Monday, March 20, 2006

*** The Island (3-18-06) - Human clones escape from underground body parts factory. Actually, it was pretty entertaining, with impressive special effects, but the movie is way too long.

***1/2 Out of Sight (3-18-06) - George Clooney plays a bank robber & Jennifer Lopez plays a FBI agent. He breaks out of prison; there's love between them; there are $5.2 million dollar in diamonds to steal, and there are some very crazy hoodlums to contend with. Entertaining.

**** Barbarian Invasions 3-5-06 - Story of a guy dying from cancer. He is surrounded by his friends, wife, two mistresses, a herion addict that helps to relieve his pain, and his son who arranges everything to be as comfortable as possible. Eventually, the man reconciles the reality of his impending death against his zest for life and fear of dying. Although many aspects of this movie don't ring true, many more do and cause you to reflect on the movie and your own vulnerability.

*** Constant Gardener 3-3-06 - In Kenya, a diplomat investigates his wifes murder, after she has been investigating illegal drug testing on poor natives.

***1/2 In The City 2-15-06 (Spanish) - about a group of 30-something people, angst, the quest for love, and contemporary urban life in Barcelona.

**** Crash (2-4-06) - multiple lives intertwine during a short period. Won Best Picture.

**** The Big Lebowski (1-22-06) - Story about "The Dude." Impossible to explain but recommended. Very entertaining.

**** The Pianist 12-3-05 - A supposedly true story of a man who survives the Warsaw ghetto and the war. Roman Polanski does an outstanding job.

**** Downfall (11-20-05) - Hitler's last days in the bunker. Very realistic. Recommended!

**** Beyond The Sea (8-28-05) - Kevin Spacey's bio of Bobby Darrin. Spacey does his own singing, which is quite good.

**** Aviator (8-26-05) - Biography of Howard Hughes. Very entertaining with great special effects.

**** When My Father Was Away On Business (July, 2005) - About Sarejvo in about 1950. Father of two boys is sent to mines by his brother-in-law because he says something against the communists.

***1/2 Zelary (6-25-05) excellent movie about woman during WWII forced to hide in a village and get married to a guy she wants nothing to do with.

*** Girl From Paris 12-18-04

*** Bon Voyage 1-05 (about taking heavy water out of France during WWII). Entertaining.

***1/2 Monsieur Ibrahim (4-25-05) - about a Turkish store owner in Paris who serves as a father figure to a young boy.

***1/2 Motorcycle Diaries (3-05) - Che drives around South America on his bike.

***1/2 Nine Queens (3-05) - Con artists working Buenos Aires using counterfeit stamps to make a big score. Much better than David Mammet's "House of Games."