A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT (****)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a filmmaker of eager exuberance. His last film AMELIE, like its lead character, wanted to be loved, and did everything it could to woo us (quite successfully I might add). His latest work A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT, like its predecessor, again wishes to enthrall its audience, but this time with its quest to reclaim lost love. Few films are as fearless with their emotions or as daring in their imaginings as this one. It is a film of visual elegance, stark power, and heedless passion.
ABOUT A BOY (****)
What is a cad? I quote its definition from my Random House Dictionary for the English Language: "An ill-bred man, especially one who is dishonorable or irresponsible in his behavior towards women." I believe that there is no other adjective that can describe this particular kind of man in the English language. The closest I can think of "jerk" or "womanizer". But "cad" has such descriptive ring to it, that any well-read person can identify with its meaning. Now if there were a picture illustrating the word cad in a dictionary, Hugh Grant's mug would be perfect for it, since no one is better at playing cads than he is. And he plays it perfectly in ABOUT A BOY.
ADAPTATION (****)
How often have we complained that Hollywood studio pictures have become formulaic? Predictable? Cliché? Even insulting? Well, here comes ADAPTATION, and it is a work of pure inspiration. Never before have I seen a screenplay that pulsates with such imagination, intelligence, and trickery. It comes from the creators of the highly original BEING JOHN MALKOVICH. If you enjoyed that film, you’re sure to enjoy this one, for ADAPTATION is in every respect, a better film.
AMELIE (****)
In these past two weeks, I have been truly blessed to see three worthwhile films. I saw a truthful drama in MONSTER'S BALL, an incredible and intelligent thrill ride in MINORITY REPORT, and now a light-hearted and meaningful modern day fairy tale in AMELIE. The film won a record 8 Cesar Awards (the Oscar equivalent in France), was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Foreign Film, and has won a slew of international awards along with the hearts of fans worldwide. After seeing it today, you can count me as one of them.
BLACK HAWK DOWN (****)
BLACK HAWK DOWN is the most graphic, intense, and harrowing reenactment of an armed conflict that I have ever seen. Its reconstruction of those terrible moments which led to the deaths of US Army Rangers, Delta Force commandos, along with almost a thousand Somalis (mostly militia) goes beyond what SAVING PRIVATE RYAN introduces. SPR only uses its initial 25-minute D-Day invasion sequence to let us know how horrific war can be, and other war films merely give us glimpses into battle. BHD gives us the complete scenario of this failed mission from beginning to end.
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (****)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is the most moving love story I have seen since Vincent Ward’s MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART. It isn’t big on sweeping emotions, nor is it epic in scope. Its moments are never melodramatic or sentimental. Its happenings never feel fabricated and no messages are ever laid out bare. Yet it is sincere, intimate, and heartbreaking. A work of tremendous honesty and sensitivity, this is Ang Lee’s masterpiece.
CIDADE DE DEUS (****)
THERE is one scene in BAD BOYS II where a high-speed pursuit of military vehicles rampages through a hillside shantytown. Pulling off this action spectacle was impressive, but the sequence hardly had a thought for the impoverished residents who might have been injured or killed during such havoc. If a movie could to peer into the lives into those poor destitute souls on the fringes of society, showcasing their hopes, fears, hardships and triumphs, it would look like CIDADE DE DEUS (CITY OF GOD). This may very well be the best film of 2002 that you’ve never heard of.
FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN (****)
Every so often, a movie milestone comes along. Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was the first animated film to make of computer generated images (CGI) with sweeping effect. Then came along TOY STORY which was the first completely CGI animated movie. FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN is a notable landmark in its attempts to replicate human actors with CGI ones. But that’s not what makes it special.
IN THE BEDROOM (****)
I don't believe this film will resonate with young viewers whom I predict will call it boring and pointless. Some people may ask, "This got nominated for best film?" After seeing it, I think it should have won. It struck a chord with me. There are some scenes in here that are as close as you can get to real life. It has a remarkable sense of truth, simplicity, and sincerity. At its crossroads, it has makes a violent act have more weight than all the bloodshed in a Schwarzenneger film. In its closing scenes It brings chills and dread that no horror movie can. And it delivers these moments without any gimmicks, fancy special effects, or schmaltzy romance. Why the title? It's not about sex, but about the secrets a married couple holds. IN THE BEDROOM is a small miracle, but a painful one.
KILL BILL Vol. 1 (****)
Revenge is a dish best served cold
– Old Klingon Proverb
This opening adage heralds the arrival of KILL BILL, and clues us in on its nature. It sounds fearsome and true, but its origins are completely inane. The same can be said of the film. It contains parades of cringing violence that carry more weight and panache than they deserve. It is definitely not for everyone, and its value will seem trite. But for those who have long loved film, it is a serious send-up as well as passionate homage of the joyful side of martial arts movies.
LOST IN TRANSLATION (****)
Starting an affair is never an easy decision, especially between those already married. Yet in the movies, it usually appears as a reasonable option to take, as if non-spousal sex were a panacea for everything wrong with one’s marriage. LOST IN TRANSLATION knows this, and so do its two central characters. They will date, drink, laugh, and fall effortlessly into each other’s company. But they will do so with intimacy that never requires touch, with grace that is seldom sentimental, and with sweet thoughtfulness that is refreshingly mature. Rarely has a tryst between two people seemed so stealthily romantic and acutely perceptive of its circumstances as this has....
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (****)
A lonely old trainer. A hopeful young waif. With these two simple elements, Clint Eastwood masterfully crafts one of the most heartbreaking of love stories. Not one of romance, but of kinship. MILLION DOLLAR BABY is a triumph of emotional involvement and storytelling, evoking love and sympathy without ever telling us how or why. This is the best film of the year.
MINORITY REPORT (****)
After loads and loads of the same formulaic blockbusters that have been churning out of Hollywood for the past two decades or so (with a handful of exceptions), MINORITY REPORT is an absolute joy to behold. To watch it is to be reminded of what makes movies so wonderful, and to witness the rebirth of one of cinema's greatest minds. To describe it, I quote Joel Siegel's observation of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, "... it isn't just one of the best movies of the year; it's one of the best movies, period."
MONSTER'S BALL (****)
Many dramas give you too much information at the sacrifice of a story's realism. They tell you (most of the time through dialogue) what their characters are feeling and what they feel is important. In doing so, they "tell" you what you should think and what their stories are all about. But the best dramas don't have to spell it out. They simply play out their events and let the power of their moments speak out for themselves. MONSTER'S BALL is one of those movies. Like IN THE BEDROOM, it allows its characters' actions speak louder then their words.
NO MAN'S LAND (****)
I can think of no other film that encapsulates the Balkan dilemma in terms of attitudes and irony, as well as NO MAN'S LAND does. It won the Cannes Film Festival's award for Best Screenplay, and beat out AMELIE for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. It's an odd picture, displaying a bleak sense of humor out of an extreme circumstance. It should be noted that we may find the movie's premise highly unlikely, one must remember that such events may have been going on away from the world's notice. The movie is categorized as a comedy, but rarely is anything in it truly funny.
SIDEWAYS (****)
The great playwright David Mamet once said that, "To find beauty in the sad, hope in the midst of loss, and dignity in failure is great poetic art." SIDEWAYS is just that. It shows a man and all of his weaknesses, and yet is able to make us love him and wish him well. Director
Alexander Payne seems to love showing the beauty in imperfect people, as he did with Matthew Broderick in ELECTION and Jack Nicholson in ABOUT SCHMIDT. This film showcases him at the height of his powers, and is one of the best films of 2004.
SYRIANA (****)
To watch SYRIANA is to be dropped into the path of a tsunami. It cares not what you think of it as it rushes towards you with urgency. Getting caught up in it is maddening, and trying to make sense of it takes a Herculean amount of focus. But dealing with it is necessary and worthwhile. And realizing just what it is, where it comes from, and what it has wrought, is humbling.
THE AVIATOR (****)
This is not a feel-good biopic where we are shown the wonders of what one has done with one’s life, ending happily ever after. It is a testament to the radiance of the human spirit, even in defeat. Though we see the darkness of Mr. Hughes misery draping around him near the end, we must remember that it was his obsessions that pushed him to the sky and to greatness. If only they hadn’t pushed him too far. THE AVIATOR is one of the best films of 2004.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (****)
Long before Li Mu Bai gave up the Green Destiny, before Indiana Jones found the Ark of the Covenant, and before Luke Skywalker learned of the Force, a man named John Ronald Reuel Tolkien created what is widely regarded to be one of the greatest sword and sorcery epics of all time (arguably second only to Arthurian Legend). It has inspired legions of fans, countless imitators, and now it has inspired this film. I can’t say that I’ve read this trilogy, but Peter Jackson’s work intrigues me greatly to read the book. His work is simply the best sword and sorcery epic I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot).
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (****)
The first time I went to IMDB.COM to check out findings on THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, one piece of information struck me. Runtime: 201 min. Any film that is almost 3 & 1/2 hours long will require patience from even the sturdiest of movie fans. But thanks to Peter Jackson’s direction, which can be described as no less than heroic, he has earned the unqualified trust of Tolkien’s almost fanatic following....
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (****)
I can wholeheartedly say that THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, for the first time in my life, made me realize the enormity of Jesus’s sacrifice and the poignancy of his tenets. This is not the first film that dwells on Jesus’s humanity, (Martin Scorcese’s THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST is a great film that focuses on that subject), but it is the first I have seen that gives intuitive and truthful feeling on Christ’s passion and death. Other films I have seen on the subject seem more like proselytizing instruments than honest reflections; with their depictions of Jesus’s milieu looking more like holy Church cards as opposed to the impoverished Middle-Eastern territory that it was. It has an incredible power to move those who know what Jesus is all about (for those who don’t, it might be difficult to sit through), and inspires such deep sense of grief and realization. No film has done that for me since GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES and SCHINDLER’S LIST.
