Movies Movies movies

Note that this page replaces the old page from 2000 with listings for movies seen in 2002. I didn't review movies in 2001, but I did make a top 10 of 2001 list.

2.5 stars is MEDIOCRE in my ranking scheme (scale of 0-5). I do, however, differentiate between artsy average, and Hollywood average. Because Hollywood puts out so much bland crap, 2.5 stars for an action flick might be termed AVERAGE. It will almost always be of lower worth than a think piece of the same rating, but for the type of movies that get made in a given genre, it should show relative merit. Very little gets more than a 3.5 from me. Anything at 4.5 or 5 stars is (IMO) exceptional.

General Movies (these are usually art-house flicks)

1. Ice Age: *yawn*. Wake me when the movie thaws. I never loved Raymond (let alone liked him), but I did used to like Denis Leary. He should stick to stand-up. These male actors are the voices for the two lead characters in this (yet-another male-centric) animated film. The story was dull, the gags weren't funny. The animation was smooth, sure, but I couldn't understand why they drew the sloth the way they did. Kinda sloppy, if you ask me. 1.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

2. Queen of the Damned: The movie has no redeeming qualities. I can't recommend it to anyone, but *I* loved it. After seeing it, I heard a snippet of it on a radio program, and could not believe how incredibly dull and forced the dialog sounded. Slow, too. Therefore, I am embarrassed to say that the 'feel' of the film had me grinning from ear to ear. I ate this movie up with joyous abandon! I adore Vampires of the Anne Rice style, and this was FAR better at portraying them than was "Interview with the Vampire". In Q.o.D., Lestat was not simply good looking, he was absolutely sexual. He was a predator. They had no script, but Stuart Townsend managed to make up for that with vampire-appropriate over-the-top mannerisms. 1.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

3. Last Orders: I saw this about a month previous to writing anything, and it really stuck with me. They even managed to develope a female character in this story of an all male bunch of pub mates. Story comes from book. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5). Addendum: as of Jan, 2003, this film is no longer as memorable as I'd hoped. While it was significantly better than anything else I saw at the time, it did NOT make my top 5 (2002 was a much better year for film than 2001).

4. Blade II: Hollywood action fluff. Our hero (Wesley Snipes) is still a psuedo-vampire out to kill full blooded vampires. Much gore ensues. I enjoyed most of the silliness, but there's one point where a dedicated vampire hunter (Kris Kristofferson) rouses from unconciousness and knocks out one of the evil undead, but DOES NOT KILL the monster despite easy access to a plethora of weapons. I assume this was so the bad guy could partake in a final duel-to-the-death. I can only remember one female in the movie, and she was eye-candy. Of course her looks are enough reason for Blade to fall for her. The movie is fine for what it is. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

5. Y Tu Mamá También: Two friends (male teens) can't think of anything better in life than getting laid and getting stoned. A tour to show an aunt the local sights forces them to spend more time together -- which, in turn, brings out issues. Good flick, but I wanted more, and better. I was initially put off by ending (had a hint of cheesiness), but got over it. 3

6. Monsoon Wedding: A celebration of love and family that also maKes light touches on class issues. Not as revealing as I wanted. Happy, light film. Very pretty to look at, but not memorable. 2.5

7. Kissing Jessica Stein: Neurotic femme is undatable. After rejecting all male suitors, she looks to a woman. Simply awful film. Dull, predictable, and far too much jewish sterotyping. Heroine is distasteful. 1.0

8. Nine Queens: Billed as similar to a Mamet piece, the film tracks the players in a con. You spend the movie waiting for an almost inevitable double-cross. The flick is good enough, but the ending bugged a friend (and me, too). We wanted more. 2.5

9. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: Destiny forces young couple together despite a multitude of indicators that the girl should activley dislike the boy. Sheesh! All those years and STILL no script? Hideous and dull. 1.5

10. Spider-Man: Fine for what it was -- a comic book action movie. First half better was better than the second. I Wanted a better, more believable villan -- and one who'd return. 2.5

11. The Believer: Neo-nazi slanders Jews. Fascists love him. His family does not. Given that we're talking about a movie, can a premise like this end well? Riveting dialog and performances. I can't say enough good things about this one, so I'll say nothing more 4.5

12. About a Boy: Hugh Grant is a man without a soul ... 'til he meets the right mate? The film was far more enjoyable than I expected. Who knew Hugh grew? He seemed a better actor in this. Props to the 'lil kid co-star, Nicholas Hoult. 3.5

13. The Importance of Being Earnest: Girls are attracted to our protagonist(s) for the oddest reasons. 'Twas interesting to see this so VERY offstage, but it was less humorous than good stage versions. 2.5

14. Murderous Maids: A maids life ani't much -- especially with a mum like this one. Being historical was the best thing going for the movie; overall, it just seemed dull and drawn out. 2.0

15. Undercover Brother: Blaxploitation lampoon of the sexploitation lampoon, 'Austin Powers'. Hero is even LESS together than 'Austni'. It amazed me to realize how many pop funk songs I knew. Too bad about the lack of script and bumbling role of lead. 2.0

16. Bartleby: A retelling of Melville's story -- only slightly updated. Interesting little flick, but I don't think there's enough resonance for modern man. We are too used to dull, repetitive work. I think I'd have enjoyed it more if the office was more computer dependent, and Bartleby preferred not to endure technology. Alas, it stayed too close to the text. The story doesn't give us much insight, but is still a decent way to kill an afternoon. The actors are quite competent, but seem to be playing charicatures rather than characters. Bad directing? Maybe. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

17. 13 Conversations About One Thing: The lives of several people are shown to interconnect. My friends disagree on what the 'one thing' might be, but our answers are all close to each other. Regardless, Alan Arkin once again mesmerized me in his role. Damn, I love that man. I hear folks complain that the film could be more connected, but I found it completely engaging. Perhaps I liked it more than some critics because I was not focusing on what the 'thing' was. I plan on seeing it again. - 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

18. Late Marriage: Man puts up with dates arranged by his parents -- who want to marry him off to the 'right' sort of girl. The culture shown in the movie was very different from my own, so I became irritated by characters acting on customs that seem illogical to me. While I wish that the world would move past small-minded traditions, one must accept the place the movies puts you -- a place where such are the ways the depicted society works. About a week after seeing this one, I decided it _must_ be a good movie because I was still experiencing an emotional reaction towards it. - 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

19. Minority Report: Three psychics can predict future murders, an investigator wants to know if they are ever wrong, and paranoia ensues. I've a weakness for movies from Dick stories, so I did enjoy this. A huge logic flaw and the sappy resolution kept the flick from working as well as it should have. 3.0 stars Criticism / Spoiler

20. Men in Black II: An agent with a memory gap must be restored so he can help save planet earth from bad guys. Big F/X and occasional jokes. Almost completly male cast (especially in the background and F/X). The only noticable females are a nasty villan and a 'princess' type needing rescue. *yawn*. - 2.0 stars

21. Signs: When the end credits popped up, I found myself hissing at the screen in contempt. The movie doesn't deliver on EITHER of its two concepts. If you're not gonna deliver, at LEAST give me some special effects(a la Independence Day). Oh, and can I PLEASE have a female who is not a) dead, b) suffering from mental disorders, or c) is so trivial to the story she could have been absent? 1.0 star (scale of 0-5). Criticism / Spoiler

22. Promises (2001): Good documentary. Very honest. Memorable. It suffers from a mostly-male perspective, but it still offers insight into how even the young have predetermined opinions of their enemies. It reminded me of a recent study on how Irish kids (Catholic & Protestant) in N. Ireland hated their traditional enemies by age 4. The point there (and here) seems to be that there won't be unity until people stop generalizing members of the opposing group. This is doubly hard because the parents already have deeply ingrained hatreds, and violence against their friends and family is continual. I wish that some of the primary kids were female instead of only seeing girls as secondary speakers that interrupt interviews with the boys. Also, the digital quality annoyed me at points. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

23. The Baby of Mâcon ('93 - Greenaway) : All I can say is WOW. This is a treat for the eyes and mind. Many will consider the movie sick -- defamatory of Christianity, grotesque to view, too heartlessly immoral, or such. I found it a delicious exploration of human greed (and other sins) over taking purity. Caveat: do NOT rent this. The movie relies on liturgious recitation and rich visuals to draw the viewer into a trance-like state. On a small screen, you will lose the detail, and there will be too many distractions to keep you engrossed in the meticulous pacing and repetitive dialog. 4.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

24. XXX (aka "Triple X"): Fluff, but fun enough. I adore Vin Diesel -- but then again, I'm old enough that he's my age. If I were in my teens, I'm sure I'd think him a poseur. As fluff, the flick held my attention for the first 2/3rds, then I got bored for a long bit until we reached the snow boarding scene. That one got my adrenalin pumping again, despite the impossibility of it. Anyone care to explain how the antenna tower could POSSIBLY have remained standing? Then I remained bored until the end, where upon the end-title graphics wowed me. I gather that the artists are either heavy drug users themselves, or wanted to give such folks in the audience something for their money. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

25. 24 Hour Party People: Fictionalized account of how Tony Wilson and his Factory Records impacted music. I expect you have to love the music to love this film. I was enthralled until the film switched from the "Joy Division" era to the "Happy Mondays" era. I also had the time to wonder why "New Order" got so much passing attention, but very little active attention (compared to "Happy Mondays"). I loved the early, archival footage interspliced with current actors. I guess my biggest (and illegitimate) complaint is that too much of the movie was about events that happened after my favored era. Interesting technique of telling the story, too. Liked that a lot. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

26. Lovely and Amazing: Sweet slice-of-life film about a clan of daughters and their slightly silly matriarch (whose very shrewd about her kids -- just not about herself). I worried that it is too femme for guys (I'm always looking for that perfect balance), but I really liked that it centered on the female cast. Keener is as enjoyable to watch (intelligent, hostile, and hot) as ever -- as were the rest of the females. The main male seemed to a stereotype of what it is to be a manipulator (boyfriend Paul). Joyously, 'Donnie Darko' lead, Jake Gyllenhaal, also made an appearance. This is the best 2002 movie I've seen since 'Late Marriage'. The next three all stunk. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

27. The Good Girl: Normal, stupid, uneducated people make typically bad decisions. Fun-to-watch Jake Gyllenhaal is lead male, but the lead *character* is Jennifer Aniston. Yay, female movie! Alas, it isn't a positive story for my gender. That is okay in and of itself, but it does become tiresome to have NO believable women being courageous and doing the 'right' things. Still, all Hollywood has become tiresome, so this is no surprise. I appreciate that the characters were MEANT to be foolish -- what with the lead announcing things like 'I'm not planning this well' (or rather that she's not planning at all). This makes the movie interesting. I respect that the tale is one of flawed people reacting to their circumstances. I was, however, very put off by a feeling that this was some how supposed to be a more universal tale. That is, I understand that it is NOT, but to me it felt like the movie was trying to give everyone a message -- and that the message was one with which I disagreed. If I hadn't personally disliked the message I perceived so much, I would be happier giving my very reluctant rating (I only want to give it a 2, but I expect it deserves more) of: 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

28. Serving Sara: Fluff. I liked the first half for what it was, but then some unexpected gross-out humor annoyed me enough to ruin the rest of the film. Well, no -- I'd been annoyed from the get-go about the fall-guy character. A typical stereotype of an Italian gets into various predicaments that are meant to be funny, but which I found stupid. Example: it appears to be pretty warn in NYC, yet it is deadly hot in Florida, and snowing in Maine as the Italian has to deal with opposing weather extremes in his misguided stalking. The veterinary scene was loathsome -- which I expect would win appeal in the 15-and-younger crowd. 1.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

29. Blood Work: Incredibly predictable and dull fluff. I was actively offended by the 'surly cop' that is inexplicably hostile so that Eastwood gets to pick on him. Oh, and you'll peg the murderer within the first 30 minutes. I did like seeing Eastwood act the part of an aging, retired man instead of a young stud. It was appropriate and humanizing. Too bad so much of the rest was gross caricatures. 1.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

30. The Last Kiss (L'Ultimo bacio): Fair discourse on what it means for adults to psychologically grow up. A couple routes are explored in some depth; others just mentioned in passing (there's only so much time). We meet a bunch of guys, and explore their relations with the opposite sex. Like the males, the women who happen to be attached to the men are generally well developed, interesting people. Despite all, the film isn't that memorable. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

31. One Hour Photo: Tense & creepy flick with great cinematography. Good acting, good script (sparse on dialog, but much quiet, non-verbal action). I even noticed the background music as likeable and appropriate -- and I frequently object to the predictability of non-lyrical soundtracks (or at least to the typical music that couldn't sell as just a CD, but that fits in a movie's background). 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

32. Mostly Martha: Nothing new here, but it is a fairly well done. Martha is anal retentive, repressed, and in therapy -- then things get worse. Beautiful camera work. Elegant lighting. Downers: we've all seen the basics of the story before, it has a preposterous relationship that could not last in real life, and it ends in a far too predictable but implausible way. If this wanted to be 'art' it needed a better ending. If it wanted to play in multi-plexes, it should have left out the 'Lina' character, and veered towards Romantic-Comedy direction. Had that happened, I wouldn't have seen it, but my mom and her crew would have. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

33. I'm Going Home: I wish he'd gone home before the filming started. I wish I'd gone home before the trailers started. Low production values, and slow pace killed this for me. It might be artsy to show an actors back or feet for minutes at a time, but it becomes DULL to watch. Other people really liked this film. Not me. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

34. How I Killed My Father: The film begins with the lead listening to a client complain that it is not good for a man in his 40s to have kids because when the child is in their 20s, the father will be old, and viewed as less than a man. He won't be a hero, but a burden. We then see how this theory applies to the lead. I loved how well the actors depicted cold mental calculations. Small gestures convey great content. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

35. Spirited Away: One of the most perfect movies I've seen this year -- but I was psyched up to love it. I loved Princess Mononoke, and have been hearing great things about the director's new movie for over a year. This one was almost as good as its predecessor. We've got a female lead in today's modern world. She young, and her parents are moving -- uprooting her from her old school and old friends. She's the one -- not they -- to warn that, "We gonna get in trouble!" She's the one to buckle down and do what is right. She learns to work, to be brave, and follow directions. She has a powerful male help her against the even MORE powerful female big-bad. The animation didn't impress me as much as in Mononoke, but it was still far above average, and was also much less gory. Everyone over 14 MUST go see this film. Younger kids (say 10 and under) will probably have nightmares after viewing. 4.0 stars 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

36. Notorious C.H.O.: Unsurprisingly, this felt rather like "I'm the one I want" -- Cho's previous stand-up-turned-movie. Before viewing, I was warned that the sex talk was graphic, but I didn't notice it. Then again, I see enough unrated films that I probably don't notice as much as others might. Really related to her line about not knowing if she was a bottom because it excited her, or because she is lazy. :-) 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

37. Barbershop: Despite a predictable plot, this was FAR better than some of the other films coming out of Hollywood. We know where the story is going to go, but the fun part is watching it get there. Calvin is our lovable Hero trying to do right, but a bit weak. He wants the best for his wife, and engages in schemes to get rich -- to the point of jeopardizing his stable job of running the barbershop he inherited from his father two years previous. The side story about thieves stealing an ATM is worthless. The 'thief' bits are too tired, predictable, and the actors aren't given anything to work with. All the actors did nice jobs, but man, Cedric the Entertainer can really shine. Oh, and it happened that ALL the commercials before the screening were heavily slanted towards white, well off , middle America -- but the previews were slanted towards lower income ghetto/black city America. For having balls, this one gets: 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

38. Igby Goes Down: Sob story about a poor little rich kid trying to get out of High School and get his inheritance early because he hates his mom. Wah wah wah. Sarandon plays a self centered mom worthy of hating, but I don't feel any real compassion for Igby. He gets to nail every girl that catches his eye (though that is only two), and is never without a support network -- despite his attempts to avoid that support. The dialog is witty enough, but it'd have been nice if the audience was either a) not asked to like the main character or b) had more than one (supposedly) sympathetic character in the movie. Heck, if we'd at least seen more emotion from the lead, the film may have worked. He's too busy being witty, and doesn't spend enough time having emotions (I'm sure that's because the character has learned to hide them away -- but it makes the brat character unworthy of a film's time). So you know: this film is well liked by others. I found it pretentious. For me, the best thing about it was seeing Jared Harris (who also had 'wacko' rolls in "How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog", and "Happiness"). I hope he got deserving pay, but I somehow expcet the lion's share went to the more 'mainstream' actors. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

39. Secretary: Good film with surreal feel. As I say in my write up over here, I was happy that the woman was the hero even though I can see where others might think the film degrades her. She starts off as merely the central character, but she grows, and her progression is more interesting than your average femme tale. In short, while her goal is atypical, a goal is a goal, and you can't complain that you don't like what she wants. Given the content, the acting was incredibly believable -- and that is no small feat. The sets were what really got me, though. They were fantastic -- the sort of feel I expect from Jodorowsky's or more recently, Ozon's films. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

40. Brown Sugar: Romantic Comedy fluff. Ehn. There was great chemistry between the lead actors and their secondaries. That part worked really well. I liked seeing more than two people with a story. The hiphop angle was a nice diversion from the sort of impossible coincidence ridden structures of so many films of the genre (Kate & Leopold required time travel, Sleepless in Seattle required convoluted x-counrty radio and trips, While You were Sleeping required temporary coma). I'm not much for Romantic Comedies to begin with, so it was unlikely that I'd find this movie a delight. By the time they got to the somewhat-amusing idea of remaking "The Girl is Mine", I was already tired of the 'Dalmatian' bit, and they kept dragging it back into the story. I less over-the-top conflict would have worked better for me. Still, I was engaged for longer than I expected (almost half the movie) and do consider it more watchable than most any Julia Roberts film. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5)

41. 8 Women: I can't say enough good thing about François Ozon's work. This is no exception. Again, the colors are vivid and the sets spectacular. This time, he went for a opulent, refined look. The eight women are all gorgeous to behold, yet retain a look of humanity. The story here hardly matters, the acting is central. Oh, and it's a musical! I expect some of the imagery will stick with me forever. Fanny Ardant starting her song while opening a black coat to reveal a flame red dress that wraps snug and lovingly across her curves. Fanny in red and Catherine Deneuve in a blue with turquoise shading; brunette seductress and blonde recipient entwined on the lustrous carpet. Ahhh.... There were moments of rage, horror, and humor. I may have laughed out loud when mom (did she literally roll her eyes?) whacked drunken gramma over the head with the freshly emptied whiskey bottle, then locked her in the closet. All and all, this was one of the best 'light' movies from overseas I've seen in a while. 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

42. Bloody Sunday: The film succeeds at resembling a documentary, and bringing the audience back to the fateful day British troops attacked, wounded, and murdered more-or-less peaceful citizens holding a rally. I liked the washed out colors, and after an initial scene that was chopped too many times, did not object to the rest of the editing. The accents were occasionally difficult for my American ears, but not nearly as bad as trying to keep track of the events. In making an accurate portrayal of the events, the film skips explaining who's who in all but the most cursory ways. Based on a book, it expects you've either read that, or have acquired a solid understanding of the event elsewhere. It seemed to bend over backwards to accuse and provide sympathy for both sides. In both the ranks of the marchers and military, rational minds don't want a conflict, but there are people with anger who act out.
    Note: I give the movie bonus points for avoiding the Hollywood "Pearl Harbor" treatment, and actually giving a pretty damn accurate (as far as sources can confirm) historical account. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

43. Bowling for Columbine: Michael Moore comes through again with another highly interesting documentary. It isn't quite as one-sided as you might expect, but it still weighs in as more liberal than conservative. I saw this twice, and in both normal public screenings, the audiences spontaneously burst into applause when the lights went up. Granted, I saw the film in a very pro-liberal/anti-gun town, but I was still impressed by how much film resonated with viewers. Personally, I question the eventual conclusion that perhaps the 'problem' with America is that the citizenry is overly fearful. I'd argue that perhaps we're overly vindictive. This can be seen in bits such as the police officer talking about the hate-filled calls he received about the guilt of a 6-year-old boy who shot and killed a classmate. The officer kept a picture the child drew for him on his wall -- a silent display of greater sympathy on his part than (we're led to believe) had been given by most callers. I was very pleased that no specific solution was offered. I was doubly pleased that the NRA was taken to task for responding badly to tragedies. I hope viewers see this and realize the issue is not just pro-gun versus anti-gun, but is more about questioning the American psyche. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

44. Punchdrunk Love: The film seemed to sell lots of tickets, but I don't understand why. Then again, I don't understand why previous Adam Sandler movies sold tickets. This is more 'real' than any of the previous movies he's starred in, but that isn't saying much given how awful the rest of the lot were. The film is somewhat serious, and only humorous in a rather dark sense. I appreciated that we were allowed to witness the dysfunctional family of the hero. An explanation as to how they developed such unhealthy relationships wasn't needed -- we simply saw that such existed. It would have been nice if we'd been given a similar indication of the heroine's background so we could understand why on earth she'd be interested in anyone as lame and dangerous as the misfit hero. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

45. Roger Dodger: Nice character study of a disaffected NYC Male. For a film with so much sexism, I was happy that women were not completely dismissed. Unfortunately, women were lumped together as a whole gender more than seen as individuals. That is, there are two central male characters around which the story revolves, and several passing females. The girls generally take charge, but they aren't the focus. It was interesting to see motivation for the hero's bad behavior, and the negative responses it got. More interesting was seeing the nephew's take on all of it. Isabella Rossellini did not get enough screen time. It'd have been interesting to see what things determined her choices (one choice was obvious, but related ones were outside the scope of the film). 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

46. Heaven: Heroine's life is ruined by one man. Another man tries to save her. The film is well acted and emotional -- largely in the realms of 'sad' and 'bittersweet'. It starts with a flight simulator, followed by lines similar to: [Instructor] "In a real helicopter, you can't keep flying up." [Student] "How high can I fly?". That is the question. There is an overriding sense of beauty and futility throughout the film. This is echoed with some nicely interspersed moments of artistic imagery. The scene of the train tunnel, for example, is particularly well done and memorably different from most similar shots. There's nothing wrong with the film, but I somehow found it oddly forgettable. Therefore -- and despite many things that would otherwise merit a higher score, I'll only give it: 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

47. The Ring: Suspenseful tale of horror. The film is thankfully short on the jump/scare technique, and works more for an ever-increasing creepiness and tension. It is does the job fairly well, and one could do far worse if looking for next year's Halloween rental. Typical of the genre, we watch the girls get frightened by the Evil. Atypically, the Evil is also feminine. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

48. Real Women Have Curves: Poor girl in LA struggles with her desire to love and be loved by her mother. Neither part expresses their mutual concern in ways that the other appreciate. Mom takes turns criticizing and playing the role of martyr. Daughter, Ana, takes turns yelling at her mom's stifling views, and trying to appease the same. The main conflict is one of Ana trying to find a way to respect her family despite their adherence to traditions that she would have to break if she wants to be her own person. Hurt the ones you love, or give up on yourself? She'd like to avoid both negatives. One of the nicest things in the movie was seeing images of Ana's neighborhood -- very poor, yet bright. Everyone worked hard, and took care of things as best they could. The film's agenda was frequently too overt, but since it was done with good intentions, it may be forgiven. Overall, this tries and succeeds at being a warm and happy film. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

49. Frida: We start with a lustrous scene that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. This is not a history so much as a piece of Art dedicated to another Artist. Everyone is portrayed as more beautiful than they really were; in both form and action. Being 'crippled' is not a life long issue, but an occasional plot point. If you don't mind the film romanticizing everything -- including fights and jealousies, Frida can be seen as a good, escapist bit of entertainment. The director and cinematography have created a veritable feast for the eyes. One bothersome thing: why is this film in English? 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

50. 8 mile: Yes, Detroit is a festering wound of a city, and since the big 3 have moved their plants from mo-town to other, cheaper nations, citizens of the motor city have reason to want escape. Of course their are *parts* of Detroit that aren't doing as badly, but "8 mile" doesn't show you those. The film employs heavy use of tungsten film/filtering in many (but not all) exterior shots so that the entire landscape looks even more washed and bleak than in reality (quite a trick). There is no attempt to show the beauty of the ruins -- this is a land depicted as a reason for escape. So: in this setting, we meet a bunch of poor folks looking to great a break. They struggle, struggle, struggle, and are still stuck. At one point, I swear someone must have said, "Hey! Let's throw in some device to give us an excuse to chant 'The roof is on fire!'" I don't think any more thought than that went into building the story. If you don't get bored, you'll eventually see everything turn out fine for the white folks. Uhg. Time would be better spent re-watching "Roger & Me". 1.0 star (scale of 0-5).

51. Antonio das Mortes: (dir: Glauber Rocha, 1968) it is unlikely anyone will get a chance to see this, but it is certainly worth watching if found. Short bits of notes/spoilers 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

52. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: About the same as the original. It isn't worth arguing about which of the two is better, but since it wasn't a novelty this time around, it is good that there was a bit more brooding. It failed to create tension, but there were momentary scares. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

53. Standing in the Shadows of Motown: Light history of the talent behind the music, the loose association of artists collectively known as "The Funk Brothers". The members changed over time, but they were the session artists for Hitsville U.S.A./ Motown recordings. It seems the film could not afford any of the original releases, so all the music was from a live reunion concert. That wasn't too bad because the sheer number of highly talented artists guaranteed a solid gig. It was worth the price of admission just to see Bootsy Collins front the musicians in an outrageous get up of purple sequins and gold lamé. Given that the singers were *supposed* to be incidental, they should have been less visible in the film. Worse, there is not much explanation of anyone. For example, we hear James Jamerson described as a "tortured bassist", but aren't told what makes him so. Similar inexplicable lines are too frequently uttered without context. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

54. Far from Heaven: Everyone is talking about what a great homage to John Stahl this is. That may be true, but when you're doing an homage to films that have NOT stood up well to time, the result doesn't quite stand up, either. The film is exceedingly good at what it does, and will completely charm most any audience. We can forgive it the clichés because they are the bread and butter of this production. The sets are fantastic. The story is beautifully crafted, everything is complete perfection...yet we're still stuck in a parable of the '50s, and much of it does not translate to the current world. Surely some does, but only in vague ways instead of in literal parallels. For looks and mood, it gets: 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

55. Ararat: Not Atom Egoyan's best work, but visually lovely. Egoyan is compassionate towards all his characters. There are no good guys or bad guys -- no particular right or wrong. People make mistakes, but the film shows them as fallible humans with potential and hope rather than as despicable vermin who deserve punishment. One of the nicest things about the film is that it respects the intelligence of the audience. We are not explicitly told how various relationships work, but we can detect how various people are related long before it is mentioned. This technique is a great attribute. It engages the viewer, and allows things to unfold more naturally. Additional intimacy is derived from the tight circle of individuals -- their close and seemingly somewhat closed -- social grouping. It took a bit of suspension of disbelief to get past the fact that everyone tied in to the unit, but it was doable.

    Despite all the positives, the movie falls flat. The dramatic events take place in a fictional movie-within-a-movie that we are TOLD is somewhat inaccurate, and therefore does not compel. More accurately, the fictionalized account of the Armenian genocide SHOULD not compel. It deserves the most honest examination possible. The world consensus is that, yes, Armenians werer slaughtered en masse in attempted genocide; that yes, the government of Turkey will not admit culpability. There is certainly enough material on the subject to fill out a complete movie rather than see it boxed off as a sub-story to a larger film.

    The interior movie is based no a true historic tragedy, but the viewer is kept at a distance from the depiction. While the technique is more honest than the over blown Schindler's List (see Shoah, instead), viewers should not despise the character of Ali (played by Elias Koteas), who is an actor in the inner film playing the role of the evil Turkish general, Jevdet Bey. The film seems to be saying, "Hate what the Turks did to Armenians, but do not blame the sons for crimes committed by their fathers." Unfortunately, there are so many *other* messages, ideas, and images floating around, that nothing stands out. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

56. Personal Velocity: Chick Flick with hints of sadness. I can't believe there are people who liked this movie. To start with: why have a male narration detail stories of three women? The film is a subset of character studies from the book of the same name. Too much of the information is passed to the viewer by means of the narrative voice over rather than through dialog or action. As a digital film, the image quality is lacking. The acting is great, but actors are not given the chance to explain their characters -- it is that constant direct from book to voice-over commentary telling the viewer how to process each scene. The conclusion to one segment was particularly annoying because the concluding error in judgment was telegraphed not once, but TWICE before the heroine erred. I guess the viewer is supposed to consider the girl a dim bulb. How else can they justify such an action? And if she IS supposed to be somewhat stupid, can the average viewer respect her when she does not heed warnings? 1.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

57. They : (aka Wes Craven Presents: They) This is the first time I've watched a horror flick where I was nagged by the question, "What's the Evil Thing's motivation?" Couldn't find one. We open with a scared boy in his bed during a thunderstorm. He fears that "They" will come if it gets dark. Fast foward nineteen years. According to one messed up guy, kids who had night terrors back then may have been seeing entities from another plane of existence. Now, the guy thinks "They" are back. The heroine had night terrors as a child, and is now getting a degree in Psychology. This could have been used to set up a more psychological tale, but it wasn't. Cheap tricks are used to make the audience jump -- like a phone ringing loudly after 'scary' music plays, but there's no horror. "They" neither follow logic that a human might understand, nor act in some set way one must accept without explanation (such as the planet in "Solaris" or any number of horror films where the bad guys were simply Evil or simply Killers). Instead, "They" do things that seem pointless, and ineffectual. I wanted to get creeped out, dammit, not to spend the time considering the lack of character development, or considering why the heroine stays with such an awful boyfriend. Spoilers on possible motivation of "They". 1.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

58. Solaris: People walked out on the film. Those who have seen the original Russian film may find entertainment in comparing the two versions. In this remake, questions that had been left for viewers to discover on their own are now spoken out loud by characters. The pace is still slow, but it is much faster than before, and the women are now stringer. Some shots are nearly identical, and others are entirely new. One can spend time thinking things like, "Ah! That was a solid wall in the original, but now it's see-through." There are unanswered questions in both films, but each persons choices are more firm this time. Some of the original's lovely ambiguity is therefore lost. Still, the film works well enough. Also compare to original Polish book of same name by Stanislaw Lem. Mini-**Spoiler** regarding one shot (almost same color as page) : towards the end, there is a visual analogy to Michelangelo's "Creation of Man" with Adam reaching out to touch God. This seemed hokey and unwarranted. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

59. El Crimen del padre Amaro : (aka "The Crime of the Father" or "The Crime of Father Amaro") : This would have been more interesting if it came out before the sex/abuse scandals plaguing the Catholic Church. The film is based on Eça de Queirós' book of 1875, which can be found titled "The Sin of Father Amaro" and, "O Crime Do Padre Amaro". The tale is updated to modern times, and is centered around the fresh new priest, Father Amaro. He shows virtue at the outset, but loses focus as he witnesses the mire of sins in which his elder priests partake. The question is whether he can remain pure when thus surrounded. Little time is spent on anyone else, so most people are type caricatures. Without development, many to act in foolish ways. Women are portrayed in a particularly bad light. One old woman sleeps with the old priest, another the ditsy wife of the mayor who can't think a single thought for herself, one is the naive girl who dumps her gallant boyfriend in favor of fawning over Amaro, another is a hag who steals from the collection plate, and the last major female is a girl who appears to be severely autistic (though the particular diagnosis is not revealed). The only power ANY of them (and it isn't all of them) have is in the possibility of sex. In contrast, the men have influence, money, standing, and make decisions. Given the time of the book's publication, this is somewhat forgivable, but the clichés become tiresome.

    The actions of the new priest should reveal a conflict within him, yet fail to convey any inner struggle. The best part may be in post-viewing discussions that consider undeveloped minutia in the film. There are some nice details that give the viewer information without requiring dialog -- like the picture of Stalin in the home of the man who later provides information on the elder priests' misdeeds, or the hag's (Dionisia's) 'shrine' of broken and disfigured dolls covered by an endless number of cats that wander through her home. **Visual Spoilers** (almost same color as page): Cool imagery: after Dionisia gets home from church, she looks like she's going to vomit. Opening her mouth, we see she did not eat her communion wafer, and she lets it fall off her flattened tongue. Bad imagery: Amaro's pre-fuck 'seduction' bit where he wraps Amelia in the cloak that was crafted and donated for the Church's statue of Mary. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

60. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: This is what a second act SHOULD be. The Two Towers was originally the middle of a series, and was filmed the same way. There is no reduction in quality from the first to second movie. It is not a studio attempt to squeeze more cash from a previous film's success. It has its own story, and doesn't waste time pandering to the lowest common denominator. It does, of course, spend time delighting in Tolkien's world, but this isn't pandering so much as an artisan expressing devotion to a talented predecessor (despite MAJOR changes from the book). Those who consider works of Fantasy to be lesser art can all bugger off and watch something else. This movie is one of the best films the genre has ever seen -- or is likely to ever see. Still, it had several problems, and they should not go unmentioned. Problems/Spoilers are on their own page. After two viewing, I believe the film was even better the second time around. I was better able to tolerate some of the things that made me cringe in the first viewing. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

61. About Schmidt: For the first time in a LONG time, we have a movie where Jack Nicholson gets to play someone besides himself! This is a small movie, and a rather transparent one, but very well crafted. This is a character study of one man. The camera shows all other characters as if through Schmidt's eyes. Their roles are all played perfectly by the excellent cast. There is real talent here. Even the sets are precisely crafted. It starts with Schmidt sitting in a barren, office with a claustrophobic feel (despite its size). Schmidt looks bored and/or depressed while he waits for the analog clock to reach the exact second of 5:00:00; whereupon, he rises and leaves. He is retired. The movie proceeds to deal with how this man handles the change, and reflects on how he's spent his years. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

62. Adaptation: Great movie despite being too full of itself. Male centric, but with strong female characters (who don't get enough screen time). The best way to tackle this film is to allow it to disparage itself, complain about cinema, and careen into the very traps it warns against. Don't think of it as being too smug and knowingly witty to be good at either. Instead, see it as a manic tirade of fear, frustration, and desire that succumbs to the easy, comfortable evils it knows too well. With that frame of mind, the movie is very entertaining ... for the most part. Towards the end the movie goes so far over the top, that it fails to parody itself well. The final conclusion is a bit more sedate, so the film ends on an acceptable note. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

63. Chicago: Musical. Stars Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, and John C. Rielly (cast as a supporting actor, but gives the best performance). Costumes were great, the choreography seemed sparse, and the vocals were lacking. One of the extras has a brief but fantastic bit of dancing in an ensemble number (the "Pop" bit). Another number reminded me too much of Marilyn Monroe singing "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend", but Madonna has done that copy far better. For once, we have a movie that focuses on the women, but alas, the film isn't that good. There is a negative undercurrent through the film (everyone is a slimeball) that keeps the viewer from being interested in the fate of the characters. The film is too cynical for the shallow perspective it gives of its population. Since song and dance take up so much of the screen time, we don't get to see much of anyone's humanity, and instead get an overview of selfishness and amorality from all. There's nothing else. Perhaps movies this empty should stick to mindless happiness instead of trying for edginess. Still, the device used to bring songs into play was novel and well done. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

64. Talk to Her (Hable con ella): In Pedro Almodóvar's latest film, he's finally found a device to completely silence the fairer sex. He's always shown a love/hate attitude towards women, but this takes the cake. In this film of enthralling beauty; of poetic motion in many forms -- from bullfighting, to a dance interpretation dealing with grief & age, to stillness -- of sweet and subdued music, wed have the ground work for a Perfect Film. Then Almodóvar decapitates the mood by cutting the women out of the film, and leaving the men alone to talk about relationships. Cutting the women out does not stop the director from giving us female-only nudity of them. They are dolls. They are not people. The film becomes hard to manage and offense to watch because of this forced disparity. Another viewer may be intrigued by atypical perspectives the men have on relationships, but the offended viewer may not be able to recover from the loss of main characters. Despite the ZERO the script deserves, the technical excellence in cinematography and sound is so masterful that the film still deserves: 1.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

65. Rabbit-Proof Fence: Half-caste children (with one parent white and the other aboriginal) become wards of the State in 1931 Australia. The film follows the story of three girls taken from their home, and attempting to reunite with their mothers. Based on a true story (as described by the daughter of one of the three girls in the daughter's book), the film does not fall into the trap of cloying sentimentality. The scenes that could be construed as such are spun in a mythic tone, which tempers the emotional grab despite being an obvious and transparent device to achieve this end. The child actors do an excellent job; as do the adults. Many wide screen vistas of Australia's emptiness give the viewer both a sense place, and a feel for how alone the children become. Particularly moving were scenes were one showing the girls being transported like animals -- in a literal cage -- 1200 miles away from their home, and another scene where the native tracker -- whose own daughter was imprisoned -- picks up on the girls' trail, and chooses to pretend otherwise. The latter shows him as someone making sure they are still faring alright, willing to fight the restrictive government, but still ready to take the girls back to their captors if the girls become weak. Often, he has no choice in his action. All this is secondary to the main story -- the film centers on women and their strengths. This may be the most positive film for the female perspective in all of 2002. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

66. Evelyn: Sappy tale based on the true story of how the Irish government separated a man from his daughter. More than anything else, the film is a vehicle for Pierce Brosnan. Everyone is lovable and pure. Even when drunk and attacking priests, Pierce is shown to be a nice guy. There are several elements here that are similar to Rabbit-Proof Fence, but the latter is more honest and believable in each and every instance. Where RPF begins with a myth of the "Spirit Bird" so it can use that device once more in the story, Evelyn has a myth of "Angel Rays" and uses it repeatedly and with pushy swells of sentimental music far too similar to the emotional ploys we've all heard too often in so many other films. It is 1953 in Ireland when the State removes three kids from their Dad's home. The rest of the movie deals with his attempts to better himself so the family can be reunited, and the laws that stand in his way. The aspect of the film that could have been most interesting was downplayed. That point was that this case set a new precedence in Irish law through their supreme court. The argument was whether the Child Welfare laws could be struck down as illegal when considered against the Irish Constitution. Namely, the Constitution states that parents have a natural and God-given right to the society of their children. The Child Welfare law stated that unless both parents agreed to certain terms, the children must remain in the State's custody. As the Dad could not locate his wife, he could not get consent from her, and his Constitutional right was being violated. The movie did not show arguments on the meat of the ground breaking case, but instead used the court time to show the father's character, and how great he and Evelyn were as people. All that said, the film is touching, sentimental and sweet. If that's what grabs you, it is a winner. For me, it gets: 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

Film Festival Movies

Overall, and despite my few film choices, I'd say this year's Fest sucked. My favorite was 'Little Senegal', did either of you see it and/or like it? Next best was the'Devil's Playground' Amish film. Very enlightening.

1) Tricky Life (En la puta vida): Naive prostitute leaves Uruguay with her pimp (who she loves) to work in ... I think it was Barcelona. Surprise, surprise! He then takes her fake passport, and makes her work constantly in a very dangerous neighborhood. She tries to extricate herself from this 'white slavery'. The subject is a bit tired, and I kept wishing the heroine was less clueless, but I still enjoyed the movie. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

2) Sweet Dreams (Sladke sanje): Coming of Age story. Kid in the Yugoslavia of the '70s wants a record player. He lives with his hyper-religious grandmother who thinks record players are evil, and his mother who is overly protective, miserly, and guilt trips the boy over her suffering for his sake. He does well in school, but his mother dresses him 'funny', which makes it hard to get friends. The final summation is too long, and largely unneeded. They committed the unforgivable sin of leaving the last two lines of the movie UNTRANSLATED! Worse, the setting had shifted, so one could not even guess what the closing message -- that the viewer was obviously meant to take home -- might be. 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

3) Victims and Murderers (Obeti a vrazi): Brother and Sister are in their 30s/40s, and still live together. They are unnaturally close, and blackmail each other into staying in an unhealthy relationship largely because each is overly dependant on the other, and neither can imagine a better alternative. This is particularly true of the sister. The cinematography is very nice, sometimes beautiful, and the sets are rich. The dialog was noticeably interesting in the first part of the movie. As the tale wore on, the characters became more involved with the immediate, so the dialog became less flowery. This was not a detraction in the slightest. It was very realistic and good at advancing the story. 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

4) I Don't Know Jack: Documentary on Jack Nance, star of "Eraserhead" and a main player in "Twin Peaks" (he played the old man married to the Oriental chick -- and had the opening line, "She's dead...wrapped in plastic"). I left the movie feeling like I _still_ don't know Jack. This may be due to the fact that the entire film was created after his death. Still, I want a better feeling for a person after a movie's worth of information about them. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

5) My Sassy Girl: Korean Romantic Comedy. Boy meets girl, boy is happy to lose girl. Girl contacts boy to yell at him. Girl demands boy do things for her. Boy slowly falls in love with this hostile, demanding bitch who gives nothing in return. Viewer stops caring. Some funny moments, though. Some nice shots, interesting concepts, and fairly well rounded leads. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

6) Jung (War) In the Land of the Mujaheddin: Documentary on an Italian doctor's struggle to build a hospital in Afghanistan in territory controlled by the Northern Alliance in 1999. If this movie does not convince that land mines are bad, I can't imagine what would. Presented on video, and seemingly shot on digital, the film quality is often rough, but not unbearable. There are lots of interesting bits of dialog that reveal how Afghani think and feel about the conflict in the years before the WTC was hit. The movie drags towards the end, but it is forgivable. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

7) Back Against the Wall: This movie was so awful I don't even want to comment on it. Supposedly, we should keep our eye on its hot new director, but I'll take a pass. I would congratulate the guy for finding the money to get film instead of using digital, except that he didn't bother to use film to its advantage -- there are no interesting sets, no interesting angles, lighting, or anything else that draws the eye to the screen. While nothing is happening in the visual realm, the dialog is slow and stagnant. I'm sure this was meant to give weight to the main character, but I do not want to wait around while the guy deliberates for extended periods before muttering monosyllabic lines. 0.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

8) All the Knowledge in the World: Gorgeous flick about people looking for answers. Great actors, great dialog (example: in one great scene, the professor's lecture becomes little more than a whirlwind of erudite blather, and confuses all the students except the girl with a crush on him and who thinks he is a genius -- the looks on the students' faces drew laughs from the audience). Despite the premise, the film is not especially deep. At the very start, one of the main characters sees a glowing being. Alien? Angel? Who knows? The sighting cues the audience to the fact that the movie will contain quite a bit of whimsy, and should not be taken as an exhortation to follow its own suggestions. It doesn't try to give the viewer answers, but lightly suggests that sometimes some people might want to think about why they do the things they do. 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

9) Suicide Club (Jisatsu circle): Japanese Horror/Suspense/Camp. Something like a Dario Argento horror flick. People are killing themselves for no apparent reason. The gore factor is so high in the early parts of the movie that it couldn't be taken seriously. The audience laughed heartily at the gruesome excess. As time wore on, the movie seemed a bit confused, and I didn't get much out of the ending. This one is worth seeing if you like semi-serious camp. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

10) Fall of the Louse of Usher: This is a home movie from the master Ken Russell. Before the screening, he made a point to WARN viewers to expect it to be a home movie and nothing more. If that advice is taken, the film is watchable. It is a cheesy, hodge-podge romp through a variety of Poe stories and poems with a thin narrative about an Asylum holding the threads together. The biggest mistake they made was putting white face on the cast. On digital, the makeup was very obvious, patchy, flaky, and made the skin so white that everyone's' teeth looked extremely yellow. Oh, and since the cast is all English, their teeth weren't in good shape to begin with. Could have been done for effect, but if so, it didn't work for me. Lots of new music by the band Gallon Drunk. None of it particularly memorable, but still far more solid than your average song-made-for-movie-script. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

11) Blue Vinyl: Documentary on the evils of PVC (poly-vinyl chloride). This was broadcast for the first time on cable on May 5th, 2002 (HBO, I believe). The director is a bit of a reactionary, and this detracts some from the film. While trying to convince her father that the new vinyl siding he put on his house is unsafe, she gets GreenPeace members to talk to him. The father correctly realizes that everything they say will be spun to the most ecological extreme. On the other hand, the movie also shows how much the Vinyl spokespeople will lie to the public. In one memorable bit, a pro-Vinyl representative at a town meeting talks about how safe it is by saying (paraphrase),

"Vinyl is 56% Chlorine, and chlorine is just part of salt -- its perfectly natural. Salt is just Sodium Chloride, you know, NaCl. You need salt to stay alive. Without sodium, your muscles won't work right."

12) Inheritance (Herencia) : A young German guy, Peter, goes to Buenos Aires in search of an ex-girlfriend he hasn't seen in 1.5 years. He meets the heroine, the aging Olinda, at her restaurant, and learns more than he expected about her life, and life in general. The movie has a great 'feel', a casual pace, and takes the time to let daily life go by, yet does not let the viewer tire of life's minor details. The sets are mostly interior's of Olinda's property, but it is filmed from many angles, and the set is filled with wonderful details -- like the wood of the counter, the knick knacks and pictures on the wall, and the old-style kitchen filled with fresh vegetables and interesting, aging equipment. To me, the movie's greatest point was the depth it gave to Olinda. We don't learn nearly as much about Peter as we do about her, despite that the story is nominally about Peter's journey. Still, all characters seemed very real. 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

13) Happiness of the Katakuris: Someone surely thinks this is a fantastic fun romp, but I'm still on the fence over this one. It is a Japanese musical about a family running a B&B that strives to overcome its hardships by sticking together, and going on despite setbacks. In this case, their setbacks quickly escalate when they discover a guest has killed himself. ?Hilarity? ensues. Shot something like music videos, the cinematography is often vivid and interesting, but I kept feeling like I was at a Japanese version of a Disney movie -- PG-13 rating for them, I'd guess. For me, the hardest thing to grasp that this film came from the same director (Takashi Miike) as the '99 flick Odishon (aka Audition -- 1999). THAT movie I loved -- it was a solid 3 or possibly 3.5. This one was a mere : 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

14) Daughter from Danang: Great documentary on the reunion of an Amerasian woman who had been removed from Vietnam at age 6 or 7, grew up in the U.S., and returned to her original country to meet the mother she hardly remembered. It would be easy to give too much away about this tale, so I will say little. Just see it -- then (if you can) ask about the directors' reactions (the two co-directors were at the screening and gave an informative Q&A after the show). 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5). Spoiler / Review

15) War Live: Dark comedy about film makers in Belgrade dealing with the repercussions of the Milosevic's regime, NATO bombings, and the changing concerns of the population of Belgrade. Early in the movie, we see the movie producer trying to get money from an American backer. Turns out the government has frozen his assets. We are then introduced to the American, who wants little more than sex, drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll. He's a great big lout, and cares nothing about the world around him. He's in Belgrade to party. Meanwhile, the director wants to make a good movie, the producer wants funds, and the government is suspicious of the whole process as they have an interest in the American -- whom the government wants to convict as a spy. The producer develops a plan to convince the government that the American is not a threat so that his assets will be freed, and the studio can get back to creating good cinema. The plan does not go well, and the studio is (temporarily) stuck making something more shlocky than they intended to appease the government. "War Live"'s tale proceeds to hit more bumps in the road, as the story takes on the issue of when one should and should not compromise, and what really is "the greater good" that one is trying to achieve by doing so? Do the desired ends justify the means? And will the desired end be reachable after giving in to appease a thwarting power? 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

16) Hi, Tereska: B&W sad coming of age story. If you've seen Christiana F., you could say that that the earlier film was the sex'n'drugs version of this more recent story. We see Tereska start off well, if humbly, as a child, and follow her on a spiral of bad decisions that take her astray. She seems to feel powerless, lost, and vents her internal lack of self worth on a neighborhood cripple -- to the detriment of both parties. She doesn't feel secure on her own, and doesn't know how to ask for help from the adults who have given it in the past. She seems to recognize her problems, but cannot get herself to change paths. Despite occasional lags in the story, I found the film engrossing, if overly familiar. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

17) Second Class Citizens: Better subtitles would have helped the film, but would not have made it a great movie. It seemed that there was mistranslations, and no translations to the main characters occasional solo songs. The sets were interesting, and the camera work was very nice, but I never cared about any of the characters. My comrades all agree that the film was generally boring. Still, if one is interested in following the director's career (Kira Muratova), it isn't so bad that you'd have necessarily have to walk out on it (unlike "Back Against the Wall"). Some memorable bit were the use of the color red, the sounds of cats screaming in the background, and a loving monkey kiss. 2.0 stars(scale of 0-5).

18) Warm Water Under a Red Bridge: Japanese 'fairy tale' of a man down on his luck and a woman who needs sexual appeasement to keep from shoplifting. I generally enjoyed the movie (despite a ludicrous and inexplicable premise) right up until the very end, where a narrative voice-over ruined the feel that had been established for the entire movie. 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

19) Trouble Every Day: The less you know about this movie going in, the better. I will say that it is slow paced, quiet, and contains lots of blood. I believe a murder occurred within the first five miuntes -- certainly by the first ten. By mixing the quiet with violent imagery, the movie crosses the conventional movie genres (not 'horror' nor 'drama' per se). I'd been initially turned off from its previews because it seemed like it'd be about a girl NOT leaving an abusive relationship (and I have no interest in stories of such foolishness). Since that was not the case, I was mildly pleased with it. It dd have a string theme on the evils of codependancy, but no particular abuse of women too stupid to leave a ape-like male. It has a slow pace, and goes for long stretches without dialog. This made many of the younger, teen viewers upset with the film. I heard many grumbling that it was the dullest, most boring movie they'd ever seen (so they obviously missed "Back against the wall"). When they grow up, maybe they'll have more sense. Friends have said that they liked it, but felt that the story was based on a concept they'd seen before (nothing wrong with that -- they were just noting it), and that the pacing was typical of French movies (that slowness, again). 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

20) The River (Joki): Fictional series of vaguely interconnected vignettes of life of various people -- mostly young adults -- in a small Finnish town. Beautiful cinematography, frequent use of natural lighting and gently gradiated shadows. I noticed that in many shots, the light came from windows such that the actors were side and backlit, and the foreground towards the lower portion of the screen was in deep shadow. This drew the eye to the action in a pleasing manner. The dialog and sets were incredibly realistic. The only problem was that there wasn't a strong connecting thread. I wanted a bit more plot than I got. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

21) 100 Days: The Rwandan massacres deserve a much better movie than this. The framing story is dull. Further, by fictionalizing the main characters, the viewer is left questioning what truly happened and what is poetic license. Also, the film quality seemed murky and under exposed. 1.0 star (scale of 0-5).

22) Manic: Boy is committed to mental hospital because he has an anger management problem. The film starts off in a jagged, shaky manner -- which looked unprofessional -- but became more refined as the movie progressed. I was very impressed with how true to life the teens seemed. There is a good freak out scene, appropriate moshing and language. I particularly enojoyed the argument about Batman versus Wolverine. I kind of wished this would show as an after school special, but TV surely won't allow some of the more ... 'mature' content. It was absolutely accurate to the kids' ages, but I expect parents would object to younger kids seeing their future-selves too early. That is a problem for parents, though; not a problem of the movie. My only concern is that it may become dated very quickly. I hope not. 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

23) Bastoni - The Stick Handlers: fair film -- nothing fantastic, but enjoyable -- about a male Japanese porn 'star', and his relationships. "Bastoni" is the Italian word for "stick", and in the title sequence, the film's name is shown as "Bo - The Stick Handlers". I found that interesting, as "Bo" is the Japanese word for stick, but the film and the write up used different non-English words as translations of the Japanese word.

After the movie, there was a Q&A with the director (through a translator). My question was, "There's no full frontal nudity. Was that because the actors were not actually in the porn industry and did not want to reveal themselves, or because you wanted the ability to distribute the film more widely, or for some other reason?" Answer: It is illegal to show genitalia in Japanese media -- they air brush it out, or don't show it at all -- EVEN in porn!!!!

According to the translator, Japan imports porn from the U.S. and other countries to get their full skin videos. Uhg! 2.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

24) Christman in the Clouds: Decent romantic comedy. The 'hook' here was that most all the characters were Native Americans. The main location is a hotel run by natives (which happened to be Robert Redford's Sundance Resort). It is a first person narrative - something I expect more in writing than in film, but the technique was done to effect, and a narration with a POV allows a couple nice payoffs. If you've ever seen "Little Big Man" you'll get a chuckle out of the line in the restaurant, "It is a good day to dine". Such humor is throughout. This film wasn't realistic, and I did have a couple problems with the implausiblity of situations that seemed unnaturally thrust in to give an excuse for dramtic tension, but hey! This is a comedy! I'll accept that it was trying for more of a Hollywood brainlessness than for 'Art'. It had high production values, and a silly but enjoyable little script. As such, my rating for this is compared to other Hollywood flicks. It isn't fair to lower its score by comparing it to films that are trying for more meaning. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

25) Versus: Japan's answer to Evil Dead? That was the comparison it was getting. Supposedly the director, Ryuhei Kitamura has a dealpending with Mirimax, so this is it for 'art' for him. Honestly, this is NOT 'Art', but it was fun. The Hero is reluctant and surly. There are gangsters, and zombies; gun fights and sword fights. Theres a bit of tech and a lot of magic. Some of the audience was disappointed that it wasn't more ... something. Engaging? Better produced? It was another silly one, but I did like it. My one question: why were so many of the zombies BURIED with guns? P.S. Since there are many films with this title, note that the above review is for this one. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

26) Everybody says I'm Fine: The director introduced this film with a statement similar to the following (again, I can't transcribe as quickly as dialog is spoken) :

The function of a good piece of art -- whether it be dark, funny, depressing, or whatever -- should have its audience walk away feeling purer, or elevated.
...
This is a flawed film. It is in no way perfect. But if it can do that for you for even two or three minutes of 103 minutes, then I will feel it was worth it.

27) Love in the Time of Money: Well, I didn't care for this one, but I was impressed by how good it looked for a movie shot with digital. I believe the camera was a Sony DSR 500 DV-Cam (PAL). The shadowing (shading doesn't seem the best descriptor) was rich and pretty even in gradiation. The most noticible lossy-ness was flickering candles that had obvious digital articfacts. In the Q&A, one viewer compared the beginning of the film to "Afterglow", and the end to "Night on Earth". <shrug> I didn't much care. It felt like a mismash of a dozen other movies (especially those using cross-connected stories), but I didn't feel it had any spark of its own.. 1.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

28) Mai's America: Vietnamese exchange student struggles with bible-belters. The real life story is somewhat sad -- more cautionary than uplifting. Many parts of it made me wish that intolerant, small minded people of Faith shut up and stop giving the rest of the Faithful such a bad name. On the other had, that is such a personal issue for me that I'm sure the majority of viewers wouldn't notice it unless it was brought to their attention. Director commented in Q&A that gay male friend, Chris, who attempted to become a hetro failed after about six months of trying. I mention this specifically because the film does not -- so it doesn't give anything away to tell it, but *might* be of interest to those folks who could not accept Mai's contention that Chris was not doing 'evil' by being gay -- that God made Chris the way he was. 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

29) Atanarjuat, Fast Runner: It took me a while to figure out that spirits were depicted pretty much like everyone else. I wasn't quite sure that the evil spirit was just that (rather than a nasty guy from a different tribe). I loved the open empty vistas. It made me long for Alaska (though I never lived in expanses like those depicted). I did find it odd that the small clan had clothes made of (among other things) polar bear, caribou hide, ptarmigan feathers, and fish skin. I couldn't think of any one culture that used as many different materials for clothing as these people did. Maybe I'm being an ignorant white fool, but museums and anthropologists lead me to believe there is a bit more specialization in what a group can artfully utilize from a hunt. 4.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

30) Common Wealth: I liked this movie from the opening macro-close up of the road surface. I thought it looked good, and felt god. I enjoy a movie where there are no sympathetic characters -- especially when there are powerful women. Yay! There are! I grant that the script is a bit trite, and the ending too overblown, but it is still SOOoo much better than a typical Hollywood film that I can't complain to much. If this movie had come out of Hollywood instead of being in a pack of other films of merit, I'd probably give it a 3.5 or 4.0. Since it is in the higher standard of films that someone thought good enough to bring from outside (rather than the crap forced onto our screens by the media giants), I have to take off more points for the predictable stereotyping and other flaws. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

31) P.O.V.: B&W. Grainy style. Dogma picture (or at least heavily dogma influenced -- I've forgotten if the Dogma certification preceeded the credits). The movie is about a Danish woman being interviewed, and recalling her recent past. I think I'd like to see this side-by-side with the Australian flick, "The Interview" as differing ways to do a somewhat similar concept. Where "The Interview" spent a lot of time in the real-time room, the heart of "P.O.V." is in the woman's flash-backs of memory. I liked this movie so much I took pages of notes about it. After re-reading them, I think its just best to say that it was very watchable. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

32) The Bread, My Sweet: Hokey piece of tripe that I found utterly offensive. It was trying to be a sweet romance with rich characters and depth, but I didn't think it rang true. Had I been the female lead, I wouldn't have given the Hero the time of day. Ever. 1.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

33) Absolut Warhola: The audience almost ruined this documentary for me. I was at odds with them on why I liked the film. The audience seemedto think rural farm folk are inherently hilarious. Where they made jibes, I saw a simpler life -- complete with small minded outlooks, and a different value system. Many distant relatives of Andy Warhol are interviewed, and asked what they know of the artist. Their knowledge is limited, and sometimes incorrect. When they report that he sent paintings, it is hard to know if he really did, or if they are making it up to appear more important than their every day lives might make themselves seem to the film crew. There are interesting bits of history and bias interspersed. Examples: "Life was good under Socialism....People didn't steal....They had it good under Lenin, then Stalin came in and everything changed." Or on a gypsy wanting to enter their Warhol muesum: "We don't let in filthy people who steal from us". The story of oil wells did make me chuckle, but I hope I did not do so out loud. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

34) The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys: Two boys come of age while a nun fears for them. This is another snoozer. Why is it that films with trite scripts always seem to get the bigger budgets? I found the ending little more than a variation on the expected. 2.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

35) Snipes: Wow. This probably deserves a 3.5 or 4, but there were a couple items that keep me from going that high with my ranking. Erik puts up posters -- snipes -- of his favorite rap star, Prolifik (fictional). He gets paid by the recording studio to do this task, and therefore is able to sneak access to the soundroom so a friend can get some free receding time. Unfortunately, being where they shouldn't leads to serious complications as this thriller unfolds. There are some big holes in the story that kept me from getting involved as I wanted, but overall I thought it a really god effort. Can't wait to see if the creators mature into a solid movie makers. They're off to a good start. 3.0 stars (scale of 0-5).

(ahem) 36)Performance: Made in 1970, it's hard to imagine how a modern viewer could sit through this film if presented on anything except the big screen. The film is like a time capsule for its generation. It replays several stylistic choices and issues of the time. Best of all, it casts Mick Jagger basically as himself. He is pretty to look at, and can be transfixing when pecking out bits of a song. On a small screen, it would be harder to get into the moment with this film, but it plays well when bigger than life. Oh yeah, the central character is played by James Fox. Compare to his role in "Sexy Beast". 3.5 stars (scale of 0-5).

Notable Rentals

• Peeping Tom (1960 - Michael Powell, U.K.) Dubbed Britain's psycho, this story of a killer preceded 'Psycho' by a few months. I wish I had known going in that the flash-back scenes of a father and son were played by the movie's director and his real-life son. Loved the movie right up until the end -- at which point the one-line voice over really bugged me. It didn't add to the film, and should have been left out. 4.0 stars
• Repulsion (1965 - Roman Polanski, U.K.)
• Céline et Julie vont en bateau -- aka Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974 - Jacques Rivette, Fr.)
• Cet obscur objet du désir (1977 - Luis Buñuel, Fr.)
• Andrei Rublyov (1969 - Andrei Tarkovsky, Rus.) If you can stand the slow pace, you will be rewarded with some of the most gorgeous cinematography I've ever seen.
• Solyaris -- aka Solaris (1972 - Andrei Tarkovsky, Rus.) I had to stick this in here because they've REMADE it with George Clooney (cry!). People should know there is an original out there. Sure, the film is long, but it was first. Also note that the book preceeded both.
• Ostre sledované vlaky -- aka Closely Watched Trains (1966 - Jirí Menzel, Cz.)
• Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse -- aka The Gleaners & I (2000 - Agnès Varda , Fr.) Nice documentary. DVD has an hour about the folks 2 years later.
• The Terrorist (1999 - Santosh Sivan, India) Fictional account of female rebel.