mujer del misterio

Crash

2005-06-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Crash

Jean: Sandra Bullock
Graham: Don Cheadle
Officer Ryan: Matt Dillon
Ria: Jennifer Esposito
Flanagan: William Fichtner
Rick: Brendan Fraser
Cameron: Terrence Dashon Howard
Anthony: Ludacris

Crash is one of those movies where everything eventually comes together in the end. I happen to be a huge fan of these films, if they are well done. Crash is one of the best movies of the year.
Dialogue is thought out and the acting is great. Sometimes casting agents do not get the credit they deserve.
The camera work flows with the story, and becomes its own character.

I am not going to go into the storyline too much here, simply because I think I would sound like one of those girls trying to explain a month of a soap opera. You know there is this guy and he is married to this girl who used to be ….and then they are out and a guy…., but he is really a …. Trust me the movie makes complete sense while you are watching it. Each character has good points and bad, you will hate them one minute and then relate completely the next. Most mean well, but have hang-ups, that will not allow them to do/say the right thing.

** And it turns out I am STILL in love with Matt Dillon, but that is just me.
In any event, if you can find this in a theatre, please go. You will be happy you did.
I am sorry this review is so short; sometimes the good movies do not need much help. This film stands on its own, as it should.

Dust to Glory

2005-05-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

Dust to GloryDust:
Stars
Too many people that nobody knows, but should
Does NOT star Andretti, S.McQueen or James Garner!

First, I must state that Endless Summer is not even close to Bruce Brown’s best movie. So, to say that Dana Brown is the son of Endless Summer’s creator is to me a huge misnomer. In my world On Any Sunday (not the Jamie Fox football flick) is by far superior to anything that has a surfer in it. Dana Brown is truly his father’s son and it is to his credit that he has made a film containing most of the greatness of On Any Sunday with Dust to Glory.

Dust to Glory is a story about the 2003 Baja 1000 and the lunatics who race it. Loveable lunatics who are just looking to have a good time and are not worried about dying go to Baja California each year to ride or drive the 1000 mile race course. Some have been racing for 30 years.

Motorcycles, trophy trucks, truggys, bone stock Volkswagen bugs and 23 other classes of vehicle race 1000 miles for almost no money on a race course that is totally open to the public, spectators, cows, sheep, bicycles…..and what have you.

Dana Brown is so much like his father it is a little scary at times. Many other reviewers have complained about Brown’s style, calling it “cheesy” “corny” and “superficial” clearly they do not understand that this is how both Brown’s operate. The narration is matter of fact and full of the same ironic comments as Endless Summer, On Any Sunday and all of the others written and produced by the Browns.

I have a problem with the list of people “appearing” in this film. Mario Andretti is simply “at” the race, he takes off for a test drive in a trophy truck, says that he really loves Sal Fish, hitches a ride with some strangers and is not seen nor heard from again. Steve McQueen died in the 80’s he is shown in clips from On Any Sunday but that is it. I am not sure if this was an attempt to lure folks into the film or not. Either way if you do not know who Malcolm Smith, Larry Rosseler, J.N. Roberts or Ricky Johnson are you may not find this movie as fascinating as I did. All of these men have been around forever, and love their sport.
I would say that I recommend this film to anyone who loves off road racing or just wants to see what some people will do for personal glory. Let me know what you think! Happy viewing.

Sin City

2005-05-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sin City
Hartigan: Bruce Willis
Marv: Mickey Rourke
Nancy: Jessica Alba
Gail: Rosario Dawson
Jackie Boy: Benicio Del Toro
Dwight: Clive Owen
Kevin: Elijah Wood
Bob: Michael Madsen
Junior/Yellow Bastard: Nick Stahl
Manute: Michael Clarke Duncan
Shellie: Brittany Murphy

Finally, something to see in the theatre! I am truly sorry for a lack of writing on my part, but I have just been too unmoved by anything good or bad to do it. Until now that is.

Sin City is beautiful. A comic book on the screen, that is simply amazing to view. This film is more of a work of art than anything; I was even able to put aside the feelings I have for Tarantino for this one. He directs one small scene, and I can tell you it is terribly easy to pick out from the rest.

The film tells 3 different stories, that all come together in the end (think Pulp Fiction). Opening with Hartigan (Willis) chasing down a pedophile (Stahl) and saving the child victim from him. This story will come back later in the film. Moving along to Marv (Rourke) waking up next to a dead hooker, who he thinks he was in love with. Marv begins a hunt for Goldie’s killer and discovers just how far up the chain the evil of Sin City goes. We then meet Bob, who in an attempt to save his new girlfriend (Murphy) from an abusive ex (Del Toro) manages to upset the delicate balance of power in Sin City. Finally we are back with Hartigan, some 10 years later in his life, but only minutes from the rest of the story. The child he saved is now all grown up (Alba) and someone else wants their revenge.
This film may not be the best in all categories, but it is stunning visually, completely different and refreshingly true to its comic book form. From the word bubble like narration to the billowing of fabric, each frame is a “drawing” come to life.

I will warn those of you who get a little freaked out, this film is black and white. There are splashes of color for effect, but that is it. Also QT does play a role in this,I know it is difficult for me as well. Try to get past all that and enjoy the film. Cheers!

The Station Agent

2005-02-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Station Agent:

Finbar McBride: Peter Dinklage
Olivia Harris: Patricia Clarkson
Joe Oramas: Bobby Cannavale
Emily: Michelle Williams
Cleo: Raven Goodwin
Henry Styles: Paul Benjamin
Danny: Joe Lo Truglio
Written And Directed By Thomas McCarthy.

This film is just a solid effort on all accounts. Peter Dinklage, who you might remember as Miles in “Elf”, is an actor that is hard to forget. Not because he is a dwarf, but because he makes you forget that he is anything other than a terrific actor. He dominates every scene in this film. First time writer/director McCarthy does a fantastic job with this film; touching, funny, and enjoyable at all times.

Finbar’s best and perhaps only friend has just died, leaving behind an old abandoned train station in New Jersey. Fin has no reason not to move into the station. Believing that this will be a great way to be left alone, he is quickly proven wrong. A small town is probably the worst place to blend in, no matter who you are.

Fin meets Joe and is nearly run over, twice, by Olivia. He tries very hard to be unlikable, but the harder he tries the more Joe and Olivia wish to be around him. My favorite thing is that he insists on giving these one word answers to any question posed. His new “friends” keep after him, pressing for personal information, and while he answers the questions, he will not elaborate at all. Neither of them seem to notice and continue to ask questions. The writing is just amazing in this regard.

Eventually the wall he has built around himself begins to break down and he lets Joe and Olivia in a little.
By the end of the movie, Finbar is a little braver, and a little more tolerant of those around him. He even makes one little girl very happy.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone. Enjoy!

Hero

2005-01-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Ying Xiong “Hero”:
Nameless: Jet Li
Broken Sword: Tony Leung
Flying Snow: Maggie Cheung
Moon: Zhang Ziyi
King of Qin: Chen Dao Ming
Long Sky: Donnie Yen

Please go forth and rent this if you haven’t seen it. I am not a huge fan of martial arts films, and I detest what Tarantino has done to the whole thing. But this movie is more about the use of color and style to tell a story than about sword play and flying people. Visually stunning in everyway, I was often unaware of the wire work. As opposed to Crouching tiger where I was actually distracted by the flying people and had to force myself to understand why people were running on the tops of trees. In Hero the same effect made me imagine flying myself and felt totally natural.

I do watch a ton of foreign language films, and find that some translate better than others. One of the biggest complaints I had with CrouchingTHD was the simplicity of the subtitles when compared with the words being spoken. (sort of like Bill Murray’s experience in Lost in Translation). I watched the whole thing thinking that if I spoke Mandarin, perhaps I would like it better. Those who do speak the dialect said that it was some of the worst dialogue ever; the accents were off and strained. I am not sure that Hero is actually better in this regard, but the images on the screen make up for any loss in translation. I believe that one could watch the film and not read any of the subtitles and still very much enjoy the visuals and the music. I might try that next time I watch it.

This story is a complete work of fiction that takes place 2000 years ago in China. The King, afraid of assassination attempts, reluctantly agrees to see a nameless warrior who claims to have killed 3 would be assassins (Snow, Sky and Broken Sword). As reward Nameless is allowed to move closer to the king while telling his story.

Three different tales are told as to the circumstance of the battles with Snow, Sky and Broken Sword. Namless tells his story, the king counters with what he believes happened and fianlly Namelss retells his version. Each one sounds like it might be truth or lie; could the whole thing just be a plot by Nameless to get close enough to the king to kill him too?

Even if you do not like “martial arts” movies, or foreign films, you should give this one a try.
Cheers-

Movies on DVD I have seen this week

2004-12-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

I have been concentrating on dvd movies for the last week or so. Catching up with movies that I really wanted to see, but did not have time until now.

So I have for you L.I.E , Girl with a pearl earring, and Coffee and Cigarettes.

L.I.E is a very well done albeit disturbing little film. We have a kid who loses his mother in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway(lie), his father is embezzeling money from his company and has a new girlfriend (who is way hotter than the dead wife). Howie falls into the wrong crowd at school, nobody seems to notice though. He and his new friends are robbing area homes, and getting into all sorts of other trouble. When one of the robbery victims finds Howie and his friend Gary he demands his things back. Gary has left town though leaving Howie to fix the problem.

We are quickly led into a world of inapproriate relationships involving old men and young boys. I will tell you that it does not turn out the way that you think it will. I have seen a lot of movies and was convinced that I knew what would happen, I was very pleasantly suprised and I think you will be as well.

Girl with a Pearl Earring was alright. That is about all I can say. It was not a bad movie, the costumes and the lighting were absolutly amazing. I LOVE Scarlet Johanson in anything she chooses. Collin Firth does a great job as well. This is most definitely a rental, but only if you like me have a "thing" for Scarlett or you have a thing for art(Dutch artists), or if you really enjoyed the book.

And Coffee and Cigarettes. Blah! I have nothing to say here, I could only watch 10 minutes of this. I realized that it was not going to get any better and went to the store. It was over by the time I got back. I lacked the caring to be bothered to turn it off; that is pretty bad. Maybe someone has watched it all the way through and would like to tell me why it is good. I really am curious, all my favorite people are in it.

That is all for now. I will be back with more.

Shaun of the Dead

2004-11-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Shaun of the Dead:

I have always been a huge fan of the British humor, from Monty Python to Peter Sellers all the way to Wallace and Gromit. This film is fantastic, the jokes are a little dry, and often times are puns and continue from scene to scene as running jokes. If you do not like this sort of thing, then I would only recommend you see this for the camera work and the directing. In any event I say see this movie as soon as possible. Tonight, perhaps.

You know from the trailers that this is a “horror love story” about zombies. Shaun spends his life in the closest pub to his house, being the oldest person (29) selling electronic items in a local shop and defending his best friend Ed to everyone. Everyday is the same, and his girlfriend Liz has had enough. She breaks up with him the night before the zombies arrive in force. He and Ed adventure forth the save Shaun’s mum and Liz. Liz will of course be so happy that she was saved that she will take Shaun back. At least that is the plan.

Everything about this movie is incredible, the script, the acting, directing, editing, and the fact that it was made for around 4Mil.

You do not have to be a fan of horror films to like this one. Go see it, go now.

The Forgotten

2004-09-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Forgotten:

Telly Paretta: Julianne Moore
Ash Correll: Dominic West
Dr. Munce: Gary Sinise
Det. Ann Pope: Alfre Woodard
Jim Paretta: Anthony Edwards
Columbia Pictures
directed by Joseph Ruben
Written by Gerald Di Pego.

I am not so much recommending this movie, as I am saying that you should not wait for the DVD. If you see it make sure that it is on the big screen. I am not able to tell you about the plot, because for all intent and purpose, there is none. And saying too much might ruin what there is. You already know Telly (Julianne Moore) is mourning the death of her child, and she seems to be the only one who remembers that he even existed. You know that someone or something is responsible for the missing? kid. By the end, that is still about all you will know, the who, why, when and what is pretty much not explained at all. There are no plot holes because nothing is explained far enough for that to be a problem. On the other hand, I did not care so much that I had no idea what was going on. I was entertained, I was caught off guard and my heart raced more than a couple times.

I think this is a film that actually fits with that famous expression “rollercoaster” used by so many critics. I never really knew what they meant until now; any good rollercoaster shows you what you can expect, but keeps a little bit hidden, and even though you have been on the same ride a hundred times, your stomach still drops, and you still scream at the same places, and when the ride comes to a complete stop, you catch your breath and marvel at how you can be so ”scared”, and so entertained at the same time. This movie is like that, it caused a theatre full of people to jump in their seats, scream and try to catch their breath. Not a gunshot was fired, not a drop of blood (well a guy got hit on the head, and was bleeding a little) was shed, and no ax wielding murderer was running around hacking up blondes. I made a mental note about half way through that this movie made me think of the first couple seasons of the X-Files, before it got too involved with itself to be any good. Just a small note of thanks to the film makers, for not forcing the 2 lead characters into a romantic situation, just because a man and woman are alone, scared, running from someone/thing, have a common goal does not mean that they will fall into bed. People are able to show some self control, I am happy that it was recognized here.

Anyway, if you have some spare time, and want to see a movie, need to get out of the heat of the day, like to be startled (in a good way) or want the girl with you to jump in your lap, this is a pretty good choice.
As far as the cast, Julianne Moore is one of those very pretty actresses that girls like to like. Anthony Edwards does not do much here, seems the older he gets the less he does. Gary Sinese bugs me, always has, probably always will. Dominic West is pretty forgettable in this, which is not really new for him, if you look him up; there is a string of movie characters you do not remember.

Happy Viewing
MdM

White Chicks

2004-08-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

White Chicks ++(2)

Marcus Copeland: Marlon Wayans
Kevin Copeland: Shawn Wayans
Tiffany Wilson: Anne Dudek
Brittany Wilson: Maitland Ward
Megan Vandergold: Brittany Daniel
Heather Vandergold: Jamie King

The Wayans brothers manage(barely)to pull off another movie. I am not sure how long they can keep it going, only time will tell.

The movie starts out as you would expect, two brothers manage to screw up an FBI operation. This is where the first problem with the story happens. Does the FBI really put brothers together as partners? Would either of these 2 actually be able to pass the tests and all other basic requirements to become agents? Would a verbal scolding from their supervisor be the punishment for their screw-up? If any of these things are true, god help the U.S. we are in serious trouble.

So, if we ignore all of that, these two are actually given another assignment. To watch 2 socialites, and make sure they are not kidnapped. Problem 2, does the FBI take volunteers for assignments? Can an agent refuse to take an assignment because they feel the person they are to protect is going to be way too much trouble? Anyway….we have to assume all of this to be true if we are going to continue watching. So lets just go with it. Our heroes, figure they will do such a good job watching these girls, that they will get back into the good graces of the Chief.

Well we all know that something goes wrong, the girls refuse to go to the Hamptons for the weekend. So the guys will have to pretend to be the sisters, if they are to foil the kidnapping. Elaborate makeup and costumes are created for them. Funny jokes, misunderstandings with spouses, quick changes into and out of costume to get a girl, and attempts to ward off male advances happen just like you guess they would. If you have seen “Some like it hot” you have seen most of what happens here. Of, course everything works out in the end. The kidnappers are caught, the boys get to keep their jobs, husbands learn a valuable lesson, the guy gets the girl, and everyone lives happily ever after. The End….

That is not to say there are no new and funny moments, there are; plenty of them actually. I did laugh out loud many, many times. If you allow a huge amount of slack in the set up and just let it go you will enjoy the movie, provided you like idiotic comedy. There is not reason to see it in the theatre, though. I suggest renting the DVD when it arrives, or spending the $3.95 on the pay per view.

Dodge Ball

2004-08-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Dodge Ball- +++(3)

Peter La Fleur: Vince Vaughn
White Goodman: Ben Stiller
Kate Veatch: Christine Taylor
Patches O'Houlihan: Rip Torn
Justin: Justin Long
Gordon: Stephen Root
Owen: Joel David Moore
Dwight: Chris Williams
Steve the Pirate: Alan Tudyk
written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
Rated PG-13

This movie is in a word, Stupid! But in this case stupid translates to funny. The movie is not good; I do not ever need to see it again. But I did laugh and it does give me a few movie lines to add to daily life. “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball” and “It's like watching a bunch of retards trying to hump a doorknob!” But other than that it is the typical stupid, we need money to save whatever it is (house, Gramma, gym, fish restaurant…) So we should enter this thing (golf, dodgeball, sailing tournament…) and win the prize money, which is amazingly enough the exact amount we need. Even though none of us has any idea how to do whatever it is that we need to do, we will overcome the evil (landlord, corporate giant, random rich people…) and come out winners.

Blah, blah, blah. So, see it now if you want to. Or if you have a thing for Vince Vaughn (yeah, I am in that category). Be warned that you will be overcome with the reality that you have just given someone 10 dollars of your hard earned money, and you will have forfeited 96 minutes of your life. I would wait for the DVD, pick a good night that you were not doing anything anyway, and find a friend who will not complain that the movie is stupid and have fun with it.
Happy watching!

Mean Girls

2004-08-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Mean Girls- ++++ (4)
Cady: Lindsay Lohan
Regina: Rachel McAdams
Janis: Lizzy Caplan
Damian: Daniel Franzese
Aaron: Jonathan Bennett
Gretchen: Lacey Chabert
Ms. Norbury: Tina Fey
Mr. Duvall: Tim Meadows
Karen: Amanda Seyfried
directed by Mark S. Waters
Written by Tina Fey
Based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
Rated PG-13

Man, I am sorry that I have taken way too long to post these comments. Almost too long to be useful, if in fact you think what I say is useful.
Ok, so on with it. I really liked this movie. I have grown bored of the usual high school movies, stupid girls and the dumb boys they find impossible to live without. If not for some bet made by one or both of the lead characters the movie would not take place. This is surprisingly NOT that movie. Our leading lady, Cady (Lindsey Lohan) starts out naïve and clueless, becomes rude and self centered, and makes it back to become a nicer person in the end. Was that wisdom she found? Could be, but you will have to be the judge.

Cady, a previously home schooled high school Jr. is suddenly forced into a traditional high school. Full of all the things you remember. If you are over 30 the groups have expanded a little, but the Jocks and the pot heads are still there and so are the “plastics”. Those girls that it was fun to imagine being. If you do not know the girls I am taking about, you probably had 3 different pink lipsticks in your purse, and never wore the same outfit twice. But I digress; she is snubbed by everyone except Janis and Damien. 2 other students who are pretty much outcasts themselves. Turns out Janis used to be best friends with the leader of the plastics, until a falling out sometime before high school. Damien is, quote, almost too gay to function. Janis has now found a way to exact revenge against her former friend. Use Cady to infiltrate the ranks and systematically destroy Regina’s world. It is a 3 step plan and brilliant at that. The only problem is that halfway to the goal; Cady loses sight of the plan and turns on Janis. She is actually enjoying being a “mean girl”. Now she seems to be unstoppable, she has Regina’s boyfriend, and is leading the other plastics. Regina discovers the plot to overthrow her and begins her own revenge of Cady.

I am sure you can figure out how it all turns out. Is this movie predictable? Yup. Has it been done before? Yup again. Does Tina Fey, find new ways to deliver and make you laugh? Yes, indeed.

So, I have to say, all in all this was an enjoyable 93 minutes. And I would recommend the film to anyone who is mildly interested in this sort of thing.

The Bad

2004-06-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is the list of the bad. Some are worse than others, some I was unable to sit through, it is actually pretty rare for me not to watch the whole thing. More often, I just stop paying attention. Of the 11 -5 below 5 were actually turned off).
Comments are of course welcome and encouraged.

-1 the least bad of the bad. More bad parts than good. Movies that you thought might be good(ok),and aren’t. There are probably more than a few people who would argue with me, it should be a good argument.
-2 Oooh, getting worse…why is that person in it? What was a normally good director thinking? Who gives them money to make these things? Only fans of the actor or director will argue. And their argument will be lame…(ex. QT is the greatest, did you see Reservoir Dogs?)Losing interest pretty quickly, have to finish it if I intend to argue with those who liked it.
-3 Total crap…but I have seen worse…do not want to meet anyone who will argue. Probable that I did not actually pay attention while it was playing, not enough interest to even turn it off.
-4 See, I knew that it could be worse...everyone knows it is bad, difficult to get anyone to admit that they watched it. I might have turned it off or walked out.
-5 The grand daddy of all badness. So very, very, very bad. I should have not even tried it. Even though I only saw between 15 to 30 minutes, those are moments of my life I cannot get back. My own fault I should have known better.

4 Dogs Playing Poker (1999) ---- (-4)
Absolute Power (1997)- (-1)
Along Came a Spider (2001)—-(-2)
American Outlaws (2001)---- (-4)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)- (-1)
Baran (2001) ---(-3)
Because Why (1993) –-- (-3)
Best Man (1999) ----(-4)
Black and White: Special Edition(1999)---(-3)
Chain Reaction (1996)---(-3)
Dagon (2001)-----(-5)
Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2001)—-(-2)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)-1
Down to Earth (2001)---(-3)
Drawing Flies (1996)--- (-3)
Dungeons & Dragons (2000)—-(-2)
Everyone Says I Love You (1996)—-(-2)
Existenz (1999)-----(-5)
Ghosts of Mars (2001)-----(-5)
Hanging Up (2000)—-(-2)
Hannibal (2001)—-(-2)
Harold and Maude (1971)--- (-3)
Heist (2001)—-(-2)
Hollywood Ending (2002)—-(-2)
How to Get Ahead in Advertising:(1989)---(-3)
Hysterical (1983) -----(-5)
In & Out (1997)--(-2)
In the Bedroom (2001)---(-3)
Jakob the Liar (1999)- (-1)
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)-----(-5)
Kiss Me Guido: 1997)---- (-4)
Knockaround Guys (2002)----(-4)
La Separation (1994)—-(-2)
Lantana (2001)--(-2)
Luminarias (1999)-(-1)
Man of the Year (1995)-----(-5)
Men of Honor (2000)—(-2)
Monster's Ball (2001)—(-2)
One Night at McCool's (2001)--(-2)
Pi: Faith in Chaos (1998)—-(-2)
Picking Up the Pieces(2000)---- (-4)
Playing Mona Lisa (2000)-(-1)
Proof of Life (2000) –-(-2)
Queens Logic (1991)-(-1)
Ravenous: (1999)-(-1)
Red Planet (2000)----(-4)
Red Planet (2000) ----(-4)
Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)--(-2)
Route 666 (2001)-----(-5)
Runaway Bride (1999) --- (-3)
Saving Silverman (2001)- (-1)
Series 7: The Contenders (2001)-----(-5)
Session 9 (2001)-----(-5)
Sex and Lucia (2002)—(-2)
Shakes the Clown (1992)---- (-4)
Shower (1999)--- -3)
Six Degrees of Separation (1993)- (-1)
Small Time Crooks (2000) –(-1)
Solaris (2002)---(-3)
Sweet and Lowdown (1999)--(-2)
Sweet Hereafter: (1997)—- (-2)
Sweet November (2001) ---(-3)
The Center of the World (2001)—-(-2)
The Impostors (1998)-(-1)
The Italian Job (2003) (2003)-----(-5)
The Lair of the White Worm:(1988)-----(-5)
The Last Seduction (1994)- (-1)
The Luzhin Defence (2001)—-(-2)
The Man Who Cried (2000) –-(-2)
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)- (-1)
The Mummy Returns (2001)—-(-2)
The Muse (1999)--- (-3)
The Ninth Gate (1999)—-(-2)
The Pillow Book (1997)-1(-1)
The Red Violin (1999)--(-2)
The Rules of Attraction(2002)----(-4)
The Seven Percent Solution (1976)--(-2)
The Tailor of Panama (2001)—-(-2)
The Unbelievable Truth (1989)-----(-5)
The Virgin Suicides (1999)-(-1)
The Wedding Planner (2001)----(-4)
The Winslow Boy (1999)-(-1)
The X-Files: Fight the Future(1998)--(-2)
Thirteen Days (2000) --(-2)
Town & Country (2001)-(-1)
Triumph of Love (2002)—-(-2)
Unbreakable (2000)--(-2)
Vulgar (2002)----(-4)
Waking Life (2001)----(-4)
Wild Things (1998) –-(-2)
Woman Next Door (1981)—-(-2)

Coming soon...

2004-06-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Bad and the ugly lists. Reviews of Shrek 2, Mean Girls, Me Without you, The Dangerous lives of Altar Boys.
Just a few things that I am looking forward to: Undertaking Betty, Eulogy, Open Water, and Garden State.

The Good-Part 2

2004-06-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

This is the second part of the list of things you might want to check out.

200 Cigarettes (1999)++++ 4
A Girl, 3 Guys and a Gun (2001)+ 1
A Streetcar Named Desire: Director's Cut (1951) ++++ 4
America's Sweethearts (2001)+ 1
Anna and the King (1999)++++ 4
Barbarians at the Gate (1993)++++ 4
Bedazzled:(2000)++ 2
Blow (2001)  ++2
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)+++++ 5
Casablanca (1942)+++++ 5
Cast Away (2000) ++++ 4
Cats (1998)+1
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)++ 2
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)+ 1
Essex Boys (2000)+ 1
Evolution (2001)++++ 4
Fiddler on the Roof: Special Edition (1971)+++ 3
Finding Forrester (2000) ++++ 4
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)+ 1
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)+++++ 5
Hercules (1997) (1997) +++ 3
Hope Floats (1998)++ 2
Last Emperor: Director's Cut (1987)++ 2
Longitude: Part 1 (2000) ++++ 4
Longitude: Part 2 (2000) ++++ 4
Love in the Afternoon (1957)++ 3
Maltese Falcon (1941) +++++ 5
Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)++++ 4
Miss Congeniality (2000)++++ 4
Moby Dick (1998)+++ 3
Moulin Rouge (2001)+ 1
Music Man: (1962)++ 2
My Dog Skip:(2000)++ 2
My Fair Lady:(1964)+++++ 5
Never Been Kissed (1999)+++3
Notting Hill:(1999) ++ 2
Office Space (1999) ++++ 4
Osmosis Jones (2001)+++ 3
Quills (2000)+ 1
Sexy Beast (2001)+++++ 5
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)+1
Sliding Doors (1998) + 1
Snatch (2000) ++2
Someone Like You (2001)+1
Space Cowboys (2000) ++ 2
The Cider House Rules (1999)+ 1
The Contender (2000) + 1
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)+++ 3
The Dish (2000)+ 1
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)++ 2
The Exorcist: Restored Version (1973)+++ 3
The Family Man (2000)+1
The Gift (2000) + 1
The Limey (1999) ++ 2
The Magnificent Seven (1960)++ 2
The Mexican (2001)+++ 3
The Ogre (1996)+ 1
The Stranger (1946) ++ 2
To Kill a Mockingbird: (1962)+++++ 5
Tortilla Soup (2001)+++ 3
Traffic (2000) ++2
Under Suspicion (2000) (2000)+ 1
Undercover Brother (2002)++++ 4
Vanilla Sky (2001)+ 1
View from the Top (2003)+++ 3
War and Peace (1956) + 1
What Lies Beneath:(2000)+ 1
What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)++ 2
White Oleander (2002)++ 2
Willard (2003) ++++ 4
With a Friend Like Harry (2000) +++ 3
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)++++ 4

Happy watching. If you have questions or comments about anything here I will be happy to discuss. Differing opinions welcome ;-)

The Good-Part 1

2004-06-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a partial list of things I have seen in the past 3 years that I think are worth a look. I did not love all of them, as you will see, but I know that I am very picky.
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)++ 2
A Beautiful Mind (2001)+ 1
A Mighty Wind (2003)+ 1
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)+ 1
About Schmidt (2002) +++++ 5
American Graffiti(1973)+++ 3
Amores Perros (2000)+++ 3
Amy's O (2002)+1
Apocalypse Now Redux (1979)++++ 4
Apollo 13 (1995) ++++ 4
Arsenic & Old Lace (1944)+++ 3
Beautiful (2000) +1
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)+1
Billy Elliot (2000)++ 2
Birthday Girl (2000)++ 2
Black Hawk Down (2001)++++ 4
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)+++++ 5
Bubble Boy (2001)+ 1
Bullitt (1968)++ 2
Bully (2001)++ 2
Catch Me If You Can (2002)++ 2
Cats & Dogs (2001)+ 1
Charade (1963)+++ 3
Chicago (2002) ++ 2
Comic Book Villains (2002)+++ 3
Cops & Robbersons (1994)+ 1
Death to Smoochy (2002)++ 2
Deliverance (1972)+++++ 5
Dogtown (1998)+ 1
Donnie Darko (2001)++++ 4
Dreamcatcher (2003) ++ 2
Finding Nemo: Wide Screen (2003)+++++ 5
Freeway: Special Edition (1996) ++ 2
From Here to Eternity (1953)++ 2
Full Frontal (2002)+ 1
Ghost World (2001)+++++ 5
Green Dragon (2001) ++ 2
Haiku Tunnel (2001)++++ 4
Holes (2003)+++++ 5
Igby Goes Down (2002)+++++(5)
Inherit the Wind (1960)++++ 4
Insomnia (1997)+ 1
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)++ 2
Jacob's Ladder: Special Edition (1990)++ 2
Joe Somebody (2001)++ 2
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1997)+ 1
Key Largo (1948)+++ 3
Kingpin: Special Edition (1996)+++ 3
Kolya (1996)+++ 3
Lagaan (2001) ++++ 4
Life Is Beautiful (1997)++ 2
Lilo and Stitch (2002)+++++ 5
Lolita (1997) ++2
Love in the Afternoon (1957)+++ 3
Madame Butterfly (1995)++ 2
Moonlight Mile (2002)+++++ 5
Mulholland Drive (2001)+ 1
North by Northwest(1959)+++++ 5
Notorious (1946) ++++ 4
Novocaine: (2001)++ 2
One Hour Photo (2002)+++++ 5
P.S. Your Cat is Dead! (2003) + 1
Papillion (1973)++++ 3
Phone Booth (2003)+++ 3
Pinero (2002)++ 2
Rear Window (1954) +++ 3
Reversal of Fortune:(1990)++ 2
Roger Dodger (2002)+++++ 5
Roman Holiday: (1953)+++ 3
Secretary (2002)+++++ 5
Shallow Hal (2001)+++ 3
Shot in the Heart (2001) ++ 2
Singin' in the Rain (1952)+++ 3
Sling Blade (1996)+++++ 5
Some Like It Hot (1959)+++++ (5)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)+++ 3
Spirited Away (2002) +++++ 5
Strangers on a Train (1951)++++ 4
Stuart Saves His Family (1995)+1
Suicide Kings:(1997)++++ 4
Swordfish (2001)+++ 3
Tampopo (1986) ++++ 4
The 39 Steps (1935) +++ 3
The Anniversary Party (2001)+1
The Birds (1963) ++ 2
The Borrowers (1997)+++ 3
The Business of Strangers (2001)+ 1
The Count of Monte Cristo(1998)+++ 3
The Crimson Rivers (2000)++++ 4
The Crying Game (1992)+++++ 5
The Devil's Backbone (2001)++ 2
The Emperor's Club (2002)++ 2
The Emperor's New Clothes (2002)++ 2
The Full Monty (1997) +++++ 5
The Golden Child (1986)+++ 3
The Good Girl (2002)++ 2
The Great Escape (1963)++++ 4
The Hours (2002)+++++ 5
The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)++ 2
The King of Masks (1999)++++ 4
The Lady and the Duke (2001)++ 2
The Man From Elysian Fields (2002)+++(3)
The Man in the Iron Mask: (1998)+1
The Minus Man (1999) + 1
The Prime Gig (2000)++ 2
The Princess and the Warrior (2000)+++++ 5
The Princess Diaries (2001)++ 2
The Road to El Dorado (2000)+ 1
The Salton Sea (2002)++ 2
The Thin Man (1934) +++ 3
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)+ 1
Thesis (1996)+ 1

Rating the movies I have seen-

2004-05-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have worked out my very own clever rating system for movies that I see. This has served me well over the years. The system goes from 5 to -5
The rating system -5 to +5

5 Loved it!!! Gotta have it. It will be in my collection soon, if not immediately.
4 Very well done-would purchase it if the price was right.
3 Mostly good, might watch again if it was on HBO-purchase only if a real bargain
2 Well it had a few moments and some redeeming factors, if I had to watch something and there was no other choice I might leave it on-Would have to be a gift
1 Ok, I watched the whole thing, I still don’t hate it, but not going to watch it again…ever (see Mighty Wind) would return if a gift
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-1 The least bad of the bad. Movies that you thought might be good (or ok), and aren’t. There are probably more than a few people who would argue with me, it should be a good argument.
-2 Oooh, getting worse…why is that person in it? What was a normally good director thinking? Who gives them money to make these things? Only fans of the actor or director will argue. And their argument will be lame…(ex. QT is the greatest, did you see Reservoir Dogs?)Losing interest pretty quickly, have to finish watching though if I intend to argue with those who liked it.
-3 Total crap…but I have seen worse…do not want to meet anyone who will argue. Probable that I did not actually pay attention while it was playing, not enough interest to even turn it off.
-4 See, I knew that it could be worse...everyone knows it is bad, difficult to get them to admit that they watched it. I might have turned it off or walked out.
-5 The grand daddy of all badness. So very, very, very bad. I should have not even tried it. Even though I only saw between 15 to 30 minutes, those are moments of my life I cannot get back. My own fault I should have known better.

Who is this mystery woman?

2004-04-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

I completely agree with fellow masked movie snob Sombrero Grande, you cannot trust an opinion if you do not know that person, and what they like. We all have the ability to disagree, and I can tell you I LOVE a good argument. Have a point, be able to back it up with reasons, and do not worry if anyone else shares your opinion, but be respectful and do not take anything too personally.

I have a bunch of “rules” for all kinds of things; there are very few exceptions to my rules. All that this means is that I am rarely disappointed and I am often pleasantly surprised. Win/win in my book.

When it comes to movies, the rules are actually pretty simple, do not insult my intelligence, have some pride in your work, and make an effort to entertain and make a statement at the same time. In general movies made purely for profit do not go over very well with me. I am a huge fan of the Indie film for this very reason. Those who make films because they have something to say, not just because they have bills to pay, should be given more credit from the start. “Titanic” was written in a day, and that is completely obvious, but it made money, which was all it was supposed to do. I run from sequels of the 90’s, none have been made because the story was not finished (LOTR does not count as it is supposed to be told in 3 acts). Every recent sequel was made because the first one did well (usually when nobody thought that it would), the producers figured they could make a killing on the next one. Problem is, that nobody takes any pride in the second one they throw the thing together as quickly as possible, have some lame continuation to a story that was nicely wrapped up in the first movie, and may or may not follow those same characters.
Examples of late, Men in Black, Shrek, Pitch Black, Blade, Matrix, Dumb and Dumber, the Whole 9 yards, The Bourne Identity, the Mummy….I could go on, but I won’t. These movies were fine, they are what they are. Like them or hate them, none of them needed a crappy sequel. There are always exceptions, but not very many.

Whether or not I like an actress is based on a very tough test. Many women have passed, but sadly many more do not. Some women that I love to watch, Drew Barrymore, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jodi Foster, and now I can add Jennifer Garner. I cannot stand actresses who do not take a role because it may require them to look unattractive, has them cast as the butt of a joke, or the totally uncoordinated ditz. Or worse yet, take the role, and then be out of place because their makeup has to be perfect, and they have to be the center of the screen. All of the women listed above have been seen in unflattering roles, have fallen down and been laughed at and have made me believe that they are “normal” people.

All I ask of actors is that they be able to act, for the love of God. Convince me that you are who you are pretending to be. I know that a lot of this has to do with directors, and casting people, but there are some horrific actors still getting work. Some get better with age, some find the perfect roles, and some just learn what they can do and what they cannot. A few of the actors that I think have improved over the years are Johnny Depp, Richard Gere (who would have thought), James Spader, and Burt Reynolds, to name a few.

Listed in my links section is a list of DVD’s that I own, also a list of movies that I have rented from netflix over the last 3 years. I have created a rating system for things that I have seen which is listed there as well. The ratings go from +5 to -5 I have explained what I mean by each number.
That should give you some insight as to the kind of movies that I enjoy. My mantra has been, “I will watch anything, I may not like it, but I will watch it”. I must confess, however that there are some movies that I will avoid at all cost, because there is absolutely no chance that I will like it at all. See the sequel rant above. So, if you do not agree with my assessment, that is fine, but you may want to look to someone else for guidance.
Happy watching:
Mujer de Misterio ♥

13 Going on 30

2004-04-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is a fluffy, feel good girl movie; a remake of a fluffy, feel good boy movie. I think I was a fan of “Big” when it came out; but I was 19 and still living at home, Tom Hanks was just becoming the country’s sweetheart. I tried to watch it again a few months ago and was unimpressed. It had gotten tired;“Big” has not stood up to time. I do not think that “13 going on 30” will fair any better over time, but is totally watchable right now.

“13 going on 30” was written for the teen set, written very well, mind you, with enough clever dialogue to amuse 13 year old girls. There are also plenty of jokes that go sailing over the heads of actual 13 year old girls to amuse the 30 to 40 year old aunts or mothers taking the aforementioned teens to the movie. I am usually not a fan of the crap pushed on teen girls these days, the “What a girl wants”, “She’s all that” the upcoming Olsen twins take Manhattan disaster…the new thing I saw a poster for are just embarrassing. This movie was pretty much a shock to me. I enjoyed it, really did.

Jenna is an unhappy 13 year old girl (we all were) she is not popular, and wants to be, she does not command the attention of any 13 year old boys (except, of course the cute, fat next door neighbor kid who would walk through fire for her) and wants to. So the other unhappy 13 year old girls (yes even the cool chicks are unhappy in some way, I said all 13 year old girls are unhappy) pretend to sort of, kind of like her, if she does their homework. She dreams endlessly of being 30 and fantastic. She tells her mother that she wishes she could be just like the women in the pictures of a fashion magazine. Her mom tells her,” Honey, those are not women, they are models”.

At her13th birthday party Jenna finds herself in a closet with a blindfold on waiting for the boy she dreams of to come in for “7 minutes of heaven” an updated version of spin the bottle. Meanwhile outside the closet, her “friends” have picked up their homework and left. Matt, that cute fat kid, who had to run home and get his “Casio” returns. He finds Jenna in the closet blindfolded, she assumes that it is the man of her dreams, Matt assumes she is waiting for him at last. Both are terribly wrong. Hateful things are said to Matt, he leaves, Jenna wishes herself into the future. 30, flirty and thriving…….

Jumping forward 17 years we find Jenna in a fabulous apartment, with tons of clothes, a boyfriend, and her dream job. I must say that the twist to this is that everyone knows who she is, different than other “Big” type movies. They notice a difference, but just assume that she is on some sort of drug, “did you fall into a K hole?” or that she has decided to go “retro” too concerned with their own lives to care which. Her parents are still there for her when she decides to come back, with happy face pancakes and everything. Jenna is the only one who has no idea where she is. She also does not try to explain any of this to a “trusted” friend; she just goes with it and figures it out herself.

Her job now is to figure out why some people are actually afraid of her, why she does not speak to her parents any more, who the naked man in her house is and why her best friend in the whole world, Matt, doesn’t really want to see her. He is still as sweet as ever, but has clearly been hurt and is very much over it. There are not so many of the standard “I have grown up in a hurry” elements to make you groan and enough new ones to be fun. Yeah, we know that in the end Matt saves her tiny little behind, and they live happily ever after. But it is the journey, people. And this one is funny, and touching.
Jennifer Garner passes my likeable actress test with flying colors, and it is a very tough test. The jury is still out with me on Mark Ruffalo, I keep seeing him everywhere, but I am unsure just why. While this movie will not win an award it was very well put together, has some great lines, a super fun 80’s soundtrack and a great cast that works well together and should make little girls proud to be little girls. It should also make them think twice about that dorky neighbor kid who would walk through fire for them, he may grow up to be a great guy. And won’t you feel like an idiot if you didn’t see it before your 10 year high school reunion.

Swimming Pool

2004-04-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

Swimming Pool is a movie that I really wanted to see in the theater. But time and life usually get in my way. I am really not sure how I feel about the movie. As I said I started out very interested to see this one. But it turns out to be another of those films that have promise, and never really get going. You sort of just wait for something to happen. Sometimes it does, sometimes not, and other times you just don't care. This is one of those films of that latter category.

The movie begins in England. Early morning people on the train going to work. A woman reading a mystery novel, recognizes the woman sitting across from her as the author of her book. She proceeds to tell the author how very much she enjoys all of her books, and can never wait for the next one. The author says in her bitchiest tone, that the woman must be mistaken, she is not the person that she thinks she is and hurries off the train. We catch up with the author in a local pub, still very early morning, and she orders a whiskey, downs it in one swallow and heads off. Already I smell trouble, unhappy with the job, not happy with life...Oh who knows another tortured artist. We will have to wait and see.

She has a meeting with her publisher, who again smothers her with accolades on her latest book. She gives a wave of the hand and says that she is tired of writing the same old thing. And there is simply no way to get her mind on anything else in dreary old London. John (the publisher) suggests that she leave and go to his house in the South of France for as long as she wants, and write what makes her happy. She positively beams at this idea, and it is pretty clear that they are also sleeping together. Asking if he will be joining her, he balks and says that he will call and let her know if he can make it. But she should go anyway.

Off to the South of France, the house and setting are breathtaking. After looking around and a short tour of the small town Sarah begins to write. This is going very well, until John calls and says that he will not be coming because of his daughter Julia. Sarah is upset by this, but she seems determined to continue writing. That night a noise wakes her and she discovers John's daughter in the living room. She has quit (lost?) her job and has come to the house to stay. They immediately do not get along. Stuffy English bitch and a sexually free French girl. They are polar opposites. Julie is for the most part naked, and has a different man over every night. Sarah really just wants to write and flirt with Frank, a waiter at the cafe in town.

There is a whole website by the director http://www.francois-ozon.com
So there you have it folks. A neat little story...Nothing ever really happens. Like I said the encounters were weird when they happened. A man is murdered and they both act like they were just pouring coffee. It makes more sense after, and it is entirely possible that nobody actually died. I am conflicted, while I did not find anything that made me really dislike the film, I cannot say that there was anything that made me love it either. I will be happy to discuss this with anyone who wishes to argue another point.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

2004-03-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind:
This is shocking, I LOVE this movie. You will have to realize that me using that phrase about a film that makes it into a theatre with more than 4 screens is rare. I am picky, and I am hard to please. I am angry with the state of cinema in this country, I do not like that my intelligence is insulted so someone can make a buck, and I freely admit all of these things. I save this sort of adoration for films that more often than not wind up on DVD before they are in the movie house.

To be completely honest, though I was not surprised, I was fairly sure that I would be pleased. Jim Carrey has his ups and downs; I am a fan of his “out of character” roles. Those roles that the great majority of movie going folk are disappointed with are the very same ones that I embrace. I am convinced that he could be a serious actor if the powers that be would stop writing parts for “Jim Carrey” the clown, ex. Bruce Almighty...and let him choose roles that require some acting ability. I remember the sad faces in the theater at “Cable Guy” (a personal favorite), the utterances of “I just don’t get it”, “he was not funny”, and “this was supposed to be funny?” which I guess I understand coming off of both Ace Ventura movies, Dumb and Dumber and the tragic Batman 3. But I digress, Carrey has done an outstanding job, I am again impressed by the versatility and ability to make me forget that he is “Fire Marshall Bill”, the end.

I have become a fan of Charlie Kaufman as well. I have seen 4 of 5 films written and released (“Human Nature” is in the Netflix list) I entirely love 3 of those 4. I was not thrilled with “Being John Malkovich”, but admit that I was not really paying attention while it was on, and have considered trying it again. I will let you know. The biggest difference in the scripts is the fact that they are just that, different. Dialogue does not seem forced, or unrealistic. I have become increasingly aware of writers who add dialogue because they need to get somewhere in the script and not because the characters would actually say the words. I am distracted by this, and think that it is a dirty trick done by people who obviously do not actually talk to people. Kaufman does not seem to write himself into a corner either, we have all seen that, no? I think that he has studied people, and made some notes about how they will react to the situation that he created.

By now everyone knows the general idea of this film, so I will not go into it. I did notice, however that nobody points out the examples of Lacuna’s services not involving the removal of an ex-whoever. When Joel is waiting to be seen by the “doctor” he is seated next to a woman. She is holding a picture of a small dog and an armload of toys. We do not learn any more about this woman, it is just a moment in the background of a scene; an effective tool to tell the audience that there are things about having your memories erased that may not be so terrible.
Who is not willing to give up a few brain cells to forget a painful situation forever? Well, actually I think most of us would feel the same way that Joel did in the end. We do not remember the bad times forever, just the good (unless, of course there was more bad than good, but that is a whole different thing and you may need therapy instead). If you think about a relationship that was good when it started, do you really remember the fights? The tears? Or do you remember the most thoughtful birthday gift ever? The sunsets? The way you felt when you looked at them? Joel is hurt when he discovers that Clementine erased him, he cannot believe that she hates him that much. So hurt, that he is going to erase her right back. Once the process starts, he can see past the anger and the hurt, and sees all of the good times. Trying everything he can to keep the good memories, but every time he tries, the good folks at Lacuna make it harder for him to move her around his memories. There is nothing that he can do to stop them, helpless, he pleads with the memory of Clementine to hold on. She tells him to meet her when he can at Montauk . Which is where the movie begins, an unknown force draws Joel to a beach in the middle of February…We then fill in the gaps between now and then and now again. That is the rollercoaster ride of which everyone speaks. It is fun and confusing, and exhilarating and tiring all at the same time. Not a film for anyone who wants to mindlessly sit and let things happen it takes some thought.

My favorite part, seems a little more off the beaten path than others who have written about the film, yes the effects were pretty cool and yes Kirsten Dunst is freakin’ HOT! (spoken in a “girl who can appreciate hot girls”, way). I really like the end, when Joel and Clementine (newly introduced after being erased from each other) find out what happened to them. And they begin to remember why they broke up, and how much pain they had caused each other, but they measure it against the fantastically good time they have had for the past day. We do not actually know what happened to them, but I believe that they try again. Maybe it will end the same way as before, but maybe it won’t, but this time they will have all of the memories to live with. And isn’t that the best part of anything you love?

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.
-- Alexander Pope, "Eloisa to Abelard"