| "B" All Films Watched 2000-2010 |
| 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 |
| BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX, THE (2008, d. Uli Edel; Germany) *** 1/4 |
| BAARIA (2009, d. Giuseppi Tornatori; Italy) *** 1/2 |
| BABEL (2006, d. Alejandro González Iñárritu) Circular script like Before the Rain. Fabulous direction. Gut wrenching tension. Great film. *** 1/2 |
| BABY BOY (2001, d. John Singleton) *** |
| BABY LOVE (2009, d. Vincent Garenq) *** |
| BACK SOON (2007, d. Rob Williams) ** 3/4 |
| BACKSTAGE (2006, d. Emmanuelle Bercot) ** 3/4 |
| BACK-UP PLAN, THE (2010, d. Alan Poul) J-Lo overacts terribly. Alex O'Loughlin is sexy & wonderful. Film is a clichéd stinker. * 3/4 |
| BACKYARD (2009, d. Carlos Carrera; Mexico) *** 1/4 |
| BAD BOYS II (2003, d. Michael Bay) A new morally reprehensible low for the Hollywood mega-violent film. Only Jordi Molla, a kick-ass baddy is worth it. 0* |
| BAD DAY FOR FISHING (2009, d. Alvaro Brechner;Uruguay) *** |
| BAD EDUCATION (2004, d. Pedro Almodovar) Pedro's gayest film since Law of Desire. Silly noirish plot; but total fun with an extraordinary Gaël Bernal. *** |
| BAD FAITH (Mauvaise foi) (2007, d. Roschdy Zem) *** |
| BAD GUY (2003, S. Korea d. Kim Ki-duk) Circular, confusing story: ruthless pimp subjugates a college girl & makes her into a cooperative prostitute. ** 3/4 |
| BAD SANTA (2003, d. Terry Zwigoff) Funny, profane, wonderfully perverse comedy about group of innately bad losers. Kid who could see no evil was great! *** |
| BAD SPELLING (2005, d. Jean-Jacques Zilbermann) Fun, homoerotic black comedy, a French boys school where students rebel led by the weird son of the headmasters. *** |
| BADLAND (2007, d. Francesco Lucente) Except for the overamped score a fine film with a searing perf by Jamie Draven. *** 1/4 |
| BAGHDAD, TX (2009, d. David H. Hickey) * 1/2 |
| BAJARSE AL MORO (2004, d. Fernando Colomo) A low-budget '88 comedy about Madrid druggies. Even a young Antonio Bandares couldn't elevate it. ** |
| BALIBO CONSPIRACY, THE (2010, d. Robert Connolly) *** 1/4 |
| BALL IN THE HOUSE (2005, d. Tanya Wexler) V. *** |
| BALLAST (2008, d. Lance Hammer) ** 1/2 |
| BALSEROS (2004, d. Bosch and Doménech) V. Absorbing doc. which explores the lives of several Cuban raft people who eventually come to the U.S. over 9 years. *** 1/4 |
| BANDE À PART (2003, d. Jean-Luc Goddard) V. A '60s version of the gang who couldn't shoot straight, a cockeyed noir which holds up well. *** |
| BANDITS (2001, d. Barry Levinson) ** |
| BAND'S VISIT, THE (2007, d. Eran Kolirin) ** 3/4 |
| BANDSLAM (2009, d. Todd Graff) Sweet, fun coming of age/forming a rock band film. Gaelan Connell is LaBeouf lite...very likable. GREAT rock score. Predictable plot. *** 1/4 |
| BANG BANG YOU'RE DEAD (2002, d. Guy Ferland) *** 3/4 |
| BANGER SISTERS, THE (2002, d. Bob Dolman) ** 1/2 |
| BANISHMENT (Izgnamie) (2007, d. Andrey Zvyagintsev) *** 1/4 |
| BANK JOB, THE (2008, d. Roger Donaldson) Surprisingly predictable, I've seen this heist film several times before. ** 1/4 |
| BANLIEU 13 (2005, d. Pierre Morel) Fast paced, superior martial arts action film set in a lawless 2010 Paris. Vivid, realistic characters. *** 1/4 |
| BANQUET AT TETLAPAYAC, A (2001, d. Olivier Debroise) * |
| BANQUET, THE (2007, d. Feng Xiaogang; Hong Kong) ** 1/4 |
| BARAN (2001, d. Majid Majidi) *** |
| BARBARIAN INVASIONS, THE (2003, d. Denys Arcand) + Worth a 2nd viewing, just for the philosophy. *** 3/4 |
| BARBARIAN INVASIONS, THE (2003, d. Denys Arcand) Art film about love and dying, literate script, excellent ensemble acting, enormously moving *** 1/2 |
| BARBERSHOP (2002, d. Tim Story) ** 1/2 |
| BAREFOOT DREAM, A (2010, d. Kim Tae-gyun; South Korea) ** 1/4 |
| BARNEY'S VERSION (2010, d. Richard J. Lewis) Grown-up version of Duddy Kravitz with less wit and altogether unpleasant associations. ** 1/4 |
| BARS IN THE MEMORY (2005, d. Manuel Palacios) Dry Spanish docu about the concentration camps and privations during the Franco years. ** 1/2 |
| BARTLEBY (2001, d. Jonathan Parker) ** 1/2 |
| BASAIN (2007, d. Subash Prasad Gajural; Nepal) W/O |
| BASED ON A TRUE STORY (2005, d. Walter Stokman) Partially successful doc about the "real" story behind Dog Day Afternoon. ** 1/2 |
| BATMAN BEGINNINGS (2005, d. Christopher Nolan) Noisy comic entertainment with a narratively cohesive plot & great design. *** |
| BATTLE FOR TERRA (2009, d. Aristomenis Tsirbas) Excellent 3D animation plus superior SF script with subtle issues of loyalties & humanity. *** 1/4 |
| BATTLE IN SEATTLE (2008, d. Stuart Townsend) ** 1/2 |
| BATTLE OF SHAKER HEIGHTS (2003, d. Potelle & Rankin) Indispensible companion to Proj Greenlight. Shia Lebeuf incredible, movie better than expected. ** 3/4 |
| BATTLE OF WITS (2007, d. Jacob Cheung) *** |
| BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2010, 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 |
| BE CALM AND COUNT TO SEVEN (2009, d. Ramtin Lavafipour) ** 1/2 |
| BE COOL (2005, d. F. Gary Gray) Hipper than thou spoof of gangsta music biz and Hollywood. Enjoyed the settings (around the corner from my apartment). ** 1/4 |
| BE KIND REWIND (2008, d. Michel Gondrey) Gondrey's silly creativity works here. Mos Def surprised me. *** |
| BE LIKE OTHERS (2009, d. Tanaz Eshaghian) *** 1/4 |
| BE WITH ME (2005, d. Eric Khoo; Singapore) ** 3/4 |
| BEACH, THE (2000, d. Danny Boyle) ** 1/2 |
| BEACHES OF AGNES, THE (2009, d. Agnès Varda) What treasures Agnes Varda's mementos are. Her docus are moving & strangely beautiful. Et j'adore Jacques Demi. *** 1/2 |
| BEAR CUB (2004, d. Luis Miguel Albaladejo) An honest, moving, straightforward Spanish film about a gay man thrust into caring for his 9 yr old nephew. *** |
| BEARCITY (2010, d. Doug Langway) ** |
| BEAST STALKER, THE (2009, d. Dante Lam) *** |
| BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED, THE (2005, d. Jacques Audiard) Frenetic drama based on Fingers with a magnetic perf by Romain Duris. *** |
| BEAU TRAVAIL (2000, d. Claire Denis) *** |
| BEAUFORT (2008, d. Joseph Cedar; Isreal) *** 1/2 |
| BEAUTIES AT WAR (La Guerre des miss) (2009, d. Patrice Leconte) ** |
| BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, THE (2005, d. Hans Petter Moland) Involving, well acted adventure of a half-American Vietnamese boy's emigration to the US. *** |
| BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS (2010, d. Tamoko Kana) V. Intriguing, non-confrontational, pictorial docu of 3 areas where global warming is causing profound life changes. ** 3/4 |
| BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES (Se souvenir des belles choses) (2009, d. Zabou Breitman) *** 1/2 |
| BEAUTIFUL MIND, A (2001, d. Ron Howard) *** 1/4 |
| BEAUTIFUL OHIO (2006, d. Chad Lowe) ** 3/4 |
| BEAUTIFUL (2000, d. Sally Field) ** |
| BEAUTY IN TROUBLE (Kraska V Nesnazich) (2007, d. Jan Hrebejk) *** 1/4 |
| BEAUTY REMAINS (2006, d. Ann Hu) ** 1/2 |
| BECOMING JANE (2007, d. Julian Jarrold) ** 3/4 |
| BEDAZZLED (2000, d. Harold Ramis) ** |
| BEE SEASON (2007, d. McGehee and Siegel) V. Involving, well acted family drama with not well defined spiritual mysteries. *** |
| BEESWAX (2009, d. Andrew Bujalski) Mumblecore madness right up to very (startlingly unsatisfying) ending. Successful character study, in any case. *** |
| BEFORE FLYING BACK TO EARTH (2006, d. Arunas Matelis; Lithuania) *** |
| BEFORE I FORGET (Avant que j'oublie) (2008, d. Jacques Nolot) ** 3/4 |
| BEFORE NIGHT FALLS (2000, d. Julian Schnabel) ** 1/4 |
| BEFORE SUNSET (2004, d. Richard Linklater) Talky sequel to one of my all-time fave films. Satisfying in context; but not as good a film. *** |
| BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (2007, d. Sidney Lumet) Tight thriller- 2 brothers and the "perfect" robbery. *** 1/2 |
| BEFORE THE RAINS (2008, d. Santosh Sivan) ** 3/4 |
| BEFORE THE STORM (Före stormen) (2000, d. Reza Parsa) *** 1/2 |
| BEHIND ENEMY LINES (2001, d. John Moore) ** 1/2 |
| BEHIND THE RED DOOR (2003, d. Matia Karrell) (V) Showtime Aids drama. Kyra and Kiefer are 2 of my least favorite actors. * 1/2 |
| BEHIND THE SUN (2001, d. Walter Salles) ** 3/4 |
| BEING JULIA (2004, d. Istvan Szabo) Overwrought, entertaining period melodrama about a monster actress in 1938 London. Benning's performance: Oscar bait tour de force. *** |
| BELIEVER, THE (2004, d. Henry Bean) V.+ I appreciated the quality of the filmmaking more the 2nd time around. One hell of a script, well executed. *** 1/2 |
| BELIEVER, THE (2002, d. Henry Bean) *** 1/2 |
| BELLA (2006, d. Alejandro Monteverde) ** |
| BELLE PERSONNE, LA (2009, d. Chrisophe Honoré) *** 1/4 |
| BELLE TOUJOURS (2007, d. Manoel de Oliveira; Portugal) ** |
| BELOVED/FRIEND (2000, d. Ventura Pons) ** 1/2 |
| BEN X (2007, d. Nic Balthazar; Belgium) *** 1/2 |
| BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (2003, d. Gurinder Chadha) Feel good Indian girl's soccer story set in Britain. Predictable script saved by fine direction. *** |
| BENEATH HER WINDOW (2004, d. Metod Pevec) Screwball Slovenian comedy about a 30ish woman's romantic entanglements whose evident charms escaped me. ** 1/4 |
| BENEDICT ARNOLD: QUESTION OF HONOR (2003, d. Mikael Salomon) (V) A&E historical movie. Unwatchably bad. WO |
| BEOWULF & GRENDEL (2006, d. Sturla Gunnarsson) ** 1/4 |
| BEREFT (2004, d. Tim Daly, Clark Mathis) + Oops! I forgot I'd seen this grief drama at SIFF and was unimpressed. Here the beauty of the images made up somewhat. ** 3/4 |
| BEREFT (2004, d. Tim Daly, Clark Mathis) Overwrought drama about a young woman driven crazy with grief by the auto accident death of her husband. ** 1/2 |
| BERGA: SOLDIERS OF ANOTHER WAR (2003, d. Charles Guggenheim) (V) docu. on valium about American WWII POWs. ** 1/4 |
| BERLIN IS IN GERMANY (2001, d. Hannes Stohr) *** 1/4 |
| BERNARD AND DORIS (2008, d. Bob Balaban) V. Exquisitely acted (Finnes & Sarandon) but sorta boring biopic. ** 3/4 |
| BERTIE AND ELIZABETH (2005, d. Giles Foster) Masterpiece Theater schlock. Fine acting, good script. ** 3/4 |
| BESA (2010, d. Srdan Karanovic; Serbia) *** 1/2 |
| BEST DAY OF MY LIFE (2004, d. Cristina Comencini) Splendid and moving, complex Italian disfunctional family saga, 2 sisters and gay son & their lives and loves. *** 1/4 |
| BEST IN SHOW (2000, d. Christopher Guest) *** |
| BEST MAN, WORST FRIEND (2006, d. Stefan Schwartz) V. Guilty pleasure romantic comedy; Stuart Townsend & Seth Green fine. ** 3/4 |
| BEST OF TIMES (2010, d. Yongyoot Thongkongtoon; Thailand) ** |
| BEST OF TIMES, THE (2003, d. Chang Tso-Chi) Taiwan AFF. Family drama, kitchen sink style. *** 1/2 |
| BEST OF YOUTH #1 (2004, d. Marco Giordana) Part one of this sprawling family saga propulsively sets up the drama & characters. *** |
| BEST OF YOUTH #2 (2004, d. Marco Giordana) In part two the emotional rewards so carefully plotted are huge. A totally satisfying 6 hour epic of late 20th Century Italy. **** |
| BEST OF YOUTH, THE 1 & 2 (2005, d. Marco Tullio Giordana) + Liked part 1 better than originally, and part 2 dragged a little. Still, overall fabulous film. **** |
| BEST OF YOUTH, THE (2008, d. Marco Giordano) V.+++ Still the most emotionally resonant film I've ever watched. **** |
| BEST WORST MOVIE (2010, d. Michael Stephenson) V. Docu about cult film TROLL 2; quite entertaining. Apparently NOT a mockumentary, tho it plays like one. *** |
| BET COLLECTOR, THE (2007, d. Jeffrey Jeturian) ** |
| BETRAYAL, THE (Nerakhoon) (2008, d. Kuras & Phrasavath) Docu of Laotian family uprooted to U.S. after "secret" war. Moving, but confusingly cut with overdone music. ** 1/2 |
| BETRAYAL, THE (2006, d. Philippe Faucon) ** 1/2 |
| BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003, d. Justin Lin) Well directed, but confusing, Asian-American teenage gang film...only the actors looked too old. ** 1/2 |
| BETTER THAN SEX (2001, d. Jonathan Teplitzky) *** |
| BETTER THINGS (2008, d. Duane Hopkins) ** 1/2 |
| BETWEEN LAND AND SKY (2003, d. Guiseppe Feruto ) Italian political satire about media overkill. ** 1/2 |
| BETWEEN LOVE AND GOODBYE (2009, d. Casper Andreas) Gay relationship drama; mediocre direction & acting...but vital, sexy & powerfully realistic. ** 1/2 |
| BEYOND HATRED (2006, d. Olivier Meyrou) ** 1/4 |
| BEYOND OUR KEN (2005, d. Pang Ho-Cheung) Frothy, insubstantial girl buddy and revenge (against common boyfriend) comedy from Hong Kong. * 3/4 |
| BEYOND THE CIRCLE (2009, d. Golam Rabbani Biplob; Bangladesh) ** |
| BEYOND THE MAT (2000, d. Barry W. Blaustein) *** |
| BEYOND THE SEA (2004, d. Kevin Spacey) The most off the wall musical biopic since Delovely. Spacey makes a better lounge singer than director! ** 1/4 |
| BHAJI ON THE BEACH (2003, d. Gurinder Chadha) V. Chadha handles ensembles well; but this Indian woman's lib story was clichéd and obvious. ** |
| B-HAPPY (2004, d. Gonzalo Justiniano) Another periled latina teen girl film, this time a poor girl whose father is in prison. Simple, effective filmmaking. *** |
| BIBLIOTHÈQUE PASCAL (2010, d. Szabolcs Hajdu; Hungary) W/O |
| BICKFORD SHMECKLER'S COOL IDEAS (2006, d. Scott Lew) ** 1/2 |
| BIG ANIMAL, THE (2000, d. Jerzy Stuhr) * 1/2 |
| BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A (2006, d. Takashi Miike) *** |
| BIG DREAM, THE (2010, d. Michele Placido) ** 1/2 |
| BIG DREAMS, LITTLE TOKYO (2006, d. David Boyle) *** |
| BIG EDEN (2001, d. Thomas Bezucha) ** 3/4 |
| BIG EMPTY, THE (2003, d. Steve Anderson) Mixed genre. Is it a noir? Alien abduction flick? Black comedy? An honorable failure at all three. ** |
| BIG FISH (2003, d. Tim Burton) Story of fabulist (convincingly played by Ewan McGregor & Albert Finney). Burton's most appealing and "normal" film. *** |
| BIG GAY MUSICAL (2010, d. Andreas & Caruso) *** |
| BIG KAHUNA, THE (2000, d. John Swanbeck) ** |
| BIG RIG (2007, d. Doug Pray) ** 1/2 |
| BIGGIE AND TUPAC (2002, d. Nick Broomfield) *** |
| BILINGUAL LOVER, THE (El Amante Bilingue) (2007, d. Vicente Aranda) ** |
| BILL (2007, d. Melisa Wallack, Bernie Goldmann) ** |
| BILLY ELLIOT (2000, d. Stephen Daldry) *** 3/4 |
| BIRTH (2004, d. Jonathan Glazer) Heavy duty, eerie psychological drama. Nicole Kiddman fine here, script has a nicely satisfying ambiguity & interesting direction. *** 1/4 |
| BIRTHDAY GIRL (2002, d. Jez Butterworth) ** 1/2 |
| BIRTHDAY, THE (2006, d. Diane Kurys) *** 1/4 |
| BIUTIFUL (2010, d. Alejandro González Iñárritu) Bardem is all he can be in this depressing slice of Barcelona life film, written & directed with sensitivity. *** 1/2 |
| BLACK AND WHITE (2000, d. James Toback) ** 1/2 |
| BLACK BALLOON, THE (2008, d. Elissa Down) Australian family with autistic son from pov of younger brother. Well observed, tough, truthful. *** 1/4 |
| BLACK BOOK (2007, d. Paul Verhoeven; Netherlands) *** |
| BLACK DAHLIA, THE (2006, d. Brian de Palma) Fine cast, terrible script, fake noir. How can such a promising film go so wrong. ** |
| BLACK DOG BARKING (2009, d. Mehmet Bahadir Er & Maryna Gorbach) * 1/2 |
| BLACK HAWK DOWN (2001, d. Ridley Scott) *** 1/2 |
| BLACK ICE (2003, d. Mikhail Brashinsky) Incoherent film about something or other. Jittery camera and unengaging plot were too much to stick around. W/O |
| BLACK IRISH (2007, d. Brad Gann) *** 1/4 |
| BLACK IRISH (2007, d. Brad Gunn) + *** 1/2 |
| BLACK ROBE (2004, d. Bruce Beresford) V. Gut-wrenching '91 film with Lothar Bluteau playing a jesuit priest in New France pre-revolution. *** |
| BLACK SNAKE MOAN (2008, d. Craig Brewer)V. Ricci's perf is brave, Jackson is fine, Timberlake less so. Film: clichéd mishmash. ** 3/4 |
| BLACK SUN (2006, d. Gary Tarn) V. Expressionistic docu about a man (writer & narrator) blinded in the '70s. *** |
| BLACK SWAN (2010, d. Darren Aronofsky) Deliriously over the top. Great camera work, esp. hand-held ballet stuff. Portman superb. But crazed script left me cold. *** |
| BLACK WHITE + GRAY (2007, d. James Crump) *** 1/4 |
| BLACKBOARDS (2000, d. Samira Makhmalbaf) ** |
| BLACKMAIL BOY (Oxygono) (2006, d. Papathanasiou & Rappas) Over-the-top melodrama about money corrupting a family with a beautiful bisexual scion. * 3/4 |
| BLACKS, THE (2010, d. Devic & Juric; Croatia) * 1/2 |
| BLACKWATER LIGHTSHIP (2004, d. John Erman) V. An Early Frost, updated...but still a little out of date. I'm too emotionally fragile for AIDS stories like this. *** 1/2 |
| BLADERUNNER (Final Cut) (2007, d. Ridley Scott) I had forgotten how fabu the production design was! New ending: eh!? *** 1/4 |
| BLADES OF GLORY (2008, d. Gordon & Speck)V. Heder is fine, Ferrell barely ok in this surprisingly funny comedy. Dumb but trenchant. ** 3/4 |
| BLEAK HOUSE (2007, d. various; w. Andrew Davis) Superb adaptation of complex Victorian novel. The Brits do it again. *** 1/2 |
| BLESSED BY FIRE (2006, d. Tristan Bauer) *** 3/4 |
| BLESSED IS THE MATCH: The Life & Death of Hannah Senesh (2008, d. Roberta Grossman) Enormously moving docu re: Hungarian/Palistinian WWII heroine. *** 3/4 |
| BLESSING BELL, THE (2003, Japan d. Sabu) A formally beautiful, but boring, slow paced day in the life. *** |
| BLIND LOVES (2008, d. Juraj Lehotsky; Slovakia) *** 1/4 |
| BLIND MOUNTAIN (2007, d. Li Yang) *** |
| BLIND SIDE, THE (2010, d. John Lee Hancock) Not a bad film, but Oscar calibre? Polar opposite of Precious, in any case, and quite classist. ** 1/2 |
| BLIND SUNFLOWERS, THE (Los girasoles ciegos) (2008, d. Joeé Luis Cuerda; Spain) *** |
| BLIND (2007, d. Tamar van den Dop) *** 1/4 |
| BLINDNESS (2008, d. Fernando Meirelles) Unrealistic, but strong catastrophe film (like 28 Days Later) about mystery blindness illness & society throwing victims away. ** 1/2 |
| BLINDSIGHT (2006, d. Lucy Walker) V. Blind children overcoming peril, gorgeous mountain photography, uplift...admirable docu. *** 1/2 |
| BLISS (2008, d. Abdullah Oguz) *** 1/4 |
| BLOOD AND BONES (2005, d. Yoichi Sai) ** 1/2 |
| BLOOD APPEARS (La Sangre Brota) (2008, d. Pablo Fendik) ** 1/2 |
| BLOOD BROTHERS (Tiantang Kou) (2008, d. Alexi Tan) * 1/2 |
| BLOOD DIAMOND (2006, d. Edward Zwick) Despite overlength, this is a winner. Prediction: multiple Oscars. *** 1/2 |
| BLOOD OF THE LOSERS (Il sangue de vinti) (2008, d. Michele Soavi) *** 1/2 |
| BLOOD RAIN (2006, d. Kim Dae-seung, LeeWon-jae) ** 1/2 |
| BLOOD WORK (2002, d. Clint Eastwood) ** 3/4 |
| BLOODY SUNDAY (2002, d. Paul Greengrass) *** |
| BLOOM (2004, d. Sean Walsh) Earnest adaptation of the unadaptable Ulysses, using lots of voiceovers for interior monologue. Well made; but not my cuppa. ** 1/2 |
| BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS, THE (2006, d. Aureas Solito) ** 1/4 |
| BLOW DRY (2005, d. Paddy Breathnach) V. Funny slice of life (e.g. Full Monty) British comedy about hair contest. Note Bill Nighy & Josh Hartnett as cockney. ** 3/4 |
| BLOW DRY (2001, d. Paddy Breathnach) *** |
| BLOW (2001, d. Ted Demme) ** 1/2 |
| BLUE CAR (2003, d. Karen Moncrieff) Viscerally disturbing story-troubled teenage girl and troubled broken family. Understated, with subtle acting. *** 1/2 |
| BLUE CHA CHA (2006, d. Cheng Wen- tang) *** 1/4 |
| BLUE CRUSH (2002, d. John Stockwell) *** |
| BLUE DINER, THE (2001, d. Jan Egleson) ** |
| BLUE GATE CROSSING (2002, d. Chih-yen Yi) ** 1/2 |
| BLUE MOON (2003, Austria d. Andrea Maria Dusi) Road picture about a man on a quest to re-find a woman he meets by chance. ** 1/4 |
| BLUE TOOTH VIRGIN, THE (2009, d. Russell Brown) + *** 1/2 |
| BLUE VALENTINE (2010, d. Derek Cianfrance) Gosling is the finest film actor I've ever seen. Beautiful editing structure, emotionally seering, truthful film. *** 3/4 |
| BLUEBERRY (2004, d. Jan Kounen ) A psychedelic westen which, though overlong and undiciplined, delivers the goods with fabulous f/x & a superb Vincent Cassell. *** |
| BLUEBIRD (2005, d. Mijke de Jong) Emotionally shattering, excellent drama about a 12 year old girl who is the brunt of bullies in her jr. high class. *** 1/2 |
| BLUES, THE (2003, d. various) PBS series edited down to 5 ahortened sequences about the blues music. Some sequences worked, some didn't. ** 3/4 |
| BLUETOOTH VIRGIN, THE (2008, d. Russell Brown) *** 1/2 |
| BOATS OUT OF WATERMELON RINDS (2005, d. Ahmet Uluçay) A Turkish Cinema Paradiso, terrible digital photography, but the 2 boys were charming. ** 1/4 |
| BOBBY (2006, d. Emelio Estevez) *** |
| BODY OF LIES (2008, d. Ridley Scott) Entertaining star driven CIA vs. terrorist contempo thriller. Scott is a director in control of the medium. *** 1/4 |
| BODY OF WAR (2007, d. Ellen Spiro & Phil Donahue) Another successful docu: Robert Byrd, such a hero. *** 1/2 |
| BODYGUARDS & ASSASSINS (2010, d. Teddy Chen) *** 3/4 |
| BODYSONG (2004, d. Simon Pummell) V. Hypno-docu, sort of a Family of Man of found film clips to music (cf Koyaanisqatsi). Fascinating and a little boring. ** 1/2 |
| BOILER ROOM (2000, d. Ben Younger) *** |
| BOLT (2009, d. Howard & Williams) OK if predictable script. Good vocal acting. But ultimately mediocre. Lousy year for Academy animated features. ** 1/2 |
| BOMB THE SYSTEM (2005, d. Adam Lough) Mark Webber is outstanding in this arty, nicely made indy about radical grafitti artists in NYC. *** |
| BOMBÓN, EL PERO (2005, d. Carlos Sorin) Like director's Historias Minimas, a fun film without irony about a poor man who is given a show dog. *** |
| BON VOYAGE (2003, d. Jean-Paul Rappeneau) Big French WWII melodrama, hugely entertaining & wellmade throwback to old-fashioned classic French cinema. *** 1/4 |
| BONAERENSE, EL (2003, Argentina/Chile d. Pablo Trapero) Naive country bumpkin makes good in the big city police department. ** 3/4 |
| BONJOUR M. SHLOMI (2004, d. Shemi Zarhin) A superbly observed film about a 16 year old boy whose specialness has been hidden in his disfunctional family. *** 3/4 |
| BOOK OF ELI, THE (2010, d. Hughes Brothers) Another dystopian future post-war road pic. Denzell is really fine; but Bible thumping message a little much. ** 3/4 |
| BOOK OF LOVE (2006, d. Alan Brown) V. Younger man (Gregory Smith). Older married woman. Clichés; but very nicely acted. ** 3/4 |
| BOOK OF REVELATION, THE (2007, d. Ana Kokkinos) *** |
| BOOKIES (2005, d. Mark Illsley) V. ** 3/4 |
| BOOTMAN (2000, d. Dien Perry) ** |
| BORAT (2006, d. Larry Charles) Cohen is impressive in creating consistent character; funny in a wildly tasteless way. *** |
| BORDER WAR: THE BATTLE OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION (2006, d. Kevin Knoblock) V. Docu looks great, too polemic. ** 3/4 |
| BORDER, THE (2010, d. Jaroslav Vojtek; Slovak Republic) * 3/4 |
| BORED IN BRNO (2004, d. Vladimir Moravek) An earthy Czech multi-character sex comedy which got better as it went along. Too bread for my tastes. ** 1/4 |
| BORN AND BRED (2006, d. Pablo Trapero) ** 1/2 |
| BORN IN 68 (2009, d. Olivier Duscastel, Jacques Martineau) *** 1/2 |
| BORN INTO BROTHELS (2005, d. Kaufmann & Briski) Kids born in Calcutta brothels get a chance for a life through photography. Interesting & well edited. *** |
| BORN RICH (2003, d. Jamie Johnson) V. Doc by millionaire heir about his wealthy contemporaries. Mostly talk; but inherently interesting & well made. *** 1/4 |
| BORN ROMANTIC (2001, d. David Kane) ** 1/2 |
| BORN TO SUFFER (2010, d. Miguel Albaladejo) ** 3/4 |
| BORSTAL BOY (2001, d. Peter Sheridan) *** |
| BOSS OF IT ALL, THE (2007, d. Lars von Trier) *** |
| BOSSA NOVA (2000, d. Bruno Barreto) * |
| BOSTA (2006, d. Philippe Aractingi; Lebanon) * 1/2 |
| BOTHERSOME MAN, THE (Den Brysomme Mannen) (2006, d. Per Schreiner) *** 1/4 |
| BOTTLE SHOCK (2008, d. Randall Miller) Napa vintage 1976 & wine growing. Looks good; but terrible on the palate. Terrible script. * 1/2 |
| BOUNCE (2000, d. Don Roos) *** |
| BOURNE IDENTITY, THE (2002, d. Doug Liman) *** |
| BOURNE SUPREMACY, THE (2004, d. Paul Greengrass) Superior thriller, greatest auto chase scene since Ronin. Some plot holes; but editing pace hides them. *** 1/4 |
| BOURNE ULTIMATUM, THE (2007, d. Paul Greengrass) *** 1/2 |
| BOW, THE (2006, d. Kim Ki-duk) *** |
| BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (2002, d. Michael Moore) *** 1/2 |
| BOX, THE (2009, d. Richard Kelly) Don't ask me to explain it...but I liked the mood and look of Kelly's film, this one murkier than either of his others. ** 3/4 |
| BOY (2009, d. Aureaus Solito) *** |
| BOY A (2007, d. John Crowley) *** 3/4 |
| BOY A (2008, d. John Crowley) *** 3/4 |
| BOY CULTURE (2006, d. Q. Allen Brocka) ** 3/4 |
| BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, THE (2008, d. Mark Herman) Emotionally affecting, well acted (Farmiga and the two boys especially). Too pat. *** |
| BOY INTERRUPTED (2009, d. Dana Perry) V. Filmmaking parents make exhaustive study of their depressed, 15 year old suicide son. Moving & insightful. *** 1/2 |
| BOY (2010, d. Taika Waititi) *** |
| BOYFRIEND FOR MY WIFE, A (Un novio para mi mujer) (2008, d. Juan Taratuto) ** 3/4 |
| BOYNTON BEACH BEREAVEMENT CLUB (2006, d. Susan Seidelman) ** 3/4 |
| BOYS AND GIRLS (2000, d. Robert Iscove) *** |
| BOYS ARE BACK, THE (2009, d. Scott Hicks) Clive Owens is remarkable as a lost father (of 2 boys) after his wife dies. Predictable plot, but emotionally powerful. *** 1/4 |
| BOYS FROM COUNTY CLARE (2004, d. John Irvin) Predictable, clichéd Irish trifle about dueling traditional Irish bands. * 3/4 |
| BOYS LIFE 3 (2000, d. David Fourier/Bradley Rust Gray/Jason Gould/Lane Janger/Gregory Cooke) ** |
| BOYS OF BARAKA, THE (2005, d. Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady; docu) V. *** 3/4 |
| BOYS (2004, d. Stacy Cochran)V. A TiVo loser. Mysterious Winona Ryder ends up in a boys boarding school dorm tempting rebellious Lucas Haas. No chemistry. * 1/2 |
| BOYSTOWN (2008, d. Juan Flahn) ** 3/4 |
| BRAN NUE DAE (2010, d. Rachel Perkins) ** 1/2 |
| BRAND NEW LIFE, A (2010, d. Ounie Lecomte) *** |
| BRAVE ONE, THE (2007, d. Neil Jordan) *** 1/4 |
| BREACH (2007, d. Billy Ray) Well acted (esp. Chris Cooper) true story of bringing down a spy. Also Ryan Phillippe's best work in ages. *** |
| BREAD & TULIPS (2001, d. Silvio Soldini) *** 1/4 |
| BREAD AND ROSES (2001, d. Ken Loach) *** 1/4 |
| BREAKFAST ON PLUTO (2005, d. Neil Jordan) *** |
| BREAKFAST WITH SCOT (2007, d. Laurie Lynd) ** 3/4 |
| BREAKING AND ENTERING (2006, d. Anthony Minghella) I loved this film despite flaws, became emotionally involved with characters. *** |
| BREAKING THE SILENCE (2000, d. Zhou Sun) *** |
| BREAK-UP, THE (2006, d. Peyton Reed) Fairly clever by-the-numbers romantic dramady. No chemistry between leads. ** 1/2 |
| BREATH MADE VISIBLE (2010, d. Ruedi Gerber) V. New Agey docu about octogenarian Marin danseuse Anna Halprin. Lovely sequences of artistic expression & bio. *** 1/4 |
| BREATHLESS (2009, d. Yang Ik-june) ** 1/4 |
| BRICK LANE (2008, d. Sarah Gavron) *** |
| BRICK (2006, d. Rian Johnson) Overly complex, familiar noirish plot; but topflight young cast and zingy script really work. *** |
| BRIDE AND PREJUDICE (2004, d. Gurinder Chadha) Hollywood meets Bollywood, and I suspect becomes a surprising hit. It works after a fashion. *** |
| BRIDE FLIGHT (2010, d. Ben Sombogaart) *** 3/4 |
| BRIDE OF THE WIND (2001, d. Bruce Beresford) ** 3/4 |
| BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (2008, d. Julian Jarrold) Over-amped but curiously passionless & unnecessary redo of a definitive miniseries. ** 1/4 |
| BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SHORES, A (Un pont entre deux rives) (2000, d. Gerard Dépardieu & Frédéric Auburtin) *** 3/4 |
| BRIDGE TO TARABITHIA (2007, d. Gabor Csupo) Xtian propaganda in a totally wonderful disguise. Moving, grounded fantasy. Hurrah! *** 1/2 |
| BRIDGET JONES: EDGE OF REASON (2004, d. Beeban Kidron) Dreadful film. Poor Renée Zellweger wasted all that weighty effort. Horrendous script, no romantic chemistry. ** |
| BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (2001, d. Sharon Maguire) *** 1/4 |
| BRIGHT FUTURE (2004, d. Kiyoshi Kurosawa) A straightforward (for this director) slacker story about disaffected youths in Japan. ** 1/4 |
| BRIGHT LEAVES (2004, d. Ross McElwee) V. Personal docu about McElwee's family connection to tobacco. Slowly paced, but interesting & beautifully shot. *** |
| BRIGHT STAR (2009, d. Jane Campion) Weepy, authentic costume romance with an amazingly affecting perf by Ben Winshaw as John Keats. *** 1/4 |
| BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS (2004, d. Stephen Fry) Fast paced story of the mad upperclass in England just pre-WWII. Gorgeous period stuff, well played. *** |
| BRING IT ON (2000, d. Peyton Reed) *** |
| BRITNEY BABY, ONE MORE TIME! (2002, d. Ludi Boeken) ** 3/4 |
| BRITZ (2008, d. Peter Kominsky) V. Shattering, scary story of Pakistani/Brit brother & sister caught up in modern terrorism on opposite sides. *** 1/2 |
| BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005, d. Ang Lee) *** 1/2 |
| BROKEN EMBRACES (2009, d. Pedro Almodovar) Typical Almodovar. Over plotted, gorgeous, a little long. Some breathtakingly original shots, but ultimately disappointing ** 3/4 |
| BROKEN ENGLISH (2007, d. Zoe Cassavetes) *** 1/2 |
| BROKEN FLOWERS (2005, d. Jim Jarmusch) *** 1/2 |
| BROKEN HEARTS CLUB, THE: A ROMANTIC COMEDY (2000, d. Greg Berlanti) ** 1/4 |
| BROKEN PROMISE (2009, d. Jill Chlumský; Slovakia) *** 1/2 |
| BROKEN SKY (El Cielo Dividido) (2006, d. Julián Hernández) Gorgeously photographed and scored gay art film of gestures. *** 1/4 |
| BROKEN WINGS (2003, d. Nir Bergman) Israel AFF. Drama about family riven by grief after father's death. *** 1/4 |
| BROKEN (2006, d. Alan White) ** 1/4 |
| BRONSON (2009, d. Nicolas Winding Refn) *** |
| BRONZE SCREEN, THE (2001, d. Alberto Dominguez, Nancy de los Angeles) ** 1/4 |
| BROTHER BEAR (2003, d. Blaise, Walker) Traditional Disney animation with overly simplistic amerind legend theme. Still, I was move. Good kid film. ** 3/4 |
| BROTHER (2001, d. Takeshi Kitano) ** 3/4 |
| BROTHER (2002, d. Yan Yan Mak) |
| BROTHERHOOD (2010, d. Nicolo Donato) ** 3/4 |
| BROTHERS (2009, d. Jim Sheridan) Superb adaptation to a truthful American war story, changing emphasis of original, maybe for the better. Maguire is great! *** 1/2 |
| BROTHERS AT WAR (2009, d. Jake Rademacher) V. Affecting and illuminating documentary by one filmmaker brother embedded in Iraq while 2 other brothers are serving. *** 1/4 |
| BROTHERS BLOOM, THE (2008, d. Rian Johnson) Silly, slapsticky, anachronistic fantasy which wastes a good cast. A strange comedown for the director of Brick. * 1/4 |
| BROTHERS GRIMM, THE (2005, d. Terry Gilliam) * 3/4 |
| BROTHERS OF THE HEAD (2006, d. Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe) ***1/4 |
| BROTHERS (2005, d. Susanne Bier) Shattering drama about a good man who commits an act beyond redemption. Incredible acting and fine direction. *** 3/4 |
| BRÜNO (2009, d. Larry Charles) Über confrontationalist Cohen manages ütter tastelessness. Funny in a transgressive way, but sort of a mess. * 3/4 |
| BRUNO (2003, d. Shirley MacLaine) V. Limp, soppy comedy - 8 year old spelling genius boy (phenom kid actor Alex Linz) who needs to compete in a dress. * 3/4 |
| BUBBA HO-TEP (2003, d. Don Coscarelli) Horror comedy in an old-folks home: Elvis & JFK take on an Egyptian mummy. Silly fun. ** 3/4 |
| BUBBLE BOY (2001, d. Blair Hayes) * 3/4 |
| BUBBLE, THE (2006, d. Eytan Fox) *** 1/4 |
| BUCKET LIST, THE (2007, d. Rob Reiner)V. Only for old folks; but a great travelogue. ** 3/4 |
| BUDDENBROOKS (2009, d. Heinrich Breloer) *** 1/4 |
| BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME (2008, d. Hana Makmalbaf) *** 1/4 |
| BUDDY (2003, d. Marten Tyldum) Young guy turns his & 2 eccentric roommates liver into a commercially successful video journal. Touching, fun comedy. *** |
| BUFFALO BOY (2005, d. Minh Nguyen-Vo; Vietnam) *** |
| BUFFALO SOLDIERS (2004, US d. Gregor Jordan) Glossy, high-budget, somewhat over-the-top satire about army corruption in German occupation in '89. *** 1/2 |
| BUKOWSKI: BORN INTO THIS (2004, d. John Dullighan) V. I've never much been into Bukowski; but this compelling docu presents him well. ** 3/4 |
| BULGARIAN LOVERS (2003, d. Eloy de la Iglesia) Tongue in cheek drama about a straight Bulgarian expat in Madrid taking advantage of a gay Spaniard. ** 1/4 |
| BULLY (2001, d. Larry Clark) *** 1/2 |
| BUM'S NAME, THE (Civico 0) (2008, d. Citto Maselli) *** |
| BUNGALOW (2002, d. Ulrich Kohler) *** |
| BURIED (2010, d. Rodrigo Cortés) Uncompromising, difficult to watch, uncommercial tour de force. Reynolds is spectacularly right. Is there an audience? *** 1/4 |
| BURLESK KING (2000, d. Mel Chionglo) * |
| BURMA VJ: REPORTING FROM A CLOSED COUNTRY (2009, d. Anders Ostergaard) V. Astonishing docu footage of government repression of populace. *** 1/2 |
| BURN AFTER READING (2008, d. Joel & Ethan Coen) Silly, but quite entertaining farce about CIA snafu involving a computer disk & some greedy Washingtonians. *** |
| BURNING IN THE WIND (2003, d. Silvio Soldini) Bleak but well acted story of East Euro life transported into France along with ill-fated love ***. |
| BURNING PLAIN, THE (2009, d. Guillermo Arriaga) *** 1/4 |
| BURNT MONEY (2001, d. Marcelo Piñeyro) *** 1/2 |
| BURNT OUT (2006, d. Fabienne Godet) *** |
| BURZYNSKI (2010, d. Eric Merola) V. Combative, fascinating one-sided (but effectively so) docu about pharma & FDA conspiracy against effective cancer cure. *** 3/4 |
| BUS 174 (2004, d. José Padilha) V. Brazilian doc which examines thoroughly the background of a publically televised bus hijacking and relives the tragic events. *** |
| BUS PALLADIUM (2010, d. Christopher Thompson) *** 1/4 |
| BUSINESS OF STRANGERS, THE (2001, d. Patrick Stettner) *** |
| BUT FOREVER ON MY MIND (Come te nessuno mai) (2000, d. Gabriele Muccino) *** 1/2 |
| BUT FOREVER ON MY MIND (2005, d. Gabriele Muccino) V. Finally this 1999 coming of age masterpiece about youthful exhuberance is out on DVD! *** 3/4 |
| BUTTERFLY (Lea legua de las mariposas) (2000, d. Jose Luis Cuerda) ** 1/2 |
| BUTTERFLY SMILE (2002, d. He Jianjun) * 1/2 |
| BUTTERFLY, THE (2004, France d. Philippe Muyl) Sappy, Kolya type drama about old butterfly collector & the little girl who runs away with him. ** 1/2 |
| BÜYÜK ADAM KÚÇÜK ASK (2001, d. Handan Ipekçi) ** 3/4 |
| BYRON (2005, d. Julian Farino) V. ** 3/4 |