Oh Bill and Cary...

Meatballs(dir. Ivan Reitman)
Sure, it's not a comedic masterpiece, but there's something amusing about Bill Murray hanging out with a bunch of 20 something year olds and being the coolest one in the group. Some of the jokes are lame and the film is fairly dated and cheesy especially it's painful story about the shy kid that Bill's character befriends. Bill Murray is the only reason to watch this especially when he goes nuts in a speech about how beating another camp doesn't matter.
**1/2 out of ****
To Catch a Thief(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
This was pretty entertaining. It's not as good as some of his other films, but Cary Grant and Grace Kelly make it entertaining enough. The story isn't all that great and there's a serious lack of suspense, but sub-par Hitchcock is still good.
*** out of ****

Oh Shorts...

The Heart of the World(dir. Guy Maddin)
The reason why I watched Cowards Bend the Knee was because this short was amazing. It was hilarious in it's melodramatic nature and it's spoof on old soviet propaganda films. Bitching.
***1/2 out of ****
Cashback(dir. Sean Ellis)
Seeing this short, you kind of wonder how this became a feature film. I'd imagine it's pretty awful because this was just OK and it only contains 17 minutes from that film. It's pretty ridiculous at the end when he is able to freeze time and uses this technique to undress all the women in the supermarket. I'm not complaining about the nudity, but this already shallow film just got even more shallower. It tries to justify this gratutious use of nudity by an explanation of how he's obsessed with the beauty of the female form and makes him an art-type. He undresses them to paint pictures of them. The whole thing felt kind of sleazy and misogynistic. I have no problems with gratutious nudity when it knows that it's gratutious nudity instead of trying to justify it as being for artistic reasons or some lame excuse like that. It bewilders me that this was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Film, but most short films are shitty anyways so I guess it makes sense.
** out of ****

Oh Steve and George...

L.A. Story(dir. Mick Jackson)
Schizophrenic. It wants to be wacky and it wants to be serious. The wacky scenes feel out of place because of the seriousness the rest of the film displays. They would feel more at home in something like Naked Gun than this. I'm really surprised at well received this film was when it came out. It was OK.
** out of ****
Day of the Dead(dir. George A. Romero)
Easily the most violent movie I've ever seen. It was pretty fucking disgusting. It was the bleakest out of the "Dead" movies I've seen, which is a good thing since it's a zombie movie. The end bothers me. It seems like Romero thought the movie was too pessimistic and decided to slap on an ending that made you question whether all the events actually occurred. I'm not a big fan of those type of endings, but this movie was still crazy.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Guy and Willem...

Cowards Bend the Knee(dir. Guy Maddin)
The Heart of the World is amazing just because it's ridiculously overdramatic and it's editing rhythm is interesting and keeps you a state of excitement. This film is overdramatic, but it's not funny or exciting. He uses a similar style to the short film, but this being 60 minutes instead of 6 or so creates a fairly strained experience. The style just becomes repetitive and not all that interesting. It was still an unusual experience that I can slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Light Sleeper(dir. Paul Schrader)
Paul Schrader obviously loves Pickpocket since he used the ending two times in two of his movies. The ending doesn't really work in this one and I'm not sure how it is in American Gigolo. It is an interesting portrait of a druggie gone clean who is selling the drug that he was addicted to. It creates a sense of guilt and he even looks after one of his clients. The lost romance between him and Marianne was easily the best part and when she leaves the picture, you can feel the sense of lost opportunity John must have felt. It's naturally similar to Taxi Driver, but this character is much more sympathetic. Taxi Driver is better just because this film feels too glossy for it's own good. If it got down into the grit like Scorsese did with Taxi Driver, it would have been a better picture.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Timmy and Richy...

Edward Scissorhands(dir. Tim Burton)
A Frankenstein story with a cuddly and sensitive Freddy Krueger. His attempts at satirizing suburbia fall flat and his style seems fairly superficial. I can't help, but wonder what it would have been like if it didn't have his Disney-fied Goth touch to it. I still liked it, though.
*** out of ****
Dazed and Confused(dir. Richard Linklater)
Last time I watched this was on TV, which probably actually enhanced the experience due to commercials fragmenting the "narrative." When you watch this film essentially in one sitting, you wonder what is the point of all this? I guess it takes on the aimless nature of it's characters, but there's a serious lack of narrative drive that makes it drag at times. The sense of nostalghia and the humor is obviously the main draw to the film. I liked it.
*** out of ****

Oh Nagisa...

Cruel Story of Youth(dir. Nagisa Oshima)
First film I've seen by him and it's been one of those "holy grail" movies for me due to it's rarity. It isn't all that great. It reminds me of All About Lily Chou-Chou, but worse. It goes on for too long and the end is just abrupt and contrived. The character's aren't exactly nice either, but if the film didn't punish them in the end, it would have been more thought-provoking. I guess it came out in 1960 so I shouldn't expect it to go all the way with it's presentation of moral degradation that love can cause. It was good.
*** out of ****

Oh Woody and Jeff...

Manhattan(dir. Woody Allen)
Hopelessly romantic. Maybe alittle too much. The planetarium scene is just whimsical and lovely, but the film eventually gets bog down by it's dialogue and story. I guess the rational side of the film takes over and it stops being hopelessly romantic, but I wish it didn't. Isaac's attempt to rekindle his romance with his young ex-girlfriend is definately romantic, but you get a sense that their relationship isn't going to make it. Starts off well, but eventually I just kind of got sick of it.
*** out of ****
The Big Lebowski(dir. Joel & Ethan Coen)[rewatch]
I never liked this film that much. Sure, there were bits and pieces like Walter flipping out with a gun in the bowling alley that I liked. I watched some clips of the movie on Youtube and thought they were funny as hell. Scenes I didn't even think that were funny were now hilarious so I decided to rewatch this. My biggest problem was probably that I didn't understand the humor. The randomness and dead-pan style of Jeff Bridges's The Dude just makes the crazy events seem hilarious. The film's greatest asset is that it tries to make sense of the randomness and almost try to make it seem logical in terms of it's narrative. A film like Anchorman doesn't even attempt to do that. I also probably paid attention to the plot alittle too much, when it is simply an excuse to create bizarre situations for it's characters. I loved it.
**** out of ****

Oh Kool Thing...

Simple Men(dir. Hal Hartley)

Do I even need to write a review? It's obviously amazing through that clip, but I'll talk about it alittle more. There's something about Hartley's style that is extremely effective on me. It's probably because he realizes the concept of plot is ridiculous in films and kind of displays the plot as a seemingly random and melodramatic thing. A moment like in that clip wouldn't appear in a movie that takes it's plot seriously and I'm thankful it doesn't take it's plot seriously because it is fairly ludicrious. Some scenes point out the artifice that is inherent in movies while others resonate with a sense of true emotion and are extremely moving like the end. These scenes are moving because we notice the fake scenes and when something truly insightful happens on screen, it packs more punch. The ending is easily one of the most moving and beautiful things I've ever seen in a film.
**** out of ****
Show Me Love(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
The complete opposite of Lilya 4-Ever? Definately. The film is warm and fuzzy. Two adjectives that I would never use to describe Lilya 4-Ever to someone who hasn't seen it even though it does display a genuine warmth with it's scenes between Volodya and Lilya. The teens in this film have problems, but not nearly as big of problems as Lilya 4-Ever. That's ok, it's a different movie and much more whimsical. This film put a smile on my face. I know I'm not gonna obsess over this film like Lilya 4-Ever, but I definately enjoyed the hell out of it.
**** out of ****

Oh Abel...

Ms. 45(dir. Abel Ferrara)
This is Abel Ferrara's show since none of the acting is really that great, the cinematography lacks polish, and the script is pretty awful compared to King of New York. The lead character becomes more and more unlikeable as it goes along due to the fact she turns into a victim of two vicious rapes to a maniac who kills men in cold blood just because they are men. You could say the film could be viewed as feminism gone wrong. The acting from some of her victims is actually really good because the actors display a sort of sleazy charm and likeability to make their murders feel unjustified, but you can easily understand how she could murder them in cold blood because of their sleazy nature. In the middle portion, she almost takes a superhero type stance with her murders like killing a pimp beating his hooker and killing a gang of thugs. Her murders become more and more puzzling and off-putting until it goes to the final massacre that is portrayed in unflincing slow motion that makes the whole scene excruciating, which is exactly how the scene should have been portrayed. The most glaring flaws are the characters of the annoying neighbor and her dog. They're easily some of the most obnoxious characters ever put to film. It's easy to see them as a device to create suspense about the possibility that Thana might get caught, but the film's conclusion shows that they are truly unnecessary to the story. The final image is kind of ironic just because it shows that she sympathized with a dog more than all of her male victims, but it doesn't make the characters feel necessary to the plot especially given the cringe-inducing nature of the actress's performance of the neighbor and that disgusting scene with the dog. A decent effort, which could have greatly improved if it eliminated those two characters and made the final product more clean and lean.
**1/2 out of ****

Oh John Turturro...

Transformers(dir. Michael Bay)
This movie suprisingly had very little action. How most people describe it makes it seem like it is a non-stop action romp similar to something like Live Free or Die Hard which probably works against the film more than helps it. I guess it would create interest in people who are expecting a mindless action movie, but those people will probably be disappointed because it only delivers on the mindless part. Most of the characters are bland and when the action finally happens, you have pretty much no emotional involvement to what's happening on screen, which makes the action not thrilling or exciting since you don't really care if anybody dies. The transformers' personalities are underdeveloped, but not nearly as underdeveloped as the humans, which is kind of funny because the movie spends most of the running time with them. The only characters that seem interesting are of the over the top variety like Bernie Mac's and John Turturro's. Some critics say the film is racist because it displays most of the black characters as crazy lunatics, but in all honesty, I would rather have characters of my race crazy than totally uninteresting. When the battle occurs at the end, you don't really have any idea what is going. You can't really tell which robot is on which side because it spends very little time on trying to make them distinct from each other especially the Decepticons. It is unclear, but it's definately more interesting than the parts preceding it and makes you wonder why the whole film couldn't have been one huge robot on robot battle since the film doesn't really get you emotionally involved with the characters to make the time spent before the battle seem valuable. If you're going to see an action movie, see Live Free or Die Hard. The action is interesting just because it's so over the top in an almost tongue in cheek way, that makes it entertaining and John McClane easily has more personality than all the characters in this. Roll out!
** out of ****

Oh Oksana Again...

Premonition(dir. Mennan Yapo)
Preposterous. That is one word I would describe this film. It's labelled as a thriller on IMDb and it's not very thrilling. There are scenes that are handled horribly. An example is the scene where the little girl runs through the class. It almost makes sense in the context of how the scene is handled, but the director directs the scene as if a bomb was about to go off. It starts raining, she tells them to get the laundry that's on the line and they're all so tense that it just seems utterly ridiculous. The director attempts to create suspense with a number of scenes that are of relatively mundane activities. It would have made more sense if the director just shot the scenes in a more conventional manner instead of trying to make the audience on the edge of their seat. Sandra Bullock's acting is pretty damn horrible going super hysterical and crazy to Jack Bauer whisperer mode. Julian McMahon's performance is much better because in the beginning of the film, he feels sealed off from his wife and just going through a routine and then the end of the film, he feels open and accepting of his wife's love. There are some warm moments like Sandra Bullock's character telling her daughters that they're beautiful princesses. The plot makes no sense. I could overlook this if the film didn't take itself so seriously. The end also feels false. It's a good message that you should have hope during times of tragedy, but it totally overlooks the fact that she pretty much caused her husband's accident. You could say it was inevitable, but the main narrative drive is whether she can save him or not. It also appears that if her week wasn't chronically jumbled and that she didn't know her husband was going to die, the accident probably would have never occurred. Back to the end, it feels false because she displays no sense of guilt for what happened. I guess it wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but it's still bad.
*1/2 out of ****
Bullet Ballet(dir. Shinya Tsukamoto)
Starts off annoyingly bombastic and ends quiet and serene. When Goda performs what almost seems like a religious ceremony to fuse his soul with his gun, it starts to pick up and adds a sense of depth that was missing in the picture. The end bothers me. I really want to see some of his other work because I thought this was really interesting. It was really good until the end.
*** out of ****
Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)[rewatch]
Utterly beautiful and devastating. I rewatched this relatively quickly. The mother abadoning her child still doesn't feel quite right. I think if the actress didn't cry before leaving, it would be easier to swallow the fact that she essentially abadons her. It would make sense if she reassured her that they'll be together soon and it would be easy to see Lilya waiting around for her mother to contact her. Taken on a more Bressonian level, the film makes more sense. The character's actions can be viewed idiotic by some, but she seems to be driven by an unknown force. She is a vulnerable character and it seems utterly ridiculous when people think she is pretty much a bitch. She usually reacts harshly when someone treats her with a lack of respect. She is also a teenager growing up in an environment she doesn't want to be in, which creates frustration and hostility. It didn't have as powerful of an impact as my first viewing, but it's most likely due to my mood because I'm feeling a little detached right now. Hopefully, it holds up on repeated viewings because I pretty much became obsessed with the film and think it's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****

Oh Morgan Freeman...

An Unfinished Life(dir. Lasse Holstrom)
It would have fared better on Lifetime than on the big screen, but it is still a decent movie. It is melodramatic and seems to be filled with overly dramatic situations for pretty much all the characters. Morgan Freeman's showdown with the bear was ridiculous. Yeah...
**1/2 out of ****

Oh Yippy Ki Yay Mother...

JFK(dir. Oliver Stone)
In Roger Ebert's Great Movies entry for this film, he talks about how the film might be factually wrong, but in terms of the emotions of the time and even now towards the assassination of JFK, it rings true. I don't entirely buy this because as a film, it seems like first and foremost, it tries to sell you the idea that these people were responsibe for JFK's death even though it is factually untrue. He could, however, have made the film as Ebert says about the emotions towards the incident, but do you really need to accuse real people for crimes and activities they did not commit to make a film that is about these emotions? I don't think so. The film's best quality is that it makes you believe there is more surrounding to the incident even if the conspiracy it presents is not entirely factually correct. I'm fine with that notion that the filmmaker realized it was fictional and wanted to make a film that made people think about the incident and question authority, but a lot of viewers accept most movies that are based on true events, stories or whatever for face value and don't question it. I'm fine with it's message to question and search for the truth, but shouldn't you also question the questioning? The film is also a tad too preachy especially with Garrison's last speech, which screams Oscar reel footage if Kevin Costner was ever nominated for his performance in this . Stone isn't a very subtle and seems to take after most Hollywood directors who hit you over the head with messages, which some could view as a bad or good thing. In this, I feel being obvious with the message is the right way to go, but I can't shake the notion that the director is taking his film a little too seriously especially when it's as fabricated as this. I'm fine with a film like The Black Dahlia because it knows it's a fictional account of a real incident, but this film spends so much time trying to explain the details that it seems like it wants you to actually accept it's story and believe that it's true. There probably was some conspiracy surrounding the Kennedy assassination, but why present a false truth when you condemn the government and all the parties that were probably involved in this "conspiracy" for lying and presenting a false truth? It seems contradictory to use an art form like cinema that is basically based on lies and fabrications and using it to attack a party for lying and besmudging the truth. But I guess the government influences our lives much more than any film could.
*** out of ****
Die Hard 2: Die Harder(dir. Renny Harlin)
Bruce Willis screaming + Exploding snowmobile = Awesome action movie.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Oksana...

Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire Too(dir. Su Friedrich & Janet Baus)
Her worst film I've seen to date probably due to the fact she co-directed it and it probably was a documentary for TV. It has a real sterile and impersonal feel to it unlike her other films which feel incredibly personal and intimate like an entry in a diary or journal. The film's best moments are the interviews with individuals on the street about what they think the Lesbian Avengers are. Some are comical. Others are almost frightening to the degree of how uncomfortable they are about talking about anything concerning lesbians. It is much easier to accept what the Lesbian Avengers are trying to do with these interviews even though the biggest problem I had with the film is their approach. They seem to use tactics to make people so uncomfortable that they have to pretty much succumb to what they demand. That's not a horrible way to get the job done, but I feel that it is just going to make matters worse. All the members of the Lesbian Avengers that are interviewed seem to talk constantly about how they're lesbian and proud, which isn't a horrible thing, but I feel as a viewer I never come to relate to any of these people because they seem to define themselves by their sexuality and that's pretty much it. I'm sure these people have personalities and lives of their own, but you can't really tell with this film. Their marchs are almost the stereotype of "Gay Pride Parade" and the fact that some women take their tops off and start dancing around, while I'm not against it, just seems ridiculous and makes me the viewer uncomfortable and I'm not even there in person to experience this public display of nudity. When it reaches the point where you hear a woman recite a poem about her vagina and her lover's vagina, which was obviously influenced by The Vagina Monologues, you realize that they need to stop trying to personify vaginas and start personifying their cause. The Civil Rights movement of the 60's was successful mainly due to the cause having leaders who had strong personalites allowing individuals to put a human face to the cause. This film was thought-provoking even it was for the wrong reasons, which makes it still worthy of watching.
**1/2 out of ****
Flushed Away(dir. David Bowers and Sam Fell)
A relatively fun and light movie. I'll probably forget about it in a couple of days, but it's still better than most non-Pixar computer animated films.
**1/2 out of ****
Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
How do I describe this experience? Soul crushing? Maybe. Heart-breaking? Definately. It's a painful experience not in terms of how bad or idiotic the film is, but due to the events that occur. It's easy to see how some reviewers question what the point of the film was? What is the point of all this suffering? You could argue it is to show the viewers human trafficking and how a young girl can be lured into it. But I don't know, it seems too powerful a film to have such an "important" objective as exposing issues with society that audiences might not know about. In All Movie Guide's review, it says Dancer in the Dark is a good companion piece, which makes perfect sense because Dancer in the Dark could be viewed equally depressing while this film feels much more natural and damaging. Dancer in the Dark's material is melodramatic and while this is too, you give into it. At least, I did and this film scarred me even when I already knew everything that was going to happen due to someone "spoiling" the film in a message board I scimmed. There are flaws with the film. It definately aims to depress the hell out of you and I was able to fight off it's attempts to depress me and think about the film relatively objectively throughout most of the experience. Why does her mother leave her? One review said she's a mail order bride, which would explain it, but you still don't really understand why she would so freely abadon her child especially how the actress portrays her. She cries with her daughter as she's leaving, but doesn't seem to put up a fight. The girl turning to prostitution even though she could go to Social Services seem rather strange because if I was in that situation, I would gladly give myself up to Social Services instead of degrading myself in order to live on my own. The girl probably would much rather be with her friend and on her own than with Social Services so I guess it's not that much of a stretch. Some reviewers and individuals have talked about how the girl is basically an idiot and all the events that happen are pretty much her fault. One reviewer viciously said he understands how a mother can abadon her because she's such a "brat." I don't know. You have to be pretty heartless to hate this girl, but I had a similar experience with Thirteen probably due to the fact that the actress that played the character that the audience was supposed to sympathize with annoyed the fuck out of me and the whole peer pressure excuse for doing things that you don't want to just seems utterly ridiculous when you can easily avoid them. This film's protagonist who is played amazingly by a young Russian actress named Oskana Akinshina is in a situation where there really is no escape at least in the last parts. She is living by herself and she needs money so prostitution seems like a viable option so it makes sense, but the girl in Thirteen seems not to be enjoying taking drugs and seducing boys and just does it out of peer pressure. The girl in this film doesn't prostitute herself out of peer pressure, but as a way to survive and when she sniffs glue, she seems to actually enjoy it. The actress is amazing. Her smile is so infectious and brings innocence to a film that is in definate need of it after all the shit you experience. The film damaged me. Scarred me. I felt relatively emotionally unaffected until the end, which is probably the most devastating thing I've ever seen just due to the innocent viewpoint of the protagonist and the bleak outcome to her story. Some could easily write off the angelic images as ridiculous and sentimental, but there's something heart-breaking about a girl thinking of Heaven in such a simple and naive way. I could argue that the film might not work perfectly on intellectual grounds and that's the argument that some reviewers seem to take to bash the film. All I can say is that it effected me so deeply that I didn't even realize it was possible for a film to make me feel this way and to me, that makes this film a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Part 2 of A Personal Journal with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies(dir. Martin Scorsese & Michael Henry Wilson)
Informative to a point. You could find better educational material online and could just use the list of movie connections on IMDb and pretty much look all the movies and get even more information. He doesn't seem to spend a lot of time on one particular picture long enough to give the audience a sense of that film's artistic innovation or whatever. That has to be due to the massive nature of trying to sum up the history of American cinema in a couple hours or so and have it feel extensive. The best part was seeing movies that I have never heard of or have heard of and wanting to see them. Seeing directors like Andre De Toth and Fritz Lang talking about cinema was definately a treat for me. I'm probably not going to check out the other parts mainly due to the relatively uninformative nature of the film, but it's still probably worth watching if you catch it on TV like I did.
*** out of ****

Oh Dracula...

Billy the Kid vs. Dracula(dir. William Beaudine)
I actually thought this film worked. Sure, the whole concept is ridiculous, but somehow combining a horror movie with a typical Western setting isn't the worst idea in the world. John Carradine's Dracula was easily the most interesting character. All the other characters were faily lame and boring, but it works just because of how flamboyant Dracula seemed made him seem queer among the simple-minded townfolk. Some moments were laughable, but that just added to the sense of fun. A really fun movie.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Randy Scott...

Man in the Saddle(dir. Andre De Toth)
Charlie the crazy Mexican dude was a great character. Some scenes are imaginative like the pitch black shootout and the fight that causes a house to collapse. The film's biggest problem is that it felt it was doing too much with the story, which is a good thing and a bad thing because it makes the film feel a little overstuft. Good.
*** out of ****
Carson City(dir. Andre De Toth)
Slighty dull, but still entertaining enough to recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Stranger Wore a Gun(dir. Andre De Toth)
Same as above. Lee Marvin is UNDERUSED.
**1/2 out of ****
The Spoilers(dir. Ray Enright)
Dull and not entertaining enough to recommend. The conflict doesn't even feel like a conflict and isn't the least bit compelling. There is no chemistry between Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne. The attempts at humor using racial stereotypes was a little much especially the scene where Cherry's maid(?) thinks John Wayne in black face is a black man and starts coming on to him.
** out of ****

Oh Haji and Su...

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!(dir. Russ Meyer)
Is this a masterpiece of exploitation and cult cinema? Sort of. It is certainly a lot of fun and has some aspects that are definately trashy like the outfits the protagonists wear and the whole story around the father. I just felt it didn't quite meet the title of "trash" masterpiece as most viewers have touted the film to be. Some of the dialogue is actually quite ingenius in a campy sort of way, but most of the main actress's line deliveries were just shouting and kind of irritating. Even though, I know I shouldn't take the performances that seriously, I still feel that her performance is weak compared to other actresses. A fun-filled romp. Good for the whole family. Put this on the next DVD case.
***1/2 out of ****
The Ties That Bind(dir. Su Friedrich)
Another masterpiece. There are some aspects that are a little shaky like when she tries to compare the police handling of a feminine protest she attended to Nazi Germany, but I can understand her intentions in terms of trying to get the audience to comprehend how the Nazis were able to take power and how her mother and other Germans handled it. Germans that lived through the experience must have a certain sense of guilt just like their sons and grandsons probably do as well. An intelligent film that actually explores it's subject matter on a much more personal level than some Hollywood drivel like Schindler's List.
**** out of ****

Oh Samantha...

Morvern Callar(dir. Lynne Ramsay)
I can't really describe my experience with this film. Disaffected throughout most of it. It was strange and haunting and challenging to get into. It was easy to watch it and be amazed by the film's rhtyhm and images, but it all relied on the character. I got into it near the end when Morvern is by herself and you're able to take her in without all the noise and music distracting you. The end is rather oblique and is kind of frustrating. I might have to watch this again, but it definately makes me want to see Ratcatcher.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Christina Ricci...

Black Snake Moan(dir. Craig Brewer)
This was a moving experience, but when I started to think about the film afterwards, I was wondering why did it move me? The film feels false. The end brings up the question of whether Rae's "sickness" is truly cured. I don't really understand how a man could teach a woman about self-worth while she is chained to his radiater. There is a certain irony to the whole film and if the director would have indulged in this irony and pointed out that redemption is not as easy as coming across a wise black man and is a long and maybe even painful process. Sure, the characters show pain and are very emotional during their "life-chaging" process, but it all seems false. The whole idea of Rae's "sickness" being described as a "sickness" just seems utterly ridiculous. The film works when it comes down to the other relationships like Rae and Ronnie's and Lazarus and the pharmacist's. For that, the film works, but I wished the film would have not played it as straight-faced as it does especially with the end that is attached to the final product. When I think about the film, it starts to show that is an almost fatally flawed film.
**1/2 out of ****

Oh Poison...

D.O.A.(dir. Rudolph Mate)
It was exciting stuff. The basic concept is kind of gimmicky and ridiculous, but when the film picks up, you don't really think about it. The beginning kind of dragged even though most reviews talk about how amazing it is.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Marky Mark...

Shooter(dir. Antoine Fuqua)
A rather dull action drama. Mark Wahlberg's is quite boring in comparision to an action hero like John McClane. There's really no sense of fun to the action and the drama isn't that compelling. The protagonist never feels endangered at any point to really create a compelling experience.
** out of ***
Dogville(dir. Lars von Trier)
This viewing experience was quite unpleasant due to the actions that happen on screen to the protagonist and the actions the protagonist intiate. Grace's change of heart is bewildering and puzzling probably due to how Nicole Kidman plays her. Her reasoning seems relatively logical, but the way she acts seems to contradict and make her change of heart feel contrived and unnatural. Her actions create a thematic richness. The final moments of the film could be von Trier critiquing America for milking 9/11 and using it as a rationale for going to Iraq. America switching roles from victim to victimizer much like Grace. The images during the credits show poor people who have been oppressed by society. The actions the characters inflict on Grace is oppression and it's not very faltering. This could be von Trier critiquing America for not looking out for the welfare of the poor since all the characters are all selfish and never think of the emotional damage they are causing Grace. The town itself is oppressed since it is alone and secluded. Grace allows the town to free their frustrations and oppress some other being. With all this thematic richness, you would expect an equal amount of emotional richness, but it doesn't. Or it did until Grace's final actions since Grace is the only sympathetic character in the film and then she becomes as dog-like as the other characters. Her actions are more justified, but they still feel off-putting and out of place. It all comes down to Kidman's performance and I feel if she handled the character's final moments better, this would have been really good or even great, but as it is, it gets
*** out of ****

Oh Frank White...

King of New York(dir. Abel Ferrara)
A celebration of violence and smut? You bet. It's easy to see how some people might not like it since it's morality is kind of twisted and bizarre, but I believe that's what makes it such a compelling film. Individuals looking for a straight-faced crime drama will probably be disappointed because this plays more like a John Woo movie than a Martin Scorsese one. Frank White is an utterly interesting character due to his contradictory nature. He wants to help people, but in order for him to do that, he has to kill some and sell some drugs to raise money to help them. Robin Hood selling crack? You bet. He's not a heroic character. You connect with him for just being himself. He claims what he does is to raise money for a hospital, but is it really? To me, it seems like an excuse for him to partake in violent and immoral acts. When he starts killing cops, you feel it was justified, but when you think about it some more, you start questioning his behavior and rationale. It's thought-provoking action cinema.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Forest...

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Le Samourai mixed with Branded to Kill and directed by Jim Jarmusch has masterpiece written all over it, but it never fulfills that potential. If the movie was more focused on Forest and didn't have the other moments that focused on the gangsters, this would have been really good or great, but as it is, it's some uneven masterpiece. Ghost Dog performs his job with such skill that Melville would be proud, but Jarmusch's view of the criminal underworld is less flattering. I understand that's the point to show this super intense guy kicking ass compared to these dumb gangsters, but the characters are alittle too over the top. There are some moments that are forgiveable like a gangster singing along to Flava Flav. Another viewing might convince me that it's not just an uneven masterpiece, but a bonafide masterpiece. For now it gets
*** out of ****
Letters from Iwo Jima(dir. Clint Eastwood)
A much better film than Flags of Our Fathers, but it also shares some of that film's heavy-handed trappings. I enjoyed this film's unsentimental look at war to ritual suicide with grenades and the killing of prisoners of war. There is a certain bleak madness to it, but hope glimmers beneath the surface. Some moments seem to be designed to manipulate audience's emotions like Nichi giving all the medicine to an American soldier and ending up getting wounded. Most of the soldier's flashbacks were clearly designed to create some tears. The gimmick of going back to the present time to show the letters from Iwo Jima was pretty ridiculous, but the biggest flaw this film had had to deal with Ken Watanbe's favoritism of the main character. It seems utterly appalling and ridiculous to me that a man of authority would allow a soldier to not partake in a battle because he has a wife and kids. Sure, that seems reasonable, but we never see Ken Watanbe's character ask any of the other soldiers if they had a family. This film had some sublime moments and some cringe-inducing moments.
*** out of ****