The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Release date: 8 December 1988 (West Germany)

This cult classic is now 20 years old and while a fiasco from start to finish and wildly over-budget, it did not diminish the directing status of ex-Monty Python member, Terry Gilliam. Based on a series of tall tales written by Rudolf Erich Raspe back in 1785 called Baron Münchhausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels, it starred gobs of talent in Neville Mariner (as the Baron), Eric Idle, Oliver Reed, a young Uma Thurman (as Venus), an even younger Sarah Polly, an over-the-top and very frustrating Robin Williams (as the King of the Moon), and heck, even Sting. They story is ... well ... a hodgepodge of fantasy travels and fairy tales with a sort of Wizard of Oz story within a story angle, and is far too complicated to due it justice here. The film is probably a love-it or hate-it sort of venture with this reviewer decidedly on the love-it angle (with the exception of the aggravating sojourn on the moon with Robin Williams doing his tired old shtick).

For the spectacle of it all and with kudos to Mariner for pulling it off, my rating 7 out of 10.

Up the Yangtze

Release date: 30 September 2007 (Canada)

This documentary, directed by Chinese-Canadian Yung Chang, shows us two small stories among the many that have resulted from the the creation of the Three Gorges Dam in China. The stories of spoiled single-child Chen Bo, a self-confident, self-obsessed 19 year-old and Yu Shui, a 16 year-old from a very poor farming family, cross when they both take probationary jobs on one of the many cruise ships the ferry tourists up (and down) the Yangtze River. The more compelling of the two is that of Yu Shui, who's family is displaced as the water rises and their farm is engulfed. Chang's film is beautifully shot, and, weepy music aside, illustrates in its 90-odd minutes the pride Chinese feel towards the achievement of the Three Gorges Dam project, the sad impact it has dealt to Chinese who lived along the river's path, and the cultural repercussions it's sowed on people of all economic levels. This is a super documentary that should not be missed.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Are You The Favorite Person of Anybody?

Release date: 2005 (USA)

This very short 3-minute black and white dialogue has John C. Reilly standing on a street corner asking passerbys, "Are you the favorite person of anybody?" Now, while I grant you the question, penned by Miranda July, is intriguing, and while I'm a big fan of artsy-fartsy ideas like this, I did not enjoy this short film. The question is better posed internally or at least differently then directed on screen by Miguel Arteta. I'm sad to say with this review, I will not be the favorite person of either director Arteta or star Reilly.

For giving us an interesting question to ponder, my rating 3 out of 10.

The Danish Poet

Release date: 2007 (Canada)

A short film by the National Film Board of Canada, The Danish Poet won the 2007 Oscar for best Short Animation. Directed by Torvill Kove, the Danish poet in this film, Kasper Jørgensen, heads out on a quest to find inspiration and a legendary Norwegian author, Sigrid Undset. Along the way, fate intervenes and this is the crucible of what the film is about ... how fate works in our lives. With easy, fun animation and an oddity unbound, you can see how The Danish Poet wowed judges with its simple tale loaded with deep existential meaning.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Love and War

Release date: 2007 (Sweden)

An utterly amazing piece of stop-motion puppetry and digital animation, Love and War is short 14-minute opera starring a bunny and bear. Directed by Fredrik Emilson, with the libretto he wrote and score he orchestrated (performed by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra), Love and War shows us Bunny (a wartime nurse) and Bear (her fighter pilot lover) as they meet and fall in love. Called to duty against crocodilian foes, Bear is shot down while on mission, and, with a picture of Bunny in hand, meets his tragic fate. It is classic opera, and, as an opera fanatic myself, magically done. Unlike anything you've seen and well worth spending 14-minutes to get lost its gorgeous music and epic tragedy.

Sung in Italian with English subtitles, my rating 10 out of 10.

L.I.E.

Release date: 20 January 2001 (Sundance Film Festival)

L.I.E. was the movie that put actor Paul Dano on the stardom road. After L.I.E. came Fast Food Nation, Little Miss Sunshine, and There Will Be Blood ... which is a pretty impressive list. And back in 2002 you can see his stardom. L.I.E. (short for Long Island Expressway) is a very difficult film to watch. Difficult because it touches on subjects that are inherently taboo - bullying, homosexuality and child abuse. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, there is a touching human story amid the horror. Howie (Dano) is a 15-year-old who's recently lost his mother (in an auto accident) and is all but ignored by a father too caught up in his own work woes. Howie begins to travel with a wrong set of kids who spend their days breaking and entering homes along the L.I.E.. Clearly different then his friends, Howie is trying to come to terms with the death of his mother, his privileged yet emotionally vacant homelife, and his own sexuality. Secretly infatuated with the leader of their small gang, Gary (played by Billy Kay), Howie ends up meeting Big John (played ever so brilliantly and ever so creepily by Brian Cox). Big John is a vietnam vet, a pillar of the community and a gay pedophile. The result of their meeting is both surprising and sad. First time Director Michael Cuesta gives us the characters stripped down without caricatures of victim and abuser and leaves the difficult themes in the movie - of isolation, desperation and resignation -- for us to ponder. Well done.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Stardust

Release date: 10 August 2007 (Canada)

Matthew Vaughn directs this scattered adult fairy tale with too many characters and a complex about whether it is a comedy or adventure or romance, based on the 1997 comic books by Neil Gaiman (and illustrated by Charles Vess). Essentially, the film is Hollywood's shorter, poorer version of the BBC's magnificent series, Gormenghast, based on the trilogy of books written by Mervyn Peake way back in 1946. Stardust is the tale of Tristan (Charlie Cox), an 18-year old born of a witch and a human father, who sets out on a quest to find a star in human form named Yvaine (a miscast Claire Danes), claim his love, and live happily ever after. Along the way - as is typical with such adventures - Tristan runs into a nasty MacBeth-worthy witch (a perfectly cast Michelle Pfeiffer); a cross-dressing dirigible sailer (played by Robert DeNiro); the son of a king who's set his sons on each other and challenged them to find a red ruby (conveniently tied around Yvaine's neck) to claim the throne; and a sextet of the king's sons, now ghosts, which act as a comedic Greek chorus. Got all that?! ... Yes, it does make for too much, and, special effects and Pfeiffer's great performance aside, it is a bit of a falling star. It's main downfall is too many characters and its freudian complex of what it actually wants to be as a film.

My rating 6 out of 10.

Knocked Up

Release date: 26 May 2007 (Seattle International Film Festival)

Alison and Ben are having a baby. The thing is Alison and Ben don't really know each other and don't really even like each other. But that in itself is a perfect match for any movie. And in the hands of director Judd Apatow it works marvellously together. After a random (and typically drunken) one-night stand Ben (Seth Rogan) and Alison (Katherine Heigl) end up pregnant and begin the process of getting to know one another in the clear, cold light of day. Knocked Up works exceptionally well thanks to the chemistry between the two stars and the perfect pacing Apatow employs in his direction. There are several laugh-out-loud, uncontrollable funny lines in the film. More importantly though, the film allows the characters time to know each other so that in the end we believe that what we see on screen could be 'real'. The supporting cast are all standouts as well, in particular Jay Baruchel (as one of Ben's buddies) and Paul Rudd (as Ben's sort-of brother-in-law). If you're looking for a laugh, do yourself a favour and get knocked out with giggles watching Knocked Up.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Ratatouille

Release date: 22 June 2007 (Hollywood, USA)

Directed by Brad Bird, Ratatouille won the 2007 Best Animated Oscar and deservedly so. As a dedicated foodie myself - and the rats aside - you cannot go wrong with a film that stars food, a restaurant and Paris. Remy is a rat long on culinary aspirations but short on opportunity, not surprisingly. When he gets separated from his brood and finds himself in Paris, in the celebrated restaurant of the recently departed Auguste Gusteau no less, the rat gets his chance. Forging an alliance with Linguini, a kitchen mop boy (later discovered to be the son of Gusteau), the two begin to wow Paris while simultaneously pissing off the restaurant's current frozen food fan chef. Light hearted, endearing and fun, and with a great role for Peter O'Toole as the voice of food critic Anton Ego, Ratatouille is sure to be a great addition to any movie menu.

My rating 8 out of 10.

S&M: Short and Male

Release date: 2008 (Canada)

Directed by short male Howard Goldberg, this documentary relates the ups and downs (mostly downs) of short statured men and the lengths (pardon the pun) they’ll go to be taller. Perhaps I’m biased but as a six foot two inch male, I found S&M: Short and Male beneath me (figuratively and literally). Essentially a series of poor jokes on the trials and tribulations of short men, the documentary only hits a chord when it shows the dire lengths a family will go to grow their teenaged son. The scenes of the young teenager having leg lengthening surgery and then talking about it with his father are both unbelievable and tragic. The lengths some families will go to for height are sad. On the other end of the scale, the scenes of a group of short men in New York trying to rally folks at Times Square to an association of short men to advocate for (presumably taller) ‘rights’ are like a wonky sketch from Saturday Night Live. And like a bad night at a bad comedy club, I was left wondering if this documentary would ever end.

My rating, fairly noting I’m a closet ‘heightist’, 4 out of 10.

Sliding Doors

Release date: 24 January 1998 (Sundance Film Festival)

She, who can’t act, the paltry Gwyneth Paltrow, stars in this time-shifting romantic-drama directed by Peter Howitt. Howitt’s premise in this film is interesting: what would happen if we just missed the sliding doors of that subway train? Enter Helen (Paltrow) a PR guru who is unceremoniously fired from her London ad agency. Returning home we see her catch (and not catch) an Underground tube train and thereby start two parallel stories. In one, where she catches the train, she arrives home to find her boyfriend, Gerry (played by John Lynch) cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend, Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). In the other, where she misses the train, she ends up mugged and in hospital and arrives home to find Gerry alone in the shower. In both realities she meets James (John Hannah) who becomes both a lover and friend, respectively. The film then bounces back and forth and forth and back playing out these two realities to much drama and woe, and a fair bit of sad overarching music. It’s all a little too much I thought and surely must prove I’m no romantic. Many of my friends who watched this film loved it (caveat: all were female). So, Sliding Doors must be a chick-flick and I only really watched with idle interest waiting to see how Howitt ends the adventure.

My rating for the premise, and the sturdy English acting of both Hannah and Tripplehorn, is 5 out of 10.

The Indian Runner

Release date: 7 September 1991 (Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto)

The Indian Runner was Sean Penn's first foray into writing and directing and was released way back in 1991. The movie did very poorly at the box office, not surprising as the story of two brothers very different approaches to life is sad and unrelenting. The two brothers - Frank (played by Viggo Mortensen) and Joe (played by David Morse) - simply cannot find common ground to stand on as their history and perspectives on what life is all about clash. The Indian Runner is a complex character driven movie with nary a happy moment. Joe is the town's sheriff and is happily married; Frank is a drifter and clearly still haunted by his time in Vietnam. Joe is at a loss to understand why Frank can't just settle down with his girlfriend (played by Patricia Arquette) and Frank bristles at his brother's constant attempts to rein him into a way of life he just can't accept. Mortensen is outstanding in this film (and I'm not just speaking to the fact we see him in fully frontal nudity. His performance alone makes this difficult film worth a rent.

My rating 7 out of 10

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Release date: 10 March 2008 (SXSW Music and Film Festival, USA)

Nicholas Stoller takes a seat behind the camera as director of this romantic comedy starring Jason Segel (as Peter), Kristen Bell (as the film's namesake) and an oh-my-gawd beautiful Mila Kunis (as Rachel). When Peter is dumped by television star Sarah, he opts to take a trip to Hawaii to mend his soul. Sadly, when he arrives at Turtle Resort his ex, Sarah, is vacationing there with her new boyfriend, a rockstar with zen, Aldous Snow (played by Russell Brand). What ensues is the common fare of such films - awkward run-ins at dinner, a rebound love affair, competitive noisy sex to outdo each other, to name but a few of the devices. While this could be very tiresome (as movies of this ilk usually are), what makes this one work is the ensemble cast of oddities and oddballs that staff the Hawaiian hotel. Forgetting Sarah Marshall will ultimately be a forgettable movie, but there are enough laugh-out-loud moments and gorgeous vistas of Hawaii to make it worth taking a mini-vacation.

My rating 7 out of 10.

La Vie en Rose

Release date: 8 February 2007 (Berlin International Film Festival)

Olivier Dahan directs this fair film made watchable thanks to Marion Cotillard's fine (and Academy Award winning) performance as the chantress with demons, Edit Piaf. The film traces Edith's life from her grimy childhood as the daughter of an acrobat, to her worldwide success, to her sad, lonely death at a very young forty-nine. Dahan uses a nonlinear approach cartwheeling between the young Edith living in her mother's bordello to her bedridden, morphine riddled older self. A technique which I found bothersome/annoying (take your pick). La Vie en Rose, however, is ripe with the gorgeous, unmistakable music of Piaf (Dahan correctly used Piaf's original recordings in the film) and does show us a woman who never really escaped her upbringing, or sadly, the tragedy of her love affair with boxer, Marcel Cerdan. Sadly too, the film glosses over Piaf time in Paris under the Nazi occupation during World War II - a time that truly made her famous, which left this reviewer wondering what she was hiding.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Orange County

Release date: 11 January 2002 (USA)

Though this 2002 film, directed by Jake Kasden, was filled with stars - Lily Tomlin, Chevy Chase, Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara and John Lithgow to centre out a few - it is essentially a watered down version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and not one tenth as good. Colin Hanks stars as Shaun Brumder, a spacy surfer kid from - you got it - Orange County, California - who's only hope of escape from a thoroughly dysfunctional family is applying to Standford and becoming a writer. The plan goes awry when his guidance counsellor sends Standford the wrong application. Nonplused and determined to get into the school, Shaun concocts several ill-advised plans to make the grade, so to speak, including a disastrous meeting with Standford's Dean of Admissions at his parent's home, which was probably the funniest part of this film. Orange County is a film trying to have an independent edge but is really just a poor parody of films of this genre (and ones better done at that).

My rating 5 out of 10.

Mary Poppins

Release date: 27 August 1964 (Los Angeles, California)

Any movie that can take a word like 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' and turn it into a song is a fine movie indeed (with thanks to the music writing duo Richard and Robert Sherman). Directed by Robert Stevenson, who must surely have been one of Disney's longest serving directors, this fantasy story stars Dick Van Dyck as Bert (the film's storyteller of sorts), Julie Andrews as the most practically perfect Nanny ever, and David Tomlinson as Mr. Banks, the father of Jane and Michael Banks. While a children's movie at heart, the movie's central message is really targeted to adults. In this case, George Bank's slow realisation that his children, not his job, are the most important thing in his life. Tomlinson is perfect in this film, and the spot-on acting of Van Dyck and Andrews (as a sterner version of Maria from Sound of Music), not to mention the special effects team who married live action with animation some fortyfive plus years ago, make the film beautiful and rich to watch.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Release date: 16 December 1968 (London, UK)

Released in 1968, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remains to this day a children's 'cult classic'. The film stars Dick Van Dyck as Professor Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious and is based on the book written by - of all people - Ian Fleming (of James Bond fame). The incredible Roald Dahl prepared the screenplay and brothers Richard and Robert Sherman did the music. The story is a fable of sorts guided through a story Professor Potts tells to the children whilst picnicking on the beach. Like the Wizard of Oz, where reality stops and starts is left up to the viewer, despite the wavy screen action that occurs when Baron Bomburst's ship appears in the harbour. While the film was wildly over-budget, it received good reviews from all corners (Hollywood excepted, but Hollywood rarely knows a good movie when it see it!). And while Chitty Chitty is not a great movie by any standards, the acting is solid, the music delightful and catchy (if difficult to actually sing - try singing "Me Ol' Bamboo" one day), and the pure joy it brings in watching it again, proves its staying power as a classic.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Release date: 25 April 2008 (USA)

John Cho and Kal Penn return to their Harold and Kumar roles in this lowbrow and tasteless comedy, directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The problem with this road trip is its tastelessness. In particular, Guantanamo Bay is still too fresh a subject to be mocking, and using it as the basis for the film is just plain weak script writing. Cho and Penn are still as great as the potheads for sure but the film isn't as fresh as its original. Neil Patrick Harris plays himself and the adventures the lads take with him are the highlight of the film. The love story, such as it is, was well done and it's unfortunate there couldn't have be more love, and less rude and lewd.

My rating 5 out of 10.

Ironman

Release date: 2 May 2008 (Canada)

The latest Marvel Comics superhero to make his screen debut is "Ironman". Robert Downy Jr. makes a triumphant return to his (almost) derailed career starring as Tony Stark, the arms manufacturer who has a revelation (courtesy of some nasty Afghan warlords), and resolves to undo the harm his weapons have wreaked. It's a classic premise and in the hands of director Jon Favreau, it is brilliantly done. A bald Jeff Bridges is great as the bad guy and (sigh) Gwyneth Paltrow is as lovely as ever playing Stark's version of Batman's butler, Pepper Potts. The film is great thanks to a perfectly conceived script and writing that builds the story patiently. It is full of superhero action, a well tensioned romantic angle between Downy and Paltrow, and Downy's portrayal of Starck's transformation is just plain (and subtlety) gorgeous to watch. This film is winner on every level and will certainly birth many Ironman sequels.

My rating 9 out 10.

All Together Now

Release date: unknown

Adrian Wills directs what is essentially a 90 minute commercial for both the Beatles and Cirque du Soleil's newest show, LOVE. But even knowing that going in is fine as I'm a fan of Cirque, and their marriage of the Beatles music with their performance art makes for a joyous, sentimental ride. Along the way we get to see Yoko (who I suspect must be very challenging to work alongside), Paul, Ringo and George Harrison's widow collaborating on the project and the 5th Beatle, George Martin, continuing to work his magic. Sir George says it best: that each generation discovers the Beatles in their own way. Certainly LOVE will continue this tradition. All Together Now is beautiful and well worth seeing if you're a fan of either the Beatles or Cirque. I suspect it will bring a tear to your eye.

My rating 10 out of 10.

Carny

Release date: unknown

Based on the photographs of Virginia lee Hunter in her book, Carny: Americana on the Midway, director Alison Murray shows us the odd yet lyrical stories of carnies she captured after her year and a half on the road with them. The result immediately confirmed my long held view on these strange/scary people (take your pick) but did temper it with an understanding of their lives and choices. Carnies are, in a fashion, America's gypsies. Struggling day-to-day on next to nothing, and often fleeing something in their pasts, these unique people find acceptance in the company of similar souls. Carnies, while odd, are no different than the rest of us in seeking love and acceptance as they strive to live their version of the American dream.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Murphy's Law

Release date: 19 April 2008 (Toronto, Canada)

Chris Murphy, a York University film student, turned his camera on his own family in this short documentary about fathers and sons. Chris acts a voyeur filming his drug addicted/school dropout brother in conversations about life and responsibility with his father, who does a great job upholding the image of Canada Post workers as slightly, well, eccentric. The result is a good first film though, frankly, I don't believe it is a documentary. While I do subscribe to the Rimbaud philosophy that the only unbelievable thing is that nothing is unbelievable, this family dynamic is just too darn strange not to have had parts scripted.

My rating 6 out of 10.

Second Skin

Release date: 7 March 2008 (USA)

Directed by Juan Carlos Pineiro, Second Skin shows us the world of MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games like World of Warcraft, Second Life and EverQuest and the addictions they can spawn. Eighty percent of players are between the ages of 20-35 and many are obese. The result of playing games in some cases for up to 13-15 hours a day! We see gamers who end up living commune-like so they can play. We see gamers who end up meeting and falling in love with other gamers they only ever met virtually. We see gamers who's passion has slipped into addiction to the point where they've lost everything. Along the way, we see college professors speak about what it means to the 'real' world when people retreat to a 'virtual' one to form friends and families. We see the 'gold' factories in China where young kids work for next to nothing to gain gold which is then traded for more status within the gaming world. MMOs are truly spawning a world within a world that we all will have to deal with as surely as we have to deal with gambling/alcohol addictions.

My rating 7 out of 10.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Release date: 25 July 2007 (Los Angeles, USA)

Paul Greengrass returns to direct part three of the Jason Bourne saga with Matt Damon in the starring role again. In this version, we see Jason going back to his roots, so to speak, to discover who birthed him into the covert killer he is. Turns out it is no one less then Albert Finney. Joan Allen, as Pamela Landy, is also back covertly helping Jason get to the root of his programming. This film is taunter and tighter than the lost-in-the-wilderness ride that was Bourne 2 and is a thoroughly good ride from its shakey-camera-action start to its neatly stitched-up conclusion, floating body and all.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Sicko

Release date: 19 May 2007 (Cannes Film Festival)

Michael Moore's latest opus concerns America's sad healthcare system and the crazy truth that American HMOs are more concerned with making money than in helping American's live healthy lives. Done in his usual one-man-strikes-up-a-conversation style, it is simultaneously funny and sad. Moore uses some great visuals to illustrate just how crazy the American system is. To note but two: 1) Moore shows us the list of medical exclusions insurance companies use to deny your claim as a rolling screen alla the opening of Star Wars, complete with music; and, 2) Moore's use of dollar figure bubbles that follow American politicians as they march into Congress to sign a new Seniors drug bill. These pieces are funny (in a sorrowful way) and very effective. In what is surely the most shocking note, Moore shows us the endgame of all American insurances companies, which is: to deny every claim. Such a culture is bred to the point where doctors and HMO staff actually get bonuses based on the number of denials they produce. Now that's sick.

For showing us both how lucky we are to be Canadians, and how important it is never to turn your head and cough while in America, my rating 8 out of 10.

Superbad

Release date: 17 August 2007 (Canada)

Directed by Greg Mottola, Superbad is a super funny look back at your teenage summer before college when it was all about booze and getting laid. Enter three misfit lads, geeky Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), joker Seth (Jonah Hill) and nice-boy-next-door Evan (the always great Michael Cera, most recently of Juno fame). When the threesome get an invite to a party where all three hope to hookup with the girls of their dreams (ideally, drunk) the fun begins, with Fogell's fake Hawaiian ID starting the adventure. More than an coming of age story, Superbad weaves a great story of friends and the nature of friendship when guys are teens and won't dare admit just how much they 'love' (in a nonsexual way) their best friends. Ripe with racy dialogue, a great performance (which he'll likely never top) by Fogell, and an embarrassing (if true?) portrayal of cops, Superbad is a rare teen sexploitation movie that is simultaneously funny and truly heartwarming.

My rating a solid 9 out of 10.

Shaolin Soccer

Release date: 12 July 2001 (Hong Kong)

Irreverent best describes this classic kung fu meets soccer meets the Matrix film, directed by (and starring) Stephen Chow. Shaolin Soccer won a slew of top honours at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2001, and deservedly so. The story is a way-over-the-top one of silliness involving a young shaolin kung fu student (Chow) looking to spread the kung fu philosophy. When he runs into a former soccer star (and his five buddies), a plot is set to reunite the now retired team and bring it to greatest against "Team Evil" and thus spread shaolin kung fu philosophy to people everywhere. While that sounds ridiculous - and it is - you'll just smile and laugh your way through all 2 hours. It's truly a kick.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Release date: 12 June 2007 (Lonodon, UK)

Not a quarter as good as the original, Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer brings together the same group of b-stars (Chris Evans, she-who-can't-act, Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Chiklis) with director Tim Story. The premise is a silly story of a planet-eating evil entity that's heading to earth to chowdown. He's drawn there by the good-alien-caught-in-a-bad-situation known as the Silver Surfer, and more so by his supercharged silver surfboard. No, I am not making this up! Worse yet, Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic are getting married. Sigh. While director Story is still able to play the Fantastic Four genre with tongue-in-cheek fun, the story and we've-seen-it-all-before bits between Human Torch and The Thing and the reappearance of Dr. Doom, make this effort more tedious than terrific.

My rating 4 out of 10.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Release date: 19 March 2004 (USA)

The film won a deserved Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2004 and tells the fascinating story of Joel Barish (played by Jim Carrey) as he undergoes a targeted memory erasure procedure to rid his mind of his girlfriend, Clementine (played by Kate Winslet) after they have a particularly nasty fight. As such, much of the movie plays in Joel's mind as Clementine is slowly excised from his memory. However, what makes the movie really connect is when Joel realizes - mid-procedure - just how much he truly loves Clementine and tries to stop her demise by taking her to fictitious locations they never visited in 'real' life in hopes of keeping her alive in some sense. Director Michel Gondry does a fabulous job portraying what might happen in our minds as memories are erased, and the supporting cast of Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, the ever brilliant Tom Wilkinson and Mark Ruffalo give us a believable, if wonky, story in the 'real' world while Joel fights the battle in his mind. That all said, the movie is ponderous, there is no real erotic connection between Carrey and Winslet to make you feel moved by what's happening, and the film is muddled (but perhaps that's the point when it comes to memory erasure?). While a great film from the 'what-if' point of view (i.e., what if we could erase the memories of those we love[d]), the film fails to deliver any emotional home-run ... and is, like its title riffed from Alexander Pope's poem, forgetful.

My rating for the 'what-if' factor solely, 5 out of 10.

Kizuna 1

Release date: 12 August 1994 (Japan)

This Japanese manga, originally written by Kazuma Kodaka back in 1994, is now ten volumes long (volumes 1-8 are available in English as of this year by Be Beautiful). Manga is often difficult to translate to film and Kizuna is no exception to this rule, simply because the richness of the comic and characters is hard to capture in a anime film of 35-odd minutes. The story - somewhat sensational originally due to its blatant homosexual content - concerns two gay lovers, Kei and Ranmaru who first meet in middle school. Lots of drama ensues: Ranmaru saves Kei's life, and ends his kendo career, by pushing him out of the way of a yakuza hitman's car; Kei's half brother, Kai, appears full of rage at Kei for being in love with Ranmaru, whom he idolizes; Kei discovers he is tied to a history of yakuza bosses, etc, etc. The series is well made in typical anime style, with some bullet time and black and white thrown in. While not for everyone, granted, and with a PG rating for the frank sexual scenes, Kizuna will appeal to manga fans and the large corps of folks out there who love Japanese anime culture.

My rating 6 out of 10.

Requiem for a Dream

Release date: 14 May 2000 (Cannes Film Festival)

Requiem for a Dream is a tome poem movie based on the theme of addiction in its various forms - drugs, television, family, fame, hope; most especially hope. Starring Ellen Burstyn (as Sara Goldfarb), Jared Leto (as Harry, her son) and Jennifer Connelly (as Marion Silver, Harry's cocaine addled girlfriend), the film is based on Hubert Selby, Jr's novel. Caught in a decaying Brighton Beach, these three - and Harry's friend Tyrone (played by Marlon Wayans) - quest after their American dreams while saddled by their addiction: diet pills, heroin and cocaine. What results is an excellent drug movie brutally showing the abyss addiction lead addicts to the edge of, and eventually into. It makes for tough viewing but director Darren's Aronofsky's use of what I call MTV directing (1000s of cuts) works well. Burstyn is simply excellent and received a deserved Oscar nomination for her role in 2001. While Aronofsky's six year break in film-making did not serve him well (witness his ridiculous, wandering tome on existence, The Fountain, in 2006), Requiem gives you an example of director in fine form and a very sobering look at the horror addiction wields over hope.

My rating 7 out of 10.

The Quiet American

Release date: 7 February 2003 (Canada)

Based on the Graham Greene novel and directed by Philip Noyce, The Quiet American is an excellent study of Vietnam and Saigon circa 1952 when the French were the colonial masters while the Americans played a covert game of cat and mouse in what was the prelude to the Vietnam War. London Times correspondent Thomas Fowler (played with Oscar-nominated panache by Michael Caine) reports on the day-to-day turmoil and intrigue until all is thrown into a tizzy with the arrival of the quiet American, Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) who quickly challenges Fowler for his Vietnamese mistress Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). In this mix, Fowler's eyes are opened to the real work of Pyle and faces the moral quagmire of having to chose a side which ultimately leads to murder. A super film to watch unfold with a great ending and one of a few rare examples of an excellent novel turned into as good a movie.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Transformers

Release date: 22 June 2007 (London)

Based on the wildly successful line of action figures, show and comic book series, Transformers is directed by Michael Bay and stars Shia LeBeouf (doing the formulamatic acting that is his style) Megan Fox and John Voight. It pits the good Autobots against the nasty Decepticons (a race of intelligent aliens who can morph into pretty much anything you want). I'll spare you the story here ... a convoluted adventure involving Shia's character's grandfather digging up bad Transformer Megatron and a hunt for the Allspark. Read the comics instead. As to the movie though, I liked this silly flick. And while it certainly is too long by 30 minutes, I had fun on the ride and laughed out loud several times. If you suspend reality going in, you'll enjoy the transformation.

My rating 7 out of 10.

1408

Release date: 22 June 2007 (USA)

Not all Stephen King's short stories translate well to the big screen and if you want one example, look no further than 1408. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom and starring John Cusack, it tells the story a skeptical haunted house chronicler's run-in with 'real' ghosts in the notorious Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. It's too smart by half and too long by, well, an hour (scary itself when it only runs 104 mins; 112 in the directors cut version). Noting I was actually watching this movie in a hotel (W-Montreal), I was neither scared nor entertained. That said, the film would have made a great Twilight Zone episode.

My rating 4 out of 10.

Evan Almighty

Release date: 22 June 2007 (USA)

Sure it starred Steve Carrol and Morgan Freemen (as God, for heaven's sake) but not even God could save this embarrassing example of Hollywood schlock. Miserably stupid and thoroughly bad, it is a waste of everyone's time and energy.

Being kind to God and the cutesy animals in the flick, my rating 1 out of 10.

The Painted Veil

Release date: 20 December 2006 (New York City, USA)

Directed by John Curran and starring uber-actor Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, The Painted Veil - based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham - tells the 'love' story of Walter Fane (Norton) and his cheating wife Kitty (Watts) as they battle cholera in China in the 1920s. When Fane discovers Kitty's infidelity, he accepts a position in a remote Chinese village and drags her along just to be spiteful. However, what ensues in the closeness of a cholera village and amid the dying bodies is a new understanding and love for each other. While the story seems a tad farfetched, the strong acting of Watts and Norton, and the breathtaking scenery (shot by cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh)) make this film worth a watch.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Zodiac

Release date: 2 March 2007 (Canada)

Directed by David Fincher and starring a post-Brokeback Mountain star, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downy Jr and Brian Cox, Zodiac is based on the true story of a serial killer who terrorised the San Francisco Bay area in the 1970s. Downy gives a great performance as an-over-the-top, drugged-out reporter. However, his performance is not enough to save this film from its ever so slow pacing and the fact it's too smart by half. A whack of editing may have helped certainly, as we didn't need to have every clue, every discovered rehashed in a movie that's trying to build some tension. I think ultimately where this film fails is not knowing its starting point: was Fincher trying to do a thriller? A bio-op alla In Cold Blood? Or something in between.

For failing to deliver on what could have been a very good film, my rating 5 out of 10.

There Will Be Blood

Release date: 10 December 2007 (New York City, USA)

Wow! Well, what can you say about this Oscar-nominated movie but, wow. The film is a 2:40 glimpse into the mind of a seemingly good guy oilman (played by Daniel Day Lewis), who, over the course of the film reveals his truly ugly, sickening colours and, in doing so, ends up a hollow, evil skeleton of a man. As you watch his descent over the movie into the pure evil creature he is, you're struck by the strangeness of it all, sure; but more by the knowledge - sadly - that people like Daniel Plainview exist even today. There Will Be Blood is a masterpiece for sure and kudos to Paul Thomas Anderson's directing and Lewis' bravado acting. The film's ending is appropriate for its sadness, sadism and leaving us all to wonder, why? With this and No Country for Old Men, I'm stumped on Best Picture this year.

My rating 10 out of 10.

Mongol

Release date: 10 August 2007 (Vyborg Russian Cinema Festival)

Sergei Bodrov directs this historical epic of Genghis Khan (the early years) starting way back in circa 1206 when the great khan was nothing more than a wee lad named Temudjin. Mongol is Russia's entry as Best Foreign Language Film in this year's Academy Awards, and, from the great, sweeping story (think Dr. Zhivago without the melodrama), simply gorgeous cinematography (with dibs to Rogier Stoffers and Sergei Trofimov) and perfect performances from Tadanobu Asano (as Temudjin, aka Genghis Kkan), Khulan Chuluun (as Borte, his wife), and especially Hong-lei Sun (as Temudjin's friend/nemesis, Jamukha), this film is definitely Oscar-worthy. And while a great, entertaining story, Genghis in this version is a little too zen, if you will, for my liking. In addition, the version I watched suffered from a Tower of Babel syndrome where I viewed english subtitles with mongolian and mandarin speaking-actors and a quieter Russian voice over that was thoroughly distracting.

All in all for showing us one man's glimpse at one of history's greatest conquerers, my rating of 8 out of 10.

Atonement

Release date: 29 August 2007 (Venice Film Festival)

As a story outlining the awful things that happen when we bear false witness, Atonement is brilliant. As a medium to giving Ian McEwan's masterful novel a visual context, Atonement is also brilliant. What I found most interesting about the film, however, is its 'craft'. Atonement is an over-directed film. Every scene is so competent and perfect; every 't' crossed, every 'i' dotted. And while that makes for a velvety, rich, beautiful movie, it also hinders its ability to come across as real. And that's where Atonement ultimately fails. Directed by Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley as Celia and James McAvoy as her doomed lover, Robbie, Atonement plays like a good Masterpiece Theatre drama. Kudos to Christopher Hampton (Quiet American, Total Eclipse) for his excellent work taking a complex novel to a screenplay and to Dario Marionelli for his perfect original score.

For giving us an example of how to transition a novel from page to screen and for reinventing the Merchant-Ivory genre, my rating 7 out of 10.

Michael Clayton

Release date: 31 August 2007 (Venice Film Festival)

The ever-pretentious George Clooney stars as Michael Clayton, a gambling addicted lawyer who stumbles into the truth behind a multimillion dollar settlement his firm is negotiating after the lead lawyer, a manic-depressive Arthur Edens (played with over-the-top gusto by Tom Wilkinson), suffers a nervous breakdown. Caught between his duty to the firm and the truth Edens has uncovered, Clayton is forced to chose which truth to follow; all the while being tapped and hunted (and eventually targeted for assassination) by the litigator (Tilda Swinton) of the very company, U/North, his firm is working for. Michael Clayton is a soft thriller built in the Silkwood/Pelican Brief vein. Tony Gilroy of the Bourne films directs with a steady hand bringing just enough life to Clooney to actually make you want to know how it all ends. Oscar-worthy yes; for bringing us a thriller that is both tight and intelligent.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Juno

Release date: 1 Sept 2007 (Telluride Film Festival)

This film was written by a lass named Diablo Cody, which is an odd name granted but a perfect name for the writer of this quirky film built on the Little Miss Sunshine model. Directed by Jason Reitman and starting Ellen Page, it follows the pregnancy of 16-year-old Juno from conception to birth. While its all very well done, it is not certainly not Oscar-worthy. Juno is chock-a-block full of odd characters, living odd lives but remains real at its core - in a Ferris Bueller's Day Off sort of fashion. Page is hands-down the best thing in this movie (as she was in her debut film, Hard Candy, which is worth a watch if only to see a completely different side of her). The transition to the animated credits is also worth a shout-out.

For taking the delicate subject of teen pregnancy and casting it in a refreshing, non-moralistic light, my rating of 7 out of 10.

Breach

Release date: 16 February 2007

While Chris Cooper gives a great performance in this movie based on the true story of the American FBI computer guru, Robert Hanssen, who sold secrets to the Russians for years, I found this movie (yawn) boring. It is capably directed by Billy Ray in a tight, mechanical sort of way and co-stars Ryan Phillippe who's basically there to look pretty and provide some reason for a story. It's proof spy thrillers do need a dead body or three to make things interesting. Hanssen, apparently, in real life was as flat and boring as you see him in the movie, and that, coupled with Ray's decision to film everything in varying shades of greys, doesn't make for much excitement. All that aside, Cooper does a fine job showing us the eccentricity of a supposedly 'good' guy gone bad, even though Ray never let's us understand why he did it.

My rating 5 out of 10.

The Fountain

Release date:4 September 2006 (Venice Film Festival)

Oh boy. Where to start with director Darren Aronofsky's latest work? The films stars Aronofsky's fiance, Rachel Weisz and Hugh Jackman and moves amid three stories. In the first we have a 16th century Spanish conquistador named Tomas (Jackman) searching for the Tree of Life (that famous tree that Eve plucked the apple from only to have us all fall from Grace). In the second, Thomas (Jackman) is a modern-day scientist trying to find a cure for his terminally-ill wife, Izzy (Weisz) and doing all sorts of odd experiments on a monkey. And a third where Jackman is now a Buddha-like character living in a bubble containing the tree of life. Did I just type that?... In short, while the visuals in the film are gorgeous, the convoluted, pretentious story, ponderous dialogue, and frankly, stupid (yes, stupid) Zen-bit at the end where Aronofsky is trying to achieve his own screen immortality alla Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey fails miserably. And that is probably the best buzzline for this plodding, sorry film: miserable.

My rating 2 out of 10.

No Country for Old Men

Release date: 19 May 2007 (Cannes Film Festival)

This is the Coen brothers latest opus based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. While many viewers will see the rather simple story (brilliantly told) of a rancher who stumbles across dead bodies, a stash of heroin and $2 million dollars in the vast spaces of Texas, the beneath-the-surface stories woven amid this main theme make No Country for Old Men one of the greatest American films in some time. Violent, vastly strange, funny and oh-so-subtle in its messaging about America in her current state, the film is as close to an American masterpiece as you can get. The film stars Javier Bardem (as Anton Chigurh, the creepiest serial killer you'll meet in sometime), Woody Harrelson, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones, all perfectly cast; especially Bardem who should get an Oscar for his role. The Coen's editing and framing of each scene is, in a word, magnificent. In particular I was mesmerized by the scene at the motel in El Paso where Brolin chats to the sunbathing girl at the pool, and the encounter our villain Chigurh has with the gas station attendant near the beginning of the film. While many folks will see these two scenes as simple, and perhaps boring, they are two of the most perfect examples of perfect film-making in some time.

My rating 10 out of 10.

Blades of Glory

Release date: 30 March 2007 (Canada)

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star in this irreverent tale of two single men's figure skating champions who team up as a couple in a pairs competition. Will Speck and Josh Gordon direct this madcap caper that has plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes. As a satire of the figure skating world in America is doesn't quite hit the mark, partly because the figure skating world in America is so befuddled and amusing in itself. That aside, the sheer silliness and zaniness of the film and Ferrell's subtle knack of knowing just how far to go with his usual shtick make this film an amusing ride for a Saturday night after one too many glasses of chardonnay.

My rating 7 out of 10.

3:10 To Yuma

Release date: 6 September 2007 (Russia)

Ah, westerns, gotta love them. Despite our perception this is a dying genre, it has been a big year for them with: 3:10 To Yuma, No Country for Old Men, Sukiyaki Western Django and The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford. Initially, you would think casting an Englishman and a Kiwi in an American Western would be a recipe for disaster but with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the saddles, damn, it works well. The film is based on the short story by Elmore Leonard, and is a remounting of the 1957 film. The 2007 version has James Mangold directing and it's a romp-roaring ride. Poor Dan Evans (Bale) sees himself caught up in escorting the mean and murderous outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe) with a ragtag group of marshals and deputies (and eventually his son) to the railway town of Contention so Wade can be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma for his hanging. That is essentially the plot but, of course, there's a whole lot more going on here ... all of it brilliantly done. This is Crowe's movie for sure and his self-deprecating approach to playing Ben Wade is a joy to watch. Long live the westerns!

My rating 9 out of 10.

Happy Together (aka Chun gwong cha sit)

Release date: 17 May 1997 (Cannes Film Festival)

While I do adore director Wong Kar-wai's work immensely, his 1997 'classic' Happy Together is more a miss than a hit for me. Gay lovers Lai Yiu-Fai (Tony Leung) and Ho Po-Wing (the late Leslie Cheng) head to Argentina from pre-reunion Hong Kong to try and rekindle their failing relationship by visiting the beautiful Iguaza Falls. On the ride there, however, the two argue and break-up setting the stage for the 2 hours that follow as the couple alternate between violent abuse of each other to reuniting to breaking apart again. On the surface, how two men who fight continually can possibly be 'happy together' remains a mystery. The deeper plotline though deals with the ties we create through intimacy with another human, and how those ties are challenged by the baggage, history and natural inclinations we bring as we enter and move through a relationship. Ho is destructive by his nature and adverse to commitment; Lai, nurturing, kind and forgiving. The themes are universal. Where Happy Together fails for me is not so much in the actors, but with the direction. Wong Kar-wai films the story as though it's a music video and while I get what he's trying to do contrasting the men and their histories with the heat and passion of Latin America, I found the juxtaposition too forced.

That said, for its visual feast and assault on the senses and the brilliant acting of two of China's greatest modern day actors, my rating of 7 out of 10.

Away From Her

Release date: 27 April 2007 (UK)

Based on Alice Munroe's short story, "The Bear Came Over The Mountain", this Sarah Polley directed film deals with the story of Fiona (played by the immortally beautiful Julie Christie) and her husband of 44 years, Grant (played oh-so-well by Canadian Gordon Pinsent) as they struggle with Fiona's slide into Alzheimers disease. Within 2 hours Polley reflects on two of life's greatest themes woven beautifully together on several levels. There is a story of loss: the loss of memory, of connections; of partners; and of love. And the greater story of the endurance of love in our golden years and what it means in letting go, in moving on, and in looking back. Olympia Dukakis (as Marian) and Michael Murphy (as Aubrey) give great supporting acting roles as well, and I suspect this film will see Oscar nominations in a month's time.

For perfect performances and showing us retirees as real people, my rating of 8 out of 10.

300

Release date: 9 March 2007 (Canada)

Bloody, sweeping, fascinating (from the motion picture making point of view), and, while historically inaccurate on several levels, 300 is one bold, beautiful movie. I loved it. Directed by Zack Synder and starring a beefed-up and digitally morphed cast of Gerard Butler (as King Leonidas), Domenic West (as Theron) and Lena Headey (as the movie's token female, Queen Gorgo), 300 is graphic novelist's Frank Miller's version of the Spartan's stand against the Persian King, Xerxes, at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE (as done by Hollywood). Shot entirely in bluescreen then digitally enhanced, the film is easily the most original thing - visually - seen this last year. And while it is an archetypal example of style over substance ... my-gawd, such style.

My rating 9 out of 10.