Stage Beauty

Good movie, well acted. Billy Crudup especially.

SIN CITY - Kevin

These are comments from my friend Kevin: I watched "SIN CITY". Great combination of comic book style violence, lots of visual stuff especially the use of black & white with a touch of colour (eg opening scene in b&w except her lips). And particularly the dialogue which was exceptional and Very Funny even though the film is quite violent. Very, very droll.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Boys own fun. Amazingly realised '40s retro sci fi action.
Gwyneth P is easy on the eye as ever.

The Emperor's Wife

Intriguing poignant theatrical. A pa who walks a very delicate line. +++

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

"I think this movie will be the bridge that brings the old star wars sheep back into the fold." says one reviewer. I agree.
I enjoyed it a lot. Like Lord of the Rings it was aimed at an audience reputed to process visual images at a rate 20 times faster than what my generation can, so overwhelmingly loud and busy. However - lie back and enjoy... Not much dramatic tension once you get the characters sorted out, the inevitability has its own drama. satisfying.

Sideways (2004)

"Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment, embark on a week long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle"
-That just about sums it up. However, it is worth a watch even if only for the rhapsodic passages about pinot noir, which apparently, according to a now disappeared blog, changed the drinking habits of American middle aged men. The relationships are good too - between all men and women involved and the two most central women are nicely played character studies.

Wickerpark

Dont believe everything you read on the cover. A good high quality soapie love story. Probably all neurotic. Might squeak in as a psychological suspense movie. Does the good girl get the guy? Recommend it.

national treasure

don't see "national treasure" even though it's got nick cage.
the original of the u.s. declaration of independence turns out to be a treasure map in this heart-stirringly patriotic mix of raiders of the lost ark 2, swiss family robinson, casino royale, da vinci code and x-files.
VERY disney !!!!!

Hero

Well Max told me I'd like it and I did. Subtler and more intriguing than its shorts. Twisty plot and very beautiful.
The draperies in the wind are extraordinary.

Paparazzi

Well put together vigilante style revenge. I didn't sleep at all during it. Did Mel Gibson finance it? Maybe a good stimulus for basic ethics discussion. Not so good as an unquestioned model of anger management.
Paparazzi Movie Review - Cole Hauser Takes Out the Trash: "We�ve got rising star Cole Hauser playing a rising star whose life suddenly becomes interrupted by fame."

Cellular

Good Diversion. Kim Bassinger is the best. Bit hackneyed in most aspects but well done. Larry Cohen wrote the story. Don't watch the spoiler... oops trailer, if you want full value from the efforts of the makers.
Official Cellular Movie Site: New Movie Trailer Downloads, Kim Basinger Jessica Biel Pics, Photos, Pictures, Clips

Intimate Strangers

Dont read the dvd cover, it's a spoiler.
Intriuging, slight movie, holds your attention though, especially psychotherapy junkies and people people.
Slow, French with subtitles. Like the nyt says "a sophisticated fairytale"
Worth a watch.

Somersault

A haunting big hearted movie. Abbie Cornish is the focus in a visually stunning portrayal of the efforts of a young woman to navigate through sex and relationships. American Beauty from the other end.

Well deserved the pile of Australian Film Institute awards (AFI) 2004: Won: Best film, Best actor in a leading role (Sam Worthington), Best actress in a leading role (Abbie Cornish), Best direction (Cate Shortland), Best actor in a supporting role (Nathaniel Dean, Erik Thomson), Best actress in a supporting role (Hollie Andrew, Lynette Curran), Best original screenplay (Cate Shortland), Best cinematography (Robert Humphreys ACS), Best editing (Scott Gray), Best original music score (Decoder Ring), Best sound (Mark Blackwell, Peter Smith, Sam Petty), Best production design (Melinda Doring), Best costume design (Emily Seresin)

Cate Shortland ... Screenwriter, Director, earned her stripes on the acclaimed TV drama The Secret Life of Us

Full on review Cinematic Intelligence Agency

The Final Cut

Robin Williams acting a not fun part. His blankness reminiscent of Sellers.
Good story line -quite complex with surprising twists- so don't start with too much red. Low key thriller with psychodrama-like insights into memories and their nature.

Troy

yeah great once you get over Brad's anachronistic beauty.
Surprisingly personal. satisfying vengeance

momentum

This movie is a way of filling in time. Its premise is that some can be trained to move things without touching them. Plenty of bent forks and so on. Discrimination against a minority and an inconclusive ending leaving open the possibility of a sequel. Teri Hatcher (Lois Lane) is the pick of the bunch. I didn't turn the dvd off.

A Foreign Affair

Sensitive treatment of US farmers going on a wife buying tour to Russia.

Beautiful People

I liked this one. Close your eyes if you don't like the odd splash of violence early on.
It's a fable for our day featuring more or less legal, more or less established immigrants in modern urban britain.
Very human apart from it's happy ending.