Vacancy

Release date: 20 April 2007 (USA)

This film was good. I say that to start as I wasn't expecting it to be good. I was expecting a horrid little horror full of torture and blood. What I got, instead, was a tongue-in-cheek thriller that was variously funny, suspenseful, engaging and - well - good. Whether or not Director Nimrod Antal planned that or not is another matter. Vacancy stars Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale as David and Amy Fox, a bickering couple who find themselves overnighting at a strange motel in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. When David turns on the TV in their motel room to watch a video, he realizes to his horror that the snuff/slasher video he is watching was filmed in the very room he's in. What ensures is a game of cat and mouse as David and Amy try to escape the motel with creepy frontdesk man, Mason (played brilliantly by Frank Whaley) in pursuit. Vacancy never takes itself too seriously, and is more fright and jump then slash and gore, and that's what makes it work.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Turistas

Release date: 1 December 2006 (USA)

An absolute wreck of a movie. Horrible in every sense: the "acting"; the horrific story (involving a sick Brazilian doctor who entraps western tourists in his remote jungle home only to harvest their organs for in-need Brazilians); the formalistic directing; and worse, the fact the film seems to take itself so seriously. I'm actually loathe to bother writing a review except to say avoid! This obscene film should be censored and every copy ever made burned.

My rating 0 out of 10.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Release date: 25 May 2007 (USA)

Well, here we have part three of this adventure. How writers Elliot and Rossio are able to squeeze yet one more story out of a storyline that was essentially done after movie one is beyond me. In this latest (and please Lord, final) installment of the Jack Sparrow adventure directed by Gore Verbinski, the usual crew of pirates and such (Depp, Bloom, Rush and Knightley) must face the combined forces of Davey Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett in a battle to end all battles (yeah, right). After releasing Sparrow from Davey Jone's Locker, the nine Pirate Lords meet to decide whether or not to release Calypso (who has been played ever-so-well by Naomie Harris) who may then aid their cause. All manner of this and that occurs as the Pirates gather and then all's well that ends well ... or gawd, I hope so. The first movie of this installment is still the best but bully on Disney for continuing to draw dollars out of our pockets .... that studio is the ultimate pirate ... and there's the rub on this franchise.

My rating 5 out of 10.

Fahrenheit 9/11

Release date: 17 May 2004 (Cannes Film Festival)

It's interesting to watch Michael Moore doing his usual shtick - this time with Geroge W Bush, September 11 and the invasion of Iraq on his mind - six years after the events and 3 years after its premiere at Cannes. He meticulously lays out Bush's illegal seizure of the Presidency thanks to corruption in Florida, his panache for holidaying, his connections to the Saudis and Bin Laden, and his inept ploys (which Americans for the most part swallowed) that led the US off the hunt for Bin Laden and on to a crusade against Iraq to keep his oil friends on side. Moore's obviously dislike of Bush aside, the film makes for compelling viewing, though feels dated now since much of what he alleged in 2004 is known to be fact today. The best part of Moore's film, simultaneously brilliant and disturbing, are the slow motion clips of Bush being told (in Sarasota) that America was under attack on the morning of September 11th. Never has a president looked more ridiculous then in those few minutes of film. Never has a president looked more dumb and useless.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Disturba

Release date: 4 April 2007 (USA)

D.J. Caruso directs this very good, very fun and occasionally very creepy homage to Hitchcock's Rear Window, updated to the suburbs and the world of 2007. Disturbia stars Shia LeBeouf as Kale, a messed up teenager confined to home via electronic monitoring after assaulting his Spanish teacher. When his mom (Carrie-Ann Moss) disconnects his Xbox, email and TV, Kale takes to watching his neighbours to pass his 3-month sentence. In the process of spying, he comes across new girl on the block, Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and a creepy neighbour Robert (played by David Morse), whom he starts to suspect is a serial killer. What makes this film interesting is despite the fact you know what's going to happen, you continue to watch, and more, feel a connection to the characters (Carrie-Anne Moss aside). Kudos to Caruso's direction and the acting for this. And while there's plenty of holes and leaps-of-faith in the storyline, the ride makes it all worth it. Caruso does a great job giving us a tongue-in-cheek updating of Hitchcock's classic and will make you take a look at the teenagers and neighbours in your own quiet suburbia in a different light.

My rating 8 out of 10.

The Kite Runner

Release date: 5 October 2007 (Scottsdale International Film Festival)

Based on the wildly popular novel by Khaled Hosseini that everyone in the world - save me - has read, The Kite Runner is one-third a remounting of Annie (set in Afghanistan), one-third an episode of 24, and one-third The Pianist. Unfortunately, collectively these thirds don't amount to much of a movie. At its core, The Kite Runner is a film about the ties that bind us all - ties of culture, of family, of duty. The strength in this movie is its opening third. The filming, the story and the acting of the boys Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) and his best friend, the son of his father's servant, Hassen (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) are great. The story and acting slip however - moving from what could have been profound into mere sentimentality - as the movie moves to America and Amir realizes he has a debt to pay to his childhood friend and half-brother by returning to the Taliban-controlled Kabul to rescue his nephew. Homayon Ershadi, as Amir's father, is outstanding, especially when he moves to America. The real challenge with the film is that it suffers a 'you-can-see-it-all-coming-miles-away' problem. When Amir carves the letters in the pomegranate tree with Hassen as children, we just know we'll be revisiting that tree later in the film when Amir returns during the Taliban regime. So who's to blame? The writer or the director? ...

For showing us what Afghanistan used to be like (and hopefully will one day be again), and for conveying the hope all immigrants have when leaving what they know for any new country to start again, my rating 5 out of 10.

The Descent

Release date: 11 March 2005 (Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films)

Neil Marshall, who directed the excellent, cheeky horror, Dog Soldiers, takes a stab (pardon the pun) at a gaggle of gals who meet gruesome ghouls while spelunking ... and doesn't quite pull it off. Marshall kicks off the film with the death of lead character Sarah's husband that is supposed to have us identify with her loss (it doesn't) and provide the thread on which to construct the caving story that ensues (it does ... though poorly). It also provides Sarah's daughter, little Jessica, some reason to constantly appear (dreamlike) wearing a pretty dress and blowing out birthday cake candles (like huh?!). While you have to give prompts to Marshall for the filming here (there's some great scenes in very tight corners), the ghouls when then finally arrive are just Nosferatu knockoffs. What floored me was Marshall's decision to have Sarah turn vigilante at the end. (Spoiler alert) ... the scene where Sarah hobbles Juno on suspicion she purposely stabbed Beth (or whoever it was ... I was beyond caring) comes out of the blue and is, in a word, stupid. This film is an hour of tiresome plot building that ends with thirty minutes of thrills and is not worth The Descent.

My rating 4 out of 10.

The Believer

Release date: 23 August 2001 (Russia)

Written and directed by Henry Bean, The Believer spins a - frankly - utterly unbelievable story (purportedly inspired by a true story) of a young Jew, Danny Balint (played by the latest 'it' guy - Ryan Gosling) who's turned his back on his jewish heritage and spun headlong into neo-Nazism. While Gosling is brilliant in this film, the supporting crew, and more so, the rather pieced together story riddled with long philosophic ramblings about race and religion, a foiled assassination attempt on a Jewish politician, a (sort of) love story, neo-Nazi training camps and a synagogue desecration just don't add up. What's worse, despite the fine, fine performance by Gosling, Bean ends the film with a redemptive afterthought ... almost as if he got so far in, he suddenly realized, 'oh my, how am I going to get out of this?'. All that said, however, the film is worth a viewing to watch Gosling's excellent performance as an antihero you simultaneously hate to love, and love to hate.

My rating 6 out of 10.

Music Within

Release date: 6 November 2007 (Toronto)

Last Thursday I attended the Toronto premier of Director Stephen Sawalich's film, Music Within, starring Ron Livingston and Michael Sheen. Music Within tells the story of Richard Pimentel, who while not well known in North America, can be credited with bringing people with disabilities, their cause and their issues into the mainstream. His seminal training program, based on his 1981 book Tilting at Windmills, was mandatory training for all bureaucrats in the US government, and his efforts led to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (something which shamefully, Canada has yet to legislate nationally). I wanted to like this movie and think it would have been better served had Sawalich focused less on Pimentel the man and more on what he accomplished. While I appreciated getting to know more about someone who's story rightly needs to be told, I think this film would have done better as a PBS documentary than the Sunday-Night-at-the-Movies plodding film (with plodding storyline and poor production values) it is. Worse, I felt I spent 90-odd minutes hammered by a public service announcement on an issue I already wholly support.

For raising awareness on this issue, my rating 3 out of 10.

Maria Full of Grace

Release date: 2 April 2004 (Columbia)

Directed by Joshua Marston, Maria Full of Grace shows us a sad side of the Columbia drug trafficking story - the use of young women as drug mules. Maria, a pregnant seventeen year-old, fed up with life in her small village supporting her mother and sister on a pittance of a wage de-thorning roses, ends up swallowed (pardon the pun) within the drug world. Soon, we see her and two friends ingesting large pellets of cocaine (in Maria's case sixty-two) then boarding a plane and heading to New York City. What was interesting about this film was how sorry you felt for Maria (played by Catalina Sandino Moreno, who garnered a rightful Oscar nomination for her role). The story get meaty as Maria and a surviving friend wander the streets of New York and become integrated into the world that is an illegal immigrant's lot. In the end, with the drugs returned to the dealers, Maria receives her epiphany... and perhaps her grace? Despite the topic and storyline, Maria Full of Grace is a very quiet movie that delivers on character development and plot and is well worth viewing for Moreno's performance and to understand the (warning: preachy moment) evil drugs continue to wreak on South America's poorest peoples.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Beowulf

Release date: 16 November 2007 (USA)

The master of digitalized actors, Robert Zemeckis, directs this retelling of one of the Western world's greatest poems, the Song of Beowulf. Like all good stories of long ago, Beowulf has heroes, monsters, a dragon and curses. If you want a full telling of the tale, visit McMaster University's good site here. The story is a great romping ride of exhilarating excitement on its own. However, what makes this film over-the-top fun is Zemeckis use of performance capture technology where filmed sequences and digitalized animation are woven together to give the film a rich, if creepy, look. Add to this, seeing it in IMAX 3-D and OMG, hold on to your fur-lined caps. I thoroughly loved this film despite its liberties with the story and the bigger-than-Graceland acting by everyone involved: Ray Winstone, John Malkovich, Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins, to name but a few. Special mention to Brendan Gleeson as Wiglaf however. Beowulf is two hours of mossy, thick and rich film adrenaline and should not be missed by anyone who likes a good quest/monster adventure.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Apocalypto

Release date: 8 December 2006 (USA)

Mel, Mel, Mel ... Mel Gibson's latest films all seem to use the same tactics, namely, sickening violence and the focus on one man destined in some manner (usually religious) for 'greatness' within his community. I cite Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ as recent examples. In Apocalypto, Mel takes these two themes to their usual extremes following Jaguar Paw, a young man taken from his forest village and trekked to the Mayan capital to become a human sacrifice to the Gods. Destiny intervenes in the form of an eclipse and thereafter the film becomes the story of Jaguar Paw's odyssey back to save his wife and child, all the while being pursued by his Mayan captures. As a reflection of Mayan history at the time of the conquest, this story is aesthetically accurate and utterly breathtaking in its cinematography. As virtual history, it is hogwash and is simply a setting for the grander story Mel is filming. The violence in the film is horrific on many, many levels and I wonder if the film could have been a 10 out of 10 had Mel reduced it? ... That all said, I would still highly recommend Apocalypto for those of strong stomach who want a glimpse at a world long since gone.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Half Nelson

Release date: 11 August 2006 (USA)

Though Ryan Gosling's performance as the strung out junior high school teacher, Dan Dunne, won him an Academy Award nomination this year, the real star of this film is Shareeka Epps, who plays Drey. When Drey catches Dan smoking crack in the washroom one day a secret bond is formed between them. A bond and story which then carries the movie. Half Nelson is a film about the crash between reality and hope as seen through Teacher Dan's eyes. Caught between his hope to make the world better for the black and hispanic kids in his class and the reality he can't, Dan takes to drugs to find a new reality in which to cope. It is classic stuff and in the hands of director Ryan Fleck is all done quite well. My only problem with the film was Gosling's performance, but perhaps I just don't get the subtlety of his acting? Surely the Academy can't be wrong, right?! Half Nelson also seemed to me one of those films that just goes on and on and on ... and not in a good way.

My rating 5 out of 10.

Blood Diamond

Release date: 8 December 2006 (USA)

Two interlaced love stories masquerade as a hunt for a very rare pink diamond in this great film from director Edward Zwick. The stories centre on Archer (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) who realizes all his wrongs as a Zimbadweian ex-mercenary and diamond smuggler when he meets and falls for the lovely American reporter Maddy Bowen (played by Jennifer Connelly), and Solomon Vandy (the always exceptional Djimon Hounsou), who, kidnapped from his family and forced to work in the Sierra Leone diamond mines, uses the love of family to make his way home. Leonardo's laughable Zimbadweian accent and stiff acting aside, Blood Diamond spins a great story that will keep your interest throughout. Watching it made me realize how much I don't want to go to Africa any time soon, mind you.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Address Unknown

Release date: 2 June 2001 (South Korea)

Director Ki-duk Kim's Address Unknown essentially tells is all about the post-Korean War realities of the American presence. Taking place in 1970, it follows the story of three young misfits - the mixed race son of a Korean mother and black American GI, Chang-guk; Jihum, a frail, abused teenager who is fixated on Eunok, a teenage girl with a wonky eye. The lives of these three individuals intertwine as only Korean dramas can. In the end, the violence and discrimination each faces takes its toll, the result: tragedy for each. The problem with this film is its relentless despair ... there are no happy moments, not a one unless you count Eunok's implied masturbation scene with her puppy (which is something else altogether). The other problem is you see it all coming, Ki-duk Kim exercises no subtlety. Dog lovers will also recoil at the brutal scenes of dog cruelty (the film does note no dogs were harmed in the filming). What you're left with is an overwhelming malaise and a clear understanding that the American involvement in Korea has left deep societal scars.

My rating 6 out of 10.

Son of Rambow

Release date: 14 September 2007 (Toronto International Film Festival)

Son of Rambow is the name of the home movie two misfit British school lads start filming after they run into each other in the hallway of their school. There is Will, the only son of a family of strict religious folk who will not permit him to watch TV or associate with anyone outside their sect. And there is Lee Carter, the son of rich absentee parents who spends his time idolizing his older brother, raising hell in his school and trying to prepare a film for ScreenTest, a contest for up and coming film-makers. Directed by Garth Jennings, this film is a wonderful coming of age tale filled with lessons on friendship and family. It is fun, funny, eclectic, heartwarming and a little off centre and is certainly one of the finest films I've seen this year.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Superman Returns

Release date: 21 June 2006 (Los Angeles, USA)

Brandon Routh stars as Superman, who after an absence of five years on the remains of his home planet Krypton, returns to mother earth to rescue babies and show us poor human folk how good we could be if greed and lust didn't get in our way. Routh is perfectly cast as Superman mimicking Christopher Reeve's sad acting style. Lois is now married with a son, whom we're led to believe is the caped man's own. Kevin Spacey steals the movie as Lex Luthor, who is up to no good stealing Superman's home crystals with a mind to creating a new land mass in the mid-Atlantic to call his own. It's all done very well with lots of action and Superman and Lois Lane looking sadly and longingly at each other. In the end of this too-long-by-30-minutes film, Superman waxes philosophically like Jesus sprouting some Christian parable about sons and fathers. Gugh! This would have been a great movie had director Bryan Singer done the right thing and ended it as Superman hurtles back to earth, after tossing the offending crystal land mass into space, and crashes like a meteor in the heart of Metropolis' version of Central Park.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Release date: 9 September 2007 (Toronto International Film Festival)

Part two of the Elizabeth saga stars, once again, Cate Blanchett. And 'stars' is the perfect term for Cate. You could take Cate Blanchett, dress her up as a guy, give her an awful script with nothing to work with and she'd still shine through ... oh, wait, they've already done that; remember: I'm Not There. The latest Elizabeth - the many historical inaccuracies aside - revolves around Elizabeth's struggle with the pirate, Sir Walter Raleigh, her nemesis Mary, Queen of Scots and the Spanish Armada, which, had the weather cooperated, would have had us all speaking Spanish not English at the present moment. That aside, this film is lavish and luscious and Cate steals most every scene ... though the CGI created Armada is a close second. Clive Owen stars (in an altogether different sense) as Sir Walter Raleigh and does his usual stiff and flat acting routine. Not half as good as the original, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, however, sets the standard high for period dramas in the absence of Ivory & Merchant films. The sheer sweep of the film is breathtaking.

My rating 7 out of 10.

The Bourne Supremacy

Release date: 15 July 2004 (USA)

Despite the plethora of raves on rottentomatoes.com, this second version of Matt doing his Bourne thing flounders on a (yawn) done-it-before story of amnesia and Russian spies and just doesn't live up to the original. Matt Damon does his best to seem interested in what's going on but just can't quite pull it off (perhaps that's the amnesia at work?). The directing, by Paul Greengrass, is all MTV with jumpy shots, flashbacks and lots of shaky camera work. It's all way too much and left me distracted and disinterested.

My rating 6 out of 10.

For Your Consideration

Release date: 10 September 2006 (Toronto International Film Festival)

A spoof on all things Hollywood and, in particular, those who vie for Oscar. The story centers on a the filming of a disaster of a movie called Home for Purim, and the rumour mill that starts up about actors getting Oscar nominations. The has-been actors - a plastic-looking, over-botoxed Catharine O'Hara, former hot-dog adman Victor Allen Miller (played brilliantly by Harry Shearer) and young Callie Webb (the wonderful Parker Posey) all get caught up in the hope of this only to have their hopes dashed, dashed, dashed. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this film and plenty of socially and ethnically incorrect references that are hilarious. A harmless, fun film that will brighten a snowy evening.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Hannibal Rising

Release date: 9 February 2007 (Canada)

Unwatchable and interminably dull and boring. The best I can say about this horror of a horror is that Gong Li's English is improving. The meaningless abhorrent violence aside, this is a good antidote for insomnia. Embarrassing for all involved. Proves that not all film franchises need to go back to give us the origins of the species. Sometimes it's best to leave enough alone.

My rating 0 out of 10.

Sukiyaki Western Django

Release date: 31 August 2007 (Japan)

If you want to talk about a director who knows how to work extremes, you should go no further than Japan's Takashi Miike, who one year after giving us the strange, stark, quiet murder mystery Big Bang Love, Juvenile A returns with this loud, funny, over-the-top take on the American cowboy western. The film centres on the fight for a town, rumored to have a buried treasure, and pits the "whites" and "reds" against each other in true War of the Roses' fashion (the association here to Henry VI will be apparent when you see this movie). A drifter in true Clint Eastwood style arrives in town to save the poor townsfolk from these two marauding groups of samurai and set to right the various injustices meted out during their battle for the town. This is all done in a style I can only best describe as Moulin Rouge crossed with Kill Bill crossed with Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is highly stylized complete with great costumes, much silliness in a Japanese game show way, nods to some of the classic cliches of westerns young and old, and even has Quentin Tarantino playing a key character. What else could you ask for?! If you're after a western of a much different ilk with a marvelous blend of east meets west, saddle on up to this fabled tale.

My rating 9 out of 10.

I'm Not There

Release date: 3 September 2007 (Venice International Film Festival)

Todd Hayes had a great movie in Far From Heaven, and I wanted to say that before reviewing his latest effort, I'm Not There. This film is apparently a biography on the life and times of Bob Dylan and it contains gobs of his music. Piers Handling, Director & CEO of the Toronto International Film Fest Group, gushed at the premier I attended about how it will "revolutionize how biopics are made". Well, if the future of biopics is about dullness, tedious boredom and utter confusion, he truly has hit the nail on the head as this film has this in spades. Utterly forgettable save the performance of Cate Blanchett as one of the Dylan incarnations (Oscar worth perhaps?). And what the hell was Richard Gere doing with his version of Dylan in this mess? A film for strung out artsy-fartsy folk and the film critics who chill with them.

To give Cate her due, my rating 3 out of 10.

Sad Vacation

Release date: 2007 (Japan)

Directed by Shinji Aoyama, Sad Vacation centres on Kenji, who, abandoned by his mother, Chiyoko, when a wee lad, gets by in the employ of the yakuza until he decides to care for an orphaned Chinese boy he comes across when smuggling illegal immigrants. That move leads to the death of his partner in the business and his need to hide. He ends up a driver chauffeuring bar hostesses to and from their homes. And then fate intercedes; later summed up by one character in that 'we are all fated to meet the people we meet'. On one drive, he happens to come across his mother, now remarried with a son and the proprietor of a successful transport company. It is the relationship of mother and son, and brother to half-brother which then consumes the remainder of the film, with startling effect at the end. Despite his attempts to have his mother feel the abandonment he felt as a young boy, Chiyoko opts not to abandon Kenji again despite the cruelness he brought to her. And perhaps that's what this movie is ultimately about: the depth of a mother's love and forgiveness. I enjoyed this film despite its sad ending.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Silk

Release date: 11 September 2007 (Toronto International Film Festival)

Directed by Canadian Francois Girard, Silk is based on a novel by Alessandro Baricco and is essentially a love triangle
between a 19th century silkworm smuggler (played by Michael Pitt), his wife (the ever-pretty Keira Knightley) and the concubine of a baron (Sei Ashina). While the story is, frankly, terribly predictable, Alain Dostie's cinematography makes it all worthwhile. The film, picture-wise, is gushingly gorgeous in a Memoirs of a Geisha fashion, even though the film is more The Last Samurai but with silkworms ... and just as dull.

For the teary love story, however, and more so the simply beauty of what Girard and Dostie set to film, my rating 6 out of 10.

Death Defying Acts

Release date: 13 September 2007 (Toronto International Film Festival)

Directed by Aussie Gillian Armstrong, who was on hand to give us a chat about the film before the screening, Death Defying Acts gives us the fictional story of a run-in Harry Houdini (played by Guy Pearce) had with a Scottish con artist, Mary Macgregor (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her daughter, Benji. Harry has come to Edinburgh to perform his tricks and has set a challenge to all seers and clairvoyants, worth $10,000, if they can confirm the last words spoke by his mother on her death bed. Mary sees dollars signs and is confident she can con Harry out of the money. What follows is pretty standard fare but it is done very refreshingly, I thought, and I was captured by what is at heart a love story masquerading as a drama-thriller. Pearce and Zeta-Jones are bang-on, which certainly helps. The cinematography by Harris Zambarloukos is rich and velvety and gorgeous, perfect for the film. While Harry Houdini can't defy death in the end (which had some in the audience crying even!), the story of his amazing skills as a magician continue to feed us to this day, even when fictionalized.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Jesus Camp

Release date: 20 January 2007 (USA)

This documentary, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, follows the lives of several children who have been indoctrinated by their Pentecostal parents into believing - on a level that is frankly terrifying - the Bible is the written, inviable word of God. Sadly, as such, these poor, sad children have no understanding of tolerance, moderation, diversity or the importance of inclusion. They have one poisoned view of the world and are just as fanatical as any al-Qa'eda terrorist. What's worse, they are the future of America. It is a sobering view of what I've long said is the greatest threat to our world: fundamentalist Christians. Lord help us!

My rating 7 out of 10.

The Good Shepherd

Release date: 11 December 2006

A Robert De Niro directed film, The Good Shepperd follows the career of Edward Wilson (played brilliantly by Matt Damon) as he is recruited from college into the secret world of the CIA shortly before World War II. If you like espionage movies, rush out and rent this one. Loaded with great star power - Angelina Jolie, Joe Pesci, Alec Baldwin, Timothy Hutton, Billy Crudup, William Hurt and an outstanding Michael Gambon as Dr. Fredericks - it is essentially a character study of one man's challenge to remain true to his country or his family. There are endless plot twists and turns and you'll need to stay glued or risk missing an essential point. It is gorgeously filmed by De Niro and has a deep and rich feel to it complemented by a perfect soundtrack. While the film is too long by a half hour (typical of De Niro who needs to be more ruthless with his editor), the journey is more than worth this minor inconvenience.

A solid, satisfying film worth my rating of 9 out of 10.

Simon Birch

Release date: 11 September 1998

Based loosely on John Irving's wonderful book, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Simon Birch follows the story of a young boy with stunted growth syndrome from his birth to his untimely death. It sounds very heavy, but in the hands of director Mark Steven Johnson it comes out endearing and funny, if a tad predictable. Simon is the community's outcast - relegated to the role of baby Jesus in the school Christmas play each year - but his best friend, Joe (played by Joseph Mazzello) sees the person beneath the body. Even when Simon unwittingly has a hand in Joe's mother's death, the friendship endures. Like a John Irving book, there is no end of odd and truly unique characters here, and, while from the very opening scene we know the film will end tragically, there is still enough humanity in the story to make it worth the ride.

My rating 6 out of 10.

The Prestige

Release date: 20 October 2006

Filled with gobs of star power - Scarlet Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and David Bowie, doing an excellent stint as the real-life scientist Nikola Tesla - The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan recounts the fictional tale of two magicians battling to out-do each other. The crux of the plot spins on the death of the wife of one (played by Jackman) at the hands of the other (played by Bale). This film demonstrates the strength of a bold, brilliant script in the hands of a good director. It is engaging, dark, thoroughly captivating, and will have you guessing what magic is going on right until the very last minute. I loved it and thought tying in the real-life character of Tesla was so very inventive. There's pure magic in this film, and if you loved "The Illusionist", you'll love this too.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Mr. Bean's Holiday

Release date: 22 March 2007

Rowan Atkinson revives his classic Mr. Bean character and takes him on vacation for this fun romp. I suspect if you're not British you'll not likely enjoy this film. However, I am a British-Canadian and adore the utter silliness that is Mr. Bean's fumbling. His vacation sees him heading to Cannes only to have his plans - not surprisingly - derailed in Paris. This is slapstick, self-depreciating humour. What makes it good is the subtlety beneath the fumbling. The nod to the Tour de France; the nod to the farce that is the Cannes Film Festival; the nod to the silliness of fine dinning ... each is perfectly done, planting a tiny seed of depth beneath the lightness of the comedy. While you certainly should not go pay money to watch this film (wait till it is out on dvd), it is worth the rent. The ending where Bean ties up the bits of the film, only to sum it up as an homage to friendship makes it worth the price of a rental.

My rating 4 out of 10.

Ju Dou

Release date: 7 Sept 1990 (Toronto International Film Festival)

Former cinematographer, Zhang Yimou, directed this 1990 Shakespearean masterpiece that follows Ju Dou's (played by a very young Gong Li) trials and tribulations as the wife of a brutal dye mill owner in the middle-of-nowhere rural China. Beaten for not producing an heir, Ju Dou takes solace in the arms of the mill owner's nephew, Yang Tian-qing (played by Bao-Tian Li). The result of this affair is a son, whom Ju Dou must raise while pretending the young lad is the mill owner's. Predictably, familial tension, cultural tradition, and the twists and turns of simple human passions result in several tragedies. Zhang films the family's fall into fate slowly and stunningly. At its heart, this film is so much bigger than its subject and characters and as such, it is a crowning achievement ... capturing the sadness a child born in such circumstances can reap on an entire family.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Running with Scissors

Release date: 27 October 2006 (USA)

A film full of star power - the immortal Jill Clayburgh, Patrick Wilson, the always-fine Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes (to name only a few), and an excellent Australian Joseph Cross as the film's main character, Augusten Burroughs. The story is a twisted, true tale of a young lad who is pawned off by his mentally unstable mother (Bening) to a creepy therapist Dr. Finch (Cox). Augusten lives many years within the wonky family and survives no end of strangeness from them, his mother and his alcoholic father (Baldwin). The story is very sad but director Ryan Murphy plays it all with a hearty note of zaniness which makes the sadness more poignant. This film received very mixed reviews, and is, I think, a love-it or hate-it kind of flick. Running with Scissors cuts on many levels and shows both the true harm, and ultimate resilience, growing up in a disfunctional family can wrought.

My rating 8 out of 10.

A Prairie Home Companion

Release date: 9 June 2006 (USA)

Based on the ever-running radio show of the same name envisioned by Garrison Keillor, and filled with more star power than most films in a long time, A Prairie Home Companion recounts the last night performance of the show before it is axed by the new owners of the station in the guise of an axeman (played by Tommy Lee Jones). Along the way, there are plenty of quirky performances (notably Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly playing a hilarious duo, Dusty and Lefty) and a ghost who is haunting the stage with the task of taking one of the group. To be honest, I nodded off during the bits with Garrison Keillor and think you have to be of a certain age to appreciate this film. The title sounds boring and while it does pick up at the end, I did think this was pretty boring overall.

My rating 5 out of 10.

Shortbus

Release date: 20 May 2006 (Cannes Film Festival)

Based on the name of the sex club where a third of the film happens, Shortbus is essentially soft-core pornography disguised as a highbrow art house piece. The story centers on a brilliantly acted Sophia (played by Canadian, Sook-Yin Lee) who is a sex therapist who's never experienced an organism. After a run in with a gay couple seeking counseling, Sophia ends up at Shortbus and the sexual adventures begin as she quests to find her G spot. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell (he of Hedwig and the Angry Inch fame) and winner of numerous awards at several (unheralded) film festivals (Zurich excepted), Shortbus puts to film some of the most explicit sexual scenes ever captured to film and released 'mainstream'. The opening sequence itself, with its three vignettes, are worth the price of admission alone and provide the best comment on what this film is all about: summed up in its own tagline "voyeurism is participation". This is NOT a film for children and has enough hot scenes no matter what your sexual orientation to be worth a rental.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Crank

Release date: 1 September 2006 (USA)

Despite the ridiculous storyline, involving a professional assassin who awakens from a stupor to realize he's been stuck with an oriental cocktail poison that will kill him in 24 hours, I thought this film was lots of (violent) fun. Starring 'The Transporter' guru, Jason Stratham, and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, it has poor Chev running around with vengeance on his mind to catch up and do-in the West Coast crime syndicate leader, Verona, who stuck him in the first place. Filled with lots of action and a couple twists along the way to keep things interesting.

My rating 7 out of 10.

The Black Dahlia

Release date: 15 September 2006 (USA)

This film, directed by the one and only Brian De Palma, is a muddled mess. Starring Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank, it (poorly) recounts the famous - unsolved - murder of starlet Elizabeth Short in California in the 1940s. Two police officers (former boxers of course ... this is afterall a De Palma film) are charged with heading up the investigation. All manner of plots and twists ensue (too many to even begin relating here, and one of the real problems with this film) before the ending comes ... but you'll have fell asleep by then by the insipid boredom of it all. Shame on De Palma.

My rating 2 out of 10.

Fantastic Four

Release date: 28 July 2005 (USA)

Based on the Marvel Comic characters, and directed by Tim Story, the Fantastic Four is a fun romp with plenty of action and just enough silliness to make the characters endearing (if a tad aggravating ... especially Chris Evans as Storm). The story starts with the foursome (plus Victor Von Doom) heading to space and recounts their transformation - at the hands of a mysterious force - into the famous four. The story lags some as time is spent getting all warm and fuzzy as the foursome come to terms with their new selves but picks up at the end with lots of superpowerness and the (sort of) triumph of good over evil. It's all woefully predictable but since director Story takes a tongue-in-cheek (versus dark ... i.e., Spiderman) approach, it works on the whole.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Maborosi

Release datae: 21 March 1997 (USA)

Maborosi means 'phantasmic light' and, certainly, this is a phantasmic film. Directed by the marvellous Kore-eda Hirokazu, Maborosi is in every respect an art film. That said, has any film ever been so beautifully, so utterly simply made? This type of film is beyond the ability of Hollywood. Using natural light, spare dialogue, and the story of a young woman seeking answers after her husband commits suicide leaving her alone with a young son, Kore-eda films a tome on loss, the endurance of love and ultimately, what life is about. This film is staggeringly subtle and a testament to just how good film can get.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Grudge 2

Release date: 13 October 2006 (USA)

The medicore machine that is movie-making in Hollywood these days spewed out this latest attempt to cash in on the Asian supernatural horrors genre of Kairo, Ju-On, etc. Sadly, this film is a wreck from the outset as it tries to follow three storylines: three Tokyo school girls who return to the infamous haunted house; the adventures of the sister of the Karen Davis character of Grudge one (played by Sarah Michelle Geller); and a family in a flat in Chicago. While Takashi Shimizu (of the original film and the US remake) directs again giving the film its trademark creepy feel, the plot just doesn't hold up. I couldn't understand (let alone care) why our freaky little ghost boy and his mother end up in Chicago. Were they keen on ordering deep dish pizza? Time to put this series of films to bed me thinks.

My rating 4 out of 10.

Lan Yu

Release date: 22 November 2001 (Hong Kong)

Released in 2001 and directed by Stanley Kwan, it covers a decade long love story of two men, the architecture student, Lan Yu, and his real estate developer lover, Handong. "I know I'd have to leave you one day. I kept reminding myself to love you a little less everyday to make it easier on myself when the time came." - Lan Yu I thoroughly enjoyed this movie despite it's tragic opera-like ending, which had me crying ... wah wah wah ... me such a baby. Hmmm, no, maybe more of a romantic. Lan Yu is played by the oh-so-handsome, Liu Ye, who shall be my new obsession, and you get to see him buck neked! A couple other points on this fine film: * if you can lay your hands on the Hong Kong version of this movie (versus the international or Chinese release) there are an extra 20 minutes of film; * the movie was filmed in Beijng without government sanction; you'll know this as there is a blantant reference to the Tiananmen Square student uprising and subsequent tragedy in the film; * the movie is based on the internet novel, Beijing Story, published anonymously by "Beijing Comrade". In 2002, David Fung did translate the story which can be found here.

My rating: 8 out of 10.

Mrs. Henderson Presents

Release date: 25 November 2005 (Denmark)

I thoroughly enjoyed it: fun, funny, entertaining, sentimental, great acting, a smattering of full frontal male nudity, and a little tragedy thrown in. I thought of my papa and the stories he often tells of growing up in the UK during World War II.

My rating 8 of 10.

The Art of Fighting (aka Ssaum-ui Gisul)

Release date: 2005 (South Korea)

The Art of Fighting is sort of like Karate Kid (but with umpteen times more violence). Poor Byungtae keeps getting pummeled by kids in his school until he comes across the mysterious Ponsu who teaches him the art of fighting (including the use of coins ... now only if his aim were better). This is Shin Han-sol's first kick at directing and - judging by this movie - we've got more good things coming. I felt it was beautiful shot (watch for the road scenes). Jae Han, playing Byungtae, is great at acting with simple facial gestures and looks, which is a real skill. Baek Yoon-shik, as the mysterious Ponsu, plays the fighting mentor with a sorted past hinted at but never revealed. There is a good deal of comedy sprinkled throughout, like when Byungtae reads to use whatever is at hand to your advantage when fighting and opts for a fluorescent blub (still in it's fixture) and one ragtag bully ends up cutting his partner in crime while fighting. The ending is initially sad but saved under Han-sol's hand. This film has been on the Korean Top Ten list of films since its release Jan 3rd. Not for kids, very violent.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Formula 17

Release date: 2 April 2004 (Taiwan)

Not an Oscar contender granted but worth a watch. Tien heads to Taipei to find the love of his life and ends up attracted to a Brianesque (from Queer As Folk) playboy, Bai, who never beds twice. Predictable love story follows but it is handled in a refreshing manner, the climax being when Tien appears awkwardly at Bai's door and says, "Let's stop pretending. It's tiring". First time director, Chen Yin-Jung (a women) had a firm hand on the freestyling look she was after and its succeeds quite well. The film will have you laughing out loud and employs Amie-like sequences where characters knowing acknowledge the camera. There are ellipses, cutesy flashbacks, and even a nod to Peking opera-style. Tien's Taipei sidekick, Yu, is hilariously, over-the-top gay. Actually, all characters in this movie are gay which I would think was somewhat of a first for Taiwanese films.

Note: sadly, this film continues to be banned in one of my least favourite police states, Singapore. Also please note: I love the people, but thoroughly dislike the oppressive, backwards government they continue to tolerate.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Eye on the Guy

Release date: 2006 (Canada

This doc recounts the story of Alan B. Stone who, in the 1950s and 60s, took pictures of lads like the one below and ran a thriving subscription service from the basement of his aunt's home in Montreal selling pictures to repressed gay guys everywhere. These 'beefcake' pictures (as they were called) were the porn of that time before Playgirl, et al came into being. Interestingly, it was only when Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau declared in 1967 that the government would no longer have a role in the bedrooms of Canadians that the full frontal porn we know of today took off. So, lads, you have the Liberals and Trudeau to thank for those pictures you look at on-line (well, the Canadian ones at least).

My rating 4 out of 10.

Mozartballs

Release date: 28 January 2006 (Germany)

Tells the story of a handful of very eccentric folks who have connections to Mozart in one way or other. There's a woman from Oklahoma who truly believes she's Mozart reincarnated; a sad old gentleman in Switzerland who treks to Mozart's grave to tidy it up and claims Mozart saved his life; there's the first Austrian astronaut who went to the Mir Space Station and brought Mozartballs (the candy) with him; and the odd Mr. Cope who creates computer programs which create music based on algorithms ... in this case Mozart's lost Concerto for Cello.

These folks are a truly strange bunch but demonstrate the 'power' Mozart and his music have in our lives. Well worth seeing if it passes through your town.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Raised to be Heroes

Release date: 2006 (Canada)

As a die-hard refusenik/peacenik myself, this doc served to reinforce my views on the military. It tells the story of Israeli soldiers who have decided to refuse military service (for new recruits) or assignments (for soldiers already in the army) in the Occupied Territories. While I think this story could have been told in about 20 minutes less (editor, get to work), there is a great story here which in two cases during the documentary is chilling as soldiers explaining why they have chosen their course of action compare the Israeli policy in the Occupied Territories to situations the Nazis faced in WW2. It is chilling in the comparison. Absolutely worth a see if only for these two comparison. As a hot doc should do, this piece will have you examine your thoughts on the Israeli/Palestinian situation again.

My rating 6 out of 10.

They Chose China

Release date: 2005 (China)

Fascinating story of 22 US POWs, who, at the end of the Korean War, opted not to return to the good old US of A but instead held fast in their beliefs about peace and ended up living in China. The Academy Award-nominated director of this movie, Shui-Bo Wang, met one of these peace soldiers when he was a little boy and finally managed (after a 10 year struggle) to bring their - in the West at least - forgotten story to life. One of those excellent documentaries that tells a seemingly unbelieveable story. I wonder how many Americans even knew of this chapter in their history?

My rating 10 out of 10.

Abducted: The Megumi Yokota Story

Release date: 25 November 2006 (Japan)

This film recounts the abduction of Japanese citizens by the North Korean government in 1977 in order for them to teach Korean spies Japanese and japanese culture. It is a dramatic, sad and moving story of parents love for their children. It is also a testament to hope. When, near the end of the movie, you watch 5 of the 13 abductees return to Japan and reunite with their families, oh gosh, the tears started flowing for most folks in the Al Green Theatre, let me tell you. Well worth 85 minutes of your time. Bring kleenex.

My rating 10 out of 10.

Kinky Boots

Release date: 20 January 2006 (Cannes Film Festival)

I watched this cute little movie before heading out to Hot Docs tonight. While in the vein of The Full Monty and Waking Ned Devine, this movie didn't really do much for me. The premise is cute: old shoe factory is dying and to revive business son gets the idea to create a line of transvestite footwear. Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as Lola/Simon and overall the cast is strong, however, I just couldn't get in to it. There are a few good laughs and the music is not bad but there is nothing 'kinky' about his movie. I believe this is out in very limited release here in Toronto. Personally, I'd hold off and rent it.

My rating 6 out of 10.