communication breakdown: Movie Reviews

Film four in the wildly popular Harry Potter franchise has a tall order, as "Goblet of Fire" is commonly considered one of the best, if not the best, of the six novels to date. I, for one, was nervous about the decision to allow Mike Newell to take the helm as director for the fourth installment. Previous to his work on Harry Potter, his resume spanned the good (Donnie Brasco), the bad (Pushing Tin), and the ugly (Mona Lisa Smile). However, I am willing to admit when I am wrong, and in this case, I was very wrong. Newell's offering is a smash hit, and in my opinion, is the best Harry Potter film yet created...

Whoever coined the phrase "Basketball is a metaphor for life" might as well have been talking about Hoop Dreams. This groundbreaking documentary, an eight year project following the lives of two budding basketball talents, completely redefined the genre with its grand scope, gripping story, and endearing subjects. This movie is not about basketball; it is about life, and the challenges associated with it...

Batman Begins is unlike any Batman movie you've seen before. Whether you love or hate the previous four, none of them can prepare you for what you will find in the newest entry to the series, the first "prequel" to the story. But to be more accurate and consistent with its comic-book roots, the best description for this film is that it represents the origin of the Batman character...

The tagline of "American Beauty" sums up the film about as succinctly as possible: "Look closer". How better to describe one of the best movies of the 1990s? It is a dark, humorous, yet brutally honest look at suburban American life, and how so often there is a dark undercurrent to the American dream...

"The Warriors" is a classic cult film from the late 70's, but as that endearing description suggests, you kinda have to be a member of the cult to get it. Unfortunately, I am not. But that won't stop me from trying my best to provide an objective review, followed by a subjective analysis for why you shouldn't bother with this movie...

"Monster" is the story of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute and serial killer, convicted and eventually executed in Florida in the 1980s. Her story is a chilling reminder of how the hopefulness of youth and the dreams of a better future can often go horribly wrong. The movie begins with a brief monologue about Aileen's childhood, how she dreamed of being rich and famous. But a quick cut from the bright, beautiful girl to the adult Wuornos shows that life has not been kind to her. She is worn by age, and at the start of the film, holds a gun in her hand as she contemplates suicide...

With "The Princess Bride", Rob Reiner created a movie with one of the largest cult followings in recent memory. Everywhere I go, I find people who hold this movie in the highest regard - in fact, the only movie I know that has more devoted followers might be "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". For years, I've wondered why such devotion exists, without bothering to watch the film. I finally consented to a viewing, and here are my impressions...

Jack Black is Dewey Finn, the star of "The School of Rock", a crazy comedy about a down-and-out guitarist and rock loyalist who will do anything to make it big with his band. We first see Dewey doing what he does best - rocking out with his band in a small club. The group is not doing so well and it's obvious that they want to pin their problems on the eccentric Finn. He is kicked out of the band he started, and with debts piling up, he is forced to take drastic actions in order to make ends meet. He impersonates his roommate, who is a substitute teacher, and accepts a temporary offer to teach at a prestigious elementary school. His first few days go horribly, until he realizes that some of the children have some serious musical talent. Dewey decides the best thing he can teach them is rock-and-roll, and together they form a band with the hopes of winning the local Battle of the Bands competition...

Fernando Meirelles is a relative newcomer to directing, but that didn't stop him from turning out one of the best films of the year in "City of God". It is ruthless, revealing, and heartbreaking. Perhaps the only thing more amazing than the story itself is that it is based on a true story...

I respect creativity, innovation, and thinking outside the box as much as anyone. I recognize that great leaps forward in human history are often the result of one person standing out against the crowd. But there's one catch: there has to be a context, a driving purpose. Innovation for the sake of being innovative is relatively meaningless. But this is what director Mike Figgis has given us in "Timecode" - an experiment in being experimental. There's no greater purpose, no higher good in this film: it is pure pretentiousness...

"Bubba Ho-Tep" is about as weird as they come. It's as if the director purposefully set out to find and film the strangest story he could - and he quite possibly might have succeeded. This shouldn't be too surprising, if you note that the director, Don Coscarelli, is responsible for the "Phantasm" horror series, also with a reputation for being about as weird as they come. With these thoughts in mind, let's dig in...

When watching the newest Harry Potter film, it doesn't take long to realize that there's something different going on than we've seen before. Alfonso Cuaron, director of the excellent "Y Tu Mama Tambien" (2001), brings a completely fresh perspective to the series, and perhaps injects just the spark that is needed in this, the third movie in the series. I greatly respect Christopher Columbus and really enjoyed his two offerings to the series - you can't help but feel that Cuaron feels like an outsider looking in to the Potter franchise. Nevertheless, he does a good job with what I consider to be pretty difficult source material to adapt...

Three childhood friends, reunited in the worst of circumstances. Sean Penn, suffering from the loss of his daughter, is the cornerstone of a story focused on grief, redemption, and forgiveness. Penn is Jimmy Markum, a man with mysterious affiliations and a troubled past, but is a family man nonetheless. His daughter's death is more than he can bear - but as if this wasn't enough, his old friend Dave (Tim Robbins) is the prime suspect...

Tom Cruise's latest epic presents the story of an American looking for redemption in a country preoccupied with honor and duty. Cruise plays the part of Nathan Algren, an American captain with a harrowed past. The story takes place in the late 19th century, during the American-Indian wars - soon after Little Bighorn and the fall of Custer. Algren is haunted by persistent memories of ravaging Indian towns and killing women and children. At the start of the film we find him depressed and dejected, no longer serving in the army but instead making pitches for a gun salesman in a small Western town...

Gene Hackman is Harry Caul, the premiere surveillance expert in the business. He can bug anyone to get the information he needs. He has made one big mistake in his past. He's about to make another...

William H. Macy is "The Cooler", a man cursed with perpetually bad luck who is hired by a casino to cool off winning tables. While the story takes place primarily in a Las Vegas casino, don't be fooled - it's not a movie about gambling or casino life - in fact, it doesn't have much to do with Macy's "profession" at all. At its core, the movie is about luck and love, and the effect that each can have on the other...