The Morning After (1986)

Entertaining, but incredibly predictable, thriller. Dated in every way -- from style to score.

C+

Pieces of April (2003)

Too much wackiness to be taken seriously; too much drama to be taken lightly. The car half is borderline disturbing: I mean what IS going on between mom and son? And if Mom doesn't want to go, why was she sitting in the car ready to go at 7 a.m., when no one else was even awake yet? There were some lovely moments. No - none of them included Sean Hayes.

C+

White Oleander (2002)

Pfeiffer and Lohman are both quite good. Acts as an indictment of our foster home system and shows what an act of selfishness crime is when children are affected. I liked this one much more than I anticipated.

A-

Thirteen (2003)

Frightening movie about peer pressure and the need to fit in. Really well acted -- though the immense lengths taken at the end of the film to destroy a social life were way over the top, in my opinion; and the "you will now throw up" camera tipping in a few scenes was nauseating...just because someone in the screen is high doesn't mean it's a good idea to make ME feel high.

B+

Spellbound (2002)

Completely absorbing documentary following eight elementary to middle school kids as they prepare and compete at the 1999 National Spelling Bee. I watched this with my husband and, at one point, we cheered when a particularly difficult word was spelled correctly. We both kind of grinned embarrassedly afterward...but that's how well done this film is. You're drawn in despite the fact that the subject sounds rather dry.

A

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

Womanizing doctor with a regular fuck-buddy who "understands" him gets himself sucked into a relationship, and ultimately marriage, with a wide-eyed girl. He remains the cad he always was, but now there's someone living with him.

This rather "so what" storyline is set in Prague during the Communist invasion and this, I guess, is supposed to elevate the story to the level of "important" with a "touch of humanity." It doesn't. It's also too damn long.

C-

Monster (2003)

Alright, I heard Roger Ebert say something like that if the Oscar doesn't go to Charlize Theron for this performance, they might as well just quit giving them out because there's no doubt she should win. Well, bah on Roger Ebert. Yeah, she's unrecognizable. But once that wears off, we're left with just a cycle of the same ol' stuff. There are times when she really pulls off some amazing acting (on job interviews...at the amusement park...on trial) -- but, for the most part, I think she's relying too much on her costume. I'd vote for her, given my options, but it's not the "Wow" I was expecting. Movie's fine though a bit episodic...Ricci's downright irritating (but it's possible Selby is irritating, in which case, she nailed her).

B

American Splendor (2003)

If this film hadn't been nominated for best adapted screenplay, I doubt I'd have bothered watching it. I was braced for pretension…after all, it's based on an obscure comic book about a shlub. Ugh.

What a pleasant surprise, though! I've never experienced anything quite like it visually - and we see the "real-life" people, the actors playing the people, and the comic incarnations of the same people. It's trippy and amazing and, best of all, engaging.

B+

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Two thoughts ran through my mind throughout the film…1) After all the amazing shows of brilliance by Depp throughout his career, THIS is the performance for which the Academy finally acknowledges him? and 2) Hey…I was told this was a really good movie.

Alright, it ain't bad, but it's certainly no rousing masterpiece either. No surprises at all here: the hero lives and gets the girl, the bad guys finally get their comeuppance, and the likable scalawag goes right on scalawaggin'. Ho hum.

C+

The Secret Lives of Dentists (2003)

A really truthful film, filled with fantasy sequences so common to those who let their thoughts run away with them. Campbell Scott (one of my favorite actors) just nails his role as a father first - taking his wife completely for granted. Until he's faced, literally, with her infidelity, he doesn't even notice what must have been going on for quite some time. Complaints: two out of the three daughters don't have long-term acting careers ahead of them & Denis Leary's abrasive character feels unnecessary.

A-

UHF (1989)

This is one of those stupid movies that you feel kind of guilty for laughing at. But, much of it works - some of it doesn't. The girlfriend subplot is a waste of time, but the gag advertisements are classic.

C+