Analyze That (2002)

What absolute dreck. Insultingly ridiculous. I was surprised to hear a couple of funny things amid the crap dialogue…unfortunately, the pacing didn't spotlight the lines that actually worked -- probably because the geniuses behind this mess had no idea what they were.

D-

Love Actually (2003)

So trite. So light. So obvious. So insulting. Yuck. Only one story thread was really worth following - that of Emma Thompson & Alan Rickman. I could've stood an entire movie about them.

C-

Japanese Story (2003)

Took me quite a while to get going with this -- I couldn't stop wondering why on earth this Japanese fellow was in Australia in the first place…Sandy (Collette) seemed to believe that he might be interested in their geology software, but hints are dropped that this is not the case. Why the mystery?

It ends up being rather lovely -- I've heard complaints that the closeness between the two leads seemed to come "out of nowhere" -- but I believe that when people go through great stress together (as these two did when "bogged") the niceties get left behind and relationships speed considerably. Anyway...Collette's wonderful -- still the actress I'd pick to play me in my life story!

B-

The Cooler (2003)

This is an R-rated fairy tale. The "luck" (bad AND good) goes too far to be taken seriously and it's just too mean to be taken lightly.

Alec Baldwin doesn't act so much as glower and bark.

B-

The Last Samurai (2003)

Beautiful to look at…but clichés run rampant. The trailers had already told me the story (disillusioned soldier learns the way of the Samurai), and there were absolutely no surprises in the script. Watanabe turns in a lovely performance -- his Oscar nom was deserved -- but Cruise is always Cruise, which isn't a bad thing, in general, but it certainly isn't easy to overlook in a period film.

C+

East of Eden (1955)

Thoroughly unenjoyable film. Cal's swings from no-good reject to pleaser to bitter reject are given little reason and the role of Kate is reduced too far to have an impact. Julie Harris is good, though.

D+

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Oh, how I wanted to LOVE this movie. It's stylish and fast-paced…the choreography is amazing…but after the first couple of kills the Bride makes, it's all just more of the same. And - be warned - you will get a close up of some of the ugliest feet I've ever seen attached to ANYONE (and that includes my brother, to whom we sometimes referred as "ET toes" due to his extremely long and weird extremities).

B-

The Rundown (2003)

Fast & fun…until the "showdown" -- where it just gets violent. Worth the rental.

C+