| "R" 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 |
| R (2010, d. Tobias Lindholm & Michael Noer) *** |
| RABBIT HOLE (2010, d. John Cameron Mitchell) Moving film about loss, incredible acting ensemble. Honestly, I thought I was watching a wonderful Todd Field film. *** 1/2 |
| RABBIT ON THE MOON (2004, d. Jorge Suárez) Superior, gripping political thriller about Mexican government corruption & its affect on innocent people. *** |
| RABBIT-PROOF FENCE (2002, d. Phillip Noyce) *** 1/4 |
| RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (2009, d. Andy Fickman) Loveably dumb scrip and just ok f/xt; but then I'm not the target audience. ** 1/2 |
| RACE YOU TO THE BOTTOM (2005, d. Russell Brown) Surprisingly enjoyable, caustic affair of bi-guy & faghag in wine country. Nicely written. *** |
| RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (2008, d. Jonathan Demme) Superbly acted and perfectly executed Dogme 95 filmmaking. *** 1/2 |
| RACHIDA (2003, d. Yamina Bachir-Chouikh) Algeria AFF. Melodrama about terrorism & its effect on a young lady teacher. ** 3/4 |
| RACING DREAMS (2009, d. Marshall Curry) V. Superb, involving docu about three 12-13 year old circuit go-kart racers & their dreams during a year of racing. *** 3/4 |
| RADIO (2003, d. Mike Tollin) Like Patch Adams, a true story which should pull the heartstrings, but so much liberal crap that it fails on every level. * 3/4 |
| RAGE IN PLACID LAKE, THE (2003, d. Tony McNamara) Coming-of-age film about a non-conformist (a wonderful turn by Ben Lee)...an Australian Rushmore. *** 1/4 |
| RAGE, THE (La Rabbia) (2008, d. Louis Nero) * 1/4 |
| RAGING SUN, RAGING SKY (2009, d. Julián Hernández) *** 1/2 |
| RAIN (2002, d. Katherine Lindberg) ** |
| RAISE YOUR HEAD (Alza la testa) (2010, d. Alessandro Angelini) *** 1/4 |
| RAISING VICTOR VARGAS (2003, d. Peter Sollett) Cocky latino boy courts romance and his family copes. Well intentioned; but didn't do it for me. ** 1/2 |
| RAJA (2004, d. Jacques Doillon) V. Strange, incomprehensible love affair between a Frenchman & his Moroccan maid. ** 1/4 |
| RAMCHAND PAKISTANI (2008, d. Mehreen Jabbar) *** |
| RANG DE BASANTI (2006, d. Rakesh Omprakash Mehra; India) *** 1/4 |
| RAPE OF EUROPA, THE (2007, d. Berge & Cohen) Well researched docu: WWII and stolen art. Unique footage. *** 1/4 |
| RAPT (2010, d. Lucas Belvaux) *** 1/2 |
| RAT RACE (2001, d. Jerry Zucker) ** 1/2 |
| RATATOUILLE (2007, d. Brad Bird) My fave of all the Pixar films; its basically adult theme exalting foodie culture appeals. *** 1/2 |
| RATCATCHER (2000, d. Lynne Ramsay) *** 3/4 |
| RATIONAL SOLUTION, A (2010, d. Jörgen Bergmark) ** 1/2 |
| RAY (2004, d. Taylor Hackford) One of all-time best biopix with a searingly great perf by Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. Well structured script, top flight credits all around. *** 1/2 |
| RAZOR (BSG-4) (2010, d. Fé lix Enriquez Alcalá) V. Backstory TV movie covering Pegasus & Adm. Kane's prior loony obsessions. High production values, but confusing. ** 1/2 |
| READ MY LIPS (2002, d. Jacques Audiard. France) *** 3/4 |
| READER, THE (2008, d. Stephen Daldry) Exquisite film, tender, moving; with astounding central perfs. David Kross fulfills promise of Krabat. *** 1/2 |
| READY? OK! (2009, d. James Vasquez) *** |
| REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN, THE (2005, d. Taggart Siegel) Liberal crowd-pleaser docu about an organic farmer & his collective farm in Illinois. *** |
| REAL TIME (2008, d. Randall Cole) ** 3/4 |
| REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2003, d. Patricia Cardoso) (V) Latina Star Maps, only college vs. sweatshop. ** 3/4 |
| RECKONING, THE (2004, d. Paul McGuigan) An almost can't miss genre and cast...and it misses. Too murky, though quite faithful to 14th Century. ** 1/4 |
| RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN (Free Rainer -- Dein Fernseher Lügt) (2007, d. Hans Weingartner) ** 1/2 |
| RECONSTRUCTION (2004, d. Christoffer Boe) Danish wide screen experimental drama about writer manipulating a man in a love affair. ** 3/4 |
| RECOUNT (2009, d. Jay Roach) V. The 2000 election still hurts & it's taken me several false starts to finish this fine, well acted, well written tv film. *** 1/4 |
| RECRUIT, THE (2003, d. Roger Donaldson) Formulaic thriller, no surprises. But Colin Farrell is a star who leaps off the screen. ** 3/4 |
| RED AWN, THE (2008, d. Cai Shangjun) ** 3/4 |
| RED CLIFF (2009, d. John Woo) Even the truncated US version is fantastic filmmaking. Leung & Kaneshiro are so fine, the battle scenes lucid & unsurpassed in memory. *** 3/4 |
| RED DRAGON (2002, d. Brett Ratner) *** |
| RED DUST (2005, d. Tom Hooper) Very well made and well acted, though familiar plotwise, drama about the S.African reconciliation. *** |
| RED EYE (2005, d. Wes Craven) ** 3/4 |
| RED LIGHTS (2004, d. Cedric Kahn) Cautionary, spellbinding drama about a marriage in trouble and a drunken road trip where it all comes to a head. *** 1/4 |
| RED MACHINE, THE (2010, d. Stephanie Argy, Alec Boehm) ** 1/2 |
| RED PLANET (2000, d. Antony Hoffman) ** 1/2 |
| RED RIDING: 1974 (2009, d. Julian Jarrold) *** |
| RED RIDING: 1980 (2009, d. James March) *** 1/4 |
| RED RIDING: 1983 (2009, d. Anand Tucker) ** 3/4 |
| RED ROAD (2007, d. Andrea Arnold) Moral ambiguity abounds in this well made, subtle thriller. *** 1/4 |
| RED WITHOUT BLUE (2007, d. Brooke Sebold, Todd & Benita Sills) *** 1/4 |
| RED, WHITE AND BLUES (2003, d. Mike Figgis) Full length film from The Blues series, fascinating stuff about the '60s British invasion re-introducing blues to U.S. *** 1/2 |
| REDBELT (2008, d. David Mamet) Typical venial and corrupt Mametworld, but even more so than usual. ** |
| REDEEMER (2005, d. Claudio Torres) A wildly uneven, but ultimately too far-out film about a crooked real estate empire in Rio and how God got even. * 3/4 |
| REEL PARADISE (2005, d. Steve James) V. *** |
| RČGLE DU JEU, LA (2007, d. Jean Renoir) ++ A gem, beautifully constructed social satire/French farce. *** 3/4 |
| REIGN OF FIRE (2002, d. Rob Bowman) ** |
| REIGN OVER ME (2007, d. Mike Binder) Binder bites off a lot; but Cheadle & Sandler (nervy, spot on perf) make it work. *** |
| RELIGULOUS (2008, d. Larry Charles) I agree with everything in this film; but Maher's script depends too much on editing cheats, unlike much superior Letting Go of God. . ** 3/4 |
| REMEMBER ME, MY LOVE (2004, d. Gabriele Muccino) Fast paced troubled family drama with some great performances. *** 1/4 |
| REMEMBER THE TITANS (2000, d. Boaz Yakin) *** |
| RENART, THE FOX (2005, d. Thierry Schiel; Luxembourg) * |
| RENDITION (2007, d. Gavin Hood) Another well directed film with a story that just doesn't add up. ** 3/4 |
| RENNIE'S LANDING (2001, d. Marc Fusco) ** 1/4 |
| RENT (2005, d. Chris Columbus) * 3/4 |
| REPLACEMENTS, THE (2000, d. Howard Deutch) ** 1/2 |
| REPO MEN (2010, d. Michael Sapochnik) Absurd plot, terribly wrenching surprise ending. Yet production values quite high & all in all a diverting sci-fi dystopia. ** 3/4 |
| REPORTER (2009, d. Eric Metzgar) V. Committed docu about NY Times journalist Nicholas Kristof & his trip with two young contest winners to war ravaged east Congo. ** 3/4 |
| REPRISE (2007, d. Joachim Trier; Norway) *** 1/2 |
| REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000, d. Darren Aronofsky) ** 3/4 |
| REQUIEM OF SNOW (2005, d. Jamil Rostami; Iraq) ** |
| REQUIEM (2006, d. Hans Christian Schmid) *** |
| RESCUE DAWN (2006, d. Werner Herzog) *** 3/4 |
| RESERVATION ROAD (2007, d. Terry George) Unlikely coincidence mars a well told, predictable story. ** 3/4 |
| RESOLVED (2007, d. Greg Whiteley) Gripping & a little scary docu about HS debaters now (so different from the '50s when I was one.) *** 1/2 |
| RESPIRO (2002, d. Emanuele Crialese) *** 1/4 |
| REST IS SILENCE, THE (2008, d. Nae Caranfil; Romania) *** 1/4 |
| RESTREPO (2010, d. Tim Hetheringon & Sebastian Junger) *** 1/4 |
| RESURRECTING THE CHAMP (2007, d. Rod Lurie) *** 1/4 |
| RESURRECTION OF THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL (2003, d. Sun-Woo Jang) Korean Matrix like videogame playing adventure film. ** 1/2 |
| RETRIBUTION (Sakebi) (2007, d. Kiyoshi Kurosawa) ** 3/4 |
| RETRIEVAL (2006, d. Slawomir Fabiciki; Poland) *** 1/4 |
| RETURN OF THE STORKS (2007, d. Martin Repka; Slovakia) *** |
| RETURN TO CRANFORD (2010, d. Simon Curtis) V. Treakly sequel, ows much to Dickens. Pretty & authentic but too sentimental compared to original. ** 1/2 |
| RETURN TO ME (2000, d. Bonnie Hunt) ** |
| RETURN, THE (2003, d. Andrei Zvagintsev) Russia's AFF: a beautiful, moody road picture about 2 kid brothers and their long absent father. *** 1/2 |
| REUNION, THE (2002, d. Mans Hemgren) *** |
| REVANCHE (2008, d. Götz Spielmann) *** 1/2 |
| REVERSE (Rewers) (2009, d. Borys Lankosz; Poland) *** 1/2 |
| REVOLUTION OF PIGS (2004, d. Kilmi & Reinumägi) Ambitious, but sprawling film about an '85 Young Communist camp gone to riot in Estonia. ** 1/4 |
| REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (2008, d. Sam Mendes) Kate is pheomenal, Leo less so; but unpleasant film is caustic, dramatic dynamite with ring of truth. *** 1/4 |
| REY, EL (2005, d. Antonio Dorado) Involving history of a '60s Columbian drug lord, Scarface revisited. ** 3/4 |
| REYKJAVIK-ROTTERDAM (2010, d. Oskar Jonasson; Iceland) *** 1/4 |
| RICE RHAPSODY (2005, d. Kenneth Biroli) Singapore woman with 3 gay sons tries to get one to turn straight. A fun, lush foodie confection of a film. ** 3/4 |
| RIDING GIANTS (2004, d. Stacy Peralta) A documentary about the history and addiction of riding the biggest waves in the world. *** 1/4 |
| RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS (2001, d. Penny Marshall) ** |
| RIEN A FAIRE (2000, d. Marion Vernoux) *** |
| RIGHT OF THE WEAKEST, THE (La Raison du plus faible) (2007, d. Lucas Belvaux) *** 1/2 |
| RING OF DARKNESS (2004, d. David DeCoteau) Overamped Satinist "boy band" potboiler. The guys are very good looking; but the film is pretty bad. * 3/4 |
| RING TWO, THE (2005, d. Hideo Nakata) A truly ridiculous premise so outlandish that it's impossible to be scared. Still, effective acting & direction. * 3/4 |
| RING, THE (2002, d. Gore Verbinski) ** 3/4 |
| RIPLEY UNDER GROUND (2005, d. Robert Spottiswoode) ** 3/4 |
| RIPLEY'S GAME (2003, d. Liliana Cavani) V. Unaccountably STV murder-for-hire and sociopathic intrigue plot from Highsmith. Quite stylish and well made. *** |
| RISOTTO (2002, d. Olga Malea) ** 1/2 |
| RITCHIE BOYS, THE (2004, d. Christian Bauer) Nicely made docu about German Jews who served in army intelligence during WWII. Great interviewees. *** 1/2 |
| RITTENHOUSE SQUARE (2005, d. Robert Downey) V. ** 1/2 |
| RIVALS (Les Liens du sang) (2008, d. Jacques Maillot) *** |
| RIVER, THE (2010, d. Jean Renoir) ** 3/4 |
| RIVER, THE (2001, d. Jarmo Lampela) ** 1/2 |
| RIVER, THE (2001, d. Tsai Ming-liang) [1997] *** 1/4 |
| RIVERMAN, THE (2004, d. Bill Eagles) V. Murky, poor man's Manhunter tv movie about the Green River serial killer and Ted Bundy's last days on death row. ** |
| RIVERS WASH OVER ME (2009, d. John G. Young) Nicely shot and acted issue film about gay black boy returned to small town South. *** |
| RIZE (2005, d. David LaChapelle; docu) V. ** 1/4 |
| ROAD FROM ELEPHANT PASS, THE (2009, d. Chandran Rutnam; Sri Lanka) ** 1/2 |
| ROAD HOME, THE (2001, d. Zhang Yimou) ** 3/4 |
| ROAD MOVIE (2003, d. Kim In-Sik) Mediocre but visually interesting Korean melodrama - an itinerate gay man's love for a failed straight stockbroker. ** 1/2 |
| ROAD TO EL DORADO, THE (2000, d. Eric "Bibo" Bergeron & Don Paul) ** |
| ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (2006, d. Michael Winterbottom) **** |
| ROAD TO PERDITION (2002, d. Sam Mendes) *** 1/2 |
| ROAD TRIP (2000, d. Todd Phillips) ** 1/2 |
| ROAD, THE (2009, d. John Hillcoat) Bleak story drenched in miserablism & puzzling causality. Impressive acting, especially cameos by Robert Duval & unrecognizable Guy Pearce. *** |
| ROAD, THE (2006, d. Zhang Jiarui) ** 3/4 |
| ROADS TO KOKTEBEL, THE (2004, d. Khlebnikov & Popogrebsky) OK, if slow, kid and father road-trip-to-nowhere Russian flick. ** 3/4 |
| ROBBER BRIDE, THE (2007, d. David Evans) V. Canadian tv thriller with plot gyrations, but rather predictable, if well acted. ** 1/4 |
| ROBBER, THE (2010, d. Benjamin Heisenberg) *** 1/4 |
| ROBERT CAPA: IN LOVE AND WAR (2003, US doc. d. Anne Makepeace) Uninspired documentary about the photo-journalist. ** 1/2 |
| ROBERT ZIMMERMANN IS TANGLED UP IN LOVE (2009, d. Leander Haussmann) *** |
| ROBERTO SUCCO (2004, d. Cedric Kahn) Frighteningly real true story of an insane Italian who charms women and serial kills randomly in France. *** 1/4 |
| ROBIN HOOD (2010, d. Ridley Scott) So a-historical, overamped, even boring that some good acting & prod. design are wasted. * 3/4 |
| ROBOTS (2005, d. Chris Wedge) Kinetic, beautifully designed 3-D animated roller-coaster with a predictable script. Marred by Greg Kaneer's incipidly voiced villainy. *** |
| ROCK SCHOOL (2005, d. Don Argott) Enormously entertaining docu about a Philadelphia school for kids to learn to perform rock. *** 1/2 |
| ROCK STAR (2001, d. Stephen Herek) ** 1/2 |
| ROCKET SCIENCE (2007, d. Jeffrey Blitz) *** 1/4 |
| ROCKNROLLA (2008, d. Guy Ritchie) Some clever bits looking for a coherent narrative. Typical Ritchie, not a good thing imo. ** 1/2 |
| ROCKY BALBOA (2006, d. Sylvester Stallone) I may be the sole ideal demographic for this film; but Stallone hits a perfect tone here. *** 1/4 |
| ROGER DODGER (2002, d. Dylan Kidd) *** 3/4 |
| ROGER DODGER (2006, d. Dylan Kydd) V+ 2nd viewing not as great as remembered. Searing performances, though. *** |
| ROI DANSE, LE (2001, d. Gérard Corbiau) ** 1/2 |
| ROLE MODELS (2008, d. David Wain) Sweet comedy with a perfect cast. *** |
| ROLE OF A LIFETIME, THE (2005, d. François Favat) Pleasant, involving dramidy about a famous film actress & the woman she makes her assistant. *** |
| ROLE/PLAY (2010, d. Rob Williams) ** 1/2 |
| ROLLERBALL (2002, d. John McTiernan) ** |
| ROLLING FAMILY (2005, d. Pablo Trapero) Earthy road pic about an extended family's 1000km journey by camper through north Argentina. *** 1/4 |
| ROMA (2005, d. Adolfo Aristarian) Poignant, lovely, wonderful epic drama about an elderly writer's reminiscences of his mother. Juan Diego Boto rules! **** |
| ROMAN DE GARE (2008, d. Claude Lelouch) *** |
| ROMANCE & CIGARETTES (2007, d. John Turturro) Virtually unwatchable embarrassment for all. * |
| ROMANOVS: AN IMPERIAL FAMILY (2001, d. Gleb Panfilov) *** 1/2 |
| ROMEO IS BLEEDING (2004, d. Peter Medak) V. Nihilistic, stylish, '93 film noir with memorable performances by Gary Oldman and Lena Olin. *** |
| ROMULUS, MY FATHER (2008, d. Richard Roxburgh) Superb acting, spare, slow, but beautifully made weeper. *** 1/2 |
| RON CLARK STORY, THE (2006, d. Randa Haines) V. Matthew Perry is good as inspiring teacher in Harlem. Predictable. ** 3/4 |
| RONDA NOCTURNA (2005, d. Edgardo Cozaninsky) Delightful rondelay of one enchanted night of an attractive male hustler in Buenos Aires. *** 1/4 |
| ROOKIE, THE (2002, d. John Lee Hancock) *** |
| ROOM FOR ROMEO BRASS, A (2000, d. Shane Meadows) *** |
| ROOM IN ROME (2010, d. Julio Médem) *** 1/4 |
| ROOM WITH A VIEW, A (2008, d. Nicholas Renton) V. Andrew Davis's unnecessary remake; still, enjoyable. ** 1/2 |
| ROOSTER'S BREAKFAST, THE (Petalinaji zajtrk) (2008, d. Marco Nabersnik; Slovenia) *** |
| ROOTS (2006, d. Pavel Lungin) *** 1/2 |
| RORY O'SHEA WAS HERE (2004, d. Damien O'Donnell) Moving, uplifting disabled youths story with some great acting (James McAvoy!) and a story which sticks to the ribs. *** 1/2 |
| ROSENSTRASSE (2003, d. Margarethe von Trotta) Somehow uninspiring, earnest Holocaust drama about Aryan wives of German Jewish men taken in 1943. ** 1/2 |
| ROSE'S SONGS (2003, d. Andor Szilágyi) Excellent, unique Hungarian Holocaust film: group of Jews trying to avoid living in the ghetto. *** 1/4 |
| ROUND DA WAY (Lascars) (2010, d. Albert Pereira Lazaro, Emmanuel Klotz) * |
| ROUND TWO (2006, d. Daniel Cebrián) *** 1/4 |
| ROUTE, LA (2002, d. Darezhan Omirbaev) W/O |
| ROYAL TENENBAUMS, THE (2001, d. Wes Anderson) *** |
| RUDO Y CURSI (2009, d. Carlos Cuarón) Bernal & Luna are good enough; but soccer story and direction don't ignite. ** 3/4 |
| RUINS, THE (Rusevine) (2005, d. Janez Burger) ** 1/2 |
| RUINS, THE (2010, 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 |
| RULE OF THE GAME, THE (2002, d. Ho Ping) * 1/2 |
| RULES OF ATTRACTION, THE (2002, d. Roger Avary) *** 1/4 |
| RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (2000, d. William Friedkin) *** |
| RUMOR HAS IT... (2005, d. Rob Reiner) *** |
| RUMOR OF ANGELS, A (2003, d. Peter O'Fallon) V. Vanessa Redgrave & Trevor Morgan shine in this melodrama of grieving. Minor, but moving for all that. ** 3/4 |
| RUN FOR MONEY, A (2000, d. Reha Erdem) *** 1/4 |
| RUN IF YOU CAN (2010, d. Dietrich Brüggemann) *** 1/4 |
| RUNAWAY JURY (2003, d. Gary Fleder) A screen adaptation which is superior to the original book. Good acting, direction & editing save a hole filled plot. *** |
| RUNAWAYS, THE (2010, d. Fiona Sigismondi) Loved the music. Dakota was great, Kristen less so; script too typical of biopic genre. ** 1/2 |
| RUNNING ON EMPTY (2007, d. Akinci Bülent) ** 3/4 |
| RUNNING ON KARMA (2004, d. Johnny To, Wai Ka-fai) A female cop and a karma seeing ex-monk expiate past lives in this grizzly, confusing thriller. ** 1/2 |
| RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (2006, d. Ryan Murphy) Excessive bio which struck gold for me. Great performances. *** |
| RUPERT'S LAND (2000, d. Jonathan Tammuz) *** |
| RUSSIAN ARK (2003, d. Aleksandr Sokurov) Brilliant tour de force 1-take Russian historical pageant. *** 1/2 |
| RUSSIAN DOLLS (2006, d. Cédric Klapisch) *** 1/4 |
| RUSSIAN TRIANGLE, THE (2007, d. Aleko Tsabadze; Georgia) *** 1/4 |