<< Back Movies (Archive) • The Illusionist - The main premise–boy and girl of different social standings fall in love–is not original. But the magic is mysterious and the story swept me away. And Jessica Biel is the most beautiful woman on the planet. • 28 Days Later - Written by Alex Garland (The Beach). Part horror flick, part exploration of human nature and survival. 28 days after an incurable virus spreads through the UK, a few survivors try to escape the encroaching infected. So well acted and hauntingly (but beautifully) shot–I forgot I was watching a movie. • Before Sunrise and Before Sunset - Before Sunrise is the story of two young travelers who spend an evening together in Vienna, only to realize they might never see each other again. Before Sunset is the sequel, shot nine years later, in which the characters meet again by chance, but with only a few hours to spend together. Both films are shot in real-time. The dialogue (much of which apparently was written and improvised by the actors) coupled with the long and lingering edits made me forget that I was watching a movie. I felt like I was one of these characters, falling in love with the other. I felt unmanipulated. Perhaps the most truly romantic films I've ever seen, but I cheated by seeing them in reverse order. • In Cold Blood - Based on Truman Capote's nonfiction account of two ex-cons who murder a well-to-do Kansas family and then flee when the crime doesn't play out as planned. Filmed in the house where the real-life incident took place, which makes it utterly real. • After Life - In Japan, the newly dead are greeted at a way station en route to eternity. Counselors assist them in reviewing their lives and choosing one memory to retain in the afterlife. A film crew then recreates that memory on video for the deceased to experience and ultimately take with them. As I watched the characters reflect on their lives, I couldn't help but reflect on my own. Very touching and thought-provoking. • Shaun of the Dead - Inspired by the classic horror flick Dawn of the Dead. Shaun, who's somewhat of a zombie in real life, trudges through his zombie-infested city in order to rescue his mother and win back his girlfriend. Witty, gory, and sweet. • Carnivale - Okay, it's not really a movie. But HBO series are like short movies. Set in 1930s dustbowl America. Tells the parallel stories of a gifted young fugitive who joins a traveling carnival troupe and a similarly gifted preacher who ministers to migrant workers in California. Their dreams intersect. The lines between Good and Evil are continually shifting. The cast is wonderfully eccentric. • In the Mood for Love and 2046 - Chinese films directed by Wong Kar Wai. 2046 features the main character from In the Mood for Love, a few years later in life. An exquisite double feature, although each stands strongly on its own. Entrancing, both visually and emotionally. 2046 literally rendered me speechless. • Osama - The first movie to be made in post-Taliban Afghanistan. Inspired by a true account of a family of women who, in their desperation to survive, dress their girl up like a boy so that she can find work. A stunning film. Once again, I'm reminded of how privileged American women are. • Singin' in the Rain - I don't normally have a high threshold for musicals. But I was a sucker for this one. Oh, how they can dance and sing. Oh, to be Debbie Reynolds in the arms of Gene Kelley. • The Station Agent - A train-enthusiast dwarfed man retreats to small-town New Jersey hoping to find some peace after his best friend dies. He ends up unwittingly befriending a Cuban hot dog vendor and a woman confronting losses of her own. Funny and heart-warming. I almost forgot I was watching a movie. • Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room - A fascinating and startling account of the Enron debacle. I went into this wanting to educate myself about a case I knew relatively little about. I came out almost in tears, feeling disgusted and helpless at the mercy of corporate greed and its bedmate, the current political administration. This is not propaganda. It is essential viewing. • 13 Conversations About One Thing - Seemingly separate plots and characters begin to intertwine via 13 conversations about one thing: happiness. The movie itself is far from happy and isn't earth shattering, but I found it interesting for its narrative structure and use of language. • Some Like it Hot - Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play cross-dressing musicians. Co-stars Marilyn Monroe. Overtly sexual and racy for its day. Incredibly funny still today. • The Godfather - Call me un-American for not having seen these until recently–parts I and II, that is. (III is superfluous. And the acting is just plain bad. I couldn't watch it all the way through.) • Donny Darko - A satirical take on middle-American suburban life told through the mind of a disturbed teenager. This is not your typical teen angst movie. It constantly challenges your perception of reality. What you see on the screen may be real or all in this character's head. Set in the late 80's with a fitting soundtrack and extended cameo by Patrick Swayze. • Fahrenheit 9/11 - Part documentary...part editorial. Moore exaggerates to make his points...which are poignant and credible. Highly informative (and disconcerting), strategically edited, well framed expose. Essential viewing. • Rosemary's Baby - Director's cut includes previously unreleased bits, including some really surreal dream sequences. Mia Farrow plays a convincing role. It's quite misogynist, even for 1968. But it kept me on the edge of my seat. • Spellbound - Not the Alfred Hitchocok film, but the documentary that follows eight pre-teens from all parts of the U.S. who are preparing to compete in the 1999 National Spelling Bee. These quirky kids' stories are hilarious, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, as only one will win the ultimate prize. • Whale Rider - A Maori (New Zealand native) girl struggles to fulfill her destiny as leader of her tribe, despite her grandfather's resistance. Very rarely can a child actor carry the film, but in this case, she does. Many of the people in the film are Maori, not actors by trade, and live in the region of New Zealand in which the film was shot. This probably accounts for why their acting seems effortless. • Secretary - A young woman with self-mutilation tendencies lands a job working as a secretary, and her relationship with her boss turns sadomasochistic. Some intriguing portrayals of character (James Spader is always creepy) and some really dark humor. Not graphic for what it shows but what it implies. An unconventional story of power, weakness, and love. • Capturing the Friedmans - An engrossing, emotionally charged documentary, comprised largely of home video shot by family members (the Friedmans), two of whom undergo accusations of and eventual trial for operating a child molestation ring. It's a heart-breaking story told from the points of view of the accusers and accused. Raises some serious questions regarding the ethics of law enforcement, judicial and legal systems. It's difficult to know who to believe in the end. • Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Another masterpiece by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich). Truly an amazing ride through the subconscious universe. It's funny, absurd, creepy and heartbreaking...hits on a visceral level. It left me speechless. (Characters in the movie hire Lacuna, Inc. to erase troubling memories of their past.) • Lost in Translation - "Sometimes you have to go halfway around the world to come full circle" is the tagline. Sofia Coppola's sophomore effort. Better than Virgin Suicides. Cinematically it's beautiful, but even more touching is the chemistry between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. It's humor, sadness, longing and conscience all intertwined. It touched me deeply. • Time Code - Not well received by critics and the general public. Too experimental to garner praise from the mainstream. Difficult to categorize. If you don't mind multi-tasking and giving up some control over details, it's rewarding in its challenge to conventional storytelling. The screen is divided into four parts, each telling a different story. So you're watching four stories unraveling simultaneously. Each story is shot in a single take–90 minutes with no editing. The cast was able to improvise around a predetermined plot line. The result is an interesting hybrid of film and theater. • The Princess and the Warrior - By Tom Twyker, director of Run, Lola Run. Unconventional romance. Some gaps in the plot, but overall a beautifully shot and acted movie. << Back