Capturing the Friedmans (2003)

Interesting for so many reasons, though I'm not sure it's entirely well-made. There does seem to be a filmmaker bias, which isn't a good idea for a documentary!

B-

Cold Mountain (2003)

I liked this quite a bit more than I expected to. It's a long film, but it succeeded in holding my attention throughout.

The "hey look who it is!" cameos were a trifle distracting. For the smaller roles, it would have probably been better to cast unknowns so as to let the story shine through rather than the familiar faces taking center stage.

Renee Zellweger is so far over the top, I can hardly see her from the ground - can't believe she took the Oscar for this stompin', face-makin', scenery chewin' gal.

B

Something's Gotta Give (2003)

I had to go to the bathroom so badly during the end of this film that the second the credits started rolling up, I was out of my seat and running up the aisle -- no matter that Jack & Diane were still on-screen. This was a marathon of a film…and it didn't earn its length through entertainment. Jack seems to sleepwalk throughout and I felt that the girl wound up with the wrong guy in the end -- I hate it when romantic comedies don't give me what I want! I sure as hell don't go to them for realism...what I want is a perfect fantasy!

Diane Keaton, as ever, is an immensely likeable actress -- though not a very good one. I'm frankly shocked that they gave her the Golden Globe for this over-the-top performance.

C

Swimming Pool (2003)

Inventive film. There were points during the movie when I thought "this is just too much" or "ridiculous! She would never…" but it all comes together and it nears brilliance. I was really taken with it as a whole and am becoming quite the Rampling fan.

B+

S.W.A.T. (2003)

Nothing really fancy here, it's an action movie - pure and simple. Because it didn't pretend otherwise, I enjoyed it!

B-

X2: X-Men United (2003)

Surprisingly good follow-up, improving on the first film. Goes just a little long, but holds interest throughout.

B-

21 Grams (2003)

A difficult-to-watch, powerful movie was shot. Then the director chopped it into 30 - 120 second segments. Then he tossed them in the air like confetti. Then he stuck them back together however they landed. Then he named it "21 Grams" and it was hailed as not only difficult-to-watch and powerful...but ART, too!

My question is: why?

C

In America (2003)

Affecting, but obvious, tearjerker. The best thing about the movie is the girls. Little Ariel is a little charmer.

Most of the story is told from the point of view of the older daughter. In this context, the film's an all-out winner. Then the magical things that happen are there because they are her explanations. But when we move outside of this, to areas into which her eyes can't have peered, conversations she couldn't have heard, things get a bit sketchy...and a bit less wondrous. I found myself thinking "yeah, right" when the filmmaker, rather than Christy, was pushing the bull.

B

Lost in Translation (2003)

Love at first viewing. Just a perfect committing of story to film. Acted and directed beautifully.

A

Mystic River (2003)

I can't, for the life of me, understand why so many reviewers have praised Eastwood's direction, which is this film's prime problem. I didn't find this story powerful, haunting, or anything. I've seen more moving child abduction stories on Lifetime. And why on earth can't he pull back the camera a bit and let us see the characters move? Instead, we're thrust into movement along with them, often stuck slightly below the onscreen characters as we try to follow their conversations against our increasing vertigo. He's also apparently horrible with children -- the three in the opening sequence screamed "Hollywood Elementary School" rather than "Hollywood movie." The acting from the primary characters, however, was amazing. Too bad he didn't trust them -- and us -- enough to let them convey the story to us.

C+

I Capture the Castle (2003)

Reminded me a bit of Cold Comfort Farm - except the whimsy was turned down somewhat. Every bit as charming as CCF, but not as forced. It really captivated me.

B+

Ship of Fools (1965)

An overblown piece of garbage. Watchable, but only just.

D+