cap.sule: 'kap-s&l, 5: an extremely brief condensation: OUTLINE, SURVEY.
movies for which for one reason or another i cannot provide full-length reviews.
# | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h
i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r
s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z
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An oddly endearing romantic-comedy/ensemble drama/fable about one 80's new year's eve. Not much redeeming value, but features an excellent, versatile cast (standouts are Courtney Love and Paul Rudd) and intriguing characters. Keeps you watching and offers a feel-good but not-too-sappy ending.
Grade: B |
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I am partial about this film, too, because it was one of the first few movies I got to see in the theater growing up. Tom Hanks is at his comedic best, and I love how he looked so fresh-faced and earnest. What I found most attractive about the film, however, was its bittersweet nostalgia and its utterly fantastic premise. Brings out the kid in you.
Grade: A |
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Full of typical Adam Sandler monstrosities. That annoying little kid and the even more annoying Kristy Swanson don't make this film any better. It has its moments, but its jokes never are hilarious and it doesn't quite have the dumb charm of "The Wedding Singer."
Grade: D+ |
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A curious mix of mediocrity and excellence from Coppola. There is much melodrama and much novel-butchering, and what the hell were they thinking casting Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker? However Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder were enchanting, and the combination of an excellent score and outstanding art direction provided the film enough atmosphere to lure us into the melodrama-drenched world of Dracula.
Grade: B |
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There's a reason this film is a must-have for teenage girl sleepovers. The characters sound like 80's versions of the "Dawson's Creek" kids. Nevertheless, we got a coming-of-age film full of humor, good old fashioned rebellion, and decent drama that was--gasp!--dialogue-based. Ally Sheedy and Molly Ringwald deserve points for defining the word "ingenue."
Grade: B |
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Finally, a film that lives up to its name ... as most overrated film of the year. "Chocolat" was charming, fanciful, reasonably suspenseful and well-acted, but it wasn't close to being masterful. The film dragged on for much too long and it spent too much time hitting us over the heads with the obvious and the trite. The characters were, disappointingly, one-dimensional.
Grade: B |
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The most disastrous thing about "Con Air," next to Nicholas Cage's accent and haircut, was its audacious lack of any semblance of plot. And the writers weren't even trying to come up with good dialogue. The action sequences are boring, the characters were idiosyncratic without being interesting, and that whole bunny thing just made me wanna puke. The only good things? Steve Buscemi and John Cusack.
Grade: C |
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Your typical popcorn movie with a nice buildup but a huge letdown. Strong performances from Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and the volcano. Beware of cliched dialogue, all-too-convenient plot holes, and impossible feats. But you expected those didn't you?
Grade: B- |
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An excellent adaptation of the wonderfully sweet and satiric Jane Austen novel. Gwyneth Paltrow shines as the spoiled brat Emma Woodhouse who nevertheless earns the love and respect of Mr. Knightly (a very dashing Jeremy Northam). The film was successful in capturing the very elegant essence of Austen's world, in only two hours no less.
Grade: A |
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Another vehicle for Kevin Costner's ego. Costner and the bland Kelly Preston (who was so much cooler as that bitch Avery in "Jerry Maguire") have no chemistry whatsoever, which makes the romantic scenes all the more unbearable. You get the feeling Costner is trying to recreate "Field of Dreams" or "Bull Durham" with the drawn-out, "magic in the air" baseball scenes, but they just go on way too long. All in all a very boring story.
Grade: C |
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Probably an instant classic because it's the first mainstream movie about Groundhog Day and because it introduced the idea of the repeating day to the modern movie-goer. What makes it an endearing classic? Bill Murray's comedic talent and its ability to make us laugh while we cry.
Grade: B+ |
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It's understandable why this film is a classic, and deservedly so. There aren't any hi-tech special effects or excessive gore that are so prevalent in modern day horror movies: just a whole lot of suspense and moodiness that makes your spine tingle. Excellent atmosphere and direction by John Carpenter, and of course a star-making performance by Michael Myers. ;)
Grade: A- |
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The mother of all late 90's popcorn movies, "Independence Day" is a guilty pleasure to watch. Probably everyone will agree that this isn't high entertainment or art, and it was sure as heck predictable, but I love watching Will Smith kick alien ass. You'll get pass the plot holes and the corniness if you bring enough popcorn with you.
Grade: B+ |
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One of my favorite movies, "Jerry Maguire" is a perfect blend of romance, drama, satire, and excitement. A heartwarming tale of one man's self-discovery, a cinderella finding her prince charming, a biting commentary on modern existence, and so much more. Tom Cruise, Renee Zellwegger, and Cuba Gooding Jr. strike cords with their loveable characters, and Jonathan Lipnicki is simply adorable. After "Jerry Maguire," one can't possibly remain unaffected.
Grade: A |
>> The Last Time I Committed Suicide
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A quiet little independent film that features great performances (including one from Keanu Reeves) and a tale of irony and sadness. Just a tad bit self-conscious and strives too hard to be "artsy."
Grade: B- |
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Luc Besson's explosive and underrated film about a young girl (Natalie Portman) forced to deal with her family's gruesome murder by becoming the apprentice of a professional killer (Jean Reno). Portman makes a stunning debut (her character unabashedly declares she is falling in love with Leon the killer), and the film is two hours full of beautiful tragedy and poetic violence.
Grade: A- |
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I don't recall whether I've seen the previous three installations of this series, but this film has the feel of a sequel that's running out of steam. Glover, Gibson and Russo obviously make a great team, but the film tries too hard to be funny and exciting and only succeeds in becoming pompous and self-indulgent. The storyline stretches too thin, and Jet Li's charisma and talent are wasted in his character, a stereotypical evil Chinese martial arts master.
Grade: C |
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Good job to the special effects team. Good job to Jeff Goldblum. He got the best lines in this movie. Sorry you got caught in this mess, Julianne Moore. The best sequence: the trailer hanging off the cliff. What ruined the movie? T-Rex's romp through San Diego. Riiiiight.
Grade: C+ |
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The only reason I'm capsule-reviewing this movie is because I just wrote a 10 page paper on it and I'm sick of writing about it. Mann's artistic vision brings important motifs from the novel to life, but I didn't like the melodramatic acting and music. The book is way better.
Grade: B- |
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It's what it looks like: mindless fluff. Too light for my tastes; the plot was predictable and the characters unengaging save for Miss Rhode Island, Michael Caine's Vic and Gracie (the always likeable Sandra Bullock). Benjamin Bratt's character was handsome, yes, but incredibly annoying. Funny in a harmless, unsatisfying sort of way.
Grade: C |
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An Indiana Jones style action-adventure that could have used more charismatic leading actors. The supporting actors and special effects steal the scenes in this extravaganza based on a all too laughable and pretentious premise.
Grade: B- |
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There is something so odd about the pairing of Dermot Mulroney and Julia Roberts that you wonder why Roberts' Jules fell in love with Mulroney's Michael anyhow. The strength of the film lies not in its plot but in the quirky presence of Cameron Diaz and the scene-stealing antics of Rupert Everett. We're not too convinced that Jules is in love or that her actions are justified, but we revel in the sweet moments of dancing to Tony Bennett or a sing-along in a restaurant. Sweet, fluffy, a 100% chick flick.
Grade: B- |
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How do you critique Hitchhock? There's been so much said about this movie that there's nothing for me to do but reaffirm what's already been said countless times: this film is a classic. Because of all it is, and because of the precedents it sets in the genre of horror and suspense thriller.
Grade: A |
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All talk and not too much substance. The major characters spend plenty of time being neurotic and self-analytic. The girls do a lot of crying. There are some good moments, but John Cusack, Angelina Jolie, and Cate Blanchett are all fine actors that try their best but cannot salvage this vehicle that chases its own tail. The ending is supposed to give us some sort of closure, but it really just begs the question: "Huh?"
Grade: C |
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So bad that it was the first time I fell asleep in the theater. I just couldn't care less about how Chow Yun Fat and Mira Sorvino, both terrific actors, mind you, shoot and kick their way through this movie. Lots of action, to be sure, but we don't really care about the characters.
Grade: D+ |
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Glorious and utterly romantic, this is the perfect movie for a date or a get-together. Although laden with quite a few inaccuracies (but at this point, who cares), stereotypes, and convenient plot devices, this film is blessed with performances by Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Rupert Everett (a perfect personification of the mysterious Christopher Marlowe), Ben Affleck, and Dame Judi Dench, to name a few. Emotionally overwhelming in its simplicity and melodrama.
Grade: B |
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Spring is Freddie Prinze, Jr. time. The story is Cinderella-esque and not without its charm, but utterly predictable. Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Rachel Lee Cook prove that teenage heartthrobs really can't act.
Grade: C+ |
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It's hard for me to be objective about this movie since it was the one that gave me my love for cinema. It is everything that Hollywood can do right in making an action movie: a clever script, exciting sequences, and two actors whose egos aren't inflated yet. Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves have perfect chemistry as Annie and Jack the Wildcat and SWAT officer turn unlikely heroes. Keanu also looked his best. Jan De Bont's subsequent efforts are never quite as electrifying as this.
Grade: A |
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A mess on a cruise ship. Wake-up call for the producers: a cruise ship just ain't as exciting as a bus. And how COULD you replace Jack Traven with a uncharismatic idiot like Jason Patric? How could Annie have dumped Jack? And what is William Dafoe in that laughable villain character type thing? The only saving graces are the return of Sandra Bullock and TUNEMAN.
Grade: C- |
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"Sphere" perhaps worked so much better as a paperback, but the film has its moments. It explores interesting ideas--collective hallucinations, for example--and science fiction territory, which leaves much to be desired in the dialogue/acting/casting department. The film is best when it is teetering in tension-filled moments, not in its final moments in which it descends into b-horror-movie shtick.
Grade: B- |
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Tommy Lee Jones plays a stubborn farmer who refuses to sell his land to the US military. Features some good ole family bonding, but the climactic end scene to a much-too-dragged-out film is a big shootout on the ranch. Can we say s-t-u-p-i-d?
Rating: C- |
>> There's Something About Mary
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Not as funny as everyone claims it is, though often satisfyingly acerbic and witty. More of a romantic component than expected, though the relationships are farfetched. Great for a boring Sunday afternoon; probably tiresome after two viewings.
Grade: B- |
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This film makes drug addicts and dead babies seem lovable and funny. A poignant sort of funny. The actors are so uncanny in the portrayals that you wonder how far their character research went. The result is a revealing, exciting look at Scottish youth and an ending that provides unexpected hope.
Grade: B+ |
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A down-right impossible sequence of events, yes. Unbelievable that the main characters escape unscathed, yes. Nobody ever said Hollywood action movies made any sense. Without, the oddball ensemblage of characters is oddly endearing, and I truly cared about Helen Hunt's character and her war against the twisters. Terrific special effects and a great score.
Grade: B+ |
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