IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

4 out of 5. Kar Wai Wong's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE reinforces the sensitivity of a director toward the interplay of emotions and images. He gets relationships in their beautiful clumsy ways that give Ang Lee a run for his money. The costuming and casting is perfect. I love the two leads. You literally ache for these people to be together without all the Hollywood schmaltz that infects most things stateside.

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THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI

4 out of 5. Yôji Yamada's THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI reminded me a lot UNFORGIVEN. The plot centers around a widowed samurai who has lost any sense of self-worth. He's internalized a lot of the pain and denies himself the opportunity to move on. The acting is really good. The story feels like the last samurai movie that will be made because of the introduction of guns and the end of the Edo period. Slow, thoughtful and very good relationships make it worth a look.

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ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL

4 out 5. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL is pretty damn cool. He boldly faces every convention available to him and makes a palpable story with characters that get under your skin. I had no idea what I'd expect after watching Fox and His Friends but I'm amazed by this director's ability at clear and creative storytelling. It's almost stylized in many ways from the art direction and clothing choices, there's some heavy symbolism throughout. If you like to keep chewing on a film after your done watching it...check this one out.

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EASTERN PROMISES

3 out of 5. David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES is a small but impactful film. The cast is really good together and direction is quite solid. I especially like the Art Direction and costumes in this film. Viggo is a badass in this and has an amazingly shot fight scene. Also Vincent Cassel is loose cannon and adds a lot of tension throughout. Fun stuff.

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YOJIMBO

4 out of 5. Akira Kurosawa's YOJIMBO is an excellent template that many a story has hung on. Sergio Leone's A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS took what Kurosawa pioneered and pushed it a little further owning it in the process. But I give Kurosawa full credit for some amazing shots and a great balance of comedy in a grim and unsettling time.

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EXTERMINATING ANGEL

4 out of 5. I was reminded to day of the work of Luis Buñuel, specifically his THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL. I loved this film about class degradation. Just a wonderful surreal film where dinner guests are trapped in one room and they can't keep up appearances. In some ways it feels like it could have been more appropriate 30 years earlier...or more caustic if handled by the likes of Waters or Lynch. Still, a great concept delivered in style.

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THE IRON GIANT

5 out of 5. Brad Bird and his team really brought animation a shot in the arm with THE IRON GIANT. It hits on so many levels it defies a single viewing. This is the kind of filmmaking and storytelling that is almost impossible. The fact that it's animated makes it even more of a miracle. It's poignant without being saccharin. This and THE INCREDIBLES were easily my two favorite Brad Bird outings. Highly recommended for everyone!

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ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

4 out of 5. Three highly imaginative and creative minds come together in Michel Gondry's ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. It seems almost as rare as sighting a comet but this perfect storm of talent represents a time in Hollywood when creative films could still get made. I believe it was the first thing I'd seen of Gondry's work and have gone onto check out his THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP which is also enjoyable. The acting is wonderful and as surreal as the Charlie Kaufmann's story gets Jim Carrey is pitch-perfect in his reckless abandon. This movie does not disappoint in the least.

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EAGLE VS. SHARK

3 out of 5. Taika Waititi's EAGLE VS. SHARK is stuck in my head and I can't get it out. I think that's a good thing too. The film is indie and smart with some really odd characters but not for the sake of being odd. It's carefully conceived and well directed with stop-motion inserts throughout that add a nice texture to the story. If you like the quirk of Wes Anderson movies this film is easy-going and fun.

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DRIVE

4 out of 5. Maybe recommending Nicolas Winding Refn's film DRIVE is a bit out of character for me but I'd hate for this to be missed. This is an excellent example of deliberate control in filmmaking. This is an iconic tone poem about the 80s. A love for Michael Mann films...like Thief and Collateral...and an excellent blend of holding on shots. Waiting for the right moments. Film school is open!

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THE SECRET OF NIMH

4 out of 5. Don Bluth's THE SECRET OF NIMH is one of the first films that proved that animation could be taken so much more seriously. Go ahead, rewatch it and you'll be taken with the lushness of it. The animation...the backgrounds, direction, character development. This film has so much going on that it's endlessly rewatchable. So much to learn about staging and light. Anyway, check out what Pixar got hip to early on: STORY. If it's not bullet-proof then you're just building on a bad foundation.

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THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

4 out of 5. The stark timelessness of Andrew Dominik's THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD is both artful and refreshing. Thankfully Andrew Dominik has a way of showing us a well-worn genre that offers a meditative view of a legendary figure. The acting is quite compelling, especially that of Casey Affleck. Knowing the ending ahead of time certainly doesn't get in the way of the journey. This is perfect Sunday movie watching. Contemplative and open.

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ZODIAC

4 out of 5. Writing the previous review made me think of this other easily forgotten gem by David Fincher, ZODIAC. The sound design was rich, the film was dark and punishing. The characters were almost as scary in their intensity as the killer they were chasing. You can see how the tidal wave of mysterious terror overtakes their lives slowly and pulls them under before it's too late. Probably not an easy one to rewatch but a great reminder of how compelling Fincher continues to be as a filmmaker.

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THE PROPOSITION

3 out of 5. John Hillcoat's THE PROPOSITION expands on the Western even though it was filmed in The Outback. The landscape of Australia is brutal hell on Earth and it's characters are tied to it by their deeds. Even the innocent is guilty of something and no foul deed goes unpunished by man or element. All this comes across in a fairly poetic manner with nods to Peckinpah other directors of great Westerns.

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MOULIN ROUGE!

4 out of 5. Speaking of musicals, Baz Luhrmann's MOULIN ROUGE! knocked my socks off when it first came out over decade ago. The fantasy world built by him and the two leads was quite mesmerizing. I really dig high-production values used in small ways. His earlier film STRICTLY BALLROOM was another favorite of mine. But this film showed a sense of style, composition and the ability to make a fun film. Also: JIM BROADBENT whom I cannot get enough of.

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TIME BANDITS

4 out of 5. It's hard to be objective about Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS as it was the first of his films I'd ever seen. The production design alone is what makes this film so rich. I'm also a huge fan of time-travel and history so as a kid and an adult this really entertains. Part of Gilliam's trilogy of man, this film has the same imaginative and dangerous underpinnings as Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The characters are splendid and the acting with various cameos is a lot of fun. Easily the second-most quotable movie for me next to Spinal Tap.

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CITY OF GOD

5 out of 5. I'm sure mostly everyone has seen this by now but Fernando Meirelles has a goldmine in CITY OF GOD. Everything about this film is high-voltage energy. I'm not one to watch too many films more than once, but especially hard-biting dramas like this but man, I have to see it again. Maybe it's because the soundtrack comes up no my Ipod quite a bit and I start thinking about the editing and shots and story...and before I know it I'm feeling the vibe of Brazil. If you ever liked the grit and rawness of THE WIRE...this one is a dynamo.

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POINT BLANK

3 out 5. John Boorman's POINT BLANK with Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson is a bad-ass flick. If you like the era of tough no-nonsense guys who take care of business and don't take lip from a woman. This is exactly that kind of film. Watch this back-to-back with Lee Marvin's remake of THE KILLERS and you'll need to send your loved-one away on vacation just so you can man-out. Solid filmmaking, nothing fancy and it delivers the goods with sand in your teeth. Also Steven Soderburgh and John Boorman are on the commentary track. Fascinating stuff!

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LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN

3 out of 5. You might have missed this little gem by director Paul McGuigan, but if I were you I'd put down my money on LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN. Everything is not what it seems here and the fun opportunity of mistaken identity goes awry. Killer performances all around. Smart writing and stylish directing make for a rollicking good time. So if you want a good Friday movie and something with the energy of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels check it out.

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AN EDUCATION

3 out of 5. Lone Scherfig's AN EDUCATION was a tour de force of writing and acting. The directing was really quite good too with some excellent shots that seemingly try to sneak by. Overall a very positive film about family matters being taken down a notch with the entrance of an acceptable gentleman caller. Some nice plot twists and some really great dialogue throughout. The lead, Carey Mulligan is believable in her arc of an isolated teenager to one who grows a backbone through harrowing circumstances to become a sound young woman. I would have scored this higher but while the story and dialogue was quite good the structure of the script toward the end felt a little too satisfying and quick. Definitely memorable regardless and worth a watch.

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