| "G" 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 |
| G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA (2009, d. Stephen Sommers) Truly dreadful, bombastic, empty-headed actioner which wastes every actor, tho the f/x are pretty good. * 1/2 |
| GABRIELLE (2006, d. Patrice Chéreau) Edwardian film of manners; pretty, talky and boring with good perfs by Isabelle Huppert & Pascal Greggory. ** |
| GAGARIN'S GRANDSON (2007, d. Andrey Panin) ** 1/2 |
| GAMBLER (2006, d. Phie Ambo) ** 1/2 |
| GAMER (2009, d. Neveldine & Taylor) F/x galore can't save this future death game film from its ridiculous over-the-top (but predictable) premise. ** |
| GAMES OF LOVE & CHANCE (2005, d. Abdellatalfi Kechiche) Teenagers in the projects in Paris, variation of Romeo & Juliet...talkiy but fun. ** 3/4 |
| GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002, d. Martin Scorsese) *** 1/2 |
| GANGSTER NO. 1 (2000, d. Paul McGuigan) *** |
| GARAGE DAYS (2003, d. Alex Proyas) Familiar rock film about a garage band trying to get established in Australia. Sometimes clever direction, clichéd. ** 1/4 |
| GARAGE (2007, d. Lenny Abrahamson) *** |
| GARBAGE DREAMS (2009, d. Mai Iskander) ** 3/4 |
| GARBO THE SPY (2010, d. Edmon Roch) *** 1/4 |
| GARÇON STUPIDE (2005, d. Lionel Baier) ** 1/2 |
| GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS, THE (2003, d. Vittorio De Sica) V. Gorgeous, subtle, inscrutable. Jews in facist Italy, more thwarted love than political. *** |
| GARDEN PARTY (2008, d. Jason Freeland) *** |
| GARDEN STATE (2004, d. Zach Braff) Likable young man comes home to N.J. when his mother dies and finds himself. Inventive details, I just like this film. *** |
| GARDEN, THE (2008, d. Scott Hamilton Kennedy) Infuriating docu about a disputed S. Central L.A. parcel of land which is political dynamite. *** 1/2 |
| GARPASTUM (2006, d. Alexey Guerman) *** |
| GASLAND (2010, d. Josh Fox) V. Yet another effective, scary, muckraking docu about horrendous enviromental affects of drilling & fracking (natural gas in this case). *** |
| GAUDI AFTERNOON (2001, d. Susan Seidelman) ** 3/4 |
| GAY DAYS (Hazman Havarod) (2010, d. Yair Qedar) *** also short film THE LIBERATION OF GRIFFITH PARK (2010, d. Matt Spero) *** 1/2 |
| GAY HOLLYWOOD (2003, d. Jeremy Simmons) V. Doc. notable since I'm acquainted with 2 of the subjects. Dustin Lance Black is a personal fave. ** 3/4 |
| GAY LIVES (2008, short program, various directors) (average: ** 1/2) |
| GAY SHORTS (2005, d. various) 6 quite ordinary to poor gay short films. Only "Postmortem" and "Just Pray" were worth watching. ** |
| GEBIRTIG (2003, d. Lukas Stepanik, Robert Schindel) Austria AFF. Drama about present day Holocaust participants. ** 1/2 |
| GEMINIS (2005, d. Albertina Carri) ** 3/4 |
| GENERAL, EL (2009, d. Natalia Almada) * 3/4 |
| GENIUS WITHIN: INNER LIFE OF GLENN GOULD (2010, d. Hozer & Raymont) V. Extraordinary live footage makes for an especially fascinating bio docu. *** 1/2 |
| GENOVA (2008, d. Michael Winterbottom) *** |
| GEORGE MICHAEL - A DIFFERENT STORY (2006, d. Southan Morris) *** 1/4 |
| GEORGE WASHINGTON (2000, d. David Gordon Green) ** 3/4 |
| GEORGIA O'KEEFFE (2010, d. Bob Balaban) V. Despite convincing perfs by Joan Allen & Jeremy Irons, sappy Lifetime tv movie is unwatchable. W/O |
| GERRY (2003, d. Gus Van Sant) Boring existential drama about 2 dumb guys metaphysically lost in the desert. Great steady-cam. ** |
| GET HIM TO THE GREEK (2010 d. Nicholas Stoller) Surprisingly tender rock-n-roll road-trip farce from Apatow factory. Jonah Hill & Russell Brand have great chemistry. *** 1/4 |
| GET LOW (2010, 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 |
| GET OVER IT (2001, d. Tommy O'Haver) ** 1/4 |
| GETTING HOME (Luo ye gui gen) (2007, d. Zhang Yang) *** 1/4 |
| GETTING MY BROTHER LAID (2002, d. Sven Taddicken) * 1/2 |
| GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI (2000, d. Jim Jarmusch) *** |
| GHOST WORLD (2001, d. Terry Zwigoff) *** 1/2 |
| GHOST WRITER, THE (2010, d. Roman Polanski) Since I'd read the book, few surprises; but Polanski knows how to construct an effective thriller. *** 1/4 |
| GHOSTS OF CITÉ SOLEIL (2006, d. Leth & Loncarivic) V. Scattered docu; a Haitian City of God. Rappers in the slums get screwed. *** |
| GIE (2005, d. Rira Riza) ** 3/4 |
| GIFT TO STALIN, THE (2009, d. Rustem Abdrashev) *** 1/2 |
| GIFT, THE (2003, US doc. d. Louise Hogarth) Important documentary about some gays, especially the young, who purposely contract HIV. *** 1/2 |
| GIFT, THE (2001, d. Sam Raimi) ** |
| GIGANTIC (2010, d. Matt Aselton) V. Strange mumblecore romantic comedy. Dano is stolid & Zooey D. wacky. Sort of annoying, but likable. ** 1/2 |
| GIGLI (2003, d. Martin Brest) An embarrassing film for all, especially Affleck and Brest. Tacky, squicky, homophobic; but Justin Bartha a find. 1/2* |
| GIGOLOS, THE (2005, d. Richard Bracewell) ** 1/2 |
| GIRL BY THE LAKE, THE (La Ragazza del Lago) (2008, d. Andrea Molaioli) ** 1/2 |
| GIRL CUT IN TWO, A (La fille coupée en deux) (2007, d. Claude Chabrol) *** |
| GIRL FROM MONACO, THE (La fille de Monaco) (2008, d. Anne Fontaine) ** 1/4 |
| GIRL FROM PARIS, THE (2003, France d. Christian Carion) + Lovely movie about a woman who forsakes the city and buys and runs a mountain farm. *** 1/2 |
| GIRL IN THE CAFÉ, THE (2005, d. David Yates) V. Bill Nighy is great as a financial dweeb. But simplistic politics sink this Richard Curtis written romance. ** 1/4 |
| GIRL IN THE PARK, THE (2007, d. David Auburn) *** 1/4 |
| GIRL IS MINE, THE (2007, d. Virginie Wagon) *** |
| GIRL NEXT DOOR, THE (2004, d. Luke Greenfield) I expect to like it; but instead I was offended by the ridiculous plot, though Olyphant and Hirsch were good. * 3/4 |
| GIRL ON THE BRIDGE (La fille sur la ponte) (2000, d. Patrice Leconte) ** 1/2 |
| GIRL ON THE TRAIN, THE (La fille du RER) (2009, d. André Téchiné) *** 1/4 |
| GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, THE (2010, d. Daniel Alfredson) Fitting ending to fine trilogy. Interesting simplifications from the book. Well thought out. *** 1/4 |
| GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, THE (2010, d. Daniel Alfredson) Having read the book, this is an amazingly faithrul & skilled adaptation of a complex story. *** 1/2 |
| GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING (2003, d. Peter Webber) Cinematography worthy of Vermeer; but the film's story was like watching paint dry. ** |
| GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, THE (2010, d. Niels Arden Oplev) *** 1/2 |
| GIRLFIGHT (2000, d. Karyn Kusama) *** 1/2 |
| GIRLS CAN'T SWIM (2002, d. Anne-Sophie Birot) ** |
| GITS, THE (2005, d. Kerri O'Kane) Compelling counterpoint to Malfunkshun, a docu about a Seattle punker lead singer who was raped & murdered. *** |
| GIVE ME YOUR HAND (2009, d. Pascal-Alex Vincent) *** |
| GIVING IT UP (2009, d. Frank Ruy) *** |
| GLADIATOR (2000, d. Ridley Scott) *** 1/4 |
| GLAMOUR (2000, d. Frigyes Gödrös) ** 3/4 |
| GLASS HOUSE, THE (2001, d. Daniel Sackheim) ** |
| GLASS: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts (2008, d. Scott Hicks) Inherently intersting if overlong docu about composer. *** |
| GLEANERS AND I, THE (2001, d. Agnès Varda) *** 1/2 |
| GLI INDESIDERABILI (2003, d. Pasquale Scimeca) Confusing gangster film. Desires to be Once Upon a Time in America and fails utterly. Vincent Gallo OK * 1/4 |
| GLORIOUS 39 (2010, d. Stephen Poliakoff) *** |
| GLORY ROAD (2006, d. James Gartner) Solid, typical sport docudrama with great Josh Lucas perf, raised 1/4 star by the real-life end credit interviews. *** 1/4 |
| GLUE (2006, d. Alexis Dos Santos) ** 1/2 |
| GO FURTHER (2004, d. Ron Mann) Entertaining doc. about Woody Harrelson emulating Kesey's Prankster bus in a trip & bike ride for the environment. ** 3/4 |
| GO TIGERS! (2001, d. Kenneth Carlson) **** |
| GO WEST (2006, d. Ahmed Imamovic) *** |
| GO (2001, d. Isao Yukisada) *** 1/4 |
| GOAL II: LIVING THE DREAM (2008, d. Jaume Collet-Serra) I'm not into soccer; but this is one sports film which satisfies. Kuno Becker!, Nivola, Hauer, Dillane, great f/x. *** |
| GOAL! THE DREAM BEGINS (2006, d. Danny Cannon) Totally clichéd, predictable script; but damn, this film rocked my world. Kuno Becker! ** 3/4 |
| GOD IS GREAT, AND I'M NOT (2002, d. Pascale Bailly) ** 3/4 |
| GODS AND GENERALS (2003, d. Ronald Maxwell) Civil War epic, centered on Stonewall Jackson. Well made; but not as good as Gettysburg.. ** 3/4 |
| GODSEND (2004, d. Nick Hamm) Almost a good film, sort of a secular Omen, effectively and darkly shot, directed & acted. But can't surmount its ridiculous premise. ** |
| GO-GETTER, THE (2009, d. Martin Hynes) V. Typical indie road flick, but a good vehicle for Lou Taylor Pucci. ** 1/2 |
| GOING SOUTH (2010, d. Sebastien Lifshitz) ** 3/4 |
| GOING THE DISTANCE (2010, d. Natalie Burstein) Strange mixture of raunchy guy and emotional chick flick & doesn't quite gel as either despite amiable cast. ** 1/2 |
| GOING THRU SPLAT: STEWART STERN (2005, d. Jon Ward) Conventional docu about embittered ex-film screenwriter, only occasionally interesting. ** 1/4 |
| GOLDEN BOWL, THE (2001, d. James Ivory) *** |
| GOLDEN COMPASS, THE (2007, d. Chris Weitz) Great f/x, muddled script. ** |
| GOLDEN DOOR, THE (2006, d. Emanuele Crialese; Italy) *** |
| GOMORRA (2008, d. Matteo Garrone; Italy) ** 3/4 |
| GONE BABY GONE (2007, d. Ben Affleck) Nicely directed. Story too far-fetched; but Casey Affleck especially fine. *** 1/4 |
| GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS (2000, d. Dominic Sena) ** 1/2 |
| GONE WITH THE WOMAN (2007, d. Peter Naess) Norway Academy foreign film submission *** |
| GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON (2008, d. Alex Gibney) *** 1/2 |
| GOOD BOY! (2003, d. John Robert Hoffman) A sweet and inoccuous kids film, with some tacky effects, but mostly successful on the level it was intended. *** |
| GOOD BOYS (2005, d. Yair Hochner) * 3/4 |
| GOOD BYE, LENIN! (2004, d. Wolfgang Becker) A political satire about the Wall and German unification which is amusing and affecting. *** 1/4 |
| GOOD FOOD (2008, d. Melissa Young & Mark Dworkin) ** |
| GOOD GERMAN, THE (2006, d. Steven Soderbergh) Glorious B&W cinematography doesn't disguise ambiguous plot & lack of involvement. ** 1/2 |
| GOOD GIRL, THE (2002, d. Miguel Arteta) *** |
| GOOD GUY, THE (2010, d. Julio DePietro) Corruption & sexual hi-jinks among young Wall Street traders? Here well done & creepy. Bryan Greenberg rules. *** 1/4 |
| GOOD HANDS (2002, d. Peeter Simm) *** |
| GOOD LAWYER’S WIFE, A (2004, d. Im Sang-soo) Very sexy drama about the corrosive effects of marital infidelity by a lawyer & his wife. *** |
| GOOD MORNING, NIGHT (2006, d. Marco Bellocchio) Impressionist docudrama of Aldo Moro kidnapping. Talky & political. ** 3/4\ |
| GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK (2005, d. George Clooney) *** 1/2 |
| GOOD NIGHT TO DIE, A (2003, d. Craig Singer) Arty, ironic thriller about 2 hit men and their destiny. Good cast, but pretentious. * 3/4 |
| GOOD NIGHT, THE (2007, d. Jake Paltrow) Totally forgettable story about a shlub who lives a vivid dream life. ** |
| GOOD SHEPHERD, THE (2006, d. Robert De Niro) Absorbing, well achieved CIA story, but Matt Damon seems too young & callow for role. *** |
| GOOD SON, THE (2007, d. Joseph Rubin)V. Elija Wood, great kid actor...Culkin ok. Convincing film, except for unlikely ending. ** 3/4 |
| GOOD THIEF, THE (2003, d. Neil Jordan) Based on Bob le flambeur which was infinitely better. Atmospheric caper film with large holes. * 3/4 |
| GOOD YEAR, A (2006, d. Ridley Scott) The French do this sort of romantic comedy of terroir much better (e.g. Rohmer's Autumn Tale). ** 1/2 |
| GOOD YEAR, A (2008, d. Ridley Scott) V.+ Minor Scott film; but Provence and Russell Crowe are lovely. ** 3/4 |
| GOOD (2008, d. Vicente Amorim) A misguided but fairly involving Holocaust film about a "good" German SS man & his Jewish buddy. ** 1/2 |
| GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (2008, d. Sergio Leone) 195 min. extended version is *long*, but visual feast; Eli Wallach steals the film. *** 1/2 |
| GOODBYE DRAGON INN (2003, d. Tsai Ming-Liang) Weirdly paced allegory? ghost story? shaggy dog story? Tsai's most formal exercise in boredom as style. *** |
| GOODBYE MOTHERS (2008, d. Mohammed Ismail; Morocco) ** 3/4 |
| GOOSE FEATHER (2005, d. Ljubisa Samardzic; Serbia) Psychologically iffy, soapy melodrama about a peasant who loves one woman but marries another rich one. ** 1/4 |
| GORDOS (2010, d. Daniel Sánchez Arévalo) *** 1/4 |
| GOSFORD PARK (2001, d. Robert Altman) *** 3/4 |
| GOTHIKA (2003, d. Mathieu Kassovitz) Kassovitz stories tend towards supernatural claptrap. Excellent acting & direction overcome ridiculous plot. *** |
| GOYA IN BORDEAUX (2000, d. Carlos Saura) * 1/4 |
| GOYA'S GHOST (2007, d. Milos Forman) *** |
| GRACE IS GONE (2007, d. James Strause) Subtle, well crafted & acted (especially the girls): mom killed in war. *** 1/4 |
| GRAFFITI ARTIST, THE (2004, d. James Bolton) Slow, hypnotic digital video about a young, gay graffiti artist who befriends another boy & tags the NW. *** |
| GRAN GATO, EL (2004, d. Ventura Pons) Doc. about songwriter in vein of Shadow of Motown & Buena Vista Club. Good music. *** |
| GRAN TORINO (2008, d. Clint Eastwood) The gran curmudgeon as sassy as ever. Neatly plotted if a tad obvious. *** |
| GRAND VOYAGE, LE (2005, d. Ismael Ferroukhi) Involving, picturesque road pic of father & son driving Paris to Mecca. *** |
| GRANDE ÉCOLE (2005, d. Robert Salis) V. Empassioned film about young people's sexual obsessions. Arty bi-sexual frontal nudity a plus. ** 3/4 |
| GRANDPA IS DEAD (2009, d. Soxie H. Topacio; Philippines) * |
| GRAVE DECISIONS (2007, d. Marcus H. Rosenmüller) ** 1/2 |
| GRAVEHOPPING (2006, d. Jan Cvitkovic) ** |
| GRAVITY (2010, d. Maximilian Erlenwein) *** |
| GRBAVICA (2006, d. Jasmila Zbanic; Bosnia & Herzegovina) *** 1/4 |
| GREAT BUCK HOWARD, THE (2008, d. Sean McGinly) ** 3/4 |
| GREAT DEBATERS, THE (2007, d. Denzel Washington) Better than I expected. Predictable, but moving. *** |
| GREAT NEW WONDERFUL, THE (2006, d. Danny Leiner) 5 post-9/11 NY stories of ordinary people in search of meaning. ** 1/2 |
| GREAT RAID, THE (2005, d. John Dahl) *** |
| GREAT WATER (2005, d. Ivo Trajkov) Nicely directed and acted drama about a dying Macedonian politician recalling his youth. *** |
| GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED, THE (2005, d. Bill Paxton) *** |
| GREEN BUTCHERS, THE (2004, d. Anders Jensen) Dutch black comedy about a couple of losers who make a macabre go of a new butcher shop. ** 3/4 |
| GREEN DRAGON (2002, d. Timothy Linh Bui) ** 3/4 |
| GREEN HAT (2005, d. Liu Fendou) Quirky dramedy about 3 inep bankrobbers & a cuckolded cop with marital impotence. Amusing, but confusing, script. * 3/4 |
| GREEN ZONE (2010, d. Paul Greengrass) Offensively political, overwrought and never believeable. Makes one appreciate The Hurt Locker all the more. ** |
| GREENBERG (2010, d. Noel Baumbach) Stiller's character is so unsympathetic that it skews an otherwise interesting, familiar & authentic L.A. story. ** 3/4 |
| GREENFINGERS (2001, d. Joel Hershman) ** 1/2 |
| GREY ZONE, THE (2002, d. Tim Blake Nelson) **** |
| GRID, THE (2004, d. Mikael Salomon)V. Mini-series about a multi-national war on terrorism involving the CIA, NSC, FBI, MI-5 & MI-6. Gripping, with some fine performances. *** |
| GRIFFIN AND PHOENIX (2006, d. Ed Stone) ** |
| GRILL POINT (2002, d. Andreas Dresen) ** |
| GRIMM LOVE (2007, d. Martin Weisz) ** 1/2 |
| GRIZZLY MAN (2005, d. Warner Herzog) *** 1/2 |
| GROCER'S SON, THE (Le Fils de l'épicier) (2008, d. Eric Guirado) *** 1/4 |
| GRÖNHOLM METHOD, THE (El Metodo Grönholm) (2005, d. Marcelo Piñero) *** |
| GROOMSMAN, THE (2006, d. Edward Burns) *** 1/4 |
| GROUND TRUTH, THE (2006, d. Patricia Foulkrod) V. Docu of plight of returning Iraq vets. More than I wanted to know, but vital. *** 1/4 |
| GROWN UPS (Les grandes personnes) (2009, d. Anna Novion) ** 1/4 |
| GROWN UPS (2010, d. Dennis Dugan) Silly, poorly directed comedy about 5 families, almost redeemed by its insightful grasp of current American values. ** 1/4 |
| GUARDIAN, THE (2006, d. Andrew Davis) Nicely scripted action flick; both Costner & Kutcher are fine. Storm f/x top of line. *** |
| GUARDIAN'S SON (2007, d. Dimitis Koutsiabassakos) ** 3/4 |
| GUESS WHO (2005, d. Kevin Sullivan) Unfunny, borderline offensive...but Ashton Kucher actually desplays some talent for timing & star quality. ** 1/2 |
| GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, A (2006, d. Dito Montiel) Truish life Mean Streets. Great cast, indie at its best. *** 1/2 |
| GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, A (2008, d. Dito Monteil) V.+ Great cast, life as art. *** 1/4 |
| GUILTY, THE (2004, d. Anthony Waller)V. Totally contrived murder mystery thriller with a good cast, Bill Pullman and Devon Sawa especially. ** 1/2 |
| GUY AND MADELINE ON A PARK BENCH (2009, d. Damien Chazelle) ** |
| GUYS, THE (2004, d. Jim Simpson) An emotional, talky film about FDNY coping with 9/11. Anthony LaPaglia great, Sigorney Weaver also pretty good. ** 1/2 |
| GYPSY CARAVAN (2007, d. Jasmine Dellal) *** |