MOVIE JOURNAL
APRIL 2008
The Witness ()
(dir. ) (Home)
(dir. ) (Home)
JANUARY 2008
Kite Runner ()
(dir. ) (Theater)
JULY 2007
Hairspray ()
(dir. ) (Theater)
JANUARY 2007
The Triplets of Melville ()
(dir. ) (Home)
DECEMBER 2006
Casino Royale (2006)
(dir. ) (Theater)
NOVEMBER 2006
Swing Kids ()
(dir.) (Home)
(dir. Pedro Almodivar) (Theater) Borat (2006)
(dir.) (Theater)
SEPTEMBER 2006
Crash (2005)
Thought-provoking. I like the way the movie brings out different sides of the various characters. It reminded me about not being too quick to judge. I would like to see this one again, to see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. (dir. Paul Haggis) (Home)
(In English and Spanish) Wonderful, bittersweet, fantastic movie. It's the kind of movie which is very poignant and funny, but not exactly laugh-out-loud funny, it's more like ... think about the movie for the next few days and just marvel in how funny and awesome it was. I LOVED IT. (dir. Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland) (Theater)
AUGUST 2006
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
This movie came on Comedy Central while I was doing laundry or something, just one week after I saw Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" outdoors in Boston Commons. I was immediately struck by all the comparisons and contrasts between the play and the movie, and I was really sucked into the movie. I really liked the script, the acting, the characters, etc. I know it's just a dumb teen movie, but I really enjoyed it! Put this one in the Guilty Pleasures category! (dir. Gil Junger) (Home)
This came on Comedy Central, and I just kept watching it for some reason. It was really pretty cute! :-) (dir. Nick Castle) (Home)
JULY 2006
An Inconvenient Truth (2005)
I saw this with my mom. This was the first time I had seen someone refute the ever-present claims that we don't really know if global warming is happening, and for those who say for sure that it is, they don't really know if it has anything to do with rising carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and even for those who believe they have proved that link, we don't know if the rising CO2 levels are caused by human actions. In this movie, Al Gore says that there is irrefutable evidence that WE DO KNOW that human activities are causing rising CO2 levels, and that these are causing global warming. He said there is no question about that, among credible scientists. However, every time I see this information presented in mainstream media, it is with a great deal of doubt and "well, science is inconclusive" mumbo jumbo. (dir. David Guggenheim) (Theater)
MAY 2006
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (Philippines, 2005)
(In Tagalog, with English subtitles) This movie was very endearing. I loved the cinematography, the close-ups, the costume design, the shots of the neighborhood where scenes take place. Very charming and heart-rending. It's strange, though, because it has this sweet sentimental side, but then it also has a machismo "shoot'em up flick" side to it as well. The director was present for Q&A after the movie, and he provided some fabulous insight. He said that there were lots of boys in the Philippines who dress up as girls ..an intimate and realistic way because they filmed the whole thing in like a 2. they're called Volleybelles (if I remember right) because they all play volleyball together. And he said they were able to film the movie in such -block radius of the director's apartment (the bedroom of the main character, the cop, was actually the director's own bedroom!), and his neighbors were all used to seeing him going around with his camera, so they didn't even stop and take notice when he and the actors were gathering and shooting for the film. (dir. Auraeus Solito) (Theater)
(In English) This gives us a good hard look at manual labor around the world, people working themselves literally to death in our modern times, in places like the illegal backyard coal mines of Ukraine's Donets Basin, the sulfur quarries of Kawah Ijen, Indonesia, the slaughter yards in Nigeria, an oceanside ship dismantlement yard in Pakistan, and steel factories in China. The movie ends with some shots of a factory that was turned into an amusement park for teenagers in the Netherlands. I was really intrigued by the stories of the coal miners, the sulfur quarry people, and the slaughterhouse workers; the stories of the workers in Pakistan and China ... not so much. But the director Michael Glawogger was there for Q&A afterwards, and it really did give me a lot more appreciation for all the work he put into finding these places and getting know the people well enough to do these intimate sorts of interviews, once he did find the place. He told us about an incredible story he had about diamond miners in Africa, how the people are digging tunnels with dynamite and literally blowing up their neighbors' tunnels (inadvertently) in the race to get the diamonds ... but he had to cut that story out because he was getting too many stories about mining, etc., and he wanted his movie to be about all sorts of hard manual labor without focusing on any one industry. (dir. Michael Glawogger) (Theater) The Giant Buddhas (Switzerland, 2005)
(In English) I learned a lot from this one, of course ... it's a documentary! But, I'm afraid I also fell asleep quite a bit, and I don't recall being very sleep-deprived that day. The movie is just very quiet, soothing, dark, and slow. (dir. Christian Frei) (Theater)
APRIL 2006
Solo Dios Sabe (Mexico/Brazil, 2005)
(In Spanish and Portuguese, with English subtitles) WOW, this was good. I was crying and crying in this one. The writers, Carlos Bolado and Diane Weipert, answered questions afterwards, and they gave me a lot more insight into the characters. Something I didn't quite catch in watching the movie was that the audience is left to decide whether the main character Dolores actually goes crazy before the end of the movie. I hadn't thought of that, so that must mean that I had interpreted her actions were reasonable. But maybe they weren't. I'd like to see it again and think about that a little more. Another thing the writers brought out was how Diego Luna's character Damien matures as he undergoes real heartache and in the process he "loses his religion" or at least his superstitions about it, while an opposite process is going on with Dolores as she begins reconnecting with her grandmother's spiritual roots. This was my favorite film of this year's festival. A DEFINITE MUST SEE. (dir. Carlos Bolado) (Theater)
(In English, of course) Fabulous horror flick for independent, sporty women! I used to be a spelunker and a rock climber, and this has elements of both, so I was totally eating it up. The script, plot, cinematography, animation, and special effects were fantastic. I'm not typically into horror movies (usually they're stupid and don't scare you at all), but this one was VERY SATISFYING. Highly recommended. (dir. Neil Marshall) (Theater) Play (Chile 2005)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles) I really liked the premise of this story ... a young girl finds someone's lost briefcase, which has his wallet, cell phone, ipod and headphones, etc, in it, and she's able to track the guy down and follow him around town listening to his own personal music soundtrack. All in all, the movie is not very satisfying, as there is no resolution in the end, and the connections people make seem to turn into nothing, going nowhere, etc. Of course, this happens a lot in life (i.e., after the "happily ever after" shown at the end of the most movies, in real life there is often a "break-up" further down the road, so it isn't really "happily ever after"). So maybe the movie was just being realistic! I like realistic movies, but this one was whimsical, so it didn't seem like it was supposed to be realistic, you know? It got me all primed for a fairy tale ending, and then there wasn't one. (dir. Alicia Scherson) (Theater) Iberia (Spain/France 2005)
(In Spanish, except there are only like 10 words in the whole movie!). I was hoping this would be a really great story, like a musical, with some fabulous dance numbers. Actually, it's just one dance scene after another. I was bored out of my skull! I love to watch live dance performances, like ODC or Alvin Ailey or flamenco, where it's just dance and maybe live music, and no story, but it seems that I don't feel engaged watching just pure dance on a movie screen. UGH! I suffered through an hour of it and finally left the theater, thus saving myself from the remaining 29 minutes of pure boredom, thank goodness. TWO SOLID THUMBS DOWN! (dir. Carlos Saura) (Theater) Lily and the Baobab (France 2005)
(In French and and the language of Senegal, with English subtitles) This movie was all right. Lovely cinematography, interesting topic, plot, and characters, plus good acting and believable script ... yet, I didn't really engaged in the characters. The movie didn't make me cry or laugh very much. Even though it had so much going for it, somehow it seemed to just fall flat. (dir. Chantal Richard) (Theater) The Grunholm Method (Spain/Argentina 2005)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles). Very smart script. LOVED IT. (dir. Marcelo Pin~ero) (Theater) Eden (Germany/Switzerland 2005)
(In German, with English subtitles). Touching and sweet, except that it turns ugly in the end, and then has a lovely gloss-over ending ... not a bad ending, just ... well, I wonder if the writer was simply trying too hard to shock the audience and then make up for it with some sugar-coating at the end? Still, it was a good movie, on balance. (dir. Michael Hofmann) (Theater) Love Affair (1994)
The good part about this movie is that it made me feel all gushy and romantic about the idea of soul-mates. The bad part was that it often seemed a little forced. Like that Gary Shandling character, I was always like, what is HE doing here? And much of it had this fairy tale quality that seemed very inplausible and out of place for today's world ... I got this feeling that it would have been much better if it had been set back in time 50 years or so. I have heard that this is a remake of an earlier movie ... An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr ... I want to ck that out, I think it will be much more satisfying! (TV)
FEBRUARY 2006
CACHE (Hidden) (France 2005)
(In French, with English subtitles) This movie was very strange. It had some very grotesque scenes which were not explained at first, and that amounted to a good deal of mystery and suspense; however, the expected "explanation" never came. I suppose this was supposed to be artsy, but the ending or lack thereof, for me, made the movie rather pointless. One of the real positives of this movie however was THE ACTING. Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil were properly worried, outraged, concerned, etc; they seemed like real people that you had come to know. Also, the script was fantastic; very realistic. I feel that the lack of ending/resolution/explanation did the movie a real disservice. (Theater)
NOVEMBER 2005
Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005)
This movie has a major grassroots movement surrounding it, and people were hosting screenings in their own homes, open to the public with rsvp's via a web site, etc. I saw the movie at the Roxie, but it didn't live up to the hype. I think it just wasn't entertaining enough for me! Also, I'm already familiar with most of the topics presented in the film, although I DID learn some new things. Like I had no idea that Wal-Mart parking lots are a major crime zone, so be extra careful! (Theater)
SEPTEMBER 2005
El Crimen Ferpecto (Spain 2004)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles) While this was not particularly original, it was beauitfully done (great cast and lovely sets) and simply hilarious! A great time.
(Theater)
An interesting look at the many-years-long struggle of two regular people who stood by their beliefs and refused to be bullied around by one of the largest corporations in the world. I was impressed by Helen and Dave's determination, resourcefulness, and smarts. (Theater) The End of Suburbia (2004)
What a disappointment. Maybe because I've read Kunstler's book "Geography of Nowhere," all the information just seemed to be "old hat" to me. And the interviews weren't filmed very well ... the basic production was really lacking. (DVD/Video) The Razor's Edge (1984)
This is a movie with Bill Murray in kind of a dramatic role, before he became famous for comedy and then got recast in non-comedy roles. It's about a guy who fights in the war, and then comes home to his fiancee with different priorities ... he no longer wants to work for the family business and live in a big house, etc; he'd rather search for meaning by traveling to Tibet and mediating, etc! Kind of an interesting movie, but nothing really to "write home about." Even so, I saw the movie, so here it is in my movie log! (DVD/Video)
AUGUST 2005
Historias Minimas (Argentina 2002)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles) A very touching story of an old man who makes a long journey from the Patagonia countryside to the nearest big city, in search of a dog that has abandoned him. Not as good as Nina's Tragedies, but very worthwhile. (Theater)
I saw this at a special screening on a cool and clear night (you could see the stars overhead) in Union Square (downtown SF). And as soon as the opening credits came on, I realized I had seen this before (sure enough, it's listed here ... August 2001)! Still, it was an enjoyable adventure flick. (Outdoor Screening)
JULY 2005
Nina's Tragedies (Israel 2005)
(In Hebrew, with English subtitles) I totally adored this movie. The characters were so original and so unlike most characters you see in typical American movies. This was a touching story, and I liked the way all the craziness of bombings etc with the current situation in Israel was a backdrop, like the static in the backgrond of the regular noise of life. (Theater)
MAY 2005
My Mother the Mermaid (Korea 2004)
(In Korean, with English subtitles) "A Korean Peggy Sue Got Married: A young woman visting the seaside is befriended by a female diver and her postman boyfriend. She soon realizes that she is witness to the budding romance between her parents." --San Francisco International Film Festival Program. Thank goodness I've never seen Peggy Sue Got Married, so the movie's story-line was quite a surprise to me. The acting was superb and made the characters feel very real. Watching this movie thought a mist of tears, I thought a lot about relationships between husbands and wives and parents and children and how these change over the years, often in ways that are so hard to predict. A very tender and heart-felt film. (Theater)
(In Malaysian?, with English sub-titles) "Malaysia's most expensive film to date--a blend of Bollywood and Lord of the Rings--is an extravagant epic of rival kingdoms, unholly alliances, and the love between a princess and commoner, all underscored by special effects, sweeping visuals, and local martial arts" --San Francisco International Film Festival Program. The movie was beautiful, visually, but the story seemed shallow and the characters seemed cold. It didn't resonate very well with me. (Theater)
MARCH 2005
The Prince and Me (2004)
Somehow I found it satisfying, even though it is just a saccarine-sweet teen movie! (Video/DVD)
A witty, fun movie. A little slow, but I didn't mind. I really enjoyed the music ... I need to get the soundtrack. (Video/DVD) Super Size Me (2004)
An interesting take on the documentary format. I was surprised that it doesn't seem to take too strong of a stand against McDonalds. For example, it shows that the guy's blood tests began to "adjust" or "level out" at the end. And it shows the guy who basically lives on Big Macs alone, and he seems to be healthy. Interesting. I've heard the guy who made Super Size Me is going to start his own TV show in which he's going to take on all of these 30-day challenges! It's a living, I suppose! (Video/DVD) Saw (2004)
A not-very-carefully-though-out thriller movie with some major loose ends. Disturbing, but it does have an interesting premise and some entertaining moments. It certainly could have been worse. (Video/DVD)
FEBRUARY 2005
Flashdance (1983)
I'd always heard about this movie as a kid; I just knew it was some kind of racy movie I wasn't allowed to see ... funny, how tame it is, by today's standards! It's a nice little piece of 80's Americana, I'm glad I watched it, finally! :-) (Video/DVD)
This was a re-make of a Japanese movie; the re-make stars Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere. I listened to it, looking up from time to time while I was frantically sewing my J-Lo dress for an Academy Awards house party. The dialogue was TERRIBLE. However, people tell me that it was quite enjoyable if you get a chance to see the expressions on the people's faces and the dancing. The next day I tried watching part of the original Japanese version (which I had also rented on the same day), but I had to return it before I got a chance to finish it. Perhaps I can try both movies again some other time! (Video/DVD)
JANUARY 2005
Tango (Argentina 2000)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles) Beautiful cinematography, music, and dancing, but the story-line seemed slow ... I often enjoy foreign films, but I ended up sleeping a lot in this one! I should try it again, sometime when I'm more awake! (dir. Carlos Saura, cin. Vittorio Storaro)
(Video/DVD)
JULY 2004
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
This movie brought out some interesting points and statistics regarding gun ownership, laws, history, and culture in the United States compared to other countries. Why should America, so well-known as the home of freedom and prosperity, also be so far behind other countries when it comes to controlling violent crime? It's hard to believe that our higher crime rate is caused simply by the false feeling of unsafeness gathered from hearing the evening news, but Michael Moore certainly presents some interesting questions. (dir. Michael Moore)
(Video/DVD)
Well, I saw it twice. The first time was much better than the second. The first time I saw it, I had two questions in mind: 1) Why didn't we hear much about the members of the House of Representatives protesting the Senate's acceptance of the Supreme Court's decision regarding the 2004 presidential election (if I'm even understanding that part right)? and 2) would a movie like this have the ability to change the results of the election? The second time I saw the movie, I was less impressed, being much more affected by the crass sentimentality if there can be such a thing and the political caricatures and quite frankly, Michael Moore's disgustingness. I don't think this one will get an Academy Award, but it was certainly an interesting movie for this year. (dir. Michael Moore) (Theater)
JUNE 2004
Peaceable Kingdom (2004)
Bay Area Vegetarians organized this premiere screening of a Tribe of Heart's new documentary at Artists' Television Access in San Francisco. This was a very poignant look at the lives of farm animals and the human beings that work with them in industry as well as those who are now working to prevent farm animalsf from suffering in this way, and working to prevent the need for human beings to need to inflict this kind of suffering as "part of their job." (Private Screening)
APRIL 2004
Schultze Gets the Blues (Germany 2003)
(In German, with English subtitles). A likeable story about three recently retired mining men in a sleepy German town. Realistic everyday events and conversations. Schultze is one of the the retirees, a very portly single fellow who rides his bicycle around town and plays his accordian for fun ... eventually the town saves up money for him to go to New Braunfels, Texas, for Wurstfest. But Schultze ditches Wurstfest and gets a boat and motors his way to Lousiana, drawn by the lure of zydeco music and cajun cooking. A very unusual tale! (dir. Michael Schorr)
(Theater)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles). Very touching and sweet! A road movie about a middle-aged married woman and a young actress who take off on a spontaneous trip, leaving their troubles and responsibilities far behind ... so tender and endearing, I was crying by the end of it. I really identified with both of the main characters, but especially the middle-aged woman ... she was so spunky and silly, but she kept a lot of that hidden while working so hard to keep things together during her marriage. (dir. Eduardo Mignogna) (Theater) Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Started off with an interesting premise, but the second half of the movie just didn't go anywhere. It was just one huge fight scene when we already knew what the final result would be. People have told me I'll like Vol. 1 better after I see Vol. 2. We'll see about that! (dir. Quentin Tarantino) (Video/DVD) Gate to Heaven (Germany 2003)
Very interesting! A light-hearted look at the serious situation of international refugees stuck in Germany's Frankfurt Airport, combined with a tender love story of a cleaning lady from India who aspires to be a flight attendant and a baggage handler (illegal from Russia) who aspires to be a pilot. Very effective ... excellent acting and intriguing script. I stayed afterward for the Q&A with the director Veit Helmer, the producer (?), and male acting lead (Valero). Those guys were so smart and so funny ... and obviously very talented. (Theater) Das Wunder Von Bern (The Miracle of Bern) (Germany 2003)
(In German with English subtitles). Truly wonderful. The story of a German family whose father was a Nazi solider in a Russian POW Camp and returns 11 years later, when the town is a frenzy over the possibility of Germany winning the World Cup for soccer. (dir. Soenke Wortmann) (Theater)
MARCH 2004
Der Geteilte Himmel (Divided Heaven) (Germany 1963)
(In German, with English subtitles) Scant subtitles, a plot that was hard to follow, and dimly lit scenes in black and white summed up to an experience that was pure torture. I fought so hard to stay awake in this one. (dir. Konrad Wolf, SCR Christa Wolf)
(Theater)
FEBRUARY 2004
Advertising Rules! (Germany 2001)
A very funny and quirky movie about a young man trying to establish himself in the strange world of advertising while trying to win the heart of a spunky and cute artist chick. I missed the beginning, so I'd like to see this one again. (dir. Lars Kraume with Goetz George)
(Theater)
NOVEMBER 2003
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
I don't know what the directors were thinking ... or maybe they weren't? Did their brains go to mush? I expected this movie to fill in the gaps and link the previous two movies together, but it didn't even attempt anything of the sort. This was just a war film with very little connection to the previous two. What a disappointment. (Theater)
AUGUST 2003
The Two Towers (not the extended version) (2002)
Hey, this one seemed better than the first one! Also, now I understand why the battle occurs at the end of the first movie ... it's a scene from the beginning of the second book inserted into the end of the first movie. Now I definitely want to finish reading the trilogy before the last movie comes out in December.
(DVD/VCR)
A really cute Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie set in the suburbs. The couple looked so good together! Doris Day plays a housewife, and Rock Hudson is a hypochondriac electronics guy. A comedy of errors, and a lot of fun! (TV) Pillow Talk (1959)
The announcer who introduced each movie in this Doris Day marathon said that this was Rock Hudson's first comic role. He did a great job! I loved it when his character quickly invented a Texan alter ego, complete with a full arsenal of patchwork colloquialisms (e.g., Doris Day was likened to a "pot-bellied stove on a frosty morning"). The things men will do sometimes!!! Doris Day plays an interior decorator, and Rock Hudson plays a musician/songwriter/playboy in New York. The ending was pretty blah but included many delightful scenes on the way there. (TV) That Touch of Mink (1959)
Cary Grant (a successful business man who speaks before the United Nations) and Doris Day (a hapless credit machine operator) in New York. For me, the two real stand-outs were Audrey Meadows and Gig Young ... they were both adorable, and hilarious! The story is really pretty absurd, and Doris Day's character is sort of ... well, unpredictable, and so is Cary Grant's ... somehow, they're not very believable or easy to understand, but the ending is so madcap and fun, all is forgiven! (TV) Don't Eat the Daisies (1960)
Doris Day has four adorable sons and is married to a theater professor turned theater critic in New York. This movie has some funny parts, especially with regards to the kids. But there didn't seem to be much on-screen chemistry between Doris Day and her leading man. (TV) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
I usually love kids' movies, but this one was a little too saccharin sweet, and a little too strange. (The Paramount Theater) Winged Migration (2001)
Views of the world as seen from cameras attached to birds, accompanied by new age music and minimal narration. I saw a lot of reviews panning this film, so I went in with very low expectations ... and it worked ... I liked it! (Theater) Matrix: Reloaded (2003)
Fun and action-packed. But what was up with that communal dance/sex scene at the beginning? And that Santa Claus/God/Architect guy was kind of weird, don't ya think? (IMAX Theater)
JULY 2003
Junior (?)
Whatever made us stay inside on a beautiful day and watch this movie, I'll never know, but it really wasn't so bad, once you start watching it! (Home TV/Tivo)
MAY 2003
The Matrix (2003)
Really good, the second time around ... the first time I fell asleep halfway through (from exhuastion, not boredom), watching it at my brother's house! You do have to see the ending to appreciate this one. ;-)
(Home DVD)
This was my favorite movie for awhile, after my brother Jerry took me to see it at the movie theater when I was a kid. On the one hand, I don't see why I liked it so much as a kid, since it has pretty adult themes, and on the other hand, it seems pretty cornball, too! Anyway, I still like it! It certainly is a nice movie to get you in the mood for baseball season. (Home TV/Tivo)
APRIL 2003
The Best of Times (Taiwan 2002)
(In Taiwanese, with English subtitles)
What a sad story. Lots of shouting and arguing made this movie hard to listen to and watch. Unfortunately I became exhausted and fell asleep a little bit in the middle ... luckily I woke up just before the climatic violent and tragic scene in the middle. I would have been really confused if I had missed that! This movie was very disturbing and sad, but the footage seemed strangely realistic, almost like watching a documentary ... not a very enjoyable time, but I think it was good for me to see a glimpse into the life of these Taiwanese kids. (Theater)
(Japanese, with English subtitles) Wonderful and beautiful! I loved the script, the acting, the story, the scenery, the costumes, the sets ... an absolutely breathtaking movie wound into a tight little nutshell. (Theater) Mango Yellow (Brazil 2002)
(Portuguese, with English subtitles) Very charming and bittersweet. An interesting day in the life of a coastal Brazilian town. (Theater) Piedras (Spain 2002)
(Spanish, with English subtitles) A fabulous movie of the stories of individual lives (mostly women), interconnected in small and large ways. (Theater) Wherever You Go, There You Are (2002)
This was a collection of 7 or 8 shorts, let's see I can remember them all ... (1) (in Swedish, I suppose, and English, both with English subtitles) two kitschy Swedish furniture makers go to Africa, (2) Queen of England stamps flash on the screen, in an epileptic-seizure-promoting fashion, produced by students from a London art school, (3) "The Green Shiek," a campy, artsy film, apparently made in the USA, odd and weird, but I fell asleep a few minutes into it, (4) I think there was another film in here, but I'm not sure, (5) "Linette (or some woman's name like that) and I," an Australian film: an old maid/piano teacher's memories of her youthful piano performances are cherished and relived both in her mind and in the *mind* of the piano (oooh, creepy! *sarcasm*), (6) an elderly couple in a nursing home/assisted living facility (looked like it was in the USA, except that the steering wheel was on the right, not left side, so ???); the two of them love each other, and things are just fine until the husband starts to lose his memory and/or get Alzheimers, and the two radically decide to take a trip away to a hotel so they can make passionate love and then tragically attempt to smother each other by tying freezer bags "with handles" around each other's heads, (7) "The Wayfarer," a girl sets out with just a camera and a tripod to "find herself," but ends up getting freaked out by a weird sound which she hopes was the rustling of grass, but which, upon development of the film, turns out to be a STRANGER STANDING IN THE DOORWAY BEHIND HER! Oh!my!Gah! this was the worst of all!, and (8) (in German, with English subtitles) a whimsical and very earnest guy installs a submarine underground at his house (he accesses it though a hole in his kitchen floor) and erects a huge ship he calls The Titanic in his backyard, meanwhile inspiring his neighbors to build a Western Saloon and a Bavarian-style lighthouse. Whew! The first and last shorts were good, but the others, alas! I would have been better off sleeping through and through! Too bad, my only nap occured during The Green Shiek. (Theater) Memento (2001)
Exciting, confusing, frustrating, and even funny sometimes. This movie is about a guy who sustains a head injury and loses his short-term memory; every few minutes the guy's brain resets, and he has to figure out what's going on all over again. I like how this movie travels backward scene by disjointed scene and gives the audience a feel for reality as seen through the eyes of the main character. (Home DVD/Video) The Pianist (2002)
A good movie ... and unfortunately, my mom and I missed the first part, I'm not sure how much! I didn't feel as connected to the main character as I expected, and I wonder if that's due to the missed beginning? The story of the Jews in German-occupied Poland is so unspeakably horrible, but this movie interestingly enough focuses on a survivor hiding and coping until the end of the way. I'd like to see the movie again, this time with the beginning, to see what I think! I loved the piano music, and that stoked a desire in me to start playing piano again, or, at least I hope I'll buy the soundtrack. (Theater) Nowhere in Africa (2003)
(In German and an African language, with English subtitles, and in English) Well, this was an interesting story. It was the Holocaust seen through the eyes of a "lucky" Jewish family that escaped Germany early and adapted to life in Africa while dealing with the heart-wrenching news of their relatives, faraway, back home in Germany, suffering and dying. The acting was very good, and I enjoyed listening to the German language. And the scenery in Africa was beautiful. A good and worthwhile film ... I think I would get more out of it if I saw it again. This won the 2003 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. (Theater) How to Steal a Million (1966)
Very fun and sweet and sexy. As expected, Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole were shamelessly adorable together. (Theater) Two for the Road (1967)
Absolutely delightful! This reminded me of "When Harry Met Sally," another movie I totally loved. But "Two for the Road" somehow seemed to have a little more bite. I can't remember if I cried in WHMS, but I certainly did in this one. I liked the chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney ... his character really grew on me throughout the movie, and he turned out to be a real cutie! ;-) One negative thing is that some of the humor has been recycled a lot since this movie was made (National Lampoon's "Vacation" must have seemed like deja vu for those who had seen this), and it makes me wonder how recycled the humor seemed back in 1967, i.e., perhaps it's simply that some of the jokes weren't very original or funny to begin with. Other than that, it was really good ... I'd like to see this again! (Theater)
MARCH 2003
Fight Club (1999)
Hey, you know I had to like the anti-establishment witticisms of this little gem! This movie was not what I expected ... I had heard it was good, but I never knew why until now ... cool! I'd actually like to see it again. (Video/DVD)
A fun, psychological "scary movie" ... one of the better ones in the genre, I'd say. And I loved the main character's name .. Rachel! :) (Video/DVD)
FEBRUARY 2003
Chicago (2002)
Very flashy and fun! I loved the sexy costumes, sexy dancing, sexy music ... and all that jazz! ;-) (Theater)
JANUARY 2003
Frida (2002)
I went into this movie with very low expectations ... I've known a lot about Frida Kahlo's artwork and her life ever since my high school years in San Antonio, and I just figured the whole thing would get ruined after going through the Hollywood wringer. However, the movie came across so tender and endearing, and heartbreaking yet cheerful, if you can imagine that. It was sentimental at just the right times without being cheesy. Also, the sensual scenes were fantastic! From what I knew, Frida was not nearly so polyanna-like and optimistic as the movie portrayed, but still, this was a wonderful, entertaining movie. Two thumbs up! :) (Theater)
At the beginning of the movie, there was a lot of excitement with people getting killed, and after that was all done, the stupidity of the movie really shone through. I can't believe that Halle Berry won an Oscar for Best Actress for this role?!??? Oh well. I'm glad I saw the movie ... it was kind of interesting, even though, like I said, it was stupid. (Home DVD) Traffic (2000)
This movie had the most annoying use of filters I've ever seen ... Mexico=brown and filthy; USA=normal and OK; Drug scenes=blue and exciting. The story of the high-school-honor-student-turned-crack-whore came across very unrealistic and yet lacking in creativity. Basically, not a good movie. (Home DVD)
DECEMBER 2002
Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time (2001)
A very beautiful and lush film, with a meditative quality. Unfortunately, I was rather tired when I went to see it, and the hypnotic soft subject material lulled me very peacefully to sleep! The artist comes across ridiculous often times (yay, let me throw dust in the air and film how beautiful it is!), but much of his artwork is very creative and evokes child-like wonder. I especially loved the long chain of green leaves that were stuck together with tiny twigs and tossed into a forest stream, toward the end of the movie. (Theater)
NOVEMBER 2002
White Oleander (2002)
Interesting and real in many ways (except that the 4 main characters were female AND blonde ... but perhaps this is ordinary in L.A.?). Great acting and a good script. Bravo!!! (Theater)
Heart-warming, romantic fun, although the most of the jokes got old pretty quickly. I'm sure this is a great movie for kids. (Theater)
OCTOBER 2002
Dog Soldiers (2002)
SEPTEMBER 2002
Amelie (2001)
JULY 2002
Swingers (1996)
JUNE 2002
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002)
MAY 2002
Spiderman (2002)
FEBRUARY 2002
Some Like It Hot (1959)
JANUARY 2002
Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
DECEMBER 2001
American Movie (1999)
NOVEMBER 2001
Black Sheep (1996)
OCTOBER 2001
Butterfly (La Lengua de las Mariposas) (1999/2000)
SEPTEMBER 2001
American Pie (1999)
AUGUST 2001
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
North by Northwest (1959)
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)
X-Men (2000)
JULY 2001
Being John Malkovich (1999)
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
Shrek (2001)
Everest (1998)
American Beauty (1999)
Rushmore (1998)
A.I. (2001)
JUNE 2001
The Perfect Storm (2000)
Amores Perros (2001)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
All About Eve (1950)
My Favorite Movies
Some Like It Hot (1959)
A preposterous werewolf movie that either takes itself very seriously or makes an extreme mockery of such a movie if it were to take itself seriously. Hey, that sentence makes about as much sense as the movie! But what the heck, I was only looking for hoakie pre-Halloween scariness, and I found it! (Theater)
(In French, with English subtitles) A cute and sweet movie with a touch of magical realism. Yet I'm left with the question ... how many whimsical little smiles can one girl have? (Home Video/DVD)
Funny and all too true!!! (Home Video/DVD)
Had the outrageous madcap feel of a Saturday Night Live skit, yet unlike SNL, kept me laughing to the very end! (Theater)
Difficult and painful to watch, yet well-orchestrated to be just that. I loved all the situational irony--it was very clever, but I had trouble laughing at this because Ben Stiller plays such a well-meaning, likeable guy, and it bothered me to watch everything go so terribly wrong for him for so much of the movie. (Home Video/DVD)
WOW, this was TERRIBLE! The dialog was some of the worst I've heard in some time. Script, plot, and acting were all pathetic. The only good things were Natalie Portman's beautiful costumes and her great fight scene in the gladiator arena. (Theater)
Very entertaining, nice message ... "With great power comes great responsibility." (Theater)
What a charming and delightful movie! I think it's a rare thing for such a raucous and screwball comedy to hold up through the decades, but this one sure does! WOW! (Theater)
Lots of attention to visual details and "staying true" to the book, visually ... even to the point of manipulating some scenes to look exactly like certain book covers already familiar to Tolkein fans. Dark and dreading, just like the book. The gory shots of hybrid orcs and the final fight/battle scene seemed unnecessary and out of place, but oh well, it's Hollywood. (Theater)
Crazy, far out, whacked!!! And heart-warming, to boot! And the weirdest thing of all, they say it's a "documentary," so I guess it's all real footage?????? Man! This movie was totally whacked! But I liked it. (Theater)
Some funny scenes--like when David Spade speeds off, trying to elude Gary Busey (the big bully guy), and then immediately gets stuck in traffic--but as a whole, not nearly as funny as its predecessor, Tommy Boy. (Home)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles) This was a beautiful movie, but I didn't get too much out of it somehow. There were some interesting scenes and some poignant scenes, but they didn't come together very well at the end, it seemed--either that or I was just too tired when I watched it. Who knows? (Home)
I saw this on video awhile back, and it was still just as hilarious and endearing the second time around, EXCEPT ... I distinctly remember the hot apple pie scene, with the kid completely horizontal on the counter top, but this time around, there was a VERTICAL, extremely lame (by comparison) version of that scene! What's up with that? Too bad, there are probably people out there who have only scene that version of the scene ... bummer, dude! (Home)
Funny, irreverent, and unbelievably screwball ... I totally digged it!!! (Home)
Lots of silly-pun types of jokes--sometimes very funny, other times, tedious!!! This was a spoof of any and all Frankenstein movies ever made, so I'm sure it would be much funnier to someone who had actually seen those old movies. (Home)
A fairly fun/interesting movie with a decent "surprise"-type ending. But it was pretty quiet and slow-going (I spent most of the movie wondering when the scary stuff would get started)--kind of reminded me of the old Hitchcock suspense thrillers--even so, there WAS one scene that came out of nowhere and evoked my super-loud shrill SCREAM reflex, and that further evoked a lot of laughs from my colleagues in the audience! (Theater)
(In Italian, with English subtitles) Beautiful movie, but somehow, the characters lacked interest and development; in fact, the main character especially seemed very flat. (Sorry, Igor!) Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood! :) (Home)
Suspense-filled, fun and intriguing, even if the Mt. Rushmore bit at the end was ridiculous and hokey ... I mean, could it really have been the safest, fastest, least visible escape route to go scaling down the faces of the Presidents??! Still, a great movie, well worth the time. (Home)
Silly, irreverent fun, mostly in poor taste, but that's the whole point, isn't it?!? I really liked the loked out Canadian comedians (Terrence and Phillip) and the m'kay rehabilitation song! The Saddam character was pretty annoying, but oh well! (Home)
Pretty cool special effects, and not nearly as cheesy as you'd expect--in fact, very entertaining and fun, even for someone completely unfamiliar with the X-MEN comic book heroes, like me. (Home)
Funny and extremely odd ... very interesting! Well worth the time. (Home)
Pure silliness ... kind of stupid and dated, lots of cliches, but still, plenty of good, irreverent fun. I love Chris Rock's bit at the BBQ diner. (Home)
Fun--has sort of an original, creative feel to it, even if it is, like most fairy tales, fairly predictable! :) (Theater)
Not nearly as uplifting as I'd hoped, but luckily avoids the cheesiness of many IMAX films. It's worth it to see the views of Everest! Can you imagine hauling the IMAX camera to the top? Now I've gotta read Into Thin Air. (IMAX)
Interesting film, a smart, witty, well-written script (with a few annoying exceptions!)--on the whole, very entertaining. Lester Burnum was so cool! (Home)
Has a few funny parts, but in general not worth my time! It is "weird," but I didn't see any hidden meaning or depth. Could possibly be OK as a background movie, while you're doing something else. (Home)
Lots of potential, especially for us sci-fi fans ... but it actually turned out pretty stupid. If you've already seen the movie, click here for my comment on the ending. (Theater)
Entertaining film, nice special effects for the storm, OK acting and script, not very original or thought-provoking though. (Home)
(In Spanish, with English subtitles) ˇMe encantó! An insanely superb film, although not exactly recommended for the weak of stomach! Very believable and real characters, albeit in some majorly messed-up circumstances, excellent script and acting. Very absorbing--when I walked out of the theater, I knew I'd be thinking about it for several days afterward. (Theater)
Terribly funny and sweet--although I hate to admit it, I really do love this ultra-commercialized movie! I saw it for the 1st time back in spring 1997 in the theater, and I finally convinced Chris, who had never seen it, to rent it at home. (Theater, Home)
Quite intriguing, excellent script, holds up remarkably well over time. Very, very nice. :) (Home)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Annie Hall (1977)
9 to 5 (1980)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Coming to America (1988)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Como Agua Para Chocolate (1992)
Howard's End (1992)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Il Postino (1995)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
American Beauty (1999)
Amores Perros (2001)
The Sea Watches (2003)