2002 Film List - Page 14

Brook K · 08-17-2003, 04:27 AM

Ararat - I have to wonder at this film about the Turkish massacre of a million+ Armenians in 1915 and the ways current generations deal still deal with the memories and psychological damage. It must have been a very personal story for Egoyan to tell, so it puzzles me why he filtered such an important, painful, and almost unknown event through the guise of making a film-within-a film about it. This places a barrier between the audience and the actual events and also trivializes it at times. I know Egoyan likes to provide narrative twists and turns ala Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, but in this case, I think a more straightforward telling would have served better and been more informative and eye-opening to the audience. Still, the movie is never uninteresting and has some quality performances by Christoper Plummer, Arsinee Khajani, Bruce Greenwood, and Elias Koteas. B-

Reign of Fire - Cool dragons blow up stuff real good! Has its action cliches but nothing too egregious. Entertaining with some well done set pieces though I wish there was a big military vs. dragons Godzilla-type showdown scene. B

Have Love Liza and Jason X in the house to watch. After that is The Kid Stays In The Picture, Bowling For Columbine, and Red Dragon.

Edwin Pereyra · 08-17-2003, 10:22 PM

Updated with Brad Silberling's Moonlight Mile - a film that desperately needs to come out of its shell.

~Edwin

Brook K · 08-18-2003, 03:47 AM

Love Liza is a pretty good film about a man (Philip Seymour Hoffman) trying to deal with the suicide of his wife. Thanks to Hoffman's performance, the film is touching and rings true despite some questionable script developments that would sink a lesser actor. Its also saddled with a trite ending that chooses hamfisted symbolism instead of something more challenging. B-

Jason X Why did I feel the need to see this? I guess it was the same compulsion that drove me to see the first 9. I should have known what to expect so I guess I can't be too harsh, these movies are what they are, but I thought this was the worst yet. The movie's cheap sets and cheaper actors make this look like some sci-fi channel product. The redesigned Jason is stupid. Every single one of the actors is incredibly annoying. Even the kills are blah for the most part and ineptly filmed. A few laughs but really the only good thing I can say about it is that its cured any desire I have to see the last Halloween film. D+

Scott Weinberg · 08-21-2003, 03:13 AM

Updated my list with the stupid DTV Slaughter Studios and the damn good HBO flick Live from Baghdad.

Man do I dig that Helena B. Carter...

Lowell_B · 08-21-2003, 01:26 PM

Updated with the excellent,

Bowling for Columbine (***1/2 / ****)

and,

Solaris (***1/2 / ****)

And the good, but should have been better,

Frida (*** / ****)

That just about covers it for 2002 films. There's still probably around 5 or so I still want to see at some point. I still can't believe I've seen pretty much every 2002 film that I want to. Time to start cracking on those 2003 flicks.

Lowell

Brook K · 08-23-2003, 04:20 AM

Red Dragon - Ok, the material is alright and I kind of dug Ed Norton here, but Hopkins seems to just be going through the motions, or maybe its a case of the character just being less interesting the 3rd time around, particularly in a film that just doesn't measure up to Mann's original Manhunter. B-

Bowling for Columbine and Solaris up next.

Brook K · 08-25-2003, 05:54 AM

Bowling For Columbine - I'm conflicted in my views on this film. The ideas and questions expressed in this film are important things that need to be expressed and asked. But Moore's methods of deception and manipulation seem to make him a purveyor of the very things he professes to hate. Incomplete

Brook K · 08-27-2003, 03:54 AM

Solaris - Appreciate Clooney's performance, some of the cinematography, and Soderbergh's desire to work on another noncommercial project, but I don't think he got it quite right. Perhaps it is closer to the book, I have no idea; but the film contains none of the philosophy or spirituality of Tarkovsky's version. Also, by giving more explanation and edge to the wife character, Soderbergh's version is more a Vertigo-like tale of obsession than painful love story that Tarkovsky created. I also much prefer Tarkovsky's ending. Perhaps if I'd never seen Tarkovsky's, I would like this film more, but I can't separate the two in my mind or resist making a comparison.

Also both supporting scientists were extremely annoying and needlessly interfered with the focus of the film.
B-

Next: The Kid Stays In The Picture

Brook K · 08-28-2003, 03:46 AM

Guess I'm the only one here :b

The Kid Stays In The Picture: Robert Evans can spin a great yarn and he has plenty of stories to tell in this documentary about his life. Using first person narration and stylish photographic collages, the filmmakers raise the movie far above the level of the A&E style typical biopic. And for the filmic minded, it mostly sticks to his moviemaking exploits and doesn't spend much time on the women he bedded, the trappings of celebrity, and thankfully doesn't go VH1 Behind the Music in its treatment of his drug addiction. Even if only half of what he says is true, it really is a wonderful life. Also, even if you've already seen this, renting the DVD is a must for the hysterical gag reel with Dustin Hoffman imitating Evans. B+

I believe the final 3 2002 films on my Netflix list are : Porn Star, Nowhere In Africa and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Scott Weinberg · 09-12-2003, 06:00 AM

Added Tom Tykwer's Heaven (3.5 stars out of 5) - A flick that starts out as fascinating and eventually becomes a bit too abstract for its own good. Blanchett is absolutely fantastic throughout.

Dana Fillhart · 09-13-2003, 02:09 AM

Updated my list with Bowling for Columbine, 80%.