All Films
Watched in 2010
All films are
rated on a scale of **** (A+), *** 3/4 (A), *** 1/2 (A-), *** 1/4 (B+),
*** (B), ** 3/4 (B-), ** 1/2 (C+), ** 1/4 ( C), ** (C-) , * 3/4 (D+), *
1/2 (D), * 1/4 (D-), * (F)
Links are to
longer reviews on site. A film defined as 70 min.+ visual
event.
The year included
with the film is the year I watched each film.
(V)
= TV, Video or DVD ( +) = repeat
viewing (W/O)= walked out
January, 2010
FERMAT'S ROOM (d. Piedrahita & Sopeña) V.
Overly intellectualized Spanish thriller like Intacto: 4
people trapped in a room forced to solve enigmas or die. ** 3/4
RUINS, THE (d. Carter
Smith) V. Even I know better than to wander to a lost Mayan pyramid.
The actors, all attractive, pretty good horror flick. ** 3/4
THAT EVENING SUN (d. Scott
Teems) Fine film, if a downer. Holbrook is wonderful; but I felt
for McKinnon's villain, too, surely not intended. *** 1/4
FACING ALI (d. Pete McKormack)
Quite interesting docu featuring interviews with fighters who fought
Muhammad Ali plus great boxing footage. *** 1/2
BEST OF TIMES (d. Yongyoot
Thongkongtoon; Thailand) **
WINTER IN WARTIME (d. Martin
Koolhoven; The Netherlands) *** 1/2
DRAFT DODGERS (Réfractaire)
(d. Nicolas Steil; Luxembourg)
** 3/4
DON'T BURN IT (d. Dang Nhat
Minh; Vietnam) ** 1/2
FANTASTIC MR. FOX, THE (d. Wes
Anderson) It must just be me; but the whimsey escaped me, the
characters annoyed, it all seemed a little silly. ** 1/4
VORTEX (Duburys) (d. Gytis
Luksas; Lithuania) *** 1/4
KELIN: THE
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW (d. Yermek Zursunov; Kazakhstan) ****
REYKJAVIK-ROTTERDAM (d. Oskar
Jonasson; Iceland) *** 1/4
PAULISTA (d. Roberto Moreira) **
3/4
INSIDE HANNA'S SUITCASE (d.
Larry Weinstein) *** 1/2
BRAND NEW LIFE, A (d. Ounie
Lecomte) ***
BALIBO CONSPIRACY, THE (d.
Robert Connolly) *** 1/4
BIG GAY MUSICAL (d. Andreas
& Caruso) ***
FOR A MOMENT FREEDOM (d. Arash
T. Riahi; Austria) *** 1/2
SOUTHERN ZONE (Zona Sur) (d.
Juan Carlos
Valdivia; Bolivia) *** 1/4
NIGHTGUARDS (d. Namik Kabil;
Bosnia-Herzegovina) * 1/4
EYES WIDE OPEN (d. Hair
Tabakman) *** 1/4
MIRACLE SELLER (d. Pawica &
Szoda) ** 3/4
1981 (d. Ricardo Trogi) **
1/4
EAMON (d. Margaret Corkery
) *** 1/4
DIFFERENT FROM WHOM (d. Umberto
Carteni) ***
PLAN B (d. Marco Berger) *** 1/4
MEDITERRANEAN FOOD (d. Joaquin
Oristrell) *** 1/2
BIG DREAM, THE (d. Michele
Placido) ** 1/2
FORTAPASC (d. Marco Risi)
** 3/4
PROPHET,
A (Un prophète) (d. Jacques Audiard; France)
*** 3/4
ECLIPSE, THE (d. Conor
McPherson) ** 1/2
IS IT
JUST ME? (d. J. C. Calciano) *** 1/4
BROTHERHOOD (d. Nicolo
Donato) ** 3/4
SICILIAN GIRL, THE (d. Marco
Amenta) *** 3/4
GLORIOUS 39 (d. Stephen
Poliakoff) ***
QUEEN TO PLAY (d. Caroline
Bottaro) ** 1/2
OVER THE HILL BAND (d. Geoffrey
Enthoven) ** 1/2
ANGEL AT SEA (d.
Frédéric Dumont) *** 1/4
BRIDE FLIGHT (d. Ben
Sombogaart) *** 3/4
HIPSTERS (d. Valery
Todorovsky) *** 1/2
GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, THE
(d. Niels Arden Oplev) *** 1/2
BOOK OF ELI, THE (d. Hughes
Brothers) Another dystopian future post-war road pic. Denzell is really
fine; but Bible thumping message a little much. ** 3/4
February,
2010
FISH TANK
(d. Andrea Arnold) 15 yr.old girl's coming of age in lower class Brit
family. Michael Fassbender impressive as mom's boyfriend who crosses
line. *** 1/4
DEAR JOHN (d. Lasse
Hallström) A little sappy; but Hallström does a good job with
Tatum, nice chemistry between leads & good enough romance, if
barely. ***
AVATAR (d. James Cameron) +
Still amazing 2nd time around. No other film in memory provided me with
such a pleasurable immersive experience. ****
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
(d. Michael Bay) Nobody ever accused Bay of subtlety & nuance. So
glad Cameron kicked his ass. 1/4*
DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM (d.
Patrick Alessandrin) Boy, does Philippe Torreton class up an action
flick? This is a more than worthy sequel with *great* parkour. *** 1/4
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE
LIGHTNING THIEF (d. Chris Columbus) More fun than Harry Potter 1;
but some plot holes detract. ** 3/4
UP (3D) (d. Pete Docter, Bob
Peterson) Nice concept, great vocal acting (Jordan Nagai is
phenomenal), really fine 3D animation. But mid-section dragged.
*** 1/4
HURT LOCKER, THE (d. Kathryn
Bigelow) + Still amazing, definitive war film 1 1/2 years later; but
now I notice episodic structure & middle drags a little. *** 3/4
AWAKE (d. Joby Harold) V.
Thriller with a truly absurd claptrap plot, but involving, gotta give
it that. I like Hayden Christensen, even if he's remarkably wooden. **
STAR TREK (d. J.J. Abrams) +
2nd viewing gives more narrative clarity, but f/x look cheap in new Avatar world.
But casting is *outstanding*! By far best Trek film. ***
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE (d. Bob
Balaban) V. Despite convincing perfs by Joan Allen & Jeremy Irons,
sappy Lifetime tv movie is unwatchable. W/O
ORDER OF CHAOS (d. Vince
Vieluf) Strong, snarky, atmospheric thriller. Fine perfs (Coiro and
Ventimiglia). Vieluf is writer/director/composer to watch! *** 1/2
ENDGAME (d. Pete Travis) V.
Fine, if very low key, historical semi-thriller about negotiations
leading to end of Apartheid. Miller & Hurt are especially good. ***
GOOD GUY, THE (d. Julio
DePietro) Corruption & sexual hi-jinks among young Wall Street
traders? Here well done & creepy. Bryan Greenberg rules. *** 1/4
SECRET OF KELLS, THE (d. Tomm
Moore) Pretty watercolor animation; but legendary story of monks,
Vikings & enchanted forest bored me. ** 1/2
PRINCESS AND THE FROG, THE (d.
Clements & Musker) Nicely imagined 2D Disney animation & a
reasonably amusing musical comedy. ** 3/4
PLACE OF EXECUTION (d.
Daniel Percival) V. 1964 murder investigation revisited by present day
docu crew in gripping & surprising policier thriller. *** 1/2
COLLISION (d. Marc Evans) V.
Intriguing, fairly predictable Brit tv serial of a police investigation
into a multi-car hiway accident with twists & turns. ** 3/4
2009 ACADEMY SHORT FILMS (d.
various) 4 serious message films and one comedy in an average
year for this category. ** 3/4
2009 ACADEMY SHORT ANIMATIONS
(d. various) Some clever stuff (esp. Logorama), but a
long Wallace & Gromit shows series is played out. ** 3/4
BLIND SIDE, THE (d. John Lee
Hancock) Not a bad film, but Oscar calibre? Polar opposite of Precious, in any
case, and quite classist. ** 1/2
SHUTTER ISLAND (d. Martin
Scorsese) I got the twist about 5 minutes into the film...well made, of
course, & Leo is fine; but ridiculously overwrought plot. ** 1/2
CRAZIES, THE (d. Breck Eisner)
Convincing bio-eco-disaster flick with one wonderful perf by Joe
Anderson and some effectively directed horror tropes. ***
ANGEL (d. François
Ozon)V. Ozon's English lang. bodice ripper: great cast; despite
Romola Garai's technique in despicable title role film is eye rollingly
ridiculous. ** 1/4
RETURN TO CRANFORD (d.
Simon
Curtis) V. Treakly sequel, ows much to Dickens. Pretty & authentic
but too sentimental compared to original. ** 1/2
ENRICO MATTEI: THE MAN WHO LOOKED AT THE
FUTURE (d. Giorgio Capitani) ***
MEMORIES OF ANNE FRANK (d.
Alberto Negrin) * 1/4
INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (d. Enzo
Castellari; 1978) ** 3/4
March,
2010
YOUNGEST SON, THE (Il figlio
più) (d. Pupi Avanti) ** 1/2
VICEROYS, THE (I Vicerè)
(d. Roberto Faenza) *** 1/2
EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER
(18 anni dopo) (d. Edoardo Leo) W/O
AS GOD COMMANDS (Come Dio comanda)
(d.
Gabriele
Salvatores)
***
1/2
QUO VADIS, BABY (d.
Gabriele Salvatores) ***
RAISE
YOUR
HEAD
(Alza la testa) (d. Alessandro Angelini) *** 1/4
TEN WINTERS (Dieci inverni)
(d.
Valerio
Mieli)
***
CÉZANNE AFFAIR, THE (L'uomo nero)
(d.
Sergio
Rubini)
**
1/4
HAPPY FAMILY (d. Gabriele
Salvatores) *** 1/4
WE ALL GET OUR SHARE (Ce n'è per
tutti) (d. Luciano Melchionna) *
I'M NOT SCARED (Io non ho paura)
(d.
Gabriele
Salvatores)
+
***
1/4
TRICK IN THE SHEET, THE (L'imbroglio nel
lenzuolo) (d. Alfonso Arau) ** 1/2
JUST MARRIED (Oggi sposi)
(d. Luca Lucini) ***
I AM LOVE (Io sono l'amore)
(d.
Luca
Guadagnino)
***
1/4
DOPAMINE (d. Mark Decena) V. +
I knew immediately that I'd already seen this quietly touching,
romantic, truthful 2003 film; but got hooked again. *** 1/4
SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE (d. Jim
Field Smith) 1st hour: fun stuff with perfectly cast Jay Baruchel. But
film has nowhere to go but predictable. Still enjoyable. ***
GREEN ZONE (d. Paul Greengrass)
Offensively political, overwrought and never believeable. Makes one
appreciate The
Hurt Locker all the more. **
ACCOMPLICES (Complices) (d.
Frédéric Mermoud) . *** 1/2
LITTLE TRIP TO HEAVEN, A (d.
Baltasar Kormákur) V. Atmospheric insurance con thriller with
good cast; but plot had enough holes to drive through! * 3/4
GIGANTIC (d. Matt Aselton) V.
Strange mumblecore romantic comedy. Dano is stolid & Zooey D.
wacky. Sort of annoying, but likable. ** 1/2
TEMPLE GRANDIN (d. Mick
Jackson) V. Superb perf by Claire Danes sets this one apart.
Moving, fascinating true study of autism. *** 1/2
12 ROUNDS (d. Renny Harlin)
V.An action flick of desperate unlikliness with a hero of utter
stolidity. But it moves fast enough to be almost tolerable. **
EMMA (d. Jim O'Hanlon) V.
Nicely done...yet another Austen adaptation; but ideal casting &
gorgeous production got me involved. *** 1/4
39 STEPS, THE (d. James Hawes)
V. One of the worst BBC Masterpiece's ever. No chemistry, plot
holes. Why remake perfection? * 1/2
66/67 - FAIRPLAY WAR GESTERN (d.
Ludwig & Glaser) **
RED MACHINE, THE (d. Stephanie
Argy, Alec Boehm) ** 1/2
MERCY (d. Patrick Hoelck) ***
PARKOUR (d. Marc Rensing) *** 1/2
FATHER OF MY CHILDREN, THE (Le Père
de mes enfants) (d.
Mia Hansen-Løve) ** 3/4
ROUND
DA WAY (Lascars) (d. Albert Pereira Lazaro, Emmanuel
Klotz) *
FAREWELL (L'Affaire Farewell)
(d.
Christian
Carion)
***
1/4
HEDGEHOG (Le hérisson)
(d.
Mona
Ashashe)
***
3/4
MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON (d.
Stéphane Brizé) ** 1/2
IN THE BEGINNING (À l'origine)
(d.
Xavier
Giannoli)
***
1/4
SILENT VOICES (Qu'un seul tienne et
les autres suivront) (d. Léa Fehner) ***
FRENCH KISSERS, THE (Les beaux gosses)
(d.
Riad
Sattour)
**
1/4
HIDDEN
DIARY
(Mères
et
filles) (d. Julie Lopes-Curval) *** 1/4
April, 2010
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (d.
Thor Freudenthal) Zach Gordon is fine, if not very wimpy.
Amusing enough, good animation, just not very original. ** 3/4
GHOST WRITER, THE (d. Roman
Polanski) Since I'd read the book, few surprises; but Polanski knows
how to construct an effective thriller. *** 1/4
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (d. Tim
Burton) Visually inventive, story deficient. ** 1/2
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE (d. Steve
Pink) I have no nostalgia for the '80s and this The Hangover
wannabe was raucus, homophobic & ugly. * 3/4
SHARPE'S PERIL (d. Tom Clegg)
V. Nicely produced tv film about a Brit soldier in India in 1820.
Suddenly Luke Ward-Wilkinson (Beautiful People)
is
a
fave.
***
LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS (d.
Alek Keshishian) My fave film of 2006 & maybe the best straight to
video film ever made! *** 1/2
CLASH OF THE TITANS (d. Louis
Leterrier) Post-prod. 3D better than expected. Film even worse:
repetitive turgid battle scenes, wooden acting. Ugh. * 1/2
REPO MEN (d. Michael Sapochnik)
Absurd plot, terribly wrenching surprise ending. Yet production values
quite high & all in all a diverting sci-fi dystopia. ** 3/4
WAKING SLEEPIING BEAUTY (d. Don
Hahn) Informative, moving docu of the Eisner-Welles-Katzenberg years at
Disney animation with home movie feel. *** 1/4.
GREENBERG (d. Noel
Baumbach) Stiller's character is so unsympathetic that it skews an
otherwise interesting, familiar & authentic L.A. story. ** 3/4
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (d.
Sanders & DeBlois) At times thrilling 3D amusement park ride &
Baruchel is fine. But story is sketchy & silly. ** 1/2
LEWIS - "THE QUALITY OF MERCY"
(d. Billie Eltringham) V. Murder in Oxford student theatricals; smart,
fairly gripping & better than average. ***
RESTREPO (d. Tim
Hetheringon & Sebastian Junger) *** 1/4
PIERREPOINT
-
THE
LAST
HANGMAN (d. Adrian Shergold) V. Somber, well
acted (Timothy Spahl!) story of man who hung 608 criminals. ***
RUNAWAYS, THE (d. Fiona
Sigismondi) Loved the music. Dakota was great, Kristen less so; script
too typical of biopic genre. ** 1/2
DATE NIGHT (d. Shawn Levy)
Sporadically funny couple-in-jeopardy farce, but just too ridiculous
& unlikely for my tastes, Marky Mark's pecs excepted. ** 1/4
KICK-ASS (d. Matthew
Vaughn) Haven't had more fun in a movie in ages.
Impressive script (fresh, unjaded),spot-on
direction. *** 1/2
CITY OF YOUR FINAL DESTINATION, THE
(d. James Ivory) Well made & acted, if old fashioned romantic
melodrama; but plot just meanders & doesn't resolve. ** 3/4
CHLOE (d. Atom Egoyan) Julianne
Moore better than ever in.remake of Nathalie
with more psychologically sound script. Lesbionics not my thing; but
Max Thieriot is! ***
ORDINARY EXECUTION, AN (Une
exécution ordinaire) (d. Marc Dugain) ***
TÊTE DE TURC (d.
Pascal Elbé) ** 3/4
LOVE IS IN THE AIR (Ma vie en l'air)
(d.
Rémi
Bezançon)
***
VILLAIN,
THE (Le Vilain)
(d. Albert Dupontel) **
PLEASE, PLEASE ME (Fais-moi
plaisir!) (d. Emmanuel Mouret) *** 1/4
LITTLE THIEF, THE (La petite
voleuse) (d. Claude Miller) ***
IRÈNE (d. Alain
Cavalier) * 1/4
I AM
GLAD MY MOTHER'S ALIVE (Je
suis heureux que ma mère soit vivante) (d.
Claude
Miller & Nathan Miller) *** 1/4
HIGH LANE (Vertige) (d.
Abel Feray) ***
PIERROT LE FOU (d.
Jean-Luc Goddard) **
SPHINX (Gardiens de l'ordre)
(d.
Nicolas
Bookhrief)
***
1/4
IMMACULATE
(Sans
laisser
de
traces)
(d.
Grégoire
Vigneron) ***
IN THEIR SLEEP (Dans ton sommeil)
(d.
Caroline
&
Éric
Du
Potet)
*
3/4
OCEANS (d. Perrin &
Cluzaud) Great nature footage of ocean & shore life, a little too
obvious narration...all in all a big screen experience to
treasure. *** 1/4
PAULINE AT THE BEACH (Pauline
à la plage) (d. Eric Rohmer) *** 1/2
HEARTBREAKER (L'Arnacoeur)
(d.
Pascal
Chaumeil) ** 1/2
RAPT (d. Lucas
Belvaux) *** 1/2
MAKING PLANS FOR LENA (Non, ma
fille tu n'iras pas danser) (d. Christophe
Honoré) ** 1/4
PLEASE GIVE (d. Nicole
Holofcener) Holofcener & her avatar Catherine Keener + Oliver
Platt in fine fettle in this NY tale. *** 1/4
MOTHER & CHILD (d.
Rodrigo Garcia) Emotionally satisfying complex story of 3
women/mothers/daughters. Garcia, Benning, Watts all incredibly good.
*** 3/4
May,
2010
LOSERS, THE (d. Sylvain
White) Lived up to its title: too frenetic & comic-booky,
ridiculous action; more amusing than thrilling - & Chris Evans
rules. **
SQUARE, THE (2009, d. Nash
Edgerton) + Inadvertently watched again. Still pretty clever
Aussie film noir. ***
FARSAN
(d. Josef Fares) ***
AHEAD OF TIME (d. Bob
Richman) ***
KANIKOSEN (d. Sabu) W/O
BACK-UP PLAN, THE (d.
Alan Poul) J-Lo overacts terribly. Alex O'Loughlin is sexy &
wonderful. Film is a clichéd stinker. * 3/4
I AM
LOVE (Io sono l'amore) (d. Luca Guadagnino) + SIFF
crossed me up & switched films. I watched this again, mystified but
fascinated. *** 1/4
CITY ISLAND (d. Raymond
De Felitta) Family dramedy where everybody lies. Original idea, great
script, wonderful acting ensemble. *** 1/2
NOWHERE BOY (d. Sam
Taylor-Wood) *** 1/4
EXCITED (d. Bruce
Sweeney) ***
CHEF OF SOUTH POLAR, THE
(d. Shuichi Okita) *** 1/4
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
(d.
Banksy)
Controversial
docu
about
street
art
&
L.A.
hipster
art
scene.
I
had
no
idea
all
this
was
happening.
***
1/2
TWO IN
THE WAVE (Deux de la
vague) (d. Emmanuel Laurent) V. *** 1/2
SOUL KITCHEN (d. Fatih
Akin) ***
CASINO JACK AND THE UNTIED STATES OF
MONEY (d. Alex Gibney) Fast paced, scattered &
unfocused docu about
Jack Abramoff & govt. corruption. ** 1/4
FREEBIE, THE (d. Katie
Aselton) ** 3/4
CONCERT, THE (d. Radu
Mihaileanu) *** 1/2
BUS PALLADIUM (d.
Christopher Thompson) *** 1/4
SKELETONS (d. Nick
Whitfield) **
PRINCE OF TEARS, THE (d.
Yonfan) ** 3/4
AMER (d.
Hélène Cattet) *
IRON MAN 2 (d. Jon
Favreau) Downey is fine, some good set pieces; but film loses traction
and peters out to disappointing climax. ** 1/4
LETTERS TO JULIET (d.
Gary Winick) Enjoyable chick flick, even though at times excessively
absurd. Vanessa Redgrave is truly wonderful. ** 1/2
ROBIN HOOD (d. Ridley
Scott) So a-historical, overamped, even boring that some good acting
& prod. design are wasted. * 3/4
WINTER'S BONE (d. Debra
Granik) *** 1/2
WHEN WE LEAVE (d. Feo
Aladag) ***
SKATELAND (d. Anthony
Burns) ** 1/2
ONDINE (d. Neil
Jordan) ** 1/2
COUNTDOWN TO ZERO (d.
Lucy Walker) ***
MAO'S LAST DANCER (d.
Bruce Beresford) *** 1/4
EVERY DAY
(d. Richard
Levine) ** 3/4
DRY LAND, THE (d. Ryan
Piers Williams) *** 1/4
SON OF
BABYLON (d.
Mohamed Al-Daradji) ** 3/4
LIFE DURING WARTIME (d.
Todd Solondz) ***
TOPP TWINS, THE: UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS
(d.
Leanne
Pooley)
**
3/4
EXTRA MAN, THE (d. Shari
Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini) ** 1/4
AIR DOLL (d. Hirokazu
Kore-eda) **
LITTLE HELP,
A (d.
Michael J. Weithorn) *** 1/4
LOOSE
CANNONS (d. Ferzan
Ozpetek) *** 1/4
HUACHO (d. Alejandro
Fernandez & Almendras) ***
FROM TIME TO TIME (d.
Julian Fellowes) *** 1/2
ROBBER, THE (d. Benjamin
Heisenberg) *** 1/4
CYRUS (d. Jay Duplass
& Mark Duplass) ** 3/4
HOLY ROLLERS (d. Kevin
Tyler Asch) ***
SECRET FEST #1 *** 1/2
ON THE TOWN
(d. Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly) ** 1/2
PERRIER'S BOUNTY (d. Ian
FitzGibbon) ** 1/4
SHORT FILM
COLLECTION - Playing
Doctor Average score: **
SHORT FILM COLLECTION - Boys to Men
Average
score:
***
1/4
IMANI (d. Caroline
Kamya) * 3/4
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
(d.
Ricki
Stern,
Annie
Sundberg)
***
1/4
PENITENT
MAN, THE (d. Nicholas Gyeney) ** 3/4
MOUNT ST. ELIAS (d. Gerald
Salmina) *** 1/2
CAIRO TIME (d. Ruba
Nadda) ** 1/2
WASTE LAND (d. Lucy
Walker) *** 1/4
ME TOO (Yo, también)
(d.
Alvaro
Pastor
&
Antonio
Naharro)
***
PETYA ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN
(d. Nikolai Dostal) * 1/2
SEX&DRUGS&ROCK&ROLL
(d.
Mat
Whitecross)
**
3/4
SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS
(d.
Matt
McCormick)
***
CHERRY (d. Jeffrey
Fine) *** 1/2
CHILDREN OF DIYARBAKIR, THE
(d.
Miraz
Bezar)
***
KATALIN VARGA
(d. Peter Strickland) ** 1/2
FROM BEGINNING TO END (d.
Aluizio Abranches) *** 1/4
STIGMATA (d. Adán
Aliaga) **
DRIFTING (d. Ventura
Pons) ** 1/2
HIDEAWAY (d. François
Ozon) *** 1/2
3SOME (d. Salvador Garcia
Ruiz) *** 3/4
LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL (d.
Hong Sang-Soo) ** 1/4
SENIOR PROM (d. Nicholas
Terry) ***
LEAVING (d. Catherine
Corsini) ***
TROTSKY, THE
(d.
Jacob
Tierney)
***
1/4
HENRY OF NAVARRE (d. Jo
Baier) ***
SECRET FESTIVAL #2 ***
1/4
KHARGOSH (d. Paresh
Kamdar) * 1/2
ACTRESSES, THE (d.
E. J-Yong) ** 1/2
CRAYFISH (d. Ivan
Cherkelov) * 1/4
LEO'S ROOM (d. Enrique
Buchichio) ***
MY YEAR WITHOUT SEX
(d. Sarah Watt) ***
DEVIL'S TOWN (d. Vladimir
Paskaljevic) ***
ARMY OF CRIME (d.
Robert Guédiguian) *** 3/4
June, 2010
RUN IF YOU CAN
(d.
Dietrich Brüggemann) *** 1/4
MEET MONICA VELOUR (d.
Keith Bearden) **
BRAN NUE DAE (d. Rachel
Perkins) ** 1/2
BODYGUARDS & ASSASSINS
(d. Teddy Chen) *** 3/4
EASTERN PLAYS (d. Kamen
Kalev) ** 3/4
PATAGONIA (d. Marc
Evans) ***
AGORA (d. Alejandro
Amenábar) ** 3/4
ATHLETE, THE (d. Danny
Frankel and Rasselas Lakew) ** 3/4
TWISTED ROOTS (d. Saara
Saarela) ***
TURISTAS (d. Alicia
Scherson) ***
LAST TRAIN HOME (d. Lixin
Fan) ** 1/2
I MISS YOU (d. Fabian
Hofman) *** 1/4
UNDERTOW (d. Javier
Fuentes-León) ** 1/2
FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS
(d. Oskar Santos) *** 1/4
ALL THAT
I LOVE (d.
Jasek Borcuch) ***
RATIONAL
SOLUTION,
A (Jörgen
Bergmark) ** 1/2
CENTURION
(d. Neil
Marshall) ** 3/4
GARBO THE SPY (d. Edmon
Roch) *** 1/4
RIVER, THE (d. Jean
Renoir) ** 3/4
TSAR (d. Pavel
Lungin) ** 1/2
MORNING (d. Joseph
Mitacek) ** 3/4
STRING, THE (d. Mehdi Ben
Attia) *** 1/4
SECRET FESTIVAL #3 ** 3/4
HUGH HEFNER: PLAYBOY, ACTIVIST AND
REBEL (d. Brigitte Berman) *** 1/2
GOING SOUTH (d. Sebastien
Lifshitz) ** 3/4
AU REVOIR TAIPEI (d.
Arvin Chen) *** 1/4
DAMNED, THE (d. Isaki
Lacuesta) *
CARGO (d. Ivan
Engler) ***
CELL 211 (d. Daniel
Monzón) *** 1/2
THREE DAYS WITH THE FAMILY
(d.
Mar
Col) ** 3/4
GORDOS (d.
Daniel
Sánchez
Arévalo)
***
1/4
CROSSING HENNESSY (d. Ivy
Ho) ** 1/2
MISS NOBODY (d. Tim
Cox) * 1/2
TEHROUN
(d. Nader T.
Homayoun) ** 1/2
V.O.S. (d. Cesc
Gay) ** 1/4
ROOM IN ROME (d.
Julio Médem) *** 1/4
FAMILY TREE, THE (d. Vivi
Friedman) ***
LOVE IN A PUFF (d. Pang
Ho-Cheung) ** 1/4
ALTIPLANO (d. Peter
Brosens & Jessica Woodworth) *** 1/4
MONOGAMY
(d. Dana Adam
Shapiro) ** 1/4
UPPERDOG
(d. Sara
Johnsen) *** 1/2
COME UNDONE (d. Silvio
Soldini) ***
MICMACS (d.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet) *** 1/4
I KISSED A VAMPIRE (d.
Chris Sean Nolan) W/O
SENTIMENTAL ENGINE SLAYER, THE
(d.
Omar
Rodriguez
Lopez)
**
1/4
I AM (d. Igor
Voloshin) * 1/2
LITTLE BIG SOLDIER (d.
Ding Sheng) ** 1/2
UNDER THE MOUNTAIN (d.
Jonathan King) ** 3/4
PARIS RETURN (d. Yossi
Aviram) *** 1/4
DIAMOND 13 (d. Gilles
Béat) *** 1/4
LAND OF THE DEAF (d.
Valery Todorovsky) ** 1/2
GRAVITY (d. Maximilian
Erlenwein) ***
HOWL (d. Rob Epstein
& Jeffrey Friedman) *** 3/4
VENGEANCE (d. Johnnie
To) *** 1/4
SECRET FESTIVAL #4 *** 1/4
THUNDER SOUL (d. Mark
Landsman) ***
WEDDING CAKE, THE (Pièce
montée) (d.
Denys Granier-Deferre) *** 1/4
BORN TO SUFFER (d. Miguel
Albaladejo) ** 3/4
PRINCE OF PERSIA (d. Mike
Newell) A film of monumental badness, although Jake G.
wasn't terrible. Flashy F/X, cringeworthy dialog. * 1/4
IRON CROSS (d. Joshua
Newton)V. Post-Holocaust affect story, ludicrously plotted,
poorly acted (poor Roy Scheider, bad way to go.) * 3/4
TWELVE (d. Joel Schumacher) Gossip Girl + Less Than Zero.
Over-use of narration to novelize doesn't work; but acting &
direction first rate. ***
FAMILY, A (d. Pernille Fischer
Christensen) *** 1/2
TOY STORY 3 (d. Lee Unkrich)
Best of recent Pixar films, splendid action sequences plus emotionally
rich evocation of passing childhood. *** 3/4
ORLY (d. Angela
Schanelec) ** 1/4
LEBANON (d. Samuel Maoz)
*** 1/4
PARADE (d. Isao
Yukisada) *** 1/2
R (d.
Tobias
Lindholm
&
Michael
Noer)
***
ANIMAL KINGDOM (d. David
Michôd) *** 1/2
MAHLER ON THE COUCH (d.
Felix O. Adlon & Percy Adlon) ** 3/4
KILLER INSIDE ME, THE (d.
Michael Winterbottom) Confusing, ultra-violent & misogynistic. Also
chilling, repellant, & maybe brilliant. ** 1/4
KNIGHT AND DAY (d. James
Mangold) Absurd plot with predictable surprises, good action & star
power, but SO OBVIOUSLY FAKE. * 3/4
WILD GRASS (Les herbes
folles) (d. Alain Resnais) Poor title translation, should be
called "Loco-weed". Strangely unmotivated goings-on, but fascinating.
** 3/4
GROWN UPS (d. Dennis
Dugan) Silly, poorly directed comedy about 5 families, almost redeemed
by its insightful grasp of current American values. ** 1/4
LET IT RAIN (Parlez-moi de la pluis)
(d. Agnès Jaoui) Mildly funny, very French farce with a game
Jean-Pierre
Bacri playing denser than usual. ***
July, 2010
GET HIM TO THE GREEK (d.
Nicholas Stoller) Surprisingly tender rock-n-roll road-trip farce from
Apatow factory. Jonah Hill & Russell Brand have great chemistry.
*** 1/4
PACIFIC, THE (d. various) Major
HBO miniseries, not quite as good & memorable as Band of Brothers,
but
ultimately
moving
in
its
own
right
with
a
fine
cast.
***
1/2
FROM
BEGINNING TO END (d. Aluizio Abranches) + 2nd time
(with horrible DVD temp.mix print) not quite as good; but still
startlingly controversial & sexy. ***
LIGHT GRADIENT (Rückenwind)
(d. Jan Krüger) ** 1/2
TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE (d. David
Slade) Interesting love triangle, lovely to look at with some 1st class
action...but mid-section drags & motivations suspect. ** 3/4
GAY DAYS (Hazman Havarod) (d.
Yair Qedar) *** also short film THE LIBERATION OF GRIFFITH PARK
(d. Matt Spero) *** 1/2
FIT (d. Rikke
Beadle-Blair) *** 1/4
ADULTS IN THE ROOM, THE (d.
Andy Blubaugh) ***
SASHA (d. Dennis
Todorovic) ** 1/2
HUMAN RESOURCES (d.
Laurent Cantet)V. Beautifully underplayed labor vs. management, father
vs. son drama. Ambiguities abound to the novice director's credit. ***
1/4
BEARCITY (d. Doug Langway)
**
LAST AIRBENDER, THE
(d. M. Night Shyamalan) Ambitious concept, mediocre performances,
lousy 3D, convincing f/x add up to so so. ** 1/4
SPRING FEVER (d. Ye
Lou) * 1/2
DESPICABLE ME (d. C.
Renaud, P. Coffin) Hip doesn't always translate to good family oriented
animation; but here it plays wonderfully. Pixar watch your back.
*** 3/4
KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, THE (d.
Lisa
Cholodenko)
A
perfect
acting
ensemble,
a
daringly
post-modern
family
drama.
Best
film
of
the
year
so
far?
****
ROLE/PLAY
(d. Rob
Williams) ** 1/2
DOSSIER K. (d. Jan
Verheyen) Convoluted Belgian thriller about Albanian Mafia and honor
killings. Atmospheric noir; but somewhat confusing. ***
ARMORED (d. Nimrod Antal)
V. Nicely mounted caper film, but clichéd, predictable
script spoils some good action direction. ** 1/2
INCEPTION (d. Christopher
Nolan) Too complex plot makes for fascinating conjectures. Great f/x
& driving, propulsive score overcomes too much exposition.
*** 1/4
GET LOW (d. Aaron
Schneider) Fine acting (Duval, Bill Murray & Lukas Black shine
here) authentic period; but slender true story fails to live up to
promise. ** 3/4
VALHALLA RISING (Nicolas
Winding Refn) Malick's New World on
angel dust. Mads Mikkelsen is superb, it looks great; but message plot
too heavy for me. ** 3/4
PATHOLOGY (d. Marc
Schoelermann) V. Michael Weston & Milo Ventimiglia are well matched
as smart adversaries in this stylish, evil-doing thriller. ***
CHARLIE ST. CLOUD
(d. Burr Steers) Ludicrous plot, predictable & insulting; but
Zac can act and has film magnitism. Where is the Burr Steers of
Igby?! * 1/2
SORCERER'S APPRENTICE, THE
(d.
Jon
Turteltaub)
Well
done
for
what
it
is:
high
concept
f/x
driven
drivel.
Baruchel
shines,
per
usual.
**
1/2
August,
2010
SALT (d. Philip
Noyce) Surprisingly effective thriller...preposterous, over-the-top;
but Jolie at top of game and Noyce keeps all the balls up in the
air. *** 1/4
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (d.
Michael Rymer)V. 2003 Mini-series. I'm hooked by this serious SF mashup
of Star Wars
& Star Trek
and better than either. *** 1/4
MIDDLE MEN (d. George Gallo)
Overamped, overacted, narration riddled caper flick loosely based on
fact...but unlikely and unlikable. * 3/4
DEVIL'S TEARDROP, THE (d. Norma
Bailey)V.Lifetime movie watched for Tom Everett Scott, who was fine.
Predictable, poorly written thriller with no bite at all. * 1/2
FLIPPED (d. Rob
Reiner) For once omnipresent narration works. Loved the films
dual POV structure. Emotionally satisfying and fun whitebread kiddie
romcom. *** 1/4
OTHER GUYS, THE (d. Adam McKay)
I simply have no tolerance for dumb comedies. I did laugh...but the
action sequences were boring & it didn't work for me. * 3/4
DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, THE
(d. J Blakeson) Clever & original plot, fine 3-character kidnapping
caper which spares nobody & resolves unpredictably. *** 1/2
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
(d.
Edgar
Wright)
Stylization
run
amok;
Cera
is
perfect,
music
&
f/x
weirdly
intriguing.
But
it
all
spins
out
of
control
by
end.
***
GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, THE (d.
Daniel
Alfredson)
Having
read
the
book,
this
is
an
amazingly
faithrul
&
skilled
adaptation
of
a
complex
story.
***
1/2
PRIVATE LESSONS (d. Joachim
Lafosse) Story of a teen boy's education, both academic and sexual, by
an older man. Riveting, shocking, and yes, truthful. *** 1/2
STEP UP 3D (d. Jon M.
Chu) Clichéd script, mediocre (or worse) actors & weirdly
uneven choreography doom this film despite a pulsing music track.
* 1/4
EAT PRAY LOVE (d. Ryan
Murphy) Romantic & spiritual travelogue. Overlong; but the
hot men, and Julia Roberts' charisma & emotional resonance
work. ** 3/4
SWITCH, THE (d. Josh
Gordon, Will Speck) Enjoyable for the cute kid & Justin Bateman who
excels at this sort of role. But so predictable. ** 3/4
JULIA (d. Erick Zonca)
V. Tilda Swinton is amazingly blowzy in this unlikely, unpleasant, if
strangely affecting kidnapping story. ***
GOING THE DISTANCE (d.
Natalie Burstein) Strange mixture of raunchy guy and emotional chick
flick & doesn't quite gel as either despite amiable cast. ** 1/2
CHANGE OF PLANS (d.
Danièle Thompson) Uninvolving French dinner party/relationship
film about events a year apart. Talky script not saved by good cast. **
1/4
TILLMAN STORY, THE (d. Amir Bar-Lev) Muckraking docu of
army coverup: one heroic family's quest for truth. Not innovative
filmmaking; but infuriating. *** 1/4
September,
2010
AVATAR (d.
James Cameron) +++ Extra 9 min. seamlessly integrated. 1st time in IMAX
(not much different). Still amazing, unparalleled experience. ****
LEWIS: COUNTER CULTURE BLUES
(d. Bill Anderson) V. Murders abound around '60s Brit rock royalty.
Interesting characters, contrived plot. ** 1/4
I LOVE YOUR WORK (d. Adam
Goldberg) V. Crazed actors maybe shouldn't make super-arty films about
crazy actors. But Giovanni Ribisi is fine here. **
PILLERS OF THE EARTH, THE (d.
Sergio Mimica-Gezzan) V. A miracle of novel adaptation to a superb
mini-series. Ideal cast & extraordinary prod'n. values. ****
TOI ET MOI (You and Me) (d.
Julie Lopes-Curval) V.+ Started watching & recognized I'd seen
before. Not quite as fun as I remembered. ** 1/2
AMERICAN, THE (d. Anton
Corbijn) Art film disguised as thriller. Also a Sergio Leone film in
modern drag, only lacking Morricone's score. Slow, but Clooney shines.
***
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY (d.
Fleck & Boden) Fine, well directed coming of ager with a career
making perf. by Keir Gilchrist. Neat montages, absorbing. *** 1/2
CATFISH (d. Schulman &
Joost) Somewhat overhyped docu. Interesting and sad human nature
vs. internet account - but nothing remarkable. ***
TOWN, THE (d. Ben Affleck)
Nobody has ever directed Ben Affleck as well as Ben Affleck. Remarkable
down & dirty crime flick that has it all. *** 3/4
JACK GOES BOATING (d. Philip
Seymour Hoffman) Unlikable, unattractive people trying to cope. I
couldn't get interested or involved. **
NEVER LET ME GO (d. Mark
Romanek) Likable, attractive "people" trying to cope. I *was*
interested & involved; but alternate universe aspect bothered. ***
1/4
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS (d.
Zack Snyder) Looks 10, story 0. Nice 3-D animation. Let's
just say I found it overly plotted and unsatisfactory. * 3/4
BURIED
(d. Rodrigo
Cortés) Uncompromising, difficult to watch, uncommercial tour de
force. Reynolds is spectacularly right. Is there an audience? ***
1/4
WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
(d. Oliver Stone) Entertaining,
if
cockeyed
look
at
financial
meltdown.
Questionable
motivations
mar
effect.
**
3/4
ENTER THE VOID (d. Gaspar
Noé) Tour de force doesn't come close to describing this amazing
film which completely bowled me over. ****
October,
2010
BEST WORST MOVIE (Michael
Stephenson)
V.
Docu
about
cult
film
TROLL
2;
quite
entertaining.
Apparently
NOT
a
mockumentary,
tho it plays like one. ***
LEWIS: THE DEAD OF WINTER (d.
Bill Anderson) V. Hijinx & murder in the lord's manor;
unsatisfactory resolution - but Sgt. Hathaway shines here. ** 1/2
SOMETHING'S GONNA LIVE
(d.
Daniel
Raim)
Pleasant
docu
about
6
elderly
film
artists
&
their
life
&
work.
I knew & worked with Boyle & he shines here at 98. *** 1/4
SOCIAL NETWORK, THE (d. David
Fincher) Scintillating flick, perfectly cast, great writing &
direction. I'm still under spell & will probably pay to see it
again. ****
BREATH MADE VISIBLE (d. Ruedi
Gerber) V. New Agey docu about octogenarian Marin danseuse Anna
Halprin. Lovely sequences of artistic expression & bio. ***
1/4
YOU AGAIN (d. Andy Fickman)
Derivitive plot of 3 generations of girl high school rivalries. Yet
it's surprisingly entertaining farce writing. ** 1/2
EASY A (d. Will Gluck)
Silly, unrealistic story of high school girl's self-sullied reputation.
Moments of forced mirth with a couple of good perfs. Not enough. **
BURZYNSKI (d. Eric Merola) V. Combative, fascinating one-sided
(but effectively so) docu about pharma & FDA conspiracy against
effective cancer cure. *** 3/4
FILM UNFINISHED, A (d. Yael
Hersonski) V. No end to vital & important Holocaust films with
something new: here German docu footage of '42 Warsaw Ghetto. *** 3/4
TAMARA DREWE (d. Stephen
Frears) Silly English countryside contempo comedy. What happened to
Frears, he used to be such a good director. **
FEW DAYS IN SEPTEMBER, A (d.
Santiago Amigorena) V. Subtle French conspiracy thriller based
around 9/11. Food for thought, but thin gruel. ** 3/4
AFTER THE LAST ROUND (d. Ryan
Pettey) V. Docu about boxing & brain damage. Definite point of
view; but a tad too obviously heart tugging. ***
ART OF THE STEAL, THE (d. Don
Argott) V. Docu about public violating the Barnes Found.trust, looting
$25B of art. Fascinating, if one-sided & confrontational. *** 1/4
SOCIAL NETWORK, THE (d. David
Fincher) + Still superb. So impressed by all the actors; but Eisenberg
and Garfield are at top of their game. ****
CARLOS (d. Olivier Assayas) V.
3-part miniseries, so complex, lucid & excitingly written &
directed. Ramirez also excellent. Very impressive achievement.
*** 3/4
INCENDIES (d. Denis Villeneuve;
Canada) no rating at this time.
BLACKS, THE (d. Devic
& Juric; Croatia) no rating at this time.
ILLEGAL (d. Olivier
Masset-Depasse; Belgium) no rating at this time.
PEEPLI LIVE (d. Anusha
Rizvi; India) no rating at this time.
LET ME IN (d. Matt
Reeves) Slow and intense reworking of original Swedish film. Fine
performances & some of the most consistent vampire lore ever. ***
STONE (d. John Curran)
Norton & Jovovich are superb. But I'm at a loss as to what the film
adds up to...spiritual mumbo-jumbo? Symbolism gone wild? ** 3/4
BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS (d. Tamoko
Kana) V. Intriguing, non-confrontational, pictorial docu of 3 areas
where global warming is causing profound life changes. ** 3/4
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (d. Greg
Berlanti) Berlanti is a fine show-runner; but as a director not so
much. Predictable, unrealistic plot & mediocre all around. **
MAMA GÓGÓ (d.
Fridrik Thor Fridriksson; Iceland) no rating at this time.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER (d.
Eran Riklis; Israel) no rating at this time.
FREEDOM RIDERS (d. Stanley
Nelson) V. Ultimately involving, uplifting docu about '61 bus riders to
South who broke Jim Crow. Why wasn't I one?! *** 1/4
GENIUS WITHIN: INNER LIFE OF GLENN GOULD (d. Hozer & Raymont) V. Extraordinary live footage makes for an especially fascinating bio docu. *** 1/2
UNDERTOW
(d. Javier
Fuentes-León; Peru) + Appreciated it much more 2nd
time. Fine print plus more compassion on my part made big
difference. *** 1/4
BAREFOOT DREAM, A (d. Kim
Tae-gyun; South Korea) no rating at this time
OF LOVE AND OTHER DEMONS (d.
Hilda Hidalgo; Costa Rica) no rating at this time
PIVELLINA, LA (d. Tizza Covi
& Rainer Frimmel; Austria) no rating at this time
SECRETARIAT (d. Randall
Wallace) Old fashioned filmmaking; but enthralling in the way it recalls my memories of the era. I loved this horse. ***
CONVICTION (d. Tony
Goldwyn) Totally predictable (even more obviously than Secretariat), earnest bleeding heart flick. Rockwell & Juliette Lewis esp. fine. ** 1/2
GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, THE
(d.
Daniel
Alfredson) Fitting ending to fine trilogy. Interesting simplifications from the book. Well thought out. *** 1/4
9:06 (d. Igor Sterk;
Slovenia) no rating at this time
AFTERSHOCK (d. Feng Xiaogang;
China) no rating at this time
MUNDO ALAS (d. Gieco, Molnar,
Schindel) V. Docu about a troup of handicapped artists in Argentina.
Gratifying for its humanity, sort of boring as a film. ** 1/2
KAWASAKI'S
ROSE (d. Jan Hrebejk; Czech Republic) no rating at this time
NOY (d. Dondon Santos;
Philippines) no rating at this time
COMPANY MEN, THE (d. John
Wells) Leave
it to Wells to make the first truthful, if predictable, film about
Depression II. Superbly cast and timely. *** 1/4
November, 2010
ANGEL, THE (d.
Margreth Olin; Norway) no rating at this time
CRAB TRAP (d. Oscar Ruiz Navia;
Columbia) no rating at this time
SEQUESTRO (Kidnapping) (d. Jorge W. Atalla) v. Action docu made like TV series "Cops", often touching stories of Sao Paulo kidnapping squad & victims. *** 1/2
SMASH HIS CAMERA (d. Leon Gast) V.
Entertaining & amusing docu about famed paparazzo Ron Galella. Neat
photo montages & well put together material. *** 1/2
HEREAFTER (d. Clint Eastwood)
Superbly written & crafted film, subtle, mature, moving and
emotionally fulfilling...especially the twin boys' story. *** 3/4
WRETCHES & JABBERERS (d.
Gerardine Wurzburg) V. Informative, positive docu of world travels
& computer communication of 2 autistic older Vermont men. ***
127 HOURS (d. Danny Boyle)
Franco is splendid in a role that he mostly has to play alone (or to a
videorecorder); but the film tries too hard. *** 1/4
EASTERN PLAYS (d. Kamen Kalev;
Bulgaria) + no rating at this time
THIRD PERSON SINGULAR NUMBER
(d.
Mostofa
Sarwar
Farooki; Bangldesh) no rating at this time
STEAM OF LIFE (d. Joonas
Berghäll & Mika Hotakainen; Finland) no rating at this time
EDGE, THE (d. Alexei
Uchitel; Russia) no rating at this time
PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER, THE (d. Bertrand Tavernier) *** 1/2
BOY (d. Taika Waititi) ***
MEGAMIND (d. Tom McGrath) Amusing enough superhero 3D animation with some fine vocal talent. I preferred the similar Despicable Me; but that's just me. *** 1/4
WELCOME TO THE RILEYS (d.
Jake Scott) Gandolfini and Leo are fine. The predictable downer story
only fitfully involved me & ultimately I lost interest. ** 1/4
HEARTBEATS (d. Xavier Dolan) ***
HAMILL (d. Oren Kaplan) *** 1/4
CONFESSIONS (d. Tetsuya
Nakashima; Japan) no rating at this time
YUMA, LA (d. Florence
Jaugey; Nicaragua) no rating at this time
SUBMARINO (d. Thomas Vinterberg) *** 1/2
MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER, THE (d. David Robert Mitchell) ** 1/2
NOTHING'S ALL BAD (d. Mikkel Munch-Fals) ** 3/4
RAZOR (BSG-4) (d. Fé lix
Enriquez Alcalá) V. Backstory TV movie covering Pegasus
& Adm. Kane's prior loony obsessions. High production values, but
confusing. ** 1/2
OF GODS AND MEN (d. Xavier
Beauvois; France) no rating at this time
EAST, WEST, EAST (d. Gjergj
Xhuvani; Albania) no rating at this time
PETITE CHAMBRE, LA (d.
Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond; Switzerland) no rating at this time
UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST
LIVES (d. Apichatpong Weerasethakul; Thailand) no rating at this time
MIENTE (d. Rafi Mercado:
Puerto Rico) no rating at this time
BIBLIOTHÈQUE PASCAL (d.
Szabolcs Hajdu; Hungary) no rating at this time
VIDA UTIL, LA (d.
Federico Veiroj; Uruguay) no rating at this time
MONGA (d. Doze Niu; Taiwan) not rating at this time
HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY
HALLOWS: PART 1 (d. David Yates) Impeccably made, designed, acted. Fine f/x. But for me a long, one-note, loud bore. ** 3/4
KING'S SPEECH, THE (d. Tom
Hooper) Just about perfect in tone and historical accuracy &
import. Firth & Rush are truly wonderful together. Splendid.
*** 1/2
NEXT THREE DAYS, THE (d. Paul
Haggis) Fairly taut thriller with a premise just this side of absurd. Crowe is fine. ** 3/4
HONEY (Bal) (d. Semih Kaplanoglu; Turkey) no rating at this time
BORDER, THE (d. Jaroslav
Vojtek; Slovak Republic) no rating at this time
MESSAGES FROM THE SEA (d. Daoud
Abdel Sayed; Egypt) no rating at this time
ILLUSIONIST, THE (d.
Sylvain Chomet) Silent bittersweet comedy with nice 2D animation
from a Jacques Tati script. Typical retro Tati...I just don't get
him. ** 1/2
December, 2010
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS (d.
John Requa, Glenn Ficarra) Weird script even if true. A bomb, of
course; but for me a guilty pleasure. McGregor shines. ***
ERSKINEVILLE KINGS (d.
Alan White) V. Static '99 Aussi film about 2 brothers mourning their
recently passed abusive dad. Hugh Jackman in early good form. ** 1/2
EVEN THE RAIN (También La Lluvia) (d. Icíar Bollaín; Spain) no rating at this time
ALL THAT I LOVE (d. Jacek Borcuch; Poland) + no rating at this time
DOGTOOTH (d. Yorgos Lanthimos; Greece) no rating at this time
OUTSIDE THE LAW (Hors la loi) (d. Rachid Bouchareb; Algeria) no rating at this time
BLACK SWAN (d. Darren
Aronofsky) Deliriously over the top. Great camera work, esp. hand-held
ballet stuff. Portman superb. But crazed script left me cold. ***
FIGHTER, THE (d. David O.
Russell) Perfect ensemble acting (Bale, Leo, Adams spectacular)
combined with a script which built slowly but powerfully. *** 1/2
TEMPEST, THE (d. Julie
Taymor) As expected, visually stunning. But I kept phasing out of
opaque Shakespearian narrative. Still, loved Ben Whishaw's Ariel.
** 1/2
BARNEY'S VERSION (d. Richard J. Lewis) Grown-up version of Duddy Kravitz with less wit and altogether unpleasant associations. ** 1/4
FIRST BEAUTIFUL THING, THE (d. Paolo Virzi; Italy) no rating at this time
FAREWELL BAGHDAD (d. Mehdi Naderi; Iran) no rating at this time
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS (d. Edward
Zwick) Jake & Anne have real chemistry. Zwick made a rare
uneven film. Pfizer is the bad guy. Haha. ** 3/4
SOMEWHERE (d. Sofia Coppola)
Such a great L.A. movie. Dorff pulls off the difficult role of
the Hollywood superstar, and Coppola is a true auteur. *** 1/2
CARANCHO (d. Pablo Trapero; Argentina) no rating at this time
LIGHT THIEF, THE (d. Aktan Arym Kubat; Kyrgyzstan) no rating at this time
LULA, SON OF BRAZIL (d. Fábio Barreto; Brazil) no rating at this time
TRON: LEGACY (d. Joseph
Kosinski) Visually stunning, of course (incredible strides since the
'80s); but bombastic & video-gamey with silly, predictable plot. **
1/2
RABBIT HOLE (d. John
Cameron Mitchell) Moving film about loss, incredible acting ensemble.
Honestly, I thought I was watching a wonderful Todd Field film. *** 1/2
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, THE: VOYAGE (d. Michael Apted) Often annoying, but better than similar Last Airbender, which is damning with faint praise. ** 1/2
FRANKIE AND ALICE (d.
Geoffrey Sax) Split personality story told much better before. Halle
Berry's acting seemed calculated as Oscar bait. * 3/4
CASINO JACK (d. George
Hickenlooper) Spacey is convincing as out-of-control real-life
lobbyist; but fiction, even imaginatively structured doesn't match
fact. ** 3/4
PRECIOUS LIFE
(d. Shlomi Eldar) V. Personal docu of Gaza bubble baby's fight for life
in Israeli hospital. Symbolic of mideast situation &
emotionally shattering. *** 3/4
LIFE OF FISH, THE (d. Matías Bize; Chile) no rating at this time
BESA (d. Srdan Karanovic; Serbia) no rating at this time
QUEST FOR HONOR (d. Mary Ann
Smothers Bruni) V. Straighforward interview docu of women victims of
honor killings in Iraqi Kurdistan. Old news; but important. ** 3/4
BIUTIFUL (d. Alejandro
González Iñárritu) Bardem is all he can be
in this depressing slice of Barcelona life film, written & directed
with sensitivity. *** 1/2
THIS WAY OF LIFE (d. Thomas
Burstyn) V. Docu of New Zealand half-breed family's way of life living
off land. Beautiful, but marred by unknowns & accents. ** 3/4
TEMPTATION OF ST. TONY, THE (d. Veiko Ounpuu; Estonia) no rating at this time
PRECINCT, THE (Ilgar Safat; Azerbaijan) no rating at this time
STRAYED (d. Akan Satayev; Kazakhstan) no rating at this time
CIRCUS COLUMBIA (d. Danis Tanovic; Bosnia) no rating at this time
ANOTHER YEAR (d. Mike Leigh)
Wonder of wonders, a sensitive, slice-of-life film purely about my age
contemporaries. Ending left much unresolved. *** 1/4
TRUE GRIT (d. Joel &
Ethan Coen) A remarkably pure, fun western from the Coens, one of my
faves from them, quite remarkable performances. *** 1/2
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN (d. Davis Guggenheim) V. Gripping, informative, inventive, frightening, emotionally shattering docu with remarkable point of view. ****
WAY BACK, THE (d. Peter
Weir) A terrific film all around, gorgeous cinematography, gripping
plot. Sturges & Harris especially outstanding. *** 1/2
HOW DO YOU KNOW (d. James
L. Brooks) V. Cookie-cutter romcom with wildly divergent acting styles.
Silly set-up, sappy ending. Disappointing. **
CLIENT 9 - RISE & FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER (d. Alex Gibney) V. Informative docu about hubris, almost a whitewash; but Spitzer's cooperation telling. ***
ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE (d.
Lemkin & Sambath) V. Vital, if turgid, docu of Cambodian killing
fields from bottom up collected by man whose family died. ***
ANIMAL KINGDOM (d. David
Michôd) V. Watched again. This time slight downgrade for some plot problems. *** 1/4
TANGLED (d. Greno &
Howard) V. 3D animated musical loosely based on Rapunzel.
Terrible songs & clichés abound; but I'm not the intended
aud. * 3/4
BLUE VALENTINE (d. Derek
Cianfrance) Gosling is the finest film actor I've ever seen. Beautiful
editing structure, emotionally seering, truthful film. *** 3/4
SHERLOCK: STUDY IN PINK (d. Paul McGuigan) V. Clever present day remaking of familiar tropes. Both leads quite well suited. *** 1/4
SHERLOCK: BLIND BANKER (d. Duros Lyn) V. Rather ordinary who-done-it script based on codes. ** 3/4
SHERLOCK: GREAT GAME (d. Paul
McGuigan) V. The game's truly afoot with a fine over-the-top
supervillian in "John". Fast moving, gotta say. ***
TENDERNESS (d. John Polson) V.
Jon Foster is quite good as young psychopath in this subtle, slow folie
a deux drama with touch of terror. *** 1/4
GASLAND (d. Josh Fox) V. Yet
another effective, scary, muckraking docu about horrendous enviromental
affects of drilling & fracking (natural gas in this case).
***
MADE IN DAGENHAM (d. Nigel
Cole) V. Valiant actors try; but script and direction so pedestrian and
predictable even if it is based on real story. ** 1/4
INSIDE JOB (d. Charles
Ferguson) V. Well deserved hatchet job docu on the banks, government
& most everybody responsible for the current Depression. ***
3/4
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER (d. Woody Allen) V. Typical late Allen relationship farce, bitter and ironic. Not well resolved; but diverting. ***
LOTTERY, THE (d. Madeleine Sackler) V. Another sad docu on state of eductation & their savior, charter schools. Not as comprehensive as Superman. ***
SOLITARY MAN (d. Koppelman & Levien) V. Saga of a true asshole played convincingly by Michael Douglas. ** 3/4
Return to Ken Rudolph's Movie home page.