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.