Good:
- Inside Man: Smart heist flick with Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. Spike Lee directed, almost as if there was a bet to see if he could beat Hollywood at its own game. I love that every inch of the exterior shots is authentic New York City, not some backlot next to the ‘Friends’ set. One question: how does Clive Owen manage to look so hot, even as his face is completely covered up for half the movie?
- Whale Rider: I love foreign films because we only see the best of what other countries produce. (Don’t worry, this one is in English.) Whale Rider is a tale of Maoris in present-day New Zealand who are in search of a new leader. I dare you to watch this movie and not love Keisha Castle-Hughes, who was rightfully nominated for an Academy Award for her role. As a bonus, Whale Rider is even family-friendly, though not a saccharine-sweet ‘family’ movie.
- Troy: This movie under-performed at the box office and wasn’t well-reviewed, so my expectations were low. While I’m sure Troy was best seen on a big screen, I was more than entertained by this epic version of the Trojan War. It’s a good thing Brad Pitt was already nominated for an Oscar once in his career, because this performance certainly doesn’t show any discernable acting talent. Eric Bana (Hector) and Sean Bean (Odysseus) are quickly becoming two of my favorite actors.
- In Her Shoes: What can I say? I am a chick and I enjoy a good chick flick. This is a good one about two sisters/rivals. A bonus for the guys: Cameron Diaz spends much of her screen time in a bikini.
Bad:
- War of the Worlds: Yes it’s Spielberg, but I don’t like being scared to bits. I actually got up and left the living room about 2/3 through the movie. Tom Cruise was in his action hero mode, but he’s disgusted me ever since he became the world’s worst authority on post-partum depression. Dakota Fanning, at least, lives up to the hype.
Mediocre:
- Failure to Launch: I love Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, and good chick flicks, but this film only had two out of the three. His parents hire her to date him and trick him into moving out of the house, because he is 35 and still lives at home. That’s a thin plot even by chick flick standards, and for some reason the writers also included 3 ridiculous scenes where McConaughey is severely bitten by otherwise gentle animals. I saw this movie because I was bored out of my skull, but I left thinking, “I spent $10.75 on that?”
