Seen in 2002
Submitted by jim on Wed, 01/02/2002 - 06:45
Tags:
- December
- Andrei Rublev (1969) ... This one pretty much epitomizes the "best" vs. "favorite" problem I grapple with. I know several folks here think the two are equivalent, but I just can't get there. I couldn't possibly put this movie on a "favorites" list, but I certainly think it's great. The cinematography is fantastic, the narrative is artfully disjointed and complex, and there are scenes of undeniable power (the whole bell-casting story was terrific). And yet I just couldn't embrace it wholeheartedly (probably because huge chunks of it flew over my head). But how can I make a "Best 100 Movies" list when I'd have to leave this off in favor of Groundhog Day? I'm going to have to stick with drawing the line and make a "Favorite 100 Movies" list some day. For what it's worth, I'm thinking I'd make this a tier 3 entry were I to rewatch it, and it might move up a tier with each rewatch after that, but I'm going to give myself a few years or more. A much better movie about art than Dr. Zhivago, in my opinion. Oh, I'm betting there's no way this movie could put a "no animals were harmed" label at the end; consider yourself warned.
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947) ... Listed here.
- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) ... It's hard to complain about a good script interestingly presented, but like Rushmore the humor consistently only grazed the mark for me. But I'm sure it's just me, as the script and the performances were quite impressive, and I did really get into the final third. I almost listed this here, but when I looked at the movies already on that list it didn't seem to fit. Allow me to beat you to the, "yeah, it's better" jibe. Another example of personal taste not being a measure of quality. More on that with Andrei Rublev above.
- The Trigger Effect (1996) ... If people were as rude, selfish, and stupid as they are portrayed here then the veil of civilization would certainly be so fragile. While I don't have a particularly high opinion of humanity, it's still not so low that I think we'd sink into chaos after only a few days of no phones or electricity. I probably would have liked this movie better if the characters weren't so annoying. I was just interested enough to watch through to the end, but I did fast-forward a bit in the final 30 minutes.
- The Philadelphia Story (1940) ... Listed here.
- Reign of Fire (2002) ... I really must start writing down not only what gets on my "to see" list, but how it gets on there. I've seen worse brainless movies, and the dragons look pretty good. Which is fortunate because McConaughey plays it WAY too straight and Christian Bale doesn't have much to do. I liked three things to varying degrees: the creature effects, the highly implausible explanation for mass extinctions and ice ages, and this particular Ebert review.
- The Big Kahuna (1999) ... Usually I don't like movies that watch like plays, but this was an exception. A strong script with strong (in a theatrical way) performances. I had quite a few chuckles at the dialog (although no belly laughs), and I really enjoyed Danny DeVito's final analysis of honesty. I'd have to think about it more, but this may be my favorite starring performance from DeVito.
- In The Bedroom (2001) ... Listed here.
- The Rookie (2002) ... Listed here.
- November
- Sherlock Jr. (1924) ... Listed here.
- Ocean's Eleven (1960) ... I almost gave this one up at various points, but after a loooong setup things finally picked up after the heist. And the ending was just plain flat-out terrific; it almost made me forget nearly turning it off during the first 90 minutes. In fact, the ending may be the most impressive redemption of a mediocre movie I've ever seen (of course, most mediocre movies stay mediocre right up to the closing credits). One other thing I have to say is that Frank Sinatra must have been awfully secure in his masculinity to agree to wear that sweater in his first scene. I replayed that scene for my wife and between peals of laughter she said "that has got to be the girliest sweater I've ever seen!"
- Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- Our Hospitality (1923) ... Listed here and here
- XXX (2002) ... Listed here.
- Twin Warriors (1993) ... After becoming a Jet Li fan with Fist of Legend I had high hopes for this one, being directed by Woo Ping Yeun and also starring Michelle Yeoh. Some of the fights are exciting, but with one or two guys fighting off hundreds, constant mid-air momentum changes, Li pogo-sticking around on his head (head-butting prostrate opponents), way too much Hong Kong comic relief, and a horrible horrible dub did this one in for me. It was enjoyable enough that I might watch it again if they ever release a subtitled version, but it would probably have to fall into my lap. I do have to add that even with the lousy dub Michelle Yeoh adds a certain dignity to the proceedings.
- Genghis Blues (1999) ... Listed here.
- The Master of the Flying Guillotine (1975) ... Listed here.
- Shaolin Master Killer (1978) ... Listed here.
- Chungking Express (1994) ... Listed here.
- A Beautiful Mind (2001) ... This movie must be pretty good because I went into it with the emotional baggage of thinking Fellowship of the Ring was robbed at the Oscars. I still feel that way, but I liked it anyway. For most of the first quarter I was aware of Russell Crowe's performance, which was distracting, but that went away and I really dug the middle 50%. The final quarter was pretty good too but then again I don't object to pat feel-good endings as much as I should. And while there were discrepancies, I didn't find anything to outrage me in Hollywood taking liberties with the facts, which is refreshing for a "based on a true story" movie.
- Sorcerer (1977) ... Listed here and here.
- October
- Psycho (1960) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- Changing Lanes (2002) ... Listed here.
- Panic Room (2002) ... Listed here.
- Diggstown (1992) ... Listed here.
- The Getaway (1972) ... While it's always fun to watch Steve McQueen, this was a bit of a letdown after watching The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs fairly recently. I'm sure a million exceptions will come to me after I've posted this, but at this moment it feels like it's pretty rare that a pre-1980 "action" movie cuts it for me. For some reason The French Connection leaps to mind, another 70s movie I should have liked more than I did. But excepting possibly the performances, I preferred The Getaway. Ah well, yet another blow to my critical credibility.
- Tin Men (1987) ... On okay rental, but overall I liked it less than the other movie with "tin" in the title featuring two guys whose rivalry is so intense one goes so far as to sleep with the other guy's wife and ultimately undergoes some kind of personal transformation, Pushing Tin.
- You Can Count On Me (2000) ... This movie has the same feel as Nobody's Fool, although I found it a bit weaker in almost every regard. But given my high estimation of Nobody's Fool, this is hardly a criticism. Once again I was misled by the trailer which made this out to be funnier than it was, but it's a warm and touching movie nonetheless. I'll really have to see it again someday now that my preconceptions have been swept away. I thought Ruffalo was the stand-out in an excellent cast, although I could probably have picked anybody depending on my mood of the moment.
- Enigma (2001) ... I wonder if Kate Winslet will ever play a beautiful woman again? Ever since Titanic (and rat-bastard Cameron's cracks about her weight) she's been taking roles where she's supposed to be (ridiculously) greasy, drab, or frumpy. I for one hope this is an artistic decision on her part rather than the industry's. Anyway, she's good here, as usual, as is everyone else. A well-plotted romance/war/spy/intrigue movie that really should get mired in it's various sub-plots and technical details, but somehow doesn't.
- Project A (1983) ... Listed here and here.
- Frailty (2001) ... Listed here.
- September
- Bad Boys (1995) ... How coincidental that Netflix would send me this and Tommy Boy on the same day; two dubiously potential guilty pleasures from 1995 both rated 6.3 by IMDb users (at the time of this writing). In Bad Boys I was hoping for more Will Smith than Martin Lawrence with a goodly amount of action, but I was disappointed on both counts. I could only take an hour of their incessant unfunny bickering before I turned this one off. Tommy Boy fared a bit better, although it watched like an slightly less sophisticated (!) Adam Sandler movie. Fortunately (?) my sense humor can accommodate pretty low-brow stuff at times so I chuckled a fair amount (to my wife's disgust) and laughed pretty hard twice (at least my wife joined me for both of those as well).
- Tommy Boy (1995) ... See above.
- Man of the Century (1999) ... Listed here.
- The Gingerbread Man (1998) ... I don't remember how this came to be on my "to see" list. It was an adequate thriller, particularly when Branagh's kids are being stalked, but I could have given this one a miss. I found myself listening to the accents for authenticity. I'm no connoisseur of southern accents, but Robert Downey Jr. sounded perfectly Georgian, while I thought Branagh sounded vaguely (and distractingly) Texan at times.
- Monsters, Inc. (2001) ... Listed here.
- Cube (1997) ... A fairly unique horror movie about six people trapped in a seemingly endless series of booby-trapped cubical rooms. It kept my attention but was ultimately frustrating both for several weak performances and unsatisfying conclusion. I consider myself fairly cynical, but the view of humanity (and society (and perhaps God, metaphorically)) felt unrealistically bleak. I rented this one because Das Experiment has captured my interest, and a review I read compared it to a combination of this movie and Das Boot. Despite my reservations about Cube, it still sounds like a combination with possibilities.
- Red River (1948) ... Listed here and here.
- Samurai Jack (2001) ... I know it's really just a series premiere, but they called it a movie and stuck it on DVD, so what the heck, I'll review it here. After watching the premiere episode I I liked it but probably not enough to become a regular devotee of the show. Then I watched the bonus episode which was terrific. Unfortunately, Jack is basically a loner so I doubt the highly enjoyable Scotsman he battles will be a regular (although he's too much fun to not recur occassionally, I'm guessing). The DVD was worth a rent for the entire "endless rope bridge" sequence in that episode.
- Ghostbusters (1984) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- Seven Girlfriends (1999) ... When this movie started up I had two thoughts: "I wonder if she'll pull an Isadora Duncan, nah probably not" and "Isn't that the guy from Wings? That can't be a good sign." Wrong on both counts, the scarf scene was a good off-kilter shock that gets the ball rolling and Timothy Daly is perfectly affable. It's even believable he would date so many impressive women, despite his self-centered tendencies. And there's an earnestness in his quest that's endearing. Not a great movie, but a pleasant surprise with some genuine laughs and enjoyable vicarious cringing (which I usually hate, but not in this case).
- The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) ... Listed here.
- Prancer (1989) ... A warm-hearted holiday release, even if it feels like a made-for-TV special. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but I guess kids movies have to tie things up in a fairly neat package.
- Harriet the Spy (1996) ... Surprisingly sophisticated in its ambiguities regarding friendship, honesty, and sticking up for yourself. The actress that played Harriet was good, but the other child performances were a bit flat.
- Fly Away Home (1996) ... I could almost list this one. Good performances and a good story (even if it's much more fictional that you're led to believe). I'm a bit of a sucker for the "wounded kid bonds with animals and helps them" storyline. But only a bit. A pretty good example of the genre.
- The Opposite of Sex (1998) ... I saw this only a week ago, and it's already a blur in my mind. I remember it amused me during the first third, and because LBangs turned me onto Hal Hartley I got a kick out of seeing Hartley alum Martin Donovan in action. Oh, and I remember being pissed off at the intentionally condescending opening voice-over. Finally, I remember thinking Christina Ricci should never be blond. I realize a bad dye job might have been an intentional part of her character's general trashiness, but still.
- August
- Monster's Ball (2001) ... It's to this films credit that I wanted Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton's characters to find some happiness in each other in spite of my having no reasons to like them at all. It's still a mystery to me how this effect was achieved. Not a great movie, but the performances are strong and there are some powerful moments. I have a theory about Billy Bob: I think he's unusual in his effective use of "white space" in his performances. By that I mean he has moments (sometimes entire movies) where he's a blank canvas onto which the viewer can project whatever they want. I imagine for some it doesn't even count as acting, but I find it works pretty well for me.
- Pride and Prejudice (1995) ... Listed here.
- No Man's Land (2001) ... Listed here.
- Fist of Legend (1994) ... Listed here.
- Mean Streets (1973) ... It was interesting to see this relatively early Scorsese effort - it's very unpolished, perhaps by intent, but the honesty and skill shine through. Harvey Keitel was very good in the starring role, and it was fun to watch Robert De Niro not only play a supporting character (I had assumed he starred), but a loser at that. He was such an effective loser that I don't think the ending had quite the impact for me it was supposed to.
- The Searchers (1956) ... When I first started watching these John Wayne westerns (Rio Bravo, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and this so far) my assumption was that I was more a Clint Eastwood fan. That turns out not to be so true, as I've really enjoyed Wayne in all of them. But what I've discovered is that I really am more of a Sergio Leone fan than a John Ford fan. I enjoyed this movie, but this is yet another example of where my personal enjoyment level doesn't match up to a movies quality (or at least reputation). The Searchers is beautiful to look at, Wayne was excellent, and I appreciated the Indians not being portrayed as cardboard-cutout villians. I think two things bugged me: the comic relief was a big distraction, and I think Ford blinked when it came to the end of the search. [Update: I talked to my wife about this review, and I she turned me around on the ending (she's a more sophisticated viewer than I am). I had thought that Natalie Wood's reaction at the end undermined the ambiguity of her earlier scenes, but she thought it all played out perfectly. She prefers Ford to Leone. "Meatier" is how she describes his movies. She agrees with me about the comic relief though.]
- Reindeer Games (2000) ... I'll always be grateful to John Frankenheimer for The Manchurian Candidate and The Train, and my time would have been better spent rewatching either of those movies. Mostly dull and entirely implausible, this one dragged even Dennis Farina down (although his scenes were still the best thing the movie had going).
- The Magnificent Butcher (1979) ... Listed here.
- Straw Dogs (1971) ... Listed here.
- Hart's War (2002) ... I had no idea Edward Norton was considered for this role until I read jgandcag's comment on his "Damn" list. I too would have loved to see how this one turned out with Norton in the lead. Colin Farrell was fine though, as was Bruce Willis. Not wonderful, but workable. Marcel Iures, the Nazi commandant, was fantastic. If everyone had played up to his level this would have been a real winner. As it was, I liked it pretty well, even if it is a hodgepodge of better war movies and legal dramas.
- The Last Castle (2001) ... Fairly enjoyable, with an adequate performance from Robert Redford and a good one from James Gandolfini, who does very well projecting insecurity while ostensibly being in charge. I enjoyed most of it, but the ending is cripplingly absurd. I sprained my eyebrows from raising them so high.Spoiler: Highlight to viewIn most movies a prisoner is lucky to sneak a sharpened spoon into his sock, and yet these guys manage to build and conceal a 30-foot-tall trebuchet in the prison yard?!
- She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) ... I suspect my enjoyment of this movie suffered greatly from fatigue. I couldn't keep my eyes open during the first half, but I quite enjoyed the second half, which I watched the following night. Except for the big Irish fellow, I didn't much care for the supporting cast, but John Wayne was brilliant as the crafty and paternal Captain Nathan Brittles. I particularly enjoyed how subtly Wayne projected Brittles' reluctance to retire, and the way his character orchestrated the final day of his command. I'll have to rewatch this someday to give the first half a fresh chance.
- The Country Bears (2002) ... A completely harmless movie for kids, although it didn't really keep my four-year-old's attention (a little too much plot for her I think). Not much here for the grown-ups, but that's okay. Spoiler: Highlight to viewI did get to see Christopher Walken play the 1812 Overture with his armpit, so that's something.
- Pearl Harbor (2001) ... At exactly 1 minute, 40 seconds into this movie my wife said, "I'm already sick of the epic score." The music was indeed intrusive, but the dialog is what killed this movie. The first third of the movie is awful, the attack is spectacular, and the ending is not entirely unsatisfying. Amusing side note: we could have sworn when one of the nurses gets a running start and leaps into her fiance's arms she is aided by one of those gymnastic springboards. You can't see her feet, but the sound is right, and there's no question that she makes that gymnast preliminary jump onto two-feet before exploding into the guy's arms.
- Jeepers Creepers (2001) ... About as good as I was expecting, which is to say not very. It's too bad, since the beginning was enticing and the ending was quite bold. Too much supernatural gobbledegook, stupidity to advance the plot, and we see too much of the villian. This last issue is baffling, since the first 30 minutes clearly demonstrate an understanding for the power of off-screen menace.
- July
- Rio Bravo (1959) ... Listed here.
- Vanilla Sky (2001) ... Listed here.
- Rear Window (1954) ... Listed here.
- Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) ... By all accounts (the few I've heard anyway) this sequel was supposed to be superior to the first. I must dissent. It was fine, with a couple good fight scenes, but it was pretty leisurely plotted for an action movie (although it's much more linear than the original). And I generally enjoy wire-fu as much as the next guy, but with one caveat: I find it laughable when somebody can land more than two or three kicks in midair without the impact affecting their trajectory or power. When Jet Li leaps in a crowd of enemies and you hear the CRAK-CRAK-CRAK-etc. of like a dozen rapid fire kicks wiping out a dozen guys in one jump it takes me right out of the moment.
- Tape (2001) & Waking Life (2001) ... Here are two Richard Linklater movies released in the same year. While they are quite different, I liked them about the same, and I saw them on consecutive days. So I've grouped them together for this review. While his movies never particularly excite me, I do admire Linklater for somehow making fairly broadly distributed movies that I wouldn't normally think had a chance of seeing daylight. Linklater is nothing if not creative, resourceful, and unconventional. Waking Life is almost completely plotless; it's a series of philosophical dialogs (or monologues since often our central character just listens) that range from boring to fascinating. The look of the film is striking, as the animation is accomplished by "painting" over live-action digital footage. A bold experiment that is at least partially successful. Tape is similarly bold although it sounds contrived in summary - three actors, one room, adapted from a play, shot using cheap digital video (I'm guessing). But like Waking Life it too mostly works. Well-acted (albeit stagey) and loaded with tantalizing ambiguities.
- Lantana (2001) ... Listed here.
- Shallow Grave (1994) ... Listed here.
- eXistenZ (1999) ... I was going to list this here, but after looking at that list I found that I didn't like eXistenZ quite as much as the other movies already there. I did enjoy the "nested levels of virtual reality" plot, and I thought the visual cues that trace through the levels worked pretty well, especially in hindsight. Actually the whole movie works better in hindsight, as lots of things I found ridiculous (and thus made the ride less enjoyable) made sense in the final analysis.
- The Untouchables (1987) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- Raging Bull (1980) ... Listed here.
- June
- Gods and Monsters (1998) ... A very well-acted and well-directed story of an unlikely friendship. Ian McKellan is great, and Brendan Fraser holds his own when it matters (although I thought he dropped the ball in the scenes with his ex-girlfriend). Lynn Redgrave was perfect and I loved the scene where she is outraged at Fraser poking fun at her. The flashbacks are used to good effect. My main knock against the movie is that I found myself looking at my watch from time to time, but some nights my attention span is particularly short. Perhaps this was one of those nights.
- The French Connection (1971) ... I really must stop watching these gritty 70s classics - I fear it wreaks havoc with my credibility when I don't like them. But my credibility probably gave up the ghost months ago, so here goes . . . Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider were terrific, and I particularly enjoyed their opening chase scene, culminating in Hackman berating the guy they've caught for knifing his partner thereby forcing him to listen to bowling score complaints all winter long. I enjoyed Popeye Doyle's obsessiveness (Ahab-like, somebody said) and the car-chases-train scene was all its cracked up to be. But sometimes it's the details that kill a movie for me, and it this case it was the tailing scenes, which not only seemed to drag on forever but irritated me with our characters incompetence. I'd get caught up in the movie and then the proceedings would grind to a halt as we watch the good guys drive/walk around behind the bad guys for far too long. I don't deny its realism, but it killed the momentum for me. Not to mention the frustration at feeling like *I* could tail someone more competently, or the technical annoyance of watching a running guy be unable to catch up with a walking guy. It's lame of me to focus on such a small percentage of the movie, but those scenes really put me off.
- Midnight Express (1978) ... As a manipulative drama, this movie works very well. The opening scene is incredibly tense even though we know exactly what's going to happen. We feel the oppression and cruelty of the Turkish prison, and we long for Billy's release. I'd probably list this here, except I hate it when "true stories" jerk me around with fabrications. Even though the real Hayes made some Turkish friends, there is no room for such depth here, and the Turks are portrayed as a race of pigs without a single redeeming individual among them. From my limited Internet research it *seems* (mostly gleaned from reader comments rather than a definitive source) the most shocking scenes didn't happen (!), and that Hayes's prison was much more modern than the one portrayed. But mostly the blatantly racist stereotyping put me off, when it would have been so much more effective to give more depth to the Turks while still having plenty of room for villians.
- Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) ... I don't think I was prepared for how dark this movie is. Certainly it was well-acted, featuring a particularly strong performance from Andy Garcia and a surprising performance from Christopher Lloyd. The script is good, and the dialog interesting. But for all the good points it left me feeling rather sad, which I imagine is the point, but I wasn't prepared. Interesting note: I read an unsubstantiated comment indicating that it's not fair to call this a Pulp Fiction knockoff since the script was already written by the time PF hit the theaters. Of course, we can't judge how much the script was revised in light of PF's success, but it's still an interesting consideration.
- 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) ... I'm really at a loss when I have to pick a movie from my local shop's DVD selection that my wife isn't going to also want to watch. Luckily this movie received blisteringly bad reviews and I read most of them so my expectations were in the sub-basement. With my expectations that low, I failed to hate the movie, but it's one of the most gratuitously and pointlessly violent movies I've seen. The one bright spot was that I recently watched The Wild Bunch for the first time so I could see all the places where this movie stole the blood and guts (but not the brains or heart) from that classic. I only failed to hate it because I miraculously found a kernel of desire to see Kurt Russell get the girl and live happily ever after (it's hard to sort through the carnage, but I don't think he kills anybody, making him a relative Mother Teresa in this movie). It's all quite ugly. The trailer makes this look like a heist movie - it's not.
- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) ... Listed here.
- High Fidelity (2000) ... I finally watched this one all the way through, and to my relief I liked our hero better here than in the book. Good script although with the exception of the "Ian visits the record store scene" I never found it particularly funny. Surprisingly, I also didn't find John Cusack particularly believeable. I did like the very subtle transformation in our hero from totally self-centered to only slightly less self-centered by the end of the movie. Kinda refreshing compared to the typical miraculous turnarounds that happen in most movies.
- Chopper (2001) ... Listed here.
- Leaving Las Vegas (1995) ... Listed here.
- Election (1999) ... I finally watched this all the way through, and I remain baffled as to its widespread appeal (90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes!). I can see where some folks would like it; the caricatures are all recognizable, and it's a fairly dark skewering of high school, politics, and (loveless) marriage. The cast was good, and Reese Witherspoon in particular was excellent. I guess my biggest problem was the "dark comedy" script was long on discomfort and short on comedy. There's plenty to cringe at, but not much to laugh at. Movies where all the characters are varying degrees of pathetic have little appeal for me.
- The Iron Giant (1999) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- The Wild Bunch (1969) ... Listed here.
- Finding Forrester (2000) ... I was expecting an adequate Good Will Hunting knockoff, but I think this movie is the better of the two. The script uses the good elements of Good Will Hunting and Scent of a Woman while leaving the overplayed scenes behind, and it's the best-acted of the three to boot.
- Romper Stomper (1992) ... Probably the only skinhead love-triangle movie I'll ever see. I can only assume it does a pretty good job depicting gang life, and the performances were pretty good across the board. Russell Crowe seemed oddly out of place, probably because he's A Big Star now. I was mostly interested in seeing how this turned out, but not particularly engaged. I'm finding more and more I can't get into movies where I can't work up some emotional involvement with the characters (either affection or antipathy)--it's like watching ants under a magnifying glass--interesting, but without drama. So it was with the skinheads here. Sure, I hate 'em in real life, but I couldn't get worked up over these particular characters.
- From Hell (2001) ... A stylishly shot, grandiose take on Jack the Ripper and his real identity/motivation. An example of a well-done movie that I didn't particularly care for, although I'm not sure why. I liked all the main performances, but didn't have much compassion for any of the characters, blunting the effect of both the murders and the love story.
- The Mothman Prophecies (2002) ... The movie proclaims it's based on "true events" but all the characters and most of the scenes are so obviously ficticious that I never felt like I was watching anything but a tall tale built on top of a few "sightings." This had the feel of a drawn-out X-Files episode. There were a few good scenes (like when Richard Gere is testing the omniscience of the voice on the phone) but overall a lukewarm effort.
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- May
- Dead Man Walking (1995) ... Listed here.
- The Matrix (1999) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- The Fifth Element (1997) ... Rewatched and listed here.
- The Musketeer (2001) ... Panned here.
- Trainspotting (1996) ... Listed here.
- Brassed Off (1996) ... Blockbuster should start a new section that they shelve between "Drama" and "Comedy". I propose naming this section "Movies Falsely Advertised as Rolicking and/or Romantic Comedies That Really Protest the Plight of the British Coal Miner." Fortunately I tend to enjoy that genre, and this movie was a fine representative. Like it's slightly superior sibling Billy Elliot, it's slow to build but with a nice payoff. My only complaint would be that Pete Postlethwaite's big speech was jarring, as he positively leaps out of character and onto the soapbox.
- The Others (2001) ... Listed here.
- Sexy Beast (2000) ... Listed here.
- The Circle (2001) ... I thought this movie did a good job of showing me lives totally unlike my own, but I was never really transported there emotionally. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood. The opening scene was terrific; the pinched look of concern on the old woman's face upon hearing that her daughter had delivered a baby girl when the ultrasound promised a boy was heartbreaking. I know I should list this somewhere. Everybody says its brilliant (and I'm sure it is - it's certainly courageous). But it only worked for me conceptually and in specific moments. Okay, I'll admit it, it was just too slow for me. Ah well, I'm not the king of schlock for nothing.
- Spiderman (2002) ... Listed here.
- Blood Simple (1984) ... Listed here.
- An American Werewolf in London (1981) ... Listed here.
- Made (2001) ... Vince Vaughn does a marvelous, marvelous job of playing an annoying character. So marvelous that at 30 minutes in I turned to my wife and said, "if we're still more annoyed than amused at 60 minutes let's turn it off and watch The West Wing " (which we had on tape). We didn't even make it that far; we turned it off at 45 minutes. We might have been able to tough it out if the plot were interesting, but the movie was definitely character-driven rather that plot-driven, much to its detriment.
- Iron Monkey (1993) ... Kung-fu fans will enjoy this one quite a bit. I'm personally not too big a fan of extensive wire-fu, so the opening action sequence in this movie was a bit of a turn-off, but the subsequent action scenes (of which there are a ton) range from good to excellent. I've only recently become aware of the significance of the Huang Fei Hong character, and this movie is neat in that he's a child. Even though he's not the main character, he plays a significant part, making the movie a prequel of sorts.
- The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) ... Listed here.
- Ocean's Eleven (2001) ... Listed here.
- With a Friend Like Harry (2000) ... Listed here.
- Bandits (2001) ... Listed here.
- April
- Donnie Darko (2001) ... Jake Gyllenhaal turns in a fine performance as the troubled title character. I liked this movie as much for his misfit-ism as the suspense. If this movie were a Twilight Zone episode, it would be a pretty good one. I'm not entirely satisfield with how it wrapped up, but it worked well enough for me.
- Novocaine (2001) ... Dammit, David Mamet broke Steve Martin. As if it weren't bad enough that Mamet can burn me again and again with his own movies, now his reach has to extend beyond his own pictures? He must be stopped. This is all a roundabout way of saying Steve Martin delivers a David Mametesque dialog recital here. Add that irritation to a movie in the throes of an identity crisis (am I a black comedy? a thriller? perhaps a mystery?), and you've got a pretty good recipe for disaster. The X-ray superimpositions were pretty cool, but that's about it. Oh! I guess I also liked Helena Bonham-Carter, but her performance here is really just a toothless Fight Club rerun.
- Serendipity (2001) ... If this were cast differently, it would be completely forgettable. As a Meg Ryan movie it would have been vomitous. Fortunately John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale are both appealing, so they provide a bit of a boost. Eugene Levy, bless him, steals every scene he's in. I can't go so far as to recommend it, but at least I didn't feel completely robbed.
- Mulholland Drive (2001) ... Listed here.
- Artificial Intelligence (2001) ... Listed here.
- Training Day (2001) ... I was expecting this to be Denzel's Newmanesque "make-up" Oscar, but the movie was surprisingly good. Many critics seem to find the ending implausible, but I merely found it overblown, and I really didn't have a problem with it. The rest of the movie is a fine play on corruption. Washington's character embodies corruptions end product - lethal, arrogant, delusionally rationalized, and powerfully influential. Ethan Hawke's character comes under Washington's wing, and Hawke does a great job in the role. He has to be conflicted by temptation, relucatant and afraid he's being set up in the face of enormous peer pressure, and stalwart without seeming preachy. The two leads work well together, as does the plot and on-location setting.
- Joy Ride (2001) ... Listed here.
- Spy Game (2001) ... This movie features a wonderful opening sequence, and is interesting in that it's a thriller that focuses more on the intrigue than the action (although there's a fair amount of the latter). There are stretches when watching Redford and his coworkers try to outmaneuver each others' outmaneuvering is tense and fascinating, and we feel a shared sense of smug superiority along with Redford during his more successful moments. But the flashback/backfill structure tends to sap the tension from Pitt's current plight--an effect that is worsened by the flashback segments not being as tight as the current story (which has its own implausibility problems). And while I thought the movie fell short in exploring means-to-the-end justification, it's quite ambitious for a thriller, and I give it points for that. To sum up: ambitious, at times great, and flawed.
- K-PAX (2001) ... This was worth renting, but I am disconcerted by my inability to identify why I didn't like it more. Kevin Spacey always exudes superior intelligence, so he nestled right into this role. Jeff Bridges, usually excellent, was merely solid. I think this is probably because the script for his role was flat. The movie is a collection of nice moments, but I think it ultimately suffers from being a mishmash - part comedy, part drama, part tear-jerker, part lightweight philosophy. It dabbles in all without excelling at any. Too bad. Still, I liked it better than most critics.
- Doctor Zhivago (1965) ... I hate not liking a movie as much as I should. Zhivago has a broad scope: war, romance, life during turbulent times, and more. The first half almost had me, but then I started to slip away after intermission. The length became palpable, at which point I was completely disengaged. The cast was uniforming good, except for Rod Steiger who was great. I think the main problem for me was that we really get no sense of what drives our three main characters; we see what they do, but we don't really know why. A specific example: we have no idea why Zhivago and Tonya marry, except that they are both good people (you almost get the sense that their marraige is arranged, but if that's the case you'd expect more emotional tension). The Zhivago/Lara affair works a bit better, as at least we can see how they could grow close while caring for the wounded. In short, the film is impressive but it really didn't rock my boat.
- March
- Heist (2001) ... I am David Mamet's chump. He has a singular ability to make movies that sound interesting to me, but ultimately disappoint. The State and Main anomaly aside, you'd think I'd know better by now. The movie's okay, but it's slow, talky, and not nearly as surprising as it thinks it is. Delroy Lindo manages to sneak in an actual performance rather than the dialog recitation that Mamet usually seems to require of his actors.
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) ... AAA sums this movie up perfectly: "a bittersweet musical about a transsexual rock and roller just looking for her other half."* A movie this brually honest has to be listed as a heavyweight. Every characters imperfections and insecurities are exposed in stark relief, and Hedwig's emotional descent followed by dawning self-awareness is handled very well. On the downside, the comedy did nothing for me. This is one of those movies where I recognize how good it is, but only like it a bit.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) ... Upon finishing this, my wife wondered who the intended audience was; 8 to 10 year old boys, she guessed (too creepy for younger, too young for older, and not particularly interesting to girls). Jim Carrey had some good moments, but this felt like what is was: a great 30 minute Chuck Jones cartoon stretched too thin. Still, Howard does a better Tim Burton than Burton, if Planet of the Apes is the measuring stick. And Carrey's response to the "what is the meaning of Christmas?" query had me rolling.
- The Horse Whisperer (1998) ... Listed here.
- Ghost World (2001) ... I'm not sure why I didn't like this more. While its depiction of teenagehood rings true in a stereotypical sense, it still felt alien to me. The performances were good all around, but unmoving (Buscemi's being the possible exception). For example, I should have felt sympathy for Enid during her emotional crisis, but instead I was detached. I interpret the title as meaning the characters move through the world without really touching it, or each other. Perhaps it succeeded too well in that regard, since it was fairly ghost-like to me too.
- Amores Perros (2000) ... Listed here.
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) ... Listed here.
- Network (1976) ... Listed here.
- Thirteen Days (2000) ... The accents were distractingly bad; the worst since Jon Voight's in Anaconda. But once you get past that, this is a fine political thriller. The film did an excellent job of showing not only how easily large events take on their own momentum, but how hard it is to manage any kind of complex situation. I don't know how historically accurate this is, but the film really made it seem miraculous that we didn't go to war over the Cuban missle crisis.
- Flash Gordon (1980) ... Rewatched, and listed here.
- The Family Man (2000) ... Listed here.
- The Road Home (1999) ... Listed here.
- There's Something About Mary (1998) ... Listed here.
- Beauty & the Beast (1991, IMAX) ... I've seen this movie many times, and I think it's Disney's best animated feature. Happily, the "giant screen" version came to an IMAX theater near me. The film, as I just noted, is fantabulous. The IMAX picture was crystal clear and huge, and the sound was terrific. As for non-positives (they are more observations than complaints), the "new" song (lyrics by the much-missed Howard Ashman) was relatively uninspired, and was rightfully relegated to the cutting room floor in '91. The resolution was SO good that the backgrounds were--believe it or not--too clear. The crowd scenes looked fake, because the background characters didn't move at all. Imagine watching a live action movie where all the extras are mannekins, and you'll get the idea. Even funnier were scenes where a character would move from the foreground into the background and then abruptly freeze like they just locked their gaze with Medusa's. But it was a very interesting look into the (understandable) shortcuts animators take, and I'm still impressed that these slights-of-hand aren't noticable on a smaller screen. Still, a great movie-going experience. The stadium seating and the theater full of kids didn't hurt, I'm sure.
- The Tao of Steve (2000) ... A fairly enjoyable comedy showcasing some honest and at times clever observations on life and relationships. The mostly-unknown cast makes good work of the material at hand. An aside: it's funny how little things leap out at you depending on your area of expertise. For example, to an Ultimate player, it was glaringly obvious that none of the cast can throw (watch, now that I've said that it'll turn out they have at least one all-star in their midst).
- February
- Rope (1948) ... Listed here.
- Pollock (2000) ... Ed Harris, always solid, is terrific here as actor/director. I wanted to put this movie on a higher tier, as it did a really nice job of documenting Jackson Pollock's life and times. Unfortunately, I really felt like Pollock's mind was a closed book to me, which is probably what he was like in real life, but here it kept me from establishing ANY kind of emotional connection with the character. In short, probably true-to-life (praiseworth in itself), but alien.
- The Dish (2001) ... Listed here.
- 102 Dalmations (2000) ... I never would have expected that I'd list a live-action sequel to a ill-advised remake of an animated classic. And even now, I can't help feeling slightly embarrassed. But what the heck . . . the macaw that thinks he's a rottweiler and a wonderful over-the-top performance from Glenn Close make this worth catching.
- Wages of Fear (1952) ... Listed here.
- Gandhi (1982) ... Listed here.
- Th7e Score (2001) ... Listed here.
- Rush Hour 2 (2001) ... Fans of Jackie Chan and/or Chris Tucker will almost certainly be able to find something to enjoy in this somewhat lackluster movie. A couple of the fight scenes were decent, and I'll somewhat embarrassingly admit to not being annoyed by Tucker, who shares good chemistry with Chan.
- Moulin Rouge! (2001) ... Listed here.
- The Princess and the Warrior (2000) ... Listed here.
- Tank Girl (1995) ... Aside from a couple good lines, and a decent villian from the ever-malevolent Malcolm McDowell, this one is too boring to recommend. But I'm the wrong guy to be watching cult movies - more often than not I don't see the appeal.
- January
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) ... Not as bad as I'd been led to believe. Some decent set pieces, and Angelina Jolie is as enjoyable as usual. Unfortunately, it's unforgivably slow in too many places, and the driving force to the plot is too hokey even for me.
- Evolution (2001) ... Listed here.
- Twelve O'Clock High (1949) ... Listed here.
- The Grand Illusion (1938) ... Listed here.
- Swordfish (2001) ... After a splashy, attention-getting opening (including an impressive camera-array shot) this actioner pretty much fizzles for the entire middle-game before concluding with a decent finale. The cast (Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Halle Berry) comes off pretty good, but can't redeem the sagging midsection of the movie.
- Planet of the Apes (2001) ... Panned here.
- The Claim (2000) ... Tragedy only works for me when I can develop some kind of affection for the characters. After 40 minutes of bleak landscapes and emotionally impenetrable characterization (too understated, perhaps?) and obvious forshadowing of impending implosion, hung this one up.
- Life is Beautiful (1998) ... Listed here.
- The Seige (1998) ... I'm pretty good at not living life (or watching movies) through the lens of 9/11, but this one is downright creepy to watch sometimes. Denzel is good, as usual, but perhaps overplays his hand a bit. Wraps up too neatly, but overall a decent suspense movie.
- The Original Kings of Comedy (2000) ... I think it's interesting that I liked these comedians inversely to the audience response. But they were all pretty funny. The documentary elements were minimal, so it's really just standup.
- North by Northwest (1959) ... Listed here.
- State and Main (2000) ... Listed here.
- The Sweet Hereafter (1997) ... Listed here.
- Bringing Out the Dead (1999) ... I like Cage, but with no plot in sight, I could only take 35 minutes of his overplayed overwrought character here.
- The Emperor and the Assassin (1999) ... An epic tale of the rise of first emperor of China, the princess he loves (who unfortunately comes from a kingdom in his sights), and an assassin who becomes important to both of them. The movie shines in the assassin's story, and in the final third. I'm having a hard time identifying why I don't rank this one higher. Pacing, I think. But the further I get from it, the more I like it, so I'm thinking it'll move up if I see it again.
- Cast Away (2000) ... The previews spoiled this one, and Zemeckis seems satisfied with that. Pisses me off. Still, this movie was pretty good. The island sequences were great. Unfortunately, I thought the non-island sequences were mediocre, which detracted from the movie.
- American History X (1998) ... Listed here.
- The Man on the Moon (1999) ... Jim Carrey is perfect as Andy Kaufmann. I've never understood Kaufmann because I've always thought of him as an unfunny comedian. Far better to think of him as a performance artist (the first?) or controversialist. I love biographies that can make me interested in a person I'd previously written off. This is such a biography. Wish I knew how much of it was true.
Cloned From:
> It's official, I prefer RentMyDVD over Netflix. > In January, using RentMyDVD, I saw twice as
> many movies as my best Netflix month. True
> RentMyDVD is a 4-movies-out plan while Netflix > was a 3-out plan, but that should only make a
> 25% difference, not a 100% difference. I will
> grant that Netflix has a nicer UI and perhaps a > slightly broader selection (although not better > availability). But I'm happy I made the switch. > Of course, a friend of mine still uses Netflix, > so we get the best of both worlds in terms of
> selection/availability.
Did NetFlix really switch to 3 movies out? When I had my membership it was 4 movies out at any given time.
So what makes the different? Is it the geographic proximity of RentMyDVD over NetFlix? A delay in shipping?
Yeah, the default Netflix plan is 3-out for $19.99 (this was true as early as a year ago) while RentMyDVD default is 4-out for around $23 (no tax included in either price, I don't think). Netflix used to be a 6 or 7 day turnaround from the time I sent a movie out to getting a new one. RentMyDVD seems to clock at 4 days pretty consistently. I think having the east coast distribution center saves them a day in each direction, but obviously this is only an advantage if you live on the east coast.
Well, 3 movies out with NetFlix might have been true for new customers a year ago. But when I canceled my account in August I was getting 4 movies out for the same price. Just an observation.
Yeah, I have friends that reported the same thing. I think existing 4-out members are grandfathered, but new folks are stuck with 3-out for the same price.
Should've trusted me on The Score, Jim. I know, I know, such talent you just had to see it for yourself. :-)
Right on both counts! I should have trusted you, *and* I had to see it for myself. :-)
Did you turn off Bringing Out The Dead after 35 minutes?
Yes indeed.
Wow, that's big. Especially for a Martin Scorcese film, although he is far from the top of the list of my favorite directors.
There's something about his style that just says "dull" to me. I can't quite place my finger on it. I know he's a not dull person. I've seen him interview many times and watched whole documentary series where he introduces his favorite films and discusses them. That stuff is fascinating.
I know, I keep waiting for jblack to come on over and take me to task. :-) I just couldn't help myself though. Cage greatly overplays his misery, and there was was nothing in the plot or characterization that I could latch onto to give me hope that the remaining 90 minutes wouldn't be as big a waste of my time as the first 35.
I know what you mean about Scorsese. While I'm not a fan, I do enjoy a fair number of his movies. I think of his movies as long, satisifying meals. Sometimes his films--like long, satisfying meals--induce drowsiness. :-) But you're very glad you ate. I was aware of that phenomenon going into this one, but I was rapidly put off my feed.
Jim, where be the Amores Perros write up? I'm so glad you finally watched the film. Now I'm interested in knowing if you enjoyed it...
Oops! It's there now...
I recently saw Doctor Zhivago for the first time, and while I found much to admire in the film, I was also disappointed with the final product.
One of the major problems was Lara - There really isn't much in the film to give us a clue why her men fall so desperately for her, not good when the desires of the various men are so responsible for driving the film forward.
You are right; we see the characters perform actions, but we aren't always sure (or convinced) why. It is rather hard to keep the grand film involving when the relationships at the core are so mysterious and baffling.
Zhivago himself also lacks character; did anybody really buy that he was a doctor and a brilliant poet in this film?
Not prime David Lean, but still breathtaking to look at, with an epic sweep that is impressive if ultimately a bit hollow.
As for the length, I am an incredibly patient man. I recently realized that I watched around five to ten 3-hour plus films last month alone!
Of course, this does mean I don't always get all the sleep I should...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Agreed on all Zhivago counts. And you are much more patient than I. :-) Although I've found I watch longer movies when subscribed to a rental service. I'm currently between services, and find that now that I'm going to the store, I come home with short easily-digestible movies. Rental services are good for my diet, but I have to gorge on new-release junk food once in awhile. Actually, I think my rental pattern might settle into "4 months of an online service while my local store stocks stuff I haven't seen, followed by a month or so of local store rentals until they are depleted again, then back to a online service." We'll see if it pans out that way.
Interesting perspective on Things To Do in Denver When Your Dead. I fear I have become so jaded that I didnt even consider the dark aspect of the movie. Has on-screen violence soured me so much I can not empathize with the people or was it more style over substance? Beyond Lloyd and Garcia did you feel anything for the other characters? In contrast to this I just finished Best Years of Our Lives and once again I completely connected to these characters and felt their pain and triumph.
Garcia was very good, wasn't he?
Garcia was very good. I always enjoy him, but usually more in a smooth and slick kind of way than for real depth. There was plenty of smooth in this role, but also quite a bit more. I was impressed.
I think he and Lloyd were the standouts, but everybody was quite good. Walken was Walken, which is never a bad thing, and this is the second chair-bound role of his that I've enjoyed. It's to his credit that he can be menacing without ever standing up. Oh, I also really liked Garcia's #2 guy and family man, who I have to look up . . . Ah yes, William Forsythe as Franchise. Fairuza Balk was also very good. Heck, good cast across the board.
I'm looking forward to your Best Years of Our Lives write-up! I loved it.
Jim, I couldn't agree with you more about "The French Connection" and "Election." Both are highly overrated. And I know exactly what you mean about both of them - "The French Connection" was very tedious in parts, and I was cringing at a lot of the things going on in "Election."
Thanks for the support - it's comforting to know I'm not completely alone on those two, although I suspect now your credibility is shot as well (although not as far as I'm concerned). :-)
I certainly question no ones credibility. The great thing about the movies is the true democratic nature of them. Each person opinion holds weight. That being said you two are crazy about your comments on the French Connection...what are you morons????
I of course am just kidding. I have not seen that movie in some time but I do remember loving it. It has that 70's grittiness that sometimes can be grating but I do remeber it was a great Hackman performance. If you found this dull, may I suggest you stay away from The Conversation another Hackman movie from that era and posssibly Hackman's best.
:-) It's been quite awhile, but I remember enjoying The Conversation. I'm due for a rewatch.
So, maybe I'm not the only person who thinks The Searchers is a bit over-rated?
Long live Leone! (Though I certainly do like Ford as well)
And I, like my esteemed colleague, am also a bit stunned by your assessment of French Connection, but hey, I still have that whole Vertigo thing, so I can't talk... :)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Well I certainly value Jim's opinion on The Searchers but I just read somewhere that it is Bruce Springsteen's favorite movie. You can take Jim I will stick with Bruce. :)
Of course you are going with someone who thought the French Connection was boring. But if you feel comfortable with that. It is all right with me
I'll answer you both at once . . .
lbangs: I'm glad I'm not completely alone on The Searchers, and I actually meant to ask you about it specifically. I noticed that you listed it both on your "overrated" list and on your "film school - best of the best" list. While this seems contradictory on first glance, I assume that even though you think it's overrated it's still good enough to deserve a place in class? Do I assume correctly?
jgandcag: Oh sure, The Boss comes out with a new album and you cast me aside like a used kleenex. Geez. :-)
As for The French Connection, I have no defense. Well, not much of one anyway. I think you should both read my writeup again. The movie had a lot going for it, and I would have liked it quite a bit if the abrupt stoppages didn't completely jar me out of the experience. And you can't tell me you weren't frustrated by Hackman and Scheider making eye contact with the guys they're supposed to be secretly following?
Nah Jim it has nothing to do with his new Album, I would toss you aside if he had been retired for 20 years.
Ha! Can't say as I blame you.
Actually, I'll stick with Jim. One of my favorite magazines, Uncut (not the porno, thank you), has a monthly feature where various rock artists discuss their favorite films. My conclusion: very often, my favorite musicians have horrible taste in films.
Not that The Searchers is bad, but I'd rather give its unofficial 'Greatest Western Film Ever' title to Once Upon a Time in the West, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Wild Bunch, or Stagecoach.
You understand.
Although I do prefer Bruce's version of She's the One to Jim's... ;)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Re: Vertigo, I've been watching a fair amount of Hitchcock over the last year or so, and I'm with you. If I were to rank the movies of his I've seen, it would be near the bottom, if not in the basement. I've only seen his more acclaimed movies though.
This one is a bit funny. When I first started expressing my opinion about Vertigo around the web years ago, I was flamed to death and declared a dork. Over time, however, I've noticed more and more people stepping forward and naming North by Northwest, Rear Window, and Psycho over Vertigo as greatest Hitchcock film. Many are even starting to admit to not loving Vertigo much at all. Is its moment in the sun coming to an end, or are the critics really that much sharper than us?
Or, as I suspect, do the critics have motives for praising it that go beyond aesthetics?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Not that I want to dredge up the Vertigo question again but I found it interesting that both the Critics and Directors put in the top ten. Of course I tend to like both Rear Window and Pyscho more than Vertigo.
Also as to the Westerns, I think The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the best Western and Red River is better than The Searchers. It still is a great movie
Jim, am I correct in my thinking that if you comment on a movie on the "Seen" list then that particular film is one that you don't picture yourself ever wanting to rewatch? Or is just that you can't recommend it?
It's definitely more of a "rewatch" issue than a "recommended" issue. I would certainly recommend The Searchers and Mean Streets (for example) even if I didn't personally dig them enough to list them on my "recommended" lists. Speaking of which, I really must rename those lists. By calling them "recommended" it certainly does imply that anything I don't list there is not recommended. But this is not the case.
And I intend (someday) to rewatch many of the critically acclaimed movies that I failed to appreciate this time around. But those don't count for listing purposes.
Jim, I'm so glad you ended up watching the bonus episode on the Samurai Jack DVD. I was going to tell you about it but I forgot. I thought it was better than the premiere as well. I love their fight, smack dab in the middle of the bridge, where the Scotsman keeps antagonizing Jack. Now that made me laugh out loud. :-)
Yeah, definitely the high point of the disc.
"We're in no condition to fight odds like this."
"Especially not when I've got me wrist strapped to a pajama wearin' daisy!"
Nice link to the Ebert review. The man has been coasting a little lately but when he wants he still can write extraordinarly well. Now as to some of his opinions about movies...well I guess that is why they call them opinions.
That's for sure. Notice I was very careful to say that particular review.