187 reviews from LB in Idaho

Encounters at the End of the World
Every Werner Herzog film I see makes me a bigger fan of his work. In Encounters At the End of the World, Herzog marries stunning visual beauty with another cast of quirky, unique characters in a mournful paean to the end of white spaces on maps. Even though the people profiled in this documentary are clearly not well-rounded people, one still feels a wistful pull to follow in their adventurous footsteps. But even if you have little interest in what might drive a person to the literal end of the Earth, the amazing footage of the starkly beautiful landscape, the crystal clear sea and the intriguing animal life is worth the time spent watching this gorgeous film.

Sukiyaki Western Django
Sukiyaki Western Django is a visually impeccable homage to the Spaghetti Western genre. It seamlessly blends Western and Japanese sets, costumes and themes, then adds a dash of Quentin Tarantino (both the person and the hyper-violent, post-modern genre twist). Unfortunately, this Frankenstein creation lacks one essential element: a coherent, consistently interesting plot. With more work on the story, this could have been a five star instant classic. Instead, this is just a mildly diverting, bloody confection with a terrifically lurid color palette and beautiful cinematography.

Midsomer Murders: Beyond the Grave
I love this series, but this isn't one of the stronger episodes. I saw the ending coming a mile away. In general, this cozy mystery series is a treasure and each episode a gem. But this is definitely a smaller, semi-precious gem, worth seeing, but without the ooh factor that better episodes enjoy.

W.
W. is another solid effort from Oliver Stone, who is working, at least on paper, strictly from the director's chair on this one. It certainly is not a perfect picture, and it includes scenes that could have been cut down or eliminated, and skips scenes that you really wish would have been there. While the movie definitely contains some biting satire, overall it is a fairly standard biopic featuring an amazing performance from Josh Brolin and good performances from most of the rest of the cast (although I have no idea how Scott Glenn ended up with the role of Donald Rumsfeld). From a political standpoint, W. isn't very fair to Colin Powell, and it's a bit too fair to George W. Bush, but from a human standpoint, the film often makes some subtle but profound points, especially about how men performing evil acts often think they are doing good. In any case, I preferred Stone's films when he was writing them himself, but I did really enjoy this effort and would recommend it if only for the amazing performance by Brolin, who will most likely be in the running for a nice golden statue come spring.

Standard Operating Procedure
Standard Operating Procedure provides the viewer with a fascinating look inside the minds of the perpetrators of the crimes at Abu Ghraib & an indictment of our nation's current Standard Operating Procedure in dealing with other human beings. Concentrating mostly on interviews with the actual perpetrators of the crimes in Abu Ghraib, this movie is really more about the human condition than it is about evil policy makers and incompetent leaders. However, the tail end of the film drives home the very thin line between the current definitions of abuse and SOP, and the film invites us to draw a conclusion about whether or not a 20 year old soldier with no higher education could reasonably be expected to see a difference. Instinctively, most of those interviewed knew in their hearts that the treatment of the prisoners was wrong, so if the leaders were encouraging most forms of mistreatment, why were only the Privates prosecuted? And why was no one prosecuted for beating a man to death? One day, we will look back on this time as one of the darkest in our nation's history, a time when we stopped being the good guys, when we lost the right to provide moral leadership to the rest of the world.

Midsomer Murders: Judgment Day
This episode is my favorite of the series thus far. It features Orlando Bloom in his first substantive role (and there is a reference to Tolkien in the episode, and I wonder if that was by design or just an amazing coincidence). But beyond that, this cozy mystery has a wonderfully complex plot that keeps you guessing until the end.

Directors: Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher is a terrible director, but after seeing this brief doc, I at least understand why he has such a penchant for obnoxious sets (he started out as a costume designer). Like the other episodes in the series, this one spends very little time on craft and much too much time congratulating the director when he doesn't deserve it. But it does provide a good beginner's overview.

Midsomer Murders: Blue Herrings
This is one of those episodes featuring a lot of all-star cameos. If you are a fan of British film and television, you'll get a real kick out of this, as I did. If you're looking for something more in the normal style of the show, then you may have to content yourself with a tour of the Barnaby's new house.

Appaloosa
I would love to give this film four or even five stars. Ed Harris obviously took much care in crafting a beautiful piece of cinema. Unfortunately, less care was taken in casting the leading lady, and Renee Zellweger is simply not up to the task of playing such a complex part with the necessary inflection or intensity. With the right actress, Allie is really the center of the film. With Ms. Zellweger, it would have been better to leave the entire part on the cutting room floor. Viggo Mortensen, on the other hand, is pitch perfect throughout, and his "buddy movie" interaction with Harris is terrific. "Appaloosa" is also a well-crafted Western, violent but not gory, dusty and desolate, but still beautiful. I wish this was a great film. It's not, but it's still worth seeing.

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?
This film received poor critical reviews because Morgan Spurlock doesn't even try to hide his manipulation of the facts, and he does seem a bit glib. However, I really liked the movie anyway. It has some really funny moments, and something struck me as I watched it. Although the subject matter in this film doesn't rise to the level of a serious documentary, Spurlock really captures the stark beauty of many of the places he visits, as well as the beauty of the people in those regions. Hopefully in his next outing, he'll put together his increasing technical mastery with some better material.

Directors: Milos Forman
One of the better episodes in the series, probably because he has directed a fairly small body of work, and the film makers were able to spend a good amount of time on each. While I still wish this series spent more time on the technical aspects of directing, at least I got a sense of who this man is as an artist. It does pass the test of making me want to see the Milos Forman films I have not yet seen.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Initially, I gave Bigger, Stronger, Faster four stars. After all, Chris Bell's investigation into steroid use is entertaining, factual and thought provoking. However, the more I think about this movie, the more I realize that it spends a lot of time engaging in a popular American pastime called Moral Relativism. "Everyone else is doing it, why not me?" Mr. Bell finds musicians taking beta blockers and students taking Adderall, and he asks, "What's the difference?" But while Mr. Bell and I agree that there is little or no difference, we diverge greatly on what that means. To me, everyone is cheating. To Mr. Bell, maybe everyone ought to be cheating. In the end, his film is effective in showing that steroids probably aren't going to make you happier with yourself. But much like Michael Moore does in Bowling for Columbine, Chris Bell spends too much time in the heart of the movie talking about everything except steroids.

Taxi to the Dark Side
This is a film that made me ashamed of my leaders and of myself. I'm ashamed of my leaders for taking away the United States' ethical leadership role in the world. I'm ashamed that these men, rather than seeking to enforce the Geneva Conventions around the world, have instead sought to skirt it and outright violate it. I'm ashamed of myself because I remember many of the public statements made by my national leaders, and I, along with the majority of my fellow Americans, was so caught up in the fervor of winning the "war on terror" that I didn't stop to think about what they were really implying in their speeches. I weep for the memories of those lost to us on 9/11 that their good names have been so misused to justify evil acts. The one certainty of the current election is that, regardless of who wins the Presidency in November, the torture will end in January. Because, make no mistake, while we are arguing about earmarks, financial bailouts and immigration, people are still being tortured by the United States, and people are still dying.

Woman in the Dunes
Wow. Just wow. It's not often that one sees an allegory wrapped up in stark realism, but "Woman in the Dunes" delivers it. Almost the entirety of the film is two people in a hut at the bottom of a sand pit, and yet I found this to be one of the most riveting psychological studies ever committed to film. In addition, the black and white cinematography is simply amazing, with terrific closeups of grains of sand stuck to human skin, waves of sand inexorably traveling down the walls of the pit, an ocean of sand in a seashore desert. Despite its gritty (pun intended) realism, this isn't really a movie about a couple of people in a sand pit. "Woman in the Dunes" is a film about the futility of modern life in general. At one point, the widow tries to console the captive by telling him that maybe they could get a radio and hear the news of the outside world. He dismisses the idea, saying that he had come to the desert to escape all that. The man has been captured because the youth of the sinking village have all left for a "better" life in Tokyo, but the theme of the movie is that they almost certainly won't find it because they will end up working just as endlessly in some other place, while someone else gets rich off their labor.

Directors: Martin Scorsese
None of the episodes in this series go into a lot of depth, but the Scorsese episode is exceptional because the great director, himself, talks about his process, the artistic reason he selected each project, and the atmosphere he works to create on his sets. I would certainly prefer a feature length doc that talks at least in part about Scorsese's technical expertise, but for a one hour television show, this is pretty good.

The Last Seduction
Technically, this is not a perfect movie. John Dahl seems stylistically much more mature in his earlier "Red Rock West," and some scenes in "The Last Seduction" are missing that ambiance one expects from a Noir. Plus, some of the dialog is cringe-worthy. However, despite its technical faults, somehow "The Last Seduction" just reaches out, grabs you and takes you along for one dark but oh-so-fun ride. Linda Fiorentino performs at her sexy best. She is amoral, cold, calculating, wry and occasionally laugh out loud funny. This is easily one of the great femme fatale roles of all time, and Ms. Fiorentino plays it pitch perfect.

Directors: Rob Reiner
The Rob Reiner episode of Directors is one of the stronger installments, mostly because Reiner has a smaller body of work than some of the others featured in the series. That gives the writers the opportunity to spend more time of the best of Reiner's films. The last part of the show drags a bit, mostly because Reiner hasn't really directed anything of note since 1996's Ghosts of Mississippi. But a lot of time is devoted to his early classics like The Princess Bride, Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally and Misery. As is the case with most of the episodes in the series, the real weakness is that very little time is spent on Reiner's technical merits. But it is a good overview of Rob Reiner's body of work.

Directors: Robert Altman
The problem with trying to boil down a career as extensive as Robert Altman's is that it doesn't really fit into an hour-long television show. Plus, Altman's signature is the all-star ensemble cast, and this episode wasted a lot of valuable time reciting the extensive casts of each movie. Still, there are some interesting anecdotes and interviews with some of his actors. I just wish the focus would have been more on technical elements and less on cast lists.

Kabluey
Kabluey starts out strong with some great laugh out loud moments, and the first 40 minutes of the film make the whole thing worth seeing. However, the second half gets a bit uncomfortable with too much drama and too little comedy. Prendergast has a great eye for exteriors, and many of the scenes with the costume are beautiful, touching and funny. Overall, "Kabluey" is a near miss, but it's certainly worth the rental.

Midsomer Murders: Dead Man's Eleven
Dead Man's Eleven marks the point at which Midsomer Murders becomes completely comfortable within it's universe. The small town feeling of Midsomer County begins to crystallize as we begin to see characters in recurring roles. In addition, this is episode has a better than average storyline, and it also benefits from the guest appearance of the incomparable Imelda Staunton.

The Hottest State
As a fan of Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset," I figured Ethan Hawk would have put what he learned from his director friend and that this would therefore be a pretty terrific, intelligent film. And it is apparent that Hawk has brought to his own work Linklater's flare for using natural light well, simple shot sets and and his love of conversation and disdain for traditional narrative. Well, actually, Linklater is interested in ideas, not conversation for conversation's sake, and I think this is biggest problem with "The Hottest State." The characters talk a lot, but they really don't say anything all that interesting. And while the actors are earnest enough in their roles, the script just doesn't contain the necessary meat to help them develop any meaningful chemistry. Ethan Hawke is excellent in his small role, but his five minutes of screen time can't save a movie that is obvious a labor of misplaced love.

Inspector Lewis
I've only seen a few Inspector Morse mysteries, so I'm coming to this series with relatively new eyes. I appreciate the way they bid a fond farewell to Morse in this pilot without dwelling on him, and I found the mystery to be intelligent and engrossing. I really enjoyed the "Hamlet" angle. One of the better BBC mysteries out there.

Derek
If the purpose of "Derek" is to introduce Derek Jarman to a new generation, I guess it does its job because I previously had no idea who Derek Jarman was, and I now intend to see his films. However, if you are a Derek Jarman neophyte, this documentary presents some problems. First, since no backstory is presented, you have to listen to Jarman talk and Tilda Swinton opine for quite awhile before you figure out who the subject was and what impact he has had on culture. Certainly, not all viewers are going to be patient enough to hang in there through the first 15 minutes. Secondly, this is obviously a deeply personal project, so personal that one sometimes feels uncomfortable in the role of voyeur. Still, if you are interested in film culture & history, and/or the history of homosexuality in the late 20th century, this is a good doc.

The Fall
As a director, Tarsem is a director of rare and exquisite talent, and his choice of locations makes The Fall worth seeing all by itself. However, I think the time has come for Tarsem to stop tinkering with the scripts and let someone with more talent take up the helm at the writer's chair. The Fall is a beautifully made movie, and a nice enough homage to movie making, but the script is uneven and often lacking, and good acting, direction, location and cinematography can't quite overcome the limitations of that script.

A Better Place
I generously gave this two stars, because it addresses an issue that was not much discussed in film in 1997, violence in schools. However, Gus Van Sant has since it much more effectively in 2003's "Elephant." As a student movie, "A Better Place" is passable because you can forgive the terrible acting, the camera shots that are often out of focus, and scene setups that are occasionally well-done but are just as often amateur and sometimes even pretentious. And a small budget is really no excuse for poor content. Skip it.

Burn Notice: Season 1
I've been a Jeffrey Donovan fan since his 2004 ill-fated USA series, Touching Evil. That series was VERY dark, and while his character, Creegan was quirky, he wasn't really funny. Donovan is much more accessible and witty in as Michael Westen in "Burn Notice," and his pairing with Gabrielle Anwar is a stroke of casting genius. Smart, funny and never boring.

In Plain Sight: Season 1
I really loved this new series right up until the last couple of episodes of the season when it got a touch too soapy for me. Still, I very much plan on watching next season. I've never liked Lesley Ann Warren much, but she is very good as the dysfunctional mother of a US Marshall. And Mary McCormack is great as the damaged daughter who has nonetheless brought some order to her life.

Tropic Thunder
I judge tend to judge comedies by how hard I laugh. This one gets five stars for guffaws, knee slapping and throw-your-arms up in the air hilarity! Is it offensive? You bet, but all the offense is directed at Hollywood and its absurdity, pettiness and greed. As a general rule, I'm not much of a Ben Stiller fan, but he is great here, although his Thunder is definitely stolen by Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise. The best thing about "Tropic Thunder" is that the laughs are wall-to-wall, and I have to give props to Tivo for the best product placement ad EVER!

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
"How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer" contains some elements that represent the best of Indy film making and some bits that show off the worst. In some scenes, the audience is treated to a series of meandering, pointless scenic shots, an obvious but failed attempt to appear arty and serious. But then a scene of such breathtaking simplicity and beauty occurs, and I find myself forgiving the pretension that has come before. A better editor would have cut at least 30 minutes out of this little film, and it would have been much stronger and leaner. But America Ferrera, Elizabeth Pena & Lucy Gallardo all give excellent, honest performances to make up for the film's meandering. All in all, it's bit predictable, a bit long, a bit amateur, a bit brilliant, and a pleasant way to spend an evening. No raves, but I'll be interested in seeing what Georgina Riedel comes up with next.

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
This powerful, soulful documentary tells the story of one of America's greatest patriots. It is also a primer for how to bring people together to effect positive change in this world. Containing loads of great archival footage, contemporary interviews and terrific, classic songs that many of us sang as children, this is a history lesson and a gentle call to follow in the footsteps of greatness.

Finding Amanda
"Finding Amanda" had lot of potential, but Peter Tolan failed to choose between tragic drama and comedy. He should have stuck with the former, as Brittney Snow's character has a lot of potential depth, but it gets lost in the strain to try to find laughs that just aren't there. Matthew Broderick gives his role a game try, but the character just isn't sympathetic, and at the end, as the camera follows him, one wishes ardently that it would have followed Snow's character instead. It feels like Peter Tolan should have delegated the direction, because he obviously felt too close to the material to choose the right tone. A near miss, but so much more disappointing for coming close to being a really good movie.

Atonement
In retrospect, as a person who despised The English Patient and Out of Africa, I should have suspected that I might not enjoy this film. But I was in the mood for a good romantic epic, so I queued it up and waited eagerly for its arrival. If you want a good romantic epic, rent Dr. Zhivago or something because Atonement is not a good movie. Oh, there are positives. The chemistry between Keira Knightley and James McAvoy makes me desperately hope they make another, better movie together in the future. The other actors are all well cast and are very good in their roles, and the movie is very pretty to look at. And the first part of the movie flows well, feels cohesive and appears to be going somewhere. But then everything fragments into a series of disjointed scenes that both feel endless and take you farther and farther away from the emotional core of the two main characters until, by the obvious and painful ending, you feel little more than relieved that it is finally over.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Another solid raunchy comedy from Apatow and company. This one falls even more solidly into the "guy comedy" camp than many of the group's previous efforts, but there's enough "romantic" in the comedy to keep women interested if not laughing out load from start to finish. I really appreciate the time taken to round out all the characters. Even the rock star boyfriend, who at first appears to be a silly (very funny, but still silly) characture, ends up being a flawed but honest and ultimately likable guy.

In the Shadow of the Moon
For most of us, the space program seems to occupy a different reality than the other events going on at the same time. The late 60s was a turbulent, divisive, often terrible time in which we lost the great leaders Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., when the Vietnam Conflict was in full swing, and the protests against it were becoming increasingly strident and sometimes violent. On the other hand, the landing on the moon is seen as one of mankind's greatest achievements, an act that brought the whole world together. It seems inconceivable that the one event could have taken place at the same time as all the other stuff. In the Shadow of the Moon really places the moon landing within its true historical context and makes it an event that is all the more powerful considering its backdrop. This film also concentrates on memories of the all the Apollo astronauts who are still alive except for Neil Armstrong instead of going into excruciating technical detail about the missions. While I kind of wish Mr. Armstrong would have come out of seclusion to participate, it's nice to give the less famous astronauts more screen time. Some of their comments are very insightful, and others are very funny. And the footage, much of it seen for the first time here, is spectacular and makes the film worth seeing for that reason alone.

2 Days in Paris
I didn't think I was going to like this movie. The movie is referential, and as I recognized Woody Allen meets Richard Linklater, at first I thought, "Oh boy, now we get to see Julie Delpy's student film." But Ms. Delpy is deliberately referential in Two Days in Paris so that she can tweak the Woody and Mia, Julie and Ethan pairings a little and meld them into an original, smart and fun romantic comedy that makes some pretty profound comments on the cultural divide and on the nature of relationships. Adam Goldberg is wonderfully twitchy, and Julie Delpy is great as usual. Her real-life parents play her fictional parents in this film, and they wonderfully steal almost every scene in which they appear. Paris is the perfect setting for the film, and the direction is mostly unobtrusive. I would not have known that Delpy directed herself if I had not read it in the credits. Two Days in Paris isn't the best film of the year or anything, but it is a very funny movie, and it demonstrates that Julie Delpy is a talent to look for behind the camera, not just in front of it.

Midsomer Murders: Written in Blood
I enjoyed this episode, but it isn't as good as others in the series. Some of the scenes were overly maudlin, and many of the plot points were way too obvious. Still fun, but not the best of the series.

The Hunting Party
Richard Gere, Terrence Howard and Jesse Eisenberg all turn in terrific performances in a movie that has a lot of unrealized potential but is ultimately crushed by its own maudlin weight. Although the murdered pregnant girlfriend motivation provides Gere with ample opportunity to flex his considerable acting muscle, in the end, this picture would have been much better if it had stuck more closely to the Esquire article upon which it was based and become a buddy film with some sharp political teeth. In any case, the politics are thought-provoking, and the buddy banter works well, so I can give it a mild recommendation. But, sadly, it could have been so much better if we didn't have to deal with dredging the depths of one character's tragically wounded psyche.

Harvie Krumpet
Harvie Krumpet is a darkly funny yet hopeful little gem of a film about life. Harvie suffers a variety of misfortunes in his life, but he keeps on chugging along. He is not always happy, and, in fact, he despairs at times. But his life is made up of sweet and sour and everything in between. The filmmakers manage to cram a whole lot about the human condition into one small 23 minute bit of claymation.

Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
In a sense, Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience doesn't really tell us anything that we didn't know on an abstract level. But I think there is a lot of value in immersing oneself in the concrete realities of those who serve, and of coming to a more intimate understanding of the human cost of fighting any war. The photography and the stories are very powerful, and it is very interesting to see many different points of view from several different conflicts. But more than anything else, this documentary has whetted my appetite to read the book. I'm a bit surprised that this received a best Documentary Oscar nod, because it is only an hour long, and is clearly made for television, but I learned something about the soul of the soldier, so it definitely acheives its purpose. Of the documentaries nominated for an Oscar this year, No End in Sight is clearly the best film. But this is a nice companion piece.

Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea
Appropriately narrated by John Waters, Plagues and Pleasures of the Salton Sea is a quirky but entertaining little documentary about an ecological disaster area and the mostly terminally optimistic folks who continue to live there. The Salton Sea is a side effect of an irrigation project that brought agriculture to California's Imperial Valley. Salty irrigation runoff collects in a natural sink that sits over 100 feet below sea level, creating an inland sea. The documentary describes the rise and fall of the Salton Sea region as a tourist mecca, and concludes with discussion about how a new water agreement between the Imperial Valley and San Diego threatens to destroy the area altogether. As the documentarians describe the problems, they also intrduce us to the people who, for a variety of reasons, continue to live in the desolate area. The history and the people are both fascinating, and this documentary serves as both cautionary tale about fooling with Mother Nature and as a look at a unique culture that subsists on hope in the shadow of possible doom. The filmmakers divide the film into parts by the various communities that are built around the lake, and each has its own story and its own flavor.

Crazy Love
Crazy love is a deeply disturbing documentary about the lengths to which some people are willing to go in order to not end up alone. It's sad, it's shocking, it's lurid, and it's very interesting. It's well worth a watch if you are at all interested in human relationships, especially dysfunctional ones.

Syndromes and a Century
If you are looking for the usual film devices of plot and character development, looks elsewhere, because you will not find it here. Instead, director Apichatpong Weerasethakul employs some familiar film techniques (I recognized a pinch of Eric Rohmer, a bit of Kar Wai Wong and a couple of generous dollops of Terrence Malick) to meditate on memory, how setting (urban vs. rural) and point in time effects tone and theme, and just on the quiet artistry of everyday life. In many ways, this film defies all description. Although a World Cinema devotee may recognize elements of the work of other directors within this film, as a whole, it is nothing like anything that has come before it. Unfortunately, most movie goers will also have no desire to see anything like it. But if you are in the mood for something non-linear, meditative and beautiful that you can mull over long after the credits have rolled, then this may be the film for you.

Besieged
Few films can compare with Besieged in terms of pure visual beauty. Press the pause button on almost any frame, and you will see a work of art worthy of hanging in your home. Lustrous hues, exquisitely wrought shadows and an eye for lighting that must make even Ridley Scott weep, even the dust motes floating on a ray of sunlight help construct an intricate piece of art. Besieged is almost worth seeing just for the quality of the direction and cinematography. Unfortunately, the story neither elevates the incredible visual quality of the film, nor is it elevated by it. As Ebert says in his review, every plot point exists merely to further the shallow, almost insulting storyline. If Bertolucci hadn't chosen to grant Mr. Kinsky so much power over Shandurai, I think this would have been a beautiful film about love. Instead, he reduces it to a rather adolescent sexual fantasy, except, considering that he is a director who usually films sex with unabashed frankness, there isn't even much of a payoff, except that we get to see Thandie Newton's breasts at the end. Three stars for the visual mastery, but nothing for plot or theme.

Lilies of the Field
Even though I'm nominally a Catholic, I'm not much for religion, so I never bothered to watch this movie that appears to be about a guy helping a bunch of nuns build a church. What a snoozer, right? Wrong! This is a beautifully filmed, rich and deep character study that tells a deceptively simple story about the human condition. Sidney Poitier is wonderful as Homer Smith, a wisecracking transient who finds himself unable to ignore "God's will," and Lilia Skala holds her own as the stern Mother Superior. Just a wonderful, feel-good movie, definitely worthwhile.

Bobby
This is really a three star film, deeply flawed in that it tries to bring too many characters together when the film would have probably been better served with fewer characters. Still, this film was obviously made with much love and care, and demonstrates that Emilio Estevez may finally be living up to his potential as a director.

A Letter to Three Wives
Kirk Douglas steels every scene in which he appears in this classic award-winning domestic drama. For an audience today, there aren't many surprises, but the fact that one of the female characters is the primary breadwinner must have been hot stuff back in 1949. But although it is predicatable and neatly tied up with a bow in the end, it is still an engaging film that makes you root for the flawed characters. Engrossing and enjoyable.

Separate Tables
For its time, this is a shocking film. One of the characters even says S-E-X! Seriously, though, this is a well done film with great acting from a fine ensemble cast. The direction and cinematography are also very well done, and it's a shame that the film was not restored when transfered to DVD. Still, for the most part, the print is clean, and only a couple of scenes look dark and muddy.

Save the Tiger
The strength in Save the Tiger lies in the portrayals of the main characters. Jack Lemmon is sublime as harry Stoner, a man who survived World War II but who finds himself increasingly out of place and out of touch in the modern world. Like the Tiger, he is a man on the endangered list, and he finds himself compromising his values to maintain his lifestyle (with which, ironically, he becoming increasingly disillusioned). At one point, when discussing the creative accounting done on their previous year's tax return, he comments, "The government has a word for survival. It's called fraud." Later, when he discovers a colleague collapsed from a heart attack in a hotel room, he exclaims, "He's not a man, he's a casualty!" This new fight for survival triggers memories of a previous battle for survival on a beach in France, and he attempts to cope by recalling more pleasant memories from the past. Jack Gilford is also excellent as Harry's business partner and conscience, a conscience that retreats more and more onto a fishing boat and away from the tough day-to-day decisions at the two men's company. The direction is also very strong, and this low budget character study is a great example of movies during the Golden Age of the 1970s. The DVD is no frills, but the print transfer is really good, especially for a film that has not been digitally restored.

Grizzly Man
I am an animal rights activist. I'm a Vegan, a member of several Animal Rights, Animal Welfare and Environmental organizations, and I bother my congressmen and the heads of companies regularly with letters requesting action on a variety of animal and other environmental concerns. I say this as a prelude, because if I, having watched this documentary, think that Timothy Treadwell was a whack job who deserved to be eaten by bears, then the guy was a whack job. People like Treadwell do great harm and disservice to the AR and Environmentalist movements because people look at those people and think that all activists who care about animals must be just like them. That said, Grizzly Man is a fascinating documentary about a total whack job. Herzog does an excellent job of showing how Treadwell becomes progressively more and more unhinged the longer he spends in the wild with the bears. By the end, the audience understands the inevitability of the Treadwell's death, which was as much suicide as animal attack. Herzog is also very effective at drawing out the unique individuals he interviews for the documentary, and he has an interesting technique of really drawing out the end of the interview scenes so the audience gets to see that awkward moment after a statement has been made, and all the little ticks people display when they are under the microscope. In addition to capturing a man's descent into insanity, Herzog also gives Treadwell credit for capturing some amazing images of wild Alaska, from foxes stopping by camp to male bears locked in mortal struggle for the right to reproduce. The backgrounds for Treadwell's speeches, rants, commentary and introspection are often breathtakingly beautiful.I'm a bit ashamed to admit that this is the first Werner Herzog film I have ever seen. Grizzly Man sure makes me want to see more.

Bee Season
Bee Season is a mildly interesting but obvious family drama about a selfish father, a crazy mother and a couple of gifted children. Flora Cross is brilliant as the younger sibling who is used to being largely ignored and who fears that the painful shift in family dynamics following the discovery of her gift for spelling is her fault. The other actors are all very credible, and the film looks really good, with lots of woody, muted tones and interesting visual effects and imagery. However, as I watched the movie, I felt like I was being hit over the head with the theme, and I actually had to check IMDB to make sure that Paul Haggis hadn't penned the screenplay. Overall, this movie tries to do too much, addressing the teen angst of a young man who finds that he is no longer the center of his father's world, the slow disintegration of a mother who has apparently never dealt with a family tragedy from her youth (this plot line isn't flushed out enough for me to fully realize what is going on with the character), the failed dreams of a father visited on a daughter, and a young girl's coming of age. This is a movie that tries to do so much that its great accomplishment is that it makes me want to read the book. But as a film, it's really just a well-crafted failure.

No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men will not be a popular movie like the Big Lebowski. At the end of the movie, many voices in the crowded theater could be heard in startled exclamation voicing, "What?" That leads me to assume that half the people who see No Country for Old Men will fail to get it. But those who do will recognize that Old Country for Old Men is one of the Coen Brothers' best efforts, and it should have little difficulty garnering several Oscar nominations. Tommy Lee Jones plays the sheriff as though he was born to the role, which of course, he was, but he is terrific here, even though he doesn't have to stretch a lot. Josh Brolin is a real surprise this year. He has had strong supporting roles in Planet Terror and American Gangster, and he carries the lead here with ease. I hope his career rejuvenation continues, because he is a much better actor than I would have previously given him credit for. Javier Bardem is amazingly creepy in this movie as the psychotic headhunter chasing Brolin and the money. The supporting cast is also very good, and everyone plays their characters pretty straight, a departure for the Coen Brothers who usually favor coaxing their actors into a stilted acting style that is the usual signature of their movies. The story is somewhat reminiscent of The Getaway (1972 Steve McQueen vehicle), but while the earlier film drags in places, No Country for Old Men keeps the audience at the edge of their seats from beginning to unexpected end. The sets and shot choices are also beautifully well crafted. In fact, I can't think of a single negative thing to say about No Country for Old Men except for the fact that the movie is ultra-violent and pretty gory, so those with weak stomachs may want to look away from time to time. Still, I would highly recommend this movie to all discerning movie goers, and I hope it wins some of the Oscars it is sure to be nominated for.

Me and You and Everyone We Know
This is definitely a strange little movie, but it is also very sweet and touching, sometimes sad and sometimes hopeful. There is one scene involving a woman and a child that will resonate with me for a long time. There are (well-done) scenes of teen sex, and this definitely isn't a standard romantic comedy you are likely to want to share with your mom, but if you're looking for a thoughtful look at alienation, longing and acceptance, this is a good choice.

The Namesake
The Namesake is a beautifully filmed movie about self discovery and a family making a life in a foreign land. The movie's pacing is a little off, moving a little slow at the beginning, and then rushing through the end, but this flaw is relatively minor, especially in light of the excellent performances. Irfan Khan is particularly touching as Ashoke Ganguli, an Indian man who emigrates to the United States following a near-fatal train crash. Tabu is also wonderful as his wife, and Kal Penn stretches into drama much better than I thought he would. This isn't Mira Nair's best film, but it's pretty strong and well-worth watching.

Amazing Grace
I've actually been looking very much forward to seeing Amazing Grace because I so admire William Wilberforce, not only for his work to abolish slavery, but also for founding the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Not only did the subject seem interesting, but the supporting cast is impeccible. Unfortunately, Amazing Grace deeply disappointed me. Apted chose to tell the story in a non-linear fashion through flashbacks, but there was no purpose for doing that. The flashbacks aren't confusing, but they are unnecessary, and the bridges between the two time-lines are sometimes melodramatic and silly. The melodrama is more pronounced because Ioan Gruffudd is simply not the same caliber actor as most of the rest of the cast, and he is trying way too hard. This is most apparent in the minor romance sub-plot, which is the most unwieldy portion of the movie. At one point, Gruffudd "earnestly" begs his new lady love, "Wait, I want to tell you the rest!" Unromantically, she replies, "I already know the rest." And she proceeds to give him a five minute synopsis. I remember thinking, "Heck, why doesn't she just recite the whole plot to us, then I can mail this dog back and go to bed." Also, the portrayal of Wilberforce's piety seems tacked on and forced. There are good things about the movie. The scenery, lighting and costuming are all very well done. I appreciate that they took the time to put the SPCA into the movie as a pretty major theme, and Ioan Gruffudd does have really great screen chemistry with Rufus Sewell. Overall, when the story works, it works very well. But it moves too fast at some points, not nearly fast enough at others, and I think the ending could have been done much, much better.

Waitress
Waitress is a wonderful little fable with excellent direction, exceptional acting, great style and a funny but poignant story. Director Adrienne Shelly makes all the right decisions with this one, right down to making sure the male characters (except for Andy Griffith) play flat so that Keri Russell's character can really pop in comparision. It is a real tragedy that such a promising talent in direction had her young life snuffed out by violence, and I am saddened that I will not get the chance to see Ms. Shelly direct anything else.

American Gangster
As a huge Ridley Scott fan, I wanted to love this film, and it has all the components of a great movie. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe both turn in spot on, Oscar caliber performances. The shots are all perfectly crafted and lit, the period is captured perfectly, and the story is an engaging one. However, there is just something that makes this a very good film rather than a great one. Perhaps it is a bit too long, but I tend to think that this is a film that exists merely to be appreciated, but truly great films also entertain, and this movie didn't quite get there.

The Beatles: Help!
This film doesn't quite have the same je ne sais quoi as "A Hard Day's Night," and it definitely fits into the "charmingly silly" category. But the music is great, there are some VERY funny moments, and the restoration is quite well done. Definitely a must see for Beatles fans.

Manufacturing Dissent
I don't think it's any big secret that Michael Moore uses clever editing and other underhanded techniques to distort the truth in order to make his point. I tend to agree with him in the broad strokes, but I know what he does stretches the definition of documentary. That said, this documentary is interesting, but uneven. Immitating the Roger and Me schtick trying to get an interview with Moore comes off as pretty amateur, but the filmmakers do a pretty good job of trying to be balanced. They discuss Moore's most important legacy, which is that he has made documentaries sexy again, so other, more honest films have a great chance of being seen by a wide audience. So overall, I'd say flawed, but watchable.

Grindhouse: Planet Terror
It is a total travesty that Death Proof and Planet Terror were released separately. These movies were meant to be seen, with the fake trailers included, together, preferably in a movie theater. Grindhouse is a wonderful piece of post-modern art, a film concept that works on so many levels. Rodriguez and Tarantino have turned the exploitation film on its head, empowering the women in a genre that usually views them as disposable pieces of T&A. This is brilliant work; it is detailed down to the level of the film "scratches" that indicate the "Feature Presentation" (Death Proof), the artistically more important of the two movies. Planet Terror sets the stage thematically with a hot woman (Rose McGowan) who, instead of becoming merely a Zombie Scooby snack, instead becomes a super hero, the thing she was born to be. This film doesn't really stand on its own artistically, although many may find it to be the most viscerally entertaining of the two films. So get both movies, watch them in the correct order and feel sadness if you didn't get the chance to see this in the theater.

Grindhouse: Death Proof
It is a total travesty that Death Proof and Planet Terror were released separately. These movies were meant to be seen, with the fake trailers included, together, preferably in a movie theater. Grindhouse is a wonderful piece of post-modern art, a film concept that works on so many levels. Rodriguez and Tarantino have turned the exploitation film on its head, empowering the women in a genre that usually views them as disposable pieces of T&A. This is brilliant work; it is detailed down to the level of the film "scratches" that indicate the "Feature Presentation" (Death Proof), the artistically more important of the two movies. Death Proof is a talky film, but all Tarantino films are talky; the dialogue is part of his charm as a filmmaker. It also has a terrific, maybe one of the best ever, chase scene and a wonderfully funny, empowering, shocking finale. I have a hard time imagining how anyone could call themselves a Tarantino fan and not love this film.

Take the Lead
It's hard to give this movie the negative review it probably deserves because most of us are ultimately suckers for this kind of inspirational story. This isn't nearly as well done as some of the films in this genre. The major subplot is a total mess, and there is really no point in the movie without the major subplot. Still, the movie is watchable, some of the dancing is well done, and I couldn't find anything to make fun of.

Out of Sight
This film may be better than I'm giving it credit for, but Jennifer Lopez is like the green pepper on the pizza for me. I do think it's interesting to see the beginnings of the group of people who would come together for the Ocean's projects. George Clooney and Don Cheadle are terrific here, and a lot of the direction is very top notch. Unfortunately, there are other moments, like the freeze frames, that seem so precious and unnecessary. But then I'm in the "Soderbergh didn't deserve that Oscar for Traffic" camp, so maybe bigger fans of his work will see he stylistic touches as brilliant rather than pretentious. At the very least, it's a decent time waster.

Tara Road
This film has the same basic setup as The Holiday. Two women unhappy with their lives decide to swap homes. The difference is that each woman's problem in Tara Road is more maudlin than in The Holiday, and that's actually the problem. This film feels like it was produced for Lifetime, a sad little drama starring some really good actors with very little to do. I get the feeling that the book upon which the film is based might be more interesting, I found myself either bored or confused throughout. I would only recommend this to people who are addicted to made-for-television movies that air on one of the women's channels.

Iris
Iris works very well as a film about marriage and the pain of falling into Alzheimer's coupled with the pain of being the caregiver of the body when the mind you fell in love with is gone. Dame Judy Dench portrays a woman ravaged by the cruel disease with care and grace. Jim Broadbent deserves the bald statuette on his mantle for his exquisitely painful portrayal of the husband. However, the alternate title of Iris is Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch, and the film does not work as the telling of a great author's life. We see the beginning, we see the first seeds of a love that will last a lifetime, and we see a liberated woman ahead of her time, reaching out for life, as much life and experience as possible. But she interacts with characters I never get to know, and the great part of her life story is left completely untold. There is a scene in which a man named Maurice brings Iris home after she's escaped the house and gotten lost. Her husband, John, has a difficult time remembering who this Maurice person is. Well, so do I. What is this man's significance, exactly? In a sense, I understand what the filmmakers are doing with this movie. They are making a movie about the recollections of a woman with Alzheimer's Disease, and they do a marvelous job of that. But I couldn't help feeling a bit ripped off that they couldn't flush out those great, middle years of a great woman's life, especially since the movie's running time is only 90 minutes. It often seems that the movies with the greatest performances don't stand up as very great movies on their own, and I fear that this is another one of those. I'm certainly glad I saw it for all the great acting, but as a whole piece of work, the film just can't stand up. 3.5 stars

We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall is nothing more than a "chick flick" for men. Filled with melodrama and absurd, fictional subplots in place of real and hard facts, the movie fails to focus on what is important and instead goes for every sports movie cliche. This could have been a beautiful tribute. Instead it's just another overacted sports movie that hits all the obvious notes but none of the right ones.

The TV Set
The TV Set works very well when it sticks to how a fresh, original concept can get raked over and ruined by the networks and their ridiculous demographics testing. In one ironic scene, Lenny, the programming director played brilliantly by Sigourney Weaver, says of the show, "It was a great script. It's an okay pilot." But she's the one who forcefully gutted the original concept and turned it into just another okay show. Unfortunately, there are enough scenes in this film reminiscent of Network that the comparison must be made, and, of course, The TV Set cannot compete with the 1976 Academy Award winner. In addition, there are quite a few moments where the film becomes too myopic, making jokes that industry insiders will probably find funny but that will leave Joe and Jane Viewer cold. But there are plenty of other, more accessible, amusing moments, and while this no knee-slapper, it is an engaging film. Sigourney Weaver steels every scene in which she appears, and the rest of the cast is very good as well. David Duchovny's role in this film is kind of a prequel for his new Showtime series, Californication, which I also like but don't love. If you don't come into this film expecting too much, then you will find yourself pleasantly diverted for 90 minutes. Just don't make the mistake of seeing this movie instead of seeing Network.

The Kingdom
Peter Berg needs to set down the hand cam and step away. He is definitely no Paul Greengrass. But shoddy camera work aside, the first three quarters of The Kingdom is a solid procedural that at least makes an attempt to make some chilling and thought-provoking statements about the nature of hate and its transmission from generation to generation. I wish he could have set his Western background aside and made stronger statements about American culpability, but at least it's an attempt. But the last part of the movie disintigrates into a silly shoot-em-up with the “Bad Arabs” firing rocket launchers in their own neighborhood. Most of the sequence feels like it was filmed so the producers would have some nice explosions to put in the trailers. Overall, The Kingdom is a passable movie that could have been great if some different decisions would have been made with direction and scripting. I get the feeling that the filmmakers didn’t trust their audience to accept a movie about finding the commonalities between different cultures. Too bad they think so little of us.

Suspect Zero
Suspect Zero tries to be Se7en meets Coast to Coast with Art Bell. It doesn't quite succeed at either. Director E. Elias Merhige gives away his music video roots with the extensive use of weird color filters when a slow fade from drawing to reality would probably be a lot more effective. The film is also pretty predictable. The film previews the end at least three or four times, so you know more or less what's going to happen there pretty early on. And there's a moment when the filmmakers try to cast doubt on one of the main characters, but it doesn't work at all. Still, it isn't all bad. Ben Kingsley turns in a stellar performance, and the rest of the cast is believable. Carrie-Ann Moss could have stayed home because her part is so badly written, but she does what she can with it. And despite the awkward moments and the pretentious direction, it's still a serial killer thriller, and even a mediocre serial killer thriller is mildly entertaining on a cloudy afternoon.

Surf's Up
Surf's Up is actually a charming movie, way better than last year's overrated Happy Feet. Surf's Up employs the Christopher Guest mockumentary style, combined with surfer subject matter of Endless Summer and some truly amazing animation techniques to create a film that both adults and children can appreciate and enjoy. The voice talent is well cast, especially with Jeff Bridges as "The Geek" in homage to "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski. Shia LeBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, and James Woods also lend their talents to the film, and Jon Heder steps outside his normal role a little to play Chicken Joe, a fellow surfer and buddy to LeBeouf's Cody. Surf's Up represents the first creative success for Sony Pictures Animation after lukewarm outings with Monster House and Open Season. Not only is the animation truly amazing, including water sequences that may well out-do those in Finding Nemo, but the team of writers on this project have finally found a story worth telling. Since this is like the fourth penguin film in the past three years, this may not be Sony's biggest commercial success, but artistically, this film blows away everything Sony has attempted in the past.

Volver
Volver surprised me. For one thing, Oscar nomination or not, I've never been particularly fond of Penelope Cruz. She has always struck me as being terribly overrated. For another thing, based on the trailers, I was expecting a domestic comedy/drama with a supernatural flair. But it turns out that Penelope Cruz is very talented in her native language, and she not only has a nice subtle flair for comedy, but she is also believable in more tragic, serious situations. And it turns out that Volver is a rather black comedy with a great script featuring some unexpected twists and touching moments. Plus, all the players, not just Ms. Cruz, are very strong. I can't really say much more about it, because I don't want to give the whole thing away, but if you know Spanish or don't mind the subtitles, Volver is definitely worth a watch.

The World's Fastest Indian
The World's Fastest Indian is a fairly safe movie, but it's cute and nice and entertaining and appropriate for the entire family. There is a bit of language and the suggestion of senior citizen sex, but it's about as clean as you're going to get in 2006. Anthony Hopkins is stellar in his role as the eccentric but charming Burt Munro, and the supporting cast, made up of a few former stars and a lot of journeyman character actors, is very believable and entertaining. The only bad thing I can say about The World's Fastest Indian is that movies like this have been done and done and done again, but I guess the fact that I'm giving this movie 3 1/2 stars says that it hasn't been entirely been done to death.

World Trade Center
Strictly speaking, World Trade Center is not an Oliver Stone film. He directed this new film, but unlike his other movies, Stone was not involved in the writing of this film. Instead, newcomer Andrea Berloff worked closely with the four principle people upon whose lives the movie is based, and Stone only had a hand in production and direction. The direction in World Trade Center is brilliant. The camera angles are well-chosen, the lighting becomes a character in the film, and nearly every shot has a special poignancy reminiscent of Oliver Stone at his very best. The story, however, contains none of Stone's flair. Ms. Berloff plays it straight, and no obvious political or social agenda emerges from the movie. In one sense, that's a good thing because the US probably doesn't have enough distance to deal with Stone pontificating. On the other hand, this is a nation that desperately needs to come to terms with the tragedy on 9/11, and a brave filmmaker could bring some clarity to the American psyche. In any case, Stone does not exploit the characters he is filming. He is content to sit back and let them tell the story in their own words. Perhaps he allowed an apprentice screenwriter to work with the McLoughlin's and the Jimeno's so he could maintain a certain distance from the characters and not insert his own vision over theirs. In terms of direction this works, but I have to admit that the story-line and dialogue provided by apprentice screenwriter Berloff occasionally smells more like made for TV (maybe even the Hallmark Channel) than great cinema. But the direction made me willing to forgive the script, and I liked this film. I wish I would have loved it like Salvador or Platoon, but I liked it.

Rumor Has It
I'm not a prude, and I really enjoy a movie with some edginess. I've always been a free speech advocate (I own a large percentage of the books on the Banned Book list), colorful language does not bother me, and although I get squeamish when there is a lot of blood, I think "the gunshot in car" scene in Pulp Fiction is one of the great moments in cinema. But I really believe that, although writers have the right to write it and directors have the right to film it, rewarding characters for infidelity sucks. If Jennifer Aniston's character in Rumor has It wants sleep around after she has gotten engaged, there should be a price to pay for that. I don't think I'm going to spoil the plot for anyone by saying that, instead, she gets rewarded. Beyond the mild moral outrage, Rumor has It just doesn't amount to much. Despite the mostly strong performances by all the players (with the notable exception of one particularly shrill, group hysteria scene), I was unable to develop much sympathy for any of the characters. Ms. Aniston's character, Sarah, is too cold and unavailable, Costner's character, Beau, is just a little slimy, no matter what kind of polish the writers try to put on his character flaws, Mark Ruffalo plays Sarah's fiancé, Jeff, and despite a couple of very real moments (Ruffalo really is a terrific, underrated actor), his character comes across as overly boring. Shirley MacLaine plays more or less the same character she's been playing for the past twenty years, and frankly, I'm getting kind of bored with it. I could go on, but really, what's the point?Rumor Has It is basically a throwaway, wait for it to be on Lifetime, movie.

Water
Deepa Mehta makes beautiful movies, films that both celebrate and mourn India in visual poems of exquisite complexity and terrible beauty. Water, the final film in Mehta's "Elements" trilogy, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and although I still don't think it lives up to the incredibly high standards of Fire, Water still stands as one of the few outstanding films of 2006 (technically it was initially released in 2005). Water tells the story of an 8 year old girl who is forced to live in a temple for widows after her husband (yes, that's right, her husband) dies. The film is set in 1938, when Ghandi begins to be active in India, and themes include the discussion of the difference between what it universally ethical and moral vs. what practices are maintained merely by tradition or by economics masquerading as tradition. Water is an interesting film, but it is also a visually stunning and deeply emotional experience. Yes, it's more subtitles, and the DVD does not have a dubbed option, but I think it's well worth the effort.

Trust the Man
Pointless, Ridiculous, Empty, Trivial, Endless, Not recommended, Terrible, Inane, Obtuse, Uninteresting, Stupid. What does that spell? Ah, yes, the most PRETENTIOUS film of 2005. Blech.

White
White starts out as a black comedy and cascades into tragedy by the end of the film. I really enjoyed it, although I think it is the weakest film in the Three Colors Trilogy. Julie Delpy, who Americans may recognize from Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, plays a fantastic castrating wife, and Zbigniew Zamachowski is abolutely brilliant as the anti-hero of the piece.

Blue
Blue is an amazing character study that uses outside elements to represent a woman's internal pain. Juliette Binoche is masterful in the lead role, one of her strongest performances in a stellar career. Blue is the film that made me fall in love with Kieslowski, and although Red is probably the best film in the Three Colors trilogy, Blue is the one that I think about the most.

The Big White
The Big White is a nice little dark comedy very similar to Fargo. It's also Robin Williams' best performance in years, and a terrific vehicle for Giovanni Ribisi. Don't get me wrong, this film is nowhere near the same level as a good Coen Brothers film. Not all the story-lines come together, and not all the characters work. For instance, after a terrific introduction, the filmmakers seem to forget that Woody Harrelson is a funny actor, and they stop giving him lines. But, for the most part, this movie works. Ribisi, in particular, is spectacular in this movie, and he should definitely be getting bigger roles in bigger films.I'm stymied as to how unwatchable crap like License to Wed and RV can get a theatrical release when this star-studded little comedy that is at least enjoyable, if not great, ends up in the direct to video bin. This is worth a watch.

The Decline of the American Empire
For the first twenty minutes or so of "The Decline of the American Empire," I could not figure out how this film got nominated for an Academy Award, let alone how it got in my queue. Although I understood the purpose of the characters (the key to understanding the film lies in the opening monologue), I didn’t like any of them, I found their conversation distasteful, and I had a difficult time imagining myself spending 110 minutes with them. But slowly, almost imperceptivity, these witty but apparently shallow intellectuals began to grow on me, and I suddenly found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for the next verbal jab, the next disclosure, the next line of dialogue. By the end, I didn’t necessarily love all the characters, but I found that they had entertained me. Many critics have compared "The Decline of he American Empire" to "The Big Chill," and I think that comparison is apt. But the dialogue in this French Canadian film is more single-minded and much wittier. I would not recommend this film to most people, but if you liked "The Big Chill" and loved "My Dinner with Andre," you might want to add this one to your queue.

Evening
Avoid Evening at all costs. Despite an impeccable cast including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Claire Danes, and Vanessa Redgrave, never has 1 hour 57 minutes seemed quite so long. Every time the movie flashes to Vanessa Redgrave as dying old Ann in the present, I would think, "Maybe she'll die this time." No such luck. No one has taken this long to die since Reservoir Dogs, and at least Tarantino made it interesting (and sticky). All you really need to know is that this is supposed to be a tearjerker chick flick. Still in the hormonal postpartum phase, I cry during the trailers for upcoming animated features. I left the theater after watching this overwrought, extremely boring, soapy piece of garbage with dry eyes. I think that even the actors knew they were making a really bad movie. There are lines where Toni Collette's face screws up like she's trying hard not to laugh or maybe she's holding back a scream. The cast is mostly amazing, but many of the parts are oddly miscast. Mamie Gummer, despite being Meryl Streep's real-life daughter, is woefully miscast as the girl "everyone is in love with." She just doesn't have that kind of screen presence, and every time someone talks about the character's supposed charisma, I found myself eye rolling. Oh, and I suppose Patrick Wilson is good-looking enough, but is he really handsome enough to be a man who, once again, everyone loves madly? There is never a point during the entire film when you aren't asking yourself, "So what?" And in the end, you are left with a badly cast, poorly directed, poorly written film about nothing that is at all important.

Away from Her
A lot of people think The Notebook is a great movie about Alzheimer's Disease. Personally, I think Nicolas Sparks is a total hack who got very lucky that Ryan Gossling and Rachel McAdams somehow managed to elevate bad material and a perennially marginal director into a watchable love story that is only about disease in its margins.Away from Her is heartbreakingly about Alzheimer's, and by focusing on the present, on the immediate ravages of the disease, Sarah Polley, in what I believe is her feature film directorial and screenwriting debut, creates a love story with much more feeling and depth than The Notebook could have ever hoped to achieve. The characters here feel like real people with real problems who have made real mistakes and are bound to make more. But they have endured, they have persevered, and they have loved. I'm embarrassed to admit that I have seen very little of Julie Christie's early work, but if her radiance and grace in this movie is any indication, I have been missing out on one of the great screen actresses of all time. She plays a difficult role with dignity, making her point with every word, facial expression and hand gesture without ever overacting. Gordon Pinsent turns in an almost equally strong performance as the devoted husband who loves his wife and must watch her slip away. He is a man who has made mistakes but is now willing to make any sacrifice to keep his wife happy or at least content.When I originally rated this film, I only gave it four stars because the supporting cast seems so one-dimensional. Even the usually very strong Olympia Dukakis seems almost like a cardboard cutout in this movie. But I've had a day or so to let the movie sink in, and I realize that the stilted supporting cast is a deliberate choice designed to shine a brighter light on the only two people in this film who matter.

Chocolat
Chocolat may be the most honest portrait of colonialism, racism and forbidden sex ever committed to film. This film expertly imbues the very land itself with conflicting and complex emotions.

6ixtynin9
6ixtynin9 is a Thai film about an unemployed woman who finds $20,000 in mob money outside her front door, and the consequences of her decision to keep it. The film has a nice Tarrantino flair to it, but it's sparser and with a sorrow that gives it a very different mood than Pulp Fiction. Still, 6ixtynin9 is a dark comedy with some amusing, if not laugh-out-loud, moments. This isn't the best of Asian cinema, but it isn't a boring film either.

The 4400: Season 4
In its first two seasons, The 4400 was the best thing on television during the summer and maybe the best thing on television period. The show suffered a serious slump in the third season with too much fighting between the various factions. Unfortunately, once you go too far down that road, there's no turning back, but the writers have somehow managed to smooth out the rough edges and make the new emphasis interesting, if not as fresh and fun as the early seasons. In any case, season 4 did make the show worth watching again, and I look forward to next summer to see what happens next.

Balls of Fury
Balls of Fury is the type of comedy that probably appeals to fourteen year old boys, except there isn't enough T & A. It has some funny moments, but a mere twelve hours after watching , I'm having a hard time remembering what they are. Most of the actors have good comic timing, but the material just doesn't carry. For instance, there is a scene involving the use to a bodily orifice to smuggle a device into Feng's secret compound. The sight gag is funny the first time you see it, but they carry on with it long after it has worn out its welcome, so that, later, when they reprise the gag, it isn't funny at all. Christopher Walken is the only actor who really disappoints outside the material. Instead of playing a character, he appears to be imitating himself. Everyone else at least seems to know what kind of movie they are making, at least, and appear to be having a good time making it. Really, there isn't a whole lot to say about this movie. It's silly, it's light, it's Reno 911 meets Dodgeball, it's a diversion, but no one is going to be quoting lines from this film this time next year.

The Bourne Ultimatum
With Greengrass back at the helm for The Bourne Ultimatum, the third installment in the Bourne franchise, the film maintains the speed and immediacy that The Bourne Supremacy demonstrates. In this third installment, however, Bourne is back in Western Europe and the United States, and the Russian cameramen, who I thought compromised the action sequences in Moscow, are gone, and this third film is a lot smoother and easier to watch. And that's good because The Bourne Ultimatum is wall to wall action. There is no time for a love scene or even a moment to stand in one place. The plot is well-crafted and fast paced, and the acting is excellent. Even Julia Stiles, an actress I don't generally like, turns in a strong performance, and David Strathaim is wonderfully wicked and slimy as the CIA bad guy du jour. And, of course, Matt Damon owns the role of Jason Bourne. Even after just seeing him live on stage and knowing that he's really just an average sized guy (5' 10"), he is larger than life on the big screen, and his hand to hand action combat sequences are easily the best in the franchise thus far.

Ocean's Thirteen
I was pleasantly surprised by Ocean's Thirteen. Most of the impeccable cast remains intact in this installment, which is key because part of the fun of watching the Ocean's films is the terrific chemistry between all the actors. Julia Roberts passed this time around, but the top-billed female role is ably filled by Ellen Barkin. And Al Pacino, who really hasn't done anything noteworthy since 2002, finally finds a role that he can live in as bad guy Willie Bank. The screenplay contains the usual double and triple-cross turns, but the action is much more spare than the bloated Ocean's Twelve. And while there are a few great inside moments that bring the viewer into the chemistry between the actors, the vast majority of this third movie is about the chemistry between the characters, so this sequel has a much more satisfying flow, and the movie never reaches a drag point. Finally, one character was notably missing from Ocean's Twelve: the glitzy, glamorous city of sin, Las Vegas. She's back in Ocean's Thirteen, proving that this enterprise really cannot have success without her excess in the background. Ocean's Thirteen isn't likely to win any major awards, but it's a fun romp, a good way to spend a couple of hours with likable characters and a fun script in a near perfect escape from reality.

Marion Bridge
Marion Bridge is a small but mostly satisfying Indy Drama out of Canada. It features Ellen Page in a small, compelling supporting role in her feature debut (most Independent film fans will recognize Ms. Page from her strong and disturbing lead role in 2005's Hard Candy). The film also stars Molly Parker, one of those perennial supporting actresses who most people recognize but few can name, in a subtle but powerful lead role. There is a lot going on underneath that remains mostly implied, but surfaces enough to keep the story engaging. There aren't really any of the big, overwrought scenes that can make this genre annoying. The characters feel genuine, the script doles out morsels at regular intervals, and the direction, while certainly nothing special, at least does not get in the way of the story. Some of the exterior cinematography feels amateur, but other scenes are breathtaking, so no real harm done there either. Marion Bridge won a prize at the Toronto Film Festival for best first film, and a few stumbles are certainly forgivable when a director is just starting out. Overall, the film delivers on a surprisingly high level.

Knocked Up
Knocked Up passes my number one comedy test: I laughed. A lot. That is probably because Judd Apatow is so adept and portraying moments that are familiar and authentic to his audience. Just about anyone who has had a child will be able to relate to this film, and most people without kids will also find plenty to laugh at. The chemistry between Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan feels very authentic, and the sight gags and side situations are often hilarious. The material itself is an obvious retread, but the originality of the small moments definitely keeps Knocked Up from feeling in any way derivative. Like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, this is a comedy that I could watch over and over, one of the few comedies that I would consider purchasing.

Blades of Glory
Blades of Glory is a funny movie. It doesn't really break a lot of new ground in the sports comedy genre, but solid performances, funny situations and sharp one-liners keep the film afloat throughout. In addition, the amazing costuming may qualify for an Oscar nomination. Some of them get the laughs all by themselves. Ferrell and Heder more or less play characters that they have played before, but Will Arnett is surprisingly fresh and appropriately creepy in his role as a rival figure skater. Amy Poehler also does her role justice, and the two of them together steel more than one scene. Blades of Glory doesn't approach the level of The 40 Year Old Virgin, Tommy Boy or Wedding Crashers, but it is a pleasant diversion for a holiday matinee or a nice evening at home. I know I laughed a lot, and I laughed hard during several scenes, and that's what makes a good comedy to me.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
A lot of critics have said that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (AWE) is too big, too bloated, with too much action and too many convoluted sub-plots. My response to that is, "So what?" I mean, look, we're talking about a movie based on a ride at a theme park, not a small independent film trying to make a unique statement about the universal condition. People go to a movie like AWE to be awed by too many special effects, and to be entertained by plenty of great one-liners and over-the-top performances by big dollar stars. The big difference between this movie and a less successful busy blockbuster like Spider-man 3 is that the writers for AWE give each character something meaningful to do so that no one gets lost in the shuffle. I was never bored during this three hour thrill ride, and other than one special effects fiasco involving a fifty foot woman, the CGI is simply amazing, definitely the best to ever grace the silver screen in the pirate genre. The actors all do a fantastic job and Keith Richards' cameo is excellent.Of the three films, I still prefer the first one, but AWE is a lot of fun, a fitting end to the series, or a good bridge to a fourth film.

Curse of the Golden Flower
That cracking sound you're going to hear is me bending over backward to cut Yimou Zhou a break for Curse of the Golden Flower. Unlike Yimou Zhang's previous two films, Curse of the Golden Flower is not a movie that is going to have a wide appeal. The plot is reminiscent of Chinese opera, very melodramatic and over the top. If you are into Shakespearian tragedies, you will likely find something to appreciate in this film, but there is certainly nothing minimalist about the story-line. The sets and costumes are very lush, but are garish, not elegant, and I think that most people will fail to realize that this is a deliberate choice. This is a film about the late Tang Dynasty, an epoch in China that was very prosperous, but the late years of an empire are often devoted to selfishness and excess. There is definitely commentary about a culture of excess going on in this movie, Yimou Khang's protestations that he is uninterested in politics aside. There are moments in the film where he lights part of a scene to make everything seem very opulent and rich, then he turns up the lights, and we see all the tinny glitz for the cheap kitsch that it is. In terms of acting, Li Gong is spectacular. Some critics have expressed a wish that she would have been a little less over the top. But in my opinion, she is the only actor in this film to have really embraced the melodrama. Chow Yun Fat was appropriately taciturn, but the other actors were a little uneven. Overall, I have to admit that I appreciated Curse of the Golden Flower more than I enjoyed it. And I honestly can't think of anyone in my circle of friends to whom to recommend the film. I guess every great director desrves a misfire from time to time, and this one by Yimou Zhang is closer to the mark than a lot of people are going to think.

Eragon
Christopher Paolini was only fifteen when he wrote the novel upon which this movie was based, so it shouldn't be particularly surprising that the plot points and themes are somewhat derivitive. Most notably, I saw a lot of Star Wars and Anne McCaffery in the film. In and of itself, that isn't necessarily a terrible thing. The fantasy genre is a specific type of hero's quest literature, and the rules are pretty static. But just because the work references other works doesn't mean that one should be thinking, "Luke, Leia is your sister," in the middle of Eragon. The acting is pretty much uniformly horrible with the exception of Jeremy Irons, and he is unable to overcome the trite, silly dialog to bring his character fully to life. John Malkovich basically phones his role in, and one can't tell how Robert Carlyle might have been if he hadn't been overlayed with a ton of bad special effects and bad make-up. The other actors are so bad as to be not even worth mentioning, even the unually incomprable Rachel Weisz. Patrick Doyle should have his union membership stripped for writing a score that is straight from some terrible Hallmark made for television movie. And considering that Stefen Fangmeier is a special effects wizard, it's surprising that the special effects in his directorial debut are so weak. The only really cool thing in the whole film is the smoke bat. In the end, all one can really say is that Eragon really, really, really sucks. Don't waste your time.

The Prestige
I wanted to love The Prestige. The acting was top notch throughout (although Johansson is really starting to suffer from overexposure), and the director has a reputation for films that are at least interesting, if not always high art. I have to admit, though, that I had to struggle to merely like this movie at times. It was very dark, not usually a problem for me (Tim Burton fan), but it got tedious trying to figure out who was who in the murk. It seemed longer than it was, and there may have been one twist too many. And it's difficult to like a movie when you don't particularly like any of the characters. In the end, I've decided that this is an interesting movie, if not high art, and it may be worth a rental, but probably isn't worth full price at the theater.

Half Nelson
Despite the stellar reviews Half Nelson received from the critics, I know for a fact that this is not the film for everyone, because my good friend actively disliked the movie as much as I enjoyed and admired it. Half Nelson stars Ryan Gosling in a career-making and Oscar worthy performance as Dan Dunne, a drug addicted teacher torn by his desire to make a difference in the lives of his students and his obsession with alcohol and cocaine. This film makes me want to see everything Gosling has ever done because he really is that good in this role. Every nuance of Dunne's struggle rang true for me. His co-star, newcomer Shareeka Epps in the role of Dunne's student, Drey, definitely holds up her end of the bargain, quite a feat for a young actress being tasked with such a heady role out of the gate. Half Nelson is a film of quiet struggle and introspection, and director Ryan Fleck takes especial care to tell a good part of the story through excellent portrait framing shots and extensive use of the hand cam. For a first effort in the dramatic feature genre, Fleck manages to look like a pro, and he is definitely a director worth watching. This movie may keep too slow a pace for many, and its refusal to judge or come to a forceful conclusion may alienate some. But if you're in the mood for something that feels genuine and true from start to finish, you may want to consider Half Nelson.

The Departed
Martin Scorsese has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Director category five times, but he has never won. He will certainly and deservedly be nominated a sixth time for The Departed, and I hope he wins. This film is perfectly directed, perfectly acted, and nearly perfectly scripted. Its length is nearly 2 1/2 hours, but doesn't feel long. It's gritty and real and stripped down in all the ways that count. It's taut and suspenseful and fascinating. In the desert of 2006 films, this is the oasis, easily and without question the film of the year, and the measure by which all other films for the remainder of 2006 will be judged and found lacking. Don't rent this. If you can, see it in the theater. If you can't, fork out the 20 bucks and purchase it. I know I will.

Open Season
Open Season includes some very funny moments, and some of the fur effects are very impressive, especially on the bear. Casting the actors who voice the characters is also very well done, and Ashton Kutcher was especially strong and funny. However, I wasn't blown away by Open Season, and there are some pretty painful moments, including a fairly large chunk in the middle that just drags and drags. Plus, it seems like all the studios are now throwing digital animation at the public without bothering to do a lot of quality control. Open Season is better than most of the throw-away animation in 2006, but it wasn't as good as Over the Hedge, and Over the Hedge wasn't really anything special. This is a good kids movie, but it isn't a great film.

Clerks 2
If you aren't already a fan of Kevin Smith, Clerks II will not change your mind. In fact, since many of the biggest laughs in the movie refer to other Kevin Smith movies, if you aren't a Kevin Smith fan, you probably won't get the jokes, and you certainly will not notice any of the cool subtleties Smith plants throughout the movie. He even includes cameos by actors from previous Kevin Smith films, including Ben Affleck, who has just enough lines (2) to demonstrate the full range of his acting talent. So while those who have not watched Clerks at least half a dozen times should not waste time on this sequel, Kevin Smith fans will breathe a sigh of relief that we can forget that Jersey Girl ever happened and go back to watching the kind of movie that everyone can find something to be offended by. In terms of offensive remarks and offensive situations, Clerks II is not a disappointment. You will slightly embarrassed to find yourself laughing, but you will be laughing nonetheless, and laughing hard.

You, Me and Dupree
"You, Me and Dupree" is only about Dupree being the houseguest from hell for about 15 minutes. The rest of the film is kind of a mean, mostly unfunny "Meet the Parents" rehash featuring Michael Douglas as a man who dislikes his son in-law, Carl Peterson (played by Matt Dillon). Owen Wilson is somewhat charming as the lovable loser, Dupree, a man who has been floating through life with no clear direction, and Kate Hudson is beautiful and winning in her role as Carl's wife, Molly. Michael Douglas phones his role in, but Matt Dillon, an actor I generally respect a great deal, is the biggest disappointment in this film. He is shrill, and rather unlikable, and I found myself wishing that his wife would just dump him and get it over with. "You, Me and Dupree" is a rather transparent attempt by the studio to capitalize on Owen Wilson's 2005 success with "The Wedding Crashers." Like last year's smash comedy hit, You, Me and Dupree is directed and written by newcomers to Hollywood. Unlike "Wedding Crashers," however, "You, Me and Dupree" just isn't funny. Most of the time, it's just annoying, and at its best, it is just a wait for DVD or cable Waste of Time.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a Jerry Bruckheimer production through and through. The film cost a mint to make and shows it with wonderful, difficult to stage location shoots, elaborate stunts, extensive and varied sets, quality CG, and a couple of explosions thrown in here and there for good measure. Dead Man's Chest is not as good a film as Curse of the Black Pearl, mostly because it is not a complete film; it heavily depends on the upcoming third film to provide resolution to plot lines left dangling. Still unresolved plot aside, this is a pretty darned good thrill ride with awesome action sequences, humor, and excellent performances from all participants, especially the incomparable Johnny Depp. Dead Man's Chest received mixed reviews from the critics, some of whom complained about the film being too busy with too much going on. Personally, after watching Superman do next to nothing earlier in the summer, some good old fashioned action is a breath of fresh air. This is blockbuster season, baby, and I'm paying my 8 bucks (plus an additional $15 for popcorn and Coke) to see swordfights, explosions, costumes, expensive sets and expensive actors. Finally, here is a movie that doesn't try to think too much but that doesn't violate its own logic, a movie you can escape into with characters you can cheer for. I'm satisfied.

Superman Returns
Superman Returns was okay, but it does not live up to the hype. It does not even approach the level of the great comic book movies like Spiderman 2, Batman Begins and Superman: The Movie. There are serious issues with logic in the movie and I kept asking myself, "Would Superman really do that?" Kate Bosworth was a poor casting choice as Lois Lane, and the best performance in the entire film belonged to Parker Posey in a relatively small role as Lex Luther's girlfriend. My hope for Superman Returns is that it will turn out to be the solid, if not great, first movie in a successful series. My fear is that this is as good as this franchise is going to get.

Click
Click is one of the top five best movies of 2006 through June 25. Of course, that may be saying as much about the questionable quality of movies in general in 2006 as it does about Adam Sandler's newest movie, but Click ended up being a strong comedy-drama with surprising depth and maturity. I didn't expect a lot out of Click, to be honest. I figured it would hold my interest and be good for a couple of laughs. I got plenty of laughs, but I also got a great family drama with some excellent social commentary about how people today divide their time between work and family. Sandler is excellent in this film, and the rest of the supporting cast does a terrific job too. Christopher Walken is appropriately creepy, the kids are really cute, and Kate Beckinsale is a huge improvement over Sandler's last co-star, the incredibly unfunny (how does this woman keep getting work) Tea Leoni. The big surprise is that David Hasselhoff does a great job as the cheeseball boss. Click clicked with me. It's fun and funny, a touching cautionary tale with actors who worked great together. There is plenty of depth, but there are also plenty of fart jokes. Great date movie.

Nacho Libre
Nacho Libre is the second film by Idaho native Jared Hess and his Wife, Jerusha. Their debut film was surprise hit Napoleon Dynamite, and if you didn't like that movie, you won't like this one either. But fans of the Hess's will probably find something to like. Nacho Libre is not as good as Napoleon Dynamite. After all, it's probably easier to write about one's own home town than about a Mexican orphanage. But Nacho Libre is a cute movie with some very funny moments. Many major market critics accuse the Hess's of laughing at their characters rather than with them. I've tried to understand why they would think that when Jared and Jerusha so clearly frame their marginalized characters heroically. Jack Black does a great job of channelling that unlikely heroism, and most of the supporting cast was solid. I don't think anyone will accuse it of being great, but it was good in its own strange way.

The Lake House
I've never been impressed by Keanu Reeves as a dramatic actor. He's always entertaining in the action and sci fi genres, but A Walk in the Clouds and Sweet November were both pretty terrible. Keanu make quite a departure with The Lake House, and I was actually impressed. As for the movie itself, The Lake House is a good movie if you want it to be a good movie. If you sit in the theater and over think it, then you will not have a good time, and you may well be miserable. But there is no denying that Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock have explosive screen chemistry. They don't even have to share the same frame or the same moment in time to sizzle. Plus, the house and its surrounds are beautiful, and there is a scene involving a walking tour of Chicago that makes one genuinely fall in love with the city's architecture. This is definitely a beautifully shot movie. As for the script, if you keep in mind that this is fantasy, not science fiction, there is something to appreciate here. Yes, there are some pretty glaring faults in logic, but if you can let them go and enjoy the show, you will be entertained. Oh, and it helps if you are a woman because this is definitely a chick flick. But as chick flicks go, it's not bad.

Cars
There's no question that "Cars" is another amazing example of the power of digital animation. Colors are crisp, the film has wonderful 3-d depth, and there are convincing little details like sunilight reflected in car paint. Casting of the character voices was spot on, and there's a nice little buried message in the film suggesting that life might be a little better if it moved a little slower. However, the story is weak and uneven, and the movie is L-O-N-G. I saw "Doc Hollywood," and changing the main character's job doesn't change the plot. Animating it doesn't change the plot either. Second, parts of this movie just drag. Kids start getting antsy, and adults start sneaking glances at their watches. Finally, the characters are all cars, and while that probably appeals to young boys, I'm paying 3 bucks for a gallon of gas, and my love affair with the automobile is over. I wake up every morning wishing my city had a decent system of public transportation, so it was really hard to develop any sympathy for the characters in this film. The excruciatingly slow middle portion of the film did not help. The last 25 or 30 minutes of "Cars" was really quite good, the kids re-engaged, and I almost (but not quite) forgave Pixar for making me sit through the first hour and a half. In the end, I didn't think "Cars" was a terrible movie, but this is, at best, a minor addition to the Pixar library, and it is the most forgettable of all the Pixar feature films so far.

Art School Confidential
Art School Confidential oozes with Indy credibility. It was directed by Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World, Crumb, plus Hollywood guilty pleasure Bad Santa), written by graphic novel author Daniel Clowes (and based on his comic), and includes performances by John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi. I saw the trailer, and thought, "This is going to be one funny movie." Unfortunately, Art School Confidential not only fails to live up to its lineage, it actually turns out to be so aggressively bad that all the critics (Ebert & Roeper included) who gave this film a positive review should lose their license to critique. First off, almost every funny moment in the film is contained in the trailer. The movie starts out like a satire, but it keeps sinking under the weight of an incredibly maudlin and not very interesting "Coming of Age" drama. Add to this, "a serial killer stalking campus" thriller angle, and you end up with a movie that, while trying to be about everything, ends up being about nothing. There are some funny lines and sincere performances in Art School Confidential, and I did get the feeling that it was trying really hard to be good, and all that adds up to rescue it from 1 star infamy, but it is still a very, very bad movie.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand may not be my favorite of the three movies, but I really did enjoy watching it. People who are unfamiliar with the X-Men comic series may find themselves somewhat frustrated because not as much time is devoted to character development and back story in this movie as in the previous two, but quite a few new characters are introduced. But, in a way, I think that this movie was kind of a gift to the true fans who already know the characters without having to be shown again. There was a lot of action and cool special effects, there was more of that "Marvel-esque" funny banter in this film that was largely missing from the first two movies, but plot managed to remain serious and engaging. And the film managed to tie up enough loose ends to be called a conclusion if X-Men: The Last Stand really is the final film in the series, while leaving enough tantalizing openings to make you wish for another. One tip: if you stop watching before the credits are finished rolling, you lose all the geek cred points you earned my attending the film in the first place. There is a bonus scene that should not be missed.

Poseidon
Wolfgang Peterson is in a career slump. His last film before Poseidon was Troy, and the only good thing I can say about Troy is that it's better than Poseidon. I'm all about loving flashy special effects when watching a thrill ride blockbuster movie, but the filmmakers here couldn't even be bothered to spring for a real boat for any of the exteriors. I swear to God, I think the band in the ballroom was CG. And while most of the computer graphics in Poseidon were technically perfect, many scenes ended up looking soulless & plastic. Speaking of soulless & plastic, since the characters were provided with no real back story, Peterson would have done just as well to make this a film about department store mannequins trying to escape a sinking ship. Most of the actors just went though the motions, and it was especially sad seeing Richard Dreyfuss phone in his role. But then, what was he supposed to so with the part he was given? "You are an aging gay man, and your long-term boyfriend just left you. Oh, and we're going to kill off the only character that you could interact with in an interesting way fifteen minutes in." The only actor who really pulled off his part was relative newcomer Josh Lucas. Everyone else just seemed to be there to give him cool stuff to do. And while I found his character sympathetic, the material sure didn't give the opportunity to rise to the level of Steve McQueen. And speaking of Steve McQueen, if you want to watch a disaster film, pass on Poseidon and rent The Towering Inferno instead.

The Da Vinci Code
It took me quite a long time to determine what was wrong with the Da Vinci Code. This film is based on a book that has sold over 40 million copies. It was directed by the incomparable Ron Howard who doesn't have many true bombs to his credit. It stars the biggest actor in Hollywood one of the brightest young stars in France and even boasts a knight in the cast. So how could it fail? The problem is that Hanks and Tautou have no screen chemistry, and Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman never put the actors in any situations where they can really develop any. Audrey Tautou is radiant, but she has better chemistry with McKellen than she does with Hanks. In the end, you feel like the relationship is more father/daughter than potential romance. And this is supposed to be about the development of a relationship between Robert and Sophie, and the growth of Sophie as a woman. The filmmakers spent so much time making this movie as close to the book as possible that they forgot what the book is really about. The grail quest is supposed to be the backdrop for the characters. In the movie, the backdrop overwhelms the characters. And without the getting to know the characters, you can't care about the quest.

Lonesome Jim
"King of the Indy" Steve Buscemi takes his third turn as feature film director with "Lonesome Jim," another solid effort in his growing behind-the-camera catalog. Casey Affleck might not have his brother's pretty boy looks, but he proves once again that he is far and away the superior actor in the family with his subtle, despairing performance. And Liv Tyler, who has often been criticized for being more of a pretty face than a true performance artist, creates a caring, quietly happy character, the perfect counterpoint to despondent Jim. Kevin Corrigan is darkly hilarious as Jim's bother, Tim, and Mary Kay Place is truly disturbing as the eternally cheerful mom. I was especially fond of cinematographer Phil Parmet's self-conscious use of digital photography to produce an interesting, grainy effect that was at the same time strangely, sharply focused. Many of the shot set-ups were pure genius, which is even more impressive given the tiny budget and short shooting schedule. Most of "Lonesome Jim" is darkly comic, but this movie somehow manages to finish up with hope floating to the top. Lonesome Jim is a good choice for people who enjoyed Junebug and Garden State and other movies of that type.

Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible III is a nice, solid Hollywood blockbuster. Abrams et al wrote a predictable but entertaining story, Tom Cruise and Michelle Monaghan have good screen chemistry, and Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a terrific bad guy. The special effects and stunts are excellent. I do wish that there would have been less gunplay. Excessive shooting ruined the James Bond franchise, and it isn't doing this one much good. Still, JJ Abrams does a much better job at the helm than john Woo did in M:I-2, and there is a lot more intrigue in this movie compared to the last one. This is a good movie to go watch with a bucket of coke and a tub of popcorn.

Friends with Money
I'm familiar with, and fond of, director Nicole Holofcener's previous work in Walking and Talking, Lovely and Amazing and Six Feet Under. So, despite Ebert's ambivalent review, I was actually look