The Girl (PG-13) 7.5

The Girl (I) (2012): A young Texan mother who loses her child to foster care begins smuggling Mexicans across the border. 

Director: David Riker
Writer: David Riker
Stars: Abbie Cornish, Will Patton and Santiago Maritza
Languages: English and Spanish (w/ English subtitles)

The movie reminds us that the immigration "problem" (note the quotes) at the southern border of the US has consequences to real human lives. While the story centers around an American single mother, the plight of the immigrants is also viewed through a different (than the usual "illegal") angle. The conversation between the father and the daughter about "bringing in a couple of teenagers who want to work" could have been a bit stronger and longer to make a point for why the immigrants try to cross the border, sometimes risking their lives. Then again, this movie uses pictures rather than words to drive home that point. As an Australian, Abbie Cornish does a great job portraying a Texan who can also speak some Spanish. Good acting by Cornish and the rest of the cast. The authentic view of rural Mexico is refreshing. My Rating: 7.5

Perfect Sense (R) 7.5

Perfect Sense (2011): After sparks fly between a newly single epidemiologist and a charming chef, a puzzling patient -- a truck driver who's lost his ability to smell -- drastically alters the couple's budding relationship. (7.0)

Director: David Mackenzie
Writer: Kim Fupz Aakeson
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green and Lauren Tempany

Watch this movie without knowing anything about it. I thought it was a simple romance story and I found rest of the, um, "developments" quite intriguing.  (So, if you haven't seen it; and want to watch it; stop reading this review now.) While this movie is a sci-fi look at, sort of, post-apocalyptic world, it is also a reflection of today's society.  Think of things that happen, in the movie, to the world before the sensory perceptions deteriorate ... they are happening today, without our senses going out. More often than not, we in today's society experience extreme emotional states. This is a thinking-man's sci-fi thriller. My Rating: 7.5

Between Strangers (R) 3.5

Between Strangers (2002): Three women confront their pasts which changes their futures. (6.2)

Director: Edoardo Ponti
Writer: Edoardo Ponti
Stars: Sophia Loren, Mira Sorvino and Deborah Kara Unger

Gosh, between bad acting, worse script, lousy dialog, weak story, ... hmm ... let me see; I don't think this is a good movie. Loren, Sorvino ... these people can act, so it must be the director and the writers ... oh wait, it's the same guy. Wasted so much of my time watching it, I'm not wasting any more of it writing more about it. My Rating: 3.5

Neverwas (PG-13) 7.0

Neverwas (2005): A well-educated psychiatrist leaves an academic career to work at an institution where his father, a novelist, lived before writing a renowned children's book. (6.6)

Director: Joshua Michael Stern
Writer: Joshua Michael Stern
Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Ian McKellen and Brittany Murphy

This is a story in which you are never quite sure where the real life ends and the fantasy begins; or if the fantasy begins at all. A nice twisty tale and a picturesque little town they've selected to film it in. Brittany Murphy gives the spunk it needs. At the same time, it also looks at the darker sides of sometimes difficult lives. Best not to know too much about the story before seeing it. My Rating: 7.0

The Sunset Limited (R) 6.5

The Sunset Limited (2011): Two men in an apartment with their opposing beliefs. (7.3)

Director: Tommy Lee Jones
Writers: Cormac McCarthy, Cormac McCarthy (play)
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones

This movie gets an A for good intentions, but misses the whole point of why someone wants to commit suicide. The opposite of taking your own life is not "finding god." The opposite of wanting to kill yourself is wanting to live; loving life; enjoying the every day; etc. etc. etc. It has nothing what-so-ever to do with a belief or non-belief of a fantasy god. The constant bible-thumping god-references at the beginning were so off-putting, I almost stopped watching it. The end of the movie was quite good in that the Jones' character explains what it is that he is so sick of about the life, the living and the society and I can certainly relate/empathize. Given that (IMHO) flawed script, the acting was superb. The conversation, the dialog, the mannerisms, everything was right on the money. (Mind you, the whole movie is just the two characters sitting, mostly, in a room and talking, so I have to rate the movie on the substance of that conversation, mostly.) My Rating: 6.5

District 9 (R) 8.0

District 9 (2009): An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology. (8.1)

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writers: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
Stars: Sharlto Copley, David James and Jason Cope

Yes, this is an aliens vs. humans movie, but the plot/story has a lot more than that. When they adopted the original short film to be a feature-length movie produced by Peter Jackson, they decided to stick with South Africa and the sub-themes in the plot. The use of the word "prawn," slum conditions, the Nigerian gangs, the "no aliens" signs, etc ... they all play major roles in the subtext. The mocumentary style works well for the movie. Yeah, the hero vs. villain fight scenes at the end are all too familiar Hollywood-type, but the rest of the movie, the story, the concept are so good, I'll endure the dragged out action scenes. This is a thinking-man's action sci-fi. I highly recommend this movie. My Rating: 8.0

The Lawnmower Man (R) 6.5

The Lawnmower Man (1992): A simple man is turned into a genius through the application of computer science. (5.2)

Director: Brett Leonard
Writers: Brett Leonard / Gimel Everett (screenplay)
Stars: Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan and Jenny Wright

Other than the title and perhaps a name or two, the screenplay has no relation to Stephen King's short story. Having read the Flowers for Algernon recently, I think, this movie borrows a lot from that story. Some have mentioned that the director's cut had a lot more character development. The people from the military/shop/funding agencies seem a bit too monolithic. Yeah, 20 years later, the computer graphics look primitive, but aside from that, the movie is quite good. The acting by the supporting cast could have been a bit better. My Rating: 6.5

The Departed (R) 7.5

The Departed (2006): Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities. (8.5)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: William Monahan, Alan Mak / Felix Chong (2002 Mou gaan dou)
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson

In this remake of the critically acclaimed Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs, the storyline holds close to the original. Each character's internal conflicts and divided loyalties are less emphasized in this move than in Infernal Affairs. I don't know if the heavy use of profanities add much to make it look real, but it gets old pretty quick. Having seen the original, I knew the direction of the story; but that didn't diminish the suspense or my enjoyment of it. Sure, it is a great movie; but still, it is a re-make. Go watch the original. My Rating: 7.5

A Moment to Remember (PG) 8.0

A Moment to Remember (2004) 내 머리 속의 지우개: A romance blossoms between a clothing designer and a cautious young man, but because the two have both been hurt in the past, it develops slowly. One is recovering from an affair with a married man. The other has lived his life alienated and alone. (8.2)

Director: John H. Lee
Writers: John H. Lee, Yeong-ha Kim
Stars: Woo-sung Jung, Ye-jin Son and Jong-hak Baek
Language: Korean (w/ English subtitles)

A beautiful romance developing from a chance encounter and coming out of life's realities. The story is heartbreaking, although a wonderful movie. It is better to watch this movie without knowing much about it. The IMDB snippet (which I didn't use for this post) gives away too much of the storyline. The movie also gives you a glimpse of the contemporary Korean city-life, which is an added bonus. The cinematography, which is easy to miss in such an absorbing story, is superb with the nice use of lighting, camera angles and color contrasts. From the Netflix image, I didn't think the main characters were eye-candy, but they were, and specially Ye-jin Son is stunning in her simplicity. The use of some Spanish music added another dimension. Another great movie from the director of Sayonara Itsuka. I highly recommend this movie. My Rating: 8.0

Smoke Signals (PG-13) 6.5

Smoke Signals (1998): Young Indian man Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories no-one wants to hear. His parents died in a fire in 1976, and Thomas was saved by Arnold. (7.0)

Director: Chris Eyre
Writers: Sherman Alexie (book/screenplay)
Stars: Adam Beach, Evan Adams and Irene Bedard

Notables about this movie include that this is the first major picture to be written, directed and produced by Native Americans; and, Irene Bedard was the physical model for Pocahontas in the Disney movie. The story shows a little bit about the poverty and desperation in Indian reservations, but the story itself is about human characters in the larger society. I think, too much nerdy-ness in Thomas' character took away an opportunity to build a better friendship between the two leading characters. The journey is the story here but it is lacking just a tad. My Rating: 6.5

Beginners (R) 8.0

Beginners (2010): A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover. (7.2)

Director: Mike Mills
Writer: Mike Mills
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Mélanie Laurent

The elderly father coming out in his 70s is the headline-grabber in here; but the story is actually the young man's attempts at maintaining relationships--all kinds, being friends, girlfriends, father-son, and so-on. The movie uses the flashbacks and the dog-who first belonged to the father-quite effectively. The dialog is quite funny at times and very poignant at other times. I can relate very well to his tendency for pushing away all the people around him. The story has quite a lot of relationship points, some just in passing but they all matter; a whole lot. The casting is perfect. The acting--that of three main characters--is to the point without being overly emotional. I didn't expect this movie to matter all that much in the thinking department but it turned out to be a wonderful surprise. My Rating: 8.0

MST3K: The Movie (PG-13) 7.0

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996): Mike Nelson and his robot companions watch and give their comments about "This Island Earth". (7.3)

Director: Jim Mallon
Writers: Joel Hodgson, Michael J. Nelson
Stars: Trace Beaulieu, Michael J. Nelson and Jim Mallon

Ha, they picked a good movie in "This Island Earth" for their quirky MST3K-style comments. The timing of the comments was excellent. I could have done without the crazy evil scientist segment, but hey, this is the movie version. I must say that I hate it when people make even small noises in theaters, but knowing that I am watching something explicitly for the smart-alec comments, I enjoy the MST3K style; mostly because the comments are witty, short and to the point. My Rating: 7.0

Changeling (R) 7.5

Changeling (2008): A grief-stricken mother takes on the LAPD to her own detriment when it stubbornly tries to pass off an obvious impostor as her missing child, while also refusing to give up hope that she will find him one day. (7.8)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore and Amy Ryan

I watched this without knowing the back-story behind the initial spat between the mother and the LAPD, so finding the depth of the larger story gives you that sense of enormity. The acting by the stubborn and authoritative males is so convincing that you just want to reach out and slap them. The period depiction with not just the clothing but also the street scenes is superb. The movie is a bit long; they could have gotten to the larger story a lot quicker; some can question the need for certain sequences. Original music by Eastwood?  Who knew! My Rating: 7.5

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along (NR) 7.5

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008): An aspiring supervillain must balance his career and his pursuit of a beautiful do-gooder. (8.8)

Director: Joss Whedon
Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day

The ultimate in silliness and the fusion of musicals with bad super-villain characters. Good for a nice laugh, but 8.8 on IMDB, really? It is good, but ... anyway, short (40mins) and sweet and silly. My Rating: 7.5

Book and the Rose (PG) 6.0

The Book and the Rose (2001): A hunky young math teacher comes across a first edition of Anna Karenina and falls in love with the previous owner based on her extensive scribblings in the margin. (7.2)

Director: Jeff Bemiss
Writers: Jeff Bemiss, Max Lucado (short story)
Stars: Chris Kennedy, Patrick Tuttle and Carey Lessard

A very short (28 mins) movie; so there really isn't a whole lot of time to develop characters or anything, but to present the story.  Yet, the problem I have with it is the story itself. If I say anything at all about the story, it will be a spoiler (28 mins, remember?).  The story isn't altogether symmetrical as it may originally appear. Yes, the period costumes and trains and things are ok, but the acting isn't all that grand to write home about. I've seen/read (short) stories like this and they are always a "test" for for the main character; and, people seem to accept passing that test as a noble deed. The test is only for one party and I don't think it is fair. My beef is with the other person giving the test. If you pass the (unfair) test, you end up with the, uh, "loot," but if you fail you are the villain. Where is the test for the other party? Yes, since the story is so short, I'm laying the fault of the story on the presentation of the movie itself. My Rating: 6.0

Smoke (R) 6.0

Smoke (1995): A Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers. (7.4)

Director: Wayne Wang and Paul Auster
Writer: Paul Auster
Stars: Harvey Keitel, William Hurt and Giancarlo Esposito

Uh, if this was supposed to be funny, it wasn't even all that humorous. If it is supposed to depict the inner good of people ... this is just politically correctness gone too far and trying to show everything is honky dory and everybody is just getting along. Really? In Brooklyn, NY? Yeah, right. Tell me another one. I've been in various places in NYC enough times to know that people are not at all like that and this movie is just wishful thinking high on a shot of stupid. Even the actors are sometimes smirking at the absurdity of the dialog. I guess, most people see this as a new kind of a Christmas tale or something, but for me it is just lousy storytelling. My Rating: 6.0

Chunhyang (R) 7.0

Chunhyang (2000) 춘향뎐: Mongryong marries the beautiful Chunhyang without telling his father, the Governor of Namwon. When his father is transferred to Seoul, Mongryong has to leave Chunhyang and finish his exams. (7.1) 

Director: Kwon-taek Im
Stars: Hyo-jeong Lee, Seung-woo Cho and Sung-nyu Kim
Language: Korean (w/ English subtitles)

The movie is presented as an 18th century period story plus the narration given by a modern-day stage actor/storyteller. The 18th century tale, seen through today's eyes, examines the disparity between those who are born into the power and wealth and the peasant-folks. The abuse of power and the traditional hierarchical value systems are examined along with the powerful love story. The period costumes, sets, locations and the cinematography are quite stunning. The parallel, documentary-style, story is the depiction of one man on a stage with a lone drummer bringing the old legend to life in front of an audience. (I think, a lot of eastern cultures have that tradition.) My Rating: 7.0

Adjustment Bureau (PG-13) 7.5

The Adjustment Bureau (2011): The love-affair between a politician and a ballerina is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart. (7.1)

Director: George Nolfi
Writers: George Nolfi (screenplay), Philip K. Dick (short story "Adjustment Team")
Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Michael Kelly

Do you believe in fate, that your path in life is set no matter what you do? In particle-physics-sense I do believe that the "free will" is over-rated. [Aside: We are--and everything else is--made of blobs of matter that's made of simple particles. There are rules for interactions between any two particles and therefore between any two or more blobs. So, in a larger sense, given a set of particles and a set of initial conditions, what happens next is ... given!] But the atheist in me says that there is no "controlling legal authority" (or a controlling super-being) that's winding the clockwork for the universe. So either way, the premise of this story is very intriguing to me. The movie is a sci-fi without all that movie special effects getting in the way of a good storytelling. I loved it. And, in today's political climate, that opening sequence is brilliant. The casting is super. My Rating: 7.5

The Butterfly (PG) 7.0

The Butterfly (2002) Le papillon (original title): All Julien (Michel Serrault) wants to do in his old age is collect and preserve butterflies. But when a woman (Nade Dieu) and her 8-year-old daughter Elsa (Claire Bouanich) take residence in his building, his world opens up for good. (7.1)

Director: Philippe Muyl
Writer: Philippe Muyl
Stars: Michel Serrault, Claire Bouanich and Nade Dieu
Language: French (w/ English subtitles)

A feel-good movie about an inter-generational connection between an old man a young child. The story is quite simple, but the way it is presented holds the drama. There is a hint of a back-story to the characters, but not much is explained. The cinematography and the selection of locations is quite nice. As the young child Bouanich gives a very good performance without being overly sweet. My Rating: 7.0