Seven Samurai (1956)

Wonderful film. Funny, exciting, and poignant. I saw a horrible copy -- nearly worn out VHS tapes with white subtitles that were impossible to read against white backgrounds at least 30 percent of the time. Despite these problems, the genius of the film shone through.

A

The Uninvited (1944)

Decent ghost story - but the big "twist" was obvious to me pretty early on. Great atmosphere.

B-

Safety Last! (1923)

The most enjoyable silent film I've ever seen. Great physical comedy with delightful gags - it's just amazing that Lloyd didn't achieve the popularity of Chaplin and Keaton.

A-

The Wind (1928)

Girl travels across America to live with her cousin's family on the wind-battered prairie and soon finds herself kicked out by her cousin's jealous wife and married to a cowboy out of necessity. Dark and relentless, but better than most silents.

B-

Primer (2004)

Yes, I'm impressed that the budget for this movie was something like $7,000. Good job, guys.

However, the acting was stiff (especially by the two friends who weren't "in on" it and the wife) and the plot was confusing. I'm still trying to figure out not how the dang thing worked, exactly, but where they ended up and how they got back and why there were doubles. And what the heck happened at the end and who on earth was the guy getting on the plane and being warned away (clone or real?) and how did the guy in the car (potential investor) figure out/find the machine to use it and what was up with the "ex-boyfriend" plot and - oh - everything.

Too confusing to be fun.

C-

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Really good…but suffered for the fact that I recently saw Hero, which is far superior storywise.

B

Birth (2004)

Although I could have used a bit of levity somewhere -- the whole thing was so muted and heavy -- I was quite affected by this story.

There's one scene in which the camera focuses on Kidman's face for what feels like three minutes during a concert. The subtle moods that pass over it and the pure startlement she conveys when her fiance whispers something to her -- surprising her out of her deep thoughts -- are something to be studied by aspiring actors for decades to come. The open ending can be interpreted in a few different ways and, despite the fact I'd love to know if my way's the "right" way, I rather like the ambiguity.

B

Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Good-hearted movie about an innocent girl and her "only friend" (a giant ape) being exploited as a Night Club act. No real surprises, but it's certainly entertaining.

B-

49th Parallel (1942)

Feels like 5 different mini-movies -- six Nazis are on a recon mission when their sub is sunk in Canada. They do their best to find a way back home while killing anyone in their way and shrinking in their own numbers. Each place they visit becomes a little 20 minute story of its own...none of which are very good OR bad.

Felt kind of clumsy - just alright.

C+

The Woodsman (2004)

Has one really good scene (Walter's second conversation with Robin) - but, overall, it's too bleak for its own good. I felt on edge the entire film - like they needed me thinking the worst at every moment. It was exhausting and maddening.

C

Bad Education (2004)

Such an interesting film. I like the method of the truth being unwrapped slowly and that we're never quite sure what's what until the end - but we're never "tricked" (which I hate). I always knew what was going on, but I just didn't know everything that was going on. This is a complex story exquisitely told.

Bernal is a beautiful man -- and it turns out he's a gorgeous woman, as well!

A-

Algiers (1938)

A bore. Only picks up steam in the last 7 or 8 minutes.

D

EDtv (1999)

As entertaining the third time as the first. A charmer of a movie that lets us follow a regular joe as he realizes fame isn't worth a loss of privacy.

A delight.

A

Dummy (2003)

Really weird movie. Thirtyish guy still living with his parents loses his job, becomes a ventriloquist, and falls in love with his employment counselor. Milla Jovovich is downright embarrassing as a punk tough-tawker. I hardly know what to think of this one.

C-

Prince of the City (1981)

Too long. There should have been much more focus on the relationship between the cops early on. I felt very little investment in Ciello's plight.

D+

Spanglish (2004)

I've heard a lot of praise for Paz Vega in this film -- but she's like a female Jim Carrey to me. She seemed altogether too aware of what her face was doing -- and that made all of her expressions feel like put-ons rather than actual emotion. She's also NOT drop-dead gorgeous despite the fact that the screenwriter believes if it's repeated enough by characters it becomes true. Tea Leoni, however, knocked her role OUT. She was amazing, as was Sarah Steele (playing the pudgy daughter).

Now - regarding the marriage and its problems...all hubby's fault. Wife is trying her best -- wrongheadedly, sure -- but trying. She's got a husband who dismisses her real concerns, histrionic as they may be, with a BREAST CUPPING for crying out loud. He then has the audacity to turn his back on his wife when she confesses an ended affair while he's been carrying out an obvious crush on the housekeeper. He uses the confession as an excuse to finally act on his desires. He disgusted me -- weak, weak man.

Only thing I really want to remember from this movie: the BLT. And, just so I don't forget...Toasted nice bread. 2 slices of Monterey Jack on one piece, Mayonnaise on the other...4 slices of bacon, 4 slices of tomato, some lettuce, and one over easy/medium fried egg. Slice in half and let the yolk run, baby.

C-

Saving Grace (2000)

Widow with a green thumb finds out she's up to her eyeballs in debt…so she decides to grow some wacky tobaccy to make some fast cash. Tries too hard to be whimsical and to create a charming cast of villagers (aka Waking Ned Devine) -- not a bad movie, but there's certainly no reason for it to exist.

C+

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Yuck yuck yuck yuck yuck. Seedy story. Bad acting. Horrible direction. Case in point: what was up with that ooo-eee-ooo-eee-ahh hop run that propelled Mitchum to the barn near the end of the film? I feel quite sure that the direction he was given was "Hey, Bob -- remember when Bugs Bunny gave Elmer Fudd a hotfoot? Do what he did, but with a Yosemite Sam accent. OK -- Action!"

Ninety minutes that feel like several hours. I must've been in a really good mood the first time I saw it -- I can't think of any other reason that I gave it a "D-" rather than the lowest possible rating. At least I can be thankful that Charles Laughton never directed any other films.

F

Moonlight Mile (2002)

The first third is quite good. I knew a bit about the back story that was the inspiration for this movie - the writer/director was dating a young star when she was killed by a stalker…and I think that's the problem. The writer believes that the most interesting moments belong to the guy (his counterpart). He's quite wrong in this assumption, for the real life of the film belongs to the bereaved parents who desperately need the guy to hold their lives in balance for them. Sarandon is as good as I've ever seen her. I don't care about some stupid little "meet cute" romance the guy (who, it turns out, had broken up with the fiancé) gets going - I do care about the adults who believe that since this girl was their focus in life and continues to be in death, it makes perfect sense to assume that her boyfriend would feel the same way and would choose to stagnate along with them.

B-

The First Year (2001)

Follows five teachers during their first year of teaching in California. The biggest problem is that I didn't really get a "feel" for the teachers -- 80 minutes spread over 5 people for an entire school year isn't much at all.

Interesting to an extent, but not nearly deep enough.

C+

The Heiress (1949)

Emotional, believable, and terrible…up until the last couple of scenes. Doesn't really ruin the movie - but to have the heroine take petty pleasure in revenge felt untrue. She could have taken her revenge while sobbing over it inside…or been tempted but, at the last moment, realizing that she couldn't fool herself for the rest of her life...either of those would've felt more in keeping with what we've seen from her.

Still, I liked the movie and my heart broke along with hers as she realized he wasn't coming (I was still unsure of his intentions at that point).

B+