The Bourne Identity (2002)

I saw this more than 20 years ago and had a great time -- even citing the acting as "uniformly good." But this time I was constantly taken out of things by Potente's underwritten character and less-than-convincing line readings. The action holds up pretty well, though!

B-

The Motive (2017)

Alvaro, an aspiring author without much talent, is at a crossroads in his life. His marriage to his best-selling-author wife falls apart, he is forced on sabbatical from his job, he moves into an apartment, and is given some harsh truth from his writing instructor. Told to observe natural life, he begins taking an interest in his neighbors. And, when there's not enough drama in what he sees, he finds ways to stir the pot.

It's a tantalizing idea that never really soars. Alvaro's character is mostly to blame as he's a blank: I never knew what he was actually thinking and didn't much care. Also, the film ends with a death resulting in Alvaro's imprisonment, but I wasn't clear on who actually committed the crime. Unfortunately, I also wasn't interested enough to go searching for an explanation.

C

Frank (2014)

Jon is an aspiring musician who finds himself in the right place at the right time to play the keyboards for a band's gig. The band is avant garde, both in sound and personnel, but the most noteworthy thing about the group is that the lead singer wears an oversized paper mache head, which he never takes off, even when not on stage.

The aggressive weirdness of the set-up probably would've been alright with me if anything else about the story made sense or even if the music was any good. I just didn't really get any of it and the ending, especially, was a letdown; it just made me feel like I'd been tricked. I'm flabbergasted to learn that the Frank character is based on an actual person.

C

Terminal (2018)

I am not a fan of dark, grimy, near-future nonsense movies in general and this one is no exception. It's got a lot of twists, turns, fake-outs, and convoluted backstory but it adds up to nothing but a waste of an hour and a half.

D-

High Fidelity (2000)

In the wake of getting dumped, Rob decides to reconnect with other women from his past who'd broken his heart in hopes of finding clarity. Meanwhile, he's still dealing with his day-to-day: running his record store along with his two employees who share his passion for music. A lot of the time, Rob is speaking directly to the camera, as though we're the only friend who's truly interested in what he has to say and it really works. I kept asking myself "Where has John Cusack gone? He's so good!"

But Cusack's not the only thing working here: Jack Black & Todd Louiso as the record store employees are terrific, as are the women in Rob's life. I also loved the practical destination of Rob's journey. He figures some stuff out and is also able to take an honest look at his own behavior. His speech about the fantasy of other women vs. the actuality of relationships and their real-life issues was insightful and showed real growth.

Also: it's a musical feast. Next time I watch this, I'll set aside 5 or 6 hours to do so so that I can pause and play the music being discussed -- I have loved this despite not catching all the references, but I can only assume I'd be even more enchanted if I could sink into the music as well.

A-