2002 Film List (1 Viewer)

[Scott Weinberg]

Seth, check my list. I've watched it twice now, and am surely falling in love with the movie.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Well maybe you were the critical notice I mentioned. Yeah, that trailer really sold me. I was wondering why a stuffy, dry period piece was getting some critical discussion. Then I saw a trailer for a fun, funny, interesting film that looked to be quite upbeat, or at least up tempo. Just waiting on the arthouse to do their job now.
Crocodile Hunter 2 of 10
WTF!?!?!
This was supposed to be a movie, right? Kudos only to the interesting, yet annoying as hell star. "I'm bugging the hell out of this animal and, CRIKEY, it's getting mad." It's hard for that to get old over and over for 90 minutes. :p)

 

[Lowell_B]

Updated my list with:

Gangs of New York ****/****

Really just a fantastic movie, gorgeous cinematography, great acting and cast, and what glorious sets! While I don't think the movie to be too long, the middle just isn't as good in comparison as the beginning and end imo. I may downgrade it to ***1/2 stars, but as it stands a great **** movie from Scorsese.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ****/****

Wow. Better by a hair than the first one, it seemed to have better pacing and flow better than the theatrical FOTR cut. Still, some minor flaws that really prevent it from being as great as it could be. I wonder if in the screenplay, any time Gimli talked it just said "Insert Cheesy Joke Here". I mean come on, he had generally no use in the movie except for "comic"(which is highly debatable.) relief. Also, the Arwen dream scenes could've benefitted from some trimming. I can't wait for the extended cut and ROTK though.

Lowell

 

[Jason Seaver]

Boy, will I be glad when Christmas is over and I have time to watch movies again...
Adaptation is a smart, extremely clever movie that doesn't quite attain the dizzying heights of creativity that the director & writer's previous collaboration, Being John Malkovich, did but is pretty darn worthy in its own right. Can Nicholas Cage be nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor? :star::star::star:½
Evelyn is pure formula, but it's a quality example of the genre. As a Christmas treat that you can take your grandmother to, it's a complete success. :star::star::star:

"It could have used some trimming but I can't wait for the extended cut." LOTR fans are weird.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intacto.
~Edwin

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Updated with:
Love and a Bullet - :star::star:1/2 - Dialogue-heavy and derivative, but fun in a cheesy B-movie sorta way. Treach plays a young hitman who falls for his latest target. Hardly an original idea, but delivers cable flick fun in small doses.
8 Women - :star::star::star::star: - Delightful comedy/musical/murder mystery, laden with the finest French actresses of the past 40 years. If you can get past the mild weirdness of watching subtitles songs (it's easy) and you don't mind your cinematic confectionry a little on the sweet side, there's a lot of fun to be had with this one. And dear sweet lord is Emmanuelle Beart the peak of all things drop-dead gorgeous.
Far From Heaven - :star::star::star::star:1/2 - Sort of a dark flip-side of Leave it to Beaver and a pretty damn compelling dramatic tale in its own right. Todd Haynes recreates the 1950's down to the most minute detail, and offers up dual tales of 'societal taboos', resulting in a side of the Golden Era generally unseen before. The movie looks as if it were a particularly brave and insightful drama produced in 1953, and I mean that as a high compliment. Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid deliver fantastic performances, if you need a little more prodding.
Chicago - :star::star::star::star:1/2 - Having no experience with the stage show, I cannot comment on comparisons. As a movie, it's a dizzyingly cool time. Zellweger and Zeta give stunningly swingin' performances, John Reilly gets to warble a melancholy ditty, and try not to smile when Gere gets into the act. First-timer Rob Marshall brings a palpable 'Broadway' feel to the film, and I think it's one of the best musicals I've ever seen.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Pluto Nash 2 of 10
There was some parts of it that were almost good. And the basic premise seemed fine. I couldn't really identify any bad acting (though Randy Quaid has some blah moments) and the film has many good actors in it. But something is really wrong. Production value was one thing that jumped out. Overall it's not quite awful, but generally just cheaply done.
Had it had some of the flare of Total Recall or Fifth Element, they might have had a hit. That probably explains how they managed to cast so many good people, on paper I can see it looking like a big, fun film. Too bad it was made like Ghosts of Mars.
Unfaithful 7 of 10
A pretty good thriller/drama that reminded me of In the Bedroom mixed with Presumed Innocent. It's an interesting story, Gere I think does the most with his role even though Lane is getting all the talk. Neither is Oscar level, but it makes for an interesting, entertaining film. It's biggest fault is not where the story goes, but in how it presents it. In most ways you've simply seen it all before (although the acting is solid as I said). Had it stayed more stark, dry even, then the impact of the emotions would have felt more honest. Instead the film chooses to pump up every moment with traditional scoring, etc. right out of mainstream dull cinema. So they end up taking the edge off of some of the more interesting scenes.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with David Cronenberg's Spider and Spike Jonze's Adaptation.
~Edwin

 

[John Spencer]

Updated with Murder By Numbers, The Rookie, and The Sum Of All Fears, all of which are no threat to my current top ten. But a couple of them may reach my bottom ten if I'm forced to sit through them again at another family gathering.

 

[Brook K]

The Powerpuff Girls Movie is no where near as good as just about any episode I've seen. They basically discard everything witty, funny, and inventive about the series for an action movie with a trite message. They did a very good job of improving the art and taking advantage of the wider ratio, a pity the script didn't get the same care. C+
We also watched The Rookie, a well-done sports movie, genre cliches and all. No Rudy or Hoosiers, just a feel-good story that does it's job without too much saccharine. B

 

[Seth Paxton]

I was a bit letdown by
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron 6.5 of 10
At times I disliked the CGI and traditional animation mix, even though in Iron Giant it worked great. I did think much of this film looked really good, but from time to time the computer look took me out of it.
But the biggest problem was much of the time I felt we had a simple story that really asked me to jump right in with some stereotypes, many of which contradicted themselves. Another problem is that horses sometimes are loyal to men, but 2 seconds later they actually hate them and want to rebel. Makes for a nice kiddie story, but it's less than ambitious filmmaking. Way too much Bryan Adams as well.
And the 75 minute (minus the credit time) film still felt very padded, despite the time spent on each Adams song as a musical interlude.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Gangs of New York
9 of 10
This film has inside of it one of the greatest films ever made. But it is cut/directed in such a schizophrenic mess that it ends up just being a good film. The acting is stellar and Lewis seems certain of a Best Actor win, not just nom. DeCaprio is just as strong in this film as Catch Me, the kid is a great actor, period. All of the supporting work is also incredible - Diaz, Broadbent, Reilly, Neeson, Brendon Gleeson, and others.
The production work is also top notch. You could not get more immersed in the era. You are there, the actors are these people, but the themes and storylines get mixed up. The film has a real focus problem.
Personally, I suspect that Harvey wanted a revenge/gangster flick (which the first 2/3rd mostly are) but that Scorsese had more interest in telling a historical epic with less focus on just the Lewis/DeCaprio thread. Unfortunately the film ends up touching on each of these (adding in the Diaz/DeCaprio romance) too much to have a consistent flow.
I would have rather the first 2 hours been more in line with the last 25 minutes to be honest. I would love to see some other cuts of this film because I can see it being reworked in a number of quite different ways.

 

[Derek Miner]

MinerWerks' Utterly Useless 2002 Film List
Last Update: December 27, 2002
Eligibility Criteria: First US (non-festival) theatrical release occurred in 2002.
2002 Films seen: 78
All Films seen (on the big screen, AS IT SHOULD BE): 112
Rating Scale:
**** - a must-see
*** - worth a look
** - mediocre
* - pure drek
Title/date seen/aspect ratio/star rating
Beauty and the Beast: Special Edition/01-01-02/1.33:1 IMAX/***1/2
Orange County/01-15-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Birthday Girl/02-01-02/2.35:1/**
Le Pacte des Loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf)/02-02-02/2.35:1/***
John Q/02-27-02/1.85:1/**
40 Days and 40 Nights/03-05-02/1.85:1/***
Showtime/03-19-02/2.35:1/**
Ice Age/03-20-02/1.85:1/***
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: 20th Anniversary Edition/03-22-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Death to Smoochy/03-29-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Panic Room/04-03-02/2.35:1/****
Kissing Jessica Stein/04-04-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Big Trouble/04-05-02/1.85:1/**
Y Tu Mamá También/04-14-02/1.85:1/***
Changing Lanes/04-17-02/2.35:1/***
Metropolis/04-20-02/1.85:1/***
Scotland, PA/04-23-02/1.85:1/**
Monsoon Wedding/04-24-02/1.85:1/***1/2
The Cat's Meow/04-30-02/1.85:1/***
Spider-Man/05-06-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Hollywood Ending/05-08-02/1.85:1/**
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones/05-16-02/2.35:1/***
About a Boy/05-19-02/2.35:1/***1/2
Insomnia/05-26-02/2.35:1/***1/2
Enigma/05-29-02/2.35:1/**1/2
My Big Fat Greek Wedding/06-03-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Stolen Summer/06-05-02/1.85:1/***
The Sum Of All Fears/06-05-02/2.35:1/**1/2
The Importance Of Being Earnest/06-11-02/2.35:1/**1/2
Scooby-Doo/06-17-02/1.85:1/**
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys/06-22-02/1.85:1/**1/2
The Bourne Identity/06-23-02/2.35:1/***
Lilo & Stitch/06-24-02/1.85:1/****
Minority Report/06-26-02/2.35:1/***
Men In Black II/07-03-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Cherish/07-09-02/1.85:1/***
The Road to Perdition/07-13-02/2.35:1/***1/2
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course/07-16-02/2.35:1/*1/2
K-19 The Widowmaker/07-22-02/2.35:1/**1/2
CQ/07-23-02/1.85:1/***
Austin Powers in Goldmember/07-25-02/2.35:1/**1/2
Pumpkin/07-29-02/1.85:1/**1/2
13 Coversations About One Thing/07-30-02/1.85:1/***
Lovely and Amazing/07-31-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Full Frontal/08-06-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Signs/08-07-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Tadpole/08-13-02/1.85:1/***
Who is Cletis Tout?/08-15-02/2.35:1/***1/2
Sunshine State/08-20-02/1.85:1/***
Blood Work/08-21-02/2.35:1/**
The Good Girl/08-25-02/1.85:1/***
Simone/08-26-02/2.35:1/**1/2
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams/08-28-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Posession/09-03-02/2.35:1/***
One Hour Photo/09-13-02/1.85:1/***1/2
The Kid Stays In The Picture/09-13-02/1.85:1/***
24 Hour Party People/09-22-02/1.85:1/***
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart/10-02-02/1.85:1/***
Moonlight Mile/10-08-02/2.35:1/***
Red Dragon/10-09-02/2.35:1/***
The Rules of Attraction/10-16-02/1.85:1/**
8 femmes (8 Women)/10-23-02/1.85:1/***
Punch-Drunk Love/10-28-02/2.35:1/***1/2
Igby Goes Down/10-30-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Auto Focus/11-03-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Bowling For Columbine/11-05-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Nuovo cinema Paradiso (Cinema Paradiso: The New Version)/11-06-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (IMAX)/11-07-02/1.33:1 (IMAX)/***
Friday After Next/11-12-02/1.85:1/*1/2
The Emperor's Club/11-14-02/1.85:1/**1/2
Equilibrium/11-20-02/2.35:1/*1/2
8 Mile/12-04-02/2.35:1/***
Solaris/12-11-02/2.35:1/**1/2
Far From Heaven/12-11-02/1.85:1/***
Catch Me If You Can/12-20-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Roger Dodger/12-21-02/1.85:1/***1/2
Star Trek: Nemesis/12-25-02/2.35:1/**1/2
Standing In The Shadows Of Motown/12-26-02/1.85:1/***1/2
MinerWerks' Nebulous Best of 2002
Emphasis on overall experience first, artistic merit next
10. Catch Me If You Can
9. Standing In The Shadows Of Motown
8. Lovely and Amazing
7. Roger Dodger
6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
5. Panic Room
4. Kissing Jessica Stein
3. Punch-Drunk Love
2. Bowling For Columbine
1. Lilo & Stitch
MinerWerks' Pee-ew of 2002 (aka Bottom Five)
5. John Q
4. Hollywood Ending
3. The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
2. Equilibrium
1. Friday After Next
MinerWerks' 2002 Festival Film List
For film festival (or other assorted) screenings
Title/date seen/aspect ratio/star rating
Teenage Kicks-The Undertones/06-15-02/1.85:1/**
Gigantic (A Tale Of Two Johns)/06-15-02/1.33:1 (Digital Betacam)/***1/2
(review of the above here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=77237)
Down With Love/11-??-02/2.35:1/No rating given - work in progress
MinerWerks' 2002 Supplemental Film List
For reissue/repertory/midnight screenings (not "special" editions)
Title/date seen/aspect ratio/star rating/print condition (A-F)
Some Like It Hot/01-06-02/1.85:1/***1/2/B+
Raiders of the Lost Ark/01-13-02/2.35:1/****/A
The Birds/02-03-02/1.85:1/***/C
On The Waterfront/02-10-02/1.37:1/***1/2/C-
Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb/03-08-02/1.85:1/***1/2/C
Sleeper/03-09-02/1.85:1/***/B-
Kingpin/03-09-02/2.35:1/***/A
Harold and Maude/03-10-02/1.85:1/***/C
Raising Arizona/03-10-02/1.85:1/***/B
Monty Python and the Holy Grail/03-10-02/1.85:1/***1/2/A-
Breakfast at Tiffany's/07-07-02/1.85:1/***/B
North by Northwest/07-14-02/1.85:1/***1/2/B+
A Night at the Opera/07-21-02/1.37:1/***1/2/B+
Sweet Smell of Success/08-12-02/1.85:1/***/B-
The Last Waltz/09-28-02/1.85:1/***/A-
Zardoz/10-17-02/2.35:1/*1/2/C+
It's A Wonderful Life/12-01-02/1.33:1/****/B+
A Christmas Story/12-08-02/1.85:1/***/A+
Scrooged/12-15-02/1.85:1/***/B
A Christmas Carol/12-22-02/1.37:1/**1/2/A-
MinerWerks' Shameless "Am I cool or just a geek?" 2001 Films seen in a theater in 2002 Appendix
The Royal Tenenbaums, Mulholland Drive, Black Hawk Down, A Beautiful Mind, In The Bedroom, Gosford Park, Lantana, The Others, Serendipity, Legally Blonde, K-PAX

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with Spike Lee's 25th Hour.
~Edwin

 

[Derek Miner]

Special thanks to Jason Whyte for letting me put my list back up!

I set out to try to do as many movies in 2002 as I could, so I am glad to have it here "on the record," so to speak.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

New additions:
Catch Me If You Can - :star::star::star::star: - Minor gripe: it ambles a bit too long. Everything else is pure entertainment. DiCaprio is great, Hanks impresses in a suprisingly 'supporting' role, John Williams' old-style jazzy score is a delight, the script is breezy and witty, the cat-and-mouse aspect (though not as fast-paced as the ads suggest) is deft and expert, and it's just a real treat to see Spielberg work on such a small canvas for a change. Also noteworthy for A) some of the coolest opening credits EVER, and B) Hanks' delivery of the world's best knock-knock joke.
Enigma - :star::star::star: - Well-conceived and impressive to look at, this WWII code-breaker drama suffers from a stalled engine...more than once. Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet keep things relatively interesting, but the flick's a bit too dry for my tastes.
Virgil Bliss - :star::star::star::star: - Solid surprise here. An ex-con arrives at a halfway house after 12 years in prison, and unwisely strikes up a romance with a local hooker. Extremely strong acting and an effective use of the Digital Video approach combine to keep the flick more than compelling.
--About to get started on my Top Ten!

 

[ChuckDeLa]

(all scores on a 5-point scale)
About A Boy - 5 very charming and witty
About Schmidt - 5 touching and real
Analyze That - 2 boring and limp, though mostly painless
Austin Powers : Goldmember - 1 couldn't watch the whole thing... stick a fork in Austin Powers, he's done
Blade II - 3 fun distraction, though it lacked the enthusiasm of the first movie
Blood Work - 2 paint-by-numbers thriller
The Bourne Identity - 3 nothing special
Catch Me If You Can - 5 loads of fun!
Changing Lanes - 3 intriguing, but not as intriguing as it would like to be
Chicago - 4 fun way to spend 2 hours
Die Another Day - 2 an ultimately empty experience
8 Mile - 2 rather pointless
The Emperor's Club - 3 interesting twist on the Dead Holland Society Opus formula
Enigma - 3 not bad
Frailty - 3 unusual, but the ending was annoying
Gangs of New York - 3 didn't live up to potential
Ghost Ship - 1 godawful
The Good Girl - 5 moving and real
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 4 flawed, but engaging
Hart's War - 2 zzzz
High Crimes - 2 highly implausible
I Spy - 2 a few funny bits
Impostor - 3 good rental
Insomnia - 2 I can't stomach Robin Williams in ANY role
Jason X - 1 hoo boy, the movies I get dragged to
The Lord of The Rings : The Two Towers - 5 a SLIGHT disappointment, only because expectations were sky-high
Minority Report - 5 I liked it
Murder by Numbers - 1 terrible
Panic Room - 3 I expected better from Fincher
Possession - 5 Neil LaBute is batting 1000 in my book
Punch-Drunk Love - 4 mixed feelings about this one still
Red Dragon - 2 Anthony Hopkins needs to move on
Reign of Fire - 1 ridiculous
The Ring - 5 much better than I anticipated
Road to Perdition - 3 didn't see what all the fuss was about
Scooby Doo - 1 exactly what you'd expect
Signs - 3 Shmlayan's worst yet
Solaris - 4 made me think, that's always a pleasant bonus
Spiderman - 3 seemed great at the time, but in retrospect it feels soulless and rote
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams - 2 kinda fun
Star Trek : Nemesis - 2 not bad for ST
Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones - 4 Lucas has redeemed himself... somewhat
The Sum of All Fears - 2 unmemorable
They - 2 disjointed, not as creepy as it tries to be
The Time Machine - 1 sad, sad, sad
The Transporter - 3 a guilty pleasure
Trapped - 1 ugh
The Tuxedo - 1 UGH!!!
We Were Solders - 2 standard war movie
White Oleander - 3 strived to have a message, didn't really have one
xXx - 1 excruciating to sit through
FILMS SEEN: 46
films I kinda-sorta paid attention to while my gf watched:
(scores explanation:
LOA = Level of Attention... time spent actively watching/listening to what was going on
OA = Overall Impression... the score I would probably give this film if I watched the whole thing)
Clockstoppers (LOA: 2 OA: 1)
Collateral Damage (LOA: 1 OA: 1)
The Count of Monte Cristo (LOA: 4 OA: 3)
DragonFly (LOA: 4 OA: 3)
Enough (LOA: 1 OA: 1)
40 Days and 40 Nights (LOA: 5 OA: 1)
Life, Or Something Like It (LOA: 2 OA: 2)
The Mothman Prophecies (LOA: 5 OA: 3)
Orange County (LOA: 2 OA: 1)
Queen of the Damned (LOA: 3 OA: 1)
Resident Evil (LOA: 2 OA: 1)
Rollerball (LOA: 1 OA: 1)
The Rookie (LOA: 4 OA: 3)
Windtalkers (LOA: 3 OA: 2)

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with Chicago.
~Edwin

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Updated with Roman Polanski's The Pianist.
~Edwin

 

[Kevin Leonard]

Another update to the list.
Let's kick things off with Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers [1/2], Peter Jackson's latest installment in the tale of Frodo Baggins. Well, sort of: Mr. Frodo's story is put on the backburner while Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) takes center stage, getting into a conflict: should he take his rightful place as an heir to the throne, or keep his current role as a brooding ranger with an eternal two-day beard? You won't find out until the third installment, but in the meantime you can act like me and marvel at Jackson's direction, the cinematography, costumes and set design, all of which--like they were in Fellowship--are perfect. The actors all do well with their parts, but I never felt for them like I did in the first; the only character I really had any emotion towards was Gollum, brought to you courtesy of some brilliant CGI and actor Andy Serkis--I'm not sure whether or not that's a good thing. While I didn't mind the numerous changes from the book (since it retains the feel of Tolkein's writing), the constant back-and-forth intercutting between various plotlines hit a sour note with me, because major setpieces--like the battle at Helm's Deep, for instance--lose any momentum they initially gain because they're interrupted by another character's story. No matter though: Towers is a fantastic piece of work overall, with some pretty damn amazing set pieces, and I'm sure the movie will grow on me in subsequent viewings.
Ellory Elkayem's Eight Legged Freaks [
Question: can a film, after nearly two years of anticipation and frustration, live up to your expectations? Well, if we're talking about Gangs of New York [:star:], then the answer is an enthusiastic "Hell F***ing YES!" Though the plot of the movie is more or less a standard revenge story, director Martin Scorsese (thankfully) decided to focus more on the atmosphere and deadly nature of the Five Points, a hellish mix of dingy streets, corruption, random violence, broken lives and horrific living conditions, a place where nearly the entire film is set in, and a marvel of production design. While Leonardo DiCaprio does fine with his part, he...oh hell, everyone is overshadowed by Daniel Day-Lewis' performance as Bill "The Butcher" Cutting. A towering figure with matted hair, a thick mustache and one hell of an odd NY accent, Day-Lewis just simply OWNS this film, and walks off with any scene he's in; in typical Scorsese fashion, no character is cut in a black-and-white manner, and Bill grows from a "bad guy" into a poignant and multifaceted person who is simply standing up for his beliefs, and who is slowly coming to the realization that his way of life is becoming extinct.
Is the movie perfect? No: there are definitely some pacing/editing issues, and the romance subplot between DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz (who looks like she just came from a California beach before arriving at New York) could have been cut out completely without harming the film's impact. But these are minor quibbles; when you look at what Scorsese and his crew have achieved with this film, any complaints are rendered moot. As it stands, Gangs has dethroned the current champ on my list, Spirited Away, but I dunno how long it'll be there--I mean, I haven't even seen The Hot Chick yet.
Lovely and Amazing [:star:] was a nice, quiet surprise, a layered look at the lives of three sisters, all of whom have problems (as is the standard in these types of films). The film benefits from an excellent cast, ranging from Emily Mortimer's self-loathing neurotic to Catherine Keener's bitter housewife, and there are a number of sublime moments. And Jake Gylenhall adds another notch to his increasing roster of small, important supporting parts. The movie won't change your outlook on life, but it'd be a shame if more people didn't get a chance to watch it.
OK, I'm convinced that Mandy Moore should hang up her attempt (and that's being kind) at music and concentrate solely on acting. A Walk to Remember [:star:] is your run-of-the-mill soap opera-cum-screwed young lovers story populated by faceless young actors, along with the token black friend. The movie is uninspired, and you can tell exactly what'll happen just by reading the back of the video cover. However, Moore is pretty good in the role of the wallflower who has a Terrible Secret, and to be honest, I was slightly moved by the outcome of her character; Peter Coyote also has a nice, understated performance as Moore's father. The film just screams blandness, but see it for Moore's performance; I'm looking forward to her next film.
Like Being John Malkovich before it, Adaptation [:star:] is a head-spinning work of originality and creativity, filled with several moments of sheer genius and a trio (or is that quartet?) of brilliant performances from Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and especially Chris Cooper. But there are problems: first off, the film just doesn't flow as easily as Malkovich, the previous collaboration between Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman; in BJM, I was eagerly waiting for each scene--in Adaptation, I often sat there waiting for movie to actually do something. And although I can understand why the final third of the movie is here--because it included everything Kaufman didn't originally want--it's handled in such a jarring and poor manner that it simply qualifies as bad filmmaking. If it was supposed to be a parody of standard Hollywood movie formulas, it didn't work. However, Adaptation is definitely worth a look, and I'm looking forward to exploring the more hidden aspects of it on DVD.
A question about Snow Dogs [1/2]: how the hell did this piss-poor excuse for filmmaking require the work of FIVE writers? This was running through my head the entire time I watched the film...well, that and why this had to be one of James Coburn's final movies. Awful on damn near every level, and further proof that Jerry Maguire was simply a fluke for Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Cherish [1/2] is odd piece of work, a comedy that mixes stalking, house arrest, 80's music and homosexual handicapped midgets. But that's the problem with the film: the film is nothing more than the standard "I was framed, but nobody will believe me, so now I must find the criminal before time runs out" thriller, and all the quirkiness and indie cred (rocker Liz Phair in a co-starring role, retro soundtrack) it has can't disguise this fact. In the lead part, Robin Tunney is excellent (it probably doesn't help that she's one of my favorite actresses working today), and there is a wonderfully dark twist at the end, but Cherish turns out to be a frustrating, but watchable first-time effort from director Finn Taylor.
Director/star Jill Morley's Stripped [
Like some unholy love child of Sam Raimi and John McTiernan, director Neil Marshall combines the former's speedfreak camera angles with the latter's lean-and-mean approach to plot in his debut picture, Dog Soldiers [). However, the movie is a blast to sit through: the Scottish cast handle themselves nicely, the gore is plentiful and appropriately disgusting (wanna see a man literally holding his guts in?), and the final 20 minutes are extremely tense and nerve-wracking. But the influence mishmash and hyperactive editing during some dialogue scenes make it not as good as it could have been.
Catch Me If You Can [