reviewId int64 363k 588k | userId int64 33.9k 15.9M | itemId int64 1 1.42M | rating float64 1 10 | title stringlengths 1 10.9k ⌀ | content stringlengths 81 11.6k ⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
587,018 | 783,721 | 120,866 | 6 | The Bard doth rolleth in his grave . | Titus , a psychotic makeover of Shakespear's epic tragedy , is so surreal as to make it laughable . Hopkins gives a powerful performance but even his mesmerizing portrayal of the title character could not keep us from being distracted by the explosion in props and costumes , a creative staff on LSD , or whatever it was that turned a powerful drama into a joke . The ubiquitous and always vocal pious aficionados who think everything atypical is creative will applaud this flick as inspired genius . However , the purists will more likely loathe it . Some things don't need Hollywood glomming them up . Shakespeare is one of them . |
587,024 | 783,721 | 120,867 | 6 | A dark little comedy . Very little . | A tedious , dialogue-intensive story about the vicissitudes of a mentor / protege hitman team , " Jerry & Tom " is a study in understatement with a pointless plot and an ending which may make you want to " whack " yourself for having watched the whole thing . |
587,133 | 783,721 | 120,890 | 6 | What a croc ! | In " Wild Things " , B-flick director McNaughton manages to wrest some lame performances from a pretty good cast while telling a convoluted story about a couple of babes ( Richards / Campbell ) who accuse their school guidance counselor ( Dillon ) of rape . A conspiracy flick set in sweaty swampy Florida with everything but the proverbial kitchen sink tossed in , the only question this flick raises is which of the many predictable conclusions was selected . Full of twists and turns , " Wild Things " is best watched with the brain disengaged so each switchback will come as a surprise and the mind can just zone on the titillators . An okay couch potato guy flick , those who want more info should check Ebert's review as he nailed this one . Be sure to watch through the closing credits for more scenes . ( |
587,179 | 783,721 | 120,888 | 6 | Subpar romcom | The Wedding Singer is ordinary romantic comedy fare which tells of a best buddy couple ( Sandler & Barrymmore ) who are each engaged to someone else when , of course , they are really in love with each other . Sound familiar ? This flick is an old story with a new paint job which borrows a summa-dis and summa-dat from a host of past romcoms while sporting little more than Sandler's unflappable style and a jumble of kookie characters . For romcom junkies and Sandler fans only . ( |
587,652 | 783,721 | 346,223 | 6 | Don't waste your time | The Cambridge Spies tells of four Cambridge grads and idealistic communist sympathizers who , in the run up to WWII , arrange their careers such that they have access to Britain's secrets which they may then divert to the Stalin regime . Unfortunately , spying of this sort is a rather dull business , something which is made eminently clear in this clumsy film which seems to have no sense of what it wants to be about . Though we have no back story , no idea of how these men support themselves , no clue how they secure their lofty positions and easy access to intelligence , we do see that women tend to throw themselves at them . Stagey and stiff with time squandered on incessant dialog about ideologies , this film bogs itself down in the mundane trivialities of the four spies lives while the world postures for the mother of all wars . I watched only three episodes becoming so bored as have no desire to sit through the last one . Not worth the time except perhaps for those with an acute interest in the period or the history and fans of the players . ( |
587,292 | 783,721 | 191,754 | 6 | A low cal , mildly entertaining version of an old story . | 28 days is a superficial and not-too-serious mix of comedy , snappy dialogue , superficial dramatic excursions , a minimal cast , and the only persona in Bullock's repertoire with the serious drug abuse / rehab subject . Some will find this drama-lite film entertaining in spite of its numerous short comings . Others will feel is doesn't do justice to the issues . |
585,763 | 783,721 | 120,857 | 6 | Great details but the big picture flops . | Tea With Mussolini follows a bunch of women , mostly English and mostly past their prime , through the WWII years . The women are part of a colony of well-to-do art lovers who reside near Florence , Italy and wile away their days with tea and idle chit-chat as the world prepares for war . The unfortunate film has much to offer . . . great cast , wonderful location shooting , costuming , etc . Many will like it's sanitized dreaminess and charm . However , it fails as a story by spreading itself too thin over too much time resulting in a disjointed screenplay with an annoying and stuttering lack of continuity all the while wallowing in pitiful trivialities and diluting the effect of what are intended to be climactic or poignant moments . An easy and enjoyable watch which fails in the overall effect . |
587,057 | 783,721 | 196,723 | 6 | Crazy in California | In " Forever Lulu " , an almost " chick flick " , Griffith plays a walk-away from a mental hospital who , wanting to recapture a 16 year old lost romance , calls her ex-boyfriend and tells him they have a son . What ensues is a pleasing blend of comedy and drama which is just unpredictable enough to maintain viewer interest through the film's many contrivances . Though an obvious emotional button pusher , " Forever Lulu " is technically and artistically well made with solid performances by all . A tour-de-force by Griffith and an enjoyable watch which builds to a " feel good " conclusion . |
586,593 | 783,721 | 304,415 | 6 | A toothless smile | Mona Lisa Smile is all about Roberts as a 1950's art professor at a prim and proper girl's college who struggles to breathe women's lib and independent thinking into a classroom full of snobbish boomer brats who want little more than an " Ozzie & Harriet " future . A sort of testament to the societal oppression of 50's women , this flick wanders drunkenly between storylines serving up plenty of squeaky clean drama , pathos , and Kodak moments in a contrived Hallmarkish presentation which never really makes up its mind about what it wants to be . With subpar critical reviews and a so-so reception by the public , " Mona Lisa Smile " will work best as a night-at-home small screen chick flick . ( |
586,952 | 783,721 | 117,073 | 6 | Realism or fantasy ? You be the judge . | My Man is an artsy , fatalistic drama done in the typical French the-ecstacy-is-in-the-agony style . Telling a peculiar , quirky , melancholy story of a neurotic prostitute's encounters with men in an apparently futile attempt to bring meaning into her life the story overlooks obvious alternatives at every turn and meanders into dark self-deprecating blind alleys . Nonetheless , this strange drama is slick , well crafted , and worth a look by those who are into unusual psychodramas . |
585,884 | 783,721 | 110,570 | 6 | Pure Slapstick | Il Mostro is a slapsticky romcom about a little unemployed man , Loris ( Benigni ) , who is thought to be a serial sex killer who dismembers his victims . So , it is no surprise when a dinner guest see Loris stumbling toward her from the kitchen with a meat cleaver in his raised hand and a flashlight protruding under the crotch of his pants that she faints . " The Monster " is one long series of such obvious setups with predictable comical outcomes glued together with a meager story involving Loris and a beautiful cop who is out to prove him a sex fiend . Reminiscent of old school visual comics like Charlie Chaplin or Jerry Lewis , Benigni clowns it up in this unsophisticated mildly sexy Italian romp which should be a fun watch for anyone into sight gags and outrageous or ridiculous contrived but predictable situations . ( |
587,286 | 783,721 | 277,941 | 6 | Well , the camera was in focus | Ned Kelly tells the story of an Aussie folk hero / outlaw of the title name with hot properties Ledger and Bloom leading the way and Watts and Rush tagging along behind with minimal roles . A technically and artistically well done biopic drama which never really manages to choose between bigger-than-life heroics or gritty / edgy reality as it waffles back and forth trying to be all things to all people , this film creates a portrait of a poor man's Robin Hood in the austere environs of 1870's Australia who really wasn't all that interesting . With lukewarm critical reviews , heaped praise from young females , and no awards outside Australia , " Ned Kelly " is a mediocre watch best saved for fans of the players or those with an interest in the Kelly Aussie legend . Those interested in quality Aussie cinema might want to check out " Rabbit Proof Fence " or " Japanese Story " which do much more with much less . ( |
585,977 | 783,721 | 117,071 | 6 | An excellent production of a tediously told tale . | Moll Flanders ( 1996 ) tells the tale of a young woman's struggle with life in 18th century England . This film received mixed reviews from both critics and consumers for obvious reasons . Everything about the film is good except the telling of the story . In spite of all the pluses , Moll Flanders trudges so stoically through her ordinary life as to not whet the edge of the viewers interest but rather make a wonderfully produced film a tedious and boring watch punctuated with poignant moments barely sufficient to keep the waning eyelid open . |
585,645 | 783,721 | 270,288 | 6 | GONG ! ! | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - from the pen of Chuck Barris about the life of Chuck Barris , t . v . producer / personality and self-alleged hitman for the CIA - wanders haphazardly through a muddled mess of fact and fiction ; a sort of Jack of all genres and master of none . The film doesn't work as drama or comedy or action or mystery or romance or . . . well , it just doesn't work . In spite of the star power and talent along for this ride , " Confessions . . . " is not engaging , can't find its milieu , leaves us knowing less about the autobiographer than when it starts , and proves once again that actors , as a rule , should stick to acting and directors should stick to directing . I probably know a little more about Barris than the average Joe and watched with interest on the wane in spite of that . Maybe the film will play better for those who don't remember the man or his persona . Sorry , Chuckie . . GONG ! ( |
586,576 | 783,721 | 101,761 | 6 | For Doors fans only | Oliver Stone's " The Doors " tells of the rise to demise of Jim Morrison , lead for the title rock band , icon of the hippy culture , and celebrated / notorious / controversial rock musician . The film focuses on Morrison's brief six year career and features a fine performance by Kilmer , much of " The Doors " music , and plenty of Hollywood sensationalism . I watched the film as a matter of curiosity since I lived through the period but never really knew who Morrison was ( which pretty much makes me no expert ) and found myself doing a lot of fast forwarding through the music and concerts . Unfortunately , Morrison wasn't all that interesting making the film of questionable value to anyone who was not a " Doors " or Morrison fan . |
586,600 | 783,721 | 261,755 | 6 | An excellent film with limited appeal . | In " Jackpot " , the Polish brothers tell the story of a character who is more curious than interesting - a soap-selling professional karaoke hustler ( Gries ) with his own agent ( Morris ) and impossible dreams of making it as a pop singer . The film has a good premise and an excellent execution but is doubtless destined to be one of those fringe indies with earnest integrity which flies in the face of limited market appeal . An enjoyable watch for those into films about quirky , down-and-out type characters . ( |
586,056 | 783,721 | 120,903 | 6 | A special effects orgy with an ordinary story . | A sci-fi action fantasy , " X-Men " squanders an excellent cast , powerful camera and sound work , and a visual feast of special effects on a flimsy and sometimes silly good-mutant vs . bad-mutant story . This film will play best with young Nintendo geek gamer-types and worst with mature audiences who may tire of trying to remember which mutant has what power which can thwart what mutant with which power . . . etc , blaa , blaa . Open ended and with a mission unanswered , there's plenty of sequel room . |
586,860 | 783,721 | 361,841 | 6 | A chick flick evens the chicks didn't like | Little Black Book examines the foibles of one young woman ( Murphy ) who decides to " research " her significant other's prior romantic life as an adjunct to a TV reality talk show ( think Jerry Springer ) and learns some unexpected lessons in life in the process . A lively , fun , and occasionally poignant little bit of chick flick fluff , this movie suffered at the hands of critics , public , and chicks perhaps because people like a little romance with their romantic comedies and " LBB " has none to offer . An unexpectedly busy little story to nowhere which takes the chick flick milieu off course and into a sort of genre-bending neverland , this film seems to be trying to conjure some vague moral which never quite crystallizes . Nevertheless , Murphy and Hunter make capable bookends shoring up a pleasant assortment of side characters while the story slowly erodes their best efforts . Recommended for fans of the players but don't expect the usual satisfying romcom fare . Expect a Palm Pilot commercial instead . ( |
586,477 | 783,721 | 174,480 | 6 | Critics be damned . This film works . | Autumn in New York is a melodramatic , highly romanticized , and somewhat predictable old guy , young babe love story . However , Chen does a masterful job of choreographing the technical and artistic with the story making it easy to buy into this film which keeps the Kodak moments to a minimum , fast forwards past the fluff , and sticks to it's purpose of developing characters and story . Many seem to have forgotten that romantic melodrama is a genre , not a liability . When times were tough ( eg : WWII ) , this genre was Hollywood's most popular and offered blessed escapism for a needy public . Critics and naysayers be damned . Within its genre , " Autumn . . . " is one of the year's best . |
586,862 | 783,721 | 323,807 | 6 | Where's the love ? | Remember Me , My Love takes a long , hard , cold look at a somewhat decadent Italian bourgeois family of two midlife parents and two old teen kids as it examines their lives and loves with a distinct absence of the heart we've come to expect from Italian cinema . A technically excellent film with fodder for voyeurism where the story should be , this flick shows us the father as he falls for an old girlfriend , the mother as she tries to breath life into an acting career , the daughter who's sleeping her way into a two-bit showgirl slot , and a son who's just vying for the attention of a girl while smoking hash and partying . " Remember Me , My Love " , which would have us believe everyone in Italy is beautiful , is a very good looking , always busy , too long , and less than satisfying watch with rapid dialogue and white subtitles which are difficult to read on light backgrounds making it a bit of a grind . ( B ) |
587,094 | 783,721 | 117,093 | 6 | Palatable but hard to swallow | Mother Night tells the story of a man who is recruited by America to serve as a spy during WWII by communicating cryptic messages while working as a German broadcast radio propagandist . The film had good potential as a serious drama but is steered by director Gordon into a niche genre ( eg : dark farce or tragicomedy or dark dramady or whatever ) making it difficult to connect with . Personally I enjoyed the film in spite of its capricious excursions into the absurd though I suspect many will find them annoying . A budget conscious and theatrical flick , " Mother Night " should be a good watch for Nolte fans and film buffs who don't mind having to work a little to get their head into a flick . All others should keep expectations low to avoid disappointment . ( |
587,638 | 783,721 | 105,572 | 6 | Hey now . | In her screen debut , a pre-vamp Dushku plays Alice , an 11ish girl who makes friends with an older girl on the other side of both puberty and the street of her Long Island neighborhood . " That Night " is a sweet little slice-of-life flick which tells of the lessons about growing up which Alice learns through her friendship with neighbor Sheryl ( Lewis ) and her boyfriend ( Howell ) . A journeyman flick but a slow starter worth the wait , " That Night " is a charmer with a 50's flavor , some solid performances , an okay screenplay , and will be most enjoyed by teens and more mature adults . |
586,850 | 783,721 | 365,748 | 6 | Kevin Smith lite | Shaun of the Dead " is a Brit flick comedy romp which gaggles together a motley bunch of stereotypical young adults including a klutzy schmuck ( the hero ) , his babe girlfriend , the required gross fat guy sidekick , etc . and then plunks them down in the middle of a zombie flick . The film conjures a mix of droll and outrageous humor which wears thin quickly and then turns into a bloody Zombiefest which seems as endless as it is pointless . With few lol's to offer but the same sort of obvious tailoring for the irreverent and unsophisticated young adult crowd as a Kevin Smith ( Dogma , Mallrats , etc . ) flick , " Shaun of the Dead " manages to clunk along with good production value , a meager story , and some cult appeal . ( |
587,075 | 783,721 | 253,126 | 6 | I'd watch the sequel . | McCormack and Driver play " one blonde , one dark , both attractive " in this fun and funny Brit flick about two babes who accidentally learn about a heist and then try to extort money from the crooks . " High Heels and Low Lifes " doesn't break any new ground but that doesn't stop it from nonstop silliness and wall-to-wall LOL's a la Benny Hill as female ditziness imposes itself on the sagacity of the criminal mind . Enjoyable stuff for those into British comedy . |
585,991 | 783,721 | 296,875 | 6 | Too good to last | Street Time takes the viewer into the life of the federal parole officer and his / her parolees . Focusing on one of each , a P . O . ( Cohen ) and an excon ( Morrow ) , both family men with problems , this series is a very smart and powerful uncompromising drama . Unpredictable , realistic , and believable , " Street Time " skillfully delivers a linear story crisscrossed with side plots and every episode jam-packed with serious , gritty , hardcore drama . Lacking the mediocrity demanded by the viewing public at large , " Street Time " is too good to last . ( |
586,805 | 783,721 | 101,698 | 6 | Read this . I use 7 . 5 % of my brain . | Want to know what happens to you after you die ? Well , " Defending Your Life " explains it all . With Albert Brooks directing , writing , and starring in it , " DFYL " is all that unique Brooks brand of understated , poker-faced , droll comedy . The film begins with Brooks ' death and ends with his . . . well , you'll find out . A clean , crisp , creative piece , the film's romantic subplot doesn't seem to work too well . Brooks and Streep just don't look right together , IMHO . Nonetheless , those with a taste for Brooks ' comedy won't be disappointed by this tasty little flick about what's beyond life . |
586,427 | 783,721 | 319,758 | 6 | Mediocre drama . Good commercial . | Live From Baghdad is all about CNN producer Robert Weiner in the days leading up to the US bombing of Iraq from his behind-the-scenes Baghdad perspective . The film sticks little known Weiner out front and tries to build drama around his character but fails to deliver a human story as it ricochets off such issues as the emotional bond with a professional kindred ( Bonham Carter ) ; the blurring of the line between journalistic ethics and professional fervor ; a producer's egotistical self interest endangering other correspondents and crew ; and the whole Iraq perspective . What could have been real meat on this skeleton succumbs to shallow dramatic flair , lots of busy work , Keaton's too glib cuteness , etc . leaving just so much couch potato carrion . Nonetheless , this commercial for CNN from corporate sibling HBO will likely prove an adequate watch for the weary cable viewer . ( |
586,545 | 783,721 | 174,454 | 6 | A journeyman docudrama about the CIA's most infamous mole | Aldrich Ames : Traitor Within tells the tale of the CIA's most infamous mole who was arrested in 1994 after causing inestimable damage to national security . An obvious small screen product ( Showtime ) , the film does a good job of showing the pressures on Ames ; how he rationalized his misdeeds ; and how justice finally caught up with him . Sans super spy techo-nonsense , this film portrays people as people ; imperfect and human . A solid docudrama for anyone interested in spy stuff . |
586,126 | 783,721 | 389,635 | 6 | A nominal overview of 21 century international terrorism | The Grid ( we never really know to what the title refers ) is a 6x45 min miniseries action / drama about international terrorism . The bad guys are a rogue terror cell operating out of Yemen , deploying operatives to the UK and the US where they are to attack with sarin nerve gas . The good guys are a joint task force of Brits and US Federal agents who are out to stop the bad guys . The film leapfrogs incessantly from Yemen to London to Washington to Saudi Arabia to Chicago , etc . globe trotting in a surprisingly well orchestrated conglomeration of good vs evil Muslims , interagency wrangling , boyish suicide bombers , covert ops , murder , love , and much more given this US / UK co-op's budgetary constraints . On the upside , " The Grid " gets busy and stays busy sufficient to engross and make some of the obvious histrionics easily overlooked as it provides an acceptable overview of the amorphous nature of terrorist cells and the international agency cooperation required to effectively cope with this 21 century threat . On the downside the film is difficult to follow at times , somewhat disjointed in an effort to be all things to all people , pushes the believability envelope occasionally , and is generally too pat to be real . Overall , " The Grid " is an acceptable miniseries worth a look for those who can commit to a 4 . 5 hour small screen watch . Those who enjoy this miniseries should also check out " Traffic ( 2004 ) " . ( |
587,058 | 783,721 | 110,365 | 6 | The " Iceman " cometh | In " Little Odessa " ( So dubbed after the Russian enclave of the same name in Brooklyn ) , Roth plays a hit man who returns to the neighborhood of his youth only to find that family matters are not as easily settled as contract killings . The film is an excellent debut for writer / director Gray and , IMHO , much better than his follow-up work " The Yards " . " Little Odessa " may be short on story with an obvious absence of the tinselization which comes with big bucks , but it is also honest , unpretentious , and sports an excellent cast . Will play best with reality freaks into crime dramas . ( |
587,526 | 783,721 | 285,681 | 6 | Bottoms ' | Looking Through Lillian tells of a young single woman who is mistress to a middle aged man into kinky sex . A narrow slice-of-life indie and a commendable first outing for the Torem / Henham team , though it suffers from the usual newbie claustrophobia , low budget leanness , mediocre jukebox score , etc . , " Looking . . . " starts off with promise which is unfulfilled in the playout . Henham ( Lillian ) makes a solid centerpiece showing some range and nailing her nuances as her character grapples with the issue of keeping the easy money which is fueling her low self esteem or ditching them for the straight and narrow . Unfortunately , the film fizzles with a much-ado-about-nothing sort of denouement which will likely leave the viewer feeling like they just ate Chinese . An okay chick flick for females into serious drama with shades of kinkiness . ( |
585,756 | 783,721 | 273,435 | 6 | Ok , ok , we get the message . Jeesh ! | Ararat is a messy story about Armenians making a film about Armenians and lecturing about Armenians while showing historical retrospectives about Armenians . . . etc . This convoluted hodge-podge of dramas has an obvious common denominator . Armenians . Specifically the genocidal killing of 1 . 5 million Armenians in 1915 during WWI by the Turks . The film fails as a history lesson as we could learn more in 15 minutes of Inet surfing . It fails as a drama because all the characters are overacted , everything is waaaaaay too serious , and the screenplay simply tries to do too much in too little time . For Armenians or those with an interest in Armenians only . ( |
586,127 | 783,721 | 377,091 | 6 | Too little too late . | Mean Creek is a film about high school aged kids who conspire to get even with a school bully with a prank which goes seriously wrong . The story is so simple that the end is almost a foregone conclusion reducing it to just so much of the obvious elements required to develop the meager plot and see it through to its conclusion . " Mean Creek " fared well with critics and public alike scoring a marginal two thumbs up and is very well executed considering its one man indieness . However , it lacks the intensity and edge of similar much better films such as " Bully ( 2001 ) " and " Elephant ( 2003 ) " and spends most of its time just showing kids behaving like kids . This film is just one of a long list of films about teens with nothing very special to offer . ( |
585,833 | 783,721 | 161,109 | 6 | A fine little indie about issues , issues , and more issues | The Young Girl and the Monsoon tells of a divorced NYC man ( Kinney ) in a sort of middle-age crisis mode trying to manage the women in his life ( lover , daughter , associate / friend ) and eventually having to come to grips with them all . An all talk and no action light drama with a sense of humor , this little ensemble indie delivers a thin story about issues with solid performances by all though Muth upstages her co-stars with a sterling performance as a typically brittle teen . Perhaps the best part of the film is just watching some oft unseen actors ply their craft in fine style . . . too often a rarity , especially in indies . Recommended for mature adults who can identify with the issues . |
586,644 | 783,721 | 258,000 | 6 | A cheap thrill a minute | The Panic Room is a foible fraught suspense flick in which Foster's character and her daughter play cat and mouse with a trio of intruders in their Manhattan mansion for the full run . Lousy character development and a implausibilities up the wazoo , this film requires some serious dumbing down . However , it's busy enough with cheap thrills and a slick enough shoot to make it an reasonably entertaining couch potato watch . Turn off brain , go with the flow , and enjoy . ( |
587,265 | 783,721 | 161,100 | 6 | I'll drink to that . | The Wood tells two interleaved stories of three young black best friends in Inglewood , CA . The adult story takes place on the wedding day of one of the trio while the teen story takes place via flashback . One of a recent spate of films which get " real " and desensationalize the Afro-Am male by taking them out of the ghetto and sticking them in a middle-class environment , " The Wood " is sometimes funny , sometimes poignant , and always entertaining though it is not without its awkward moments . An okay watch for those into best-friends or coming-of-age comedies about black males . ( |
587,273 | 783,721 | 359,423 | 6 | A home at the end of its rope | A Home at the End of the World tells a flimsy , meandering story of a gay guy ( Roberts ) , a bi-guy ( Farrell ) , and a straight woman ( Penn ) who come together to form a family of sorts and the vicissitudes they experience given their unconventional mix of sexual orientations . A sort of lame attempt to express a sense of the basic human need for acceptance , love , family grounding , this film is little more than three paper thin characters knee jerking to the foibles of their atypical hippiesqueness with a silly teach-mom-to-smoke-a-joint side story and some nostalgic pop tunes wafting through the scenes . With a lukewarm reception from critics and public alike , " A Home . . . . " will play best for gays and hanky-wringers . Excellent mediocrity . ( |
587,445 | 783,721 | 105,480 | 6 | Southern discomfort | Storyville , from the outside looking in , is a poorly directed novel adaptation with Spader as a southern lawyer from a wealthy family - the only person in the film with no southern accent - who is running for Congress in the midst of a potentially damning scandal and murder mystery which he must overcome to win the House seat and purge the skeletons from his family's closet . Supposed to have been one of those steamy / sweaty New Orleans noir dramas where everyone knows evereyone else's business and they all have secrets , this film is a jambalaya of murder , sex , deceit , corruption , a couple of babes , courtroom drama , assorted strange / weird characters , token T & A , and even the kitchen sink in a sloppily concocted B-flick with little potential beyond a late night t . v . soporific . Watch this with a nightcap and you won't remember it in the morning . ( C ) |
585,747 | 783,721 | 335,185 | 6 | A well told but thin story | Jasper , Texas recounts the events surrounding the horrible killing-by-dragging of a black man by three white men near the title town which shocked America in 1998 . This Showtime product exercises restraint in exploiting and sensationalizing the tragic crime while focusing on a small town trying to cope with finding itself at the center of national attention as media , FBI , Black Panthers , and the KKK converge on it . Voight and Gossett turn in solid performances as the town's Sheriff and Mayor respectively in this thin story with little extraordinary drama beyond the headlines . Somewhat weak as a stand-alone feature , " Jasper , Texas " will play best for those with a particular interest in the infamous Jasper story . ( |
586,220 | 783,721 | 308,383 | 6 | Jack of all issues . Master of none . | The Human Stain is about three characters with issues including a self loathing woman ( Kidman ) rolling a stone of guilt ala Sisyphus ; a psycho Vietnam vet exhusband ( Harris ) ; and an aging college professor with a dark secret ( Hopkins ) . Unfortunately , this hatchet job can't make up its mind what issues it wants to be about as it flashes back and forth with dizzying regularity never allowing us to make a serious emotional connection with the characters . Given three fine male actors , Kidman's star power , serious talent behind the lens , and high end production value , this film coulda shoulda been much better . However , it received only lukewarm plaudits from both critics and public and garnered only a few fringe awards . Probably worth the price of a rental for fans of the players and others into downer dramas as long as expectations are kept real . ( |
586,201 | 783,721 | 335,013 | 6 | If you love ballet , you'll enjoy this film . If not , not . | The Company is about a season with the Joffrey Ballet company . That's it . That sums it up . You'll get to see bits and pieces of ballet stuff , large and small , behind the scenes and before the audiences with full-on glorious , spectacular , sumptuous , heady colorful productions replete with all the usual leaping around . You'll come to learn that ballet dancers are people too and shoot pool and bum condoms and snap tendons and schmooz and hang out and drill and drill and drill some more . What you won't see is any semblance of a plot or story . Just ballet stuff . Lots and lots of ballet stuff . So , if you love ballet stuff , " The Company " is for you . But if you're like me and think ballet is kind of gay , you may want to watch NASCAR or rassling or something . ( B ) |
587,662 | 783,721 | 308,593 | 6 | Over touted | Monk is a comedy-drama , with the emphasis on comedy , which tells of a San Francisco detective-savant with Sherlock Holmesian abilities and obsessive-compulsive disorder . The result is a peculiar sort of super cop who has to have a babe sidekick / babysitter to help him make it through the day . " Monk " is a lukewarm sitcom quality watch which is entertaining but something which probably will not pass the test of time in the dog-eat-dog world of television . Worth a look if the premise sound interesting but not all " that " . ( |
585,820 | 783,721 | 174,330 | 6 | Mildly entertaining voyeurism and lots of girl talk | Venus Beauty Institute tells of 40 + Angele ( Baye ) , who prefers one night stands or " flings " , as she calls them , to normal heterosexual relationships and love , and her lack of success with men . In addition to never being given a reason to care about Angele one way or the other , the audience will find much of this film dedicated to superfluous girl talk about the this and that of their lives and vocations . Inconclusive and muddled , " VBI " has little to offer save some fine performances which seems wasted on a trite and useless story . |
587,308 | 783,721 | 289,043 | 6 | Not a sequel to Bullock's " 28 Days " . | 28 Day Later tells of a trio of people who survive a raging plague which turns infected people into blood-thirsty maniacs who in turn infect others , etc . The problem confronting our group in this post apocalyptic type sci-fi / horror hybrid is : How do we stay alive , discover other survivors , and perpetuate the human race . On the upside , the flick is well done in a smart and gritty style , only has one dream sequence , and doesn't throw cheap shots at you . On the downside , it asks more questions than it answers , neglects the human story in deference to logistics and action , and is lacking big budget Hollywoodish extras . An okay watch for those into this kind of flick . ( |
587,585 | 783,721 | 110,265 | 6 | Darkish , gritty , bloody escapist flick | Killing Zoe , a misnomer , is all about a bank robbery in Paris . A gritty action / drama directed / written by " Reservoir Dogs " and " True Romance " writer Avary , the film begins as hyper-realism as it pulls its components together and wanders into a mostly sensationalistic blood bath which borders on overkill . Protagonists Delphy and Stoltz play people of questionable character but manage to give the film a taste of honey . Okay escapist entertainment with little plot and purpose for action junkies . |
587,670 | 783,721 | 421,239 | 6 | A little breath of fresh air | Red Eye is all about Lisa ( McAdams ) who is simply trying to get home during a bad weather snarl at the airport and finds herself stuck on a red-eye and flying headlong into a suspense drama . A busy , fun little no brainer , " Red Eye " begins like a romcom , morphs into a suspense / action flick , and takes you on a simple-minded but entertaining girl power ride as Lisa races with the clock to save the day . Probably worth the price of a DVD rental , " Red Eye " will play best with fans of rising star McAdams and those who no brain it to avoid it's many nagging plot holes . Keep expectations real for maximum enjoyment . ( |
587,412 | 783,721 | 116,754 | 6 | A snoozer with some rare beauty . | Sometimes I think you could show two hours of a ploar bear sleeping in a snowstorm and film critics would find some kind of interesting if not apocalyptic story in it . Such is the ability of cinema buffs to project their beliefs , sentiments , and subjective interpretations into film . For this and only this reason can one explain the many awards and nominations of the bleak , tedious , and uneventful " Prisoner of the Mountains " . Adapted from a Tolstoy novel about the age old struggle between Russians and Moslems in Chechnya , this film follows the misadventures of two Russian soldiers who are captured and detained by agrarian , mountain dwelling locals . There a prisoner for prisoner swap goes sour . There's some brief violence and scurrying around which takes about 10 % of the movie run time . The rest of the time is spent watching the two captive soldiers getting drunk , whittling , chatting with passers-by , and making friends with their captors , etc . Were is not for the fact that the film gives a rare look ( for westerners ) into the beauty of the mountains and people of Dagestan , this film would be difficult to recommend . |
587,096 | 783,721 | 289,054 | 6 | Amusing and all downhill | Warm Water . . . . begins with a woman in a market shoplifting while water gushes from between her legs and puddles around her feet - an intriguing opening for this meager Japanese comedy about a woman who sprays water like a fountain when having sex . Imamura seems to have painted himself into a corner as this curious story becomes only less and less interesting as time runs out with a less than apocalyptic conclusion . Nonetheless , there are some humorous moments along the way though most will not find the journey worth the time . For devotees of Japanese cinema only . ( |
585,976 | 783,721 | 139,615 | 6 | A cut above the usual black thug flick | Slam tells of a young black rapper , poet , and project street punk who's busted for possession and may have to do time . A cut about your usual Afro-Am street crime flicks in its humanness , " Slam " weaves slam poetry and rap into its drama creating a sense of hope through sublimation . An okay watch , especially for those into Slammin ' , rappin ' or just contemporary poetry and issues . |
587,675 | 783,721 | 346,491 | 6 | What a waste | Stone's " Alexander " tries to tell the story of one of the great military leaders and conquerors of all time who is to this day , some 2300 years later , is still studied in military war colleges . Unfortunately the film tries too hard to do too much resulting in three hours of jumping around in time trying desperately to show us the man and his human story while carrying on great expeditionary campaigns at the same time . With insufficient didactics , overzealous theatrics , and the esoterics of the time , the film becomes nothing less than a numbing mess . Listening to Stone's director's cut one gets the impression he had a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish with his well researched historical epic . One also gets the impression he made the movie for himself . Lacking in coherence , muddled and messy , " Alexander " is a classic example of what happens when one ventures too deep into that creative territory where less is more resulting in a spectacular flop . ( |
586,136 | 783,721 | 135,706 | 6 | A noble , earnest HBO film memorialization of a bloody WWII battle | When Trumpets Fade is a noble albeit low budget HBO film which tells of one of WWII's bloodier and all but forgotten battles ; the battle for Hurtgen Forest . The film attempts to be a realistic representation of the carnage and horror of a battle where 24 , 000 American GI's died with some attention paid to the men who fought it , the focus of which is one enigmatic foot soldier played by Eldard . Although " WTF " may well be eclipsed by " Band of Brothers " , a much more elaborate and in-dept WWII movie / series , the film nonetheless should be of interest to those who remember the war or have an interest in WWII history . |
586,556 | 783,721 | 114,594 | 6 | Yada yada yada | Swimming With The Sharks tells of a Hollywood studio V . P . ( Spacey ) who psychologically subjugates his assistant ( Whaley ) though hollow promises of success in the film biz while verbally abusing and humiliating him . A bland dark comedy with psychodramatic overtones which relies entirely on the performances of three virtually charismaless actors , " Swimming . . . " offers a whole lot of dialogue and very little else . A middle of the marquee flick now circulating on cable , " Swimming . . . " may have some appeal for fans of the trio of principals and others into dialogue-intensive flicks . ( |
586,708 | 783,721 | 105,916 | 6 | Ya , das güd movie ! | In " House of Angels " , a staid , bucolic Swedish village is all abuzz when a lovely and vivacious young woman comes to town to claim the estate of her late grandfather . A charming , warmhearted , and fun little romp which is not so much a story as it is a study of human nature , the film seems to delight in evincing the community's eccentricities as it reverberates like jiggling Jello with the disruptive influence of its latest resident . " House . . . . " should be an enjoyable watch for more mature viewers , especially females , into foreign flicks and people watching . ( |
586,344 | 783,721 | 324,080 | 6 | Good for a shoestring indie documentary | Stonereader is a shoestring indie documentary about a guy ( Moskowitz ) who reads a book which has been out of print for 30 years and then goes in search of the author . Part docu film-maker , part private investigator , and part literature freak , Moskowitz spends considerable time and effort in his quest to locate the author of " Stones of Summer " though his motives are questionable . Regardless , the result is a worthy film , given it's indieness and meager premise , and a good watch for those into literature , the creative process , or just documentaries about Americana and / or novels . It is also a good commercial advertisment for the book which the film alleges was reprinted after the film was released . ( B ) |
585,831 | 783,721 | 110,306 | 6 | A touching drama about strange bedfellows for mature audiences | The Last Good Time tells of an elderly retired concert violinist ( Mueller-Stahl ) who lives on a meager pension alone in a modest flat and takes in a streetwise young woman ( d'Abo ) on the run from a scurrilous boyfriend . A bittersweet and poignant drama , " TLGT " shows the brief , tenuous , but beautiful coming together of two very opposite people with no more in common than their humanity . Well worth a look for the mature viewer . |
585,837 | 783,721 | 149,380 | 6 | Winchell who ? | Winchell , a Tucci tour-de-force and docudrama , tells a somewhat biased story of Walter Winchell , renown gossip columnist of the 30's and 40's who rose to considerable influence and fame in the early days of radio as the most listened to reporter in America only to die in obscurity in 1972 . An okay biography , this journeyman HBO flick does a good job of hitting the high points of Winchell's life but will have little value to those with no particular interest in the period or the man as he simply wasn't , by cinematic standards , that interesting . |
585,903 | 783,721 | 91,068 | 6 | Nuttin ' great but you gotta love that Ram Das | Foreign Body is a cute Brit flick which tells of a lowly , humble , and naive Calcutta flop-house clerk who manages to make his way to the UK where , with the help of a distant relative , he manages to stumble and bumble his way into a position as a physician to the rich . A fun little " East Meets West " flick with a pleasing performance by Banerjee , a bit part by Trevor Howard , and plenty of nonsense , silliness , and corn , " FB " will be an enjoyable tier-two watch for many . |
586,303 | 783,721 | 376,968 | 6 | Over touted esoteric minimalism | The Return a meager story about two Russian brothers ( ages about 12 and 15 ) who live with their mother in austerity and spend their time doing boy things . Suddenly Dad returns , from where we know not , and becomes a taciturn martinet to the boys carving out his place in the home from which he's been long estranged . He takes the boys on a fishing trip . . . yadayada . . . road trip , boat trip , island , fishing , camping . . . the suddenly something unexpected happens . This film lays it minimalistic ground work well but takes a full hour to do it . Then when it begins to get interesting it conjures up a single shocking scene and ka-put ! Much heralded by the critics with good marks from the public as well , " The Return " in not fodder for the average film goer . It's subtitled and bleak minimalism with redeeming qualities so esoteric as to be missed by most . It doesn't matter how well you cook a shoe , it's still going to be a shoe and " The Return " will be an unsatisfying meal for most . ( |
585,877 | 783,721 | 116,845 | 6 | A par flick with a pleasantly surprising story | The Leading Man peers into the lives of thespians including a playwright who is having an affair with an actress much to the chagrin of his wife . Enter the leading man , Bon Jovi , who offers to seduce the playwright's wife to distract her from her constant ruminations about her husbands affair . What happens after that is probably not what you would expect which is what makes this movie a pleasant surprise . Well cast , acted , written , directed , and shot , " The Leading Man " is an enjoyable little sleeper for mature tv audiences . |
587,033 | 783,721 | 281,358 | 6 | I'd like a star named after me . Maybe . . um , Demi Parker ? | A Walk to Remember spins an old tale for a new generation of young people . A touching , sentimental love story , not unlike the " Love Story 1970 " , this unpretentious little film offers some even performances by some fresh faces , keeps the melodrama in check , doesn't waste much time with Kodak moments , and pushes the right buttons with minimal schmaltz as it goes for the heart and ignores the viscera making for an easy buy-in to its heartwarming story . Should appeal most to teen females or sentimentalists of all ages . |
587,063 | 783,721 | 261,983 | 6 | Full frontal lobotomy | Session 9 which takes us into the innersanctum of an isolated sanatorium with a crew who is there to remove asbestos but gets more than they bargained for . The film deserves credit for offering a good cast and crew resulting in a superficially good product . However , the screenplay , which asks more questions than it answers , distills to a clutter of busy work and peculiar happenings which aren't particularly horrific or thrilling . When all is said and done , I was left cold , yawning , and confused . Chalk this one up to just another good effort which didn't pan out . Best saved for broadcast . ( |
586,878 | 783,721 | 116,833 | 6 | For Irish lovers only | The Last of the High Kings aka " Summer Fling " is a wonderfully charming and wry little coming-of-age film with Leto at the center of a cast of idiosyncratic characters including his eccentric parents , some lovely lasses , and sundry town folk . This witty but dry slice of Irish life flick is laced with some not so obvious humor which will please those with sufficiently educated palates and leave others cold . A great watch for those with a taste for the Emerald Isles . |
585,770 | 783,721 | 374,584 | 6 | So-so escapism for the action / drama junkie | Control is a mediocre drama which tells of a violent killer ( Liotta ) who undergoes a mock execution only to find himself as a test subject for a new drug developed for controlling violent behavior . Liotta is at the vortex of this film with Dafoe as his experiment supervisor , Walker as Dafoe's ex , Robertson as Dafoe's post-doc helper / lover , Rodriguez as Liotta's girlfriend , and Rea in a bit part as the director of the pharmaceutical company . As the film unfolds , it dips and delves into a little action , a tiny bit of romance , a lot of less than subtle drama , and some side plots which never go anywhere . Overall , " Control " is average escapist entertainment for the action / drama junkie which should play best with Liotta and Dafoe fans . ( |
586,277 | 783,721 | 161,023 | 6 | An enjoyable mom / daughter slice flick | Tumbleweeds tells of a good hearted North Carolina mom with no class who , with her 12 year old daughter in tow , hits the road for California to escape from a bad relationship and find happiness . Not unlike " Anywhere But Here " and similar movies , the daughter seems to have a better sense how to manage their lives than good ol ' mom does as they meander through a slice of life with much of the run time dedicated to the mom-daughter interaction and relationship . " Tumbleweeds " is a journeyman comedy-drama with good performances by the two female principals . Likely to be most enjoyed by moms with teen and older daughters . |
586,653 | 783,721 | 114,660 | 6 | There are better movies to be made . | Things . . . , not unlike " Pulp Fiction " , is a stylish , imaginative , and preposterous love-it-or-hate-it crime noir drama full of comic book caricature characters with a story bordering on the ridiculous . In retrospect , one should ask the sterling cast of actors and excellent production staff one simple question . Didn't you all have something better to do with your time and talent ? ? In retrospect , if they are honest , the answer would likely be a unanimous " yes " . As good as some may think " Things . . . " is , there are better movies to be made . |
586,837 | 783,721 | 160,797 | 6 | A macho " semper fi " no brainer with a weak story . | Rules of Engagement is A-Few-Good-Men-wannabee with some excellent acting and production talent which fails because of a weak and flawed story . The film is one third combat , one third trial , and one third wandering around trying to figure out what kind of movie it wants to be . Okay to zone by . |
587,421 | 783,721 | 323,872 | 6 | Two men , one kitchen , one winter | In " Kitchen Stories " a Swedish company sends a male research observer to do time and motion studies of an old Norwegian farmer in his kitchen in an attempt to design a more efficient standardized kitchen . The film is all about this sort of " odd couple " , one Swede and one Norwegian ( circa 1950 ) , who manage to carve a friendship out of little more than proximity during a bleak Norwegian winter . A subtitled foreign light comedy with little to offer save its very wry underpinnings and pleasingly poignant tale , " Kitchen Stories " is a not-for-everyone film which with appeal most to those into quaint and off beat little foreign flicks . ( |
587,347 | 783,721 | 343,660 | 6 | Like an old car with a new Earl Scheib paint job . | 50 First Dates is about a brain-damaged woman ( Barrymore ) who has short term memory loss such that she wakes up every day unable to remember the previous day and therefore thinks every day is the same day . Such is the premise of this Hawaiian flavored flick in which the always deadpan Sandler grapples with the memory issue while trying to fall in love with a woman who greets him daily like a complete stranger . Add some kookie characters , some pretty Hawaiian scenery , a few cute marine animals , and some very ordinary music and you have one uninspired formula romcom which is nothing special but should be a pleasing time-passer for young adult females and Sandler and Barrymore fans . ( |
587,303 | 783,721 | 105,810 | 6 | Sorely lacking in authenticity | For a Hollywood movie filmed in Hollywood about Hollywood , " Where the Day Takes You " is surprisingly lacking in authenticity . Those who believe this film about the street kids of Hollywood is the real deal haven't spent much time with such kids . On the upside the film sports a solid cast . On the downside , there's little story to be found between the scenes as we bear witness to a trite , cliched , and obviously fabricated Hollywood screenwriter's version of Hollywood street kids who in real life comprises a subculture which is far more hip , resourceful , structured , and networked than are the characters in this film . " Where the Day Takes You " is just another Hollywood concoction passing itself off as reality . ( |
586,693 | 783,721 | 110,081 | 6 | Chop fooey | A really big chunk-of-Chinese-life flick and open ended narrative , " To Live " follows a married working class Chinese couple from the late 40's through the cultural revolution into the 70's . Unfortunately the film can't seem to find it's niche as it slips mercurially from comedy to drama never quite knowing when it's serious ; a foible with is further confounded by the old school Chinese melodramatic style , characters who do everything by knee jerk , contrived scenes ( particularly the war scenes ) , nebulous political undercurrents , and the no moral or message . Although the film received accolades from critics and public alike , I just couldn't get my head into this silly , wandering tale which I watched on the heels of " Xiu Xiu : The Sent Down Girl " , a much better pic IMHO . Recommended only for those really into Chinese film . ( |
587,123 | 783,721 | 110,091 | 6 | An okay watch with little depth . | Lauren Velez makes a strong screen debut in this little flick about a " dis " - functional Hispanic couple married with kids in the Bronx . " I Like It Like That " is a not too serious charcter-driven , dialogue-intensive film which floats somewhere between sardonic comedy and visceral drama as it looks at the life of the Velez and Seda characters who spend most of their time sorting through a variety of woes with a yell first and think later strategy . An okay flick on most levels , this film tends to wear itself out after a while becoming a sort of monotonic drone of screaming , swearing , and throwing things . |
586,655 | 783,721 | 160,800 | 6 | Pure corn but a good watch for family hour | Running Home is a predictable , melodramatic flick full of implausibilities with all the ear marks of a low budget soap . However , there's enough stuff going on from romance to murder to bad cops to fights to chases to the quest of the street kid and central character ( Ayre ) to meet the birth mother he's never known to make it an enjoyable watch for those who can overlook the host of contrivances it presents . Also , Ayre is just off-center enough to support the multitude of clichés around him . In short , an enjoyable watch for the whole family in spite of many short-comings . |
587,193 | 783,721 | 293,007 | 6 | Too long and too lacking in focus | Carandiru is a prison flick which takes the audience behind the walls and into the halls of an over crowded , dilapidated detention facility in Sao Paulo , Brazil . Unlike the typical Hollyweird version of prison life , you'll see a panoply of unusually happy and gregarious inmates who seem to have the run of their pavilion living in sweaty cells with open doors , many of the comforts of home including surf boards , TVs , plenty of drugs , civilian clothing , etc . all seemingly coping well with prison life until the end when a riot erupts . Part of this long 2 . 5 hour flick centers on a physician and wanders via flashbacks into the lives of some key inmate characters showing us how they managed to end up in the joint . The balance is a tedious tale of the ups and downs of inmate life from a program to stop the spread of AIDS to a gay marriage to a stabbing to lots of small talk to the final riot , etc . Well cast and adequately shot with the real deal for the prison location , this colorful flick has it's upside . On the downside , however , budget constraints were evident in poor effects , emotional investment is difficult at best , and what story there is seems trite and lacking focus . I found myself completely bored with it at the 2 hour mark . Recommended only for those interested in prison life south of the border who don't mind subtitles . ( |
585,881 | 783,721 | 293,116 | 6 | All Binoche and Reno | Jet Lag is all about Binoche and Reno as travelers who get caught up in delays at CD Airport in Paris and repeatedly bump into each other until . . . well , you know . Delightfully French and wall to wall Binoche and Reno , " Jet Lag " won't slam you between the eyes with hearts , flowers , or string music . However , it will prove an enjoyable romantic sojourn for French film fans who can see Binoche and Reno working together as a couple . With mixed reviews from critics and the public alike , keep expectations real . ( |
586,916 | 783,721 | 197,096 | 6 | WARNING ! Do not watch on an empty stomach . | What's Cooking is yet another film which shows a short period of time in the lives of multiple disconnected characters who have something in common . In " Magnolia " the common denominator was proximity . In " All the Rage " it was guns . In " The Five Senses " is was senses . Etc . Etc . Etc . In " What's Cooking " it's food . . . . Thanksgiving Day dinner . " What's Cooking " has superb casting , direction , script / screenplay , etc . However it has one huge problem which it shares with other films of this ilk : Too many characters and too little time with which to develop them sufficient to create that all important bond with the audience . The result is a herky-jerky story flow and a disconnected audience which is reduced to pure voyeurism . Too busy and too superficial . |
586,456 | 783,721 | 105,790 | 6 | A good book does not a good film make . | Waterland puts Irons at the center as a disturbed history teacher who recounts his personal history to his class . Irons performance is excellent as always . However the story is a plaintive and peculiar reflection on what is a rather drab and uneventful life . Furthermore , the film tells the story of the teacher telling his story with constant flashbacks into which some of his student are magically transported serving more to confuse matters than to entertain . " Waterland " is an excellent shoot with quality in all aspects except the convoluted story which must have been a much better novel than film . |
586,561 | 783,721 | 218,127 | 6 | Good old fashioned melodramatic Hollywood Western | Crossfire Trail is an old school Western where the bad guys wear black hats and have names like " Snake " and the good guys never curse or spit . Selleck is the hero who abides a promise made to a dying man and rides to Wyoming in the 1870's to tend to the man's ranch and widow ( Madsen ) . The widow , however , is being courted by the town snake oil salesman who wants Selleck out of the way and hires a badass gunman . . . etc . The film is good old Hollywoodish big sky stuff with strings and french horns and cattle and branding and bronc busting and whooping and shootouts and even a kiss or two . Entertainment for the whole family with some killing from TNT . ( |
586,847 | 783,721 | 257,756 | 6 | Like Ashley ? You'd better . | Because " High Crimes " sticks Judd in front of the camera in almost every scene as its contrived formula story full of cliche characters wells around her . Fortunately , Judd manages to hold this less than sterling film together as it worms and squirms its way through the story of a happy wife and trial lawyer who finds her husband might not be who she thought he was and has to try to wrest him from the clutches of a military courtmartial , a possible death sentence , and a coverup conspiracy . " High Crimes " is busy enough to hold interest through endless plotholes and implausibilities making for an okay no-brainer couch potato watch . A must see for Judd fans and a so-so watch for all others . ( |
587,054 | 783,721 | 82,269 | 6 | Not a classic . For French film fans only . | Diva ( 1981 ) is a so-so French crime / drama flick with a curious rather than interesting story . On the long side the film mixes some peculiar characters together sufficiently to maintain interest during a two hour watch . On the short side the 20 year old ( at this writing ) film is technically inferior , grainy , with poor French-to-English translation . Not for the new millennium , " Diva " will be most enjoyed by French film buffs . |
587,047 | 783,721 | 101,410 | 6 | Overrated | Barton Fink sticks Turturro out front as a NY playwright who comes to Hollywood to write for movies , holes up in a two-bit hotel , gets writer's block , and finds himself in a variety of unpleasant situations which become increasingly surreal / supernatural . The flick has the Coen's fingerprints all over it with that same kind of sweaty , noirish , plodding " Blood Simple " feel though it is a lesser film . " BF " takes an easy road to critical acclaim by creating open-ended situations with no clear purpose or resolution ; something critics adore as it gives them fodder for subjective interpretation and their usual heady speculation about a film's meaning . Bottom line here as with most films is . . . does it entertain ? Answer : It entertained me as a curiosity but did not at any point engage me emotionally . An okay watch for those with special interest in the Coen's work , fans of the principals , filmheads and students , etc . Probably not for the general public unless surfed on cable . ( |
586,329 | 783,721 | 114,558 | 6 | Excessive nonsense . | Someone should tell Cameron that movies which try to out do themselves can't . That's the dialectic of an audience with one hand clapping . " Strange Days " is a bloated , overwrought flick with a silly action cum nonsense sci-fi thread , a weak story , excessive excesses , and implausibilities every few hundred frames . But , hey , that don't mean it ain't a great flick . After all , that's what Hollywood does best . It's the fact that when the end of this 2 . 5 hour mind numbing movie finally arrives , we don't care if the good guys win or the bad guys win because we're too busy yawning and sighing with relief . Recommended for film junkies only . |
586,137 | 783,721 | 139,654 | 6 | Hardcore entertainment and blatant stupidity . . . that's Hollywood . | In " Training Day " , a bloated Hollywood action / drama , Hawke rides along with street narc Washington on his first day of on the job training as an undercover narcotics officer . The film tries to represent the tug of war between right and wrong in law enforcement on the mean streets of L . A . In spite of solid production value , the flick fails miserably to deliver a compelling story as it wears on and finally wears out with numbing excesses . An obvious fabrication full of characters who are marching to the beat of a director's crop , " Training Day " has nothing to do with law enforcement and everything to do with Hollywood's exploitation of you and me . Nominal entertainment for those into crime flix . |
586,504 | 783,721 | 296,658 | 6 | Meow | Take Care of my Cat traces the activities and vicissitudes of a diverse group of five best friend female high school grads in South Korea as they embark upon life as adults . This film quietly passes on the sensational exploitation of sex , drugs , etc . one would expect to find in a similar American film as it moves quietly through its over-the-shoulder examination of the issues confronted and the choices made . What this film lacks in substance it may make up for in its real , fresh , and even presentation . On the other hand , if following a gaggle of Korean teens around shopping malls while they yack on their cell phones doesn't sound interesting to you , perhaps you should find another film . ( |
585,827 | 783,721 | 219,952 | 6 | Ok to zone by | Lucky Numbers has Travolta in the center as a schmuck weather man who , with the t . v . station's " lottery girl " ( Kudrow ) , sets about to rip off the state lottery for a cool $6 mil . An okay but very mediocre watch , this flick runs on star power . As the film wears on there is barely enough happening to maintain interest and when the end does arrive it's likely to be greeted with a stretch and a yawn . A mildly amusing no-brainer at best . |
585,886 | 783,721 | 314,630 | 6 | Boooooooooring | The Secret Lives of Dentists is a subtly sardonic dark comedy which journeys through the marriage of a thirty-something husband and wife ( Scott & Davis ) who practice dentistry together at the office and raise three small daughters at home . During the seemingly endless examination of all the perfunctory routines of married life , the husband experiences a midlife crisis of sorts including hallucinations or imaginings while being visited by an alterego in the form of one of his patients ( Leary ) . In spite of good performances and production value , this film is simply too little spread too thin over too much time . In a word . . . . boring . ( |
587,071 | 783,721 | 212,380 | 6 | Hair-dos and don'ts | Blow Dry could have been about the baddest gunslingers converging on a quiet little western town for a showdown to determine once and for all who is the fastest gun in the West . Among the players would be the retired gunslinger ( the hero ) who doesn't pack his sixgun anymore ; an evil gunslinger ( the villain ) who everyone knows is a back-shooter ; a beautiful woman who once loved ( and still does ) the hero ; and some hapless townsfolk who are caught up in the whole shebang including a young couple who will eventually fall in love ; etc . Well , substitute scissors for sixshooters , move the whole thing to England , and you've kinda-sorta got " Blow Dry " , a fun little underachieving mix of comedy and drama with a solid cast and enough subplots to keep the viewer entertained in spite of the lack of overall success . Worth a look , especially for those who enjoyed " The Big Tease " . |
585,658 | 783,721 | 120,521 | 6 | A beautiful bit of nothing . | The Winter Guest is a beautifully filmed nothing of a story . As though on a carousel , the camera revolves around four pairs of people in an icy rural coastal place in Scotland , providing glimpses into their lives as it passes by in near real time . The absence of a story begs the question , why would one watch this film when they could be watching more interesting events simply by looking at their own lives ? The answer is probably " art for art's sake " . |
586,698 | 783,721 | 254,455 | 6 | A earnest misfire somewhere between prose and the paranormal | Sex and Lucia is a subtitled drama out of Spain which swirls around a head-to-toe scrumptious Vega as it wends its way circuitously through its convoluted plot . Unfortunately the story can't reach out and grab the audience in spite of fine performances and good everything else because the emphasis is not on the players but on the diddled up storyline which is about as interesting as a mobius strip . In short , the film messes with the time domain which is more confounding than engrossing , more novel than substantive , and , after a 2 + hour run , wears out more than wraps up . An honest , sincere misfire , this flick will be of most interest to those into Eurodramas with tastefully done sex , nudity , and French angst . ( |
586,325 | 783,721 | 120,522 | 6 | A highly stylized but tedious film . | Winter Sleepers is a thin story about some ordinary people in some marginally interesting situations , beautifully filmed , hypnotically seductive , and cloaked in a plodding and laconically self-assured pretense . Those looking for a solid story or serious drama will be disappointed . Others may content themselves with the visual feast in spite of the absence of substance and a two hour run time . |
585,927 | 783,721 | 93,209 | 6 | Boooooooooring | Hope and Glory is a slice of life flick about a boy and others in an English neighborhood during WWII . A different kind of WWII flick , this naive dramedy takes a pollyannish look at English civilian life during the war and though it does have its moments they seem too few and too far between . In other words , this lovely film bored the socks off me . K ? Recommended for those into squeaky clean theatrical flicks . ( |
585,908 | 783,721 | 110,689 | 6 | An ok period biopic which tries to stick to the facts . | Nostradamus is a par period biopic which tells an embellished version of the life of a man whose memory has been cloaked in myth and mystery . The film suggests the plague-fighting 16th century French physician Nostradamus " shroomed out " in the interest of science , had halucinations / visions , and wrote them down thereby creating his now famous cryptic literary works the misinterpretations of which are popularly regarded as prognostications . The truth is , the man was not , as history goes , all that interesting , so most of the film is composed of scenes of little dramatic significance . Nonetheless , " Nostradamus " is a worthy effort which may be of interest to those with an interest in the man's life . |
587,539 | 783,721 | 270,911 | 6 | Leary & Hurley better than before . | Leary and Hurley hook up again for this fun little romcom romp which aired on cable under the title " Dawg " . IMHO better than their previous collaboration " Double Whammy " , this flick tells of a womanizer who will inherit a fortune if he can be forgiven his sexual trespasses by a dozen of his womanized victims . Hurley , attorney for the estate , tags along to bear witness leading to much fun , silly moments , a whiff of romance , a sentimental thread , and a kicker at the end . " Dawg " may not be Oscar material but it is quirky , unpredictable , and carries a message and a moral . Worth a look especially by romantic comedy suckers like moi . ( |
586,028 | 783,721 | 314,676 | 6 | A bad idea nicely brought to fruition | A dark comedy with sardonic overtones , " The Singing Detective " tells of an man ( Downey ) with a bad skin condition and an equally bad attitude who writes a detective novel while hospitalized . The film jumps around between converging present day and 50's novel noir plots delivering two stories neither of which is sufficiently engaging to make for a worthwhile watch . The star power behind this teleplay-turned-screenplay can't overcome its inability to engross , involve , build empathy , deliver an occasional lol or get over its own off-putting misanthorpic sense of humor . Little more than a spectacle for the curious , the best thing about " The Singing Detective " is the 50's doo-wop music . ( |
587,613 | 783,721 | 162,650 | 6 | An adequate successor but still a B-movie . | Shaft 2000 is a reasonable successor to the original Shaft of 29 years ago . The film shows restraint by keeping Shaft big , but not bigger than life , as it tries to be a human story first and an action flick second . Unfortunately , in spite of good performances ( especially by Wright ) and good production talent , the story fails on the human level and hedges on the obvious alternative of exaggerated good and bad guys and a profusion of gratuitous violence , sex , and action . Worth a watch but keep expectations low . |
586,633 | 783,721 | 97,662 | 6 | Journeyman Hollywood noir crime flick | Kill Me Again is a lukewarm noir drama which tells a very mediocre , convoluted , and unlikely story about a babe ( Whalley ) who rips off her boyfriend ( Madsen ) for stolen mob money and then hires a private eye ( Kilmer ) to fake her death . Madsen is the only well cast character in this watchable but ordinary flick . |
586,190 | 783,721 | 256,380 | 7 | Wow ! Gwyneth really had to gain weight for this flick . | Shallow Hal is yet another fresh , creative , and controversial comedy from the Farrlley Brothers . With Black in the title role as a superficial dating single , the film shows us what happens when self-help guru Tony Robbins gives Hal a post-hypnotic suggestion which changes his perception such that everyone's outward appearance is in rapport with their inner beauty . An intelligent flick which illustrates the strange similarity between comedy and tragedy , " Shallow Hal " is a love it or hate it flick which has left many saying " I don't get it " . The only way to find out if you'll get it is to watch it . |
585,708 | 783,721 | 303,933 | 7 | Learning the rhythm system | Drumline tells of an Afro-Am high school grad and hotshot drummer who goes to college and learns it takes more than fast sticks to make the grade . Just okay as a light drama , this flick deserves high marks for making some positive points about the importance of rudiments and teamwork to success and for its tribute to , what is on most campuses considered un-cool , marching bands . What the film lacks in story it makes up for in marching band pageantry , music , and , most of all , percussion . A must see for anyone into marching bands and a should see for young people who dine on a steady diet of MTV and other entertainment junk food . ( B ) |
586,705 | 783,721 | 299,117 | 7 | Roger that ! | Roger Dodger is all about Roger ( Swanson ) , a single , horizontally mobile , self proclaimed pseudointellectual know-it-al expert on human nature and mating rituals who takes a wayward teen nephew under his wing and teaches him how to get laid . . . or how not to . The film is uses a construct built from cliches with a veneer of cynicism , biting caustically while uncannily serving up warm and fuzzies at the same time making it a deft and almost believable tale which many will enjoy and many will not . Scoring excellent marks for a first outing , " Roger Dodger will be most enjoyed by those into razor sharp wit no matter which way it cuts . ( B ) |
587,516 | 783,721 | 205,873 | 7 | One small step for man , one giant leap for Parkes . | The Dish tells of a small group of people who operated a giant radio telescope in Parkes , NSW , Australia which captured the weak signals from the Apollo 11 1969 lunar landing and moon walk with its behemoth parabolic reflector . A light hearted and fun romp involving the scientists and the townsfolk , all buoyed by pride over their big dish and involvement with the historical NASA mission , " The Dish " relies heavily on the viewers sense of awe and nostalgia as the " . . . Giant leap for mankind " is taken . A easy-going and somewhat austere film which manages a subtle and lovely sense of humor and heart , " The Dish " will have broad appeal but should play best with those who remember July 20 , 1969 . ( B ) |
585,662 | 783,721 | 105,107 | 7 | Cajun flavored drama for the masses | Apparently Sayles never sat around a table with a bunch of women gabbing . In " Passion Fish " , which tells of a NYC soap opera actress who becomes a paraplegic and begins a long rehab in her Louisiana home town , the women at the table never talk over each other and only one talks at a time . Such histrionics are an example of the good and the bad of this very palatable , spoon fed Sayles product which strikes a nice safe middle ground on all the issues it plumbs . If good films follow the rules and great films break the rules , this flick is dead on good . Not risky fare but very well received , " Passion Fish " is one for the masses . . . . especially the distaff . ( B ) |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.