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• Director: Walter Salles
• Genre: Horror/Thriller
• Year: 2005

Let us preface this review with the fact that Jennifer Conelly is in this movie. That alone was reason to watch this movie, even if most of the reviews I heard or saw were nothing more than tepid. Unfortunately I am going to side with the mainstream idea on this one and give it merely a mediocre rating.

For starters, the trailer was somewhat misleading, and what looked to be a horror movie about a possessed apartment, really is only a slightly creepy thriller where a wife and a husband are caught in a bitter custody battle, and in an attempt to find her daughter a good home, Dahlia (Connelly) looks for the best apartment her small budget can affort. A place that happens to have become witness to a tragic moment which comes back to haunt the residents of the apartment below.

Unfortunately, for a thriller, this move does not provide enough twists and turns to keep you from seeing the end far too soon. Predictable, though technically well done, this film is watchable, but not one to rush out and get.

Rating: 3 out of 5
Note: There are some troubling scenes in this one, so not kid friendly. Also…Jennifer Connelly is hot. Be we already knew that.
Quote: Not a very quotable movie, to be frank.

• Director: Antoine Fuqua
• Genre: War/History/Drama/Romance
• Year: 2004

I am not even going to get into the historical fact of this movie, partly because I know nothing of the subject and partly because I do not care. As a movie, this flopped into my lap as a tremendous disappointment.

It is amazing to me how so much money can be put into a movie and it still can be crap! The potential for the story was there, it really had no reason to be that bad. Its King Arthur for Pete’s sake! How on earth can you go wrong with that? And yet they do. The dialogue is more often than not bad. The battle scenes seem intermitently stolen from Gladiator, Braveheart and The Patriot and yet they never quite amount to those they were trying to imitate. The characters could have been something to draw together, if they had not been penned all over the place. Lancelot has no idea who he really is, sometimes the loyal friend, sometimes the bitter friend, sometimes the womanizer flirting with his friend’s wife, other times a whinny lil biznitch. Tristan on the other hand, a character that seemed to have his stuff pulled together does not actually get enough screen time.

Balls were dropped left and right in this movie and even Keira Knightley disappoints, because she ends up looking good only in one scene so…the little hope I had for saving this movie, was snatched from me.

The result is a movie that would be fun to watch with the sound down while you are doing the dishes.

Rating: 2 out of 5
Notes: Violence. And I must note, there is a pretty cool feature on the subtitle options, which allows you to watch the movie with subtitle facts about the era. I did not watch the entire movie that way but I did find it intersting. More interesting than the movie itself.
Quote: Lancelot: You look frightened. There’s a large number of lonely men out there.
Guinevere: Don’t worry, I won’t let them rape you.

• Director: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
• Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
• Year: 2003

I do believe this was my introduction to Thai film and after having watched this movie I have no regrets about making this my first. Set in Thailand but with a Japanese man (Tadanobu Asano) on the lead, this movie takes advantage of Thai, Japanese and the English language to its advantage, along with a subtle soundtrack to tell the story of a shy librarian, obsessive-compulsive young man who is bound and determined to commit suicide, if only people would stop interrupting him. Ironically enough, life eventually brings to him an offering which changes his point of view, when tragedy strikes on his end and for a young Thai girl who loses her sister to an accident. It is one of those life changing moments which for our protagonist, ends up opening his eyes in a strange, but charming way.

This movie, gritty as it may be, always keeps under the surface an undeniable charm and is very strongly character driven which makes the story that much easier to relate to. Not only that, but the director also opts to show this story in broken bits that at time flash back and at times flash forward and more than once show us a glimps of the ‘what it’.

If you enjoy asian cinema, and like the likes of Kim Ki-duk and Wong Kar Wai, then you will definately enjoy this film, which screams in a silent, but effective way. Both Tadanobu Asano and the beautiful Sinitta Boonyasak play their roles with delightful ease that transcends the screen. Great movie!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Notes: Violence, nudity, adult situations, drug use. Thai and Japanese language with English subtitles, English language unfortunately not subtitled which, given their thick accent, makes certain crucial dialogue difficult to understand…however, this only seems to add to the credibility of the film.

• Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
• Genre: Drama
• Year: 2003

One of those great movies that somehow manage to slip under the radar even when the do well in the Festival Circuit. Every year seems to have those and this one was one of those for the year of 2003. I heard of it, I read an article on it and that was it, even its release date somehow slipped me. Only after I got Netflix did I get the opportunity to watch it.

This Russian film tells the story of two brothers, competitive, but loving and close in their relationship suddenly put to a test when their estranged father returns without warning. In a celebratory fashion, the quiet father offers to take the boys fishing, on a road trip that turns out to be more a burden than a vacation and the father acts like anything but a paternal figure. Suddenly these two young boys are forced to get on their own two feet and find a way out of a situation that is well over their heads.

Surprisingly, the child actors do a very good job with their roles, particularly the youngest (Ivan Dobronravov), though it is always easier to be fooled by foreign actors when you are not familiar with their language. Regardless, this film offers a drama with tremendous weight. My only complaint? A lack of consistancy on the film coloration, but unless one is being picky, most of the time it goes unnoticed.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Notes: Adult situation, language. Russian with English subtitles.

• Director: Fernando Meirelles
• Genre: Drama/Thriller
  
• Year: 2005

Another of the 2005 movie greats? Yes indeed! Even though I this movie came out before Syriana, I watched it sometime after and I seem to put the two at pretty much the same level. The acting is superb on both movies and ‘Gardener’ is to pharmaceudicals what ‘Syriana’ is to the oil companies. Also based on a book, ‘The Constant Gardener’ tells the troubling story of a man who is forced to look into the violent murder of his wife in Kenya, convinced that there is a conspiracy behind it and that it was not merely highway bandits. He begins to dig, searching for clues behind his own suspicions and soon finding out that his initial thoughts were all wrong, and discovering behind it all a world that is so ruthless that they will pull all the stops to silence those that threaten to expose the truth.

With Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weiss at the lead this movie lacks nothing on talent, even with a support cast that is well rounded and very convincing. The story is told in a somewhat broken fashion that makes of this story a thrilling mystery, revealing parts to the puzzle in gratifying ways, all of them leading to an explosive conclusion.

Also to be noted, is the usage of african music for the soundtrack, editing that is perfectly paced and cinematography that sinks you into the heart of the matter with it. A must watch!

Rating: 5 out of 5
Notes: Violence, adult content and nudity.
Quote: Lorbeer: Big pharmaceuticals are right up there with the arms dealers.

• Director: Stephen Gaghan
• Genre: Drama/Thriller
• Year: 2005

I saw this movie a while ago…way back when it first came out and I am not even sure how the review slipped me, but I must add it in here, because I seriously think that is one of the best movies of 2005.

Based on the book “See No Evil” by Robert Baer, the account of a CIA agent in regards to the war on terrorism, this movie extracts a section and shows it with an unforgiving edge. Agent Bob Barnes is sent on a mission and when things backfire the government uses him as the scapegoat, in essesence sacrificing him ‘for the greater good’.

The movie brings to light what most people have suspectd of the oil companies and the cutthroat world which most of us never get to see. Given the number of stars in this film, I fully expected a Hollywood load, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer honesty of the film, never quite making excuses for mistakes and the actors (Clooney, Damon, Peet…) manage to slip into their characters with hearbraking effort.

If you enjoy action films peppered with political content, this movie is a definate must watch.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Notes: Adult content and some violent images. Be warned. Also, this is the type of movie that may require more than one watch in order to follow the plot properly.
Quote: Danny Dalton: Corruption? Corruption is our protection! Corruption keeps us safe and warm! Corruption… is why we win!

• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Genre: War/Drama/Action
• Year: 1987

Yes, it took me this long to see it, even after hearing so much about it and having seen so many references in other movies. It is a classic by any definition, and yet I felt slightly unfulfilled by it. I liked it, do not get me wrong, but this was perhaps one of those cases where the hype of a movie ended up overshadowing its actual achievements.

The story is essentially divided into three very clear parts, in fact it almost feels you are watching three separate movies in which the same character crosses through. I was not particularly bothered by this, but it should be noted that there is not subtlety in it. The first part treats boot camp, and is by far the best boot camp segment I have watched in any movie yet. As far as setting the mood for the movie, this was perfect. Unfurtunately the second section is nowhere near as strong and actually borders on the boring. It follows one of the soldiers out of bootcamp and in Vietnam where he is working as a reporter. Though this section is necessary to set up the third, I felt it seemed to drag somewhat aimlessly. Thankfully the third and final instalment picks up with a the soldier being caught in the field, where his group is plagued by an amazingly effective sniper they simply can not seem to get past. Given the tension that builds up to this part and how well done it is, the end came as a complete drop and though visually and audibly it was intruiging, it still felt incomplete.

The cycle through which we are taken, however, is not pointless, and aside from taking numerous jabs at the marines and the military as a whole, it shows the degradation of the only person that seems to have some sense of the characters that are shown to us. It is a vicious movie that pulls not punches, and definately worth watching, I just wish people had not hyped it up so much for me.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Notes: Its a war movie, of course there is going to be a lot of violence and a ton of vulgarity.
Quote: Private Joker: Are those… live rounds?
Private Gomer Pyle: Seven-six-two millimeter. Full metal jacket.

• Director: Jaques Audiard
• Genre: Drama/Crime
• Year: 2005

If you were to ask Thomas Seyr what he did for a living, he would say he is in the Real Estate business. If you were to shadow him during one of his typical days, you would know that part of that business includes setting rats loose on peoples buildings to push them into selling cheaply or beating the crap out of them with baseball bats. One supposes it is a matter of what mood they are in. Thomas Seyr also takes care of the nasty business his father is now too old to take care of, collecting money the physical way and such. It is ironic then, when we find out his mother was a professional pianist, back when she was alive and that her manager is interested in Thomas’ skill.

A man that is clearly in the path of violence and quickly corroding himself into a path that soon will not be easily corrected. The idea of taking up music presents for Thomas a way out of a life he clearly hates, and in his free time, he takes on practicing again, with the help of a Chinese woman who does not speak French but is more than willing to help her pupil. The question is, whether a man like Thomas can ever really wash his hands entirely of his past.

This movie has a wonderful story to tell, with characters that are full and vivid and believable, but at times wasted due to certain plot points which were never quite bolted down correctly. The result is a missed opportunity to make a good film great. However, it is still worth the watch, with very human moments and humorous moments as well, it is a simple story but one that does not fail to grab one’s attention.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Notes: Violence, nudity, sexuality and adult situations. French dialogue with English subtitles.

• Director: Andrew Adamson
• Genre: Adventure/Action/Family/Fantasy
• Year: 2005

I was pretty excited going into this movie, the teasers and trailers had been working at my nogging many times so that I actually got that itch to get to it. Unfortunately it did not happen on opening weekend, but it did happen and that is what matters.

Being one of those people that would rather read the book before the movie comes out, I ended up reading the first few books of the Chronicles (I will save the rest for later, now that Prince Caspian is rumored to have been given a green flag) to get a better feel for something I had not read since I was about as tall as my table. I do not regret, for I always feel I go into the film with that much more knowledge under my sleeve.

For those unaware, the film is the story about four children who find their way into the magical land of Narnia through a wardrobe tucked away in Professor Kirke’s mansion. Once there, they realize they are the key figures in a game of chess to determine the freedom of the land which has fallen under the cruel hold of the White Witch.

It is a children’s story, and it always was intended to be a children’s story. It is important that one keep that in mind. However, even then, it has some surprisingly adult moments, starting with their decision to show an air raid on the very opening scene, one which I found myself enjoying quite a bit. Those that expected another Lord of the Rings, complained it was too bright and shiny (to them I say, read the book and think a little bit before voicing that complaint) to the ones that didn’t some complained it was too much like LOTR (to them I say, well, though the designs are different, the subject matter is similar and they did go through WETA for their creatures so…there is bound to be similarities). I personally found the movie to be relatively faithful to the book and a good thing. I liked the fact that they focused on the action more than the book itself as well, because in the end it would have needed that to keep its adult audience captivated. However, there is many more issues that still shine through equally well as in the book, such as the moral and religious parallels to Christ. Once again, I felt the subject matter was approached in a intelligent fashion and without the feel that one was getting hammered over the head.

It is, however, not a perfect movie. The child actors do drop the ball on occasion and I felt the characters were a bit shakey at the begining, particularly Edmund and Peter, who teetered a bit before truly gaining their footing later on in the film. With a few small rendering flaws (which is one bad thing about a CG driven movie, that one is always going to look for what does not look real) one can easily overlook these small problems and enjoy the movie as a whole.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Notes: This may be a bit more action packed than some parents may like for their kids. It also has some jolting moments. Also, in the book, there was one line that I paid particular attention. When Father Christmas gives Lucy the dagger he declares that he hopes she will not use it, for “wars are ugly when women fight.” It was one of those comments that you read and suddenly look up and absolutely know they are going to have to change it in the movie or fact the militant feminists’ warth. They did change it, though I can not exactly recall to what, but that did bring out a chuckle.
Quote: Wolf: Now, don’t try to run. We’re very tired. We’d prefer to kill you quickly.

• Director: Ingmar Bergman
• Genre: Drama/Mystery
• Year: 1966

This film was released in 1966. It opens with a series of flashed black and white stills in rapid succession and then “ding” there is that recognizable sound and the image of an erect penis. Not even a pair of minutes into the film and already I am thinking “Fight Club”. It would seem that David Fincher sent more than one homage to this classic in his own Chuck Palahniuk based movie.

“Fight Club” and “Persona” could not be more different and yet they share a very interesting thread of thought. However, it is important to know, that I am not drawn to this film because of those connections, but rather its seductive thriller pace, its erotic subject, however strange it may prove to be and those delicious black and white images that often take over the screen in such a tempting manner. Artistically, this film is dripping with images that one is often wanting to pause just to examine them a bit more closely. Intellectually, it strikes chords that scream to be heard, even if the subjects are two delicate women, who seem to suddenly show a tremendous inner space for anger and jealousy.

Living alone, by doctors orders, in a sea-side home, a patient who refuses to talk and her nurse, end up sharing their lives with each other and what seems like an initial paradise soon turns out to be their own crumbling end. A great thriller and one that will probably end up putting a bunch more Bergman titles on my list.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Notes: Adult situations, strong sexual content and mild nudity, though there are some disturbing images flashed. Sweedish with English subtitles.
Quote: Sister Alma: If she won’t speak or move because she decides not to, which it must be if she isn’t ill, then it shows that she is mentally very strong. I might not be equal to it.