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512,710 | 3,223,254 | 418,499 | 5 | Beneath the Hoopla is a Lot of Parody and Metaphor | Damion Dietz ( Neverland , The Virgin Larry , Fag Hag , Respect My Ass ) is a director and writer who obviously has a great time putting together his genre of films . What seems to be over the top , silly , absurdly ridiculous situational comedies have a singular bite . Take the time to listen to the lines and observe ... |
513,554 | 3,223,254 | 433,405 | 5 | A Hodgepodge Movie Trying to Figure Out What It Wants to Be | LAND OF THE BLIND is a strange horse of a film . It is so full of gimmicks , silly scenes , awkward dialogue , and mixed metaphors that it sinks under its own intended farcical weight . Robert Edwards wrote and directed this take off on totalitarian governments and the crises that arise with the corruption of power , s... |
513,603 | 3,223,254 | 297,389 | 5 | Editor ! Editor ! | POSTER BOY is a film with a lot of potential : the story premise is solid ( though a bit tired ) , the cast of both young and experienced actors is quite fine , and there are some worthwhile statements about our political system , about tolerance and acceptance and family , and about being true to yourself . Despite al... |
513,611 | 3,223,254 | 433,387 | 5 | Turgid Stuff , This | While no one would fault a writer / director from wanting to depict just how low life can descend , making a film script that is three-quarters repeated expletives and tiresome current slang terms ( ' dude ' , ' dog ' etc in place of names ) wears thin after the first half hour of HARSH TIMES . One wonders if David Aye... |
513,383 | 3,223,254 | 110,834 | 5 | A Gritty Story in the Seediest Red Light District of Paris | PIGALLE has all the ingredients of a splendid little exposé of the infamous sector of crime in the City of Light . The problem is there is so little actual ' light ' in the camera work that much of what happens in this film cannot be seen ! Pigalle is an area in Paris infamous for being an historic and a current zone o... |
513,226 | 3,223,254 | 388,482 | 5 | Know why you elected to watch it and you're OK | Luc Besson and Louis Leterrier created such a terrific action thriller with THE TRANSPORTER in 2002 , giving Jason Statham the opportunity to create a man of crime so clever and dignified that the film was an instant success . And so what does that mean in movieland ? If a little is good , a lot is better . Wrong ! As ... |
512,822 | 3,223,254 | 457,433 | 5 | Swiss Cheese of a Script and the Audience is One of the Holes | PERFECT STRANGER is a fast-paced little crime mystery of a film that despite the innumerable sidebars of undeveloped information scattered throughout the script does manage to surprise the audience at the end . The movie seems to be a vehicle for the beautiful Halle Berry to show off her skills and other assets : Bruce... |
513,007 | 3,223,254 | 815,098 | 5 | May December Romance on a Texas Ranch | No , this is not another version on the Brokeback Mountain theme though the title might give that impression . This little Indie film made on a shoestring budget is more like an updated Farmer's Daughter story and as such it has some charm . Justin ( the very hunky Thomas Romano ) is an ad executive whose father sends ... |
513,427 | 3,223,254 | 338,348 | 5 | Too Much , yet not Enough , of a Good Thing | In 1985 sculptor Chris Van Allsburg published his first children's book , THE POLAR EXPRESS , which became an instant classic , especially appropriate for family reading during the holidays . The beauty of the book was not only a simple story about a lad's discovery of the real meaning of Christmas , but also the power... |
513,434 | 3,223,254 | 413,879 | 5 | Have your Cake and Eat it , Too | Director Nisha Ganatra and writer Tassie Cameron seem to have most of their experience in TV movies so this little slice of the industry is a change for them . Would that it were wholly successful because it seems as though both had a fine idea for something to say but just didn't know how to make it work . And again ,... |
513,002 | 3,223,254 | 420,740 | 5 | A Dark Story in a Dark Place Without the Benefit of a Director's Enlightenment | A LITTLE TRIP TO HEAVEN is a strange little Indie film by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur , a young director with some very fine ideas but with a script ( written both by the director and Edward Martin Weinman ) ' that is so spongy that the impact of the film relies on the considerable qualities of the cinematic i... |
513,188 | 3,223,254 | 468,463 | 5 | Too Many Irons in the Fire | CONRAD BOYS is not a bad movie : the story though frequently used by others holds its own , the style of direction keeps the pace moving , the message of the movie is worth stating . The problem is one of a single person assuming the role of writer , director , film editor AND principal actor . Justin Lo does well in a... |
513,348 | 3,223,254 | 475,984 | 5 | Bright Moments in a Patchy Film | MISTER LONELY is that sort of film that pleads to be loved . It has an original concept for a plot , it takes many visual and surreal chances , and it is populated with a lovable cast who seem to be having fun with the process . Harmony Korine both wrote ( with Avi Korine ) and directed this pastiche about people who ,... |
512,755 | 3,223,254 | 444,627 | 5 | An Investigation into a Lack of Purpose : Contemporary Ennui | ' Falscher Bekenner ' ( ' I Am Guilty ' ) is a strange little film that seems to beg our indulgence in looking at and pondering the state of mind of our newly graduated college youths who have had everything provided for them to prepare for life - and are clueless as to how to begin fitting into the world . Writer and ... |
512,979 | 3,223,254 | 448,992 | 5 | Where the Parts are Greater than the Whole | ANGEL RODRIGUEZ is yet another story of a kid whose innate talents and intelligence are misguided until he comes Under the influence of a caring adult , able to share her own vulnerabilities allowing the two to grow into stronger people . At least it seems that is what this little short and rather flimsy film is trying... |
512,933 | 3,223,254 | 299,458 | 5 | Finding Love and Attempting Privacy in a Small Town | ALL THE REAL GIRLS is strange little film written and directed by David Gordon Green , an attempt to capture the claustrophobia of a small North Carolina town where finding love in the midst of an atmosphere devoid of secrets . It boasts a strong cast , has some moments of touching repartee , but in the end we are left... |
513,001 | 3,223,254 | 449,010 | 5 | The Dragon is the Star | ERAGON is not without its flaws - a weak and corny script , shoddy editing , Swiss cheese story line - but it is also not without some charm . Unfortunately it is in competition with the Harry Potter series , Lord of the Rings , etc etc that seem to flow endlessly out of Hollywood and the foreign markets . The story of... |
512,953 | 3,223,254 | 429,153 | 5 | Soap Opera Content , but with some Fine Actors | TARA ROAD is a thickly populated movie that reaches for the female audience and succeeds in addressing old problems of infidelity and marriage conflicts . The problem is the story by highly published Irish author Maeve Binchy ( adapted from Binchy's novel for the screen by Cynthia Cidre ) is ' used goods ' and while th... |
513,566 | 3,223,254 | 468,548 | 5 | An Important First Look at the Iraqi Occupation | THE SITUATION is an eye-opener for the general public who have been kept guessing as to what is happening in the Iraqi War by the edited reporting in the media . It has all the markings and possibilities of a significant statement movie , but unfortunately the seemingly sound script ( Wendell Steavenson ) and the solid... |
513,030 | 3,223,254 | 317,079 | 5 | Beneath the Plodding Script and Lack of Editing Lies a Story Worth Telling | Jeff London wrote , directed , and produced this little Indie film , and had he assumed only one of the duties , the result would probably have been a much better movie . The running time is 115 minutes and could have easily been edited down to about 85 minutes by excluding the corniest ' homey scenes ' with Aunt Lilli... |
512,792 | 3,223,254 | 450,962 | 5 | Poor Production Values Keep This Film Grounded | Paul Kampf is new to the game of writing and directing and has obviously been influenced by some filmmakers who tamper with the story and use flashbacks and flash forwards to enhance the richness of the theme line . In the case of BROTHERS THREE : AN American Gothic these borrowed techniques serve to confuse rather tha... |
513,520 | 3,223,254 | 763,840 | 5 | The War Inside | The War Inside , November 6 , 2007 By Grady Harp ( Los Angeles , CA United States ) - See all my reviews ( TOP 10 REVIEWER ) ( REAL NAME ) HOME OF THE BRAVE is one of those films that is difficult to critique : the message of how war permanently alters the minds and bodies of soldiers and their families is a meaningful... |
513,629 | 3,223,254 | 358,273 | 5 | Much Ado Over Not Very Much | Rarely has a biopic film made such a racket at the box office . After viewing the DVD version of WALK THE LINE the reasons for that success must be attached to some sort of homage to Johnny Cash , an American icon of sorts . Yes , his life and career are notable - the emergence of a legendary Country Western singer out... |
513,443 | 3,223,254 | 435,505 | 5 | Two Short Films on One DV | Joseph Graham both wrote and directed the first of the two short films on this DVD . He has some interesting ideas both textually and visually and manages to condense into 47 minutes a film that packs a wallop . ' VANILLA ' is anything but vanilla , if the term refers to the dichotomies between vanilla and kinky in the... |
513,656 | 3,223,254 | 451,069 | 5 | The Prodigal Son . . . with terrific music ! | There is something about THE GOSPEL that makes you want to like it : some fine actors ( Boris Kodjoe , Idris Elba , Clifton Powell , Tamyra Gray , Aloma Wright , Nona Gaye ) and some really terrific gospel singing . Writer / director Rob Hardy stretches the biblical tale of the Prodigal Son to the updated story of the ... |
513,648 | 3,223,254 | 401,385 | 5 | Wrong Messages from Both Sides | Another of those ' written , directed , starring ' movies that should have been filtered through a careful producing team , SAY UNCLE will probably get an audience because of Peter Paige's fans from QUEER AS FOLK ( it looks like the entire cast and team put up the money for the production ! ) . The theme of the story i... |
513,540 | 3,223,254 | 424,287 | 5 | ' A Bit of Pate ? ' ' I Drink it all Day ! ' | A funny line from a funny song , but somehow it captures the mood of this light little comedy , made with enough wit and ingenuity to keep our attention , rehashing some tired gay stereotypes with a fresh approach , and in the end just offering a pastiche that should find an appreciative audience . George Bamber takes ... |
512,773 | 3,223,254 | 454,879 | 5 | A Director Searching for his Signature | A Director Searching for his Signature , March 3 , 2007 Reviewer : Grady Harp ( Los Angeles , CA United States ) - See all my reviewsFor those of us who found much to admire and appreciate in Eric Eason's 2002 little powerhouse of a film MANITO that placed Franky G in the limelight as a sound actor inside that hunky ex... |
513,284 | 3,223,254 | 397,044 | 5 | Bucharest and Special Effects Soften this Werewolf Film | BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE ( a misnomer at best ! ) is another in the seemingly endless appetite-for-horror-flicks appeasers . Freely adapted from the Annette Curtis Klause's novel by screenwriters Ehren Kruger and Christopher Landon and directed by Katja von Garnier , this version of the loup-garou legend takes place in Buch... |
513,142 | 3,223,254 | 287,914 | 5 | A Moody Bit of Sicilian Life and Crime | Italian director Roberta Torre co-wrote with Massimo D'Anolfi this little film based on a true story of an incident in 1984 Sicily that revealed the integration of home life with crime in a quietly subtle way . Expect no major crime scenes ( with one exception ) and don't look for a THE SOPRANOS spin-off and the film w... |
513,280 | 3,223,254 | 468,526 | 5 | ' Sorrow is worn out old joys ' | There is a moment in this short little independent film that crystallizes the message : the camera captures the sure but almost imperceptible progress of a slug making its way across a forest leaf with all the sounds of nature as the musical background . From all of the hype that is spread across the cover of this DVD ... |
512,957 | 3,223,254 | 435,705 | 5 | A Good Idea from Philip K . Dick Slips Away in the Script | Philip K . Dick has been the resource of stories for some very exciting films ( Minority Report , Total Recall , Blade Runner ) , but in NEXT , his short story ' The Golden Man ' as adapted by Gary Goldman and directed by Lee Tamahori , the concept of precognition as a human feature in altering the future falls into a ... |
513,608 | 3,223,254 | 396,857 | 5 | Too Many Preposterous Story lines to Keep this Sleeper Alive | Lee Daniels ( Monster's Ball , The Woodsmen ) doesn't seem to know what to do with this script of a story by William Lipz that has so many incongruities that it simply becomes a muddled mélange of criminal psychology , sociological misfits , and ruminations on the presence of a greater meaning to all the wild madness t... |
512,951 | 3,223,254 | 435,670 | 5 | Pretty Hokey . . . or is it ? | THE INVISIBLE , based on Mats Wahl's ' Den Osynlige ' , and as adapted for the screen by Mick Davis and Christine Roum , seems like a teenage horror / scary flick and while watching it the audience may wonder what the purpose of all of this teenage angst and anger and acting out is all about . But given the premise of ... |
513,435 | 3,223,254 | 439,544 | 5 | DIRTY is in every way Dirty . . . until the Zinger Ending ! | DIRTY seems to be confused as to what it is . The viewer is lead to believe that the LAPD has an undercover anti-gang force made op of ex-gangbangers who know the streets and therefore know how to break the codes that allow gang crimes of drugs and violence to continue unfettered by arrests . Yes , we are all aware of ... |
512,693 | 3,223,254 | 119,880 | 5 | High Camp and Silly ' Murder Mystery ' from Spain | PERDONA BONITA , PERO LUCAS ME QUERIA A MI ( roughly translated means ' Pardon me Duckie , but Lucas loves Me ! ) is a piece of fluff from Spain that is so over the top that it is almost Daliesque . Were it not for a fairly strong cast this little film could be mistaken for a low budget TV series type project . Toni ( ... |
513,672 | 3,223,254 | 373,469 | 5 | Parodies and Pitfalls | Shane Black is a hard driving propulsive director who seems to value speed highly . In some films it works : In KISS KISS BANG BANG the result is just a silly , self-absorbed ' in joke ' that quickly wears out its welcome . Harry Lockhart ( Robert Downey , looking a bit long in the tooth ) escapes his career in minor p... |
513,564 | 3,223,254 | 791,304 | 5 | All Surface and No Depth | Garry Marshall is highly regarded for his style in pulling of sophisticated comedies ( ' Pretty Woman ' , ' The Other Sister ' , ' Beaches ' , ' Frankie and Johnny ' etc ) and for this film he selected a script by an equally respected writer , Mark Andrus ( ' As Good as it Gets ' , Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhoo... |
512,817 | 3,223,254 | 373,450 | 5 | Atom Egoyan Attempts Film Noir Genre with Mixed Results | We have come to expect from talented director Atom Egoyan films that linger in the mind , parceling out bits and pieces that continue to fit tightly together making the memory of his film linger and grow in impact . WHERE THE TRUTH LIES remains in the bits and pieces stage , even while actively watching the film , and ... |
513,710 | 3,223,254 | 98,324 | 5 | A Confusing Period of History Made Even More Confusing ! | ' Si te dicen que caí ' ( ' If they tell you I fell ' ) aka AVENTIS is a very long film made in 1989 by Vicente Aranda based on the novel by Juan Marsé AVENTIS . Apparently ' aventis ' are stories created by bored youths in post civil war Barcelona who try to explain historical events mixed liberally with fiction , fan... |
513,104 | 3,223,254 | 452,637 | 5 | A Perplexing Film from M . Night Shyamalan | LADY IN THE WATER is a very tough film to review . M . Night Shyamalan is doubtless a new thinker and has produced some original and interesting films ( none of which equal the promise of his first one THE SIXTH SENSE ) and LADY IN THE WATER has some very good aspects . It is just such a mixed bag , full of holes and h... |
512,859 | 3,223,254 | 360,032 | 5 | A Bit of Aussie Humor and Tongue in Cheek | STRANGE BEDFELLOWS is one of those films that plays like a TV sitcom without the canned laughter - especially now that gay themed shows have made it big on television . This film's main charm is its Aussie flavor and that forgives a lot of the shortcomings of a fluffy idea of a script . Essentially , two men ( Paul Hog... |
513,094 | 3,223,254 | 418,294 | 5 | Worthwhile and Important Story Hampered by Poor Script and Production | THE VIRGIN OF JUAREZ is based on true events surrounding the crime problems of Juarez , Mexico reflected in the gringo exploitation of businesses in neighboring El Paso , Texas . The story contains many important facts that desperately need to be brought into the light , but the impact of the film falters because of th... |
513,539 | 3,223,254 | 115,850 | 5 | An Attempt to Recreate the Magic of LA CELESTIN | LA CELESTINA was written in 1499 by Fernando de Rojas and is considered to be second only to Cervantes ' DON QUIXOTE as the greatest work of Spanish literature . Here the novel is adapted for the screen by Rafael Azcona , Francisco Rico , and Gerardo Vera , the last contributor serving as director of this sadly uneven ... |
512,931 | 3,223,254 | 452,702 | 5 | A Movie That Dares to Examine Snuff Films | VACANCY may not be the best thriller of the year , though it does provide three good performances from Kate Beckinsale , Frank Whaley and a surprise serious role for fine comedian Luke Wilson , but it stands apart from many by the fact that it unveils a piece of the underbelly of crime by addressing the creation of snu... |
512,647 | 3,223,254 | 434,139 | 5 | The Souring and Breakdown of Relationships 2006 | In 2001 there was a cute little Italian film ' L'ultimo bacio ' that was a comedy of sorts about infidelity and the approach / avoidance conflict of relationships . As written by Gabriele Muccino it was a smart , sassy , genuinely entertaining movie . Now as adapted by Paul Haggis and directed by Tony Goldwyn as THE LA... |
513,161 | 3,223,254 | 404,802 | 5 | A ' little goodie two-shoes ' approach to Bettie Page ? ! | Writer / director Mary Harron ( credits include TV episodes on Six Degrees , Big Love , Six Feet Under , The L Word , and Oz as well as films like American Psycho , I Shot Andy Warhol , Winds of Change ) has her story of the 1950s pinup model and bondage photo girl Bettie Page down well . In many aspects of the film sh... |
512,855 | 3,223,254 | 475,394 | 5 | Busy , Blustery , Noisy , and Overpopulated | Trying to keep track of the huge cast of characters , keeping their various allegiances to the plethora of participating assailants , requires a scorecard in the film SMOKIN ' ACES . Writer / Director Joe Carnahan has style and the film's similarity to the many other cop / mob caper movies is evident , but Carnahan lik... |
513,041 | 3,223,254 | 383,574 | 5 | A Cute Little Disney Film but Not for Children | ' Pirates Of The Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest ' is but the second installment ( the third has already been shot ) in the series of movies based on a Disneyland ride : strange nidus for a story idea and one that takes a bit of patience to sit through , but a fun evening nevertheless . Though the first installment took t... |
513,008 | 3,223,254 | 904,112 | 5 | Watching the dedication of Jorge Ameer | Now and then we see early films by a well-trained and well-educated writer / director and enjoy the journey from amateur to professional status . Jorge Ameer has been actively and consistently making films since 2000 ( with an earlier 1994 work ) and it is therefore disappointing that he has not been able to garner fin... |
512,668 | 3,223,254 | 395,429 | 5 | Not Exactly What the Title Suggests . . . . | 7 mujeres , un homosexual y Carlos is a misleading title , one that would indicate the possibility of a racy sexploitation movie about seven women and a homosexual involved with a guy named Carlos . This rather bland little film written and directed by Rene Bueno is anything but that . Though well photographed and cast... |
513,634 | 3,223,254 | 391,353 | 5 | Disappointing Film with a Fine Cast | MRS . HARRIS is an HBO dud movie , and that is primarily because of the content of the story , the writing , the direction , and the waste of some fine actors ' time . Based on a book by Shana Alexander adapted for the screen and directed by Phyllis Nagy , the story relates in fractured pieces between a murder scene , ... |
513,462 | 3,223,254 | 496,319 | 5 | A Talky , Self-Indulgent Film Despite a Fine Cast | Ethan Hawke wrote the book THE HOTTEST STATE and then proceeded to write the screenplay , direct and act in it . Sometimes that combination works , but in this instance the whole project feels like a narcissistic self-indulgent autobiographical talky two hours . Hawke is respected enough among his peers that he was abl... |
512,771 | 3,223,254 | 826,600 | 5 | Love , Relationships , and Trials | PHOENIX is the third feature by Michael D . Akers as a director and writer ( here sharing the credits with Sandon Berg ) and as with his other two features ' Matrimonium ' and ' Gone , But Not Forgotten ' there is a sense that Akers knows how to tell a good story , a story based on universal themes but just happening t... |
512,820 | 3,223,254 | 477,071 | 5 | Piecing the Puzzle Together | Relative newcomers , writer Bill Kelly and director Mennan Yapo , have concocted a testy little conundrum of a movie titled PREMONITION : whether the audience decides to step into their little nightmare or reject the premise that powerful emotions can drive the brain to peculiar directions of functioning will be the di... |
513,290 | 3,223,254 | 467,200 | 5 | But it is very pretty to watch . . . | THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL suffers from overexposure to the passion for all things Tudor that has produced multiple novels , television series , and films that range from great to mediocre . Having not read Philippa Gregory's best selling novel , this viewer entered the theater without preconceived notions of the path the s... |
512,739 | 3,223,254 | 119,734 | 5 | A Decent Story with Excessive Subplots Saved by some Good Acting | MUSIC FROM ANOTHER ROOM was written and directed by Charlie Peters : the film script would benefit from some judicious editing . Yet as a light love story it is fast moving despite diversions in the plot and in general gives some fine actors good screen time . Danny ( Jude Law ) as a five-year-old lad assisted in the c... |
513,273 | 3,223,254 | 449,851 | 5 | A Plodding , Predictable French Farce : Out of Character | For centuries the French have had the market on light , elegant , stylish , fluffy and tasty comedy , both in the theater and on film . Unfortunately THE VALET ( LA DOUBLURE ) doesn't rise to those standards . Though written by Francis Veber , who gave us the ' La Cage Aux Folles ' series and ' La Placard ' , seems to ... |
512,936 | 3,223,254 | 376,196 | 5 | The Title Describes the Content | SLOW BURN is a film that has much to like , much promise , and a cast of trusty actors to bring it off . The problem with the result is in director / writer Wayne Beach's hands and especially in the editing job on the completed film . It is like watching a ' follow-the-bouncing-ball ' film : there are many surprises an... |
512,732 | 3,223,254 | 414,731 | 5 | Even Eye Candy Can Get Stale | DANTE'S COVE is a two disc DVD release of a TV series for Here ! TV that had everyone on the waiting list to see just how far the ' new television ' market would / could go . Now that the mystery is over with the public release of the DVDs , the comments and responses are bound to be mixed : there are those who whoop t... |
512,760 | 3,223,254 | 358,590 | 5 | The Anguish of Lost Love | ' Mil nubes de paz cercan el cielo , amor , jamas acabaras de ser amor ' , the Spanish title ( extracted from a poem by Pasolini ) of this little film from Mexico , is translated for the English language audience as ' A Thousand Clouds of Peace ' . Writer / director Julian Hernandez seems to emulate Pasolini's films bu... |
513,468 | 3,223,254 | 311,049 | 5 | A Galician Wedding Day : Highly Combusitble ! | For starters the audience must be aware of the fact that this is a film that is part of the DOGME 95 Movement , described as follows : ' the goal of the Dogme collective is to purify film-making by refusing expensive and spectacular special effects , post-production modifications and other gimmicks . The emphasis on pu... |
513,143 | 3,223,254 | 371,739 | 5 | Waiting for the Other Zodiac on DV | While ZODIAC is in the theaters and people want a sneak preview of what to expect from that film with Jake Gyllenhaal , this little version called THE ZODIAC is available and has some merit . The search for the still unknown serial killer of the late 1960s in the bay area is a creepy enough story that it is difficult t... |
513,617 | 3,223,254 | 469,641 | 5 | Oliver Stone's Version of : Reductionism Attempt to Make it Personal | Oliver Stone has always been a director of grit , one who was unafraid to take on controversial subjects and create powerful films that opened the audience's eyes to the mire below the surface . In WORLD TRADE CENTER he seems to have taken the opposite stance : take an historic tragedy that affected the entire world an... |
513,355 | 3,223,254 | 469,689 | 5 | A Transparent Attempt to Create a Psychological ' Thriller ' | Michael Caleo's background in writing for television shows in this flimsy little flick that despite a solid cast comes across as tired retelling of the bad guy to good guy to bad guy sequences . There are some good one-liners in the film , with a script that is so peppered with the ' f ' word that it is crippled by it ... |
512,639 | 3,223,254 | 417,658 | 5 | A Tough Film to Review | Commenting on FACTOTUM , a film based both on Charles Bukowski's novel of the same name and simultaneously an autobiography of a strange writer , is a difficult task . If director Bent Hamer and screenwriters Jim Stark and Hamer were striving to create the milieu in which the story of Bukowski's alcohol-soaked , lowlif... |
513,267 | 3,223,254 | 896,798 | 5 | Yet Another Twist on Police Corruption | CLEANER is somewhat of an enigmatic movie : it starts out as though it is going to be a sassy comedy about a retired cop whose job it is to ' clean up ' after homicides ( a distinctly messy and repulsive job ) , turns into a rather grisly crime investigation story , adds a dollop of ' ain't life grand ' , and finishes ... |
513,568 | 3,223,254 | 476,359 | 5 | A Rough Little Gem in Need of Polish | STRAY CATS ( PUSANG GALA ) is a an odd but in the end endearing mixture of cinematic styles , soap opera drama , tender little comedy , and hefty measures of relationship philosophy : perhaps this is the Filipino brand of magical realism . Based on a play by Jun Lana and adapted for the screen by Rody Vera and writer /... |
513,059 | 3,223,254 | 374,506 | 5 | A Cute and Witty Story is Buried by the Chic Trappings | ARISAN ( The Gathering ) is a fine little story about the ins and outs of Jakarta's wealthy class - sort of an Indonesian Beverly Hills 90210 / Melrose Place sitcom . The characters include frustrated wives , jealous wives , career women , cheating husbands , man-hunter girls , and two gay men - one closeted and one op... |
513,102 | 3,223,254 | 445,990 | 5 | Yet Another Sports Film About Personal Triumph | INVINCIBLE , though the title of this very Walt Disney / Hallmark Card docudrama , is a term that could be applied to the plethora of movies built on the stories of down and outers who pull themselves up by the boot strings due to their success in sports . Brad Gann is responsible for the script of the life of Vince Pa... |
513,184 | 3,223,254 | 446,046 | 5 | Another ' Ballroom Dancing as a Means of Improving Life ' Story | The concept of taking the gentility of ballroom dancing with all the skills and discipline it requires and using that as a means of changing young people who are floating aimlessly toward possible destruction is a sound one , as evidenced in this ' biography ' of the life of Pierre Dulaine . Unfortunately the topic is ... |
513,164 | 3,223,254 | 457,308 | 6 | Ashley Judd , Welcome Back | COME EARLY MORNING marks the writing and directing debut of Joey Lauren Adams who elects to share a bit of her birthplace atmosphere in Arkansas and while the story is sound and the writing evocative of the personal turmoil of little towns populated by good but bored people , there is nothing new here . But just the op... |
513,320 | 3,223,254 | 414,055 | 6 | A Visual Feast , A Tedious Film | ELIZABETH : THE GOLDEN AGE isn't golden . Expectations were high after Cate Blanchett's first foray in 1998 as Elizabeth I , but somehow this follow-up film , with the same director ( Shekhar Kapur ) and writer ( Michael Hirst with assistance from William Nicholson ) , does not reach those heights . Visually stunning ,... |
513,200 | 3,223,254 | 929,425 | 6 | Violence without Interruption | GOMORRA is a film from Italy that has won many awards in Europe . Now in theaters ( and the increasingly simultaneously available ' On Demand ' versions on television ) this film is a long , near documentary of the crime milieu in Naples , Italy . Based on the bestselling book by Roberto Saviano ( written for the scree... |
512,740 | 3,223,254 | 420,627 | 6 | Under the Superficial Fluff Lies a Sensitive Tale | ' Shi qi sui de tian kong ' ( FORMULA 17 ) is a very fine first venture into film making by two young Taiwanese women - Yin-jung Chen , director and Rady Fu , screenwriter - who are unafraid to take on a taboo subject in Taiwan and find some excellent talent and ideas that suggest that there will be more films from the... |
512,812 | 3,223,254 | 418,763 | 6 | Significance ? JARHEAD depicts the Bizarre DESERT STORM War | Were intentions graded instead of product , then JARHEAD would be given 4 stars rather than 3 , merely because it is one of the few films ( so far ) that shows the particular idiosyncrasies of that first Bush war , the DESERT SHIELD transforming into DESERT STORM . We have many films that document the mindset of the so... |
512,729 | 3,223,254 | 388,118 | 6 | Good Performances by Attractive Actors Fail to Breathe Life into this Tale | THE WHORE'S SON ( ' Hurensohn ' ) , based on a novel by Gabriel Loidolt and translated to the screen by Michael Glawogger is an interesting premise for a film - how does a child learn to accept the fact that his mother is a prostitute ? The problem with the cinematic translation under Michael Sturminger's direction is ... |
513,651 | 3,223,254 | 405,422 | 6 | An Adult Version of the Teeny Flicks | Raucous humor , outrageous interpersonal situations , potty mouth , and over the top jokes have long been the successful turf of countless summer movies aimed at the teen crowd , films such as the endless American Pie series , Dumb and Dumberer , There's Something About Mary , etc . Now there is a new trend aimed at th... |
512,948 | 3,223,254 | 396,587 | 6 | A View from the Bridge of Sexual Identity | Everett Lewis is a writer / director who continues to look at the various aspects of gay life and the way it is influencing young people . His work is a bit raw and unpolished as yet , but his sentiments are strong and translate well in the films he has created thus far . FAQS is a strong conceptual film and one with a... |
513,432 | 3,223,254 | 368,774 | 6 | A Tough Task , Filming a Collection of Vignettes about Abuse | J . T . LeRoy or Laura Albert or whoever wrote the collection of stories that created Jeremiah would probably take umbrage with Screenwriter / Director Asia Argento for turning Jeremiah's life of abuse and angst into a biography of Sarah , the mother who gave birth to Jeremiah at age 14 only to relinquish him to foster... |
513,455 | 3,223,254 | 380,599 | 6 | A Visually Stunning but Emotionally Uninvolving Oliver Twist | Charles Dickens ' famous story of the perseverance of the individual in the crumbling society of poverty in mid 19th century London has been scripted for film many times : the catalogue lists 19 versions and that doesn't include some films using the matrix of the story only . The results are variably successful : David... |
512,735 | 3,223,254 | 462,641 | 6 | Reading Between the Lines | ZONA ROSA is a colorful , lively , and entertaining documentary about the young men who are male strippers in the gay clubs of Mexico City's Zona Rosa . The credible parts of the film are those showing the actual dancing that takes place in these famous clubs : the controversial aspect of the ' documentary ' is that po... |
513,126 | 3,223,254 | 367,360 | 6 | A Canadian / Italian Soap Opera Has Its Moments ! | THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS began as three novels by Nino Ricci and became a television miniseries for Canadian TV with a screenplay by Malcolm MacRury under the direction of Jerry Ciccoritti . It is a sweeping epic that covers Italy , Canada , Alaska and other parts of the US over a number of years in a non-linear fashion... |
513,240 | 3,223,254 | 380,623 | 6 | Expected Trite , Got Surprised ! | THE PERFECT MAN is another one of those fluff romantic comedies that just keep recycling - single mom and pseudorebellious daughter make everything work after plotted plans go astray . This is one of those films that you rent because the video store is closing and you need a somnolent-inducing DVD . But in the case of ... |
513,372 | 3,223,254 | 206,420 | 6 | A Tasty Dish , but more of just a side dish | WOMAN ON TOP is one of those films that was made , publicized and viewed as pastiche and because of its honesty as a simple romantic comedy , it rates higher than many of the over the top and overproduced competitors . The film is colorful , filled with wonderful Bossa Nova music , and has enough eye candy to almost ma... |
512,811 | 3,223,254 | 274,847 | 6 | A Gritty Drama from an Innovative Mexican Director | Mexican writer / director Leopoldo Laborde has made a number of low budget , challenging , controversial films , using his cadre of nonprofessional actors and crew and he is gathering a following for his courage and his unique style . SIN DESTINO is a good introduction to his work - a film about the seamy side of Mexic... |
512,899 | 3,223,254 | 427,969 | 6 | ' Nobody ever asks to be happy later . ' | HOLLYWOODLAND is a very long ( two hours plus ) film noir that is actually a film khaki : the droning muted brown to ochre tones of the film itself match the story well - and that is not necessarily a compliment . The ' unresolved ' death of B-grade actor George Reeves who was disconsolate at having his crowning achiev... |
513,715 | 3,223,254 | 1,133,991 | 6 | And yet another kids to criminals to wake up call movie | This film is yet another rehash of that glut of films about kids who begin lives of crime early on , go to jail , and come out either enlightened or unchanged . Set in South Boston , WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU happens to star some fine actors in Mark Ruffalo , Ethan Hawke , and Amanda Peet , and their presence makes the fil... |
513,033 | 3,223,254 | 479,537 | 6 | Revenge and the Wilderness Struggle for Survival | SERAPHIM FALLS is an odd film , one that on the surface appears to be an homage to the old Westerns , but proves to be a psychological battle for survival between two men engulfed in revenge . There is very little story to relate : Carver ( Liam Neeson ) with a small posse of bounty hunters ( Michael Wincott , Ed Laute... |
513,397 | 3,223,254 | 416,315 | 6 | A Grisly Cinematic Depiction of a Terrifying Tale ! | WOLF CREEK may not be a film for everyone to see , certainly not children , but if you're up for a taste of the macabre then this well made horror movie is certain to please . The most terrifying aspect of the story is that it is based on true incidents , incidents in Australia that carry the same degree of impact as t... |
512,779 | 3,223,254 | 397,103 | 6 | A Worthy Little Message Story Stretched to the Limits | SMILE is one of those Op-Ed moments on CNN that can be told with poignant dignity in 10 - 15 minutes and make a significant impact . The trouble with SMILE , the motion picture , is that it stretches this idea into 107 padded minutes , incorporating far more sitcom TV dialog about wealthy families with strident childre... |
513,270 | 3,223,254 | 796,375 | 6 | An Out of Focus Story But Very Well Told | Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have had success with such collaborations as ' The Chronicles of Narnia ' and ' The Life and Death of Peter Sellers ' , proving their skills , and yet in this strange amalgam of serious versus romantic versus dark comedy they have created a series of vignettes loosely tied... |
513,595 | 3,223,254 | 498,399 | 6 | A Plot Threadbare from Overuse | WE OWN THE NIGHT is the quote from the lower portion of the badge on the uniforms of NYPD police family Deputy Chief Bert Grusinsky ( Robert Duvall ) and one of his two sons Capt . Joe Grusinsky ( Mark Wahlberg ) : the other son Bobby ( Joaquin Phoenix ) did not follow the family tradition of police work but instead is... |
512,718 | 3,223,254 | 399,862 | 6 | Civilized Versus Uncivilized Collide : The Effect is Mutually Powerful | END OF THE SPEAR is a little film that tells a fine story based on a true incident . The director Jim Hanon has mastered the elements of his film - story , character development , atmosphere of place - and the result is a visually stunning little film that is touching without being mawkish . Nate Saint ( Chad Allen ) ,... |
512,743 | 3,223,254 | 183,613 | 6 | Dazzling Cinematic Production with Minimal Story | Director Carlos Diegues knows how to capture atmosphere with his camera and effects and when that atmosphere is the splendid garish gaudiness of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro there is plenty to entertain the eye . ' Orfeu ' as a story , supposedly a re-interpretation of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth updated to current tim... |
512,761 | 3,223,254 | 408,345 | 6 | Another ' Harrison Ford Saves the Day ' Tale , but with a Fine Cast | The story behind FIREWALL is just another variation of the ' thrillers ' that made Harrison Ford popular : that is not a put down because Ford created a ' character type ' that has been highly successful in generating a lot of movies light of weight in script but heavyweight in excitement . FIREWALL updates Ford's pers... |
513,338 | 3,223,254 | 181,547 | 6 | ' My name is Rosa Ponds ' | . . . a repeated comment from one of the interviewees in this strange little film from Greek writer / director Constantine Giannaris . Struggling somewhere between a docudrama and a ethnic drama , FROM THE EDGE OF THE CITY is written and filmed with gritty realism techniques that in the end adds some charm to an otherw... |
512,758 | 3,223,254 | 414,951 | 6 | A Different Kind of Story : Musings After the Fact | THE QUIET comes to the big screen then back to DVD as the product of a group of television writers Abdi Nazemian and Micah Schraft and director ( Jamie Babbit ) and the film has the feeling that it would have fared better in a made for television format . It is not a film without merit - the cast is good , the atmosphe... |
512,736 | 3,223,254 | 425,483 | 6 | A Film with So Many Subplots That the Strange Fruit is Just One in Bowl | The opening credits for the writer / director Kyle Schickner ( Full Frontal , Rose by any other Name ) film STRANGE FRUIT are eloquently beautiful camera passages down a Louisiana bayou at night , the end point being an isolated little club ( the Gator ) reached only by a floating raft . The mood is set for an atmosphe... |
512,723 | 3,223,254 | 826,711 | 6 | An Extemporaneous Homage to Albert Lamorisse's THE RED BALLOON | Somewhere the highly regarded Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien had the idea of paying homage to the 1956 classic Albert Lamorisse film THE RED BALLOON , a tender story of a child's interaction with a nearly animate floating balloon , and while there is indeed an short introduction of a small boy addressing an errant ... |
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