Shooter (2007)

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, but my expectations were really low, so that's not saying much.

Mark Wahlberg's a former marine sniper who has retired to a solitary life in the mountains with his dog. When he is sought out in order to help foil a plot to assassinate the president, he reluctantly agrees to help but is doublecrossed (it's all in the trailer, people - I'm not giving anything away).

He spends the rest of the movie on the run, trying to get back at those who set him up. It's not bad, but it's nothing special either. You can find most of the pieces of this movie done better in other movies.

B-

Umberto D (1955)

Yes, yes. I know that this is supposed to be an affecting thesis about the way a country (and countrymen) can turn its back on the elderly -- how a pension just isn't enough to pay for even a meager existence.

I realize that I was supposed to experience a sympathetic feeling of shame as he tried to beg without getting "caught" by anyone he knew. I know my heartstrings should've been pulled as he resorted to faking an illness to be put up in a hospital, free of charge. I know I should've really felt for the guy as he forced himself to give away his beloved dog and contemplate suicide.

The problem? There's no reason to like the guy -- and it's hard to care about someone just because you should.

C-

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) has been embezzling and he comes up with a plan for some quick cash before he gets found out: rob a jewelry store. He'll get his perpetually-down-on-his-luck brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) to actually commit the crime and it'll be easy because their parents own the store! The idea for a victimless crime - his parents won't even be working that day - goes sour, of course. It's the type of thing I've seen dozens of times by now, cut in a fractured time line that does nothing to add to the story telling.

I was particularly let down by the ending: I was holding out hope that the script would be brave enough to go in the less obvious direction, giving reason for the movie's existence. When the players, instead, walked dutifully down the path that had been telegraphed for the last couple of hours, I have to say "eh." All performers did terrific jobs, but did so in service to a shiny script with nothing new to say.

C+

The Dark Knight (2008)

I was not sentimental about the "genius" of Heath Ledger being lost because I'd never really glimpsed it before. For example, in my opinion, Jake Gyllenhaal deserved more praise for Brokeback Mountain than Ledger. But, oh boy, the performance in this movie just blew me away. He was the Joker -- which sounds laughable, I know. But, somehow, all of the affectations of this figure seemed honest and his brilliance as a performer were just undeniable.

When Ledger spoke the line "I think you and I are destined to do this forever" to Batman, the tragedy of the statement's impossibility was like a punch.

A-

The Breakfast Club (1985)

The first time I saw this, we were on the way back from my Senior Class trip to Colorado. Since I attended a Christian High School during the "if it's in a theater, it's evil" era, this was pretty sneaky of the five girls who braved leaving the hotel despite the low difficulty afforded by the fact that our sponsor had a just-broken-on-the-slopes leg.

Since the circumstances of my first viewing were that I was very young (16), quite easily impressed, and made artificially exciting by the "what if we get caught?!" vibe, I was far from sure that it could be as good as I remembered. Somehow, though, it really does hold up. Since the focus is so small -- basically one day, one set, five kids -- it doesn't feel as dated as Heathers and the core themes are every bit as true today as they were then.

I have to say, I'm relieved that this thrilling memory from my less-than-thrilling high school years wasn't wrecked by another viewing. Both of my sons even liked it!

B+

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Historical epics can go either way for me. Without a doubt, history has always been my worst subject (followed closely by geography) - so I have very little natural interest. It MUST be a compelling movie on its own for me to care. Unfortunately, this wasn't.

Orlando Bloom plays Balian, a small-town blacksmith who's just lost his family. Liam Neeson drops by to introduce himself as a Jerusalem baron and Balian's long-missing father then dies leaving Balian to defend the Holy Land from invasion.

There's a disintegrating young king wearing a metal mask, an adulterous woman as Bloom's love interest, and a lot of interchangeable second bananas. I wasn't interested enough to make a real effort to keep things straight.

C-

Heathers (1989)

(Third viewing) I quote from and praise this so often that my older son finally broke down and asked if I wanted to watch it with him. His comment: "No, seriously, was Christian Slater supposed to be a badass or something?"

OK - so, yes. It's dated. The gay stuff in particular barely applies in today's world. But the things that will always make sense: dying to fit in, the casual cruelty of schoolmates, the way even those at the "top" panic at the first sign they may be wobbling... are handled with originality and audacity.

Maybe my generation is the only one that can identify with the period, but the core themes will never get old.

A-

Near Dark (1987)

Not many monster movies can scare me any more - I guess that's the price of growing up and finding out that human cruelty is much more terrifying. So, while I didn't find this to be particularly scary, I did appreciate that it had a different take on the usual be afraid of what's in the dark story.

Caleb's a farm boy who gives Mae a lift home from town one night. When he pressures her for a kiss, he gets more than be bargained for and becomes a reluctant member of her traveling family of vampires. We're with them instead of running from them, which is a nice perspective switch from the usual vampire stuff.

Although I don't think it worked terribly well, I blame acting more than script. I just never really bought that there was an internal "should I stay or go" struggle for Caleb and his angst should have been the major conflict.

C+

Age of Consent (1969)

A famous painter retreats to a small Australian island in the barrier reef. A small-time con man, an angry grandma, and an uptight local woman complicate matters and...oh, who the hell am I kidding? The only reason to see this movie is that Helen Mirren, a gorgeously young and nubile Helen Mirren, gets naked.

Seeing that James Mason was about 60 at the time and Helen Mirren was in her early 20s (and playing younger), it's a rather off-putting story. But, like I said: Helen. Sans clothes. Let me help you out. She looks like this now -

- and that's almost 40 years after the making of this movie. Yeah. I know.

D+

The Holiday (2006)

Successful but uptight L.A. girl finds her live-in boyfriend with another woman and chucks him out. Successful but mousey London girl's "when he's bored he hooks up with her" guy gets engaged and she's depressed. They find each other through a house-swap site (though why L.A. girl would swap when she could afford to rent a decked out cottage anywhere is beyond me) and, within days, they're in the air on the way to each other's homes for get-aways.

I like some predictability in romantic comedies. I want that guy to end up with that girl. But I always need to like both halves of the couple to care. In this story, there are two couples and I like precisely one half of each. That isn't enough, so I didn't care.

C

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)

Gabriela and Otila are college friends in 1980s Romania -- and, boy, is "Gabita" lucky to have a friend like Otila. Under the Ceausescu regime, when both abortion and contraception have been made illegal in an attempt to increase the population, Gabita is pregnant.

Otila has agreed to help her friend through an abortion, which Gabriela has supposedly set-up. Instead, Otila finds herself scrambling to book a hotel, gather enough money, and appease the annoyed abortionist (who, to be fair, is risking his freedom), because Gabita is childlike dead weight -- all big eyes and fear when clear-headedness is necessary.

The film is unblinking. It doesn't feel in any way sensationalistic -- just very real. In one effective juxtaposition, Otila must leave the hotel to attend a family dinner with her boyfriend. To see her suffer through the inconsequential get-together while her mind is on the desperate circumstances in the hotel across town is just so right. And so hard to take.

Well worth seeing, but prepare for the emotional punch in the gut before pressing "play."

A

The Sound Barrier (1952)

Surprisingly effective film about a decorated flier going to work as a test-pilot for his new father-in-law, an aircraft manufacturer obsessed with technological breakthrough.

The flight scenes are exciting, but it's the central issue that I found more interesting: when is the personal cost of scientific progress too much to justify? Is sacrificing relationships and possibly even life ever worth it? Is it fair to demand that someone you love to give up a pursuit for any reason, even inherent danger?

Well-made film -- though, it should be noted, the British did not break the sound barrier first!

B+

Gregory's Girl (1982)

Basic premise is that gangly Gregory has a crush on the new (and only) girl on his football team. Although it's readily apparent that Dorothy would never be interested in the awkward - both physically and socially - teen, he's brave enough to instigate conversations with her (in which it becomes even clearer that she's far too mature for him) and even ask her out.

There were a lot of weird touches throughout which were evidence, to me, of it trying waaaayyyyy too hard to be quirky. Unless you're going for all-out silliness, having the hero, for example, forget about turning off an electric toothbrush and leave the room while it bumps across a countertop just makes me think "bad writing" rather than "what a colorful character!"

At the end of the movie, when Gregory waiting for his date with Dorothy, he instead gets a different girl...who then, after 20 minutes or so, passes him to another girl...who, in turn, passes him to another. When he finally asks what's going on he gets the response "that's the way girls are, we help each other." I mean, huh?

C-

Hancock (2008)

So, it's the 4th of July and we're going to a movie. Under consideration: Get Smart, Hancock, and Wall-E. I checked IMDb and informed Gary & AJ that I was veto-ing Hancock for having the lowest viewer score. Didn't work because, as the guys reminded me, if you're going to the movies on July 4, you MUST see Will Smith if at all possible.

For the first half, I was having a great time. It was original and extremely entertaining. I couldn't figure out what the low scores were about. Then, abruptly, there was backstory and a superwoman and I got it. Why'd they have to go for epic rather than sticking with the smaller (and much more brilliant) "drunk superhero working on his image" thing?

C+

28 Days Later... (2003)

Yes, I'm watching it again (third viewing).

Every bit as awesome as it was the first time -- still hate the "one horror too many" of the army camp, but very few films are perfect.

A-