| "L" 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 |
| L.A. PLAYS ITSELF (2004, d. Thom Anderson) V. Fascinating docu of clips from movies about L.A. Anderson's droning, but brilliant narration is key. *** 1/2 |
| L.I.E. (2001, d. Michael Cuesta) ** 3/4 |
| LA FRANCE (2008, d. Serge Bozon) ** 1/2 |
| LA LEÓN (2007, d. Santiago Otheguy) * 1/2 |
| LABYRINTH (2003, d. Miroslav Lekic) Yugoslavia AFF. Enigmatic political allegory mystery. ** 1/2 |
| LADDER 49 (2004, d. Jay Russell) Straightforward feelgood drama about firefighters with a fine perf by Joaquim Phoenix and some great fire f/x. *** |
| LADIES IN LAVENDER (2005, d. Charles Dance) Well acted (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Daniel Brüel!) film about 2 old maids & the boy who drops in. ** 3/4 |
| LADY AND THE DUKE, THE (2002, d. Eric Rohmer) *** |
| LADY CHATTERLEY (2007, d. Pascale Ferran) A very French take of smoldering love in upper class Britain, a heterosexual Maurice. *** 1/4 |
| LADY EVE, THE (2004, d. Preston Sturges)V. Romantic comedy old style. The abrupt ending breaks the spell of a good Stanwyck-Fonda pairing. ** 3/4 |
| LADY IN THE WATER (2006, d. M. Night Shyamalan) Boring, simplistic "bedtime story". Giamatti excellent. ** |
| LADY JANE (2008, d. Robert Guédiguian) *** |
| LAGAAN: ONCE UPON A TIME IN INDIA (2001, d. Ashutosh Gowariker) *** |
| LAILA'S BIRTHDAY (2009, d. Rashid Masharawi) ** 1/2 |
| LAKAWANNA BLUES (2005, d. George Wolfe) Epatha Merkerson should win an Emmy for this marvellous HBO tv movie of life among blacks in a small NY town. *** 1/4 |
| LAKE HOUSE, THE (2006, d. Alejandro Agresti) Unabashed timebinding romance with too many paradoxes. Keanu Reeves surprises. *** |
| LAKE OF FIRE (2007, d. Tony Kaye) Long, fascinating, apparently neutral docu re abortion. Some hard to take shots! *** 1/4 |
| LAKE TAHOE (2008, d. Fernando Eimbcke) ** 3/4 |
| LAKEVIEW TERRACE (2008, d. Neil LaBute) Crash like dystopian view of L.A., Overwrought & unsettling, if effective filmmaking. Hit too close to home. ** 3/4 |
| LAKSHMI AND ME (2008, d. Nishtha Jain) ** 1/4 |
| LALEE'S KIN: THE LEGACY OF COTTON (2001, d. Deborah Dickson & Susan Frömke) ** |
| L'AMOUR, L'ARGENT, L'AMOUR (2001, d. Philip Gröning) *** 1/4 |
| LAN YU (2002, d. Stanley Kwan) *** 1/2 |
| LAND HAS EYES, THE (2005, d. Vilsoni Hereniko; Fiji) ** 1/2 |
| LAND OF PLENTY (2005, d. Wim Wenders) John Diehl is outstanding as a Viet vet obsessed by a mission to save the U.S. from terrorists. *** |
| LAND OF THE DEAF (2010, d. Valery Todorovsky) ** 1/2 |
| LANDSCAPE NO. 2 (2009, d. Vinko Möderndorfer; Slovenia) *** 1/2 |
| LANTANA (2001, d. Ray Lawrence) *** |
| LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER (2001, d. Simon West) * 3/4 |
| LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (2007, d. Craig Gillespie) *** 1/4 |
| LAST AIRBENDER, THE (2010, d. M. Night Shyamalan) Ambitious concept, mediocre performances, lousy 3D, convincing f/x add up to so so. ** 1/4 |
| LAST CALL (2002, d. Henry Bromell) ** |
| LAST CASTLE, THE (2001, d. Rod Lurie) *** |
| LAST CHANCE HARVEY (Joel Hopkins) Predictable, adult romantic comedy with fine acting. London has rarely looked better. ** 3/4 |
| LAST DANCE (2003, d. Mirra Bank) (V) Docu. Pilobolus dance troupe collaborates with Maurice Sendak on Holocaust ballet. *** |
| LAST DAY, THE (2005, d. Rodolphe Marconi) Very French, very dreamlike film about a teenage boy's coming to understand the mystery of his family. *** 1/2 |
| LAST DAYS (2005, d. Gus Van Sant) Slow meditative film about Kurt Cobain wandering to his death. Michael Pitt is fine; film is pretty. *** |
| LAST GREAT WILDERNESS, THE (2003, Great Britain d. David Mackenzie) Weird combo of road movie & horror show house. ** 1/4 |
| LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, THE (2006, d. Kevin Macdonald) Whitaker is superbly over the top; McAvoy is my boy. Strong film. *** 1/4 |
| LAST KING, THE (2004, d. Joe Wright) Excellent tv mini-series about Charles II and his court. Rufus Sewel was splendid, as was the production. *** |
| LAST KISS, THE (2006, d. Tony Goldwyn) Dispite iffy casting of leads, great adapted script - better than original Italian film! *** 1/2 |
| LAST KISS, THE (2002, d. Gabriele Muccino) *** 1/4 |
| LAST LEGION, THE (2007, d. Doug Lefler) ** 1/2 |
| LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE (2003, d. Pen-ek Ratanaruang) Superb, absurdist film about suicidal, obsessive Japanese Yukasa who meets messy Thai B-girl. *** 1/2 |
| LAST MIMZY, THE (2007, d. Robert Shaye)V. Pleasant enough fantasy/sf, fine kid actors; not very meaty stuff. ** 3/4 |
| LAST MINUTE MOROCCO (2008, d. Francesco Falaschi) ** 3/4 |
| LAST MISTRESS, THE (Une vieille maîtress) (2007, d. Catherine Breillat) *** 1/2 |
| LAST MOGUL, THE (2005, d. Barry Avrich) Interesting docu about Lou Wasserman with great interviews but fatally marred by the worst mix I've ever heard. ** |
| LAST ORDERS (2002, d. Fred Schepisi) ** 3/4 |
| LAST PULCINELLA, THE (L'ultimo Pulcinella) (2009, d. Maurizio Scaparro) ** 1/2 |
| LAST SAMURAI, THE (2003, d. Edward Zwick) Zwick does it again, imbue an action flick with veracity & emotional truth. Maybe Cruise's best role ever. *** 1/4 |
| LAST SCENE (2003, d. Hideo Nakata) Nostalgic, slow drama about an old man, once a successful leading man, returning to his last film acting job. ** 1/2 |
| LAST SEPTEMBER, THE (2000, d. Deborah Warner) ** |
| LAST SHOT, THE (2004, d. Jeff Nathanson) Occasionally funny comedy about FBI mob sting creating a fake movie. Alec Baldwin especially good. ** 3/4 |
| LAST STATION, THE (2009, d. Michael Hoffman) Superb perfs by Mirren, Plummer & McAvoy make this otherwise tedious, if good looking, historical biopic watchable. *** |
| LAST STOP 174 (2009, d. Bruno Barreto; Brazil) *** 3/4 |
| LAST TRAIN HOME (2010, d. Lixin Fan) ** 1/2 |
| LAST TRAIN, THE (2004, d. Alexei A German) B&W bleak, brutal, boring Russian WWII film about a German doctor stuck in the winter retreat. ** |
| LAST TRAIN, THE (2003, d. Diego Arsuaga) Uruguay AFF. Old codgers steal a steam locomotive to keep it in Uruaguay. ** 3/4 |
| LAST WEDDING (2002, d. Bruce Sweeney) *** |
| LATE BLOOMERS (2007, d. Bettina Oberli; Switzerland) ** 1/4 |
| LATE MARRIAGE (2001, d. Dover Kosashvili) *** 1/2 |
| LATTER DAYS (2004, d. C.J. Cox) The perfect festival gay film, sexy, sweet, sentimental and realistic with some star-making performances. *** 1/4 |
| LAUREL CANYON (2003, d. Lisa Cholodenko) Hi-jinx up the block from me. Dialog so real, acting so spot on, I loved it more than it deserved. *** 1/4 |
| LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (2009, d. F. Gary Gray) Intriguing revenge script, well executed; but unrealistic in the real world and a singularly unsavory experience. ** 3/4 |
| LAW OF DESIRE (Pedro Almodóvar) V. +7 The romantic gay melodrama that first defined the genre. *** 1/2 |
| LAWLESS HEART (2002, d. Tom Hunsinger) *** 1/2 |
| LAWS OF ATTRACTION (2004, d. Peter Howitt) Hideously bad, predictable screwball romantic comedy. Cast chemistry can't save flat direction. Ugh. * 1/4 |
| LAYER CAKE (2005, d. Matthew Vaughn) Stylish Brit noir à la Guy Richie, only better. Daniel Craig wonderful as a smart drug dealer. *** 1/4 |
| LEARNING TO LIE (2004, d. Hendrik Handloegten) Well constructed romantic comedy about a guy who is unable to forget his first love or commit to any others. *** 1/4 |
| LEATHERHEADS (2008, d. George Clooney) Clichéd failure proves screwball comedy is harder than it looks. * 1/4 |
| LEAVING BARSTOW (2009, d. Peter Paige) ** 1/2 |
| LEAVING METROPOLIS (2003, d. Brad Fraser) Ludicrously pretentious straight melodrama masquerading as a gay film. Beware films from Winnepeg! 1/2* |
| LEAVING (2010, d. Catherine Corsini) *** |
| LEBANON (2010, d. Samuel Maoz) *** 1/4 |
| LEFT SIDE OF THE FRIDGE (2001, d. Philippe Falardeau) *** 1/4 |
| LEGALLY BLONDE 2 (2004, d. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld)V. A script of such colossal stupidity that even Reese Witherspoon can't save the film. * 1/4 |
| LEGALLY BLONDE (2001, d. Robert Luketic) ** 1/2 |
| LEGEND OF 1900, THE (2004, d. Giuseppi Tornatore) V. Sumptuous, sentimental 1998 film about a musical progedy who never left the ship he was born in. ** 3/4 |
| LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE, THE (2000, d. Robert Redford) ** 1/2 |
| LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS (2010, d. Zack Snyder) Looks 10, story 0. Nice 3-D animation. Let's just say I found it overly plotted and unsatisfactory. * 3/4 |
| LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004, d. Brad Silberling) I was *not* charmed by Carrey's overacting; but the film worked anyway. ** 3/4 |
| LEÓN AND OLVIDO (2005, d. Xavier Bermúdez) Downer but well-made drama about Downs Syndrome brother & his normal twin sister. *** |
| LEONARD COHEN - I'M YOUR MAN (2006, d. Lian Lunson) ** 3/4 |
| LEO'S ROOM (2010, d. Enrique Buchichio) *** |
| LEROY (2008, d. Armin Volckers) ** 1/2 |
| LET IT RAIN (Parlez-moi de la pluis) (2010, d. Agnès Jaoui) Mildly funny farce with a game Jean-Pierre Bacri playing denser than usual. *** |
| LET ME IN (2010, d. Matt Reeves) Slow and intense reworking of original Swedish film. Fine performances & some of the most consistent vampire lore ever. *** |
| LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN (2004, d. David Petersen) V. Boring docu about a neighborhood church in D.C. and its troubled, but positive, parishoners. * 3/4 |
| LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008, d. Tomas Alfredson) *** |
| LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (2005, d. Xu Jinglei) Gorgeously shot kind of trivial "woman's pic" about a lifetime of unrequited love. ** 1/4 |
| LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (2006, d. Clint Eastwood) **** |
| LETTERS TO FATHER JACOB (2009, d. Klaus Härö; Finland) *** 1/4 |
| LETTERS TO JULIET (2010, d. Gary Winick) Enjoyable chick flick, even though at times excessively absurd. Vanessa Redgrave is truly wonderful. ** 1/2 |
| LETTING GO OF GOD (2008, d. Julia Sweeney) *** 3/4 |
| LEVITY (2003, d. Ed Solomon) Film about redemption with no redeeming qualities. Manipulative, predictable, dreary. Great cast directed on downers. * 3/4 |
| LEWIS - "THE QUALITY OF MERCY" (2010, d. Billie Eltringham) V. Murder in Oxford student theatricals; smart, fairly gripping & better than average. *** |
| LEWIS: COUNTER CULTURE BLUES (2010, d. Bill Anderson) V. Murders abound around '60s Brit rock royalty. Interesting characters, contrived plot. ** 1/4 |
| LEWIS: POINT OF VANISHING (2009, d. Maurice Phillips) V. Overly convoluted Brit mystery episode. Left me unsure about who did what to whom. ** 1/4 |
| LEWIS: THE DEAD OF WINTER (2010, d. Bill Anderson) V. Hijinx & murder in the lord's manor; unsatisfactory resolution - but Sgt. Hathaway shines here. ** 1/2 |
| L'HEURE D'ÉTÉ (Summer Hours) (2008, d. Olivier Assayas) *** 3/4 |
| LIAM (2001, d. Stephen Frears) *** 1/4 |
| LIBERTADOR MORALES, EL JUSTICIERO (2009, d. Efterpi Charalambidis; Venezuela) ** 1/4 |
| LIBERTAS (2007, d. Veljko Bulajic; Croatia) ** 1/4 |
| LIBERTINE, THE (2005, d. Laurence Dunmore) ** 1/2 |
| LIBERTY STANDS STILL (2002, d. Kari Skogland) ** 1/4 |
| LICENSE TO WED (2007, d. Ken Kwapis) * |
| LIFE & DEATH OF PETER SELLERS, THE (2004, d. Stephen Hopkins) V. PoMo and meta biopic. Rush is amazing; but Sellers was an asshole, if this to be believed. *** |
| LIFE AFTER WAR (2003, U.S. doc. d. Brian Knappenberger) Re-building a village destroyed in the Afghani war against the Taliban. Propaganda. W/O |
| LIFE AND TIMES OF YVA LAS VEGAS, THE (2007, d. Wiley Underdown) ** |
| LIFE AQUATIC, THE (2004, d. Wes Anderson) As his budgets go up his films become more hipster, ironic & detached. Cousteau deserves a better satire. ** |
| LIFE AS A HOUSE (2001, d. Irwin Winkler) ** 3/4 |
| LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (2010, d. Greg Berlanti) Berlanti is a fine show-runner; but as a director not so much. Predictable, unrealistic plot & mediocre all around. ** |
| LIFE BEFORE HER EYES, THE (2008, d. Vadim Perelman) Difficult. I wanted to escape the theater throughout. ** 1/4 |
| LIFE DURING WARTIME (2010, d. Todd Solondz) *** |
| LIFE HITS (2008, d. Christian Christiansen) *** |
| LIFE IN LOOPS (A MEGACITIES RMX) (2007, d. Tina Novotny) * 1/2 |
| LIFE OF DAVID GALE, THE (2003, d. Alan Parker) Drama about Texas anti-death penalty group and their condemned member. ** 1/2 |
| LIFE OF FISH, THE (2010, d. Matías Bize; Chile) *** 1/4 |
| LIFE ON LIBERTY STREET (2004, d. David Cass) V. Well acted if predictable Hallmark tv movie. Ethan Embry is having a great (2004, and nobody's watching. ** 1/2 |
| LIFE ON THE EDGE (2007, d. Ventura Pons) ** 3/4 |
| LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT (2002, d. Stephen Herek) ** 1/2 |
| LIFE THAT I WANT, THE (La Vita Che Vorrei) (2006, d. Giuseppe Piccioni) *** 1/2 |
| LIFE WITH MY FATHER (2005, d. Sébastien Rose) W/O |
| LIFT (2001, d. DeMane Davis/Streeter) ** 1/2 |
| LIGHT GRADIENT (Rückenwind) (2010, d. Jan Krüger) ** 1/2 |
| LIGHT THIEF, THE (2010, d. Aktan Arym Kubat; Kyrgyzstan) *** |
| LIKE A BROTHER (Comme un frére) (2006, d. Alapetite & Legann) Shortish, disappointment: gay boy in love with straight boy. ** |
| LIKE MINDS (2007, d. Gregory J. Read) *** 1/4 |
| LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL (2010, d. Hong Sang-Soo) ** 1/4 |
| LILJA 4-EVER (2003, d. Lukas Moodysson) Sweden AFF. Drama of child abuse in modern Russia. Downer; but great film. *** 3/4 |
| LILO & STICH (2002, d. Chris Sanders & Dean Deblois) *** |
| LIMELIGHT (2003, U.S. d. Terry Lukemire) Mocumentary about karaoke competitors gone horribly wrong. * |
| LINE OF BEAUTY, THE (2006, d. Saul Dibb) *** 1/2 |
| LINHA DE PASSE (2008, d. Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas) *** 1/2 |
| LION FOR LAMBS (2007, d. Robert Redford) Overly talky & schematic; but brilliant, important and utterly topical! *** 1/2 |
| LION'S DEN, THE (2008, d. Pablo Trapero; Argentina) *** 1/2 |
| LITTLE ASHES (2009, d. Paul Morrison) Overwrought but fascinating hodge-podge,drama of famed true-life gay artists in '30s Spain. Javier Beltran is true find. ** 3/4 |
| LITTLE BIG SOLDIER (2010, d. Ding Sheng) ** 1/2 |
| LITTLE BIT OF FREEDOM, A (2003, d. Yueksel Yavuz) Stunningly real drama: life of illegal Kurd boy in Hamburg. Exciting, relevant filmmaking. *** 3/4 |
| LITTLE BLACK BOOK (2004, d. Nick Hurran) Good acting can't save this stupid film, though it briefly works during the climactic live tv show. * 3/4 |
| LITTLE BOOK OF REVENGE (2007, d. Jean-François Pouliot) ** 3/4 |
| LITTLE CHILDREN (2006, d. Todd Field) "Golden Boy" Patrick Wilson & Kate Winslet plus remarkable script! Great film. *** 3/4 |
| LITTLE CITY (2003, d. Roberto Benabib) V. Sympathetic '97 romantic rondelay comedy re young S.F. couples. Worthy Josh Charles & ensemble. ** 3/4 |
| LITTLE CRUMB (2000, d. Maria Peters) * 1/2 |
| LITTLE FUGITIVE (2006, d. Joanna Lipper) ** 3/4 |
| LITTLE GIRL BLUE (2004, d. Anna Luif) Unexceptional, though well acted drama about teenage love thwarted by an affair by the kid's parents. ** 1/2 |
| LITTLE HELP, A (2010, d. Michael J. Weithorn) *** 1/4 |
| LITTLE JOE (2009, d.Nichole Haeusser) ** 3/4 |
| LITTLE MEN (2004, d. Nariman Turebayev) Interesting & likable character study of two salesmen in Kazakhstan, one aggressive, one passive. *** |
| LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006, d. Dayton & Faris) Good script, acting. Enormously entertaining depressed family comedy. *** 1/4 |
| LITTLE MONK, A (2003, S. Korea d. Joo Kyung-jun) Story of an 8 year old kid in a Buddhist monestary yearning for his mother. ** 1/2 |
| LITTLE RED FLOWERS (2006, d. Zhang Yuan) ** 1/2 |
| LITTLE SECRETS (2002, d. Blair Treu) *** |
| LITTLE SECRETS (2007, d. Pol Cruchten; Luxembourg) ** 1/2 |
| LITTLE SENEGAL (2000, d. Rachid Bouchareb) ** 1/2 |
| LITTLE SOLDIER (2009, d. Annette K. Olesen) ** 3/4 |
| LITTLE THIEF, THE (La petite voleuse) (2010, d. Claude Miller) *** |
| LITTLE THING CALLED MURDER, A (2006, d. Richard Benjamin) V. Fun, campy retelling of Kimes family of grifters. Judy Davis remarkable as usual. *** |
| LITTLE TRAITOR, THE (2009, d. Lynn Roth) *** 1/4 |
| LITTLE TRIP TO HEAVEN, A (2010, d. Baltasar Kormákur) V. Atmospheric insurance con thriller with good cast; but plot had enough holes to drive through! * 3/4 |
| LIUBI (2006, d. Layia Yiourgou) *** |
| LIVE AND BECOME (2008, d. Radu Mihaileanu) Epic story of Ethopian non-Jew kid living & growing up in Israel. Quite moving. *** 1/2 |
| LIVE AND REMEMBER (2009, d. Alexander Proshkin) *** 1/4 |
| LIVE BLOOD (2001, d. Edoardo Winspeare) ** |
| LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (2007, d. Len Wiseman) Non-stop action, overly convoluted plot. Better than expected. ** 3/4 |
| LIVE FREE OR DIE (2006, d. Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin) *** |
| LIVE FROM BAGHDAD (2003, d. Mick Jackson) V. HBO film docudrama about CNN crew in Baghdad during Gulf War I. *** |
| LIVES OF OTHERS, THE (2006, d. Florian Henckel von Donnersmark; Germany) *** 3/4 |
| LIVING IN EMERGENCY: STORIES OF DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS (2009, d. Mark Hopkins) V. Viscerally affecting docu about 4 doctors in dire Africa. *** 1/4 |
| LIVING WAKE, THE (2007, d. Sol Tyson) * 1/2 |
| LJUBLJANA (2002, d. Igor Sterk) *** |
| LOGGERHEADS (2005, d. Tim Kirkman) *** 1/2 |
| LONDON RIVER (2009, d. Richard Bouchareb) *** 1/4 |
| LONESOME JIM (2005, d. Steve Buscemi) Depression & despair has never been more amusing. Casey Affleck finally lives up to his promise. *** |
| LONG DARK NIGHT (2004, d. Anton Vrdoljak) Croatia AFF. Moving and well made WWII epic of the fight between pro-Germans and pro-Communists. *** |
| LONG EMBRACE, A (2004, d. Daniel Burman) Warm, franetic Argentine comedy about a Jewish family and their shopping mall denizen friends. *** 1/4 |
| LONGEST YARD, THE (2006, d. Peter Segal) V. Surprisingly entertaining con vs. guards prison football. Sandler actually convincing. ** 3/4 |
| LONGFORD (2007, d. Tom Hooper) V. HBO biopic about dotty, saintly lord (fabulous Jim Broadbent) who visits hopless prisoners. *** 1/4 |
| LONGTIME COMPANION (2003, d. Norman René) V.+++ Remarkable document of '80s, not dated, still rings true. The first & one of the best AIDS films. *** 1/2 |
| LOOK AT ME (2005, d. Agnès Jaoui) Slice of life, bittersweet romantic about a disfunctional French arty family & friends. Quite enjoyable, if minor. *** |
| LOOK, THE (2003, d. David Sigel) Mockumentary about a NY contest for models. Some good bits; but overall pretty average. I've seen worse. ** 1/4 |
| LOOKING FOR ERIC (2009, d. Ken Loach) ** 1/2 |
| LOOKOUT, THE (2007, d. Scott Frank) Nicely written & directed psych. thriller, with 3 super perfs. espec. Joseph Gorden-Levitt *** 1/4 |
| LOOSE CANNONS (2010, d. Ferzan Ozpetek) *** 1/4 |
| LORD OF THE RING: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (ext. edition) (2003, d. Peter Jackson)++ Stunningly re-edited with quiet scenes added. Brand new experience on big screen. **** |
| LORD OF THE RING: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003, d. Peter Jackson) Quibble about too many endings; but exceded expectations. Whole is greatest film of all time. **** |
| LORD OF THE RING: THE TWO TOWERS (ext. version) (2003, d. Peter Jackson)+ Making it longer didn't help the sagging middle. Helm's Deep still a great set piece. *** 1/2 |
| LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE (2001, d. Peter Jackson) *** 1/4 |
| LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002, d. Peter Jackson) *** 1/2 |
| LORD OF WAR (2005, d. Andrew Niccol) *** |
| LORDS OF DOGTOWN (2005, d. Catherine Hardwicke) Fictionalized story of original Venice, CA skateboard punks. Good acting & action. ** 3/4 |
| LORNA'S SILENCE (Le silance de Lorna) (2008, d. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) *** 1/2 |
| LOS OLVIDADOS (2005, d. Luis Buñuel) 1950 B&W drama about disaffected teens in Mexico City. Dali's influence felt in dream sequences. Very affecting. *** 1/4 |
| LOSER (2009, d. Amy Heckerling) V. Jason Biggs is pretty good here, but the film is all NYC & collegiant clichés...and unforgivably, sort of boring. ** 1/4 |
| LOSER (2000, d. Amy Heckerling) ** 1/4 |
| LOSERS, THE (2010, d. Sylvain White) Lived up to its title: too frenetic & comic-booky, ridiculous action; more amusing than thrilling - & Chris Evans rules. ** |
| LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND (2009, d. Jodie Markell) Tennessee Williams' script (& Bryce Howard's Southern belle) should've remained lost. But Chris Evans is ideal. ** 1/2 |
| LOSS (2008, d. Maris Martinsons; Lithuania) ** |
| LOST AND DELIRIOUS (2001, d. Léa Pool) *** |
| LOST BOYS OF SUDAN, THE (2003, d. Megan Mylan & Jon Shenk) V. Documentary about two Sudanese refugees in U.S. Interesting, if somewhat uninvolving. ** 3/4 |
| LOST CHILDREN (2005, d. Ahadi and Stoltz)V. ** 1/4 |
| LOST COAST, THE (2008, d. Gabriel Fleming) Antoniesque, arty drama of 2 20ish guys reliving hi-school affair in Castro Halloween night. ** 3/4 |
| LOST IN THE PERSHING POINT HOTEL (2000, d. Julia Jay Pierrepont II) ** 1/2 |
| LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003, d. Sofia Coppola) Minimalist wry comedy; 2 people adrift in Tokyo who fleetingly connect. Beautifully performed & directed. ***1/4 |
| LOST MAN, A (Un homme perdu) (2008, d. Danielle Artid) ** 1/2 |
| LOST ROOM, THE (2006, d. Baxley & Watkins) V. Fairly original s/f premise until unsatisfactory ending. ** 1/2 |
| LOT LIKE LOVE, A (2005, d. Nigel Cole) Kutcher is turning into a major star...love his line readings. Nicely made, predictable romantic comedy. ** 3/4 |
| LOTTERY, THE (2010, d. Madeleine Sackler) V. Another sad docu on state of eductation & their savior, charter schools. Not as comprehensive as Superman. *** |
| LOUISE-MICHEL (2009, d. Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern) * |
| LOVE & DANCE (Sipur Hatzi Russi) (2007, d. Eitan Anner) ** 3/4 |
| LOVE & SEX (2000, d. Valerie Breiman) ** |
| LOVE ACTUALLY (2003, d. Richard Curtis) Pleasant enough multi-story romantic comedy. About 1/3 of the stories misfired, the others really worked. ** 3/4 |
| LOVE AND HONOR (Bushi No Ichibun) (2008, d. Yôji Yamada) **** |
| LOVE AND OTHER CRIMES (Liebe und Andere Verbrechen) (2008, d. Stefan Arsenijevic) ** 3/4 |
| LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS (2010, d. Alek Keshishian) My fave film of 2006 & maybe the best straight to video film ever made! *** 1/2 |
| LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS (2006, d. Alek Keshishian) *** 1/2 |
| LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS (2010, d. Edward Zwick) Jake & Anne have real chemistry. Zwick made a rare uneven film. Pfizer is the bad guy. Haha. ** 3/4 |
| LOVE AT 7-11 (2003, Taiwan d. Teng Yung-shing) Languid, moody, arty, boring story of two couples who fail to connect. ** 1/4 |
| LOVE DON'T COST A THING (2003, d. Troy Beyer) Nick Cannon, worthy star; but this paean to mindless consumerism and teen conformity is horrendous film. 1/2* |
| LOVE FOR SHARE (2007, d. Nia Dinata; Indonesia) ** 3/4 |
| LOVE FORBIDDEN (2003, France d. Rodolphe Marconi) Dark drama about a sexually confused young filmmaker who gets hung up on an Italian man. *** |
| LOVE HAPPENS (2009, d. Brandon Camp) Unoriginal romance; but actors make it work up to a point. John Caroll Lynch is fine in moving supporting role. ** 1/2 |
| LOVE IN A PUFF (2010, d. Pang Ho-Cheung) ** 1/4 |
| LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA (2007, d. Mike Newell) Bardem is really fine, a moving "elderly" love story, but... ** 3/4 |
| LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONEY (2002, d. Peter Mattei) *** 1/4 |
| LOVE IS IN THE AIR (Ma vie en l'air) (2010, d. Rémi Bezançon) *** |
| LOVE LIZA (2002, d. Todd Louiso) ** |
| LOVE ME IF YOU DARE (2004, d. Yann Samuell) A wildly inventive, super-romantic trip of a film about 2 kids growing up playing an obnoxious game full tilt. *** |
| LOVE OF SIAM, THE (2008, d. Chukiat Sakveerakul) Thai film about gay boy band singer & his first love. Affecting, but inscrutable. ** 1/2 |
| LOVE SONG FOR BOBBIE LONG, A (2005, d. Shainee Gabel) Gentle, amiable, N.O. peculiar family drama. Fine acting ensemble (Johansson, Macht & Travolta). *** |
| LOVE SONGS (Les chansons d'amours) (2007, d. Christophe Honoré) *** |
| LOVE SONGS (2008, d. Chtrisophe Honoré) +1; I stand by my TIFF review, only 2nd time around liked it even more. *** 1/4 |
| LOVE THE HARD WAY (2002, d. Peter Sehr) *** |
| LOVE TO HIDE, A (2006, d. Christian Fauré) Remarkably effective WWII French Jewish/gay Holocaust tv movie. *** 1/4 |
| LOVELORN (2005, d. Yavuz Turgul) W/O |
| LOVELORN (2006, d. Yavuz Turgul; Turkey) *** |
| LOVELY AND AMAZING (2002, d. Nicole Holofcener) ** 3/4 |
| LOVELY BONES (2009, d. Peter Jackson) Looks great, but eyerollingly earnest and obvious, emotionally misfiring. ** 1/2 |
| LOVELY LONELINESS (2009, d. Victoria Galardi & Martin Carranza) ** 3/4 |
| LOVER, THE (2003, Russia d. Valery Todorovsky) Involving drama about a man who discovers is recently deceased wife had had a secret long time lover. *** 1/4 |
| LOVER'S PRAYER (2004, d. Reverge Anselmo)V. Boringly made pastiche of Turganev & Chekhov. Nick Stahl was good, Kirsten Dunst beautiful, but film sucked. * 3/4 |
| LOVE'S LABOUR LOST (2000, d. Kenneth Branagh) ** 1/4 |
| LOVESICKNESS (Maldeamores) (2007, d. Carlitos Ruíz Ruíz & Mariem Pérez) ** 3/4 |
| LOW PROFILE (Falscher Bekenner) (2006, d. Christoph Hochäusler) *** |
| LOWER CITY (2006, d. Sergio Machado) *** |
| LUCIE AUBRAC (2007, d. Claude Berri) V. Gripping trueish French Resistance film, like Black Book or Sophie Scholl, only better. *** 1/4 |
| LUCKY BREAK (2002, d. Peter Cattaneo) ** 1/2 |
| LUCKY DAY, A (2002, d. Sandra Gugliotta) * |
| LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN (2006, d. Paul McGuigan) Peculiar, atmospheric gangster revenge film. Josh Hartnett good; but after 5 min. I figured it all out. ** 1/4 |
| LUCKY NUMBERS (2000, d. Nora Ephron) ** 1/2 |
| LUCKY YOU (2007, d. Curtis Hanson) Predictable romantic drama; but at least they got the poker right. ** 1/2 |
| LUGAR DONDE ESTUVO EL PARAISO, EL (2003, d. Gerardo Herrero) Diverting melodrama of intrigue in the Peruvian Amazon. ** 3/4 |
| LULA, SON OF BRAZIL (2010, d. Fábio Barreto; Brazil) ** 1/2 |
| LUNACY (2006, d. Jan Svankmajer; Czech Republic) * 3/4 |
| LUNATICS, LOVERS & POETS (2009, d. John Scoular) * 3/4 |
| LUST, CAUTION (2007, d. Ang Lee) Gorgeous, perverse love and revolt story with a phenominal perf by Wei Tang. *** 1/2 |
| LUSTER (2003, d. Everett Lewis) + Forgot I'd seen this primative, sexy, minor gay film effort before. Justin Herwick memorable, not much else. ** 1/2 |
| LUZHIN DEFENCE, THE (2001, d. Marleen Gorris) ** |
| LYMELIFE (2009, d. Derick Martini) Culkin brothers are quite fine; but unremitting miserablism overwhelms slender plot. ** 1/2 |