La Femme Nikita (R) 6.5

La Femme Nikita (1990) Nikita (original title): Convicted felon Nikita, instead of going to jail, is given a new identity and trained, stylishly, as a top secret spy/assassin. (7.5)

Director: Luc Besson
Writer: Luc Besson
Stars: Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret and Patrick Fontana
Language: French|Italian (w/ English subtitles)

When this movie came out, I remember hearing about it and people saying that it was a trend-setting one. I suppose it is. But, for hype, I expected a bit more from the script. Yes, the character development, the acting, etc were good but the story needed a touch more, IMHO. At the end, I had that empty feeling of "that's it?" and that means, a major emotional line was missing. Sorry, if you are a big fan of this movie (later remakes and TV series and all that), but for me, while I enjoyed it, it could have been better. My Rating: 6.5

The Forgotten (PG-13) 6.5

The Forgotten (2004): Told that their children never existed, a man and woman soon discover that there's a much bigger enemy at work. (5.7)

Director: Joseph Ruben
Writer: Gerald Di Pego
Stars: Julianne Moore, Dominic West and Christopher Kovaleski

Yes, it is a story of a grieving mother with a lost kid; and a story of "my mind is going" kind. But then it has a twist of what's behind all of that. I don't think I will say it here and spoil the plot for someone else, but I am of two minds. Maybe the writer should have introduced it a bit earlier in a much more forceful and in in-your-face fashion. Or, it should have been kept right to the end; bam; give it up as the surprise off the left field kind of ending. And, what's with all that running? Juliaane Moore must have lost a few pounds making this movie. I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller, but it is a notch below my "I'd recommend it" category. My Rating: 6.5

Donnie Darko (R) 7.5

Donnie Darko (2001): A troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, after narrowly escaping a bizarre accident. (8.2)

Director: Richard Kelly
Writer: Richard Kelly
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone and Mary McDonnell

This is one of those cult movies. To understand it properly, apparently, we are supposed to listen to the director's commentary on the DVD and read the fictitious book "The Philosophy of Time Travel" available at the movie's web site. (This info is from a Salon.com article) A major plot-lines aren't mentioned in the movie, leaving you to guess at what the hell happened at the end. Overall, the movie is fine by itself; supposedly better with additional details. It reminded me of the "Butterfly Effect" a little bit, but this movie came first. The movie doesn't explain this, but according to the additional info, Donnie can't go back to just any time ... it must be to a specific time and place. The story is unique. Maybe I'll find some time to listen to the commentary ... My Rating: 7.5

Ben X (R) 7.5

Ben X (2007): As an alternative to getting bullied at school, an autistic teenager retreats into the world of online role-playing games. (7.5)

Director: Nic Balthazar
Writer: Nic Balthazar (novel)
Stars: Marijke Pinoy, Greg Timmermans and Cesar De Sutter
Language: Flemish aka Belgian Dutch (w/ English subtitles)

The story is about someone who is a bit different, who doesn't fit in at school trying to deal with the reality of the condition. Very interesting use of the computer game images along with the live action. The story, unlike the hyped up Hollywood screenplays, does not make a hero out of the victim but portrays a realistic tale. It also touches on the teen suicide issue and presents it remarkably well. The way how it fits into the story and how the characters (ultimately the writer) use that fact is great; it keeps you guessing at all times. (If I say more, I'll spoil it for someone else.) The story, the acting, the presentation, graphics, etc have been done quite nicely. I highly recommend this one. My Rating: 7.5

Delicatessen (R) 7.5

Delicatessen (1991): Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasional prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants. (7.8)

Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Writers: Jean-Pierre Jeunet (screenplay), Marc Caro (screenplay)
Stars: Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominique Pinon and Pascal Benezech
Language: French (w/ English subtitles)

The odd situation brings out the silliness and the weirdness of the whole thing. You must see it to understand (and "understand" is a relative term here). It is so surreal, sometimes you think this is supposed to be a cartoon. Yeah, I got the feeling that I've missed some wit because of the translation. My Rating: 7.5

Steel City (R) 7.0

Steel City (2006): During a Midwestern winter, two working-class brothers must cope with their recently incarcerated father. (6.2)

Director: Brian Jun
Writer: Brian Jun
Stars: Tom Guiry, John Heard, Raymond J. Barry, America Ferrera

This movie has a very interesting story with all the major characters fighting various flaws and problems. It isn't like watching a train wreck nor is it all inspirational with the guy at the bottom of the barrel making it big at the end. It is somewhere in the middle with quite realistic scenarios of people coping with the difficult situations they've been put in. I dunno, I think, I've learned a thing or two from pretty much all of the characters. While watching it, I didn't think about the acting one bit; so that means all of them were that good. My Rating: 7.0

Midnight in Paris (PG-13) 7.0

Midnight in Paris (2011): A family travel to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple who are forced to confront their differing views of a perfect life. (7.8)

Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates

Really good use of historical contexts to create funny and humorous situations. As we know, Woody Allen has the knack for writing great dialog and this movie doesn't disappoint in that department. But, at the end of the day, I feel like there's no there there. Allen is using the historical figures to mechanically generate a script with no real story with meat on the bones. It is entertaining while watching, but there's nothing, at least for me, to write home about. Then again, that's what his movies are all about, I guess. My Rating: 7.0

Natural City (R) 7.5

Natural City (2003)(내츄럴 시티): In the year 2080, the world is connected by a massive computer network. Combiners have developed a process that allows them to merge the souls of human and machine/cyborg, wreaking havoc in a deeply divided society. (5.8)

Director: Byung-chun Min
Writer: Byung-chun Min
Stars: Ji-tae Yu, Jae-un Lee and Rin Seo
Language: Korean (w/ English subtitles)

Heh, lots of stuff borrowed from Blade Runner. Even some of the scenes and visuals are directly from that classic movie. But, this move does hold on its own. It has an interesting story, has a visually appealing {ahem} cast and the futuristic dystopian scenes are done nicely. I kept repeating the "do androids dream of electric sheep" title to myself quite a lot while watching. :-) The martial arts sequences are a bit too much for my liking, but this is a Korean movie designed for a specific demographic, I guess. As a non-Hollywood sci-fi, I'm quite impressed. My Rating: 7.5

Anthony Zimmer (R) 7.0

Anthony Zimmer (2005): In Nice, the international police force and the Russian mafia are chasing Anthony Zimmer, an intelligent man responsible for laundry of dirty money in France. (6.4)

Director: Jérôme Salle
Writer: Jérôme Salle
Stars: Sophie Marceau, Yvan Attal and Sami Frey
Language: French

A detective story sort of like a spy thriller. Nice location (get it? ha ha ha), sexy femme fatale a half-way decent story; that's enough for a good movie. Lots of entertainment value but not much to talk about afterwards. As a bonus, I got to see the super luxury places I'll never be able to be at. My Rating: 7.0

Zodiac (R) 7.5

Zodiac (I) (2007): A San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer. (7.8)

Director: David Fincher
Writers: James Vanderbilt (screenplay), Robert Graysmith (book)
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo

We (okay, most people who see this movie) know that the ending is inconclusive. Yet, the movie is a roller-coaster of a journey that is nice to see. It makes you understand the 60s/70s detective work and also gives you a peek at the newspaper business. The acting, the camera work, etc are wonderful. I was in Los Angeles when Richard Ramirez was running amok and then again in Washington DC when the sniper was picking people off at random, so I have an idea of how quickly a serial killer can paralyze an entire community. It is a testament to the power of the story-telling that without much to go on in the Zodiac case, this movie is still captivating. Nicely done. My Rating: 7.5