Richard Linklater’s Before Sunset (B) reunites the spontaneous lovers played so memorably by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Before Sunrise. This time the conceit is that the roving conversation (this time in Paris) plays out in real time. It’s a bit more experiment than narrative continuation and only occasionally nails universal truths as before. But rarely do you get films with emotions laid this bare, and it’s fascinating to watch what Jesse and Celine will do next.
Category Archives: Rent It Tonight
“Spider-Man 2” Improves on Original
Sam Raimi gets a bit more daring and delves into character a tad more in his superhero sequel Spider-Man 2 (B-), a remarkably more accomplished film than its predecessor, even though it is still weighed down by the missed casting opportunity occupied by the tepid twosome Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. There’s a deeper sense of gravitas in the masked man maintaining his parallel identities, and the super-villain (Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus) demonstrates a good deal of menace, upping the stakes in this episode. Still, the tentacles of this adventure don’t really capture the imagination to the extent they should, and Raimi’s take on this potentially pulpy story rarely has the sting or the smarts that it could.
“Mean Girls” the Teen Comedy Sensation of 2004
Mark Waters’s Mean Girls (B+) is a hilarious sociological comedy about the class warfare teenage girls inflict on each other in high school. Lindsay Lohan is a delight as a teenager returning to America after living overseas until her junior year, and she is now exposed to the modern-day Heathers played by Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacy Chabert. Infiltration of the cool crowd leads to dire consequences as the group lives and learns the Queen Bee mentality. Some jokes may hit too close to home for some, but this is a comedy that delivers.
“Kinsey” an Engrossing Glimpse at Sex Scholar’s Complex Life
Bill Condon’s Kinsey (A-) is a marvelous exploration of the life of a scientist who studied human sexuality in all of its forms. As played by Liam Neeson, it’s a revelatory performance, and so is Laura Linney’s as his wife. His controversies confound his expectations both scholarly and personally, leading to interpersonal drama. It’s a fascinating and well-made biopic.
“Million Dollar Baby” Stunning Showcase for Swank, Eastwood and Freeman
As director and the film’s leading man, Clint Eastwood fills the sports drama Million Dollar Baby (A) with a vital sense of surrogate family. His boxing coach protagonist along with his business partner (Morgan Freeman) take on a female trainee (Hilary Swank) to help her realize her dream of becoming a professional. As hopes are realized and tragedy strikes, this central trio sticks together through thick and thin. The film contains well-observed sequences of how humans behave under pressure-cooker situations both physical and emotional. It’s also doubtful you’ll see three performances this outstanding together in a film in some time.
“Kill Bill: Volume 2” a Somewhat Satisfying Conclusion
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 2 (B-) is the necessary conclusion to the vengeance spree being enacted by Uma Thurman’s jilted Bride; but it’s grittier and less fun than its 
predecessor. David Carradine gets more screen time as Bill along with a game cast. The action and body count continue to mount. It’s still very clever but not as fresh as the initial volume.
“Cold Mountain” is Epic Drama
Anthony Minghella’s Cold Mountain (B+) is a stirring Civil War-set adventure and romance with some of the best work done by Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger. The director deftly handles two parallel stories, invoking color and detail in the backwaters of battle. The film has epic sweep and intrigue throughout.
“Finding Nemo” an Animated Breakthrough
Andrew Stanton’s Finding Nemo (A-) is a computer-generated treasure trove of aquatic animation featuring a winning school of voice talent including Albert Brooks as a cantankerous clownfish and Ellen DeGeneres as the forgetful regal tang named Dory. The story centers around losing your community and finding it again and sweeps the viewers along an amazing journey through the world’s oceans. Like the best Pixar films, the humor is double-edged so adults and kids can both enjoy immensely. The faces on fishes obey the rules of film school, so you can truly follow their dramatic and comedic interactions. It’s an epic adventure to cherish.
“X2: X-Men United” Mutates into Full-Fledged Action Film
With the origin story and mythology behind him, Bryan Singer is free to plunge viewers right into the action of a cloak and dagger adventure with his ensemble of mutant superheroes in X2: X-Men United (B+). Few of the affairs are as fast or fresh as before, but it’s fun to watch the deepening of characterizations such as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Singer continues to plumb the analogies of the mutants’ outsider status to contemporary civil and human rights issues, lending more gravitas to the adventure than would normally befall an action adventure.
“Camp” is Great Fun with Theatre Kids in Spotlight
Todd Graff’s Camp (B) is a joyous ode to growing up, making friends and finding your voice. Set at a summer camp for kids who want to be Broadway stars, there is enough backstage drama to fill the great white wilderness as the teens overcome their outcast status and find themselves center stage in their own follies, foibles and friendships. Graff draws out charming performances from newcomers Daniel Letterle, Robin de Jesus and Anna Kendrick, the latter belting out a very memorable and angry “Ladies Who Lunch.” The title’s play on words might imply a film high on kitsch, but it’s actually high on sweetness and coming of age. Showtune fans will rejoice at some unexpected songs and a star cameo. It’s Meatballs for maestros.
“Shattered Glass” Depicts the Terror of Living a Lie
Writer/director Billy Ray’s Shattered Glass (A) may give you an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach as you watch its conman antihero (a captivating Hayden Christensen) play loose with the truth as he makes up stories at The New Republic magazine. It’s a wrenching look at the journalism profession through the eyes of fellow reporters (Peter Sarsgaard and Chloe Sevigny are incredible). The suspense in waiting for the truth to catch up with “Stephen Glass” is the amazing part of watching the film. As the character weaves fiction, Ray shows the stories come to life, so the subjects are sometimes blurred and it makes it difficult to remember what really did happen. It’s a spectacular work.
“Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” a Satisfying Finale
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (A) has such a graceful finale, director Peter Jackson ends it three or four times. But it’s hard to admonish this visionary for wanting to take an extended curtain call to send off such a magnificent cast of characters at the end of what has become such an epic film trilogy about Hobbits and other inhabitants of Middle Earth. Viggo Mortensen gets his best showcase this time around, and the characters get to truly stare evil in the face as they end their quest. The film sustains moments of charm, introspection, delight, full-blooded adventure, wonder and thrills. Because of the goodwill developed for these characters, the film can plumb truly dark territory as the titular ring works its soul-crushing magic. By the end of Jackson’s three-part masterwork, he has reinvented film fantasy.