In the Bedroom

Grade: B+

The first three-quarters of this movie is a truly exquisite snapshot of grief – slow, deliberate, genuine, and quietly gut wrenching. Tom Wilkinson is wonderful as a compassionate, emotionally loving but quietly-dignified father, and Sissy Spacek remarkably daring as the far less likable and emotionally rigid mother – it is astonishing that she manages to be equally as sympathetic here. While watching their different reactions and coping mechanisms in the midst of such overwhelming grief, we also feel the undercurrents in their marriage, and the film does a stunning job of finding the emotional center of both their anguish and their relationship. Unfortunately, the film takes an odd and misguided turn in the final reel, which feels both unbelievable and severely out-of-step with the rest of the movie. While we are given a surprising knock-out moment in the final few minutes, it is not quite enough to help us recover from the letdown. What a flawless movie this one should have been.

First three-quarters: A
Last quarter: C
Final grade: a somewhat disappointed B+.

More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0247425/

Spy Game

Grade: C+

Damn that Brad Pitt is a hottie. And damn that Robert Redford has gotten craggly. This is one well-produced spy thriller – fast paced, beautifully shot, major star power – all that’s missing is a screenplay that works. The movie has a confusing, convoluted, overly complex and long-winded plot (several of them, in fact), and is full of sepia toned flashbacks (always a bad sign) that never satisfactorily establish any of the key relationships. Redford can still work his charm like nobody’s business, Pitt is as sexually charged as they come, and both are jam packed with charisma. Unfortunately, they share little screen time together (and what they do share is all in the flashback sequences), and it’s virtually impossible to make a buddy picture that works when the buddies are separated throughout most of the movie. It’s all paint-by-numbers stuff to begin with, but it still could have been a fun ride if it made some sense. This one really doesn’t.

More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0266987/

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Grade: B

Let’s get one thing straight – I LOVE Harry Potter. I LOVED HARRY Potter long before family, friends and colleagues joined the Potter bandwagon, and I oh so wanted to LOVE this movie. Alas, Harry Potter the film is often great fun, often charming and with a near-perfect cast, yet that indefinable spark of magic simply isn’t there. The movie is like watching a wonderful book on tape, but it is so reverentially faithful to the book that it never really takes a creative leap into a different medium. The film attempts to recreate each and every scene with such painstaking accuracy that the filmmakers resort to computer-generated special effects, which run rampant throughout. When used subtly, many of them work nicely, but much more often they are distracting at best and just plain dreadful at worst (the Quidditch match is downright embarrassing). I for one have grown to despise this new breed of special effects, for they are never quite believable and always leave one with the feeling that the filmmakers have taken a computer-shortcut -- in this case, the film suffers greatly for it. Someone should also just plain shoot the composer, for the music is a downright abomination -- bad “Jurassic Park” meets bad “Empire Strikes Back.” If ever a film screamed out for a magical score filled with whimsical flourishes – this is it. Instead, the music is heavy-handed and thumping, and I’m amazed it was allowed to remain. All of this said, the film still has it’s share of moments, and finds a weird sort of mix between something out of Charles Dickens and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Alas, with a better, more imaginative Director this could have been an “ET” for a new generation, instead of the entertaining near miss that it is. And still, I simply can’t wait for “Harry Potter” book five.

More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0241527/

The Fluffer

Grade: D+

Every once in a while a movie is so bloody dreadful all you can do is drop your jaw and say “Oh My God.” This one does manage to be occasionally humorous when acting as an expose on the gay porn industry – the amazingly bad acting, funnily terrible production values, and camera shots based on how far the performer shoots when he ejaculates. But the main story – a sexually confused young man who falls head over heels for a straight gay porno star -- its just too badly written for words. When the two of them actually take a trip to Mexico together to escape a murder investigation – well -- you get the picture. Oh My God.

More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0245115/

Monsters, Inc.

Grade: A-

Okay, I admit it – I watched “Toy Story,” “Toy Story Two,” and “Shrek” at home on video, so I don’t have any recent movie-going experiences to compare this one to – but I loved this sweet little gem of a movie. Funny, touching and thoroughly charming, I giggled out loud a lot. An incredibly creative and imaginative story, beautiful animation, and some top-rate voices by the likes of John Goodman and Billy Crystal. A breezy and delightful 90 minutes.

More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0198781/

Amelie (Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le )

Grade: A

Equal parts charming, moving, and funny, no Ten Best list would be complete without this magical and special movie. The theme may be painful, heavy and dramatic -- the adult ramifications of an isolated and loveless childhood, one dependent on imagination rather than the physical caress of a parent – but rather than being heavy-handed, intense or mournful this tale is so delightful and filled with joy one leaves the theater walking on air. The filmmakers have all found a stunning balance here – the characters feel so real, the storylines so believable, the emotion so rich and gripping, and yet the experience itself is nothing less than a frothy flight of fancy. It is a world I have never seen before, and it is a deeply heartfelt, whimsical world indeed. I adored this movie.

More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0211915/