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The Cell
Seen: September 3, 2000 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: Child pyschologist, played by Jennifer Lopez, must enter the mind of a serial killer to find out where his next victim is hidden.
Comments: Not as scary as the trailers make it out to be, it all seems like one big excuse to do some computer special effects. Not much else to say about it I'm afraid.
Grade: B-
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The Contender
Seen: October 14, 2000 -
Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: The President
of the United States nominates a woman named Laine Hanson to replaced the recently
passed away vice president, but her confirmation is anything but smooth.
Comments: Yet another movie
that doesn't make the Republicans look good -- which is fine by me. My only problem
with it is that it's a tad bit over-didactic. Joan Allen's jog through the Arlington
cemetary while they talk about the casualties of war is a little bit too obvious,
methinks.
Grade: A-
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The Crew
Seen: August 26, 2000 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: Four aging "wise guys" get back into their old ways as a means to an end (to lower the property values of their apartment building so that they can stay there). However, their "wise guy" ways get a druglord and the police involved.
Comments: Cute, cute, cute! Very funny and endearing, and no one actually gets killed -- one of those clean cut comedies. I didn't think I'd like the film, but I did. Go see it.
Grade: A
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The Grinch
Seen: December 2000 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: This is Dr. Seuss's tale retold in director Ron Howard's way -- starring Jim Carrey.
Comments: Much, much cuter than I expected. Jim really pulls it off with his ad-libbing. They also pretty much stuck to the story (the old songs are there!), while also adding more to it enhance the motivations of the characters.
Grade: A-
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The Kid
Seen: July 8, 2000 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: An image consultant gets in touch with the 8-year-old version of himself and does some self-parenting before he can achieve his dreams.
Comments: If it weren't for the subject of the movie, The Kid probably wouldn't have meant anything to me, and I probably would have thought it was boring and stupid. But because it means something to me on a personal level, I feel compelled to grade it well. It's a John Bradshaw book made into a movie, and it's actually kind of cute, too.
Grade: A
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The Mis-Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Seen: July 4, 2000 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: Rocky and Bullwinkle step out from the animated world to stop their old enemies Boris, Natasha, and the Fearless Leader from ruling the real world.
Comments: Bad film. Horribly bad film. It was meant to be funny, but I didn't even smile during the entire time. I kept hoping it would redeem itself after the first few scenes, but it never did. Do NOT go.
Grade: F
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The Patriot
Seen: July 2, 2000 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: Set during the time of the American Revolutionary War, Mel Gibson's character -- father and reluctant soldier -- leads a militia group and fights the British.
Comments: It makes the British look like Nazis (so Hollywood), but it's still a great film. Great computer-generated special effects! A 16-handkerchief film.
Grade: A
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The Perfect Storm
Seen: June 30, 2000 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: Based on the true story -- the crew of the Andrea Gail meet up with the big storm of 1991.
Comments: Lots of water -- I actually had to get up during the most exciting part of the movie to pee. What wasn't guessed at is all true, and it's very sad. The special effects were awesome.
Grade: A
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The Royal Tenenbaums
Seen: January 6, 2002 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when one of their member announces he has a terminal illness. (imdb.com)
Comments: This one is chock full of great stuff -- quirky but lovable characters, tacky eye candy on multiple planes, silly humor, and memorable weirdness. I couldn't stop talking about all the various scenes and dialogue and set or costume details after I got out of the theatre. I would have willingly gone back to see it again without a break, just to see all the things I'm sure I missed. Nearly all of the (kooky) characters have an arc (great cast, by the way!), and the whole thing was just extremely well done. Weird, but well done. I had no idea that Owen Wilson could write.
Grade: A+
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Thirteen Days
Seen: Saturday, January 13, 2001 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: The story/documentary of the Cuban missle crisis.
Comments: This really happened
in the days before I was born, and I can't imagine all the tension felt back then
-- the fear of imminent doom. This movie helped me see that; I was tense throughout
the entire film, even though I knew how it would end. It made me admire JFK and
Bobby all the more, while it also made me realize how different things are today.
Grade: A+
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Traffic
Seen: Saturday, January 6, 2001 - Matinee
Very Brief Synopsis: Documentary-style film following the stories of various characters and their roles in the drug war.
Comments: This movie made me notice Benicio Del Toro; I really liked his character. The film also made me seriously think and re-think about my position on drugs. It's straight down the middle and makes you see all sides to the issue. Well acted. Well directed. Blah, blah, blah. :)
Grade: A
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