Spirited Away (2001) ★★★★★
DIR: Hayao Miyasaki
CAST: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino
Animated perfection in every way imaginable, Hayao Miyasaki certifies himself as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time on the shoulders of this film alone. 10-year old brat Chihiro is moving to a new town at her dismay. On the way, her family stops at an abandoned bathhouse where they enter a portal into a fantastical world filled with monsters, magic, witches and wizards. The thought of losing her parents prompts Chihiro to learn the valuable life lessons of love and friendship. Had Disney still been around, he would have been baffled by the stunning animation, the three dimensional characters, and the flawless structure. Joyful at times and frightening at others, there truly is no other film like it. Rated PG.
Hoop Dreams (1994) ★★★★★
DIR: Steve James
CAST: William Gates, Arthur Agee
Truly inspirational documentary dealing with two inner city kids dreaming about playing in the NBA. Originally intended to be a thirty minute special on TV, director Steve James ended up following the lives of William Gates and Arthur Agee over four years, compiling over 250 hours of footage. The result is a gritty look inside the confines of ghetto based Chicago and how two incredible high school kids are able to overcome adversities dealing with race, education, and economic social differences to one day play professional basketball. It may be three hours long, but it feels like it’s over just as quickly as it began. Arguably the greatest documentary of all time. Rated PG-13.
Young Frankenstein (1974) ★★★★1/2
DIR: Mel Brooks
CAST: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Terri Gar, Gene Hackman
If there was one man to define parody done right, it would be Mel Brooks. If there was one of his works to be modeled as the perfect comedy, it would be this one. Dr. Frederick “Frankensteen” (Wilder) has been called to take over his grandfather’s famous mansion where the latter’s gruesome experiments took place. As soon as the young surgeon gets there, he discovers the lost lab where it all happened, and decides to make his own monster (Boyle). The result is less than what he expected. Spoofed to perfection, this comedic gem includes some hilarious characters that make it work, including the performance by the monster himself. Rated PG.
The Squid and the Whale (2005) ★★★★1/2
DIR: Noah Baumbach
CAST: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, Anna Paquin, William Baldwin
Two pompous writers have been married for seventeen years. Unable to cope with each other’s separate views on life, they decide to separate, affecting the stability of their relationship with their two sons. One child chooses one parent over the other, and so we slowly begin to see the painful consequences of family divorce through egotism, decent, and hatred. There are almost no touching moments, only negative consequence to the baggage carried with divorce. All performances are torture to watch (in a good way) and the writing is top tier, with the title slowly revealing its meaning through clever word play. Rated R.
Logan’s Run (1976) ★★★★
DIR: Michael Anderson
CAST: Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Brown, Peter Ustinov
Very intriguing concept comes to life in this visually compelling film about what we as a population take for granite. It’s the 23rd century, and the world has ended due to a nuclear holocaust combined with overpopulation and other natural disasters. The only remaining people left are sealed away in a domed city, where they only live for pleasure, their lives operated by a computer called “Mother”. The only catch is that they must die at age thirty by the violent ritual of “carousel” so that they be “renewed”. If they fail to comply with this rule, they are considered “runners” and are hunted down by “sandmen” and killed. One such sandman is tasked with finding the runner’s headquarters and destroying it by becoming a runner himself. The truth he finds is something he did not foresee. Great pre-Star Wars special effects. Rated PG.
War of the Worlds (2005) ★★★★
DIR: Steven Spielberg
CAST: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins
Flashy remake of the original 50s sci-fi classic, filmmaking mongol Steven Spielberg is the one that finally destroys all bad stigmas associated with re-dos of great movies. Tom Cruise is an everyday dad trying to make it right with his kids after a divorce. Unfortunately for him, things get complicated as giant alien monster machines emerge from the ground and vaporize everything in site. Now he must protect his children as the world comes to a destructive conclusion. While not attune to the H.G. Wells original, Spielberg manages to craft an entertaining film that keeps the audience at the edge of their seat, despite the sometime overbearing CGI special effects. But sometimes the story takes a break from the stunning visuals and focuses more on the animal instincts of human nature after everything has been taken away from them. Rated PG-13.
Made of Honor (2008) BARF!
DIR: Paul Weiland
CAST: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd
Unbelievably bad rom com stalks the misadventures of a dashing gentleman falling in love with his best friend. Sound familiar? The two met in college at a drunken escapade. Dempsy, of course, is a misogynistic jerk and the girl is a nice, carefree woman who, ten or so years later (does it matter?) finds love in the arms of a hunky Scotsman. Right on cue, Dempsy decides he is capable of love and steals her in the end, against all odds. Films like this are why we as a society believe that as long as you are truly a terrible person and hate women, you will, in fact, win in the end. Just don’t even bother. Rated R.
Bad Teacher (2011) ★★★1/2
DIR: Jake Kasdan
CAST: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins
Very funny film about a third rate teacher (Diaz) whose only goal is to exploit everyone her (including her impressionable pupils) for monetary gain and breast augmentation. Her plans for school domination go awry when a bubbly co-worker (Punch) looks to get in her way in the name of higher education. It gets even more complicated when a hunky new teacher (Timberlake) is caught in the middle between the crazy antics of this reckless middle school, where the faulty seems to be more dysfunctional than the students. Charming performances by Diaz and Segel as the goofy gym teacher. Rated R.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) ★★★★★
DIR: Robert Benton
CAST: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry
Tragic tale of a wife abruptly leaving her workaholic husband and their charming five year old son. As the months go by, the bumbling father goes from not knowing his son at all to forming a bond that might even cost him his coveted job as an advertising artist. As things start to go well, however, the mother comes back demanding custody, fueling a blood thirsty trial to see who gets the confused child. Joyous at times and tear-jerking at others, the performances by everyone, including the eight year old Henry, pack a punch to the heart that most films can’t match. Rated PG.
Burn After Reading (2008) ★★★★
DIR: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
CAST: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt
The Coen Brothers always have a way of warping the human mind into a quirky universe that explores everyday situations that spiral out of control. It may come to a surprise that this one is no different. A fired CIA agent lets his memoirs slip away into the hands of a couple of dimwit gym rats who want to use it for their own vanities. The result is a ridiculous chain of events leading to an open ended response. An all star cast is no distraction from the task at hand. Rated R.
