Seabiscuit
This was the kind of movie that really draws you into the story and makes you care about it. I don't normally care about horse racing at all, but I found myself holding my breath during the racing scenes, and felt like cheering each time Seabiscuit won one (many of the audience members did, in fact). Chris Cooper will likely not get an Oscar nod, because although his performance was brilliant, it was probably too understated to be noticed (which is unfortunate because that's exactly what the role required). Tobey Maguire, on the other hand, may be nominated; he is really starting to mature as an actor. The only problem with this film, and it may be a bigger problem to some than it was to me, was that the writer/director didn't seem to fully make up his mind whether he was making a movie or a documentary. Each aspect of the film would have been interesting to watch, but the combination seemed to clash.
Viewed: 2003-07-25 | Released: 2003-07-21 | Score: B
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
I had a great time watching this movie. Yes, the action sequences defied physics and, yes, a lot of stuff was extraneous to the plot, but it was a fun movie. Don't think of it as an action movie with good one-liners, think of it as a comedy with fights and explosions. And there's plenty of comedy: the dance scenes, the costumes, and, of course, Bernie Mac.
Viewed: 2003-07-17 | Released: 2003-07-17 | Score: B
Hulk
This may be the best comic book movie I've seen. The character of the Hulk is one of the more interesting in the Marvel universe, which gave the film a solid backbone. Nick Nolte was very good, and Eric Bana was quite decent. The editing was a bit jarring at first, but it really made it seem like I was reading a comic book.
Viewed: 2003-06-21 | Released: 2003-06-16 | Score: B
Finding Nemo
Another example of Pixar's tradition of excellent filmcraft, this movie had everything an animated feature needs: great comedy, an engaging storyline, amazing graphics, and heart. The fun characters and good messages make it a good family film, but there was more than enough humor to keep me (and most of the rest of the adult audience) laughing out loud.
Viewed: 2003-06-02 | Released: 2003-05-29 | Score: A
The Shape of Things
I love going to my local theater that shows indie films; usually they're so much more interesting than mainstream movies. This one was such a disappointment. It was poorly written, poorly directed, extremely poorly edited and two of the four characters were poorly acted. The characters were poorly developed, merely slaves to the movie's central idea, and the imagery that the director must have thought was edgy and meaningful was, in fact, clumsy, obvious and pretentious. I left the film thinking, "The director clearly had no respect for me, so why should I have any respect for him?" Perhaps I'm too hopelessly bourgeois to appreciate a film like this, but I didn't miss the point, I dismiss it.
Viewed: 2003-05-24 | Released: 2003-01-17 | Score: F
Bruce Almighty
This movie was what you'd expect from a Jim Carrey movie: hilarious. Morgan Freeman was especially good, although that was no surprise. Two things hurt this film: Carrey was not completely successful at reining in his tendencies toward ham, which ruined some of the more serious scenes, and the main character was totally unlovable for the majority of the movie. If I hadn't seen this formula a million times already, I would have had no reason to think he would have any reason to be saved.
Viewed: 2003-05-23 | Released: 2003-05-22 | Score: C
The Matrix Reloaded
One of the most hyped films of the year, it definitely lived up to my expectations. Others may have varying mileage, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The action sequences were visually stunning and, unlike some, I found the plot and main philosophical conundrum engaging. I can't wait for number three.
Viewed: 2003-05-22 | Released: 2003-05-06 | Score: B
Down With Love
I went to this one expecting a half-homage, half-parody of a 1960's sex comedy. I was right. I also expected it to be rather stupid. I was wrong. I found this movie to be smart and funny, enough that I expect it to have very good replay value. Great for dates.
Viewed: 2003-05-21 | Released: 2003-05-08 | Score: A
Lawrence of Arabia
It is so easy to see why this film is a classic. From breathtaking visuals to captivating performances, this movie has it all. Peter O'Toole was absolutely amazing in his role as T.E. Lawrence. If you haven't seen this one yet, you owe it to yourself to do so.
Viewed: 2003-05-17 | Released: 1970-01-01 | Score: A
Identity
I had very high hopes for this movie, and when it had me riveted from the beginning. The ending, however, ruined it for me. I would say more here, but I can't without ruining it. I will say more here, though. Anyway, despite the fact that I felt cheated by the ending, the beginning was good enough, and the idea was good enough that I will still give it two stars.
Viewed: 2003-05-08 | Released: 2003-05-24 | Score: C