Inside Man, 2006 (Grade B-)

 Director Spike Lee
 Awards?  none that I know of
Cast: Denzel Washington; Clive Owen; Jodie Foster; Chiwetel Ejofor; Christopher Plummer; Willem Dafoe; Ken Leung; Peter Gerety; Kim Director; Ken Garito

sez says: this is something akin to a remake of Dog Day Afternoon --with a twist. SPOILER ALERT- - It sure has a star studded line-up. It is a 'puzzle story' that is made up of 'part mystery'' part 'police procedural' and part caper flick.  The 'mystery' part of the story held up for about the first half of the film.  The police procedural was mostly respectful back-drop that was appropriately respectful to the NYPD following 9-11 (but they still got call on their racism and profiling). It was most successful as a caper--where the bad guys are --or aren't good guys or bad-guts..and you keep wondering which it is as you watch.  Smart move to dress all the hostages in the same clothing that you--the robbers are wearing (but how would you know the right clothing sizes for your hostages before you got to the bank?) And, yes, the rich and the powerful--and their mysterious power broker (Jodi Foster)-- are corrupt.  The good cops are really good.  The robbers turn out to be justice fighters--and not greedy guys. All of this is entertaining and, thus it is done over and over and this story-style and subtext have all become a relatively common sort of story in turn of the century America.   

Cache, 2007 (Grade B-)

Director: Michael Haneke
Awards? --none that I know of
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Daniel Auteuil, Maurice Benichou, Annie Girardot, Bernard Le Coq, Walid Afkir, Daniel Duval, Nathalie Richard, Denis Podalydès, Aissa Maiga, Caroline Baehr

sez says: This starts off well--with a troubling but not horrific mystery-- who is watching our house and sending us tapes to prove it.  No laws broken--just proof that you are being watched in secret--but who is doing this and why?   Thee story goes on to tell the secret that husband has been carrying since he was a young child and how it comes back into his life (via the secret watcher) -- It works for about 80% of the film--but it eventually goes off track with drama that really was not required and that made no sense.  The film maker's interview that accompanies the movie on the disc is mostly boring--but there was one illuminating statement that Haneke said. He suggest that we should not be told the reason for everything in a story--that we don;t know the reasons for everything in real life--so why should we tie everything up neatly in our stories. My response to that is: maybe it is precisely becasue real live doesn't provide answers that we need stories that try to do it for us. (Grade B-, nice try but a let down in the end)

The Taking of Pelham 123, 2009 (Grade D+)

Director: Tony Scott
Awards? None that I know of
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzmán, Victor Gojcaj, Michael Rispoli, John Turturro, James Gandolfini, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Jason Butler Harner, Brian Haley, Chance Kelly

sez says--this has a great cast and everyone does a good job but Denzel saves he day-not just in the story but for the whole movie. It is a flash-dash-jump-run-blur of activity. Only Denzel holds to a calm center and thank goodness for that or you would be exhausted watching this--sirens blasting --cars crashing-- bang bang- crunch blood and gore and even rats. The bad guys do get caught: that is not a surprise. And even with all the energy expended it is not really very exciting. And you can;t blame the actors here -- "the bad" has got to be laid at the feet of the director (Grade D+)

The Ghost Writer, 2010 (Grade B)

Director: Roman Polanski
Awards? none that I know of
Starring:Ewan McGregor, Jon Bernthal, Kim Cattrall, Pierce Brosnan, Tim Preece, James Belushi, Olivia Williams, Timothy Hutton, Tom Wilkinson, David Rintoul

sez says: this has a stylish appeal and the pace is good--not all crash and dash--but no lulls either. But then, I had the story figured out about half way through --and it just isn't anything new to have a story tell us, yet again, that power corrupts and that 'Nations' do evil things to maintain and or to increases the power they have. But still there are a couple nice touches: Elements are introduced to the story -that NEVER reappear. That is almost unheard of. As Checkov said: -- if a gun appears in the first act, it will be used in the second half. And the very end, was not expected..but it worked, papers flying down the street and all. (Grade B)

Charlotte Sometimes, 2003 (Grade B-)

Director: Eric Byler
Awards: Nominated for Independent Spirit Award
Starring: Michael Idemoto; Jacqueline Kim; Eugenia Yuan; Matt Westmore; Shiziko Hoshi; Kimberly-Rose Wolter; Andrew J Turner.


sez says: what a nice, quite film--slow in places but thoughtful. What does Michael want? He wants a relationship that is real--but he just wants a little sex too. And that is a challenge. How do you get both. He respects his elders and his cultural traditions but he is also very much of man of today--struggling to find a mate -- and trying to not be afraid to be alone. He is a bit too perfect--this mechanic who reads. And the women in the story are a bit too one dimensional. Darcy/Charlotte is over the top LOST. But sometimes you have to exaggerate to make a point. And the point is well made. A real relationship, that is one worth committing to, is based on more than sex alone--as Michael says "There are no shortcuts. Grade B-

I've Loved You So Long, 2008 (Grade C)

Director: Philippe Claudel
Awards:  2009 BAFTA Vest Foreign Language Film + other nominations
Starring:  Kristin Scott Thomas; Elsa Zylberstein; Serge Hazanavicius; Laurent Grevill; Frederic Pirrotl Clair Johnson; Catherine Hosmalin; Oliver Cruveiller; Lise Segur; Mouss Zouheyri


sez says-- what a disappointment -- this was such a very good movie all the way up to the end.  Then, in order for Kristin Scott Thomas' character to turn out to be a good person, the story falters with its explanation of WHY she did it.  The explanation was bunk.   It would have been impossible for no one to have known about the situation that she describes: or put another way "the explanation" was not possible based on what we had been told in the rest of the story. The problems of an ex-felon re-entering the mainstream are real.  That many suffer on their own- separate from the suffering brought on by imprisonment -- is also real enough.  This story needed to stay true to those realities--rather than ruin itself with a fairytale ending. (Grade C because it took on a neglected topic..but no higher because it was wrecked by the ending.)  

Mostly Martha, 2002 (Grade B+)

Director: Sandra Nettelbeck
Awards? none that I know of
Starring: Martina Gedeck; Sergio Castelitto; Maxime Foerste; August Zirner; Ulrich Thomsen; Sibylle Canonica, Katja Studt; Idil Uner

sez says: what a lovely movie--rich with the colors of food beautifully prepared, and intimate with closely drawn characters. Mar-ta (as her name is pronounced) has given over every aspect of her life to becoming--and being--the '2nd best chief' in the city (her boss calls her 2nd best just to annoy her).  She has no life outside her work.  Her boss has told her she has to go to a therapist or she will be fired. But she has no idea why she's been sent to a therapist.   Then her sister dies and her niece has no where to go but to come live with her.  Thus the story sets up her coping and finding ways to interact with other people. The story is formulaic --but it is very well done..and it is beautiful to watch.  (Grade B+)

The Messenger, 2009 (Grade A)

Director: Oren Moverman
Awards? Woody Harrelson was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Independent Spirit Award (won.) Samantha Moon was alos nominated for an Independent Spirit Award,
Starring: Ben Foster; Woody Harrelson; Samantha Moon; Steve Buscemi; Jena Malone; Eamonn Walker; Yaya DaCosta; Peter Francis James; Lisa Joyce.

sez says:  great movie...all the acting was good but Harrelson was better than good, he was great.  He deserved to be recognized.  This is an anti-war movie/story.  It is done from a new perspective. It follows two men who are assigned to tell families that a loved one has been killed.  Having to see the suffering of the families who have lost loved ones in the war is hard--but it is part of the cost of war that if hidden from the public. ANd it is an effective way to say no to war.   Grade A

Robin Hood, 2010 (Grade B-)

Director: Ridley Scott
Studio: Awards? none that I know if
Starring: Russell Crowe; Cate Blanchett; Max von Sydow; William Hurt; Mark Strong; Oscar Isaac; Danny Huston; Eileen Atkins; Mark Addy; Matthew Macfadyen; Kevin Durand; Scott Grimes

sez says --first I have to admit to really liking Ridely Scott movies. There is something about his eye that makes the look and feel of the worlds he makes really appealing to me.  So I may not be a reliable judge of his work. That said, I am glad I saw this on the BIG SCREEN and I cheered (in my heart) for the good guys and jeered (silently) the bad guys.  The coming to the rescue scenes are exciting and give you the thrill you expected from such.  It is fun to see really good guys defeat really bad guys. If only life were so simple. But I only like this sort of thing from time to time and only when it is a visual treat -- which R Scott has provided.
Now, I also have to say I am not a Russell Crow fan..he annoys me more than he entertains me. I will admit I have seen him do excellent work but that hasn't reduced my distaste for him.  So I put-up with him as Robin Hood.. But I would not vote from him to star in the same roll in a sequel.  And while I really like Cate Blanchet I felt her role was really narrow --and the story is sexist in the worst sort of ways. For instance Blanchett (Maid Marion) leads an army of 'wild children' into battle.  Yikes! that is tacky.  (my grade is B- . but don't trust me I was am carrying around way too many established opinions about all of this before I even saw the movie.)

Mememto, 2000 (Grade A)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Awards: nominated for lots of awards. sundance, Academy Awards, INdependent Spirit...and probably won some too
Starring: Guy Pearce; Carrie-Anne Miss; Joe Pantoliano; Mark Boone Jr.; Stephen Tobolowsky; Callum Keith Rennie;  Thomas Lennon; Jorja Fox; Harriet Sansom Harris; Marianne Muellerleile

sez says: this is a fantastic film--that tells its story in a non-linear manner -- It starts hear the end  and loops around  to recent events  -- repeats itself and then loops back further. There is lots of repetition -- so you have to remember what happened and then see it again and see how it came about. This makes you see events with new eyes and with new understandings of the events.  It takes a bit of time to understand the structure--but it works well--esp for a movie that is ultimately all about memory.  Is what you remember what really happened?  You can hold on to what you believe are facts about things--but the facts may or may not be trustworthy. And how much do your desires  shape your memories? What are memories for--and how do we interact them to make the past seem like something it wasn't.

This is all done in the context of a mystery of sorts.  The main character has lost his short term memory.  He has to write things down--and tattoo his body with things he must not forget.  But of course he IS forgetting things every few seconds. So we follow him around as he sets up systems to remember and to track down his wife's killer. This is a ride well worth going on! ( Grade A)