| "S"
Films Watched 2000-2009 |
|
| In
the decade of 2000-2009 I watched approximately 466 films starting with
"S". |
|
| 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 |
|
| S.W.A.T. (2003, d. Clark Johnson) Overly loud,
violent, predictable L.A. police drama with enough originality & raging
testosterone to be involving. ** 1/2 |
| S1M0NE (2002, d. Andrew Niccol) ** 3/4 |
| SABAH
(2005, d. Ruba Nadda) Traditional Muslem woman falls for white guy in
this Canadian film. It's an old story; but done well enough here to work for
me. ** 3/4 |
| SACRED
HEART (2006, d. Ferzan Ozpetek) *** 1/4 |
| SACRED
PLANET (2004, d.
Jon Long) IMAX doc with pretty images - an ecologic world tour; but
derivitive and with nothing new to say. ** |
| SAD VACATION
(2007, d. Shinji Aoyama) * 3/4 |
| SADDEST
MUSIC IN THE WORLD, THE
(2004, d. Guy Madden) Demented visual master's '30s retro
fabulosity. *** 1/4 |
| SADE (2002, d. Benoît Jacquot)
*** |
| SAFE
CONDUCT (2002, d. Bertrand
Tavernier) ** 3/4 |
| SAFE
PASSAGE (2004, d.
Robert Ackerman) V. A moving, if minor, '94 film dysfunctional family film
with a wonderful Susan Sarandon perf. as mother of 7 boys. ** 3/4 |
| SAFETY OF
OBJECTS, THE (2002, d. Rose Troche) *** |
| SAHARA (2005, d. Breck
Eisner) Big scope, empty calorie adventure film about skullduggery and
treasure hunting in Africa. Mindless entertainment. ** |
| SAINT
RALPH (2005, d. Michael McGowan) Heartening, feel-good period film
about a teenage boy in Catholic School who needs to make a miracle. *** |
| SA-KWA
(2006, d. Kang Yi-kwan) *** 1/4 |
| SALAWATI (2008,
d. Marc X. Grigoroff) *** |
| SALOME (2003, d. Carlos Saura) Film about the creation of a Spanish
ballet of Salome, mostly the performance. * 3/4 |
| SALT
OF THIS SEA (2009, d. Annemarie Jacir: Palestine) *** |
| SALTON SEA, THE (2002, d. D.J. Caruso)
*** |
| SALTY
AIR (2007, d. Alessandro Angelini) *** 1/2 |
| SALVADOR
(2007, d. Manuel Huerga) *** |
| SALVATORE:
THIS IS LIFE (2007, d. Gian Paolo Cugno) *** |
| SAMSARA
(2002, d. Pan Nalin) **** |
| SAMSON & DELILAH (2009, d.Warwick Thornton; Australia) ** 1/4 |
| SANCTUARY: LISA
GERRARD (2007, d. Clive Collier) ** 3/4 |
| SAND AND SORROW (2007, d. Paul Freedman) Darfur docu. Admirable
subject, boring straightforward filmmaking. ** 1/2 |
| SANGRADOR (2003, d. Leonardo
Henriquez) B&W retelling of the Macbeth story with Andean
bandits. Overwrought, badly acted, but visually interesting. *
3/4 |
| SANGRE
(2006, d. Arnat Escalante) ** 1/4 |
| SARABAND
(2005, d. Ingmar Bergman) Starts slow; but accumulates great strength with
story of disaffected family. *** 1/4 |
| SASS (2002, d. Carlo Rola) *** |
| SATANAS
(2007, d. Andrés Baiz; Columbia) *** |
| SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE BATHS (2006, d. David Buckley) 1974 groundbreaking
film. Fair story, great history ** 3/4 |
| SATURN IN
OPPOSITION (2008, d. Ferzan Ozpetek) + *** 3/4 |
| SATURN IN
OPPOSITION (2008, d. Ferzan Ozpetek) Building evacuation with 10
minutes to go! So a provisional *** 3/4 |
| SAVAGE GRACE
(2008, d. Tom Kalin) *** 1/4 |
| SAVAGES, THE (2007, d. Tamara Jenkins) So real, so personally
identifying, great acting, just too much of a downer. *** 1/4 |
| SAVE THE LAST DANCE (2001, d. Thomas Carter) *
1/4 |
| SAVED! (2004, d. Brian
Dannelly) Comedy take off on a X-tian high school which is pretty well done,
some good actors but uninspired direction. ** 1/2 |
| SAVING
FACE (2005, d. Alice Wu) Lesbian approx. of The Wedding Banquet...a
feelgood comedy of a family & a girl coming to grips with being gay. **
3/4 |
| SAVING GRACE (2000, d. Nigel Cole) **
1/2 |
| SAY UNCLE (2005, d. Peter Paige)
Strangely discomforting film about a naive gay man whose innocent love for
children is misunderstood. ** |
| SCANNER DARKLY, A (2006, d. Richard Linklater) Phil Dick is well served,
nice animation. But ultimately unsatisfying. ** 3/4 |
| SCHOOL DAYS WITH A
PIG (2009, d. Tetsu Maeda) *** |
| SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003, d. Richard
Linklater) Jolt of pure entertainment, probably Jack Black's ultimately
defining performance. Everyone wins here. *** 3/4 |
| SCHOOL TIES (2005, d. Robert
Mandel, '92) V. Good, if predictable, drama, a prep school in mid '50s;
Jewish student (Brendan Fraser) vs. rich snob (Matt Damon). ** 1/2 |
| SCIENCE
OF SLEEP, THE (2006, d. Michel Gondry) ** 1/2 |
| SCOOBY-DOO (2002, d. Raja Gosnell) * 3/4
|
| SCOOP
(2006, d. Woody Allen) Woody is in a clever caper story rut. Fun, but not
nearly as good as similar Match Game. ** 3/4 |
| SCORE, THE
(2001, d. Frank Oz) ** 1/2 |
| SCOTLAND, PA (2003, d. Billy Morrissette) V. Silly, amiable retelling of
the Macbeth story in a 60's small town. Points for originality and
humor. ** 3/4 |
| SCOTLAND, PA (2002, d. Billy Morrissette) **
1/2 |
| SCOTTSBORO: AN AMERICAN
TRAGEDY (2001, d. Barak Goodman & Daniel
Anker) *** 1/4 |
| SCRATCH (2009, d.
Michal Rosa) ** 3/4 |
| SCUSA MA TI
CHIAMO AMORE (2008, d. Federico Moccia) ** |
| SEA
INSIDE, THE
(2004, d. Alejandro Amenábar) Spanish AFF, remarkably sentimental, but
moving true story about non-state sanctioned euthenasia. *** |
| SEA
OF SILENCE (2003,
d. Stijn Cominx) Belgium's so-so Academy nomination about a disfunctional
farm family from the pov of the middle daughter. ** 1/2 |
| SEA WALL, THE (Un barrage contre le
Pacifique) (2008, d. Rithy Panh) *** 1/4 |
| SEA,
THE (2003, d. Baltasar Kormakur) Iceland
AFF. Dysfunctional family drama...non Dogmatic Conversation. ***
1/2 |
| SEABISCUIT (2003, d. Gary Ross)
Excellent docu-drama with fine cast and a resonant, spellbinding script -
left me wanting more (to read the book?) *** 1/4 |
| SEAGULL'S LAUGHTER,
THE (2001, d. Agust Gudmundsson) ** 1/2 |
| SEANCE
(2001, d. Kiyoshi Kurosawa) *** 1/4 |
| SEARCH FOR JOHN
GISSING, THE (2001, d. Mike Binder) 1/2* |
| SEASIDE (2003, France d. Julie Lopes-Curval)
Multi-character, small-town drama of repressed yearnings for better
things. *** 1/4 |
| SEAWARDS
JOURNEY (2004, d.
Guillermo Casanova) Slight, but revelatory pastoral road picture about a
group of men from the interior who journey to the sea. ** 1/2 |
| SECOND COMING, THE (2005, d. Jack Walsh)
V. 0* |
| SECOND SKIN (2001, d. Gerardo Vera)
* |
| SECONDHAND
CHILD (2004, d.
Karola Hattop) German "tv afterschool special" about a troubled,
fatherless 13 year old boy who bonds with a new neighbor. ** 3/4 |
| SECONDHAND LIONS (2003, d. Tim
McCanlies) 2 eccentric uncles raise teenage boy. Fine actors don't overcome
shamelessly manipulative if amiable script. * 3/4 |
| SECRET
BALLOT (2002, d. Babak Payami)
** |
| SECRET BEYOND
THE DOOR (2008, d. Fritz Lang) ** 3/4 |
| SECRET
FESTIVAL #1 (2006) *** 1/2 |
| SECRET FESTIVAL
#1 (2002) *** |
| SECRET FESTIVAL #2 (2005) Already seen
this one, admittedly at L.A.'s worst big screen venue; but hated it and had
no desire to see it again. W/O |
| SECRET FESTIVAL #2 (2006) *** |
| SECRET FESTIVAL
#2 (2002) *** |
| SECRET FESTIVAL #2 (2008) *** 1/2 |
| SECRET FESTIVAL #3 (2007) ** 3/4 |
| SECRET FESTIVAL #3 (2008) *** |
| SECRET FESTIVAL
#3 (2002) *** 1/2 |
| SECRET
FESTIVAL #3 (2006) *** |
| SECRET
FESTIVAL #4 (2006) *** |
| SECRET
FESTIVAL #4 (2007) Redeemed the entire
concept of Secret Festival for the year. *** 3/4 |
| SECRET
FESTIVAL #4 (2002) ** 1/4 |
| SECRET FESTIVAL #4 (2008) *** 1/2 |
| SECRET LIFE OF BEES (2008, d. Gina Bythewood) Color
Purplish film with a fine cast. Dakota
Fanning is great; but Paul Bettany surprises playing a Southern
redneck. *** |
| SECRET
LIFE OF DENTISTS, THE (2003, U.S. d. Alan
Rudolph) Beautifully written and acted drama about a marriage in
trouble. *** 3/4 |
| SECRET
LIFE OF HAPPY PEOPLE, THE (2006, d. Stephane Lapointe) *** |
| SECRET LIFE OF WORDS, THE (2006, d. Isabel Coixet) 2 wounded souls in another
moving Coixet. Tim Robbins & Sarah Polley great. *** |
| SECRET OF
THE GRAIN, THE (2008, d. Abdellatif Kechiche) *** 1/4 |
| SECRET
SUNSHINE (2007, d. Lee Chang-dong; Korea) *** |
| SECRET
THINGS (2004, d.
Jean-Claude Brisseau) + Re-saw in theater by accident (I forgot I'd seen it)
a ridiculous, if sexy, film that is way over-the-top. ** |
| SECRET
THINGS (2003, France d. Jean-Claude
Brisseau) Soft porn with a lesbian bent. Good looking bodies, but
total trash and a ridiculous story. * |
| SECRET
WINDOW (2004, d.
David Koepp) Depp is the only reason to watch this ridiculous Stephen King
story which rings psychologically false. * 3/4 |
| SECRET,
UN (2008, d. Claude Miller) *** 1/2 |
| SECRETARY (2002, d. Steven Shainberg) ** 1/4
|
| SECRETO DE SUS OJOS, EL
(2009, d. Juan José Campanella; Argentina) *** 3/4 |
| SECRETS
OF A YOUNG GIRL (2003, d. Magdi Ahmed Ali) Egypt
AFF. Courageous family drama about 15 year old girl's pregnancy.
*** |
| SECRETS OF
STATE (Secret défence)
(2009, d. Philipe Haïm) *** |
| SEDUCING
DR. LEWIS (2004,
d. Jean-François Pouliot) Small, eccentric, mediocre French Canadian town
shaggy dog story à la Waking Ded Devine. ** 1/4 |
| SEE YOU OFF TO THE
EDGE OF TOWN (2002, d. Ching C. Ip) ** 3/4 |
| SEED OF
DISCORD, THE (Il seme della siscordia) (2009, d. Pappi Corsicato) ** 1/4 |
| SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING,
THE (2009, d. David L. Cunningham) V.+ Adolescent
fantasy with an interesting hero in Alex Ludwig. ** 1/2 |
| SELF-MADE HERO,
A (2002, d. Jacques Audiard) **** |
| SENSE & SENSIBILITY (2008, d. John Alexander) V. Andrew Davis' superb
mini-series adaptation with a fine cast. *** 1/4 |
| SENTIMENTS,
LES (2004, d. Noémie Lvovsky) Two couples &
the consequences of infidelity. Nice acting, but somehow unpleasant.
*** |
| SENTINAL, THE (2006, d. Clark Johnson) Good Secret Service thriller.
Kiefer Sutherland will henceforth always be Jack Bauer in every role. *** |
| SEOUL
TRAIN (2005, d. Lubansky, Butterworth, Sleeth) Mainly talking heads
docu about plight of N. Korean refugees in China. Bad sound. ** 1/4 |
| SEPARATE LIES (2005, d. Julian
Fellowes) *** |
| SEPARATE
PEACE, A (2004, d.
Peter Yates) V. Nicely done TV movie from the novel. Well cast, well
directed...but the script needed fleshing out. ** 3/4 |
| SEQUESTRO
EXPRESS (2004, d. Jonathan Jakubowicz) Caracas slum
dwellers carjack & kidnap a priveleged couple. Frenetic, visceral,
frightening film. ** 3/4 |
| SÉRAPHINE
(2009, d. Martin Provost) *** 1/4 |
| SERENDIPITY (2001, d. Peter Chelsom) **
1/2 |
| SERENITY (2005, d. Joss
Whedon) * 3/4 |
| SERGIO
(2009, d. Greg Barker) V. Docu of the 2003 bombing by al-Qaeda of the UN
mission in Iraq led by martyred Sergio de Mello. Gripping recreations.
Affecting. *** |
| SERIES 7
(2001, d. Daniel Minahan) *** 1/2 |
| SERIOUS MAN, A (2009, d. Joel & Ethan Coen) Different Coens film:
personal, very Jewish, amusing riff on the Job story. Loved it until the
weird unsatisfactory conclusion, again! *** 1/2 |
| SESSION 9
(2001, d. Brad Anderson) * |
| SET ME FREE (2000, d. Léa Pool)
*** |
| SEUL CONTRE TOUS (2005, d. Gaspar Noé)
V. Noé is a great stylist. This film is hard to warch, but a fascinating
character study of a loser. *** |
| SEVEN DAYS,
THE (2009, d. Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz) * 1/2 |
| SEVEN POUNDS (2008, d. Gabriele Muccino) ** 1/4 |
| SEVEN
SWORDS (2006, d. Tsui Hark) * 3/4 |
| SEVERANCE
(2007, d. Christopher Smith) *** |
| SEX & BREAKFAST (2007, d. Miles Brandman) Reprises the least
interesting thread of HBO's Tell Me You Love Me. ** 1/2 |
| SEX AND DEATH
101 (2007, d. Daniel Waters) ** |
| SEX AND LUCIA (2002, d. Julio Medem) *** 1/2 |
| SEX AND
LUCIA (2002, d. Julio Medem) + **** |
| SEX AND THE CITY (2008, d. Michael Patrick King) Great fashions, sappy,
predictable...but it kept getting better as it went on. ** 3/4 |
| SEX
IS COMEDY (2004,
d. Catherine Breillat) Comedy about an annoying, talky female director making
a sexy movie. Actually more fun than I expected. *** |
| SEXY BEAST (2001, d. Jonathan Glazer)
*** |
| SHADE (2004, d. Damian Nieman)
Interesting movie about crosses and double crosses among poker players, card
mechanics & gangsters. Very entertaining. *** |
| SHADOW MAGIC (2001, d. Ann Hu) **
1/4 |
| SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE (2000, d. E. Elias Merhige)
** |
| SHADOWBOXER (2006, d. Lee Daniels) No cops in sight in this
hired assassin story. Mirren as usual is great. ** 3/4 |
| SHADOWS IN THE
PALACE (Goong-Nyuh) (2008, d. Kim Mee-jung) ** 3/4 |
| SHADOWS
(2008, d. Milcho Manchevski; Macedonia) *** |
| SHADOWS, THE (2007, d. Guillermo Rodriguez) ** |
| SHAFT
(2000, d. John Singleton) ** |
| SHAKE THE DEVIL OFF (2007, d. Peter Entell) OK post Katrina docu:
parish church & beloved reverend disbanded. ** 3/4 |
| SHALL WE KISS?
(Un baiser s'il vous plait) (2008, d. Emmanuel Mouret) *** 1/2 |
| SHALLOW HAL (2001, d. Peter & Bobby
Farrelly) ** |
| SHANGHAI
DREAMS (2006, d. Wang Xiaoshuai) ** 3/4 |
| SHANGHAI NOON (2000, d. Tom Dey) **
1/2 |
| SHAPE OF THINGS, THE (2003, d. Neil Labute) Clever reversal of Company of
Men. Attractive ensemble; stagey line readings. Why isn't Fred Weller a
star? *** |
| SHARK
TALE (2004, d.
Bergeron, Jenson, Litterman) Predictable, clichéd, hip-hop animated comedy
with star cast & lovely 3-D computer graphics but no heart. * 3/4 |
| SHATTERED GLASS (2003, d. Billy Ray)
True story: journalist faker Stephen Glass. Great acting & veracity, tho
psychological insight is rather thin. *** 1/4 |
| SHATTERED
GLASS (2002, d. Chris Kraus) *** 1/2 |
| SHE
HATE ME (2004, d.
Spike Lee) Slick, but hateful & misogynist miscalculation. One of the
worst films by a good filmmaker ever. * |
| SHELTER ME
(Riparo) (2007, d. Marco Simon Puccioni) *** 1/4 |
| SHELTER
(2008, d. Jonah Markowitz) *** |
| SHEM
(2006, d. Caroline Roboh) A bisexual English Everything
is Illuminated. Ash Newman is a real find;
the film doesn't pay off. ** 3/4 |
| SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009, d. Guy Richie) It looks like Victorian London;
but its criminally anachronistic rock-and-roll sensibility is all Richie's
fault. * 1/4 |
| SHERRYBABY
(2006, d. Laurie Collyer) Maggie Gyllenhaal is fine; but film about junkie
mom is very hard to take. ** 1/4 |
| SHE'S THE MAN (2006, d. Andy Fickman) A teener "12th
Night"; but a mediocre script. Channing Tatum is worth watching. ** |
| SHINE A LIGHT (2008, d. Martin Scorsese) Great, intimate concert
film; an historical flawless production! **** |
| SHINER (2004, d. Christian
Calson) Horrendously directed but strangely erotic gay Fight Club
imitator. Amateur boxers lovingly & boringly pummel each
other. * |
| SHINOBI
(2006, d. Ten Shimoyaina) ** 3/4 |
| SHIPPING NEWS, THE (2001, d. Lasse Hallström) **
3/4 |
| SHOOT 'EM UP (2008, d. Michael Davis)V. Hyperviolent, imaginative,
totally absurd film. Fine cast wasted. Clive Owen's BMW ads taken to extreme.
** 3/4 |
| SHOOTER
(2007, d. Antoine Fuqua) Better than average paranoid govt. out of control
thriller - Mark Wahlberg is quite good. *** |
| SHOOTING GALLERY (2006, d. Keoni Waxman) V. Mediocre crooked
cop/poolhall hustle STV. Ving Rhames & Prinze Jr. ok. ** 1/4 |
| SHOP
OF DREAMS (Stiilipidu) (2006, d. Peeter Urbla; Estonia) ** 1/2 |
| SHOPGIRL (2005, d. Anand Tucker) *** |
| SHORT
CIRCUITS (Kratki Stiki) (2007, d. Janez Lapajne) Slovenia's foreign
film submission ** 3/4 |
| SHORTBUS
(2006, d. John Cameron Mitchell) *** 1/4 |
| SHOT IN THE HEART
(2002, d. Agnieszka
Holland) ** 1/2 |
| SHOTGUN STORIES (2009, d. Jeff Nichols) V. Quietly powerful, reflective
Amer. indie pitting half-brothers against each other. *** |
| SHOWER (2000,
d. Zhang Yang) *** |
| SHREK 2 (2005, d. Adamson, Asbury, Vernon) V. Best
animated film since Toy Story 2. Clever schtick, a story which holds together
& real characters. *** 1/2 |
| SHREK THE THIRD (2007,
d. Chris Miller & Raman HuI) ** |
| SHREK
(2001, d. Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson)
*** |
| SHRINK (2009, d.
Jonas Pate) *** 1/4 |
| SHUT UP AND SING (2006, d. Barbara Kopple, Cecelia Peck) V. I'm
not a Dixie Chicks fan; but this politically satisfying docu works. ***
1/4 |
| SHUTKA BOOK OF RECORDS, THE (2005, d. Aleksandar
Manió) V. * 1/4 |
| SHWAAS
(2005, d. Sandeep Sawant) Overamped heart tugger about 6 year old boy with
cancer who must lose both his eyes. * 3/4 |
| SHY
AMOL CHAYA (2006, d. Humayun Ahmed; Bangladesh) * |
| SICKO
(2007, d. Michael Mann) The Cuba trick is overly cute; but docu is
entertaining & useful. *** |
| SIDEWALKS OF NEW
YORK (2001, d. Edward Burns) *** 1/2 |
| SIDEWAYS (2004, d. Alexander
Payne) A Calif. subculture comedy, like Swingers. Note perfect performances,
great wine lore, but 2nd act longeurs detracted. *** |
| SIGNS (2002, d. M. Night Shyamalan)
*** |
| SILENCE,
THE (2007, d. Cate Shortland) ** 3/4 |
| SILENT
LIGHT (2007, d. Carlos Reygadis; Mexico) *** 3/4 |
| SILK
(2007, d. François Gerard) Slow and reflective, but beautiful. ** 3/4 |
| SILLY
AGE, THE (2007, d. Pavel Giroud) Cuba Academy foreign film
submission *** |
| SILMIDO (2004, d. Woo-suk
Kang) S. Korea forms a platoon of convicted criminals to fight North, and
then it goes wrong. Well directed with incredible cast. *** 1/4 |
| SILVER
CITY (2004, d.
John Sayles) Boring, turgid political eco-thriller, great take-off on George
W. by Chris Cooper...but otherwise too long and overly complicated. ** |
| SIMIAN LINE, THE (2001, d. Linda "Old"
Yellen) * |
| SIMON (2004, d. Eddy
Terstall) Dutch AFF, remarkably un-sentimental story about a flamboyant dying
man and state sanctioned euthenasia. *** 1/4 |
| SIMPSONS MOVIE, THE
(2007, d. David Silverman) *** |
| SIN NOMBRE
(2009, d. Cary Joji Fukunaga) Superbly executed drama of Central American
gangs & the plight of immigrants with a believeable, moving romance. ***
1/2 . |
| SINCE
OTAR LEFT (2004,
d. Julie Bertucelli) An old Georgian lady's triumph of the spirit when the
death of her emmigré son is kept from her. *** 1/4 |
| SINGER, THE
(Quand j'étais chanteur) (2007, d. Xavier Giannoli) ** 1/4 |
| SINGING DETECTIVE, THE (2003, d. Keith Gordon) First hour OK; but by end, good acting
& direction didn't solve an offputting script. ** 1/4 |
| SINGING
FOREST, THE (2004,
d. Jorge Ameer) Gay melodrama about a couple of Nazi victims reunited after
reincarnation. Horrendously bad in every aspect. 1/2* |
| SINGING REVOLUTION, THE (2008, d. James & Maureen Tusty) Moving, eloquent
and vital docu of how Estonian freedom is due to the culture of
singing. *** 1/2 |
| SINGLE MAN, A (2009, d. Tom Ford) Ford's visual sense right on, narrative
not so much. Fine acting; but ambiguous characters detract. Nick Hoult all
grown up & a beauty. *** |
| SISTERS IN LAW (2006, d. Kim Longinotto) V. Slow but moving docu about
justice for women & children in Camaroon. *** |
| SITA SINGS THE BLUES
(2008, d. Nina Paley) *** 1/4 |
| SIXTY SIX
(2008, d. Paul Weiland) Nicely evoked coming of age about a nerdy English
boy's Bar Mitzvah in 1966. Builds to satisfying climax. *** |
| SKETCHES (2004, d. Neil Israel)
V. TiVo found this unfairly maligned (Ebert 0 stars?! WTF!) young man dying
weeper road picture with a great Jason Bateman perf. ** 3/4 |
| SKETCHES
OF FRANK GEHRY (2006, d. Sydney Pollack) *** |
| SKI
JUMPING PAIRS - ROAD TO TORINO 2006 (2006, d. Mashima Riichiro,
Kobayashi Masaki) *** 1/4 |
| SKIES
SATELLITES (2001, d. Lukas Nola) * 1/4 |
| SKIN (2009, d.
Anthony Fabian) ** 3/4 |
| SKIPPED PARTS
(2000, d. Tamra Davis) *** |
| SKULLS, THE (2000, d. Rob Cohen) ** 1/4
|
| SKY
CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (2004, d. Kerry Conran) Stylized, retro
futuristic thriller with great sound & design but otherwise
predictable. ** 3/4 |
| SKY HIGH (2005, d. Mike
Mitchell) Fun, unpretentious kid's flick about a school for kids with super
powers. Michael Angarano shines here...ditto Chris Wynne. ** 3/4 |
| SKYFIGHTERS (Les chevaliers
du ciel) (2006, d. Gérard Pirès) French airforce
fighter pilots intrigue. Well acted, great f/x; but preposterous, elliptical
plot. ** |
| SKYHOOK
(2000, d. Ljubisa Samardzic) ** 1/2 |
| SLAUGHTER
RULE, THE (2002, d. Alex & Andrew Smith) *** 1/2 |
| SLAVE OF LOVE (Raba lyubvi) (2008, d.
Nikita Mikhalkov)V. Gorgeous, pastoral love story set in Russian revolution.
*** |
| SLEEP DEALER
(2008, d. Alex Rivera) *** 1/2 |
| SLEEPER CELL 2 (2007, d. various ) V. Similar, but inferior to 1st
series. ** 1//2 |
| SLEEPER CELL (2006, d. various) V. Extremely plausable & well
made mini-series about Muslim terrorists in a terrifyingly real L.A.
*** 1/2 |
| SLEEPING DOGS LIE (2006, d. Bobcat Goldthwait) *** |
| SLEEPING
ROUGH (2002, d. Eugene Jansen) ** |
| SLEEPLESS
NIGHTS (2003, d. Hany Khalifa) 3 married
and one unmarried yuppie couple have their marital troubles in this fluffy
romantic comedy. ** 1/2 |
| SLIM
SUSIE (2004, d.
Ulf Malmros) Wild, sometimes clever, often not film about crazy antics of a
bunch of young people in a small Swedish town. ** 3/4 |
| SLINGSHOT
(Tirador) (2008, d. Brillante Mendoza) * 1/2 |
| SLIPSTREAM (2005, d. David van
Eyssen) V. Ridiculous time travel story mixed with a Guy Richie gang who
couldn't shoot straight story. Sean Astin is good, however. * 1/4 |
| SlLEEPY TIME GAL,
THE (2002, d. Christopher
Münch) *** 3/4 |
| SLOGANS
(2001, d. Gjergi Xhuvani) *** 1/4 |
| SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008, d. Danny Boyle) Intense melodrama about boy from Mombai
slums competing in TV game show. *** |
| SLUMMING (2006,
d. Michael Glawogger) *** 1/4 |
| SMALL CUTS (2003, d. Pascal
Bonitzer) Daniel Auteuil! Kristen Scott Thomas! No chemistry!
Drama disguised as silly French farce. ** |
| SMALL
ENGINE REPAIR (2007, d. Niall Heery) *** 1/4 |
| SMALL
TOWN GAY BAR (2006, d. Malcolm Ingram) ** 3/4 |
| SMALL
VOICES (2003, d. Gil M. Portes) Philippines
AFF. New teacher in rural village copes with problems. ** |
| SMALLPOX 2002: SILENT
WEAPON (2005,
d. Daniel Percival) V. British tv movie, well done fake documentary
with a frightening message. ** 3/4 |
| SMART PEOPLE (2008, d. Noam Murro) 1st time I liked Ellen Page in a
film! Fine cast, involving indie film. *** |
| SMILEY FACE
(2007, d. Gregg Araki) *** 1/4 |
| SMITH FAMILY,
THE (2002, d. Tasha Oldham) **** |
| SMOKERS ONLY (2003, d. Veronica
Chen) Pretentious, artsy-fartsy Argentine film about vapid rock chick
and male hustler. * |
| SNAKESKIN
(2002, d. Gillian Ashurst) *** 1/4 |
| SNAPPER,
THE (2004, d.
Stephen Frears) V. Another wonderful early Frears Irish family comedy.
Humanistic, well acted, effortlessly entertaining. *** 1/4 |
| SNATCH
(2001, d. Guy Ritchie) ** |
| SNIPER, THE
(2009, d. Dante Lam) *** 1/4 |
| SNOW
(Snijeg) (2008, d. Aida Begic; Bosnia and Herzegovina) *** |
| SNOW ANGELS (2008, d. David Gordon Green) Another remarkable,
difficult drama by this artist. Great acting. *** 1/2 |
| SNOW
CAKE (2006, d. Marc Evans) *** 3/4 |
| SNOW
WALKER (2004, d.
Charles Martin Smith) Clichéd and unlikely story of a pilot downed in N.
Canada along with an ill Inuit woman. Still, effective storytelling.
*** |
| SO
CLOSE, SO FAR (2005, d. Reza Mir Karimi, Iran) *** 1/4 |
| SO GOES THE NATION (2006, d. del Dio & Stern) V. Fascinating,
gutwrenching docu of both sides of political organizers in Ohio in 2004. ***
3/4 |
| SOAP, A
(2006, d. Pernille Fischer Christiansen) ** 3/4 |
| SOL
DEL MEMBRILLO, EL
(2003, d. Victor Erice 1992) Arty semi-documentary about an artist
sloooowly painting a quince tree. ** |
| SOLARIS (2002, d. Steven Soderbergh) ** 3/4 |
| SOLAS
(2000, d. Benito Zambrano) *** |
| SOLDANOS
DE SALAMINA
(2004, d. David Trueba) A writer gradually uncovers an enigmatic
incident in the Spanish Civil War. Slow start but big pay-off. *** |
| SOLDIER'S
GIRL, A (2003, US d. Frank Pierson) True
story: an American soldier falls for a transexual and how the dynamic plays
out in his platoon. *** 1/4 |
| SOLITUDE
(2002, d. Susan Kraker, Pi Ware) *** 1/4 |
| SOLO
MIA (2003, d.
Javier Balaguer) Sergio Lopez plays abusive macho husband. Excellent
portrait of a bad marriage. *** |
| SOLOIST, THE (2009, d. Joe Wright) Wright throws every directorial
trick in the book at this sappy script, and Downey & Foxx are fine; but I
was bored. ** 1/2 |
| SOLOMON & GAENOR (2000, d. Paul Morrisson) *** 3/4
|
| SOME GIRL (2003, d. Rory Kelly)
V. Ribisi siblings interest me. A charming, surprisingly involving romantic
comedy...young Jeremy Sisto a revelation. *** |
| SOMEONE
ELSE'S HAPPINESS (2006, d. Fien Troch; Belgium) ** 3/4 |
| SOMEONE
I LOVED (Je l'aimais) (2009, d. Zabou Breitman) *** |
| SOMERS TOWN (2009, d. Shane Meadows) Delightful and insightful, if
slight, youth dramedy where Midlands youth befriends Polish boy in modern
London. *** 1/4 |
| SOMERSAULT
(2004, d. Cate
Shortland) Well played slice of life about Australian runaway teenage
girl. *** |
| SOMETHING
LIKE HAPPINESS (Stestí)
(2006, d. Bohdan Sláma; Czech Republic) *** 1/4 |
| SOMETHING SWEET (2000, d. Olivia Pi-Sunyer) ** 1/2 |
| SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE (2003, d. Nancy
Meyers) I wanted to hate this like every other Meyers film; but it struck a
deep chord of truth. Bravo to all. *** 1/4 |
| SOMEWHERE
OVER THE DREAMLAND (2003, Taiwan d.
Cheng Wen-tang) Inscrutable film about yearning and lost love...maybe.
** 3/4 |
| SON FRÈRE (2003, d. Patrice
Chéreau) Intimate drama of 2 estranged brothers, the straight one dying of
rare blood disease. Eric Caravaca is great! *** 1/4 |
| SON OF A
LION (2008, d. Benjamin Gilmour) *** |
| SON OF
RAMBOW (2007, d. Garth Jennings) *** |
| SON OF THE
BRIDE (2001, d. Juan José Campanella) *** 1/2 |
| SON,
THE (Le fils) (2003, d. Dardenne
Bros.) Belgium AFF. Spare drama about carpentery teacher &
apprentice who share a secret history. *** 1/2 |
| SONETAULA (2008,
d. Salvatore Mereu) *** |
| SONG
FOR A RAGGY BOY
(2003, Ireland/US d. Aisling Walsh) Drama/exposé about Catholic
workhouse schools for wayward boys in 1939. *** 1/4 |
| SONG FOR MARTIN,
A (2001, d. Bille August) *** 1/4 |
| SONG OF
SPARROWS, THE (Avaze Gonjeshk-ha) (2008, d. Majid Majidi) *** |
| SONG OF
TIBET (2001, d. Xie Fei) *** |
| SONGCATCHER (2000, d. Maggie Greenwald) *** |
| SONGS FROM THE SECOND
FLOOR (2002, d. Roy Andersson)
*** |
| SONNY (2002,
d. Nicolas Cage) *** |
| SONS (Sonner) (2007,
d. Erik Richter Strand) *** 1/4 |
| SON'S ROOM,
THE (2001, d. Nanni Moretti) *** 3/4 |
| SOPHIE
SCHOLL - THE FINAL DAYS (2005, d. Marc Rothemund; Germany) ** 1/2 |
| SOUL POWER
(2009, d. Jeffrey Levy-Hinte) '74 Zaire concert film, well shot but music
varies in quality. Bill Withers, Celia Cruz & BB King really impressed.
Star James Brown less. *** |
| SOUND AND FURY (2000, d. Josh Aronson)
*** |
| SOUND OF THUNDER, A (2005, d. Peter Hyams)
* 1/4 |
| SOUNDLESS
(2004, d. Mennan
Yapo) Excellent, moody thriller about a professional assassin & the cop
who hunts him. Superbly written and directed. *** 1/2 |
| SOUNDS LIKE TEEN
SPIRIT: A POPUMENTARY (2008, d. Jamie Jay Johnson) *** 1/2 |
| SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION (2009, d. Guttentag and Sturman) V. Superb docu of
Civil Rights struggle emphasizing music. Poignant & emotionally
uplifting. *** 3/4 |
| SOUTH
(2004, d. Martin
Koolhoven) Well made, viscerally upsetting psychological drama about a
sexually wounded woman who slips into insanity. *** |
| SOUTH
DESERT (2009, d. Shawn Garry) ** 3/4 |
| SOUTHERN
COMFORT (2001, d. Kate Davis) *** 3/4
|
| SOUTHLAND TALES (2007, d. Richard Kelly) Scrambled script, good
f/x, Fifth Element light. Was Donny Darko a fluke? ** 1/2 |
| SPACE COWBOYS (2000, d. Clint Eastwood)
*** |
| SPAGNOLA, LA
(2001, d. Steve Jacobs) ** 1/2 |
| SPANGLISH
(2004, d. James
Brooks) I loved this observent dark family comedy. Téa Leoni was bravely
over-the-top, Paz Vega is a star & Sandler and Leachman: wonderful. ***
1/4 |
| SPARE
PARTS (2004, d.
Damjan Kozole) Slovenian version of Lichter, a bleak drama about smugglers
who profit from driving 3rd world refugees into Europe. ** 1/2 |
| SPARROW (Man Jeuk) (2008, d. Johnnie To) ** 1/2 |
| SPARTAN (2004, d. David Mamet)
Twisty and turny thriller about skullduggery in high places. I like Val
Kilmer and this film appealed to my cynical nature. *** |
| SPEAK (2004, d. Jessica
Sharzer) Excellent, subtle, beautifully acted drama about a high school
freshman traumatized by rape. *** 1/4 |
| SPEAK (2005, d. Jessica
Sharzer) V.+ ** 3/4 |
| SPECIAL
(2008, d. Haberman and Passmore) Michael Rappaport as pathetically needy
meter man who goes psycho on an experimental drug. Minor stuff. ** 1/4 |
| SPEED RACER (2008, d. Wachowski Bros.) Visually stunning and
inventive. But script is so predictable. Interesting cast,
though. ** 1/2 |
| SPELLBOUND (2003, d. Jeffrey
Blitz) Involving, well conceived documentary about 8 competitors in the
National Spelling Bee. *** 1/2 |
| SPIDER-MAN
2 (2004, d. Sam
Raimi) Tobey Maguire shines, the f/x much improved over the original.
Satisfying Hollywood tentpole, if ultimately trivial entertainment. *** |
| SPIDER-MAN 3 (2008, d. Sam Raimi)V. Much better than #2; but too many
villains spoil the plot. ** 1/2 |
| SPIDER-MAN (2002, d. Sam Raimi) **
1/2 |
| SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, THE (2008, d. Mark Waters) Scary stuff; better than
expected. Fine f/x, nicely acted. *** |
| SPIN (2003, d. James
Redford) A more than credible first feature...'50s coming of age story
centered on flying. Ryan Merriman a young actor to watch! *** 1/4 |
| SPINNING BORIS (2003, d. Roger
Spottiswoode) American political spinsters go to Russia to work for Yeltsin
in this ok Showtime tv movie. ** 3/4 |
| SPINNING INTO BUTTER (2009, d. Mark Brokaw) Racism in a New England college
has never been so banal or clichéd. * 3/4 |
| SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON, THE (2008, d. Jon Dunham) Human interest docu about people
who run Chicago marathon. Nicely shot, but of limited interest. ** 3/4 |
| SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE
CIMARRON (2003,
d. Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook) Beautiful animated film which actually moved
me. *** |
| SPIRITED AWAY (2002, d. Hayao Miyazaki) *** 1/4
|
| SPLIT ESTATE (2009, d. Debra Anderson) V. Involving, informative
muckraking docu about enviromental hazards to people in pristine oil/gas
drilling areas of Rocky Mts.. *** 1/4 |
| SPOOKY
HOUSE (2002, d. William Sachs) ** |
| SPREAD
(2009, d. David Mackenzie) Kucher is quite fine as successor to Gere's American Gigalo. Clichés abound,
but this is hot, enjoyable, sexy stuff. *** |
| SPRING 1941
(2009, d. Uri Barbash) * 1/2 |
| SPRING
BREAKDOWN (2009, d. Ryan Shiraki) * 1/4 |
| SPRING FORWARD (2000, d. Tom Gilroy)
*** |
| SPRING OF LIFE
(2000, d. Milan Cieslar) *** 1/2 |
| SPRING
SUBWAY (2003,
China d. Zhang Yibai) Gorgeous photography & production design in
search of a story to give a damn about. ** 3/4 |
| SPRING,
SUMMER, FALL, WINTER...AND SPRING (2003, d. Kim Ki-duk) Gorgeously
photographed fable about the life of a very human Buddhist monk. ***
1/2 |
| SPUN (2003, d. Jonas
Akerlund) Requiem For a Dream wannabe. Tweaker farce.
Transgressive and fun, but cheesy. ** |
| SPY GAME
(2001, d. Tony Scott) *** |
| SPY KIDS 2: THE ISLAND
OF LOST DREAMS (2002, d. Robert
Rodriguez) *** |
| SPY KIDS 3D: GAME OVER (2003, d. Richard
Rodriguez) 3D gives me eye strain; but this kinetic film had a consistent
script with miraculous digital f/x. *** |
| SPY KIDS
(2001, d. Robert Rodriguez) *** |
| SQUARE, THE
(2009, d. Nash Edgerton) *** |
| SQUID AND THE WHALE, THE (2005, d. Noah
Baumbach) *** 1/2 |
| ST. GEORGE SHOOTS THE
DRAGON (2009, d. Srdjan Dragojevic; Serbia)
*** |
| STAGE
BEAUTY (2004, d.
Richard Eyer) Very disappointing...Shakespeare in Love lite. Poorly paced
& directed, and Crudup miscast, though rest of the cast was superb.
** 1/4 |
| STALAG 17 (2003, d. Billy Wilder)+ V. Still works as
straighforward prison camp story, though plot and characters now seem pretty
stock. Holden fine. *** |
| STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (2008, d. Errol Morris) Docu of Abu Ghraib as you
wished it weren't. *** 1/4 |
| STANDARD,
THE (2006, d. Jordan Albertsen) *** 3/4 |
| STANDER (2004, d. Bronwen
Hughes) Thomas Jane is remarkable in this involving, off-center crime spree
tale from S. Africa. *** |
| STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF
MOTOWN (2002, d. Paul
Justman) *** 1/4 |
| STAR TREK
(2009, d. J.J. Abrams) Spectacular in IMAX, well cast, nothing special about
the plot...but as a summer action flick it is about as good as they come. *** |
| STAR WARS EPISODE III: RETURN
OF THE SITH (2006, d. George Lucas) Kept my
interest. ** 3/4 |
| STAR WARS: EPISODE 2 (2003, d. George
Lukas) Bombastic, effects heavy...not as bad as I'd heard. ** 1/4 |
| STARDOM (2000, d. Denys Arcand)
*** |
| STARDUST (2007, d. Matthew Vaughn) ** 1/2 |
| STARFISH
HOTEL (2006, d. John Williams) * 3/4 |
| STARSKY
& HUTCH (2004,
d. Todd Phillips) Better than I expected...no Charlie's Angels, at least.
Stiller & Wilson have chemistry; but Owen is not a '70s dude! **
1/4 |
| STARTER FOR 10 (2006, d. Tom Vaughan) *** 1/2 |
| STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING (2007, d. Andrew Wagner) Understated, fine
acting. A very adult script. *** 1/4 |
| STARTUP.COM
(2001, d. Jehane Noujaim & Chris Hegedus)
*** |
| STATE AND MAIN (2000, d. David Mamet)
*** |
| STATE OF MIND (2007, d. Christopher Menaul) V. Pretty good British tv
forensic psych story...Andrew Lincoln wonderful, per usual. ** 3/4 |
| STATE OF PLAY (2009, d. Kevin Macdonald) More focused than the BBC
series, Good character driven thriller with fine acting. *** |
| STATEMENT, THE (2003, d. Norman Jewison) Turgid thriller about a Nazi
collaborator on the run 46 years later. Very disappointing. ** |
| STATEN ISLAND (2009, d. James DeMonaco) Clever plotting, dynamite acting
(Hawke, Onofrio & esp. Seymour Cassel), different take on gangster film.
Engrossing. *** 1/2 |
| STATION AGENT, THE (2003, d. Tom McCarthy) David Green territory without his
visual pinache, but real narrative. Fine performances by all 3
leads. *** 1/4 |
| STAY (2005, d. Marc
Forster) *** |
| STAY ALIVE
(2006, d. William Bell) Good cast can't save this computer death game Ringu like film. Weak dialog,
reasonable f/x. ** |
| STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME (2007, d. Michèle Ohayon) Holocaust docu: Dutch
survivors on their 60th wedding aniv. *** 1/4 |
| STEAL ME
(2005, d. Melissa Painter) Gem of an Amer. indie about a wandering teenage
boy klepto who gets adopted into a good Montana home. *** 1/4 |
| STEAL THIS MOVIE (2000, d. Robert Greenwald)
** |
| STEALING
HARVARD (2002, d. Bruce
McCulloch) * 1/4 |
| STEALING
SINATRA (2004, d.
Ron Underwood) V. True gang-who-couldn't-shoot-straight story. I like Thomas
Ian Nicholas as Sinatra Jr., but film is silly. ** |
| STEALTH (2005, d. Rob Cohen) Politically dubious,
viscerally exciting war as video game. Surprisingly effective entertainment.
Josh Lucas & EDI rule. ** 3/4 |
| STEALTH (Comme des voleurs -A
l'est) (2007, d. Lionel Baier) *** 1/4 |
| STELLA (2009, d.
Sylvie Verheyde) *** |
| STEP BROTHERS (2008, d. Adam McKay) 40ish guys playing kids is not funny.
Still, watchable silliness with many groaners. * 1/2 |
| STEP UP 2 THE STREET (2008, d. Jon Chu) Predictable script; great street
dancing. Robert Hoffman a star? ** 1/2 |
| STEP UP
(2006, d. Anne Fletcher) Clichés abound. Channing Tatum can't act; but he
sure can dance and he's a STAR. ** 1/2 |
| STEPFORD
WIVES, THE (2004,
d. Frank Oz) Silly and unfunny satire, another wasted remake. Watchable for
the sets and costumes at least. * 3/4 |
| STEPHANIE
DALEY (2006, d. Hilary Brougher) *** |
| STEVIE (2003, d. Steve Jones)
(V) Documentary about a troubled boy-man, abused as a kid, who faces
prison for child sexual abuse himself. *** 1/4 |
| STILL ALIVE: A FILM
ABOUT KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI (2007, d. Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz) ** 1/4 |
| STILL LIFE (Sanxia
Haoren) (2008, d. Jia Zhang-ke) ** 1/2 |
| STILL
ORANGUTANS (2008, d. Gustavo Spoldoro) *** 1/2 |
| STILL
WALKING (2009, d. Kore-ea Hirokazu) *** 1/2 |
| STOKED:
THE RISE & FALL OF GATOR (2004, d. Helen Stickler) Nicely
constructed, fascinating docu about skateboarder/murderer Mark
Rogowski. *** 1/2 |
| STOLEN
CHILDREN (Certi
Bambini) (2006, d. Andrea and Antonio
Frazzi) *** 1/4 |
| STOLEN
EYES (Otkradnati
ochi) (2006, d. Radoslav Spassov; Bulgaria) |
| STONED
(2006, d. Stephen Woolley) Leo Gregory is ok, Paddy Considine better in this
amalgam of Sid & Nancy and Last Days about Brian Jones. *** |
| STOP-LOSS
(2008, d. Kimberly Peirce) Extraordinarily affecting, difficult &
appropos film; superb script & acting. *** 3/4 |
| STORM OF EMOTIONS (2006, d. Yael Klopmann) V. Very powerful, apolitical
docu of forced evacuation of Gaza settlers. *** 1/2 |
| STORY OF MY LIFE, THE (2005, d. Laurent
Tirard) Fun, well made French 4-character romantic comedy. Only flaw is too
pat a resolution. ** 3/4 |
| STORY
OF PAO, THE (2006, d. Ng Quang Hai; Vietnam) *** |
| STORY
OF THE WEEPING CAMEL, THE (2003, d. Byambasuren Davaa) Realistic
& involving saga of Mongolian herder family & little camel rejected
by its mom. *** |
| STORYTELLING (2002, d. Todd Solondz) ***
1/2 |
| STRACCIATELLA (2003, d. Adnras Kern) Kern is the Roberto Benigni (or Ed
Burns) of Hungary. Self-indulgant: about conductor having a nervous
breakdown. ** 1/4 |
| STRAIGHT-JACKET (2004, d. Richard Day)
Horrendously banal and poorly directed gay romantic comedy about a Rock
Hudson type gay '50s movie star. * |
| STRANDED: I'VE
COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINS (2008, d. Gonzalo
Arijon) *** 1/2 |
| STRANGE
CULTURE (2007, d. Lynn Hershman Leeson) **** |
| STRANGER THAN FICTION (2006, d. Marc Forster) Charlie Kaufmanesque script
with a stunning Emma Thompson perf. *** |
| STRANGERS
WITH CANDY (2006, d. Paul Dinello) * |
| STRANGERS
(2008, d. Erez Tadmor, Guy Nattiv) ** 1/2 |
| STRANGLED
LIVES (2001, d. Ricky Tognazzi) W/O+ |
| STRAWBERRY STATEMENT, THE (2008, d. Stuart Haggman) V. '69 student tumult in this
non-dated cult film. *** |
| STRAY
GIRLFRIEND, A (Una novia errante) (2007, d. Ana Katz) ** 1/4 |
| STRAYED
(2004, d. André
Téchiné) Totally absorbing film about a family of refugees in 1940 France.
Téchiné is a master of atmosphere & actors. *** 1/2 |
| STREET FIGHT (2005, d. Marshall
Curry; docu) V. *** 1/2 |
| STREET KINGS (2008, d. David Ayer) Too many unbelieveable loose
ends. Why is Chris Evans not a star? ** 1/2 |
| STREET LOVE
(2000, d. Asa Faringer) |
| STRICTLY
SINATRA (2001, d. Peter Capaldi) * 3/4 |
| STRIKE (2007, d. Volker
Schlöndorff) *** 1/2 |
| STRINGLESS
VIOLIN, THE
(2004, d. Sekar Ayu Asmara) An overamped melodrama mostly about a
brain-damaged child and the woman who cares for him. ** |
| STUCK ON YOU (2003, d. Bobby &
Peter Farelly) Irresistably sweet, hip and funny. Farellys continue to play
with characters' illusions & it works. *** |
| SUBURBAN
MAYHEM (2006, d. Paul Goldman) *** |
| SUDESTE (2003, Argentina d. Sergio Diego Bellotti) Torpid
drama of a young river fisherman and his encounter with an outlaw. ** 3/4 |
| SUERTE
DORMIDA, LA
(2004, d. Angeles Sinde) Spanish Erin Brokovich with some fine acting
by Adriana Ozores, Jose Soriano, and Felix Gomez (yum!) *** 1/4 |
| SUGAR (2004, d. John Palmer)
A Canadian NC-17 afterschool special about an 18 year old from the burbs who
falls for a crack addict street hustler. Brendan Fehr shines. ** 3/4 |
| SUGAR
(2009, d. Anna Bodin, Ryan Fleck) Fine American indie about a young Dominican
baseball player & his minor league tryout in Iowa. *** |
| SUICIDALS
(2006, d. Juan Villegas) ** |
| SUITE
HABANA (2004, d.
Fernando Pérez) Like Hukkle last year, a music & sound efx filled 24
hours in the lives of several ordinary people in present day Havana. *** |
| SULLIVAN'S
TRAVELS (2004, d.
Preston Sturges) I just don't find Sturges's rapid fire dialog, endless
montages and liberal messaging all that interesting or amusing. ** 1/2 |
| SUM OF ALL FEARS,
THE (2002, d. Phil Alden
Robinson) *** |
| SUMMER
'04 (2006, d. Stefan Krohmer) *** 1/4 |
| SUMMER CATCH (2001, d. Michael Tollin) **
1/2 |
| SUMMER
DAY, A (2006, d. Franck Guerin) *** |
| SUMMER HEAT
(2008, d. Monique van de Ven) ** 3/4 |
| SUMMER HOURS (L'heure d'été) (2009, d. Olivier Assayas) + *** 3/4 |
| SUMMER
IN BERLIN (2005, d. Andreas Dresen) ** 1/2 |
| SUMMER RAIN (El
Camino de los ingleses) (2007, d. Antonio Bandaras) ** 3/4 |
| SUMMER STORM (2005, d. Marco
Kreuzpaintner) + Yes, for the first time ever I watched a film for the
2nd time at SIFF. Blame the fabu eye candy. *** |
| SUMMER
STORM (2005, d. Marco Kreuzpaintner) ++ Yikes! Third time the
charm. Hollywood should only make a teen sex comedy this good! As
if. *** |
| SUMMER
STORM (2005, d. Marco Kreuzpaintner) Pleasant, sexy, gay German
American Pie type film about youthful affairs at a summer rowing camp.
*** |
| SUMMER (2009, d.
Kenny Glenaan) ** 3/4 |
| SUN ALLEY (Sonnenallee) (2000, d. Leander Haussman) *** |
| SUN ALSO RISES,
THE (Tai Yang Zhao Chang Sheng Qi) (2007, d. Jiang Wen) ** 1/4
|
| SUNSET STRIP (2005, d. Adam Collis)
V.+ *** |
| SUNSET STRIP (2000, d. Adam Collis) *** |
| SUNSHINE CLEANING (2009, d. Christine Jeffs) Enjoyable indie dramedy. Amy
Adams better here than in Doubt. *** |
| SUNSHINE STATE (2002, d. John Sayles) ***
1/2 |
| SUNSHINE
(2007, d. Danny Boyle) *** 1/4 |
| SUNSHINE (2000, d. István Szabó) ***
1/2 |
| SUPER
SIZE ME (2004, d.
Morgan Spurlock ) Superb, entertaining, shocking doc about the physical
effects of the director's immersion in McDonald's fast foods for a
month. *** 3/4 |
| SUPERBAD (2007, d. Greg Mattola) ** 1/2 |
| SUPERBAD
(2009, d. Greg Mattola) V.+ One of the rare cases of a film where the
over-the-top raunch works better on video than in the theater. *** |
| SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006, d. Brian Singer) Not a disappointment...Singer
did everything just about right. *** |
| SUPERVOLCANO (2005, d. Tony
Mitchell) V. Scary, involving, high gloss fictionalized disaster docudrama
about Yellowstone eruption. *** |
| SUPPLEMENT
(2002, d. Krzysztof Zanussi) *** |
| SUR LA TRACE
D'IGOR RIZZI (2006, d. Noël Mitrani) ** 1/4 |
| SURF'S UP (2007, d. Ash
Brannon & Chris Buck) ** 3/4 |
| SURROGATES
(2009, d. Jonathan Mostow) Super f/x and makeup almost make this futuristic
potboiler worth watching. But I don't buy the fundamental take on human
nature. ** 3/4 |
| SURVEILLANCE
(2007, d. Paul Oremland) ** 1/4 |
| SUSPECT
ZERO (2004, d.
Elias Merhige) Dour, complex SE7EN clone. Interesting visually; and
Eckhart is good, as usual. But script is not up to snuff. ** 3/4 |
| SWAY (Yureru) (2007,
d. Miwa Nishikawa) *** 1/2 |
| SWEENEY TODD (2007, d. Tim Burton) Well made; but even Sondheim's
lyrics can't make me love this musical. *** |
| SWEET
16 (2002, d. Ken Loach) *** 1/2 |
| SWEET AGONY
(2000, d. Ali-Reza Davudnezhad) ** |
| SWEET
AND THE BITTER, THE (Il dolce a l'amaro) (2008, d. Andrea Porporati)
*** 1/4 |
| SWEET CRUDE
(2009, d. Sandy Cioffi) *** |
| SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF
THIS (2002, d. Saso Podgorsek) *** |
| SWEET HOME
ALABAMA (2002, d. Andy
Tennant) ** 1/2 |
| SWEET LAND
(2006, d. Ali Selim) A 20th century immigrant woman's story; hardscrabble
midwest farmland, slow paced but quite moving. *** |
| SWEET
MUD (2007, d. Dror Shaul; Israel) *** 1/2 |
| SWEET NOVEMBER (2001, d. Pat O'Connor) *
1/4 |
| SWEETEST THING,
THE (2002, d. Roger
Kumble) * |
| SWEPT AWAY (2002, d. Guy Ritchie) * 3/4 |
| SWIMFAN (2002, d. John Polson) ** |
| SWIMMERS
(2005, d. Doug Sadler) American indie with high production values, but
a slow, trivial tv-movie plot which failed to go anyplace. * 3/4 |
| SWIMMING POOL (2003, d. François
Ozon) Somewhat disappointing film from this always interesting director.
Sagnier has grown to a sexy young woman. ** 1/2 |
| SWIMMING UPSTREAM (2005, d. Russell
Mulcahy) Pedestrian bio of early '60s Australian swimmer (the magnetic Jesse
Spenser) & his drunking & abusive father. ** 1/4 |
| SWIMMING
(2000, d. Robert J. Siegel) *** |
| SWIMSUIT ISSUE
(2009, d. Mans Herngren) ** 3/4 |
| SWINDLED
(Incautos) (2006, d. Miguel Bardem) *** |
| SWING VOTE
(2008, d. Joshua Michael Stern) Costner is ideal "everyman"; nicely
acted (esp. Kelsey Grammar), predictable, timely. *** |
| SWORDFISH (2001, d. Dominic Sena) *
1/4 |
| SYDNEY WHITE (2009, d. Joe Nussbaum) V. Clever concept (Snow White
& 7 Dorks on university Greek row), but dumb & predictable. Give Jack
Carpenter a leading role. ** 1/4 |
| SYLVIA (2003, d. Christine Jeffs) Not as bad a
biopic as Iris; but it doesn't go anywhere but the obvious with no insight.
Good acting, nowhere script. ** |
| SYMMETRY (2004, d. Konrad Niewolski) Slow, bleak, well
made prison drama of an innocent convict's assimilation into prison
culture. *** 1/4 |
| SYMPATHY
FOR LADY VENGEANCE (2006, d. Park Chan-wook) ** 1/4
|
| SYMPATHY FOR
MR. VENGEANCE (2002, d. Park Chan-wook) *** 1/2 |
| SYMPHONY OF
SILENCE (2001, d. Vigen Chaldranyan) *** |
| SYNECDOCHE, N.Y. (2008, d. Charlie Kaufman) Excruciating exercise in
self indulgence...but funny in an in-joke kind of way. ** |
| SYRIAN
BRIDE, THE (2005, d. Eran Riklis) Well made, emotionally satisfying
film about a Druze family where the daughter must leave to wed in
Syria. ** 3/4 |
| SYRIANA (2005, d. Stephen Gaghan) ** 3/4 |
|