Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2002)

Beautiful interweaving of several different lives. It tells so many stories fully and sorrowfully. It's an amazing film.

A

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Thandie Newton is gorgeous and the plot's better than the first time around, but after a while the "action" became more about staging than excitement.

C+

25th Hour (2002)

Mid-level drug dealer gets sentenced to seven years in prison and spends his last day saying goodbye and tying up loose ends. The end fantasy sequence is remarkably wistful.

A

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

A weird movie that plays like a too-serious Scooby Doo episode…hidden motives, people executing convoluted schemes because someone did 'em wrong, etc. Comes complete with elocution-of-nefarious-plan-within-earshot-of-intended-victim scene.

C

Test Pilot (1938)

Starts out so wonderfully -- dashing flyboy meets Kansas farm girl and they fall adorably in love. His partner doesn't like it, but neither can he help admiring the girl. Takes its time getting to the obvious choice: will the pilot leave the danger for the girl? Try and guess.

C+

Louisiana Story (1948)

Many shots are held for far longer than necessary to get the point across. The obvious non-actors are a drawback…they're stiff. The boy, however, is adorable and winning. Not horrible, just not very interesting.

C-

A Lesson Before Dying (1999)

Plodding and boring film that should have packed a punch, but instead makes some nice points and then meanders away from them toward the credits.

D

The Cardinal (1963)

Surprisingly interesting study of a priest's rise to the office of cardinal -- crises of faith & hardships galore. Somehow, though, it kept me at arm's distance by cramming too much story into the film -- even at 3 hours, I still felt that I didn't get "all the way" into any of the myriad story lines. Well acted.

B-

Stolen Summer (2002)

Well, much better than I thought it could possibly turn out after watching the Project Greenlight episodes. The stronger storyline of the older boy clashing with his pop gets pushed to the background in favor of the two young (and very poor) child actors and their decathlon quest for heaven. A weak story, but Bonnie Hunt's luminous presence bumps it up a couple of notches. She's marvelous.

C-

Things Behind the Sun (2001)

Nothing in this film could be improved. The actors, the subject, the soundtrack, the way the story unfolds – it's all perfect and all very affecting. I was filled with rage, horror, sympathy, and tenderness...tears flowed.

A+

I Want to Live! (1958)

A woman is wrongly convicted and sentenced to death – the unusual fact for an American film being that she is portrayed as being fairly unlikable.

But, the film forces you to keep emotional distance by, for example, having a stuffed tiger represent her love for her son, but giving us precious few scenes with the actual child. Even with Susan Hayward's brassylady-o-meter breaking from overuse, it's pretty good.

B-

Blood Work (2002)

Figured out in the first 15 minutes who did it and why -- I'd apparently be lead on all investigations if my team consisted of the bumblers featured here. The only really believable creation was the irritated doctor.

Not absolutely horrible -- you can use it to veg-out to...but even then there are much more enjoyable films to fill that need.

C-

Cactus Flower (1969)

It's obvious where the plot's headed within the first 10 minutes, but it still manages to charm -- in the mildest of ways. Ingrid Bergman seemed to sleepwalk through the first couple of scenes, taking a while to find a comedy rhythm; but she does find it, and turns in a fine performance. Nothing to remember, really...but OK.

C+

Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)

No-frills chronicle of a murder trial in Jacksonville. Compulsive viewing – a true cautionary tale of the corrupting force of unchecked power.

A-

Forgotten Silver (1995)

This film seems impossible to categorize…it gets "comedy" by default, but it's a fake documentary done without tongue-in-cheek. It's compulsively interesting, but I don't really see the reason for it. It's not funny...it just seems very real and believable. But why fake something that seems real and believable? Just for the charge of faking people out?

Since I knew from the beginning that it wasn't to be believed, I was waiting for something raucous, a la Spinal Tap. That didn't come and I was impressed, but ultimately let down.

C+

The Believer (2002)

Gosling is amazingly effective as a Jew turned Nazi. Powerful film.

A-

Your Friends and Neighbors (1998)

One of the guys seemed to derive sadistic pleasure from making those around him uncomfortable…which is what I think Neil Labute was doing with this film as a whole. Every character was despicable in his or her own way. If these people comprised my circle of friends, I'd take a long hot bath and move away. Nasty and ugly.

F

Celebrity (1998)

A complete misfire -- boring and riddled with contrived situations & dialogue. Kenneth Branagh does prove that he's a really good Woody Allen impersonator, though.

D

Moonstruck (1987)

Just head and shoulders above most films. Everyone's wonderful, the script is fantastic…I'm in love with it!

A+