious Courtney Cox hanging out of her party dress at the start of the movie; no wonder Sandler, the washed-up football QB, decided to take her Bentley for a drunken spin.
If you ever had a thought about renting this one, I suggest you let it pass.
2 stars
Released earlier this year (and panned by the critics), this is an okay Sydney Pollack-directed film of political intrigue at the United Nations. Nicole Kidman & Sean Penn both do credible jobs, even though the dialog is stilted at times (in a director’s interview on the dvd, Pollack admits that they were working without a finished script, which explains many of the film’s problems).
Filmed at the U.N. in New York, which adds realism, the movie is about political violence and unrest in a small, emerging (and made-up) African country, Matobo. Kidman plays a U.N. interpreter, who grew up in Matobo, and has a personal stake in the conditions in the country. She overhears talk of assassination of the current Matoban leader, who's headed to the U.N. for a speech – or does she? – and it’s up to Penn, who plays a VIP security agent, to figure out what’s what. Is she a victim, or part of the plot?
There are plenty of flaws (and clichés) in this too-long thriller, but it’s worthy enough for a dvd rental. Just be happy they didn’t use the “alternative” ending that’s on the dvd: very cheesy.
6 stars
THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED:
A well-done telling of the famous 1913 U.S. Open golf tournament that matched British golf icon Harry Vardon and 20-year old American amateur Francis Ouimet. Sappy and overly-Hollywood in part (I’ve read that they took plenty of liberties, including the final score of the tournament), the movie generally appeals to the golfer in the crowd - but its period authenticity could make it appeal to the non-golfer, as well. Ouimet’s 5th grade caddy - a short pudgy mouthy fellow - steals the show with his wit (“Read it, roll it and hole it!”). The film also reminds us of the class distinctions in golf, particularly in its early years.
This is a movie you can take your folks to - as I did with my folks, never revealing to them WHAT film we were going to watch. When my dad saw his ticket stub - “Greatest Game” - he wondered how they were able to get to the screen so fast with a movie about Saturday’s USC-Notre Dame football game. Out of the mouths of babes…
I challenge you to recognize a single one of the actors used by director Bill Paxton. I liked that. At least Netflix it if you miss it on the screen.
7 stars
MOSTLY MARTHA (BELLA MARTHA, 2001):
This German film (with subtitles) is a touching film about food and a chef’s relationship with her 8-year old niece, whom she is forced to raise after her sister is killed in an automobile accident. Worth a place high on your Netflix list.
8 stars
KUNG FU HUSTLE (2004):
I will not out the person who recommended this spoof on kung fu movies (and the Crouching Tiger-type films), because I thought it rather silly. Having said that, I noticed on imdb.com that I’m in the minority opinion on this one (30% of the 12,000 who posted ratings gave it a 10; the average was a 7.9, a very high score).
It follows the efforts of one fellow who tries to break into a 1940s Chinese “Axe” gang, except that he has no martial arts talent. I must not enjoy kung fu movies enough to appreciate its satire and humor. You might.
In Chinese, with subtitles.
4 stars
Add two very different sisters – Cameron Diaz & Toni Collette – and one re-discovered grandmother – Shirley MacLaine – and you get a most delightful romantic comedy/tearjerker. You’re guaranteed to need tissue.
Diaz, the younger sister, is the party girl; Collette is the lawyer who’s getting screwed –literally – by her law firm. Both are in crisis mode when Diaz discovers a long-forgotten grandmother in Florida, another person she might use for her own purposes. All three women - with a great support cast (particularly the residents at MacLaine’s retirement community) – nail their roles, and you’ll laugh and cry with them. And then, of course, there are the shoes. Lots of them.
If you’re looking for flaws, you’ll find them (e.g., it’s very long). But if you’re looking for a good way to spend an autumn afternoon or evening, see this one.
9 stars
CRASH (2004):
An excellent film about race relations in multi-ethnic Los Angeles -- how we perceive others, and how others perceive us and each other. This movie did not need name stars, but you'll find Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Sandra Bullock, Brendan Frazier, Matt Dillon, others.
There are several stories going on in this flick, and you move from one to another seamlessly. Most overlap, but not in a cutesy way. Good people in one scene become bad people in another (depending on whom they are relating to); and bad people become good. You can't miss a minute or two without losing the story line, so this movie needs your attention.
This is a must see.
9 stars
PIECES OF APRIL (2003):
Mom’s dying of cancer; grandma has Alzheimer’s; younger sister doesn’t want to go; older brother Tim wants to capture it on film; and dad, Oliver Platt, just wants his family to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner at the tattooed and pierced, wayward and oldest daughter’s (Katie Holmes) Manhattan apartment, where everything seems to be going wrong with her first attempt at such a feast.
But she finds help in the oddest of places (including a small role for Sean Hayes, Will & Grace’s Jack).
This was an overlooked 2003 independent film that is poignant and funny (in the right places) - and tear-jerky in the end. A must-see on dvd. Platt does a great (yet subdued) job of trying to keep his family together in time for his wayward daughter’s dinner; their drive through the countryside to New York is full of family drama. Holmes plays the black sheep daughter (April -- thus the title of the film) to a tee.
Netflix it today (and make sure you see it BEFORE Thanksgiving this year).
9 stars
We both love John Cusack, so we took some time during our Maine holiday to go see this one. You, however, should wait until you Netflix it.
There are some good moments in this film, but, frankly, they over-sensitized Cusack's character. Diane Lane was fun -- and it was good to see the female do things with her character that they normally only allow males to do. But their chemistry was not great, and the dialog was often forced and embarrassing.
No need to rush out and see it.
6 stars
If you believe the trailers (and too damn many of those for sure), you'll think this is an Animal House/American Pie type grab-ass flick with two male bores (Owen Wilson & Vince Vaughn, both very funny; great chemistry) and lots of female skin. Well, mostly that's right -- but this film went from guy film to chick flick and back again so many times that you just have fun laughing your way through it.
A great cameo near the end (I won't give away who) when Owen Wilson learns from the Zen master of wedding crashers how to crash a funeral. Great jobs by the top two female leads, Rachel McAdams (of Mean Girls & Notebook) and Isla Fisher, very different sisters and daughters of Christopher Walken, in one of his meatier roles. There was a dumb role, however, for the gay brother. Mostly tasteless.
If you haven't already, go see it. A very good R-rated adult comedy.
8 stars
This is worth putting on your Netflix list if for no other reason than to watch Will Smith. It’s lame in too many parts, but there are some redeeming scenes (mostly Smith). Glad we did not waste an afternoon at the movies, however.
6 stars
Now here’s another that we had designs to see at the theatres but didn’t - probably because it got panned. (It’s the so-called sequel to Get Shorty.) I did not expect much, so was pleasantly surprised when I saw it on dvd.
John Travolta IS cool in his role, as is Uma Thurman. Travolta has to get a replacement rental for his shot-up car, and they give him a Honda Insight hybrid. When he tells the rental car guy, “I’m a Cadillac guy,” he’s told: “It’s the Cadillac of Hybrids!” The whole movie becomes a side ad for hybrids (good for John!); he tells DeVito - when Danny asks him “Is speed not important to you”- “If you’re important, people will wait for you.” Classic!
It’s a fun one to rent. Put it on your list.
7½ stars
STAR WARS, III - REVENGE OF THE SITH:
A visual cacophony of sound and sights. It segues back to the original very well, telling the story of how Darth became Darth and the birth of the Skywalker twins. Can’t imagine what it’ll be like to see Episode 4 again. Pretty crude, I’m sure. A winner for Star War fans -- but if you are one, you already waited in line the first weekend and have been back five times.
7 stars
Morgan Freeman narrates this exquisitely filmed documentary of one year in the life of Antarctica’s Emperor penguins, the only endemic animals that exist on the frozen continent. Adults and kids will love it; even the sex is G-rated. Go see it. The only negative I can come up with is that the film left me with a lot of questions; but, then again, that’s what Google’s for.
9 stars
This is a good animated show about the need for some animals to escape the zoo for their natural environment, but I’d reached this conclusion far before I even knew about the “March” movie: Too many lemurs and not nearly enough of the penguins. The former were a pain, the latter the stars of the show, albeit in a limited role. Save for dvd.
7 stars
Caught this on dvd a few weeks ago, because I always wanted to see Annette Bening’s Academy-nominated performance. She did not disappoint. This is worth seeing if only to watch a pro at work.
7 stars
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM:
As some of you know, we hosted the premiere of this film in Sacramento last week. And it’s safe to say that the 400 who showed up went home having been entertained by some of the more ghoulish villains in recent memory: Ken Lay & Jeffrey Skilling. My boss, state Sen. Joe Dunn, played a small role (as himself, of course) as a talking head.
They did an excellent job putting a lot of complex information together for this documentary, and, except for a couple of hiccups (factual errors and one Eros scene a bit over the top), it’s one of the best non-Michael Moore documentaries you could see.
Support your local indie film site and see this on the big screen.
9 stars
LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS:
This one surprised me. While Jim Carrey is up to his old tricks - some of his mannerisms are getting old - this movie is all about the three kids, all of whom do an excellent job.
Newly orphaned, the kids go to live with their "closest" relative (in distance), Count Olaf (Carrey), who schemes to grab their rich inheritance. In a "series of unfortunate -- and zany -- events," the three orphans use their various skills (inventiveness, memory and biting) to elude Olaf's clutches.
I have not read the books, but I am told that the film is neither a) true to the story line nor b) as good as the books. Having said that, it’s an entertaining show that is definitely worth a spot on your Netflix list.
7½ stars
THE STEPFORD WIVES (2004):
I never saw the original, which I understand was better than this one. But if you like Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler or Matthew Broderick (with assists from Glenn Close, Christopher Walken & Jon Lovitz), it’s a bearable satire about “perfect wives.”
Be glad you did not spend a theatre evening with this one, but it’s worth a spot on your Netflix list.
5 stars
BLUE VELVET (1986):
Now this was an odd Dennis Hopper cult film about Hopper’s sociopathic domination of Isabella Rossellini. Kyle MacLachlan (“Trey MacDougal” for you Sex & the City fans) plays a small town college kid who teams up with high school senior Laura Dern to try and figure out the origins of a severed ear that Kyle finds in a field. He builds a relationship with Rossellini, a local blues singer, while trying to understand why she is under Hopper’s spell.
This is a dark film that, frankly, was very strange. It actually got some critical acclaim when it came out in 1986; however, rent at your own risk.
6 stars
You don't HAVE to be a baseball fan to enjoy this romantic comedy, but unless you are OR are married to a b-ball fan (to enjoy the not-so-subtle jabs at our silly fanaticism), you're in for a long afternoon.
My guess is Fever Pitch will become the cult movie to Red Sox fans as Field of Dreams has become to the rest of us.
Sure, there's silliness and unbelievability (high school baseball practice in September?) when type A personality and successful businesswoman Drew Barrymore meets high school teacher and passionate Red Sox fan Jimmy Fallon, but the movie works because it does not take itself too seriously. (However, we could have done without the constant trailers we endured on TV that gave some of the best scenes away.) There are plenty of scenes that hit very close to home; the conversation between Barrymore & Fallon about spring training was particularly funny.
The movie is based on a very good Nick Hornby book (about soccer); Nick also wrote High Fidelity (a personal fav) starring John Cussack and About a Boy starring Hugh Grant. It's directed by the Farrelly brothers (There's Something About Mary; Dumb & Dumber).
SPOILER: The ending of the movie, however, is VERY unrealistic: Down 3-0 in the AL Championship series to their archrivals, the New York Yankees, the BoSox win 4 straight, then 4 straight from the N.L. Champ Cardinals to claim their first World Series title in 86 years? Yeah, right. Who’d believe that?
non-baseball fans: 5 stars
non-baseball fans with a baseball fan for a spouse/partner: 7 stars
baseball fans (with or without a spouse/partner): 8½ stars
Boston Red Sox fanatics: 10 stars
Joan Allen turns in an Academy-worthy performance as Terry Wolfmeyer, a mother of four headstrong daughters (15-22 yrs old), whose husband she believes has run off with his Swedish secretary. Terry’s not coping well, and she turns to the vodka bottle while her daughters take care of the day-to-day functions of the house.
Denny Davies (Kevin Costner), a retired Detroit Tigers baseball star - who’d be trying to talk Terry’s husband into selling the acreage behind their home for a housing development - comes knocking during this time, beer in hand, and soon finds his way into Terry’s heart…and bed. Call this one Costner’s comeback, as he does a good job playing a washed-up ballplayer.
While there are holes in the film - and there’s never enough time to fully develop this many characters - this is a movie worth seeing, if for no other reason than to watch Terry try to function as her daughters continue to grow around her. The ending is a bit odd and, coupled with the opening funereal scene, is not the movie at its best. That would be most everything in between.
Roger Ebert loved this movie; the New York Times didn’t. My nod leans toward Ebert.
8½ stars
Better-than-I-expected animated film that has the robots joining forces to fight "progress" when they discovered they could no longer find spare parts for themselves. Robin Williams leads an all-star voice cast that includes Halle Berry, Ewan McGregor, James Earl Jones, Greg Kinnear, Dianne Wiest, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Brooks, Drew Carey, Paul Giamatti and more...
Worth a look on the big screen -- even though you'll also want to see it on dvd because it's one of those movies that you can watch six times and still miss some of the jokes.
8 stars
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (2003):
This is a quirky documentary that follows the trials and tribulations of a Jewish family (mom, dad, three boys) in Great Neck, NY as it is torn apart by the arrests of the school-teacher dad and his youngest son (18-yr old) on multiple counts of having forced sex with young boys.
Told via home movie footage shot by the oldest son, and pieced together with interviews of family members, the mother, the judge, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, investigators and victims, the movie keeps begging the question of whether or not the two are guilty of anything – or were they just victims of a police investigation run amok?
It’s clear why this was nominated for an Academy Award two years ago. It was painful to watch – but mesmerizing just the same – as the family is torn by the arrests, trial and subsequent results.
Worth your time to see.
8 stars
CITY OF GOD (2002):
This film is about a depressed part of Rio de Janeiro that is overrun by violent youthful gangs where it seems everyone has a gun and is more than willing to use it.
It begins in the late 1960s – and moves to the ‘80s – in Cidade de Deus (City of God), a recently built sprawling housing project, that became one of the most dangerous places to live in Rio. It’s a violent, graphic film that follows the lives of several of the slum’s colorful characters – including the one who has the best shot of making it out of the dreadful conditions alive.
It’s a Brazilian film with subtitles, well worth your two plus hours.
8½ stars
My Best of 2005:
*Capote (10)
*Brokeback Mountain (9½)
*Munich (9)
In Her Shoes (9)
**March of the Penguins (9)
Walk the Line (9)
Transamerica (9)
The Constant Gardener (9)
Cinderella Man (9)
**ENRON: The Smartest Guys in the Room
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (8½)
Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire (8½)
Match Point (8½)
Upside of Anger (8½)
The Family Stone (8½)
Fever Pitch (8½)
*Academy Award Nominees for Best Film
(**Documentary)
My Best of non-2005 films:
*Crash (9) [Academy winner]
Pieces of April (9) (2002)
In America (8½) (2002)
City of God (8½) (2002)
