2002 Film List - Page 6

Finally was able to load the first page and edit my post (first time in a month -- yea!). Added nine new films, the best of which were Gangs of New York, 25th Hour, and Adaptation.

Rob

updated with The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys. A movie I felt like I'd already seen 20+ times. I did dig the superhero animated stuff though. C+

New additions:

The Transporter - - Makes up for in cocksure style what it lacks in overall...newness. Jason Statham delivers an unlikely and effective type of hero, and the myriad cliches are tweaked with frequency. Sadly, some of the laughs here are of the extremely 'unintentional' variety, and it's been a long time since I've seen such a 'plot-free' movie. Still, it's better than anything put out by Arnie or Stallone over the past few years.

Knockaround Guys - - Not nearly as awful as a 2+ year shelf-rot would have you think, this grass-roots crime drama offers a cool cast, a quick (if altogether familiar) pace, and a few minor twists along the way. Barry Pepper and John Malkovich deliver the best work, though it's always nice to see guys like Seth Green and Dennis Hopper stop by for a little tough-guy fun. Nothing revolutionary; sure to be a mildly successful cable flick.

Solaris - Perhaps it says something unflattering about me, but I thought this flick an improvement over its mega-adored Russian cousin. On its own and separated from the first film (and its vaunted literary source material), Soderbergh and Clooney combine to create a moody, lyrical, and surprisingly heartfelt space drama. Not the sort of sci-fi that American moviegoers are used to (which is a shame), and Soderbergh's got the paltry box-office receipts to prove it. Should find a comfy home on DVD.

Narc - - Not much more than a well-acted (and double-length) pilot for a profane cop series, this one benefits from superlative work by Patric and Liotta. Goes through its 'harass the witness / bad cop / stoolie partner' machinations with admirable confidence, so it gains in forcefulness what it lacks in originality. Solid pulp procedural, not much more.

Equilibrium - - Entertaining pastiche of a dozen old-school sci-fi concepts, this confident (and intermittently goofy) little flick manages to entertain because of its glaring familiarity and not despite it. An able-bodied stable of cool character actors doesn't hurt much either. Cool fight scenes, effectively moody music, pop culture brain candy for those who like a little thought amidst the gunfighrs. Looking forward to another visit.

It's funny how alone I felt around here when I praised Solaris to high heaven, but looking at the top 10 list totals and seeing comments like yours, Scott, I don't feel nearly so silly or alone.

I really think it's an outstanding flick, though not a film for the masses.

Here's one that is for the masses...

8 Legged Freaks
3.5 of 10 (#11 on my best of 2002 list)
First of all, the film only aimed at a 5 or 6 in the first place, so really a 3.5 isn't so bad. But while it does succeed in being campy sometimes, at other times it tries way too hard and slips into utter cartoonishness. Early in the film is a scene where a cat fights a spider inside the walls of a house. We see cartoon-like impressions made into the wall every time either the cat or spider are smashed against it from the inside. To me, that is exactly where this film went wrong. Taking itself too seriously would be wrong too, but that doesn't mean to get downright stupid either. Tremors was much, much better at being the good kind of camp.

This film is more like Gremlins without the charm, and Mars Attacks without the Burton flair. It has very little in common with films like "Them!" actually. However, the original short film that is included on the DVD, the short that got the director his deal to make this film, that is pretty damn solid and much closer to what this film should have stuck with for the entire 90 minutes.


25th Hour
9 of 10
This film was a 10 until the ending which felt VERY tacked on and drug down what had apparently just been an outstanding finish to the film. Some of the effect of the ending has to do with the actions it suggests, but it could be said that those are just a dream. That's fine, but it is still a flaw simply because it then drags on way too long.

It's too bad, because the first 90% of the film is some of the very best stuff you have ever seen come from Spike Lee. He has started with an incredible script, added beautiful cinematography, and then spiced it all up with very fluid, inventive and enjoyable directorial choices. Every scene was loaded with narrative tension. I found myself enthused to see each scene as it came along.

And the use of post-911 as an analogy and/or tone to Monty's (Norton) life is outstanding. Lee is showing us how something truly artistic, truly beautiful can come out of that place, that scenario. 911 films don't have to be exploitive or used for cheap melodrama. There is a real influence over all of us, including artists. It needs only to be expressed. I'm not surprised that Lee is the first one out of the gate to really lock in on that idea and bring it out.

This just adds more strength to the notion that Lee is a modern American filmmaking genius, far higher up the list of greats than he gets credit for.

Oh, of course the acting is all really dialed in. You know the top-notch work that each of these actors is capable of, and that is what you get here from every single one of them.

The Pianist
8 of 10
I almost feel bad knocking this film since it is so universally praised, but I just didn't see the artistry, at least most of the time. I saw craft and I saw skill, I saw a story that certainly is amazing. But for the most part the film is totally detatched from the subject. It plays out mostly as a straight recounting and that's just not enough for a film running over 140 minutes.

Richard Schickel at Time cites this non-emotional engagement as one of the film's most positive aspects. So maybe it's just a difference of opinion where I am the odd man out. But with films like Schindler's List, Sunshine, Life is Beautiful, etc etc coming before it, I just can't muster up excitement for yet another film depicting the slow decline into hell for Jews under Nazi control. I needed something fresh from the film, but really I don't feel that I saw that.

I will say that the best stuff of the film comes during it's final 30 minutes when it did seem to start to lock in more on a personal relationship with it's protagonist, Wladyslaw Szpilman. But the 2 hours before that often felt much more like a droning "and then this happened, and then this happened" type of narrative. It waited too long to really stop and establish some emotional themes for Szpilman.

And in that regard I feel the same about Brody's performance I guess. Until the last part the film fails to give him many moments where we are allowed to see deeper than the surface which limits was he can do with the part as an actor. He never falters, but he also doesn't have many moments to truly shine.

Obviously I am in the minority on this one, but I have to be honest with how I felt. At this point it's barely a top 30 for me. Subject and genre are not enough to warrant automatic high placement on my list. Polanski was much better at engaging me right away with Ninth Gate (too bad the ending let that film down).

Knocked another three off of my to-do list:

Two Weeks Notice - - Proof positive that two likable stars are able to salvage even the most paper-thin material. As a fan of both Bullock and Grant, I enjoyed their banter here. The movie itself seems made of helium, and I can't remember the last rom-com I saw in which so little... plot... happens!

They - - Familiar and dull, ponderous and uninvolving. Sounds like great horror fare, don't it? This one's easily as forgettable as its generic title.

The Rules of Attraction - - Smart, slick, slimy, and bleak - this is one harsh and cool movie. Veers from black humor to social commentary to unblinking character study in a fluid and stylish fashion, and offers the rarely-seen underbelly of modern romance...and it ain't pretty. Amazing how the navel-gazing pap of Ellis can make for such a cool movie - though RoT represents the finest work the infamous author has yet penned. Absolutely not for all tastes; will appeal most to cynical bastards like myself.

.

Seth,

I found your comments about "The Pianist" to be very interesting, and I commend you on your audacity to give your honest opinion (especially when you must feel like you are in the minority here). Firstly, I agree with you that the film is a non-emotional journey, and, in a sense, it feels like the film was stripped of its humanity, and its emotion. But, after all, the story is told through the eyes of the protagonist... an alexythymic individual whose family, dignity, and passion (music) were all stolen from him.

To me, that is why the film succeeds in being so powerful. Rather than dwelling on scenes in order to arouse pity and sympathy, Polanski lets the events marinate in the mind of the viewer, without relying on melancholic music or other anecdotes to tell the audience how it should feel. There are some scenes which stayed with me for a long time after seeing the film. One of which was when Szpilman was sitting at the piano, and pretended to play a piece of music, without letting his fingers touch the keys. Another scene, was when the German discovers Szpilman hiding, and asks him to play the piano for him. Both of these scenes had such a strong impact on me, yet didn't make me shed a single tear. I think that it would have been too easy to turn these scenes into tear-jerking moments, so I feel that Polanski succeeded here because he resisted the need to do so. In a lot of ways, I felt that the role of music in this film was to act as a metaphor for emotion. The absence of music during the film symbolized the absence of emotion, and, it was music that made the protagonist feel human again.

It's been several months since I've seen the film, but I do plan on seeing it again. Perhaps after seeing it again, I'll be able to reflect on it more deeply, and my opinion of it might change. Personally, I feel that you might appreciate the film more upon a second viewing if you were to give it another chance.

Updated with four titles from last August:

The Adventures of Pluto Nash - - Yeah, it's a loud and expensive misfire, but there's no way this flick deserves the shitstorm its been forced to swallow. It's easily more entertaining than both XXX and Men in Black 2, and you can quote me on that.

Blue Crush - - Starts out surprisingly strong before slowly succumbing to the Cliche Machine. Phenomenal surfing footage and a winning lead performance by Kate Bosworth helps out a lot, but this one's not much more than the same old sports flick, only much glossier and with a lot more bikinis.

Blood Work - - Low-key and deliberately paced Eastwood crime thriller that manages to entertain - despite being kinda dull. Eastwood's always worth watching for 100 minutes, while Angelica Huston and Jeff Daniels offer solid supporting work. Despite the slow pace, the movie holds your interest before devolving into one truly bizarre finale. Miles from Eastwood's best stuff, though certainly not an awful flick.

Undisputed - - Uneventful, simplistic, and entirely predictable prison drama about two incarcerated pugilists who (wait for it) end the flick beating one another senseless. A true misfire from action director Walter Hill, the flick offers solid work from Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames, but there are simply too many slow spots and strangely pointless bells & whistles. You'll feel nothing for the characters, which is the kiss of death in a sports-related flick.

Updated my list with

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (****/****)

About Schmidt (***1/2 / ****)

I also shuffled a few rankings around, but nothing major.

Lowell

Michael, my feelings about The Pianist really have troubled me. Not because I feel wrong in having them, but I'm stumped as to just why the film didn't work as well for me. Certainly not every film must be emotional, though I would like to clarify that I'm not looking for manipulative emotion. Many masters engage us in a much more subtle way.

And I mention The Ninth Gate as one example where Polanski did around my interest, though I wasn't exactly sad, etc. Of course that film had the investigative mystery plotline to drive it. With The Pianist much of the narrative is already known at least in a rough sense, so seeing it unfold feels redundant I guess.

I think Chinatown is a masterpiece, but it also remains emotionally detached. However in that case I think it's that detachment and the oddness of the story (and again an investigation) that drives it.

Maybe what's missing for me is that narrative drive, at least for most of the film. I felt that often the day to day goals seemed a bit vague, as well as being slightly unclear on time passages. Some scene changes represented days, others were weeks, but to me it was difficult to discern.

I will say this, I wish the piano theme or musical theme had been brought out more. The 2 moments you mention are 2 of the moments where the film did engage me, but I felt that it abandoned it the first time. The 2nd scene you mentioned was the point where I thought the film finally found a theme and narrative drive. That's why I enjoyed the last 30 minutes or so of the film.

Anyway, I'll try and swing by the discussion thread to continue this. Please note that I give Pianist an 8 because it is well presented in terms of art direction and cinematography. And while I found the engine driving the narrative to be a little lacking (this manifests itself as a lack of scene anticipation in the viewer), we still have many beautiful scenes strung together.

It's in no way a mess or a failure. Just didn't lock me in like a top film does.

Speaking of that, here's a couple other films that didn't lock me in...


Hollywood Ending
6.5 of 10
The 6.5 is mostly for the writing on individual scenes. Woody still has a great sense of humor regarding the film arts and there are a ton of great lines on the subject in this movie. However, while the concept has lots of promise, he really fails to deliver on it. I found Jade Scorpion to be a much more enjoyable experience. With the premise at hand and Woody Allen in charge, this film should have been a lot funnier and a lot tighter than it was. A blind director...yet there are only about 3-4 good jokes on that subject (like Woody falling off the set, that was good ).

Allen continues to tread water rather than really blow away audiences. But I'll keep watching his tread water efforts since they at least give some decent entertainment.

Big Trouble
6 of 10
Take everything I just said about Hollywood Ending and apply it here. How does Barry Sonnenfeld take this story and this cast (and his trademark crisp visuals) and not make a laugh riot? This film is just like his Men in Black 2 effort to me. I could see something there, and sometimes I really laughed, but much of the time the film just isn't hitting the comedic beats correctly. One way to see that is by comparing the trailer versions of the same jokes and noting how much livelier and funnier they play in the trailer.

Andy Richter's outstanding joke about "not drinking on the job" is one example where the film's rhythm just seems off. It's a funny line but Sonnenfeld seems to have undermined it somehow.

The cast is outstanding though and I enjoyed all their efforts, especially Knoxville and Sizemore who get several of the best bits due to playing the "morons". Dennis Farina gives another funny effort up there with his Snatch and Get Shorty turns.

Sonnenfeld seems to have lost it compared to his Addams Family, Get Shorty and MiB1 efforts. Now we get MiB2, WWW and this, all of which had outstanding material and good actors. I see a trend developing that I don't like.

One solid piece of familiar entertainment, and two atrocious dungheaps:

Sorority Boys - - The bad movie equivalent of fish in a barrel. Stunningly bad with a resoundingly anti-female tone, and that tacked-on phone-in moralizing at the end only makes the attitude all the more hateful. Obviously stupid, but also scarily devoid of laughs, regardless of how hard the amateurish cast tries.

Mean Machine - - Sure, this Brit sports flick has not one chromosome of real originality, but I had fun with it nonetheless. You've seen all these characters and situations before, yet this go-round has a surprisingly fluid and slick presentation (particularly for a prison flick), a handful of very strong performances (Statham's the MAN), a few solid laughs, and a whole lot of nasty bone-crunching sports violence. Clearly not as wholly satisfying as its American source material (Aldrich's The Longest Yard), though it's a perfectly entertaining (and, in some spots, gleefully nasty) "guy flick".

Jackass: The Non-Movie - - I'm all for the mentally challenged getting their fair shot in the movie business, but surely it doesn't have to be as a collection of keening and self-mutilating sideshow geeks. This is an ugly and disturbingly unfunny exercise.

Saw 3, 2 Netflix and one at the last night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival:

Brotherhood of the Wolf: It had it's moments, but dragged on far too long and the fight choreography was weak. Another Western movie with imitation kung fu propped up by cinematic tricks for people who haven't seen the much better work from the glory days of HK. I liked some aspects of the style, especially the opening. But this would have worked much better at 100 minutes instead of 140+. C+

Nine Queens is a pretty good Argentinian movie about a couple of con men, one experienced and one green, who get the opportunity for a big score by selling some counterfeit stamps, the titular Nine Queens, to a rich collector who is about to be deported. Smart, funny, and fast, but not too fast, paced, it entertains up until the end, where I thought it had one ending too many. B

Invincible is the most polished Werner Herzog film I've seen, but I'm not sure that is a good thing. There are moments of vintage Herzog, 14 years away from feature's hasn't dulled his cinematic scope in the slightest. But it seems possibly that having an actor like Tim Roth blunted the film's focus. I suppose this could be compared to "Heart of Glass" where there are two dreamers, instead of the sole focus of the Kinski and Bruno S. films. But Invincible is really Zisshe's story, the Jewish strongman, and there is not enough time spent on his spreading the message of his vision of doom for the Jewish people and his dream of being their "new Samson". While there are multiple good scenes of Tim Roth's occult showman and his dream of being named Nazi master of the occult, Zisshe should be the star, and we don't get to know him and see him enough. Still the ending contains the type of beautiful, evocative Herzog images that are his trademark and the acting by Finnish strongman champion Ahola is one of those unique performances only nonactors can give. Worth seeing if you get the chance. B+

Scott, I agreed with your feeling about Mean Machine, though at the time I felt that I was in the minority. It's well done "Ritchie-style" remake that reminds me exactly why some remakes are worth our time, even if they simply translate the film over time/culture.


Brook, while I enjoyed Brotherhood more than you did, I will agree that the film is hurt badly by it's running time. It was difficult to anticipate where the film was going when you reached what felt like the end. I always say that if you are going to run long, you better get some strong indicators into the early narrative about it. Let the audience in on the overall theme that will link the entire film, so that they can better anticipate that they aren't near the end of the narrative arc and are more able to deal with the running time.

Otherwise a film ends up "going on and on".

Contrast that with long films like FOTR or Harry Potter. FOTR especially left many viewers expecting still more film at it's end, rather than feeling like "won't this ever end". The reason is obvious, the overall arc of destroying the ring was not nearing a conclusion so the audience never felt cheated out of endings earlier in the film, which in turn makes everything after drag on. Instead they remain engaged with the story asking of the film "okay, what's next". They know there is still more to come and don't shift into "wind down" mode that comes with the backside of the narrative climax. Once you hit that mode you are no longer in the mindset for a new arc to begin.

At least that's my opinion on writing/directing long films. And Brotherhood was very flawed in that regard.

I should add that one way in which you can refresh the arc is with a first act conclusion and an intermission, like Lawrence of Arabia. You know the end of the first act is not the final end, and the film's intermission explicitly says "okay, break time, get ready for a 2nd small film and arc to begin".

Did a massive overhaul to my list, and check out these five that I added in:

The Hot Chick
Extreme Ops
Stealing Harvard
Swimfan
Serving Sara

I'd need to watch FOTR:EE three times in a row to wipe this cinematic filth from my soul.

Updated with a fun weekend-plus at the smaller venues:

Dog Soldiers may be the best spam-in-a-can movie since Evil Dead 2 (though I'm not really an expert on the genre). It's not really scary, but the action is well-staged, the creatures look good (and are kept off-screen long enough to build suspense), and there's a wicked streak of black humor to it. This is the sort of thing that, once upon a time, New Line would have glommed on to and given a semi-wide theatrical release. ¼

The Bank is just OK. It gets points for making math sound interesting, but its two parallel plotlines don't have much to do with each other until a very contrived last act. Anthony LaPaglia, sadly, resists the urge to give the scenery the chewing it so desperately needs. ½ (Played Australia in '01; US bookings began in '02)


And now, silent things that are touring alternate locations. Both tours started in '02, but didn't hit Boston until '03 (and are thus on the "Other Films Seen" on my 2003 Film List):

Unseen Cinema was shown at the Museum of Fine Arts in conjunction with a photography exhibit by the man who did one of the shorts (Charles Sheeler, "Manhatta"). It's a group of eight shorts from the 1920s, most just experiments in photography and editing: Only one has any real plot ("The Soul of the Cypress") - and it has had some pre-Hayes Code explicit sex spliced in for no apparent reason. The finale is interesting - "Ballet Mécanique", where the composer for the 16-minute short created a 32-minute piece for 16 syncronized player pianos, two live pianos, three airplane propellers, four bass drums, three xylophones, a tam-tam seven electric bells, and a siren, which was completely unplayable in 1929. Using MIDI technology, it was recreated in the late 1990s and somehow bludgeoned into the short's running time. The program is an interesting experience, though a completely abstract one.

The Black Pirate is an energetic, highly entertaining swashbuckler starring Douglas Fairbanks which is notable for, aside from being tons of fun, both silent and in beautiful two-strip Technicolor. What made it an event to sell out Somerville Theater's large main room at fifteen bucks a pop was a restored print along with a live performance by the Alloy Orchestra in what is supposedly their best silent score yet. If you love movies, you owe it to yourselves to see these guys whenever they're in your area; it's a fantastic show. (including live accompaniment; knock a star off for the movie alone)


FWIW, Seth, I wasn't terribly fond of The Pianist either. It's well-made, but its central character is pretty much the least interesting guy in the film. On the discussion thread, I was told that what made him worth following was "that he survived", but to me, that means the film's success hinges on something outside the film itself - that the audience recognizes it is based upon a true story, and the "importance" of the subject matter. I always tend to look at movies like The Pianist and say "if it were a work of fiction, or I didn't know it was true, would it still have moved me, or moved me as much?" In this case, I don't think it would have.

Continued my list's facelift, added a few crappy titles (FearDotCom and K-19: The Widowmaker), and included all the 2002 DTV titles I've seen.

Have a look!

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...609#post326609

The Sum Of All Fears Didn't think I'd like this much, but ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It delivered in the tension and entertainment departments despite some editing problems like flashing to the girlfriend at inappropriate moments. The performances were good with Affleck not overplaying the way he is prone to and they did a pretty good job of turning him into a believable Jack Ryan. The military and nuclear scenes could have been done more accurately, but they get the job done for this type of film. I'm taking one mark off for the ending, which is much too upbeat after an event where 100,000+ Americans were killed and maimed. B-

Jason, I 100% agree with your views about The Pianist. Brody does represent the least interesting character, while his sister and brother were far more interesting and off the screen for good by the midpoint of the film. Brody only impressed me in the much more focused interaction between himself and the German officer. That section was like a different film almost.



Okay, I would add Windtalkers as a 1, but I only could stand 20 minute of it last night before I had to put in something decent. Seriously. I will return to it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. It's like a high school production of a film, and not that good of one at that.

But I did watch
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
4.5 of 10
I actually laughed loudly at several parts, my favorite being the voice over questioning the possibility of really punching out someone's stomach and the section where the students beat the Chosen One down at his own request (funny reactions by them). Of course there was the horrible CGI cow and stupid CGI baby, but luckily that wasn't too much of the film. The film is at it's funniest when it is laughing at kung-fu film conventions and styles, but unfunny when it is trying to reference current films (like the lame cow Matrix thing from the commercial). And it goes way short, maybe 70 minutes or so padded by credits to 81 minutes.

Hey, I'll watch it on cable in the future for some light entertainment. Could have been much worse.

Rabbit Proof Fence
8 of 10
This has to be one of the most beautifully shot, hauntingly scored films of the year. It is very compelling to watch, despite having very serious narrative flaws. The situation is never fully clear, the motivations for most of the antagonists are not explained well, and much of the narrative is moved by expository style dialog. In that way the film is a little bit shy of maturity. But in terms of setting moods and creating tension simply by cinematography and score this film is top 5 material.

Perhaps this was the only way to tell this story, or at least the best way. It might be the best this story can be on film. I can live with that I guess since the film is memorable despite those flaws. For tone/pacing think of something like George Washington. Feels indy in style like that, goes with more minimal dialog and script, makes up for it in presentation and very watchable kids.

Branaugh is good but ultimately wasted. Probably should have just abadoned any of that side of the story and just stuck with the kids perspective only.

Updated my list with

Barbershop (*** / ****)

and

xXx (** / ****)

Lowell

Updated my list to include all sorts of mediocre (and lousy) entries:

The Tuxedo
Analyze That
Drumline
Trapped


...and the latest (and very dull) Hellraiser sequel, PLUS I finally got to see Eye See You, which was absolutely glorious in its badness.

Seth, I thought the situation and motivations in Rabbit-Proof Fence were crystal clear. What specific things did you feel weren't clear?

Russian Ark is beautiful and stunning, not what I expect at all from the premise and some things I'd read, but quite similar in some ways to the only other Aleksandr Sokurov film I've seen, the equally stunning Mother & Son. Yes, Russian Ark is a journey through the grand Hermitage museum where we see room after room of beautiful artwork, not to mention the ornateness of the museum itself, the former Winter Palace of the Tsar's. We learn the origins of some of the art, how they came to the museum, and events from the museum's history and that of Russia. We are stunned by the technical grandeur of the undertaking. And yet, Russian Ark is much more than these things.

It is not only a journey through a building and through time, but it is a journey through the mind. The Ark can be seen as a physical structure, a place that holds the dreams, aspirations, and creativity of millions of human beings. A building that holds the very fabric of human culture and could be seen as important and worthy of preservation as Noah and the animals. But I think Russian Ark is also declaring that we each have a personal Ark. Our brains where this outpouring of memory, history, exprience, and the creative spark resides.

I think this is a film that will grow richer with each viewing. There is so much to see and absorb between what we're seeing in the museum, what we're seeing technically, and what the film is telling us that it's likely impossible to see everything the first time. Whether it's counted in 2002 or 2003 it is one of the best of this year or any other. A

City of God is also a powerful film. I could not help but be affected by seeing so many people who's lives offer only a choice of crime, violence, or grinding hopeless poverty. Seeing gangs of gun-toting 10-12 year olds is particularly disturbing. But I liked that the film did not offer only this single viewpoint. The characters had their moments of happiness and several saw that their were alternatives to the hellish situations in their lives.

I did feel the film stumbled toward's it's final act. For the most part the filmmakers give us a vibrant, highly-charged fractured narrative. But it grinds the forward momentum to a halt when it tells the story of Rocket's (the main character) employment. While this proves to be important information for us, it should have come at a different place in the story or have been told faster. Instead these scenes stop the film just as things REALLY begin to spiral out of control. And for me the movie never really recaptured that sense of energy and light and dark. All that was left was the violence.

Up until that moment it was a sure top 10 for me, I was sceptical of the Goodfellas comparisons but ended up agreeing with them. The film is sad and thrilling, empathic and brutal. As is, City of God remains a very fine film that is well worth taking the time to seek out. B+

Seth, it's too bad that you didn't enjoy The Pianist as much as some of us here did. At the heart of the film is a very touching story of survival, perseverance and hope.

Anyway, I got a chance to finally see Andy Tennant's Sweet Home Alabama but only because of the urging from my wife. I thought I was going to suffer through it but, in the end, it didn't turn out to be that bad.

Bottom line: (out of four).

~Edwin

Just watched The Salton Sea and thought it was pretty good. I especially enjoyed the montages, particularly the "history of meth" early in the film. Kilmer is excellent in portraying the different sides of his character; his pain and loss of identity. Good supporting cast as well. The director does a good job of not playing his hand to early, though I wish he had stayed away from various cinematic cliches. Why does everyone in a movie who gets shot wearing a bullet-proof vest always take off their shirt to reveal the vest? B

Ugh.
Bad Company
1.5 of 10
If it had just been a Bruckheimer thing, this would have scored higher. Like if Tony Scott had directed. But instead we have a standard Schumacher effort (ie, sucks). The comic timing of his direction, even the line deliveries he has chosen, is horrible. Many jokes that could be funny in the Bruck cliche manner are ruined here.

On top of that, the script is pretty awful, much more mundane than even your typical Bruck picture. Almost every scene is expository dialog ("Now I'm going to do this because... and you will do that because...and he is the bad guy...") The characters get no room to breathe.

And on top of that, while Chris Rock is no master thespian, he could be much better had he been given just a little more space to work or a better script to work with. His bad acting could easily be hidden in a film like this, but it isn't. Worse yet is the fact that he only gets one, maybe two real scenes to free-flow some Chris Rock schtick, which was what we came to see in the first place.

Most wasted was Peter Stormare who is very believable and interesting in his role, which doesn't matter since he doesn't get enough scenes either and can't possibly save the film from his position. Hopkins seems okay, but also as badly misused as Rock.

Save your money, just put The Rock in again. Even I can appreciate a "good" Bruck film versus one like this.