The Ice Storm

A film with a measured pace, to say the least. Makes you want to scream at the screen, "Somebody please do something!" And really, who gives a shit about suburban angst in the '70's anyway?

Happy Feet

Somewhat impressive, somewhat stupid. That doesn't help, I know, but I'm not quite sure what to make of this movie. The stuff about the plight of the natural world at the hands of man is effective and moving, to be sure, but the story and songbook used here are a dumb way to go about presenting that viewpoint. Maybe this is what it takes to drive the point home to the mall crowd. Who knows? For the rest of us, this one can only be a mixed bag.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

More mind-bending fun from the word processor of writer Charlie Kaufman. This one is not as heavy on the goofy humor as, say, Being John Malkovich; Eternal Sunshine is moodier, more contemplative, more interested in delving into the feelings of the leads (expertly played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet). You laugh, but you get to experience other emotions as well. If you enjoyed Kaufman's other trips inside various heads, you'll like this one too.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

They got it mostly right, veering off from the hard and true only in little, forgivable touches. Most impressive of all, the spectacle never really overwhelms the "human" story; the emotions are present and true. A bang up way to end a three-year-long, wild and exciting ride.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

That PURR is perilously close to a MEOW. The movie still rates as a positive viewing experience, with brilliant visualizations, impressive scenery and composition, eye-catching battle scenes, wonderfully strong characters--including the astounding presentation of Sméagol-Gollum--and some very nice allegorical touches (I particularly dig the "Nature fighting back" undercurrent of the Ent storyline). Despite all of those pluses, there are a number of divergences from the written story which are distracting and disappointing; unlike in TFOTR, where the differences are more "complimentary," filling in the gaps in the narrative, this movie's alterations fundamentally change several characters and their motivations, uniformly for the worse. It's still a good movie, but it comes alarmingly close to being less than its potential.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

Upon a second viewing I conclude that this film is indeed as good as I originally thought. The differences from Tolkien's story don't deviate so much as fill in the blanks. The only negative note: Cate Blanchett is awful as Galadriel.