Ross Bradford - Top Movie Picks Archive

Ross Bradford's Top Movie Picks - Archive

2006 Reviews

Eragon 3/5 Stars. Not as good as Lord of the Rings, but better than the latest Star Wars flicks. (review Dec 2006)

Apocalypto 4/5 Stars. Visually stunning, but once again Mel garbles his history. (review Dec 2006)

Bobby 2/5 Stars. What does it tell you when the most interesting parts were the old news clips? (review Nov 2006)

Casino Royale 4/5 Stars. Best Bond since Sean? Best Bond Flick in quite some time. (review Nov 2006)

Babel 4/5 Stars. More interesting plot than Crash. (review Nov 2006)

Flags of our Fathers 5/5 Stars. Better than Ryan. (review Nov 2006)

The Departed 4/5 Stars. Is Mark Wahlberg the new Jack Nicholson? (review Oct 2006)

The Science of Sleep 4/5 Stars. Is Charlotte Gainsbourg not the coolest actress in France??? (review Oct 2006)

Flyboys 4/5 Stars. Filmmaking with an earlier style, somehow it works just fine. (review Sept 2006)

The Black Dahlia 3/5 Stars. Some mysteries are best left unsolved. (review Sept 2006)

The Illusionist 4/5 Stars. See the ending in the smoke and mirrors? Never mind. Just enjoy the illusion.

Little Miss Sunshine 5/5 Stars. Best of the summer. Take out your “Where’s Olive?” t-shirts. (review Aug 2006)

Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest 3/5 Stars. Forget Johnny and Keira, Lee and MacKenzie steal the show. (review Aug 2006)

The Descent 3/5 Stars. A promising start ends up in a gore fest. A horror unseen is more terrifying. When will they ever learn. (review Aug 2006)

Scoop 4/5 Stars. A return to vintage Woody. (review July 2006)

Superman Returns 4/5. Does justice to the franchise. (review July 2006)

Joyeaux Noel 4/5 Stars. A sentimental little piece, goes over the top only once. (review June 2006)

An Inconvenient Truth 3/5 Stars. How a Power Point presentation should be done. (review June 2006)

Down in the Valley 4/5 Stars. Forget the disappearing goatee, this one is never quite what it seems to be. (review June 2006)

The DaVinci Code 3/5 Stars. It’s not a bad movie, it’s that the weaknesses in the book are on display. (review June 2006)

The Notorious Bettie Page 4/5 Stars. Gretchen Mol a new Marilyn Monroe? (review May 2006)

Poseidon 3/5 Stars. Neither sinks nor rises to the top. (review May 2006)

Hard Candy 3/5 Stars. Too unbelievable to be truly good. (review May 2006)

Art School Confidential 4/5 Stars. Characters come to life. (review 2006)

Brick 4/5 Stars. Can the kid from “Third Rock from the Sun” pull off film noir? You bet! Catch this tale. (review May 2006)

Tristam Shandy, A Cock and Bull Story 4/5 Stars. A bit of fun for those who may enjoy a film about the first post modern story. (review Apr 2006)

V for Vendetta 3/5 Stars. Tries to be so earnest, winds up a bit silly. (review Apr 2006)

Inside Man 5/5 Stars. Best of the year so far. (review Mar 2006)

Beowulf and Grendel 4/5 Stars. How the movies should treat the classics. Iceland is the new New Zealand. ( review Mar 2006)

The Libertine 4/5 Stars. Depp outshone by Pike. (review Mar 2006)

16 Blocks 3/5 Stars. Might seem a lot longer if you don’t like the fingernails on chalkboard voice. (review Mar 2006)

Match Point 4/5 Stars. The guys are more likely to love the ending. (review Mar 2006)

A Good Woman 4/5 Stars. The wit of Oscar Wilde up-dated, to the 1930’s that is. (review Mar 2006)

Transamerica 4/5 Stars. Felicity does deliver, although with the make-up she looks like John Malkovich of all people. Good company will enhance the experience. (review Feb 2006)

Firewall 2/4 Stars. A promising start sputters out. (review Feb 2006)

Mrs. Henderson Presents 4/5 Stars. You get to see the Millerettes, a Pop Idol Winner, and Bob Hoskins nude. Judy Dench is not bad either. (review Feb 2006)

Underworld Evolution 2/5 Stars. You’ll feel like you were bitten by a bat and a wolf. (review Jan 2006)

Brokeback Mountain 4/5 Stars. Yes Heath is good. (review Jan 2006)

Casanova 4/5 Stars. In the spirit of Tom Jones. (review Jan 2006)

Tristan and Isolde 4/5 Stars Realism over Romance. Myles and Sewell outperform Franco. (review Jan 2006)

2005 Reviews

King Kong 4/5 Stars. Naomi’s best performance to date. 1933 New York comes to life again. (review Dec 2005)

The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 4/5 Stars. Not the Lord of the Rings, but it will do. Young Georgie shines. (review Dec 2005)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 4/5 Stars. I still like part III the best. (review Dec 2005)

Walk the Line 4/5 Stars. Reese steals this one. (review Dec 2005)

Pride and Prejudice 4/5 Stars. MacFayden vs Firth. Both pretty good I’d say. (review Nov 2005)

Jarhead 3/5 Stars. Full Metal Jacket + Apocalypse Now + Gulf War #1 = an uneven flick. (review Nov 2005)

The Legend of Zorro 3/5 Stars. Can it be, that the horse and the child steal the show? (review Oct 2005)

Serenity 4/5 Stars. Makes you wonder why Firefly did not catch on? (review Oct 2005)

A History of Violence 4/5 Stars. A modern day western? Mortensen as Gary Cooper? (review Oct 2005)

Where the Truth Lies 4/5 Stars. So much more than a threesome. (review Oct 2005)

Lord of War 4/5 Stars. Does not misfire. (review Sept 2005)

Exorcism of Emily Rose 3/5 Stars. Good actors do their best with a weak plot. (review Sept 2005)

Mysterious Skin 4/5 Stars. Sometimes hard to watch, but that’s the point. (review Sept 2005)

The Constant Gardener 5/5 Stars. Rachel steals the show. (review Sept 2005)

Hustle and Flow 4/5 Stars. You may wish there were subtitles, but stick with it anyway. (review Sept 2005)

Saint and Soldiers 4/5 Stars. Not so much because of the action sequences, but because of the scene with the cigarette. (review Aug 2005)

Broken Flowers 5/5 Stars. Love the ending, its not Hades its Purgatory. (review August 2005)

The Great Raid 4/5 Stars. Some clichés, some gripping moments. (review August 2005)

Me and You and Everyone We Know 4/5 Stars. Quirky, Edgy, Real, Performance Art, Uncomfortable, Everyone’s been there. (review August 2005)

Stealth 3/5 Stars. For summer fluff, this one takes off. (review July 2005)

The Island 3/5 Stars. Logan’s Run with pyrotechnics. (review July 2005)

My Summer of Love 4/5 Stars. Something wicked has come into the valley. Wickedly good. (review July 2005)

War of the Worlds 3/5 Stars. Loses momentum in the final quarter. (review July 2005)

Crash 4/5 Stars. A bit contrived, but still packs a solid punch. (review June 2005)

Cinderella Man 4/5 Stars. The family of Max Baer won’t like it, but its hard for the rest of us not to. (review June 2005)

Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith 2/5 Stars. O.K. the last half hour wasn’t too bad, but it did not make up for the silly dialogue and plodding plot. The long awaited light saber duel the only highlight of this weak prequel. (review May 2005)

Kingdom of Heaven 4/5 Stars. The best historical epic since “Gladiator” , marred only slightly by the post enlightenment anachronistic ethos of some of the characters. But in these politically correct times what can you expect? (review May 2005)

The Aviator 4/5 Stars. Cate earnes her Oscar playing Kate. (review May 2005)

Downfall 5/5 Stars. The end must have been like this. Ganz as the definitive Hitler. (review Apr 2005)

Sin City 4/5 Stars. Sure its style over substance, but what style! (review Apr 2005)

The Assassination of Richard Nixon 4/5 Stars. A more subdued Taxi Driver for the 2000’s. (review Mar 2005)

Hotel Rwanda 5/5 Stars. Gripping, feel the tension even when you know the outcome. (review Mar 2005)

Million Dollar Baby 4/5 Stars. I like Clint for an Oscar. (review Feb 2005)

The Woodsman 4/5 Stars. The memorable scene in the park will leave you uncomfortable angry and moved. (review Jan 2005)

Elektra 2/5 Stars. Jen should not be following in Ben’s footsteps. (review Jan 2005)

The House of Flying Daggers 4/5 Stars. Another worthy picture a la Hero. (review Jan 2005)

A Very Long Engagement 5/5 Stars. War, Murder, Betrayal, Corruption, Young Love. What more could you ask for? (review Jan 2005)

2004 Reviews

The Phantom of the Opera 3/5 Stars. Yes its true, Butler really doesn’t have a very strong voice. (review Jan 2005)

Sideways 4/5 Stars. Amusing, slightly aged, no bad after taste. (review Dec 2004)

Closer 4/5 Stars. Storyline creates some discomfort. Natalie makes it all worthwhile. (review Dec 2004)

Finding Neverland 5/5 Stars. The Man and the Boy find the right spark. (review Dec 2004)

The Machinist 4/5 Stars. Christian Bale suffering for his art, plus a taste of Film Noir. Adds up to a dish better than a can of tuna and an apple. (review Dec 2004)

Alexander 3/5 Stars. The visual splendor of the Ancient world doesn’t quite make up for the plodding plot. (review Nov 2004)

Bridget Jones Diary the Edge of Reason 3/5 Stars. This franchise has probably run its course. (review Nov 2004)

National Treasure 2/5 Stars. I hardly call this one a treasure. (review Nov 2004)

Ray 4/5 Stars. Jamie and the Music, what more could you ask for? (review Nov 2004)

Being Julia 4/5 Stars. Annette Bening makes revenge look exquisite (review Nov 2004)

The Grudge 4/5 Stars. Will give you some good jolts. (review Oct 2004)

The Forgotten 3/5 Stars. A promising start fizzles. (review Oct 2004)

Motorcycle Diaries 5/5 Stars. Its all about the Journey not the Ideology. (review Oct 2004).

Hero 4/5 Stars. Great story, beautifully filmed. But this “dancing” through the air is now rather old hat. (review Oct 2004)

Shaun of the Dead 4/5 Stars. Do ravenous Zombies and Humour work well together? Only in England you say. (review Sept 2004).

Cellular 3/5 Stars. Gives you pretty much what you expect. No more no less. (review Sept 2004).

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow 5/5 Stars. A homage to Art Deco, Metropolis, the World of Pulp Science Fiction, ... you get the picture. You’ll either love it or hate it. (review Sept 2004).

Vanity Fair 4/5 Stars. Reese does a fine job with the accent and the character. But Rhys Ifans steals the show. (review Sept 2004).

Collateral 4/5 Stars. Cool Hair. Tom Cruise makes one fine villain. (review Aug 2004)

The Bourne Supremacy 5/5 Stars. Best action flick of the Summer. (review Aug 2004)

The Village 4/5 Stars. O.K. folks its not really a horror flick, it’s a social commentary flick. Go with that in mind and you won’t be disappointed. (review 2004)

The Door in the Floor 4/5 Stars. Not a happy flick, but great performances by Jeff and Kim. (review July 2004)

I Robot 3/5 Stars. It says something when the Robot was by far the best actor in the picture. (review July 2004)

King Arthur 3/5 Stars. Falls short of Epic status. Still the battle scenes were boffo and the Saxons looked cool. (review July 2004)

Spiderman 2 4/5 Stars. Spiderman is the thinking man’s super hero. (review July 2004)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 4/5 Stars. Yes it is the best one so far. (review July 2004)

The Terminal 4/5 Stars. Worth spending some time in this waiting room. (review June 2004)

Bon Voyage 4/5 Stars. Adjani is bon. (review June 2004)

The Delicate Art of Parking 4/5 Stars. Ever got a parking ticket? Don’t you feel better about it now? ( review June 2004)

The Day after Tomorrow 2/5 Stars. Only Al Gore could find this believable. (review June 2004)

The Reckoning 4/5 Stars. Good Cast. I could feel that medieval chill. (review May 2004)

Troy 4/5 Stars. Sure the dialogue is a bit ponderous at times, but you’re really only interested in the battle scenes, right? (review May 2004)

Saddest Music in the World 4/5 Stars. For the Art house crowd only.1920’s surrealism meets the Winnipeg School of film making. (review May 2004)

Man on Fire 3/5 Stars. After a good start falls too much into the “blows ‘em up real good mode.” (review May 2004)

Van Helsing 2/5 Stars. This is really a B movie with a big budget. You know like Frankenstein meets Dracula, meets the Wolfman, meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (review May 2004)

Good Bye Lenin 4/5 Stars. Nostalgia with a twist. Wait for the scene with the flying Lenin. (review May 2004)

I’m Not Scared 4/5 Stars. Childhood innocence? Evil lurks in the sunny fields of Italy. (review May 2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 5/5 Stars. Some memories just can’t be erased. A walk on a frozen river, a falling car, that first great love. (review April 2004)

The Alamo 4/5 Stars. Works best for history buffs. Remarkable performances by Billy Bob Thornton and Patrick Wilson. (review Apr 2004)

Dawn of the Dead 3/5 Stars. You get what you pay for, nothing more or less, in this trip to the Mall (review Apr 2004)

Taking Lives 2/5. Stars Intriguing start fizzles out with hackneyed ending. (review Mar 2004)

Secret Window 3/5 Stars. Not even Johnny Depp can carry the last quarter of this pic. (review Mar 2004)

The Triplets of Belleville 4/5 Stars. Best car chase scene of the year. (review Mar 2004)

The Passion of the Christ 3/5 Stars. Actually it’s the ancient Romans you’ll hate. Gibson wanted to emphasize the sacrifice and the suffering, but more of the message could have made this a better film. (review Feb 2004)

The Dreamers 3/5 Stars. Nice to look at, but somewhat self indulgent, just like the main characters. (review Feb 2004)

Girl with a Pearl Earring 4/5 Stars. Like stepping into a Dutch Master. Why wasn’t Scarlett nominated?? (review Jan 2004)

Big Fish 4/5 Stars. Some stories are more interesting than others. Those that are make it worthwhile. (review Jan 2004)

21 Grams 4/5 Stars. Is it just me but can you "see" when Naomi is “acting”? Compare her to Sean and Bernicio to see how "acting" should really be done. (review Jan 2004)

Lord of the Rings, Return of the King 5/5 Stars. Best of the Three? Yep. Does justice to the book? Yes, Should Jackson get the Academy award for the trilogy? Sure. (review Jan 2004)

Cold Mountain 5/5 Stars. LOTR’s main rival? Renee’s turn? (review Jan 2004)

In America 4/5 Stars. The Bolger sisters are brilliant in pulling off the sister act. A too miraculous ending is the only problem with a very sweet film. (review Jan 2004)

2003 Reviews

Something’s Gotta Give 3/5 Stars. Jack playing a caricature of himself is not exactly a stretch. (review Dec 2003)

Bad Santa 3/5 Stars. It ain’t Miracle on 34^th Street. (review Dec 2003)

The Missing 3/5 Stars. There is a good 90 minute film somewhere in this 2 hour 20 minute version. Cate delivers in an otherwise only o.k. picture. (review Dec 2003)

The Last Samurai 4/5 Stars. Dances with Wolves meets Shogun. Stir in a bit of Little Big Man and Glory. Adds up to something better than Kill Bill (review Dec 2003)

Elephant 3/5 Stars. An exercise in morbid fascination. You know its not going to turn out nice but you still watch. (review Dec 2003)

Master and Commander 5/5 Stars. Wonderfully politically incorrect. Best War movie since Saving Private Ryan. (review Nov 2003)

Love Actually 4/5 Stars. Sappy, but the good kind of sappy. (review Nov 2003)

Matrix Revolutions 2/5 Stars. Matrix Reloaded had the chase scene, this one had the attack on Zion, but one good segment does not make a good movie. This one was mostly boring and badly acted. (review Nov 2003)

The Human Stain 4/5 Stars. I don’t think it was miscast. (review Nov 2003)

Runaway Jury 3/5 Stars. Competent enough performances, but becomes too predictable and preachy at the end. I was waiting for the violins to start playing. (review Oct 2003)

Mystic River 5/5 Stars. Best Director for Clint? The ending is powerful not contrived. (review Oct 2003)

Kill Bill Vol I 2/5 Stars. Tarantino trying to outdo Tarantino and failing. (review Oct 2003)

Underworld 2/5 Stars. Should have stayed below ground. (review Oct 2003)

Lost in Translation 5/5 Stars. Who would have guessed that a karaoke session could be so moving! Awkward pauses, longing glances, whispers, sometimes love is like that. (review Sept 2003)

Cabin Fever 2/5 Stars. Goes for the Gross-out factor rather than suspense. Watch your ****ing language **** ing kids, its so ****ing bad. (review Sept 2003)

Matchstick Men 4/5 Stars. Its really about relationships and characterization, not the big con. (review Sept 2003)

Once upon a time in Mexico 4/5 Stars. This is really a Superhero film. Just quirky enough to be a cut above the Superhero films we saw this summer. (review Sept 2003)

American Splendor 4/5 Stars. Can an average Joe lunchpail become a comic book hero? Sure why not, but don’t expect life to get any better. (review Sept 2003)

Swimming Pool 3/5 Stars. The final twist all too predictable. The publisher is right after all. (review Sept 2003)

Dirty Pretty Things 4/5 Stars. A disturbing and powerful look at the lives of “the people we never see”. (review Aug 2003)

Open Range 4/5 Stars. Despite some flaws, like the sappy romantic ending, this western holds its own. Has one of the best gunfight scenes in the genre. (review Aug 2003)

Northfork 4/5 Stars. Do angels still walk the prairies? This one is worth a look to find out. But be forewarned, this one is a love it or hate it film. (review Aug 2003)

S.W.A.T. 3/5 Stars. The action was quite good, the dialogue silly and stilted. But you go to a movie like this for the action right? (review Aug 2003)

Russian Ark 4/5 Stars. Not for everyone, but if you like art, music,& history, take this tour of the Hermitage with the ghosts of the past. (review Aug 2003)

Seabiscuit 4/5 Stars. Ride along with the Biscuit, the feel good movie of the summer. You can’t keep a boy from Alberta down forever. (review July 2003).

Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life 2/5 Stars. The best part was the Master and Commander trailer. Indiana Jones does it so much better. (review July 2003)

Pirates of the Caribbean 4/5 Stars. No the fencing doesn’t go on too long. How could Captain Jack hold all that rum??? (review July 2003)

Terminator 3, Rise of the Machines 3/5 Stars. T-1000 was more impressive than T-X. Arnie does get off some good one liners though. (review July 2003)

Whale Rider 4/5 Stars. A bit slow moving, but this Whale song has power. (review July 2003)

The Hulk 3/5 Stars. O.k., usually we complain that films like this are all special effects with no character development. Ang Lee tries to be different, but it goes on and on… (review June 2003)

Hollywood Homicide 2/5 Stars. Can’t make up its mind whether it’s a comedy or a cop drama. As a result you can’t take the dramatic moments seriously. (review June 2003)

Laurel Canyon 4/5 Stars. Frances makes it worthwhile as does the song “Shade & Honey”. (review June 2003)

Identity 3/5 Stars. Somehow loses its way in the last 20 minutes, surprising twist at the end though. (review May 2003)

The Dancer Upstairs 4/5 Stars. What a detective show should be like. (review May 2003)

Nowhere in Africa 5/5 Stars. Fall in love with Kenya. (review May 2003)

The Matrix Reloaded 2/5 Stars. Can one super chase scene make up for pretentious dialogue, needless digressions, and not much of a plot? I guess not. (review May 2003)

X-2 X-Men United 3/5 Stars. Good special effects, little plot and character development, what you might expect from summer fare. (review May 2003)

The Good Thief 4/5 Stars. If it comes down to a choice between “the Good Thief” and Ocean’s Eleven pick the Good Thief. (review Apr 2003)

The Core 3/5 Stars. Armageddon went up, this one goes down. Pretty conventional but better than what I expected. (review Apr 2003)

Max 4/5. The artist as a budding demagogue. Uneven script salvaged by Noah Taylor. (review Apr 2003)

Phone Booth 3/5 Stars. Strong build up frittered away by a weak ending. Never turn down a free pizza. (review Apr. 2003)

The Quiet American 5/5 Stars. What would you do for love? What would you do for your country? An intimate movie about crossing boundaries. (review Mar. 2003)

Spider 4/5 Stars. Is it truth, delusion, rationalization? Perhaps the definitive portrayal of madness. (review Mar. 2003)

Daredevil 2/5 Stars. Rent Spiderman instead. (review Feb. 2003)

Adaptation 4/5 Stars. Write a screenplay based on a book without a plot. Will it work? Works fine. (review Feb. 2003)

The Recruit 3/5 Stars. Al Pacino plays Al Pacino. “Plot Twists” that are all too predictable. (review Feb. 2003)

The Pianist 4/5 Stars. In the midst of horror one piano piece has the power to move you. (review Jan 2003)

The Hours 5/5 Stars. Three storylines, three women, three great performances. (review Jan 2003)

About Schmidt 4/5 Stars. Nothing like a tacky wedding to raise your spirits. (review Jan 2003)

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4/5 Stars. Gollum yes, Dobby no. Once again the LOTR clobbers Harry in the fantasy department. (review Jan 2003)

Chicago 4/5 Stars. I’d pick Renee over Catherine for the Oscar nomination. (review Jan 2003)

Catch me if you can 4/5 Stars. Worth catching Leo. (review Jan 2003)

Gangs of New York 4/5 Stars. A terrible beauty is born in the streets of old New York. (review Jan 2003)

2002 Reviews

They 2/5 Stars. Don’t bother, wait until “the Ring” comes out on DVD/Video instead. (review Dec 2002)

Die Another Day 3/5 Stars. What you would expect from a Bond Film. Actually better than most of the recent efforts in a franchise that’s becoming stale. (review Nov 2002)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 3/5 Stars. No it’s not better than Harry the First. I missed Wizard’s chess. The Lord of the Rings Trailer looks great though. (review Nov 2002)

Frida 4/5 Stars. O.K. perhaps there could be less soap opera and more revolutionary & artistic fervor, but you will be passionate about the tango scene and the soundtrack. (review Nov 2002)

Ghost Ship 2/5 Stars. This ship sinks. (review Oct 2002)

The Ring 4/5 Stars. How far would you go to protect your own child? Would you help a restless spirit? (review Oct 2002)

Secretary 4/5 Stars. Sometimes love takes you to strange places. Maggie has quite a presence for one who seems so “mousey” at first glance. Don’t take your grandmother! (review Oct 2002)

Red Dragon 3/5 Stars. Thanks to its British actors its certainly better than Hannibal. But eventually it succumbs to Hollywood convention. (review Oct 2002)

Sweet Home Alabama 3/5 Stars. Sweet it is, but them Yankee script writers are as genuine as a duck in a tree. (review Oct 2002).

Trapped 2/5 Stars. A maniac father? In an airplane?? Crashing on a busy highway??? Attempting to rescue his daughter???? (review Sept 2002)

Four Feathers 3/5 Stars. Nice to look at, but it doesn’t top the 1939 version. (review Sept 2002)

City by the Sea 3/5 Stars. A wonderfully created gloomy, brooding atmosphere, drowned by a hokey Hollywood ending. (review Sept 2002)

The Good Girl 4/5 Stars. Jennifer is actually not so bad in this one. Loved that Zooey as the not so good girl. (review Sept 2002)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3/5 Stars. An amusing, heart-warming story from a nice Greek-Canadian girl. (review Sept 2002)

Possession 4/5 Stars. Not your usual detective story. Victorian Romance seems so much more engaging than the modern version. Perhaps not so surprising. (review Aug 2002)

Blood Work 2/5 Stars. Uninspired script. All too easy to figure out who the serial killer is. We’ve seen all this several times before. (review Aug 2002).

The Emperor's New Clothes 4/5 Stars. Suppose you went around telling everyone you were Napoleon? What if you really were Napoleon? Worthwhile finding out what would happen-yes? (review Aug 2002)

Signs 3/5 Stars. Intense suspenseful build up in the first half is frittered away in the second half, just when the tall green men show up. (review Aug 2002)

Tadpole 4/5 Stars. Not just a new experience, but a pleasant one. (review Aug 2002)

K 19: The Widowmaker 3/5 Stars. Interesting yet lacking Das Boot type intensity. Harrison is strangely wooden. Perhaps he thought dedicated party men must act that way?? (review July 2002)

Triumph of Love 4/5 Stars. Not really for modern sensibilities, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, listen to the radio sometime. (review July 2002)

Road to Perdition 5/5 Stars. Some may say its too cold and is self conscious about how good it looks. But its beautifully shot and some of the scenes will stay with you long after the lights come up. (review July 2002)

Reign of Fire 2/5 Stars. Well, ... its better than Battlefield Earth. (review July 2002)

Cat's Meow 4/5 Stars. Forget the age thing Kirsten does deliver in the role. Wait for the ping-pong scene. (review July 2002)

Minority Report 4/5 Stars. Sometimes the difference between a great movie and a good one is knowing when to stop. This is a good movie. (review July 2002)

Last Orders 4/5 Stars. This bevy of British working class actors is a bit of all right. (review June 2002)

Bourne Identity 4/5 Stars. Matt outdoes Ben this go around. Best Action movie so far this summer. (review June 2002)

Windtalkers 3/5 Stars. Will every war movie from now on try to outdo “Private Ryan” with the “Bang-Bang” and gore, and not succeed? Like Windtalkers for example. (review June 2002)

Bad Company 3/5 Stars. Surprisingly better than “Sum of all…”. More laughs, more suspense. (review June 2002)

The Piano Teacher 4/5 Stars. Not for the squeamish. Slow, disturbing. Watching Isabelle Huppert’s expressions a wonderful treat. (review June 2002)

Sum of all Fears 2/5 Stars. Reality has outpaced fiction. Plotline already dated. How Jack saves the world challenges our suspension of disbelief. Why were the Montreal Alouettes playing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Baltimore??(review June 2002)

The Importance of being Ernest 4/5 Stars. Oscar you left us too soon. A comedy for any turn of the century. (review June 2002)

Insomnia 4/5 Stars. Won’t put you to sleep. (review May 2002)

About a Boy 4/5 Stars. No man is an island, not even Ibiza, not when you start to care. (review May 2002)

Y Tu Mama Tambien 4/5 Stars Not your typical boy teens in lust flick. As the lady said : “If you play with babies you wind up changing diapers.” No diapers here. (review May 2002)

Star Wars Attack of the Clones 4/5 Stars. Sure the middle drags but the Clone Wars and the Light sabre duels are thrilling. Isn’t that the reason we went in the first place? (review May 2002)

Lantana 5/5 Stars. Some people are betrayed, some people die, some people wind up alone, some people are reconciled. Remember to take your wife dancing sometime. (review May 2002)

Spider Man 4/5 Stars. My spidey sense tells me this is quite good. Tobey Maguire the definitive Peter Parker. (review May 2002)

Changing Lanes 4/5 Stars. Oh what a web we weave, when first we stoop to deceive. Otherwise good film diminished by a Hollywood ending. (review April 2002)

Murder by Numbers 3/5 Stars. The Leopold and Loeb story given 2002 sensibilities, of course diminishing the plot.. Less Sandra Bullock and more Pitt and Gosling please. (review Apr 2002)

Frailty 3/5 Stars. Can you guess who the real demon is? (review Apr 2002)

High Crimes 3/5 Stars. Hmmm a husband whose not quite the person he seemed to be. Didn’t Goldie Hawn have a similar problem once? (review Apr 2002)

Kissing Jessica Stein 4/5 Stars. A high maintenance chick is difficult, no matter what your gender is. (review Apr 2002)

The Panic Room 3/5 Stars. A somewhat contrived plot. Why does there always have to be a good bad guy? Still some suspenseful moments. (review Mar 2002).

The Time Machine 2/5 Stars. The book was much better. So was the 1960 version of The Time Machine. (review Mar 2002)

We were Soldiers 3/5 Stars. Intense battle scenes intermingled with all too maudlin and clichéd dialogue. Could have been a superior war movie, but just falls short. (review Mar 2002)

Hart’s War 3/5 Stars. “The Great Escape” meets a “Few Good Men” and has the impact of neither. Bruce Willis seems strangely disinterested in his role. (review Feb 2002)

Monster’s Ball 5/5 Stars. The type of film seldom seen since the 70’s. Raw powerful performances by all concerned. (review Feb 2002)

A Beautiful Mind 3/5 Stars. An intense middle, during the beginning and end Crowe had not much to do but twitch. A beautiful performance by Connelly and Harris. (review Feb 2002)

The Count of Monte Cristo 3/5 Stars. Uneven. Caviezel unconvincing as the naïve young sailor, great as the count. Guzman was in the wrong century. Dagmara a sight to behold . (review Feb 2002)

The Royal Tenenbaums 4/5 Stars. Wait for the scene where the father heroically rescues his family from a destroyed sinking battleship (review Jan 2002)

Black Hawk Down 4/5 Stars. Anti-war, Pro-Soldier, the best kind of war movie (review Jan 2002)

In the Bedroom 5/5 Stars. A Husband waiting in the corridor, the look in someone's eye, a pretty girl smiling in a photograph. Sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words of script. (review Jan 2002)

Gosford Park 4/5 Stars. The secret is in a Mother’s love. (review Jan 2002)

The Majestic 3/5 Stars. Jim Carrey is not quite Jimmy Stewart. (review Jan 2002)

Lord of the Rings- Fellowship of the Ring 4/5 Stars. Middle Earth it is. The first hour is for the uninitiated. The adventure truly begins on Weathertop. (review Jan 2002)

The Shipping News 4/5 Stars. Newfoundland is the star. (review Jan 2002)

2001 Reviews

Amelie 3/5 stars. Spare some time for dreamers. (Dec 2001)

Ocean’s Eleven 3/5 stars. Better than the original (review Dec 2001)

Taste of Others 4/5 stars. 2 out of 3 happy endings isn’t bad. (review Dec 2001)

Behind Enemy Lines 3/5 stars. Why can’t enemy soldiers ever hit anything?? (review Dec 2001)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 3/5 stars. The Quest Tale for Children.- A young man must go on a journey, pass through the Underworld, and be transformed. Enemies will appear to be friends, friends appear to be enemies. Lord Of The Rings will be the Quest tale for adults. (review Nov 2001)

Waking Life 4/5 stars. Café Philosophy, is it a dream or death? Try the light switch to find out. (review Nov 2001)

The Man Who Wasn’t There 4/5 stars. Classic Noir. Betrayal by a Dame. Caught up in events you can’t control. Punished for a crime you didn’t commit, still getting just what you deserve. (review Nov 2001)

Monsters Inc. 3/5 stars. Funny monsters are better than scary ones. (review Nov 2001)

From Hell 4/5 stars. Opium Dreams show the way. Does it lead to the American Doctor?. (review Oct 2001)

Mulholland Drive 5/5 stars. The story is a figure 8. Will you see the Cowboy two more times? Visit 6980 Mulholland Drive. Don’t take the limo. (review Oct 2001)

Session 9 4/5 stars. Creepier than the Blair Witch. Simon says not for the weak of heart, or those in despair. (review Oct 2001)

Zoolander 3/5 stars. Love the apemen from 2001 spoof scene. (review Oct 2001)

Ghost World 5/5 stars. Hop on the bus with Thora. See where it takes you. Stay to the very end. (review Sept 2001)

The Musketeer 2/5 stars. The "not of this world" acrobatics just does not translate to 17th century France. See Tim Roth in Rob Roy instead! (review Sept 2001)

The Deep End 3/5 stars. Although the movie gets 3/5 stars, Tilda Swinton gets 5/5 stars. The dark haired blackmailer was just too nice! (review Sept 2001)

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin 3/5 stars. Some of the richness of the book must have been lost. Why switch from the mandolin to a guitar? (review August 2001)

The Others 4/5 stars. You will feel the icy breathe on the back of your neck. The answer is in the photographs.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch 4/5 stars. Discover the origins of love.

Rush Hour 2 3/5 stars. The outtakes are the best part, and they are good. (review Aug 2001)

Planet of the Apes (2001) 2/5 stars. Excellent work by the make-up people and some clever bits are not enough to make a great movie. (review July 2001)

Made 3/5 stars. The "Un-Sopranos" are good for some laughs. (review July 2001)

Jurassic Park III 1/5 stars. People go to island, people chased by dinosaurs, people eaten by dinosaurs, people who happen not to be the supporting characters escape being eaten by dinosaurs. Where have I seen this before??? (review July 2001)

Calle 54 4/5 stars. It swings. Wait for the Flamenco, and African Rhythm Numbers. (review July 2001)

The Score 3/5 stars. Surprise ending” all too predictable forget the Sixth Sense- move on.

Tailor of Panama 4/5 stars. An evil James Bond??? Geoffrey Rush gets the Girl???? (April 2001)

Someone Like you 3/5 stars. For anyone who has ever been dumped (April 2001)

15 Minutes 2/5 stars. Unthriller thriller (March 2001)

The Mexican 2/5 stars. Only rocks when Tony Soprano and the Pretty Woman are together. Who needs Brad Pitt? (March 2001)

Shadow of the Vampire 3/5 stars. Don’t go out into the Sun today. (February 2001)

Snatch 4/5 stars I like Pikes. (January 2001)

The Gift 4/5 stars. Cate Blanchett has the gift! January (2001)

Oh Brother Where Art Thou 4/5 stars. Get the sound track! (January 2001)

Traffic 4/5 stars. Let the Kids play baseball instead (January 2001)

The Pledge 5/5 stars. Jack’s best in years. Love the UnHollywood ending (January 2001)

Sexy Beast 4/5 stars. Hey those Sopranos are pussycats after all. Ben Kingsley is explosive as the Anti-Ghandi.

Tomb Raider 1/5 stars. Animated characters would have done a better acting job. Was that supposed to be an English accent John Voight?

Ginger Snaps 3/5 stars. Oh for sullen, moody, homicidal teen-age girls.

Swordfish 2/5 stars. Another Travolta loser, Pulp Fiction fast recedes.

House of Mirth 4/5 stars. Scully can handle a serious role.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence 3/5 stars. I’m guessing the first two hours was Kubrick, the last twenty minutes was Spielberg? This could have been a classic, where is the Phantom Editor, cut the last twenty minutes!

The Center of the World 4/5 stars. Molly Parker is stunning, but think this will be the two characters best relationship of their lives!

The Mummy Returns 2/5 stars. Seen it all before.

A Knight’s Tale 4/5 stars. Delightful anachronisms. Hope jousting makes the big comeback as a spectator sport.

Memento 5/5 stars. Take a trip back in time, it will be unforgettable, or will it?

Moulin Rouge 4/5 stars. Rouge, you’ll love it or hate it maybe both, Kidman and McGregor have the chemistry. The Tango scene worth the price of admission.

Pearl Harbor 4/5 stars. Damn the critics full speed ahead. Let’s hear it for 40’s style sentiment, style, values.

Pollock (2000) 4/5 stars. Booze broads, paint that flows and drips. Art at its finest what more do you want?

Enemy at the Gates 4/5 stars. Ed Harris will make you root for the Germans.

Hannibal 1/5 stars. Could have been sophisticated, erotic, horrific, instead went for the gross out, a poor sequel.

Heartbreakers (2001) 3/5 stars. Sigourney, Jennifer are hot, Gene Hackman lives up to his name.

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