Jar City (2006)

3/5

Jar City is an Icelandic mystery that mixes genetics with murder in a slick, well-shot production. The movie starts in on a young child who is dying of an unknown disease in a hospital. We are then introduced to a much older person who has been murdered in his home, hit over the head by a heavy ashtray. We learn that the victim was a rapist and was involved with two other ne'er-do-wells who rampaged freely back in the 70's. Two police detectives (Sigurðsson, Haraldsson) dig deep into the past to try to identify the murderer, but soon discover more than they bargained for. But how does any of this relate to the story of the young child in the beginning? (I could tell you if you wanted to know, because it's somewhat interesting medically and I don't think this movie is good enough to recommend just to find that little nugget of information out.)

Technically, the movie is a mixed bag. It has some very impressive cinematography (beautiful landscapes within artful compositions), but also has more than its fair share of underexposed, grainy scenes. The acting is acceptable given the somewhat bland and uninteresting characters, but there is nothing particularly memorable about any of it. Apparently the movie is based on a series of novels with the same characters, which explains why there are a lot of backstories that were hinted at but never fully explored. Similarly, the film itself has mostly superficial thematics that never get fleshed out. I feel as if this whole story is much better suited for literature than film, where you have time to think about the characters and the meaning of the events. In this movie, all you get is the murder mystery without any of the interesting textures that stick in your brain. You can watch it if it sounds interesting, but it's something you'll likely forget about soon after watching.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805576/

The Holiday (2006)

4/5

Nancy Meyers's The Holiday is a remarkably tender and touching movie that covers the entire gamut of human emotion. The plot follows Amanda (Diaz) in Hollywood, CA and Iris (Winslet) in Surrey, England as they switch houses for the holidays after having their hearts broken by their boyfriends. Amanda meets Iris's good-looking brother, Graham (Law), and they begin a physical relationship knowing they won't see each other again once the holidays are over. Iris befriends the elderly scriptwriter Arthur (Wallach) and the young and goofy musician Miles (Black) to help her get past her emotionally draining ex. It seems fairly easy to predict what happens next, but the movie paces the emotions so perfectly that you are completely taken in by the story.

The script is tremendous. From the opening voice-over to the final feel-good shot, the script manages to manipulate your heart to feel happiness and sadness within seconds of each other, much in the same vein as Casablanca. Meyers directs the vibrant script into something more than just filmed words. The editing is amazing, effortlessly integrating the two stories and transitioning the scenes visually. She uses music brilliantly to enhance the emotions without forcing unwanted ones on the viewer. The acting is terrific, making the strong characters that much more vivid. Kate Winslet is as good as always, but here all the other leads turn in extremely powerful, empathic performances that just make your heart fill up. Despite some imperfections, this movie is absolutely wonderful. Even if you don't like chick flicks, all it takes to fall in love with this movie is a desire for a good story. Because this movie delivers that in spades.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457939/

Offside (2006)

2/5

Jafar Panahi's Offside is a cinéma vérité-style look at women's rights in Iran. The movie focuses on a young girl who impersonates a man in order to watch a soccer game, even though it is illegal for women to enter the stadium. Caught and captured, she's taken to an area where a number of other girls who tried to sneak in were also taken as punishment. Every so often, a new prisoner is brought in. They share stories of the glimpses of the game they saw before being seized, at times even recreating it with the other captives. The excitement and tenacity are palpable in these women; they couldn't care less that they were being arrested. The focus of the film occasionally shifts to the soldiers guarding them to expose and explore another viewpoint of the situation. Despite that, the film managed to elucidate little on the topic for me.

The movie is somehow both slow-paced and fascinating; it never bores you, but it's not particularly exciting either. All the characters sound dull-witted because they talk lethargically about banal topics. There is a lot of historical and cultural significance that went right over my head, so I wasn't able to fully enjoy the movie. The way the film was scripted made it clear that there were deeper meanings behind the characters' words and actions, and I knew the whole time that I was missing out on something. The way it was shot made the whole production feel amateurish and unprofessional. Don't get me wrong: it's not a poorly-made film. It just doesn't reveal anything too interesting to me that I didn't find out about from the trailer. For really incredible Iranian cinema, check out The Circle or The White Balloon (both by Panahi), but skip this one.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499537/

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

4/5

Tom Tykwer's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer follows the 18th century story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man with uncanny and unsurpassed olfactory capabilities, on his quest to concoct the perfect perfume. He can identify any smell and track it across miles of countryside. At the age of 17, in a horrifying and heartbreaking moment, he first experiences the ephemeral nature of smell; then and there he makes a commitment to uncover the secrets of capturing smell. Even human smells, regardless of the cost. The movie climaxes in a spellbinding, unforgettable, unexpected finale that may turn many viewers off, but will also entrance and excite just as many viewers. On display here is bold, unique filmmaking. And it is, without a doubt, worth watching.

While Tykwer utilizes a narrator, he never uses it to cheat. He lets scenes play out through restrained acting and subtle pacing; he creates moods with lighting and compositions; he forces us to care for the characters--not by telling us to, but by exposing us to their human side. Technically, the movie works on nearly every level. Yes, the cinematography and editing were crisp and pristine. Yes, the script and performances were right on key. But the movie is more than the sum of its parts. You feel like you can smell what he smells--and feel what he feels--just by watching the screen. That is movie magic.

The movie is not without a few flaws. At 2.5 hours, it's a bit too long, with some unnecessary scenes included and some ambiguous motifs repeteated. Much of the movie is simply uncomfortable to sit through, and the mood of the piece is more reminiscent of David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac) than Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, The International). Still, as I said before, this movie is worth watching. You will not see another movie quite like this one for a long, long time.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/

High School Musical (2006)

2/5

High School Musical is a made-for-TV movie--and it shows. The colors are oversaturated and almost garish, the acting is very much directed at the camera, and the plot and pacing progress in 20 minute increments. The story is simplistic and predictable, the characters are simplistic and predictable, and even the songs are simplistic and predictable. The musical qualities are just as uninspired and bland as the rest of the piece. In attempting to maintain its child-like innocence, the movie lacks a thematic maturity and professional sheen found in other films. And just to prove that those two are not mutually exclusive, compare this movie to any of Disney Pixar's nine nearly flawless films.

Still, the silliness is infectious and the budding romance is absolutely adorable. The characters' personalities, although flat, and their antics, although ridiculous, are pretty fun to watch. To the point where I wanted them to sing less because it took too much time away from the cheesy dialogue and preposterous scenarios. Another thing I liked was their wardrobe; they have some pretty awesome costumes. Still, I wouldn't recommend this movie to many people I know. (And the people I would recommend this movie to don't care about my opinions on movies anyway.)

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475293/

Final Destination 3 (2006)

1/5

Almost an exact replica of the first one, except with a roller coaster instead of an airplane, Final Destination 3 manages to break no new ground and sap out the humor that was infused into the series with the second one. Absolutely nothing kept my attention or interest. The boring, uninspired deaths were few and far between. The acting was absolutely atrocious, as was the characterization, writing, cinematography, editing, and anything else you can think of that might describe a movie. I'm not even gonna wait until the movie ends to post this review, because I am 100% certain that not even Scorsese, Tarantino, and the Coen brothers working together could come up with something that had the potential to undo the damage this film has already done in the first hour. My suggestion? If TNT ever shows all three in a row as it did tonight, avoid my mistake and just watch the first two.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414982/

Find Me Guilty (2006)

3/5

Sidney Lumet's Find Me Guilty is a fairly mediocre comedy/courtroom procedural. It's a novel mix of the two genres, but nothing particularly interesting or fascinating. I don't know what you'd get out of the film that's new in any way, but there were some funny moments, some tender ones, and some very exciting ones as well. Based on a true story, the plot follows Jackie DiNorscio as an underling in a huge mafia crime syndicate, on trial defending himself, as well as the rest of the family. There aren't that many twists and turns, so the basic premise is all that you get. If that doesn't sound appealing to you, the movie as a whole probably won't either. The real revelation in this movie is Vin Diesel. He takes on his character fully and makes him real, as well as likable. His stellar acting here makes me forget the quality of work he's been in before. The cinematography and editing are excellent, as in every Lumet film, but the other technical aspects are fairly forgettable. Enjoy if you wish, although you won't miss much if you decide not to check it out.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419749/

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

2/5

The Da Vinci Code is a faithful adaptation of a trashy airplane novel. Sure, it works, but at what level? The plot follows Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou as they try to uncover the mystery surrounding Tautou's grandfather's death in the Louvre. They soon realize that it is part of a far greater mystery involving the Holy Grail, the Priory of Scion, and Opus Dei. For those that care or know little about religion, this movie will surely bore you, as 90% of the time they are solving puzzles relating to ancient Christian cover-ups and lies. For those that hate the French, this movie will surely aggravate you, as 50% of it is in French. But for the rest, you might find it acceptable. After all, Hanks and Tautou are always excellent, and do their best with the somewhat lacking source material. While Howard's directing was expectedly subpar, it did provide some level of entertainment, albeit frustrating at some points.

After Howard and his incessant stylized flashbacks, mediocre cinematography, and terrible editing, the script was easily the next worst part about this movie. The writers were so faithful to the book that they decided to keep in all the bad parts. Novels must be adapted to work on the screen, not simply converted to the proper format. The first main problem is the pacing of the story. The book has about five different endings, which is bad enough in book form, but in movie form it just makes the last half hour drag painfully on and on and on. The second main problem is the atrocious dialogue. The plot elements themselves were quite silly and far-fetched, but interesting nonetheless. Still, I thought I would hate the movie based on all the negative reviews and anecdotal evidence I had heard about it, but I was surprised at how captivating it was. At least, how captivating it was late at night while simultaneously talking to friends online. I wouldn't go out of your way to check this out, but if you were excited about it at one point in your life, it might not hurt to catch it on TV.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382625/

The Break-Up (2006)

3/5

The Break-Up follows the humorous end of Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston's relationship. One good thing I can say about the movie is that I really had no idea how it was gonna end; it could have gone either way. That's a really rare trait in a romantic comedy these days. (And the wonderfully bittersweet end far exceeded my expectations.) Some of the antics felt really gimmicky. While they were advertised the most, the dialogue was really the focus. My two favorite parts were the arguments and the side characters (Justin Long as an exuberantly gay receptionist, Jon Favreau as Vaughn's friend, and Jason Bateman as their realtor). Oh, I also love movies set in Chicago now.

The acting actually impressed me, although it obviously wasn't Oscar-worthy. The editing was a bit experimental, especially for a studio film, and it didn't always work. The cinematography was pretty mediocre most of the time, although there was a surprisingly slick shot with Vince Vaughn's gawking face blocking Jennifer Aniston's naked body. The music fit, although it wasn't particularly noteworthy. All in all, a decent romantic comedy with some cheesy moments, but a story with heart. If you like romantic comedies, check this one out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452594/

John Tucker Must Die (2006)

3/5

John Tucker Must Die is a silly high school comedy for all the girls who aren't actually in high school yet. Its juvenile humor, dialogue, and acting worked for its target audience, but not for me. The plot concerns three high school hotties who all have a "special bond"--not a relationship--with John Tucker, only to realize he's a true player and cares not the least for each of them. They team up with a new kid in school, Kate, to make her into the most sought after prize and have her reject him. The plot gets a little more complex, as she realizes she's falling for him and that he may be worthy of redemption, but she also gets closer to Tucker's brother Scott. I truly found myself on the edge of my seat wondering how it would end. Unfortunately, the ending is lame and unintelligent. A food fight is involved, as well as a reference to an earlier scene, in itself bad, made worse by repetition. Perhaps that was the best ending they could come up with to satisfy as many of its audience members as possible.

There were some really clever gags and practical jokes. And it was always fun to see how John Tucker would spin it so that he came out looking even better than before. It was actually a pretty funny movie throughout. Kyle will attest to me laughing at least 3 times in Google Talk in all caps. (It was late though, and I probably laugh more when it's late.) Still, I had a very good time watching it, until the disappointing ending. If you're forced to see this movie, I don't think you'll claw your eyes out. Hey, you might even be pleasantly surprised. But I wouldn't make any effort to see it.

Note: The only reason I saw this was because I know the screenwriter, Jeff Lowell, and was tricked into seeing his latest film, Over Her Dead Body. I was told that this one was better; it was, but not by much.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455967/

Once (2006)

3/5

John Carney's Once is a movie for romantic music fans. The story is very simplistic, but also very honest, which gave it a refreshing and satisfying ending. It follows an Irish street musician in Dublin for about a week, during which time he meets and falls in love with a Czech girl. They both have an unrelenting love of music, which serves as the starting point for their relationship. But it's also the entire movie. They just sing songs together, too many songs, and it gets a bit old. Most of the songs are excellent, however, and in fact three in particular remain in my mind. It's no coincidence that they come at three of the most poignant moments in the movie. The first is when they first sit down and sing "Falling Slowly" together, the second is when the guy lets the girl write the lyrics to his song "If You Want Me," and the third is when we hear the girl sing a song she's written, "The Hill," but breaks down midway through and cannot finish.

Unfortunately, I found nothing more to the movie than that: a story that was at times moving (but also at times confusing) with a lot of music that was at times touching (but also at times overbearing). The acting was underwhelming--it felt like two people trying to act natural and ignore the camera--and the excessive swearing took a lot away from the romance. Accents were difficult to understand throughout. I didn't like the camerawork much at all. Sometimes it worked, but one time in particular it very much did not. When they first sing "Falling Slowly" together, the camera moves around like an antsy child. The camera becomes a person trapped in the room with them, at once removing the intimacy and romance. They should've stuck it on a tripod and let the musicians do their thing. So, granted there are a lot of mistakes in this short indie feature, but there are also a lot of things done right. And at 85 minutes, I think the successes outweigh the failures, so check it out if your interest is piqued.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/

The Fall (2006)

4/5

Tarsem's The Fall is a jaw-dropping visual feast. The colors and compositions, the costumes and locales--all work together to compose an unforgettable tapestry of images. The aesthetics in and of themselves are enough to spellbind any viewer, but the music integrates perfectly with the eye candy to create an even more breathtaking experience. The plot, however, could use some work.

It follows a depressed stuntman in a Los Angeles hospital with a young Romanian girl who broke her arm. In order to get morphine and commit suicide, he manipulates her by telling an epic story of five warriors attempting to kill the evil General Odious. The story he tells, and the movie's story overall, is exciting in the beginning, then seems to flounder and sag before eventually ending as conventionally as possible. Throughout the course of the movie, you realize that not much really happened and his story wasn't very good. (I did, however, appreciate the seemingly tacked-on ending and what it said about movies specifically and storytelling in general.)

Catinca Untaru plays the 5 year old with remarkable natural talent. You forget that she is acting at all, and that there are other people in the story. She steals every scene in the movie. The acting by the minor characters was somewhat flat, although that may simply be underdeveloped characters. And I thought the editing could use a lot of work; the movie needed to be half an hour shorter. Overall though, the visuals are enough for me to recommend this film to true fans of the cinema.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/

Rescue Dawn (2006)

3/5

Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn is a fictionalized account of the true story of an American pilot shot down over Laos, taken to a POW camp, and eventually rescued during the Vietnam conflict. It's a premise we've all seen before many times over, and unfortunately it brings nothing new to the table. It's not a bad movie, but it's not a good one either. I hate movies like this, because you can't praise it or make fun of it. It just sits there. Everything technical is mundane and mediocre. Nothing stands out whatsoever. I can't recommend it, but if it's your cup of tea, it's your cup of tea.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0462504/

The Namesake (2006)

3/5

The Namesake is the sprawling tale of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli as they move to America and raise a family. The movie was advertised as the story of their son Gogol and the pushes and pulls of both his American upbringing and Indian culture and tradition. He is in fact not the focus; rather it is about their entire family and the compromises that they must make living in two worlds. Sameer seems to have gotten more out of the movie than I did, likely because the story strikes a personal chord with him. Still, if one must be an Indian living in America to like this movie, then its audience pool is severely limited. I think it is a failing of the movie that I did not appreciate it more, as I know such a story can be more universal. Take My Big Fat Greek Wedding as an example; though it was drenched in Greek culture, most non-Westerners could relate to the kind of customs it depicted. Instead, this movie shows numerous Indian traditions without any attempt at explanation for non-Indians to understand or relate to. Oh well, at least there wasn't any song and dance in it.

The editing was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Most of the time I was disappointed by it, as it seemed to pick and choose random events in the lives of the Ganguli family. I never had a solid idea of where or when I was in the story. It would often shift abruptly to a different country or point in time, sometimes ten years in the future. What I did like about the editing was how the flashbacks were shown again in extended versions. It felt like a rite of passage; once we learned more about the family's growth in America, we got to witness more about their past. I liked the acting for the most part--Irfan Khan and Tabu stole the show as the parents Ashoke and Ashima. Kal Penn was decent, but neither complex nor subtle. I wasn't impressed with the writing, cinematography, or directing. I did like the music though. It's not a bad movie, but neither is it a good one ... unless perhaps you're an Indian living in America.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0433416/

This Is England (2006)

3/5

This Is England tells the story of a tiny 11-year-old boy who's bullied around by other kids and joins a group of skinheads because of the comfort and friendship they provide. Thomas Turgoose's portrayal of Shaun is a revelation for what child acting can and should be. The other people that inhabit this world are bizarre both outwardly and inwardly--and they are more real and more believable for it. The movie can be surprisingly tender at times, but more often than not is simply violent--verbally, psychologically, and physically. This is simple to portray and easy to create reactions in the audience. But it is neither new nor important, and it's a shame this movie spends a lot of time on that. Luckily, it also contains moments of lightness, humor, and real feeling that have a power and a freshness to them.

And it is truly one-of-a-kind. It evokes a flawless sense of time and place. This is due in large part to set design, costuming, and especially music. The music in this movie is brilliantly utilized; the songs succeed in both setting mood and revealing emotions. This comes to a fault sometimes, as the movie can rely too much on the music. The ending is also a bit of a disappointment. It is a coming-of-age story without the main character actually coming of age; he just learns a couple things about life here and there. But it just feels so hollow. You finish the movie and think, That's it?

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0480025/

Paprika (2006)

3/5

Paprika is an eye-popping visual feat of a movie. It is breathtaking, it is wondrous, it just doesn't make any sense. To be fair, I went in too tired to give it my rapt attention. I dozed off every now and again. I admit that is was beautiful and inventive, but other than that, what did it have to offer? The plot was rather trite except for absolutely ludicrous claims like dreams and the internet being the same. There were moments of extreme hilarity, but they felt forced and out of place. I didn't really take much out of the movie. But it does encourage me that Japanese animation truly is reaching for the stars. If only there were a way to combine Japanese ambition with American storytelling, then we'd have a winner.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0851578/

Idiocracy (2006)

2/5

Idiocracy is a stupid and terrible movie. I don't know how I convinced myself to watch it. It envisions the future as literally the dumbest time period of man's evolution ever. And it succeeds. The story was predictable, the characters shallow, and the humor, unfortunately, at the level of the citizens in this "idiocracy." Why would I laugh at that? Despite the movie being terrible, I did like the vision of the future, where advertising is everywhere and stupid people who reproduce more take over the world. It's a much smarter premise than the movie can deliver on. Please don't ever watch this movie. Kyle, you are wrong. It is not funny--it is awful.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

The Good Shepherd (2006)

4/5

It's been awhile since I saw a movie where I didn't think about how I was going to write the review while I was still watching it. Or look at the time. This movie is engaging from the start, entrancing in every aspect. Loosely based on real events and real people during the 50's and 60's as the CIA was being formed, the plot sucks in the attentive viewer and keeps them breathless the entire time. It's been advertised as a spy thriller, but in reality it's a thinking man's drama. It is meditative. It asks questions and pretends no answers.

I was impressed by the acting (especially Matt Damon's morally ambiguous protagonist), although some characters seemed extraordinarily flat and poorly cast. (I was particularly disappointed at Robert De Niro's and Angelina Jolie's relatively limited screen time.) I found the pacing nearly flawless, although ironically it also felt like some scenes were pointless or shoddily constructed. Most of the dialogue was unnecessarily convoluted and deceptive, to the point where the audience loses track of what people say and mean or pretend to say and mean. Also, I thought there were a couple unexplained events and/or plot holes, whichever you want to call them. All these negative aspects seem to point towards it having a lower score, but the movie is more than the sum of its parts. It's truly an experience, and one not to be missed.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0343737/

Wordplay (2006)

3/5

I love crosswords, so I loved this movie. Despite all my bashings, which I will do throughout the course of this review, I enjoyed myself thoroughly and recommend it to anyone at all who enjoys a good crossword puzzle. It is funny and enlightening throughout, as it takes us into the perspective of the creator, the editor, and the solver. That being said, this movie has more than its fair share of flaws. First of all, it's shot in SD, not HD, so it looks terrible. Second, you can see the filmmakers scurrying around in the background setting up cameras for the final tournament; terribly distracting. So really, just terribly terrible technically. A couple of the stories and talks seemed extended or out of nowhere, as if just to fill time and make it feature length. The editing was subpar, as I could hear every audio cut from different takes/times, but the special effects were amazing, specifically the filling in of the spaces on the puzzle. Overall, very enjoyable but cinematically lacking (kind of like Karl Rove, I Love You, although that movie was better than this one).

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0492506/

Paris, je t'aime (2006)

4/5

Paris, je t'aime consists of 18 stories all set in Paris that discuss some form of love. Some of the films intermingle those two requirements, but a lot of them don't. Being a compilation of so many different filmmakers, naturally some will be better than others. This movie has its fair share of bad apples, but also good apples and amazing apples, which made the overall experience really enjoyable. My favorites were by the Coen brothers (Tuileries), Alfonso Cuaron (Parc Monceau), and Alexander Payne (14e arrondissement). Close seconds belong to Tom Tykwer (Faubourg Saint-Denis), Oliver Schmitz (Place des fêtes), Sylvain Chomet (Tour Eiffel), and Walter Salles (Loin du 16e). Most of the rest were decent, and some were merely adequate, but Christopher Doyle's Port de Choisy (Chinatown) stands as far and away my least favorite of them all. And this seems to be the consensus that most people come to after seeing the film, but the great thing about this movie is that there are so many different stories you're almost bound to love one and like most of the others. After you're done you get a wonderful patchwork of emotions and ideas about what Paris is like ... and what love is like. This is by far the best compilation work I've ever seen and is definitely worth a watch. Think of it as a good Love Actually.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0401711/