sjmcollins-1 Reviews

Corpse Bride (2005)

Different doesn't equal better

[5/10 · 15 October 2005]

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is another attempt at "adult" animation that falls short. It's a strangely uninvolving little film that features another barrage of unnecessary Hollywood voices, money wasted that could have been spent on better writers--well, it's a Tim Burton movie, so visuals are more the point here. The main character, Victor Van Dort, bears a passing resemblance to Johnny Depp-a little wasted in-joke that goes nowhere. The visuals take you in at some points, but the story itself is so blah that you stop caring about halfway through. Burton was on a 10 year roll through 1999, but the last 6 years have yielded one disappointment after another.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

4 stories--1 good, 1 OK, 2 pretty bad

[5/10 · 21 June 2005]

Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants was made for young girls, and admittedly , I don't fall into that category, but I found myself in the theater nonetheless. This film is basically broken into 4 stories, and I enjoyed America Ferrera's performance as Carmen, the looked-over daughter of a guy starting over with a trophy family. Ferrera has a great emotional scene where she calls her father out for his neglect, and it showcases her as the most talented of the lot, and definitely one of the most talented young actresses today. Amber Tamblyn has her part taken out from under her by the charming Jenna Boyd, who becomes the focus of the documentary Tamblyn's Tibby is shooting while being the only one of the girls actually having to work for the summer. This part is OK due to Boyd, who wins you over with her inquisitive nature. The other two stories are mindless teen-girl fantasy stuff, especially the Greece story with Alexis Bledel, which encompasses so many clichés I lost count. Almost as bad is the story involving Blake Lively as soccer star Bridget. Lively seems to be a little better than the material here (shows a lot of life), but doesn't really convince me as an athlete, and the story doesn't allow her to solve her real problem--her distance from her father. The teen girl set will probably eat this up, but one quarter of a good movie isn't enough for me.

Lords of Dogtown (2005)

Showed a lot of spirit

[7/10 · 14 June 2005]

Catherine Hardwicke is 2 for 2 thus far in her directorial career, first with Thirteen and now with Lords Of Dogtown, a look at the pioneers of competitive skateboarding. John Robinson, Emile Hirsch, and Victor Rasuk are all strong in their lead roles (although Hirsch is a little too pretty to be a convincing tough guy), and Heath Ledger does a good job portraying burned up leader Skip--a guy who futilely tries to run an emerging cash cow with a stoner's philosophy. All of the actors are impressive skateboarders, and that adds to the raw realism the film conveys. Hardwicke does a good job showing how the sudden fame and fortune ultimately dissolves the friendships.

Cinderella Man (2005)

Great fight scenes, too many sappy moments

[6/10 · 6 June 2005]

Renee Zellweger almost succeeds in ruining Cinderella Man, the Ron Howardization of former heavyweight champion James J. Braddock's life. Russell Crowe gives a solid performance as the champ, but the script left no room for any blemish on Braddock's character, and the Irish saint thing really begins to wear thin by the third act, as Braddock is practically deified by his adoring Depression-era public. Zellwegger is the worst of the lot, sapping up each scene she's in as Braddock begins his comeback. It seems in the beginning of the film that she has no problem with Braddock's career, but turns on a dime when Jim announces his return to the ring. All the schmaltz aside though, the fight scenes themselves are fantastic. You can tell that Howard really did his homework on the old fight films and got everything down right. These scenes are the soul of the film, but I didn't get any Rocky-like chills due to the pandering nature of the film to tug at your heart strings.

Solaris (1972)

Fairly interesting premise, but an utter trial to sit through

[3/10 · 15 April 2005]

Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris contains a pretty interesting premise, about a planet able to manipulate visitor's subconscious to the point of bringing old memories to life--but at a running time of almost 3 hours (and you feel every minute of it), this film contains almost every "artsy" cliché in the book, and your frustration mounts as you sit through every scene. At times it seems like Tarkovsky is remaking 2001: A Space Odyssey into a love story, but while the atmosphere of space as boring tedium is captured (too well), the story is not nearly as engrossing. Several scenes just hang, and hang, and hang, and then goes a little longer just to get the point across. Ponderous close-ups of ears, rustling grass, candles--a never ending drive through Soviet rush hour traffic--it seems the director was shooting for a visual masterpiece, and decided to write the story in around it. Like 2001, Tarkovsky left an open ending, but while I was full of questions at the end of Kubrick's masterpiece, my feeling at the end of Solaris was just simply relief.

Robots (2005)

Good to look at, but story is a dud

[24 March 2005]

Robots is pretty interesting eye candy, with some impressive action scenes(I really enjoyed the early transit scene involving Rodney and Fender), but the story just doesn't take you in, and the laughs are limited to a few coughed up chuckles here and there. There are numerous pop culture references throughout, but it feels tired and rehashed after having witnessed the two Shrek films. Someone forgot to reel Robin Williams in, as he goes WAY overboard with his overcaffinated shtick. Williams in this gear is best served in smaller doses (ala Alladin), but he is practically in every scene, going full throttle. The rest of the character voices used in the film (with the possible exception of Mel Brooks) could have been spoken by anyone, and looking at the all-star line-up, I can't help but wonder if all that money used to sign these guys couldn't have been more wisely spent on a better writing team.

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Vastly inferior sequel has a few cute moments

[4/10 · 25 February 2005]

(Spoiler) Meet The Parents was one of the funniest movies of the decade, as we witnessed put-upon everyman Ben Stiller terrorized by every guy's nightmare, the over-protective father-in-law, ready to believe the worst at all times, played famously by Robert DeNiro. There were a couple of slapstick scenes in the film that I still laugh at after numerous viewings, and much of the interaction rang true between Stiller and DeNiro. Nothing really rings true in Meet The Fockers, as the conflict between Stiller and DeNiro is replaced by Greg Focker's zany parents, played by Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand. Hoffman and Streisand play likable enough characters, but don't seem too likely to have raised a kid like Greg. Their over-sexed, ultra-liberal characters are kind of charming, but not really laugh out loud funny. Director Jay Roach then goes for the lowest common denominator--the cute baby. Jack is now overly obsessed with his grandson, and the movie continuously cuts to his reaction shots--he cries when Greg talks to him, he laughs when someone gets kicked in the groin, etc. He also says a profanity for his first word, and repeats it constantly. I found it kind of stupid the first time. You can practically see the kid's mother/father offscreen coaching him through the word. Ben Stiller repeats his Along Came Polly/There's Something About Mary/Meet The Parents persona, but he gets shoved to the background a little in favor of Hoffman and Streisand, and it costs the film big. Sequels are good, even great, when there's more story to tell--but this just solidifies the notion that comedies should just quit while they're ahead.

Ray (I) (2004)

Outstanding biography on Ray Charles

[9/10 · 11 February 2005]

Jamie Foxx earns an Oscar in Ray, an all-around tremendous film documenting the life of the legendary Ray Charles. Foxx has every one of Charles' mannerisms down to a "T", and successfully portrays a flawed musical genius that makes no apologies for the tough business/personal decisions that he made to get to the top. Director Taylor Hackford does a great job showing Charles with warts and all, as we see Charles cheat on his wife and various mistresses, and dump old friends with no looking back. The real strength of the movie (beyond Foxx's performance) is the perfect balance between Charles's personal battles and the versatile music career he excelled at. We get a nice insight into how some of Charles's biggest hits came about--the show stopping "What I'd Say" performance is incredible. Regina King is very good as Margie Hendricks, the Raylette that serves as Ray's wife on the road. Sharon Warren may have been overlooked by the Oscar people for her strong performance as Ray's mother. But Foxx owns this picture, and it would be highway robbery if the definitive performance of the year were passed over.

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Really good sports movie

[31 January 2005]

Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank are both excellent (and deserving of their Oscar nominations) in Million Dollar Baby, a great sports movie that will be mentioned for decades to come when sportswriters make their annual lists of the best movies to see. Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, a boxing trainer who doesn't like taking chances until he hooks up with Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) an untrained waitress with a killer punch. Morgan Freeman, to a certain extent, reprises his role in The Shawshank Redemption by narrating the movie in a letter written to Dunn's daughter. Freeman is such a natural at this, however, that it enhances this film just as much as it did Shawshank. I guess once a decade isn't overkill. Eastwood directs a movie that looks to be going in a much different direction that it ends up going in, as excruciating decisions are left to be made by Frankie after an injury leaves Maggie paralyzed. Where I thought we were about to see Rocky VI, Million Dollar Baby becomes a throat-catcher in its third act, as we see classic tough-guy Eastwood ripped to shreds by his surrogate daughter. This scenario has been played before, but Eastwood and Swank put a whole new touch to it, and it turns Million Dollar Baby into one of the best of 2004.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

More evidence of horror going back to its roots

[7/10 · 22 January 2005]

Dawn of the Dead features no survivors, no happy endings, no self-aware dialogue, just straight forward action and horror, and after roughly 8 years of Scream imitations-it's a welcome change. This movie didn't necessarily chill me like George Romero's original Night Of The Living Dead, but that was a bit of a different scenario. Where that one was a few people holed up in a house with dozens of zombies outside, Dawn features an army of hundreds of zombies waiting outside a suburban mall for our dozen or so survivors inside. There are plenty of good old 80's horror movie situations, where you say to yourself "Why is this idiot doing this?", but director Zack Snyder doesn't let things get too out of hand, and keeps things as realistic as possible. Michael Kelly (CJ) and Ty Burrell (Steve) offer some funny lines, and Mekhi Phifer (Andre) gives a performance that steadily becomes creepier as the movie goes on. Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later have cemented the return of the zombie film after a long absence.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Parallels Schindler's List

[19 January 2005]

Don Cheadle gives a great performance as Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda, a film that documents the slaughter of a million Rwandans at the hands of their own countrymen. This is almost an African version of Schindler's List, as we witness an unwilling businessman suddenly thrust into the position of savior to a high number of outcasts with nowhere to go. Watching Cheadle's performance is like watching a drowning man try to keep his head above water, and I mean that in a good way--there are situations that look absolutely hopeless for Rusesabagina, but he finds ways to keep people alive at the last second. Nick Nolte gives a good performance as the exasperated Colonel Oliver, a man that is handcuffed with what he can do, but ends up being noble to the end. The scariest role is that of the anonymous radio voice coming over the Rwandan airwaves, encouraging the Hutu natives to wipe out the Tutsi minority. Cheadle is a very good actor, and this is his best role to date.

Brian's Song (1971 TV Movie)

Won me over

[7/10 · 7 January 2005]

Parts of this movie concerning the untimely death of Brian Piccolo (James Caan)had me wondering how it could be rated so highly as a tearjerker. When Gayle Sayers (Billy Dee Williams)breaks the news to his Chicago teammates that Piccolo has cancer, the two actors standing behind him are already in tears before Sayers says the first word (Mr. Director?). But Brian's Song wins you over despite it being a little dated with a strong performance from Williams and an excellent performance from Caan, who delivers more laugh-out-loud lines than any 70's TV movie-of-the-week has a right to give. The bond between the Piccolo and Sayers feels real, and the emotional speech given by Sayers as he accepts the George Halas award is a show stopper, and it shocked me how hard hitting it was after the limp locker room speech that was given. The soundtrack by Michael LeGrand is a little overbearing in some places (like I said, it dates itself a little), but in all fairness, it comes off as unforgettable in other areas, especially at the Halas award ceremony. The mix of footage of the actual players playing with the actors on the sideline during a game lends a realism that is missing with all sports movies today.

Finding Neverland (2004)

Liked it

[7/10 · 1 January 2005]

The big Oscar push has been on for Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland, and while I've seen better male lead performances this year, Depp still gives a fine performance as J.M. Barrie, and the movie itself ends up being very heartwarming. The movie focuses on the inspiration gained by Barrie to write Peter Pan, and a fine ensemble cast led by Kate Winslet helps to show how Barrie gained a family along with a great play, regaining a sense of childhood innocence along the way. Neverland is more closely associated with Michael Jackson these days, and a reference to a similar scandal is hinted at about halfway through the film, but quickly brushed aside. I had a bit of a problem picking up Depp's dialogue at times, he seemed to fall to much into the accent, but it wasn't enough to be a major distraction.

Closer (I) (2004)

Good performances from Law & Owen overcome unlikeable characters, story gaps

[7/10 · 20 December 2004]

A good performance from Jude Law and a great performance from Clive Owen help elevate Mike Nichols' flawed Closer. The story centers around four rather unsavory (but attractive) characters who use and abuse each other unmercifully, but attempt to let each other down as gently as possible. The movie covers about 18 months of this story, but we primarily get the break-up scenes after the relationships of Dan (Law) and Alice (Natalie Portman), and Larry (Owen) and Anna (Julia Roberts) are established. These scenes are pretty intense, and contain language that will probably shake up a good deal of Roberts' loyal audience. These are the scenes that Owen shines in, as he shifts from wounded animal to drunken anger to conniving weasel effortlessly. It wouldn't be out of line to suggest a nomination of some kind for his work here. I had a few cosmetic problems with the film. Portman wears the same hair-do that she had for The Professional, and as a result looks like she's about 16, tops. Her performance is good enough, but I think someone with a few more miles on them, not quite as angelic-looking, could have given the film a little more punch. The half-year gaps in the story didn't help, either, as the attraction Dan & Larry had for Anna was never sufficiently fleshed out for my tastes. Let's be honest, these two don't exactly look like they would have much trouble finding women, and why they chose to fight so vigorously over a cold fish like Anna was a little perplexing. Roberts has the most difficult role to play in the film, as she is basically the prize that Larry and Dan are fighting over, and she serves as sort of a verbal punching bag for Law and Owen to spar with. She does an admirable job, but the two male leads, especially Owen, carry the film.

The Incredibles (2004)

It's incredible, all right

[11 December 2004]

Pixar reaches new heights with The Incredibles, which covers the exploits of a superhero brought out of forced retirement, with his family along to boot.

The action scenes are absolutely amazing, especially the scenes involving Dash running from Syndrome's minions--it recalls and actually surpasses the forest scenes from Return Of The Jedi. The scenes where Violet & Dash discover how to harness their powers while running for their lives are very thrilling as well. The voice work is nicely done, and doesn't include the show-offy mega-star stuff that's bringing some of these big animated films down a little (Sarah Vowell is the standout as junior-high age Violet Parr).

The humor is a little more restrained than usual for these Pixar films (Toy Story & Finding Nemo provided more laughter), but the action scenes put this one on a pedestal all its own.

Out of Time (I) (2003)

Good acting from Washington overcomes predictable story

[27 November 2004]

(Spoilers) A good, tense performance from Denzel Washington and some nice, tight action sequences from director Carl Franklin help Out Of Time overcome a plot you can see unfolding 10 miles away. Washington is police chief of a very small town in south Florida, and juggles an affair with a married woman (overplayed a bit by Sanaa Lathan) and his about-to-be ex-wife Det. Alex (Eva Mendes). Washington's character makes some lapses in judgment that are ultimately well-intentioned but land him in hot water, and the movie comes alive as he tries to cover his footprints. The bulk of the movie takes place over 1 day, and the stress builds as Washington comes closer and closer to being caught. Most of the fun in the film is in watching Washington escape by the skin of his teeth in scene after scene, and really only one big action sequence is involved. Like I said, you kind of know how things are coming to a head way in advance, but Denzel helps push this into recommendable territory.

Thief (1981)

Gritty, pretty decent

[12 November 2004]

James Caan & Robert Prosky give good performances in Thief, a movie that dates itself by taking away all the glitz and glamour that's associated with high-dollar thieves in today's films (and this is a Michael Mann movie!). Caan plays Frank, an ex-con trying to hit one last big score and retire to a nice, normal life with a wife and kid. Frank is played as more of a tough businessman than the dashing-Pierce Brosnan type, and it adds all the more realism to his character. He knows his job well, but has much trouble handling personal relationships. His courting (if you call it that) of Jessie (Tuesday Weld) contains a great scene in a diner where Frank basically orders her to be his wife. Caan is good in this role, and so is Robert Prosky, the usual nice guy who plays a brutal weasel. As in most Mann movies, the soundtrack is excellent.

Mean Creek (2004)

Good, natural performances in this dark drama

[20 October 2004]

(Some spoilers) Shot in a grainy, hand-held camera sort of fashion (even more so than usual these days), Mean Creek has a bare-bones feel to it that renders it all the more effective considering the subject matter. Director/writer Jacob Aaron Estes deserves much credit for creating teenagers that actually act and talk like teenagers--not the overly articulate, sexed-up MTV models that are pushed down our throats in movies usually. All performances are solid, but Josh Peck stands out as George, the over-sized kid who's deep-down likable, but doesn't think of the long-term consequences of his aggressiveness ever. In another 5 years or so, George probably would have developed into a pretty popular guy.

The Sting (1973)

Last half hour drags, but still good

[15 October 2004]

(Some spoilers) I don't know if I would call this Oscar material, but this is still a pretty entertaining film from director George Roy Hill. You can see how many films over the last 30 years (the last 10 years especially) were inspired by The Sting, as swerve after swerve leaves us not knowing what to expect at the movie's end. Robert Redford and Paul Newman lead an exceptional ensemble cast, led most notably by Robert Shaw as dastardly mob boss Doyle Lonnegan. The movie has more great scenes than storyline, as the elaborate cons overwhelm the narrative of the story. My favorites include the initial con set up by Hooker (Redford) and Luther, and the rich man's card game on the train, featuring great back-and-forth between Newman and Shaw. The last half hour slows the show down a good bit, but an exciting climax redeems.

Cries & Whispers (1972)

Kept my attention, but nothing spectacular

[9 October 2004]

Second movie I've seen directed by Ingmar Bergman (the other being The Seventh Seal), and the second time I've been a little underwhelmed. Cries And Whispers looks at the cold relationship between three sisters, and how they come together (or really apart) as one of them slowly dies. Much symbolism is used (the constant fading to red) as we see how each sister is involved in an unsatisfying relationship, and how they deal with their situations differently. I just couldn't find myself caring much for any of these characters, as we received only small snippets of what could cause them to behave in the manner in which they did. Director Bergman obviously believes in the "less is more" principle, and I agree, but here less is just less.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Something for everyone

[4 October 2004]

(Spoilers) Shaun Of The Dead has romantic comedy, a couple of touching scenes, and some laugh-out loud dialogue provided by Nick Frost as sloppy roommate Ed. And this all happens while killing/escaping zombies! Writer/star Simon Pegg has put together a good bit of familiar elements to make the most original film of 2004. Pegg stars as title character Shaun, a late 20's/early 30's-ish average joe who's happiest just grabbing a pint at the local pub, or playing video games with roommate Ed. He has a beautiful girlfriend and a loving mother, neither of which fit into that equation, and it's obvious that underachieving Shaun needs an occasion to rise to. So why not zombies? Pegg and director Edgar Wright begin the zombie scenario as a joke, but soon the atmosphere turns tense as Shaun & Ed decide to lead their group of survivors to the pub to hole up, and there the movie turns surprisingly VERY tense, while STILL holding on to its wit. The movie is more comedy than horror, to be sure, but you'll be surprised at the chills it provides. Highly recommended.

Desperado (1995)

Style over substance

[1 October 2004]

Desperado is a movie where you have to put your brain on hold for about 90 minutes to enjoy it, because you're watching B-movie material at best. Antonio Banderas shoots people from every conceivable angle in a quest for revenge against Bucho, the man responsible for the murder of his wife. Improbable action scenes lose their punch after a while, and director Robert Rodriguez should have hired Quentin Tarantino to punch up the dialogue the way he did for From Dusk Till Dawn. And the only other players of any interest (played by Tarantino, Steve Buscemi, and Cheech Marin) are killed off too early in the film. Banderas is OK in the title role, but you get the feeling sometimes he's competing with co-star Salma Hayek for the "Best Hair-do" award.

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Heartbreaking

[18 September 2004]

Emily Watson gives one of the all-time great performances in Breaking The Waves. There seems to be a feel-good movie every year involving someone who is mentally challenged in one way or the other, but the end result is always 100% in the corner of the principle--but not here. Bess McNeill (Watson) is a mentally troubled woman who has married an off-shore oil rig worker, Jan (Stellan Skarsgård-another great performance), after praying her entire life for true love, and has dedicated her entire existence to him. After being paralyzed, Jan asks Bess to do things the she is NOT prepared to handle, and the end results are disastrous to say the least. Watson gives an absolutely heartwrenching performance, scene after scene she shows absolute love for Jan and for God, and wants to do only whatever is necessary to make Jan well again. I saw Fargo in 1996, and thought Frances McDormand unquestionably deserved the Oscar, but now--sorry, Watson gives one for the ages.

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

Hard to watch at times, but you can't look away

[5 September 2004]

Director Joshua Marston makes a name for himself with Maria, Full Of Grace, a gritty and exceptional look at the lengths some desperate Columbians go to attain, finally, some form of financial security. Stone-faced Catalina Sandino Moreno is very good as Maria, a young teen who is too prideful to work in a sweatshop, a place where she is probably overqualified. I have to admit, I had no idea before this movie what being a drug mule entailed, and it became pretty difficult to watch as Maria went through the process--but it was without question the most tense series of scenes thus far in 2004. Marston does a great job developing the character of Maria--this is a girl who doesn't show much emotion, but at the end, you know exactly what she's going through and why she is making the decisions she is.

Hero (2002)

Intriguing story, lush scenery, but fight scenes detract

[5 September 2004]

Hero tells a very good story, and I felt myself taken in by it, but the movie could have been better in my opinion if the ballet-like fight scenes had been toned down a bit. When two warriors who are supposed to be battling are instead dancing around Broadway-style on a lake (albeit a very beautiful lake), the tension and impact are somewhat lost. Jet Li shows as much range and emotion as usual (none), but you don't doubt for a second that he is as deadly an assassin as could be found at that time. Daoming Chin is also effective as the king of Qin, as is Maggie Cheung as Flying Snow. The acting is there for each scene, but the visuals, while breathtaking at times, become over-the-top more than once. The fight scene between Flying Snow and Moon (Ziyi Zhang) could have been powerful if had been shot Kill Bill: Volume 2 style, but director Yimou Zhang instead bombards us with so many falling leaves that you can hardly tell what's going on. I know, I know, this is the way these movies are shot, but it's frustrating when you become involved in a gripping story and then are given 2 warriors fighting off thousands of soldiers by spinning around in circles.