The date at the end is the year I saw these flicks. S = Sex, NS = No Sex, + = the DVD Special Features were better than average.  

I finally willed my suspension of disbelief in Galaxy Quest*** just about the same time the crew of this Star Trek take-off snapped to their duties to the Universe. I didn't want to believe, but by the end I was a believer. Fun and funny, this movie makes fun with and fun of Trekkie mania. 2000

Garden State***/ had serious quirk, a strong-plot building romance with just the right characters, a lot of really nice people (many of whom also had serious quirk) and a gentle manner. I'd like to see it again, maybe with ma honey.

Gattaca*** is low-tech future sci fi where everybody wears suits, drives Citroens and Avantis. It's about identity, discrimination and the need to excel. 1997

In Gaudi Afternoon***/ a curmudgeonly Judy Davis gets caught up in a bisexual, pre-op transexual, lesbian, non-legal child custody battle that doesn't just bend sexual identity, it twists it, all the while "talking" about motherhood and slowly opening up like a quirky detective novel. And it's all set in Antoni Gaudi's Barcelona. Lots of character development and thankfully very little sex, odd toward quirky and playful but mostly oonly funny in a warmish human way. I only wish there'd been Enlish subtitles, since there's lots of untranslated Spanish throughout this movie about a translator. And I deeply miss having seen it in widescreen. 2002

Hiroshi Teshigahara's Antonio Gaudi is a fabulous movie. Read my prosaic review of that exquisite movie.
 

Georgia***** shows Jennifer Jason Leigh sure can act. This movie hurts to watch, she's so fine. Here, she plays another original, a singer with nobody else in the world's style. Not always melodic, but awesome. So's the movie. Not an upper, but a great flick. 1996

The Getaway** was another personal rerun hardly worth mentioning, except it had Paul Newman in it.

Spike Lee's Get On the Bus**/ is either excellent or mediocre. I'm not sure. Very talky-preachy, but it says important things well. Goofy story, guys mostly misses the Million Man March but learn important truths along the way. 1996

Ghengis Blues***/ is a sweet little movie about a lesser known American bluesman nicknamed "Earthquake" who visits Tuva between China and Mongolia, sings songs he composed in their language, which he has learned, and in their unique style, which he has also learned. The style is called throat singing and involves singing at least three (maybe four) different notes at once in harmony. The style sounds otherworldly, like a digereedoo is to musical instruments, Tuva is to vocals. The movie is a travelog and a friendship, imperfect but human.

At last, a good, solid movie, with solid story, sharp message, superb acting, and more murder than anything since maybe Natural Born Killers, whose violent, anti-violence moral it shares. Ghost Dog***/ tells a story in interesting, nuanced, unique, cinnematic ways, plays with our visual, aural and philosophic expectations and, at the end, lets go. 2000

We saw an interesting, if not at all fascinating, darkly humorous, real movie in a real theater. What was its name.... Oh, yeah. Ghost World***/ by the same director who brought us Crumb, and with some of the same sardonic wit. This flick is fictional, but the blood lines are the same, and so's the heart. I laughed out loud — and usually alone, but I'll see it again when the DVD comes out. Her take on it was: "Alienated teenage girl / high school art class from hell." But we both like Steve Buscemi, although neither of us can spell his last name.

Ghost in the Shell*** is intriguing, beautiful, deeply thought through, mind-boggling, great action, wonderful tech, marvelous comic book characters brought to life, solid sci-fi anime.

I rented The Gift***/ because I like stories about psychic phenomena and strongly suspect that some people have that gift, if you can call it that. The people I know who might have it only have it sometimes, and even then it's not an easy thing to have. These gifts sometimes help, but they are also a big pain, and not just because so few believe. This movie, with all its big name stars and polished cinematography, treats the subject kindly and with some insight. As a scary movie, this one's creep runs deep — with good characters and acting and story — even if it reads a little like To Kill A Mockingbird near the end.

Sometimes the plot in The Girl from Monday***/ seemed confused with a rain of moment-to-moment 180¾ turns. Like the dialog was written by a four-year-old, but the kid's father and grandfather helped, too, so it has wisdom as well as crazy kid stuff. It's deeply funny in odd moments; I wasn't sure I was supposed to laugh, then I laughed and laughed. Other moments the plot is mind-bending fascinating. Sci-fi around the bend. Visually sharp, in focus and amazing. Surprising all over the place. Bent in the best of ways.

Girl Interupted***/ is on the money about being crazy and put me back in touch with some of my own. It's not a happy flick but serious and informed. Sort of a gloomy One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for girls. 2000

My first post-NetFlix, non-DVD rental flick was Girl on a Bridge****, which was amazingly good, even if I had to stay glued to the set to read all the subtitles. Sometimes I long for dubbing, even though it's so often mediocre.

Regardless, this was an amazing movie, rendered in rich, glorious, black and white with just as rich acting and visual aspects. The dialog was fascinating, deeply intelligent and engaging. It even went on between the two leads when they were not together physically, something that usually only happens in the movies, but here it made total sense. About a down and out knife-thrower who finds the woman — and target — of his dreams. Very endearing, too.
  

Gladiators****? is rich, beautiful, intelligent, violent, superbly acted, deep, long and gloriously filmed. Like Titus, this flick is full of mean spirited vengeance, but it also achieves transcendence. The audience, however, was ineligant and idiotic. 2000

The Glass Harp***/ is the best depiction of Truman Capote's childhood yet. Lots of famous actors, some playing against type very well indeed. But it's hard to hear some of the actors. Sound man really fell down on this one. And even the ads mention the poor picture quality. 1996

The Gleaners & I**** plus The Gleaners & I, Two Years Later are quirkly little, free flowing documentaris on the people who find treasure in other people's trash. Fascinating and completely true, the film includes the filmmaker, who's obviously a gleaner, too. 2002

Gone in 60 Seconds**/, like Con Air features a bunch of criminals creating havoc and destruction. At the end, instead of a spectacular plane crash they're a semi-spectacular car chase. It's exciting enough, but... 2001

Good Night and Good Luck*** is a gritty black & white rehistory of Edward R. Murrow's part in the rise and especially the fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt of 1950s America, when the fear of Communism was so thick people were fired and/or committed suicide merely for being called that by the evil senator. The timing of the film, of course, has much to do with the current regime. But the telling is long and slow and frankly boring. 2006

Good Will Hunting**** may be a little weepy, but superb acting, story, filming. 1997

Gosford Park*** is a powerful soporific without even the common courtesy of English subtitles. 2002

The Governess*** is a smart, sharp Jewess passing for Christian in the Scottish boons. She falls for the scientist/photographer Dad, and the Son falls for her. She discovers how to permanatize photographs and make it an art form. Along the way are brief bits of sensuous surreality, strong characters and delicious film-making. A flawed delight. S 1998

Grace of My Heart****
Following the career of a songwriter/singer through her pop, soul, psycedelic and rock years. Strong performances, outstanding soundtrack. Like That Thing That You Do with meaning and soul. 1996

I got Grace of My Heart***/ thinking it was Saving Grace, which I still haven't seen. Nice seeing GoMH again, but not nearly as nice as I thought it might have been.
  

I saw Grave of the Fireflies*** but days after I couldn't remember a single scene, and now the only reason I know I saw it is that it's on my returned list at Netflix. Not exactly memorable.

I couldn't finish Grey Zone* since it made no sense and didn't even intrugue me enough to stay sat in my big comfortable green chair with my feet up and my head back in perfect viewing mode. I never knew what was happening, so I never cared where it went, if anywhere.

When I first saw The Great Escape**** I was the same age my mother was when she first saw Wuthering Heights. And i was similarly affected. Mom found her Heathcliffe just a couple of years later and has stuck with him for 58 years. I found many escapes along the way and have been thrilled by the adventures, including a war and other death-defying feats.

I worried about the color while I watched the trailer — all faded and decolorized. But the informative 'filming of' made it clear that the colors of 1964 were still vibrant. So was the high adventure, the tension and all that excitement. It was thrilling to see it once again in its original very widescreen aspect. Watching the complex plot unfold, and all those individuated characters grow was fascinating. No wonder this movie — if not all the details of it — has stuck in my mind for all these 37 years. Wow. +

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The Green Mile***/ was sweet and serious Sci-Fi at its subtlest. Fine story of a black man trapped on death row in a southern prison manned by kindly guards and one, noteworthy, mean sleeze. The prisoner is uneducated and has only one, supernatural skill. Truly put us in a different world. The cast is superb, as is the story. V 2000

I didn't notice the music when I first saw Grizzly Man***/. Too busy dreading the end, caught in the downward flow. Madman suicide by bear. All through this role of a lifetime, our hero's videoing his bears, daring to interact with them, the only real life he gets close to. Beautiful, innovative, fanciful filming, starring himself of course, but off. The fox run is fabulous, but something's always a little off. Innovative but scary. Another fascinating character study by Werner Herzog. Perfect except for his falling star. Then the Scoring Special Feature**** nets that last half star. Herzog with Richard Thompson and ace musicians. Completes the movie superbly. Reveals the director and the movie far better than some stupid commentary. Then I had to see the movie again to hear the music. And the scoring feature four more times. Chilling.

Groove*** is a demi-documentary on Raves that unfolds simply and visually like a ballet. The latticed plot that holds it together is putting on and attending a rave. Of course, it's a boy meets girl, boy keeps boy, boy loses girl and a bunch of other subplots thrown in for interest and humor. And the music is throbbing fine, and very much the lead character throughout. It's colorful, densely characterized and interesting. 2000

Grosse Pointe Blank***/ is a quirky, smart-ass flick with witty dialog, lots of mayhem, a bit of romance and some great actors doing bit parts. 1997

Guarding Tess***/ was annoying at first, then pleasant, finally, heartwarming.

Guinevere**/ is about an obsessive's compulsion to mate with young women with overbites. Supposedly, he inspires them to create art, but we never believe that. It's a dark, chiaroscuro film with mostly engaging characters but not much character development evident. 1999

Gundam Wing** was utterly awful repetitive without ever making any progress through several episodes. Disappointment.

I rented Guys & Dolls***, because I missed another early TV favoirte, The Damon Runyon Theater, which was probably not as good but different enough that I'd still love to see some of those quirky scenes and characters again. G&D was pleasant enough — great to see Brando young and thin, and singing yet, but just not the same...

Haiku Tunnel** is srange, quirky with broad humor, too TV, less than a movie. Mercifully short.

Hamlet***/ is superb, but you have to pay attention. The language — and this delicious movie — is thick, juicy, rich, deep and original. The visuals are bright, contrasty and lush. Everything comes off the screen at us like wildfire. It's fast-paced and superbly acted. First time I've ever seen that story and understood darned near all of it. 2000

Hamlet****/
Great story, great film. Lush, long and superbly acted. Beautiful and powerful. 1997

Hands on Hard Bodies*** is about real people in a real situation — if you can call standing around a new pickup truck (the hardbody) with one, gloved hand on it — no leaning, no drugs and no lifting your hand — for 78 hours, or until everybody else goes crazy and quits — reality. Shot directly, humanely and appropriately surreal on Hi-8 video, this is a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story that reveals real people in ways that will surprise, amaze and entertain you. Often both moving and funny. NS 1998
  

Following my recent penchant for renaming not quite stellar movies, I'm calling this one The Noises of Pigs. If you've seen it, you probably know what I mean. It's an exquisitely filmed movie in which violence is an inherrent component. I would have awarded it four asterisks, except that it's fatally flawed by two issues.

The worse is an insipid FBI-as-bad-guy subplot. As much as we are willing to believe that the FBI is stupid and corrupt — as is manifest in a multitude of American movies in the last couple decades — just now, in history, we depend upon them more than ever, and suddenly, we all trust them again. (Funny how that works out.) But it won't last, of course. Still, the FBI bozos in this movie are meaner, stupider and more coniving than is credible even by us gulible Americans. Way over the top. Not that the movie is a mainliner anyway, but most of its over-the-top isms are pleasing and credible, in a willful suspension of disbelief sort of way.

Juliane Moore is a favorite of mine, and she's been stellar many times in many different roles. But in Hannibal***/, she just isn't. Not once did I ever believe she was the same agent we saw in Silence of the Lambs. Of course, Little Man Tate's mom got an Oscar for that stellar performance, and JM's Southern accent is even worse. I liked the character, I just wish she didn't have to be Clarice Starling, whom she clearly was not.

Otherwise, the movie, was stunning, beautiful, great plot, beautiful to watch, exciting to listen to. Everything.
  

The Hanging Garden**/ is disturbing. Partially because it is the graphic story of a dysfunctional family — violent father, senile grandmother, masculine (whose kid is this, anyway?), codependent mom, homosexual boy child, everybody's angry. But more disturbing than just that, because the story is mostly about the son, who gets grossly fat as a teenager, hangs himself (dead), then comes back ten years later when his younger sister marries whom would have become his gay lover. When he returns, he's skinny and well, even though he and others still see him hanging there in the garden. Superb, unique concept and (dare I say) execution. A haunting but satisfying movie. Wow! 1998

Of course, every novel and most longer stories necessarily involve serendipitous interrelationships of characters, but Happinstance**/ is yet another in too long a line of casually linked story lines that don't go anywhere. 2002

Happiness*** is yet another quirky flick about relationships. It's funny and smart most of the time, even endearing in places, and the ensemble cast is decent, but there's a nasty, overriding undercurrent that leaves a bad taste. 2003

I remember Happy Endings** had a happy ending, that it was all confused in the middle, and never went anywhere, and I was happy it was over, but that's about all. 2006

It might have helped if Hard Rain* had been presented in correct order. (We in the back row figured out soon after the "second" reel started that something was missing — a major portion of the story, and we were making loud jokes about it. The theater management didn't figure it out till twenty minutes later. Then they stopped the movie. Which was a big mistake, because they didn't get it back together in the right order while we — or most of the audience — were there. They'd promise fifteen minutes, then thirty minutes, then — after that was gone, they promised another 45 minutes of wait. We finally left.) We didn't mind watching it out of order, tho. It's a stupid movie, and order was not gonna help.
     I've said before that I'd see Morgan Freeman in anything. But now that I have, I'm gonna be more discriminating in the future. I'd got free passes for both Hard Rain and Fallen, so I didn't lose any money on the deal — in fact, the theater gave us free passes because of the reel-order stupidity. 1998
 

Lately, I've been looking to movies for excitement, thrills, spills and adventure. I've been ignoring my cultural literacy most of that time, as if it would just go away. Tonight, after jockeying it all over my NetFlix queue for months, I accidentally let Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle***/ slip to the top of my list, they shipped it to me, and I watched it.

Most of the way into it I didn't know what to think. Either it was one of the stupidist flicks I've ever seen or it was truly historic (the girls bathroom fart scene truly is) and deeply cultural. That's it. It were. Glad I finally saw it; sure took me long enough. My cultural education, while far from complete, has taken a long-delayed speedbump into the present.
 

Harry Potter*** was okay, I suppose. I was eager to be charmed, but disappointed. Nice enough special effects — I really liked "Fluffy" the giant, three-headed dog, but the students at Hogwart all seemed clichéd nearly to death, the plot — if any — was primarily episodic, with not much character development, and the magic was pretty hoaky. A lotta noise, not much import. 2001

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**/ just goes on and on and on. It doesn't seem to be about anything, except having exotic adventures that make sorta interesting special effects.

I was glad Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*** back storied a bit of his earlier (?) life, and the bit about time travel was greatly appreciated, but overall, an extended yawn.

Hart's War*** was the typical Hollywoodian take on World War II POW camps crossed with a nasty, anti-Black prejudice subplot. Kinda interesting, mildly amusing turns of plot, but mostly just nyeh. 2002

The Haunting***/ takes us back to the black & white 60s, when madness was still new and intriguing. This truly original extrapolation from the haunted house genre novel is craftfully spooky and almost intellectual — with a tight ensemble of dimensional, surprisingly non-stereotyped humans, and a strong female lead, with only threadbare hints of male dominant chauvinism. After 40 years, this smart, nearly taut flick remains unique in a genre rampant with me-too, copy-cat-itus. 2003

Hearts in Atlantis**/ shows the kinder side of Mr Lecter, was nice for its small town feeling — a little movie that we liked enough. Goofy name, even though Hannibal quoted something about it, it never made any sense. I loved the little boy and his dad feeling about it, liked very much that Anthony Hopkins could see into the future and was running from the guvmint. I would, too, if I knew what was gonna happen next.

Heat *****is utterly superb. Fabulous acting. Lotsa little dovetailing vignettes. High tension. Lotta violence. Everything works. Amazing, almost surreal sometimes cinematography. An All-Time great. Saw it twice on the big screen. Wish I could find a letterbox version. 1996

William Eggleston, Photographer**/ and Henri Cartier-Bresson* can easily be placed in the Ho-hum Department. The former does show us this strange guy's droll personality well enough, but it goes on and on to little effect, except to show us his amazingly droll (but stellar, sometimes simplicity is an artistic, if not a human, joy) photographs, which are better enjoyed in a book at the library or bookstore. Same for Cartier-Bresson, which is a better and better known photographer, but the movie is a complete bore.
  

Hero**** is gorgeous, rich in color — especially red and blue — and landscape and detail and surreality. A few flying kungfu scenes are a hair short of perfect but most are phenomenal — the blue lake battle is luscious; the red leaf flurry is exquisite. The weaponry is awesome, the expertise fascinating. The story seems odd to this western mind, but it's stitched together with elegance.

The Hidden**** is still one great B movie. Except for brief cameo appearances by a slimy, dark invertibrate monster near the beginning and a much goofier one near the end, this interstellar mystery looks like an 80s detective shoot 'em up. Most of the creepy sci-fi in this thriller is conceptual. Think of Fallen — the name's not the only similarity here, folks — with a bunch of white guys in suits, many of whom, each in turn, gets to host the vicious, thrill-seeking intergallactic bad guy/entity.

And finally, a director's commentary that honestly appraises his actors. "Really bad," he said about one hapless plugger. But even easily recognizable leads get direct commentary. Quickly dated, almost stupid special effects, a really annoying soundtrack (on purpose), very well shot car chases, and truly intriguing concepts, this flick is about being human in an angel vs. devil sort of way. +

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High Fidelity***/ is about a guy who owns a record store and his history of romantic breakups and what he learns. and applies to the latest. Unlike in most movies our hero speaks directly tino the camera often, which I found totally believable and endearing. The dialog, characterizations and story were outstanding, the movie funny and true to life. 2000

The DVD of High Fidelity****, which I still think was one of the best movies of any year, has deleted scenes, commentaries from writer/star John Cusak and the director but no ongoing commentary, except, of course, the star's own sparkling soliloquys fired directly at the camera / audience. Especially annoying was a draining 12-second wait between individual instances of special features or anything you need a menu. Otherwise, ++
  

Hilary and Jackie***/ comprises the visually dark stories of two musically talented sisters told separately (although they come together at the beginning and the end). Starring Emily Watson and Mare Cunninghamå, it's a superbly acted, beautifully noir telling of one nice and one spoiled child growing up, making a name and falling from the heights. Plot is holey, and it's "based on a true story," whatever that means... F S 1999

There must have been a time when a movie like His Girl Friday** (1940) was entertaining or even funny. I almost remember when that was. But it's not now. No. Now, this movie is just extended, excessive and stupid.

A History of Violence**** should have been called The History of Violence so it would been just a little bit less universal and more predictable. It is violent in pieces. The larger pieces are human, and as weird as Cronenberg has been, this movie is humane at its core, and emotionally accessible. Subtly, it is about transformation and identity. Overtly, it is about our capacity for violence. Oddly, it proves its ultimate goodness through displays of viciously efficient, happily ever after, mean-spirited violence.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy**/ might have been better if author Douglas Adams had lived, and I'm afraid any success at all for this slow-mo bomb will doom us to another agonizing Ringish serialization, but maybe they'll just let it die. This flick isn't big enough an improvement over the TV show, the radio show or the book to merit repeated viewing. But wouldn't it be wonderful if some other, more creative bunch would tackle Adams' holistic detective, Dirk Gently?

The Holy Girl*** is sensual teen girls playing with religion as they play with reality and love and sex. Almodovar is one of three producers, and it was directed by a woman, but only after I saw his name did this make sense, if only in a post-Almodovarian way — sexy, sensual with the major complications and complexities of morality.

Home Movie***, though only one hour long, is amusing and entertaining. Pretty much straight-ahead TV program-like documentary hones in on five eccentric homes and their very eccentric people. I always think my house is pretty unique, but compared to these folks, I'm utterly ordinary. Cat people whose home is devoted to their 11 cats; a former Japanese TV star's exotic tree house in a remote valley in Hawaii; an inventor who "updates" homes and ideas; a Louisianna man who lives on a houseboat floating in a big river; and a couple who live in an abandoned Atlas missle silo. A pleasant romp of a serio-comic little movie.

Little movies aren't necessarily shorter movies, they just have shorter reach. This weekend I saw the big movie, The Horse Whisperers,**/ which was superb, if (but not at all too) long. And I saw a superb little movie, The Leading Man.***/ The big movie had two, essentially simple, intertwining plots — healing and romance. The little movie had a fairly simple plot of arranged romance, but it proceeded so complexly that the audience had to keep thinking all the way through. It was a much wilder ride than horseback — We didn't have to think during the big movie, but we wept and honked all through it. The little movie hardly jerked a tear, but it kept our minds engaged. The big flick was gorgeous and sentimental and grandly Hollywood. The little flick was intellectual, engaging, sardonic and Independent. The big movie had Robert Redford. The little movie had Bon Jovi. Both were just short of superb. 1998

I remember desperately trying to schedule seeing House of Flying Daggers** on the big screen, then finally caught up with it on DVD last weekend and was so glad I saved the difference. It started slow, sped up briefly in the middle where we saw some of the magic of Hero and Flying Dragons Hidden Suspenders or whatever that was, and the snow and lake one we liked so much, then this tedious mess. Trilogies really should stop after the third bump.

House of Fools**** mixes the madness of war and the sanity of a comunity of mental patients. The irony runs deep, but the humanity is deeper. This joyous film about love turns into color when the music plays, and the subtitles are never a problem, except the untranslated momentes when the Chechens talk among themselves. Funny, poignant and amazingly intelligent.

Looking down this long list, only a rare few movies have stayed in my mind. Rare indeed is the film that affects me, makes me think, sticks it to my deeply held beliefs and expectations. The House of Sand and Fog**** does that in spades. It's been about a week, and I still remember big pieces of it, and not just the lilting too-short, dark scenes of fog rolling along Golden Gate. It's replete with heroes and anti-heroes but we never know which is which and, in the end everybody in it is both. Rich acting, sterling screenwriting, beautiful cinematog, this is a movie lovers movie.

House of the Spirits**/ was dispriting and disjointed, about a family growing up in a fictional Latin American country. Great ensemble of fine actors tormented by a seriously flawed script. Jeremy Irons looks and acts significantly different from his other roles — truly malevolent. Unfortunately, his character, whom the leading lady — Meryl Streep, no less — claims to love deeply, is absurdly malicious almost through the end, although she proclaims otherwise. The title is stupid; the plot is absurd, but the filming is quite beautiful. 1994

Howl's Moving Castle**** is charming and enchanting, involving war and witches, good, evil, love and loss, spells and magic, with distinctive, often endearing characters (even the bad guys); and a huge, wildly imaginative castle moved by a wise-cracking, yet fearful fire demon. This is a long (2 hours) story with a complex plot twisting through joyous dream-like beauty and dreadful nightmare scenes of war. I've been catching up with Hayao Miyazaki's anime classics, and this (from 2004) is his most imaginative, detailed and contemporary story yet. (See also Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984), My Neighbor Totoro (1998), Porco Rosso (1992), Princess Monoke (1997), Spirited Away (2002) and others by master Hayao Miyazaki)

How to Draw A Bunny**** is the story of Ray Johnson, a strange art genius known for his simplistic cartoons, complex collages, drawings and, primarily for his extensive mail art. Anna and I have sat through too many movies about artists lately, so I did not have high expectations. But I was wrong. This sprightly documentary shows us who Ray really was — a difficult man, at best — in most of his glory and many of his foibles. It's put together strangely, to the beat, as it were, of a different drummer, and it's several different kinds of wonderful.

How to Make an American Quilt **** — Nice flick. Weepy but honorable. Mostly made by women. Excellent 1996

Hunter** must have been near the nadir of Steve McQueen's popularity. He was obviously coasting through this minor adventure. Bounty hunter on tepid tea, boring, insipid, episodic. The only thing it really had going for it was his inept car karma throught out the movie. In real life, he raced cars, here, he drove like a dud. That was almost funny.

I'd watched my non-widescreen, VHS version at least two dozen times since I've owned it — often discontinuously, so it was with a sense of joy and relief to see all of The Hunt for Red October**** once again. It's still one of my all-time favorite movies, and though I know it almost by heart, it was fine to watch again in its original widescreen aspect. Sean Connery is still fabulous; sonar-man Jonesy is still a credit to his service and country; Alec Baldwin is still a better CIA agent than Harrison Ford ever got to be; and the submarine action is still amazing.

The Hurricane***/ and Snow Falling on Cedars***/ are great stories. They're not spectacular movies, because they don't advance the craft or startle and amaze (like any of the four-asterisk movies listed here). But they are way more than competent, very well acted and photographed. 2000

Although I had a vague idea what Hustle & Flow**** was about, it threw me. For awhile near the beginning, I didn't know what to think, didn't think I needed to finish it, but I stayed on and was richly rewarded. Except for some heinous violence toward the end, it is about reality and following your dreams and the people who help make it happen. 2006
  

The Ice Storm****/ is slow, sad, surreally serene and superb. Carefully paced, vivid movie-making. Very human characters, great acting, spectacular tension. Fine cast. About family and love, sex, need — and fidelity. 1997

I Dreamed of Africa**/ pits a woman against her men and the beautiful continent in an almost good film that suffers from bad writing by a supposedly great writer and an episodic plot that goes from place to place, action to action, but never really leads anywhere. But beautiful. Makes me want to see Out of Africa again. 2000

Igby Goes Down*** is a quirky, dark, coming of age flick with flakey, nutso adults and less than praiseworthy kids. Few out-loud laughs, but this sucker is funny to the core, without ever engaging in irony. 2003

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead*** looks good enough but there's just nothing to it. Reminds me of a much longer and more involved movie by Kevin Costner called Revenge. That's it. It's just revenge. Stylish but tedious.

At last, a great little movie. Illuminata***/ is charming and complex in a smart, sexy, semi-surrealistic way. Phil called it "a poor man's Shakespeare In Love." I'd say "a smart person's." Dweebs who like the two flicks below probably wouldn't sit through this twisting, twirling tapestry of plot that winds in, around and through "real" life and the play within the play within the movie. An absolute delight, but you have to pay attention. 1999

Imagine Me & You***/ is an odd bit of Brit romantic comedy we assume is the usual hetero affair, then subtly slowly turns to lesbian romance, without, of course, ever quite getting graphic about it. Funny comedy in the human manner.

Imbedded/Live* was so lame and so politically polluted I couldn't finish the damned thing.

Turned out, I'd seen Impossible Spy**/ on late-night UHF TV. Seeing it again did not improve the reception.

I'd seen Immortal Beloved*** when it first came out, but I needed to see — and hear — it again. I usually get a little pissy about rewriting history, but this time I just went along with the flow. Impressive period piece, fabulous music. I'd forgot Gary Oldman was Beethoven.

Immortality**/ was an odd duck of a vampire movie. I'm still not convinced he was one. He craved the love in the blood he sucked, and he was dying. Too weird even for me. 2001

Imposter** was high action but basically bad Sci-Fi, with ubiquitous touches of mediocrity to constantly remind us just how bad the fi is. We assumed it was made for HBO or something. Like too many other flicks, the ending — and most of the middle — was a foregone conslusion. 2003

I've never awarded a movie less than one asterisk before, but I'm the One that I Want was so bad, so boring, so incredibly unfunny, that I fell asleep three times. I'd hoped for a few laughs. But I didn't even get one. Cho seemed to be enjoying herself, but I think she was in a different movie.

In & Out** is a stupid Hollywood take on becomming gay. Kevin Kline become gay without knowing it before from one kiss from Tom Sellik. Yeah, right. Mildly amusing. 1997

Independence Day **** — Yahoo! Star Warsian, big-scope flick gathering lotsa little stories. The genius figures it out and saves the world from alien disaster. Lotta action. Longish. Great fun. 1996

The Indian Runner*** is sibling rivalry carried to its inevitable (in the movies) conclusion. No surprises, except this movie is long.

In Dreams*** is gorgeous to see, smart (until the final goofy moments) and spooky. The cinematography amply reflects the dream-like, and the actors are excellent. There are a spare few plot inconsistencies — mostly in the Basically, It Stinks ending, but overall it's good. 1999

Inga** promised sensuality. Good thing it didn't promise intelligence, good acting, color, a plot or anything else we've come to expect in movies. It's not very sensual, either. Why bother

I saw In Good Company*** day before yesterday, and I'm having trouble remembering much about it, except it was funny. Deep down funny without busting much laugh. In a way, tender, how who's in charge keep twisting around, thick with irony and visual echoes of earlier scenes, although even the most important plot threads fray.. 

The Inheritors**, originally and better named, "One-Seventh Farmers," is a dark and mean-spirited film (disguised as art) that started out as one of those indomitable human spirit flicks, but ends in defeat, misery and gratuitous sex and violence. The good guys not only do not win, but they get raped and robbed all along the way. The bad guys are trite and mean, and they always win. This dreadful (acting is excellent; cinemtography dark, gloomy and gorgeous; many scenes of intelligence and grace) leaves me feeling used. The feel-bad movie of the year. F S+ V+ 1999

The Insider**** is Hollywood at its best. Smart, kinetic cinnematography, great acting and a gripping story that's bound to lose audience for CBS News' 60 minutes. 1999

After loving watching Insomnia***/ overnight into the brightening day, I listened to doctors in the Special Features tell me how bad it is to be sleep deprived. After that movie — Al Pacino and Robin Williams — woof! mine was barely sleeping a bad day. The movie, though, was clear, sharp, intelligent, with hairpin plot turns and fine characters. Aces. 2003

In the Company of Men was good, I think, I don't remember exactly, but akward and mean-spirited.

Instinct** had great promise. When it said it was based on the novel, Ishmael, I got excited. But that promise faded quickly, since the subject of that profound book only barely surfaced in this mediocre flick. Then it sank out of sight. Nice performance by Sir Anthony Hopkins, however. I especially liked the scenes with the gorillas.

Intacto*** has a fascinating concept that never quite manages to make literal American sense. The English dubbing is awful (badly translated and gruff instead of nuanced) and the innate, Spanish surreality is sensual, in several ways. The story that people can steal other people's luck is intriguing. But it's played out in such mean-spirited and often violent way, with so many evil and illogical tests along the way that the movie becomes unneccessarily dense.

In The Bedroom*** is this spookly litle interior movie that has not much to do with sex. The title is a lobster trapping metaphor. Solid acting, moody, dark, but nothing new story about parents not dealing with losing a kid. Stupid — not stupid like most movies, stupid like the stupid things humans go along with. Nobody calls the cops with a clearly violent potential. The kid's making it with a woman who's only separated from her violent, jealous, mean husband... There's a murder, people don't deal with it, then they do, but most inappropriately, then everybody lives happily ever after. A total dud on the moral scale. 2002

Intimacy*** is about a man and a woman who share sex one day a week, but never talk. Eventually needing more, he follows her home, stumbling into getting to know her husband and child, causing great difficulty and very nearly destroying what little he had, trying to get more intimacy.

The sex scenes, though gritty and graphic, are in not erotic, at least not gently so. There is male but no female frontal nudity and vivid oral sex. Much in the movie is incomprehensible for this English, but not Anglish speaking reviewer. I looked for English subtitles for this Brit flick, but there was no way to learn what all the hubub with his mates was all about, so I'll just call it texture.

The beginning was lustful but too real. The end was gentle, and we finally learn who these people are, but by then it is too late.
 

The Island**** really is two, clap, two movies in one. Deep, thought-worthy science fiction in the beginning, and a wild, wonderful car-crash heaven of chase scenes in the other. The science is deeply flawed, but both movies are visually and verbally smart and grand fun.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers***/ reminded me of the chills I got from this thriller when I first saw it in the 50s. ..

I Robot*** wasn't near as bad as I expected it to be, even if it started the same way his other big sci fi flick did. But it certainly was not great.

The Iron Giant*** was excellent, fulfilling everything good I'd heard about this movie. I'm more or less an adult, and I loved this quirky cartoon. 2001.

I Shot Andy Warhol ***/ is the gruesome tale of the woman (introducing Liv Taylor) who shot AW and why. Hurts to watch her spiraling downward — somewhere between Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer and Sid & Nancy. 1996

Isn't She Great*/ follows the rise of Jacqqueline Susann's (remember Valley of the Dolls?) rise to fame and stardom. Hokey acting, laughable (but not very funny) story, "based on an article." 2000

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The original Italian Job** was laughable. Stupid movie, not really even worth finishing. Way worthy of redoing. The new version is spectacular, especially by comparison. The first had Michael Caine, but a Michael Caine before he figured it out. Before he was an actor, let along an actor's actor. Here, he's just lost, befuddled, dazed. The plot, that proved brilliant in the latest version, plodded in gummy stupidity.

The Italian Job***/ is exciting, intricately contsructed, intelligent, fast paced, colorful, scenic, only slightly predictable, fun, adventurous and reminded me of Topkapi and oh, so many other great heist flicks of the past. It's much better than the original.

The acting in It's In The Water* was atrocious, the worst over-the-top histrionics parading as acting I've seen since high school. And the lighting is strangely dramatic. At one point two women are sitting talking, one is rendered sharp in focus and red in color. The woman sitting next to her is greenish and blurry. Still, for all its stupid plot, dim-witted dialog and absurd directing, I cared about the characters. It's a lame, anti- anti-gay movie that makes some sense and a lot of nonsense. NS 1998

It's My Party **** is the moving story of gay man with AIDS brain disease gathering all his friends for one final, pre-suicide bash. Beautifully acted, surprise cameos by many name actors, never over-the-top. Beautiful. Finally we see gay men kissing. 1996

I Went Down** is a minor hoot. A buddy flick about a petty gangster and a guy who doesn't really want to be a gangster but ends up being one, anyway. 1998

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