My life is movies, so here are some more reviews...the categories aren’t that great...but should help the organization a bit.

COMEDY

78 Anchorman--Several people have not appreciated this movie as much as I did--maybe it's because my younger brother was with me & we can enjoy pretty much anything together. But I thought this was really funny--in a strange, strange way. There are lots of these movies out here these days--I think it started with the whole Adam Sandler/Chris Farley/Jim Carrey films--here's a funny character in funny situations-- add lots of physical comedy, a few dirty jokes & you've got a movie. And, for the most part, it works. Black Sheep was pure genius. Billy Madison was great. Dumb and Dumber=a classic. To me, though, it's hard to keep movies in this genre fresh--but I think Will Farrell (who co-wrote the film) does that...parts of it are so random & surprising & the supporting characters are really funny. It's a goof ball movie & that's it. It made me laugh. What more do you want?

72 Being Julia-- I wasn’t dying to see this. It looked British, ancient and boring--but it was actually very captivating. Brilliant performances all around--esp. by Annette Bening--who I have always adored...mostly in that president movie...I forget the name, but she was awesome. Anyway, this is a quickly paced comedy that genuinely surprises and moves. It is one of the better films I’ve seen this season.

44 Borat-- I have such mixed feelings about this one. I had issues with how he made the film, but i put those aside & went just to have a few laughs. And i did. Cohen is a funny guy--the character says funny things. But it’s hard to base an entire movie on a character like this unless it has a decent story--or doesn’t attempt a story at all. This is a journey movie--Borat’s travels through the U.S. He finds stereotypical hicks to mock. I’m all for making fun of people, but saying this is a representation of middle or southern America is ridiculous. And that seems to be what he’s saying in his interviews now. He is trying to make a statement. Well, yes, we are all different. Not all Americans are sarcastic liberals. Not everyone has their minds open up enough to accept all kinds of different people. But they do allow Cohen into their world, and if he wasn’t so offensive and ridiculous, he probably wouldn’t be treated like he is in the movie. I watch documentaries partly to understand people--i watch narrative films to be entertained, moved, taken to a new place. this movie combined the genres--but not as successfully as Christopher Guest in his mockumentary formula. This one leaves you questioning: “Was that for real? Are those people acting?” And Cohen doesn’t ever answer these questions. I had to do a bunch of internet searching to try to find out what was real and what was staged. And although I enjoyed sitting through the movie--I laughed through much of it--the press it’s created--trying to make it more important than it is--bothers me.     

78 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory--saw this at the midnight showing at the IMAX on opening night, so the crowd and space was awesome. It helped with the movie. What I liked: of course, it’s Tim Burton, so some great visual things happening--esp. with the world outside of the factory. The grandparents were pretty hilarious. The whole Bucket family was well cast, and my favorite line from the whole film was “I like grapes.” It went downhill from there. Not really, but it’s so hard to find anyone to root for during the rest of the film. Even though we see Wonka’s past (a terrible addition to the movie), I still had no feelings towards him. Gene Wilder played up the manic sides to the character--which in the end made him both funny and sad. Johnny Depp plays one note: weird. It’s funny, but it didn’t keep me interested. The kids and parents were all good--esp. Violet’s mom. The oompa loompas I wasn’t a fan of. You couldn’t help but miss the beauty of those strange red dwarfs from the original film. Too many crazy effects, really. Bells and whistles. I wanted more heart. 

78 Cheaper by the Dozen-- I'm not going to lie to you--I was crying in this movie. I can't help it. I LOVE Steve Martin. It doesn't matter what the movie is (I own Sgt. Bilko for goodness sakes!)--no one could be more of an enjoyment to watch. Bonnie Hunt is good & the kids are all cute--but a dozen is just too many & so some are left without any personality...but those cute twin boys--always in matching outfits and saying things like "wicked cool"--adorable. I learned many lessons from this movie: 1) 3 kids max for me, 2) family should come before career (even if it's a great football coaching job @ your alumni school), 3) pet frogs never live long enough & 4) Piper Perabo peaked as an actress in Coyote Ugly. This is a great film for the whole family.

44 Cheaper by the Dozen II--I know, I know, why am I watching this? Well, it was at the drive-in in Midland, so I wanted that experience. And I love Steve Martin. But this is really predictable stuff here. And again, too many kids for me to actually care for any of them individually (except for the hot oldest son). I think this could’ve been funnier, except it’s called Cheaper by the Dozen II.

50 Click-- This totally reminded me of the underrated Multiplicity that came out several years ago with Michael Keaton. OK, maybe it wasn’t underrated, but this felt like the same movie. We get it even before it starts--you’re going to be missing your life! Literally! Stop with the remote control. It was weird how dramatic this film got, though. Like it was all of a sudden Punch Drunk Love when you wanted Big Daddy. Why is Kate Beckingsale married to Adam Sandler & why is he screwing up his marriage to this perfect woman? I never believed that for a second. Christopher Walken has gone off the deep end with this one. I think him and Jon Voight are the only ones that can pull off these wacko roles.  Anyway, predictable fluff--but I love Adam, so I enjoyed it.

66 The Devil Wears Prada-- I read this book. And about a million books with the exact same plot, when my life was sad and I filled the empty spaces with a ridiculous genre called “chic lit.” So, I wasn’t crazy about bringing it back into my life--but was so glad I did. Meryl Streep is hilarious in it--really surprised me with her portrayal of the ‘evil boss.’ So much fun to watch. And there were so many great New York City scenes...you know I lived there, so I like to think the movie is about me. I did have to get my boss coffee twice, so it is sort of the same thing. Cheesy movie, but not bad at all. 

80 Elf-- A cute movie--laugh out loud funny in some places--mostly because of Will Farrell. He commits to being an elf so entirely that it's funny. This would've been funnier as a 15 minute short film or an SNL skit, though. The elf jokes can only last so long. Bob Newhart is awesome in this movie, though--no surprise there.

50 For Your Consideration-- This movie let me down. I am a HUGE Christopher Guest fan. Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show are incredible films that really explored the “mockumentary” idea brilliantly. He rounds up a great ensembles of actors that must feel comfortable working around each other & it shows. This one departs from the mockumentary to give us a movie within a movie show (aka Soap Dish--but not as good). It used the same joke as Guffman--making the movie within a movie so horrible that it’s funny...but we don’t care for the movie actors nearly as much as we felt for the actors in Blaine. In order to fit all of the actors in, we are left with really brief snippets of all of them. Hollywood is ripe for parody, but Guest doesn’t take it very far. The actors don’t either. Jennifer Coolidge is the stand out in this one--she has great reactions & everything coming out of her mouth is funny. Anyway, I think Guest really missed out on an opportunity to make a really funny movie--maybe it needed a little ‘mockumentary’ to bump up the humor--the “interviews” that are a core part of that genre allow us into the crazy characters’ heads in a way that really makes us feel for them--and makes for some great one-liners. I hope Guest continues working with these guys, though--they are all so talented--seems they just got lazy with this one.

ZZZZZ.... The Incredibles-- That is my new symbol for “I don’t know, I fell asleep.” Granted, I watched it on the airplane at like 2 am, so this doesn’t mean it’s a bad film. But I was a little disappointed with the moments I did see. It was cute, but again, an Academy Award? Shrek II got robbed. Seriously. I’m not a huge fan of super heroes in general, though. Maybe that’s the problem. 

50 Jack Ass: Number Two-- First off, I congratulate anyone that can make money doing stupid stuff. I missed the first one, though was told by my brothers and fathers that it was a laugh out loud classic. My moviegoing buddy said this one wasn’t as good as the first & seemed a little more produced. From my eyes, though, still pretty amusing. It was amazingly scattered, though, much like the TV show--but I kind of wished for some kind of thread or something to pull it together. I also started thinking that all these guys were extremely hot, because they didn’t seem to care about anything but making themselves and each other laugh/cringe in pain. It seems so backwoods, so redneck...so of course, I’m reminded of home. It also seems as if they’re just having a great time, and it makes me want to be there. There were definite hits and misses throughout, but overall, I enjoyed watching this. 

40 Johnson Family Vacation-- Another stereotypical African American movie--making jokes about expensive rims, rap music, etc. Actually, it's a cute family story--but Cedric the Entertainer could do better--he's a really funny guy. He's just too normal in this movie--too sweet. Steve Harvey is hilarious as the overly-competitive brother. Vanessa Williams is kind of scary looking & lil Bow Wow= full of promise! The next Omar Epps. This movie had a few laughs, but it was no Pootie Tang.

88 The Life Aquatic-- I'm not sure if that's the correct title. But you know what I mean. One of my top 10 of the year. I'm a huge Wes Anderson fan. When you're an avid movie-goer like myself, it's refreshing to see a movie so wonderfully odd. So, here it is! Bill Murray can do no wrong--although this wasn't the kind of brilliance I saw in his Lost in Translation performance--he's still an actor that can crack me up with his sort of abrasive, very dry performance. There are so many strange, funny moments in the film--and a great cast. Also, there's some great work with--this will sound weird-- computer animated fish. Just a cool movie. It knows its cool, I know, but well, it's my style.

79 Mean Girls--This is the new Tina Fey movie (head writer from SNL). I actually went to the world premiere--but all the movie stars saw it in a different theater. They sent the normal folks to a different screen--but they gave us free drinks and popcorn, so it was awesome. The movie was a smart teen movie--reminded me of Clueless. Very cute. I thought it would be a little smarter, but it is geared toward a younger crowd. Tim Meadows is great in anything he does. I wish he had a larger part. The message: don't talk bad about people. I didn't talk bad about anyone for at least 24 hours after I saw the movie, so I guess it is a worthwhile movie.

54 Meet the Fockers--I saw this one with my dad, and his enjoyment made mine increase by at least 50% (and I'm no math major, but that's LOTS). Nothing really new or shocking here, but I still haven't gotten tired of seeing Stiller cringe. And DeNiro has really developed a funny, sad character through these movies. Quite a comedian. Hoffman and Streisand--way over the top--as they were supposed to be. It's a silly movie, but I still laughed.

66 Medea’s Family Reunion-- I saw a Tyler Perry show live, but I hadn’t seen any of his movies yet. This was much like a stage show, although without all the great audience response. Tyler Perry is hilarious--the next Eddie Murphy--but sweeter...and his story combines melodrama/Christian beliefs/bathroom humor and Maya Angelou. I mean, that’s not an easy thing to do, and he pulls it off. I wish there was a little less of the husband beating the wife, but there’s gotta be some kinda tension I guess.

63 Napoleon Dynamite--I laughed several times throughout this movie. The Napolean character (who perhaps you've seen in one of the million commercials that air for this movie on MTV) has a way of speaking/acting that I found really amusing. He's a complete freak, but in most movies--the freak is really a nice/shy person with a nerdy streak. But Napolean is really harsh & unapologetic. Not much there other than him, though--some other good characters--but it could've worked better as a sketch on Mad TV or something. There's just no story there--which can work if there's something else going on emotionally, etc. But not much there.

63 The Ringer--I thought this movie was going to be tasteless (which I’m a fan of), but it was actually kind of sweet. Johnny Knoxville is also very attractive, which helps. Also, they filmed it at my undergrad town (go, San Marcos!) & ran on the same track i would run on...woo hoo! This was a cute film. If you’re into the Special Olympics.

54 Saved--this is with Mandy Moore & other people. I probably saw this too close to Mean Girls & they kind of blended together. Teen movie. Sarcastic characters. Sappy music. It's not as clever as Mean Girls--and I think the whole pregnancy issue is not dealt with realistically at all. I enjoy the whole message of: don't judge people! And as a result of the movie, I refrained from judging others for at least half an hour. Movies can change your life--esp. if Mandy Moore stars in them.

84 Shrek II--Funny, funny movie--and very short. Just like my review. See this if you haven't already.

70 Soul Plane--This is a funny film--parts of it are even hilarious. Basically, it's about a guy who decides to open up his own airline for black people--and you can just imagine all of the stereotypes explored: a "low class" section on the plane that serves malt liquor and Popeye's Chicken, a VIP dance club at the bottom of the club, etc. What's really great about it are the FUNNY people in the film (esp. Monique). It's nice & short, too. Check it out.

22 Spanglish-- I knew it was bound to be full of some cheese by the previews, but I'm a fan of the more serious Adam Sandler--Punch Drunk Love Sandler. Actually, I'm a fan of Adam Sandler anytime he's not playing a devil. Something about this movie didn't really sit well with me. The weird relationship between nanny and husband--the CRAZED wife. No likable main characters--except for the poor Spanish nanny/single mother--could we get anymore stereotyped here? Cloris Leachman was pretty hilarious, though. I would like to see those deleted scenes. I had no one to root for in this movie, and it left me feeling detached from the whole thing.

84 The Squid and the Whale-- I was hesitant to say this is one of the top 5 of the year, then I looked at my reviews and of course it is. Either I didn’t see enough movies--or there haven’t been enough of them out there. This and Hustle and Flow are both great ones to see. The story here is just wonderful, and the acting is flawless. The kid actors are amazing. For goodness sakes, William Baldwin is amazing! William, which one is that? Who knows, but he’s good. It’s a “coming of age” kind of movie--but the time following the divorce is what’s focused on. Now my parents are still together, so I’m not sure what divorce feels like--but I think this film captures it really well--esp. from the kids’ perspective. Now it sounds serious, but it keeps you laughing throughout. And not “awww, how cute!” laughing, but “that’s hilarious!” laughing. I’ve often seen movies with writers as the central character (Sylvia, um, I’m sure there are others...The Shining...wait, that’s not a good example)--and they always come off as really moody & otherworldly. But this film puts writers in the real world, and it takes some of the mystery away. The film is very Brooklyn and New York...which is good because I see a subway and think (yes! subways! I know exactly what you’re talking about!). The director (I forget his name) is pretty much telling his story here, and he really gives us something unique and as my friend remarked--something with “a lot of heart” (I put that in quotes, but my friend could have very well said something else...). If this is playing near you, I highly recommend it.   

78 Super Babies: Baby Geniuses II- - This was a great sequel to a wonderful movie. Me and Chuck saw this one at The Arclight in LA--which is THE theatre to be seen at...maybe not watching Baby Geniuses, but it's still a classy place. Babies talking=always funny to us for some reason. Jon Voight=always on fire. Love that man--esp. for making movies like this and Anaconda. You get the feeling he's really not selling out--he truly enjoys these films. And Scott Baio (spelling?)--from Charles in Charge. Part of me wishes to be a part of the movie-making industry just to be a part of making films like this. The babies had great Super Baby costumes, too. Wigs and everything.

68 The Stepford Wives--This is totally campy. I remember the original being much more creepy, much more serious about the whole Stepford craze. This one was full of laughs--and the actors were all great. The plot, though--it all just seemed really shallow. They could've gone further with everything, but instead, it seemed sort of cartoonish. Faith Hill--I was excited about seeing her in a movie--she's got like 2 lines! They must have done some cutting. Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Bette Midler--all really great, really funny. It's good times.

78 Thank You for Smoking--This was a pretty funny/clever movie. I really enjoyed that Eckhart guy in this & hope he starts getting better roles now, cause that fool can act. Katie Holmes sucked I thought. Everyone else was pretty great & the writing/directing was all pretty clear. There were moments where it tried to be a little too deep, and I didn’t like it. I liked it when it was light, fluffy and funny. I hear a friend of mine in L.A. is working for the director now--Ivan Reitman’s son...I wonder if he has access to the naked Katie Holmes parts that supposedly Tom Cruise made him take out? I gotta get the gossip. Meanwhile, go see this. Only 92 minutes, too.

ROMANTIC COMEDY

48 The Break Up-- I love Vince and Jennifer, so throw them in a movie together and I’ll enjoy it. This is a good concept--you know, focusing on life after the break up...but how many times do we need to see them try to make one another miserable/jealous? I think back to Sex and the City--which really dealt with exes in a really REAL kind of way--maybe something that can only be done on a series through time. Because here, we don’t see the relationship when it was GOOD, so there’s nothing to root for. But they are still attractive, so I still watch. a few really funny moments. 

55 Bridget Jones II-- Come on, no one saw this movie. I of course read the book--which wasn’t that great, so I wasn’t expecting that much from the film. I am madly in love with Hugh Grant, though, so I needed to see it. I prefer About a Boy Hugh Grant, but he’s still hot in this one. Rene is good. You know, “fat”--which amounts to what...123 lbs instead of her normal 100 lbs...and all British. The story is just weak...as it is in the book. Cute moments. Nothing more.

74--In Her Shoes--anything with Shirley M. gets at least a 74 in my book. She is great. She is an older actress with wrinkles. It is refreshing to see. I think I read this book, back when I could read trash novels and not feel guilty about it afterwards. It’s about 2 sisters--Cameron Diaz and Toni Colette. One is a never-do-well slutty girl and the other is a big shot workaholic lawyer. you can guess which is which. We know what is going to happen here. And i am totally smitten by the kindness of Toni’s lawyer boyfriend. He is so nice. Unbelievable nice. Anyway, see it for Shirley and the old folks home. Great scenes. I forgot why, but I think I teared up.

73 Jersey Girl-- I saw a sneak of this one & it's not as cheesy as one might think. Some of the sad moments were almost laughable--not so much because of Affleck's performance--just Kevin Smith's script--he does much better with the funny stuff. Liv Tyler is strange & wonderful in the movie--and the little girl steals the show. There are wonderful cameos & smaller roles that really make it a good ensemble piece. I laughed out loud at some parts. This will be one of the better films that comes out this spring, which isn't saying much.

32 Little Black Book--OK, I knew this wasn't going to be great, but it was just plain horrible. I like Britney Murphy, but she's lost so much weight & now looks like a 12 year old. It was really hard for me to buy her as a grown woman--taking over some sort of "Meg Ryan" character--it didn't quite work. Holly Hunter just takes herself way too seriously sometimes. No one was really a good person in the movie, and it depressed me. Everyone lied and stabbed one another in the back & it wasn't romantic or funny.

88 Love, Actually-- I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy, although even I can admit the genre has gotten a bit tired. The funny stuff is no longer that funny & the romantic stuff just seems hokey. But this film is neither--it is genuinely funny (laugh out loud funny) & touching. There are several different story lines--my one problem with the film was that I thought there were TOO many stories--some were bound to be better than others & I kept waiting around for those. A couple of them just kind of died out. But this was eclipsed by the pure genius of the widowed step-father/ son story, the Hugh Grant story & Laura Linney's office romance...the first of which could've been a great movie by itself. This is a great start to the big holiday movie feast coming up.

55 The Prince and Me-- The only reason I saw this is that I'm a sucker for those free movie sneaks. I mean, a free movie? What right do I have to turn that down? Chuck was actually willing to join me on this Julia Stiles adventure. It is one of those cute teen movies: She's All That, anything with Mandy Moore, The Princess Diaries...the main reason I can stand these films is because the lead is a girl & I am a girl (so I can often relate). Julia Stiles plays a character who studys lots & wants to go to med school. She doesn't have time for fun because she wants to save the world. See, that's me! Except for the part about med school. Anyhow, she meets & falls for the Prince of Denmark--but of course, she doesn't find out he's a prince until late in the movie & then of course she's upset because HE LIED TO HER (similar to the plot in many of these films where a bet is made without the girl's consent & later she finds out about it...so much drama). But then true love prevails & you would think the movie is over--but it keeps on going for another 45 minutes. And it's not bad, but I'm just ready for it to be over. The prince is hot, and that makes this movie watchable.

44 Rumor Has It-- I like Jennifer Aniston. Yes, she’s sort of the same in everything (except maybe The Good Girl, where she has a bad West Texas accent), but I’ve never had a problem with that. And Mark Ruffalo suffers from the same thing--but he’s so cute, I forgive him. Shirley McClaine was playing the old drunk again, which is getting a little tired. Kevin Coster--I like him, too, but this movie did not quite work--the whole concept was a little more than disturbing. 

85 Something's Gotta Give-- I hate the title...it means nothing--which is sad because the movie is really enjoyable. First off, I love Diane Keaton. I didn't know it, but after seeing this movie--she's just so cool. She only wears black and white during the film, so I have begin to model my own wardrobe after her (except not so much white because I'm messy & it's not as flattering as black). Jack Nicholson is of course just very funny--I also really enjoyed Keanu Reeves. The movie went on for too long, though--if it only had ended sooner I would've raised my rating at least two points. I think I was just in awe of the Hamptons house she lived in...so many windows...such a great view. So, I don't really remember the story--but the actors, clothes & locations were highly memorable.

DRAMA

70 21 Grams-- way too many drugs in this movie--I mean, I'm confused enough already by the non-linear story line & then you throw in all the snorting & boozing...I just can't keep up with what's going on. There were some great performances in this, though, and I always like Sean Penn. I saw this movie a few weeks ago, and it's already hazy. It must have been the drugs.

80 Akeelah and the Bee--I saw this preview and almost puked from the overload of cheese, but I had SO much fun watching this in the theatre. The actors are great. Well, Laurence Fishburne takes about an hour to say 3 words...stretching out everything because he wants to show us he can still act. but the girl and her friends carry this movie, and they do it in style. I love that it’s about words...and in a completely different way than Spellbound. that was making fun of the nerds--and this is taking the stuff seriously & taking pride in the process of learning how to spell those huge words. And those south los angeles stories, I gotta love those. Makes me long for the west coast.

72 The Aviator-- I liked this one more looking back on it. At the time, I thought, like many 3 hour movies, it was just too long. But the performances--if not really 'believable' were captivating and fun to watch. Cate Blanchett is just a crazy Hepburn. She goes all out, and I loved every second of it. DeCaprio. He looks so young. But he tries really hard. You can tell he's really INTO it. The film is a very visually stimulating one--the colors used--the costumes, the old-Hollywood-ness of it all...kept me in. It is Oscar worthy, I think.

62 The Barbarian Invasions-- I saw this foreign film w/ my mom, and honestly, YAWN. It centered on a group of middle-aged friends & they were very French Canadian--speaking all intellectually--blah/blah/blah. The Big Chill did a much better job of this & with a better soundtrack. I did like the heroin addicted daughter. She's going to be a big star in Canada someday soon. She's the new Amelie girl. Short hair & big eyes. Don't bother with this movie. There were some touching moments, but it left me cold.

84 Before Sunset This is a Richard Linklater sequel to his 8 yr old movie "Before Sunrise"--I really liked the first--but it's not for everyone. It's all talking, not much story, and then more talking & walking & beautiful scenery. But, it's Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy, and they're both great actors. This one was even better than the first--the characters are so likable & the dialogue so believable--it's the kind of "romantic" movie I like that I never see--not so much a Meg Ryan/Julia Roberts idea of romance--one that we've seen so many times it's not interesting anymore. These characters are unique, and so are the conversations they have. I've never seen anything like it & I'm realizing that when that happens in a movie, regardless of what the situation--it's my favorite thing--that movies still surprise me. It sort of left me hanging. Hopefully they'll make another one.

73 Big Fish-- Yes, it was strange, but in good ways...just lots of interesting storytelling & with Tim Burton directing, visually it was...a feast! That's right, a visual feast! My favorite moment was when they were at the circus & the scene froze w/ popcorn pieces in the air...awesome. The actors were all great--the pregnant wife was a little odd, but Jessica Lange was fabulous as always (I think her best work was in that movie Blue Sky). It's one of the better movies of the year.

40 Breakfast on Pluto--I was not happy with this film. I thought it was going to be moving, but really, it was just kind of silly. Cillian Murphy was wonderful in it, but this movie seemed 4 hours long.

74 Broken Flowers-- I couldn’t decide whether I liked this film or not. Let this be said, though: I’m a huge Bill Murray fan. I like what he does, and I think he gets better with each film. He is one of those actors we really empathize with--even if he is playing a pretty sad, lonely, selfish man boy...we still want him to come out ahead. The movie is slow-paced, and the actresses who co-star in the movie are really only in it for brief moments. Much of the film is spent following Murray’s character as he searches out old girlfriends--we literally spend much of the time in the car with him--looking out the window. I know, I know, it is tedious for most--but this slow pace creates a film we don’t see much of these days. It allows us to breathe. In the end, it’s either boring or refreshing--I found it the former, but I might be alone in that feeling.

72 Capote-- This film kept me totally interested, which means more than you know. Or maybe you do. Philip S. Hoffman is just a great actor, and I thought the performance was as risky as Kate B’s Katherine Hepburn last year. He goes for it, and it works. The screenplay was pretty great as well. Such an interesting perspective on your traditional murder trial movie--that of the writer/reporter...and the relationships created while trying to get the story. 

60 Closer--I saw a rough cut back in Los Angeles--thought I reviewed it on here, but I can't seem to find it. I rarely see movies twice, but I heard they changed the ending. I forgot that I never remember movies, so I can't even tell you what the original ending was. Anyway, so here is the story of these 4 characters (based on a play--one of the problems is that it never gets beyond the words--if you're putting a play on film, make it move a little more somehow? or something.) intertwined in these different relationships. It's all a bit depressing and a really harsh side of love, a really mean side that I prefer not to see in film--cause there's enough of it out in the real world. Great performances all around--they make some corny lines come off sounding almost deep. Damien Rice makes the movie with his music. I love this guy, and he fits so well with the film. Oh, back to the point. Lots of stylized dialogue--lots of great back and forth scenes about love, cheating, sex...stuff so biting, so smart--real people would never think of this stuff in the midst of such emotional distress. It is fun to watch.

42 Coffee and Cigarettes--not as great as the critics are saying. Really, I don't mind 'arty' films. I don't mind films that don't follow a single story line. I'm all for lots of short films stuck together like this--all scenes with 2 or 3 actors taking place in different coffee shops. This film has been in the works for decades--you think the director could've used that time to make ALL of the scenes interesting. But half of them were just boring. Bill Murray is in it, and I LOVE him, so that was good. It had its moments.

82 Cold Mountain-- It's a beautiful movie to watch--a that somehow wins me over despite the lavish costumes and bad accents. Nicole Kidman goes a bit far with the Southern Belle I think, but geez, I can't be talking because I can't imagine trying to pull off an Australian accent without seeming like a complete idiot. At first, I really liked crazy Renee Z, but thinking back on it--it's kind of a cartoonish portrayal of a "mountain woman"--but it does lift the film up a bit. I loved the Brother Where Art Thou-like music--I've never heard a fiddle I didn't like. I love Jude Law no matter what he's doing, and Natalie Portman is awesome in her small but memorable widow role. The single thing I think this movie captured that I've never seen before is that feeling of longing for something--someone--that's not based in reality. These two knew each other for a few days & when torn apart their sense of longing just grows & sets up these incredible expectations...and then there's that awkward moment where they do come together & the audience can't help but thinking "but they don't even KNOW each other." Then there's this love scene, and everyone is too busy watching Jude Law shirtless to really care.

73 The Cooler-- A Vegas movie (I guess it's hard to make a movie in Vegas that doesn't become a Vegas movie--all slots poker chips, hookers, mafia, etc.) with heart--I liked it. The actors are all top-notch: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin & a small role by Paul Sorvino proved to be most touching. Baldwin was a bit over-the-top, but I think he knows it & it works for him. The story itself becomes a little stale as the picture goes on--but it keeps moving at a nice pace for the most part. The Sinatra/jazzy music goes well with the Vegas skyline & glittery lights. It was violent in parts & I had to turn away at times, but my dad would LOVE it. My dad, who has a MASSIVE Vegas/mafia movie collection & has seen Casino & Scarface countless times & owns every season of Sopranos & thinks the best romantic comedy ever was Honeymoon in Vegas...right up his alley.

39 The Da Vinci Code--total yawner. I fell asleep about 10 times in the first half hour alone. It did pick up some in the middle, but this was not a good movie. No one was bad. The film was pretty to look at. But the story, the script...shame on all you guys that gushed about the book--let’s hope it is better than the movie. I mean, I’m all for albino monks, but this story just didn’t add up. The preview of the new movie from the makers of Fast and the Furious was the most exciting part of this experience. I don’t hate anyone for it. Hanks is Hanks, Ron Howard did a nice job with what was there, I guess. I’d love to hear from someone that liked this movie, so they can help me out.  

70 The Door in the Floor-- Jeff Bridges is THE reason to see this movie. I just loved his performance--he was sort of this drunk weirdo--but he made him completely charming & was just so funny. Kim Basinger on the other hand--why is she acting again? I've never really enjoyed her in anything. She plays every character very monotone & it just comes off as dumb. The story, though depressing, kept my interest throughout & the scenery was just beautiful. And there was a little Dakota Fanning-like girl in the movie--very small and pale and adorable.

62 De-Lovely-- De-Makingmesleepy. This one stars Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd--I love them both & they both do a great job in this story of Cole Porter's life. Lots of music, but not really a musical--stars make cameo appearances singing Porter's songs & mostly looking really out of place (Sheryl Crow, Robbie Williams, Alanis, etc.)--the music was one of my favorite parts of the film--the story was OK--but I think they spent too much time on the whole aging & dying part. I really prefer seeing Kevin & Ashley looking young and pretty--the aged Kevin Kline reminded me of Bill Murray or James Garner. It was pretty disturbing.

50 Eternal...Spotless Mind...Something something...You Know, the Jim Carrey Movie---This was only the 2nd time I've walked out of a movie. The first was "Big Momma's House." I went to see this by myself & started feeling really sick to my stomach. (sick to my stomach--that's a weird saying) I made it through an hour, but all the dreary shots & quick cuts in the film made it worse. It did look promising, though.

48 The Family Stone-- This had such potential for me--I mean, Sarah Jessica can do NO wrong ever...not after her brilliance on Sex and the City. So, she was great. And a really amazing cast--the guy from Coach!, Luke Wilson, Diane Keeton, Rachel McAdams...I mean, what more do you want? Hmmm, maybe a good story? There was unnecessary illness in the movie--it was very Step Momish in that way...but could have been fine without it. And they were WAY too mean to Sarah’s character. Unbelievable. Luke Wilson was awesome, though.

62 Four Brothers--I admit. This movie is incredibly violent, terrible to women, lacking in much believability, but I was entertained. Mark Wahlberg has been consistently great in his work--hello, does anyone remember that masterpiece with Alicia Silverstone--Fear? He turned that into a cult classic. OK, maybe I’m the only one that thinks it’s a cult classic, but go rent it and you decide. Back to the movie, John Singleton has made kind of a cheesy, melodramatic piece about these four adopted brothers and their dead mamma. Andre from Outkast is so interesting to watch on screen...I can’t wait to see what he does in the future. So is this movie the best movie of the summer? No, but it’s better than most of the blockbusters out there right now. If you love your gangsta films and Detroit, this movie is for you.

72 Friends with Money--I thought this was going to be a how-to movie, but no, all my friends are still broke. Darn. This is a relationshipy movie--about rich people in L.A.--OK, sounds pretentious. And it kind of is like a long episode of “thirtysomething”-although I never saw an episode of that show, i imagine it being like this film--it also makes fun of itself & also says “You can still be miserable...even with money” and at the end says “Hang out with unemployed losers because you never know, they may have inherited loads of money from their parents.” No, maybe I got the wrong message from the movie. Umm, Jennifer Aniston was really likable in it. She’s cute and sweet--and kind of a dope. There’s this one guy in the movie who was GREAT. It’s one of those movies with several different stories happening--and his scenes were always my favorite. Anyway, this was good--but not remarkably so. 

90 Garden State--LOVED LOVED LOVED it. Ah, this is my movie. First off, I want to BE Natalie Portman in this film--she's so completely smart and charming and lovely. And Zach Braff--I want to marry him. Everyone else was equally as good. It's one of those small stories of 'finding yourself'--the young 20 something self-absorbed story...but it's done in a way that's completely fresh (not Reality Bites at all). I went out and bought the soundtrack and it's one of my favorite cds. I never thought I'd be listening to hipster/depressing music again, but I'm into it. Small moments really make this movie. Loved it.

24 House of Sand and Fog-- If it weren't for Ben Kingsley, I was tempted to walk out of this one (and I haven't done that since Big Momma's House). It was just too depressing & none of the characters were very likable & even if there were it didn't matter because bad things kept happening to all of them. Kingsley was awesome, though--he belongs in a whole other movie. Jennifer Connoly breaks down in tears too easily, but I like her eye brow shape. Don't waste your time with this one. They do drink tea about every five minutes, and that cheered me up--because if there's one thing I like, it's tea.

97 Hustle and Flow-- I loved this movie. Please go see it, and tell me what you think. The actors make this movie--it could be ridiculous and cheesy--but in these actors hands, they pull it off. I liked 8 mile. But this is on a whole other level--it allows itself to be funny--to sort of mock the ridiculous lyrics that rappers get away with & at the same time--show the inner demons of pimp-hood. Ahh, and the South. It really captures it well in this movie. David Gordon Green has captured the same kind of sweatiness and grit in his movies, but somehow this movie makes it look even better. I laughed through the first half, but I shocked myself by actually tearing up in the middle. By the end, I was just so excited to enjoy a film so much. It’s been forever. I will go see this one again. It’s great. 

94 In America-- One of my favorite this year, easily. This is a small, intimate movie--full of tons of close ups and small moments. There are vivid colors, great music and obvious symbolism. The kids are too wise, but not in a way that takes away from the film. I thought that it kept approaching something too depressing or too melodramatic or too weepy--but the writing and acting sold it completely. And it ended up being something honest and moving. It dealt with loss and moving on in a way I haven't seen before--even with the string of dead kid movies in the past few years (Moonlight Mile, Monster's Ball, etc.)--this seemed most believable & most inspiring.

78 Friday Night Lights-- First off, big ups to Odessa, TX! From the rich hillbilly born in Midland! I got to see this in NYC with some Texas friends after an evening of Texas BBQ (new york style). There was even a Permian Panther girl in the bunch & this really brought the movie to life. Sure, they only show crappy parts of Odessa--sorry Odessa, but your town IS crap. Only kidding. You've got a beautiful football stadium. Of course they showed tons of shots of oil rigs and flat land. And football is the city, no lie. The movie was very melodramatic--thanks Tim McGraw (who knew he was so hairy?)--but football movies need to be. If they were realistic, I'd be falling asleep (like I do watching an actual football game). I really got sucked into the whole thing & there were some touching moments. Billy Bob did a great job. This is a fun one to see. A bit silly, but most movies are.

46 Glory Days-- My dad wanted to go see this because he actually saw this team play back in the day. It is a typical sports movie. Luckily, I love sports movies--especially when the team wins. Basketball is my favorite, so I had fun watching this. The racial tension was a little disturbing--and celebrating this coach for playing black players---like he’s some kind of activist--when i got the impression he was using these players cause he wanted a winning team & this was the only way to do it...which is fine, but don’t make him seem all heroic...I don’t know, it just me think about prejudices & intolerance--and the basketball becomes harder to focus on. I much prefer He Got Game or Love and Basketball or White Men Can’t Jump. Hoosiers.  

61 Kinsey--I enjoyed this the first hour. Liam N. went a bit overboard with his quiet weeping, but he was still interesting to watch. The supporting cast is just wonderful. So, there's lots of sex stuff in this movie. If that disturbs you in any way, please stay away from this movie. It went way sour the last half--turned into some sort of hero story, and it just made me yawn.

60 Monster-- Charlize Theron IS ugly!!! And she's a serial killer/lesbian/hooker! It is a great performance, no doubt...I mean, it's really out there--but who am I to say what serial killer/lesbian/hookers act like? Unfortunately, that's the whole movie. Before long, you know what she's going to do---kill em all. At that point, it's no longer interesting...just sort of violent. And if you're going to have a violent film, well, it's done better in Bonnie & Clyde or The Magnificent Seven. And the ending--I mean, it's based on a true story, so I guess they didn't have much control over it--but I felt like I wanted this woman to change somehow in the movie & after she starts a killin', well--it just becomes boring. I did like the slow dancing with Christina Ricci at the roller skating rink & the acid washed clothes & hairsprayed hair. The performance definitely outshines the movie, so now the question is: should she win lots of awards because she did a great job in a mediocre movie? Hmmm, something to ponder.

62 The Mudge Boy--Here's another movie no one is ever going to see, but I'll write about it anyway. This is about a son who's mother has recently died of a heart attack. Him and his father live on a farm & don't talk much about it. The kid is a weirdo/nerd, but the cool smoking kids start hanging out with him for kicks. And then there's this weird thing with him dressing in his mother's clothes (wedding dress, fur coats, etc) & some homosexual action with one of the cool kids. Oh, and he bites a chicken's head off. These were not my favorite parts of the movie, but I was blown away by the relationship b/w the father & son. It was played so realistically, and the end was very moving--I was tearing up.

75 Munich--I went into this film thinking I would quickly fall asleep, but I really enjoyed it. It was such a shock to see a well made film in the middle of such holiday crap. There are things blowing up, but there are emotions involved, too. I can’t think of a much better combination.

40 The Notebook--Cheese upon cheese, but enjoyable cheese. This was a beautiful film to look at--it was in the south & everyone had these beautiful southern accents--there were huge houses with big porches. People swung on tire swings & went to the carnival. Who cares about the story when life is this sweet? The younger actors were really great--too bad their lines were so sappy. This is based on a Nicholas Sparks book--I don't like his stuff--so there wasn't much to work with. But James Garner was great--he reminds me of Jack Nicholson without the sleaze. You can definitely rent this one--or miss it totally.

78 Pieces of April-- This is the one with Katie Holmes playing a punk girl making Thanksgiving dinner for her family--who's coming for a visit. The whole movie takes place in the span of several hours, which made it a little slow for me. But it's a short movie & the last ten minutes were really solid--Patricia Clarkson plays the mom & she's awesome in everything that she's done. This definitely can be a rental choice. It's no Home for the Holidays, but it's still moving. And funny in a few parts.

70 Ray-- If it was nothing but Jamie Foxx, it would get a much higher rating. It's the best performance I've seen in awhile. It wasn't even about: "Gee, he looks just like Ray Charles," but "Wow." It's just incredibly believable and really does give me appreciation for Ray Charles' music (I've really only been into him since his performance with Willie Nelson recently). Parts of it feel TV-movie--and I've read that it actually was going to be a TV movie at first. The script is a little melodramatic--and the drug battles, the women--it's a little sleazy. Not to say that his life wasn't that, but it's a long movie--I could've done without some of the heroin scenes or women yelling at him. There are also these flashbacks done in a very vivid color scheme--Ray as a child. It looked very Color Purple--and could be a little cheesy. But I really enjoyed the actor playing young Ray, and I dug the brightness of it all--you know, contrasted with the blindness that followed him the rest of his life...very deep, Kristy, very deep..

74 Return to Neverland--is Neverland one word? Maybe I should research these movies a bit more. This is with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet and lots of British boys. I really wasn't looking forward to seeing it because I've had enough of Peter Pan. But Johnny Depp is really hot in it & a great actor. And of course Kate Winslet is always amazing. I forget the story, but me, my little brother and my mom all enjoyed it--so I'd say it's a safe bet for a good holiday movie.

68--Shopgirl-- I am really debating about this one. I saw a sneak with an all NYU crowd, so basically me and a bunch of 18yr olds eager for a free movie. So they were not into the pace of the film and the cheese factor of the romantic scenes. i agree--slow motion should not be allowed to represent “falling in love.” And I don’t need to see Steve martin and Claire Danes making out. They can be in love--but not making out. It’s not “erotic,” as Danes said in an interview. It’s eroddic. Hahahaha. Jason Schwartzman is hilarious--the best I’ve ever seen him in a role. He really puts himself out there, and it works. What I really loved about the movie was it’s attempt to capture a relationship in the times when the couple is physically apart from one another--which I’ve never seen in a movie. It shows how being in the relationship can change a person...or not...and how those relationships can be pretty lonely at times. I wish I could’ve really believed that Danes and Martin were in love--but as my friend said, maybe that’s the feeling we were supposed to have. Maybe they never believed it either. I read the novella that Martin wrote several years ago, but of course I don’t remember what I thought of it. I’m sure I enjoyed it, and I’m sure it’s better than the movie.  

75 Sideways-- This is a wine tasting/road trip movie--from the same director that brought us such fine flicks like About Schmidt (a wonderful, wonderful movie) and Election (ahh, so clever!). This one I found a little darker--but does have several funny moments. It's mostly a character study--even more so than About Schmidt...and the lead guy, I won't be able to spell his name---Paul something...anyway, he's really great & will probably win some Independent Spirit Award or something. The guy from Wings (NOT Steven Weber) is in it & is really funny. And there's lots of stuff about wine. But you can rent it. I'm not sure why it got AMAZING reviews--maybe because there hasn't been much out lately?

52 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants--I know, this is WAY late, but I missed out on some movies & had to catch up via rental. This was a cute movie--they handled the different stories very well--and a couple of them were actually well-written & well-acted...but there was not much of a sisterhood here...the girls were apart from one another almost the whole movie. And mailing a pair of pants around? Nuts. i don’t want anyone ever wearing my pants. Maybe that’s why i’m not in a sisterhood. This did make me want to play soccer & go to a soccer camp in Mexico. It was totally pretty there--and a good workout, too! 

54 Transamerica OK, I added 10 points to this for Dolly Parton’s song--which is AWESOME. I sat through the credits, as did my friends, speechless as Dolly’s voice filled the theater. Brilliance. The movie, eh, it was OK. It lost it’s point somewhere along the way and hovered between serious and ridiculous. I didn’t know what to think. It was a road trip movie, but nothing really was learned through the trip. It was just an excuse for a movie, I guess. Download the soundtrack, but go rent Road Trip instead. A classic.

80 Walk the Line--OK, Johnny Cash= awesome. I’ve had Desperado, Solitary Man and Sunday Morning Coming Down on my playlist under “sleepy depressing songs”. I truly believe that man had the power to convincingly and uniquely cover any song. So, I really enjoyed the film--just that moment in music history--all those crazy guys under Sam Phillips...all touring together! It makes for a fun movie. And then you have the downward spiral--which is nothing new, esp. after watching years of Behind the Music. They hit the bottom, they come back up again...the actors make the movie, though. Both what’s his name and Reese Witherspoon are great. I think I would go see them in concert. I fell in love with the guy. So hot, such trouble! It made me want my own pill-popping, cheatin’ man of my own to save. But let’s face it, I’m no June Carter. See this movie. Come on, there’s been hardly anything out lately--I think it’s this year’s white Ray. 

64 We Don't Live Here Anymore--This is a talkie-talk-talk movie--not much action going on & all revolving around relationships. I usually like these kind of movies more, but there were affairs going on & it makes every character a little annoying--no one to really root for. I'm a huge Mark Ruffalo fan, though, and I like him in it--and Darryl Hannah is great too--and she usually creeps me out with her angular features and too long hair.

66 Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself--Wow, the actors were wonderful, just great. I can't remember who they were--I think I only recognized a couple of them. This movie is Irish--or Scottish--or some dialect I can't understand. So, I spent the first half hour not knowing exactly what was going on. After that, though, I got into it--unfortunately, it's sort of a depressing cancer movie. And I was convinced by the end that I felt an actual lump in my throat & also had terminal cancer. So, I left the movie in a panic. But I think I'm ok.

38 You and Me and Everyone We Know (or something like that)--I’m getting lazy here cause I’m reviewing like 10 movies at a time. Give me a break. This is the small movie that got the rave reviews, but I thought this same theme--disconnect of people, feeling alone, etc.--has been done before & much more successfully--Happiness, any recent Bill Murray serious movie, etc. It had its moments, but where did those reviews come from?

DOCUMENTARY

71 The Aristocrats-- It’s funny--which is what you expect from a documentary starring mostly funny comedians. We laughed throughout, and I enjoyed the idea of this one joke (that the movie focuses on) being told in comic circles for years--but the editing was a little strange...some of it was redundant (do we really need everyone confirming that it’s an inside joke...over and over again--just tell it!) & sometimes they used brief quotes from comics--but didn’t show them telling the joke (Chris Rock). It made me wonder how they told it--not to even wind up on the screen. My favorite was the South Park telling--really one of the only ones that was in any way shocking by today’s standards. Go see this--it will keep you laughing...and wondering how Seinfeld would’ve told it.

50 Born into Brothels-- I don’t know why this one the Academy Award. It is no Super Size Me. This film is depressing--shows kids in the Red Light district in Calcutta...obviously not the best opportunities for them. The filmmaker/photographer places herself as the star of the show...helping these helpless kids...when at the end, we come to the conclusion that it’s not that easy. And leave the theatre depressed. There is something not right about using these kids as some sort of catalyst for our tears. The kids are great, though--and I enjoy seeing them taking pictures and becoming photographers. 

80 Country Boys--OK, yes, this is another documentary mini-series...not an actual movie, but I liked it so much that I’m including it here. This aired on PBS as part of a Frontline series. It’s a 3 parter--6 hours total--following these two stories of these boys in Kentucky--over a span of about 4 years. Another really well done doc. It really focused on the education of these two boys--which I think the boys themselves believe is really there only way out of the life they are currently living. It could so easily turned into this thing looking down on them or mocking them--but it’s really respectful & gave me new insight to what issues these kids are facing--and many things I’ve taken for granted in my life--they fight for daily. Getting a ride to school is a bigger issue than doing the work. Money is of course a huge issue in all of it. They showcased a really cool school in the film--sort of an alternative school done right. I was really impressed with the staff there...also, the music in this film is great. This is not fast paced, but I didn’t care. The voice overs are all done by the two boys themselves, and it creates this really intimate, really personal film. Good stuff. 

82 Crazy Legs Conti and the Art of Competitive Eating--First off, it's a documentary--one of my favorite genre. Secondly, it's about competitive eating! Hello! Following in the tradition of Spellbound, it takes a look at this crazy community of competitors for us to laugh with and at. It surprised me in its respect for the competitors. It didn't take a high-brow tone at all. We get to follow Crazy Legs through his first year on the competitive circuit. This guy isn't an idiot. He's a smart guy who loves the game, so it's easy to get invested in this movie & its star. It was great because Crazy Legs was actually at the screening afterwards answering questions. He's just as witty as he is in the movie. Have I fallen in love with a competitive eater? Nope, but I have a new respect for those that shove 20 hotdogs down their throats in 12 minutes. If this comes out on video, please check it out.

42 Fahrenheit 9-11--Heavy stuff. So much has already been said about this documentary. As a huge fan of documentaries, this one was disappointing. I liked all of his previous films better--this one feels too scattered & filled with conspiracy theories & not much to back it up. And there's nothing new here. It just reeks of propaganda & any movie that sort of defines itself as an attack against another person--it just ends up being depressing. The last part of the movie deals with a mother who lost her son while he was fighting in Iraq--and how she transformed from this patriotic Bush supporter to someone who questioned why the war was even happening. Moore shows her weeping over her dead son & it turned me off. I like when documentary film makers are learning as they film. But Moore has an agenda, and it feels like he put this film together in order to show his views in the best light. Blah.

92 The Fog of War-- This is a documentary about the life of Robert S. McNamara & it's awesome. McNamara was the Secretary of Defense during most of Vietnam--and he's got a lot to say about war that obviously applies to today's times. It was just an amazing feeling to see this guy talking about it now--a good portion of the film is an interview--and to see the conclusions he's drawn. I began to realize while watching it what enormous pressure people in these positions have placed upon them--and it's hard not to come out of the movie respecting the guy. This should me out in the next year or so, and I beg you to go see it.

66 Grizzly Man-- a documentary you may not have heard of. This movie hit me on so many disturbing levels, and any movie that can do that is definitely worth watching. This is the story of this koo-koo bear lover who filmed bears for several summers in a row--with the intention of help preserving the bear’s livelyhood and habitat. Well, that’s what we’re lead to believe. As the story goes on, we can see the guy is totally nuts--and I can never quite figure out what he is saving the bears from...or how he is actually ‘saving’ them. At his craziest, he is filming himself doing multiple takes--positioning himself as some action star hero in the woods. He is sometimes likable and harmless--chasing foxes around and telling them how much he loves them. At the end of the film, we are shown footage of him screaming curse words at the camera--take after take--badmouthing the park ranger people. So, the movie was made because this crazy actually ends up being killed by...you guessed it--a BEAR! The strangeness does not in there. The guy making this film also comes across as a little nuts--interviewing mostly strange ex-girlfriends and friends of this guy--who all seem just as out of it as the bear loving guy. The director doesn’t seem to notice this strangeness (or maybe he does?)--and his weird German voice overs become increasingly creepy throughout the film. I told you there were many levels. My movie-going buddy is telling everyone not to see the movie, but of course, I think you’ll get something from it. A new respect for bears, an aversion to German accents, who knows...

80 How's Your News--This one actually came out a couple of years ago, but they just released it on DVD. So, first off, I didn't see it 'at the cinema,' but it was pretty good--so I wanted to mention it. It's a documentary following these mentally disabled folks on a road trip across America. They have a "news show" in which they go around & try to do random interviews with people on the street. One of the guys really stood out from the rest--totally hilarious & touching all at the same time. He's obsessed with 1970s medical dramas & soap operas & does wonderful impressions. Anyway, if you do rent it--the extras are just as good as the film.

80 Lost Boys of Sudan-- Ah, the documentaries just keep drawing me in. This is the story of some boys from a Sudan refugee camp that are brought to America. It documents their first year trying to acclimate to Houston & Kansas City. Other than an unsatisfying ending (uh, that's the end?), it was very watchable. There are the funny moments: look at African boy eating hamburger for the first time, look at African boy failing his driving test, etc--and triumphant moments of success. The most interesting part for me was the incredible sense of being alone they all felt in America. At one point, a Sudan teenager explained to fellow workers that in America, everyone is busy. You cannot make friends because everyone is always running around--time is money. In his village back home, family/community is such a core of who he is. And instead of being a film about "look how nice we are to bring them to America" it becomes a bit of an attack on the kind of alienated society we've grown used to. Deep, huh?

77 Mad Hot Ballroom-- it’s little New Yorker kids ballroom dancing in a huge competition. that is already hilarious. I think I was smiling the entire time. It’s a documentary...the whole documenting kids gets a little weird--cause on some level, we’re making fun of their goofiness. But my morals tell me it’s OK, so I recommend this movie.

52 March of the Penguins-- They are penguins. They march. You could’ve told me that story in about 15 minutes. This is very much a National Geographic doc--informative, but I didn’t find it emotionally moving. I thought it pretty disturbing--the close ups on the beaks during the mating season--and the cheesy baby penguins in between mother and father. It did show some pretty nasty stuff (ie dead baby penguins)--but nothing too extreme. Morgan Freeman is masterful as a voice-over artist. The French director originally had his own voiceovers on the film--and apparently gave the penguins actual dialogue to speak. I would kill to see that version! This is OK. 

87 My Architect-- This Academy Award nominated documentary is not to be missed. It's the son's search for more info. on his estranged/famous architect father. The piece combines interviews with key friends/family and beautiful shots of the architect's work to fully show the son's journey. I like it. We're going on a ride with the son, and we're on his side from the beginning--looking at the buildings from his perspective. I'm intrigued by the idea of design, and I don't have lots of experience judging it--lots of pretty buildings--that's all I know. I'm more of a sucker for the heart of the film, though, and for me it was that disconnect between father and son. One man explained to the son that although in his personal life, he may not have been the most wonderful, effective, present father--what he did for humanity as a whole should be taken into account. It brought up the whole idea of roles people play & in my mind--well, I believe the parents have a responsibility to be fully there for the kids--it opened my eyes to a different way of thinking. How can we expect to be all things to all people? Something inevitably wins out.

84 The Staircase--This first aired as a mini-series/documentary on Sundance channel. I rented it, and it was well worth it. I normally am not into court cases, but I found this one amazing to watch--totally captivating. It’s by the same guy who directed Murder on a Sunday Morning--an Oscar award winning documentary a few years back. also well done. Anyway, this was such a unique look at how a case is put together--the process the defense goes through, gathering of evidence---and also a candid look at what goes on in the courtroom & how that is portrayed to the public via media. It is no longer a search for the truth--everyone admits this...it is instead about winning the case. And in the Q and A with the filmmakers on the extras, he even admits that he thought he could get to the truth--spending years with this suspect...and he still doesn’t really know ‘the truth.’ This kept me up at night--it was chilling, really--and me and my dad talked about it for hours. I highly recommend this.

39 Thin-- This is a new documentary on HBO.  It was directed by Lauren Greenfield. She’s a photographer, --she does lots of work with girls & the obsession with body image/ celebrity culture/consumerism. So, here’s this documentary about an eating disorder treatment facility. Depressing, right? Totally. I think a great documentary gets into the souls of the people it’s capturing--allows you to feel some empathy--or at least a flash of SOMETHING that makes the subject/s human. I don’t feel this movie did this. It captures three or four stories--and bits and pieces of the other girls. There is lots of weigh ins, eating in the cafeteria, group therapy, private therapy...but none of it seems to be reaching any of the girls. One of them has had to be fed by a tube in her stomach--because she won’t eat anything. She says she likes the tube, because anything that goes into her stomach--she can suck out & spit up. Now she doesn’t have to throw up! All of it, counting calories, working out, hating yourself--it just seems like so much WORK. And the girls are exhausted by it. I know I could be super skinny--but doing so involves such a regimented approach to living. I remember one summer when I was particularly obsessed--I freaked out at the family reunion because there was FRIED chicken and potato salad. What was I supposed to eat? I eliminated so many foods from my diet...and the funny thing was, I never thought I was thinner or looked any better. I was definitely not any happier. And so watching this movie, I thought I would be able to identify with these girls. But none of them seemed to really want to be in treatment. And they are all hanging out with each other--I mean, can’t they throw a couple of girls with healthy eating patterns into the mix? Someone to set an example? At the end, all the girls ended up relapsing & are still struggling with the disorders. Seems to me like treatment (and this documentary) never gets to the heart of the issue. Or what it would mean to live like a healthy person in the real world. The safe world of the facility is so stuck on rules--rules that don’t exist outside those walls...no wonder the girls go back into old patterns. This doc. doesn’t give us any new insight & offers little hope. It shows the extreme cases, when I think it might have been more interesting to see those girls suffering from milder versions of disordered eating.

62 Touching the Void-- This is what the film folk call a "docu-drama"--I call it a made for PBS kind of movie. It's not bad, but I was expecting less documentary & more drama. I most enjoyed the mountain climbers' voice overs--at how one climber dealt with several really near death experiences, how he sustained himself, kept sane, went insane, got horrible songs stuck in his head, slurped up water like a dog--and over all, remains the overwhelming feeling of being so near death & so alone--I agree with my movie buddy that there are way too many shots of mountains--no matter how many times you show them, they still don't seem that huge to the audience...one of those things you have to be there for--they did it better in the IMAX film Everest. I stayed interested in this--but next to some amazing documentaries this year (Fog of War, Spellbound, Capturing the Friedmans, etc.)--it doesn't stand out.

66 Wal-Mart...--It’s got a longer name, but I don’t feel like searching for it. I knew I would have problems with it--knowing going into it that it would probably be a one-sided look at something...which is never as interesting as getting multiple perspectives & then letting the viewer come away with his own conclusions. There was the music--very dark for the ‘evil’ moments & super cheesy for those sentimental moments showing the ma and pop shops closing down. What I really liked about it, though, was the interviews with a variety of former employees--from different levels...all of which confirmed that Wal-Mart doesn’t go out of its way to provide support to its employees. There was one guy in particular--whose job it was to visit the shops in Mexico to make sure they were following all standards regarding working conditions. The guy saw the terrible conditions, and went back to hotel and wept as he called his wife and told her. This guy was for real, too. And he LOVED his job, he LOVED Wal-Mart & really believed that they would do the right thing and improve the conditions. Well, they didn’t and needless to say, he doesn’t work there anymore. It is those stories--of those that trusted & were betrayed (this was echoed throughout the film) that meant more to me than the numbers and figures (although those are powerful, too). I wish it would’ve gone into the stories of those that shop at Wal-mart...those people were never addressed--or those that have had a positive experience with the company. I know, I know--that’s like Michael Moore talking to a soldier who supports fighting in Iraq, but again, I think to make a great documentary, we are capable enough of handling different sides of the story.

89 When the Levees Broke-- Technically this was on TV, but it’s four hours long & aired on HBO & is directed by Spike Lee...so it’s the big time. I found this to be AMAZING. Granted, I’m already a huge fan of the documentary genre. I’m always amazed when a film sticks in my head and changes the way I think about things. I think he does a wonderful job directing/editing this. It’s such a challenge to put something like this together with no voice over, and he did it--using hundreds of interviews, news reports, etc. I remember NOT watching the footage from the news. I’m not sure why, but when I saw this film--my jaw dropped. We see the personal stories, and it strikes us in a whole new way. We see media twisting the story. We see the government NOT responding. We see the days pass, dead bodies floating, no water or food to be found...and the enormity of what was lost is captured for me for the first time. As many of the interviewees attest to, Katrina puts the spotlight on a much bigger problem in America...the whole rich gettin’ richer/poor gettin’ poorer that we so often like to ignore--or to write about impersonally. Somehow, we think this is an OK way to live. It is NOT. I see the way children without money are LOSING big time in the schools today. And it is not OK. This film just made me so angry about things I have been quiet about. It makes me angry that the federal/state governments are dictating a standardized curriculum/testing that doesn’t account for the population it is supposed to serve. Seeing the poor parts of New Orleans literally drown--they do talk about how lack of decent public school education has helped contribute to the problems, the cycle. Anyway, that is my own personal passion--educational policy, etc...but that is not all that the film is about. The first two parts are about the days leading up to and after the hurricane. The second two parts focus on the recovery efforts--which aren’t where they should be. I loved this film because while, yes, it did in some ways turn FEMA, Bush into the enemy--more importantly, it captured the spirit and cry of the people of New Orleans...and the bigger picture--of how we treat people in our lives. It still amazes me that a movie can inspire such passion; it’s why I love them. See this--it will be on HBO in full on Aug. 29th I believe--and on demand after that. 

ACTION

66 Batman Begins-- This movie lacked a little something, I think. I’m a huge fan of Batman Returns. I thought it pure genius, and I’ve yet to see a Batman that can compete. The characters were wild and fun to watch on screen...this movie is just dark. The villain, that guy from 28 Days Later, Scarecrow, wears what looks like a burlap bag that shakes really fast. What is that about? Michael Caine is genius. I loved Morgan Freeman, but that’s a given. Katie Holmes hasn’t changed since Dawson’s Creek, and I can’t buy her playing an adult role. What’s his name, Christian Bale, does a great job as Batman & the action sequences are good. The beginning is slow, but it picks up. It isn’t half as bad as what I’ve been hearing about the other blockbusters this summer.

54 The Bourne Supremacy-- I must admit, I didn't see the first one. It didn't take me long to catch on, though--and I didn't really care as long as I got to watch Matt Damon running around trying to be an action star. The action sequences were wonderful, but the story was lame.

68 Collateral--The last 15 minutes of this were by far my favorite. It left me wishing the whole thing was that suspenseful. I loved that it was filmed in the streets of downtown Los Angeles--even the unused subway made an appearance. The music--very jazzy, mildly depressing--really fit well with the shots. Tom Cruise brought very little to the movie, though. The Rock could've played this role. Jamie Fox was excellent! Excellent. I can't wait to see him in that Ray Charles movie. Lots of killing, and for me, that just gets old after awhile. I would see it again just to hear T. Cruise call thugs on the streets of L.A. "homies." Hilarious.

64 Deja Vu-- This is not the kind of movie I’m usually running out to see, but it was the day after Thanksgiving & a family event--so whatever pleases the masses. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy Denzel running around shooting things? I didn’t know much about the movie--it had a ridiculous sci fi/ time travel element that made for an interesting, illogical story. It was almost goofy at times--because the movie does take itself incredibly serious...but I didn’t mind it. Tony Scott knows how to shoot an action film, and he kept me entertained throughout. It gave way to many post-movie questions/discussions, and I always think that’s a sign of a successful movie. The worst are the ones you don’t even give a second thought to. I haven’t seen an action flick in so long; this was a good time. It reminded me of Minority Report, which I thought made much more sense--but I would still recommend this. Highlights: the car chase scene was AMAZING & a pudgy Val Kilmer (very odd).

73 The Departed-- I should not be reviewing movies when I’ve been seeing so few recently. My love for the movie going experience sometimes overshadows and influences my review of the film. The theater was packed for this one, and why not? All-star director and cast--and the mob? In some ways, we’ve seen it all before. Yes, the Boston accents added a little bit of flavor--and going undercover is always exciting. But constantly asking: who’s undercover? is he undercover? is he undercover for the FBI? who’s a rat?--I mean, I guess this is the point of the film--with the not so subtle actual rat crawling around. But, to me, the whole ending was a bit of a silly mess. The crowd was rolling their eyes a bit at the number of dead. I read a review that mentioned Shakespeare--and yes, it’s very Hamlet/Macbeth. Which translated today ends up being a little corny. This being said, I enjoyed much of the acting. Alec Baldwin continues to just get better with every role. I love him in this--and Mark Wahlberg lifted the whole movie up when he was on screen. So likable, even as a jerk. Jack Nicholson--wow, it is sort of hard to picture him as any kind of a mobster after his recent quiet old man roles, but the bloody hands helped me out. Matt Damon and Leo--both still pretty boys, but they try & I enjoy watching them. It is definitely a boy’s movie. I hate when they put in this half-hearted attempt at a romantic story line. I thought it fell pretty flat--and made the movie TOO long. Is it weird that I actually liked those moments that were so gruesome I had to actually hide my eyes? And why am I still shocked by people shooting each other--esp. in a mobster movie? Anyway, this is a sign of being back to movies that at least are trying to be good. 

38 Hellboy--First off, this is not my favorite genre...the whole comic book character thing. This one was just odd. First off, they feed Hellboy Baby Ruth bars. Weird. And he wears tight leather pants & loves kittens (as pets, not to eat). He is in love with Selma Blair, who just keeps getting worse in every movie she's in. But she does start fires, and that's pretty cool. Don't see this movie. It's called "Hellboy." Come one.

77 I Robot--I liked it--surprise, surprise! Robots are freaking COOL. I don't care what anyone says. Will Smith is always HOT. I love seeing different versions of the future--all the new technological advances...the cars, people dressed only in white, black and silver. Did I mention ROBOTS? It was a good story & kept flowing right along. This is one of the better ones I've seen this summer.

43 Ocean's 12--Terrible when compared to the first. Matt Damon is my favorite part of both these movies. His character consistently makes me laugh in his dorkiness. Brad Pitt is HOT. Bernie Mac isn't in it nearly enough. I guess there was a story here, but I don't remember. This was a midnight showing, so I'm sure I was asleep for some of it. It wasn't nearly as fun as 11.

44 Robots-- Nice to look at, but it’s a boring movie. I’m sorry, but I’ve yet to see any animated picture besides Shrek, Shrek II and Toy Story--to combine cleverness with a compelling story AND great visuals. There were some laugh out loud moments, but I was pretty much bored with the whole story. Robots are only so lovable, really.  

50 Superman Returns--I am not a Superman freak, so I wasn’t dying to see this, but I love a good summer superhero tale...and enjoy people flying...so I was up for a good time. I actually just found out how long this movie was, so I can tell you right now--I was impressed...I usually can sense right away when a movie passes the 2 hour mark--downhill from there, but I was pretty much captivated by the whole thing. OK, the best part were the special effects/action sequences--and there weren’t nearly enough. Superman was hot, but no personality--Kate Bosworth is way too skinny, I could barely register her on screen. So scenes with those two “acting” were a little tedious. I did like Parker Posey, who continues to kill with her comedic timing. Spacey is weird, which is fun--but i was confused by the whole story line regarding these guys. Look, it’s Superman, though, so who cares? For me, it was complete escapism and an enjoyable summer movie.

HORROR

85 Dawn of the Dead-- OK, remakes are not known for being the best movies, and this is no exception. It's hard to do horror right these days--just cause it's all been seen before. I mean, especially in a remake. Most of them turn into camp, and if they're lucky, good camp. This is mostly what this is--combined with awesome special effects, cool looking zombies, lots of blood. You can't watch a person being chainsawed in half or a baby zombie without either giggling, squirming or applauding--or all three. And that is what makes it fun--the crowd around you getting into it helps. The actors try their best, but it's a zombie movie. Come on. The story was a little choppy in places, the music was great & the opening/closing credits were confusing. I was into it throughout, which is hard for me at 10:50pm. Go see it. It's fun.

55 Exorcist: The Beginning-- You don't really need to know the beginning--let me tell you that from the first. This was one of the strangest movies I've seen in awhile (usually skip over these, but it's all me and Doug could find driving in Houston one summer afternoon). It looked lots like Indiana Jones--lots of brown shades in the movie. And the creepiness was very disturbing. Lots of worms crawling around inside of people, crazy blood-thirsty demon animals--ripping children to pieces. Not for the faint of heart. I can't even really remember how 'this beginning' actually happened--only that hearing the horrible exorcist voice at the end was worth the 2 hours it took getting there.

54 Land of the Dead--Go see this movie for cheesy laughs--not for a great zombie film. The special effects are awesome, though. It is always entertaining to see people chomping up other people--the belly button ring bit was just amazing. As a whole, though, the movie is just bad--the writing, the acting--but I laughed out loud throughout, so that’s saying something. 

17 Open Water-- 100% overrated crap. Nah, I heard some people really like this film, but I am not easily scared by the movie thing. It takes pure genius (28 days later) to really get to me. This was lots of floating in the water and bad acting--the sharks played such a small role in it, really. My favorite part--the only great thing about the movie--was during the closing credits when they opened the shark's belly up. I won't ruin it for you, but it made me smile.

64 The Ring II-- You MUST go see this movie...for young David Dorfman’s fabulous performance. I’m a bit biased: he was a student in L.A. But he is totally creepy, and makes the movie scary. I can’t say enough good things about him. The story itself is a little slow moving. For some reason, the director thinks we can’t handle too much information at once. And as much as I love what’s her name--Naomi Watts--there are like half a dozen scenes of her breaking down in tears. We get it!!! There are some great moments, though, and again, the Dorfman rises to the challenge.

68 The Village--M. Night is back & making the same kind of movie. I enjoyed it, although it did start out pretty slow. I really like the way he shot the movie--always really interesting to look at & he always frames the picture in interesting ways. But the dialogue=terrible. And the actors talk really slow--like the dialogue is good. If I was an actor, I'd just try to mumble that stuff, so no one would hear. I thought the last 1/2 hour was really fun. I liked the whole blind girl thing--it added a new twist to the girl-in-woods-running-from-things genre. This was better than that last Signs crap that he made, but he seems to have a huge ego--he puts himself in all his films & thinks he's Hitchcock.