| "R"
Films Watched 2000-2009 |
|
| In
the decade of 2000-2009 I watched approximately 163 films starting with
"R". |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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) ** |
| 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 |
| 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
|
| 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 |
| 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 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 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 |
| 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 (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 (2006, d. Zhang Jiarui) ** 3/4 |
| ROAD, THE (2009, d. John Hillcoat) Bleak story drenched in
miserablism & puzzling causality. Impressive acting, especially
cameos by Robert Duval & unrecognizable Guy Pearce. *** |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. *** |
| 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 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 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. *** |
| 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 |
|