Wedded Bliss?

Star Telegram

"thoughtfully explores how some relationships are destined, despite the odds" ... "(Wedded Bliss?) is entertaining and moving" ... "performances are honest" Read Complete Review

City of God

A-

Wow! What a powerful film. And to know that all the actors were slum kids non-professional. I loved the structure of this film from the screenplay to the awesome editing. Great pace! Catch this flick!

Monster

B+

This movie is strictly about Charlize Theron's transformation from her usual hotness to something quite different. It does a good job of taking you into the mind of a complex personality. And Charlize makes that journey more effective. However, I still felt like a really good performance was trapped in an OK movie.

The Cooler

B

Well made Vegas flick with good ensemble acting by Macy, Baldwin and esp Maria Belo - who looks a lot like Sharon Stone.

Big Fish

B-

I connected with the father-son relationship in this film because of my own relationship with my father. My dad loves to talk - so I could totally identify. However, Burton's imagination does not manage to close in in quite the right way.

Mona Lisa Smile

C-

I do have a tender spot for teacher flicks - but this movie is so contrived that it managed to miss even my very large tender spot.

House of Sand and Fog

A-

Great adaptation of a very complex book. There are so many emotions at play in this film - who's right? who's wrong? how do we decide who to root for? Sir Ben Kingsley delivers another outstanding performance after last year's Sexy Beast - beautifully matched step to step by (my fav) Jennifer Connelly! A must see!

Cold Mountain

B+

Once agina Minghella directs a beauty that captures your imagination and takes you back in time. Forget about Nicole this movie belongs to Rene Z.

LOC Kargil

C

Very disappointing. J. P. would have been better off picking one regiment, a lot fewer stars, and following them through the entire engagement. It would have allowed his audience to build a rapport with a few characters rather than none with a lot of stars.

Lost in Translation

A-

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansen are spellbinding. The movie speaks so much with so few words. I loved the cinematography. Kudos to Sofia - but please don't call this an independent film - nobody whose dad is Francis Copolla can EVER make an independent film!

LOTR: The Return of the King

B+

The journey comes to an end - but who wanted it to? Not me for sure. My all time fav cgi character would have to be Gollum! Great sweeping epic cinematography - wonderful battle sequences.

In America

A-

Touching story from Jim Sheridan who offers several glimpses into his own life getting help from his two daughters to write the screenplay. The two little girls in the movie were great as was the rest of the cast. If you want to watch a small movie with a lot of heart this is where to go.

Kal Ho Na Ho

C

Has its moments - but it truly is getting difficult to differentiate one Dharma/Yashraj film from another - and that can't be a good thing. The ending dragged - lots of dumb things - your friend is dying but you can't postpone your wedding! Why does SRK have to hold his heart while he talked? Songs are pretty good - and Saif and Preity are fun. Shah Rukh really goes over the top esp in some scenes.

21 Grams

A+

Oh boy! You couldn't pick three finer actors and put them in a finer movie! 'Nuff said! It is now my dream to make a movie with Sean Penn, Naomi Watts (man she's hot!) and Benicio Del Toro!

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

B+

Good adventure movie. I liked how the entire film was set on one ship. Russell Crowe is rather good. Good movie for boys, tho.

Mystic River

A

Loved it. Sean Penn is climbing to the top of my all time favorite actors. Oh one more movie to link back to the Kevin Bacon game!

Love Actually

C+

Could've cut out a few stories and tightened up the movie while developing the other characters some more. I still like Hugh Grant.

The Italian Job

B+

Finally a great heist film - with cool car chase scenes. Nothing memorable here - but I had a jolly good time. BTW have I ever mentioned Charlize Theron is hot! :)

Finding Nemo

C+

Good fare but targeted at kids. IMHO not as adult transferable as Shrek or A Bug's Life. In any case you gotta watch it in DLP.

Bruce Almighty

B-

One of the better Jim Carrey films in recent times. Some of the scenes are truly laugh-out-loud funny and Morgan Freeman is awesome as usual.

The Matrix Reloaded

A-

I am getting ready to go watch it again as I am still sorting a few ideas out. But what an impressive follow-up - you gotta keep your expectations in check this is by far one of the better films of 2003. I can't wait for Revolutions!

X2 - X Men United

B+

Pleasantly surprised with this film - actually liked it better than the first one. Lots of loopholes with the superpowers but a good summer film.

Bend it Like Beckham

B-

This is an average movie from my perspective - nothing new here. It's all been done before with different colored people. My hypothesis - the movie is so successful because of the soccer girls and their moms who are running to the theater to watch the film. Personally I liked Monsoon Wedding a lot more!

Anger Management

C

SOSDM. (Same old shit ... different movie)

Identity

B

A whodunnit with a serious twist which actually engages you - surprisingly enough. But getting to that point is nothing new.

Confidence

B+

Smart intelligent film with a superb supporting performance from Dustin Hoffman. Movie moves at a nice pace and provides a nice break from the routine.

The Hours

A-

What a beautifully acted film with haunting performances from Kidman, Moore and Streep. A powerful film that dives deeper as the surface doesn't always portray reality. How true.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

B+

An impressive debut by director George Clooney - and another remarkable script from Charlie Kauffman. Lots of fantastic shots - perhaps just a little too much style.

The Hours

A-

What a beautifully acted film with haunting performances from Kidman, Moore and Streep. A powerful film that dives deeper as the surface doesn't always portray reality. How true.

About Schmidt

A-

Jack Nicholson gives an amazingly subtle performance - unlike his wild image. A self discovery movie - but I really like the message. Great supporting cast - but it's all about Jack in this one.

Adaptation

A-

One of the weirdest, funniest, most original screenplay I have seen in a long time. Charlie Kauffman and Spike Jonz deserve all the credit - albeit the performances are also incredible.

Evelyn

B-

Good story - average movie. Seemed a little disjointed at parts.

LOTR: The Two Towers

A-

I was not a fan of the first episode (one of the few, I know) - but I really liked this sequel. The story really develops as do the characters. And even though I know a lot of what I am seeing is CGI - I was still awestruck at the battle scene and Gourum is simply unbelievable - by far the best CGI character ever.

Catch Me If You Can

C+

I would have rated it even lower had I not known that it was based on reality. I wanted to know more about HOW Frank pulled everything off - instead of WHY. When are we going to stop "justifying" bad actions by lead characters in films?

Gangs of New York

B+

Daniel-Day Lewis gives the best performance I have seen from ANY actor in the last decade. The production design is mindblowing and the direction is superfluous. However, the plot does boil down to a basic "revenge" story - which was a slight let down ... but only slight.

Saathiya

B

It's almost a shot-to-shot remake of Mani Rathnam's Alai Payuthey - and I liked the original much more. I'd rather watch that on DVD anyday!

Kaante

D

I really didn't like this desi remake of Reservoir Dogs - the whole charm of RD was the fact that you never saw the heist - it's not supposed to be an action film! And please please stop morally justifying characters' behaviors! Why couldn't Bachchan be planning a robbery for some other reason than for his sick wife .. c'mon!

Two Weeks Notice

B-

Cliched movie - but it somewhat works due to the chemistry between Bullock and Grant. Watchable fare - good video flick!

Maid in Manhattan

D

Cliched movie with absolutely no chemistry and a very wooden Ralph Fienes.

Solaris

B+

Interesting sci-fi film shot in a fascinating surreal manner. Soderbergh bounces back after a dissapointing FF - this movie really made me think on the way home - about reality and percpetion.

Die Another Day

C-

Dead on Arrival. Starts off interesting though - showing some vulnerability to the Bond character - but than just totally falls apart.

Harry Potter

B-

Well made film - but at the end of the day it's targeted at kids and I tended to get bored.

Frida

A-

Visually stunning portrayal of Frida's life. For anyone who knows her art - this film offers a revealing explanation of the events leading to the creation of each painting.

8 Mile

B

Cliched - and seemed almost PG compared to what I was expecting from Shady. But I really like the rhymes - and Eminem gives a fine performance.

The Truth About Charlie

B-

Light-hearted old fashioned cinema with a peppy zip to it. Thandie Newton may be no Audrey Hepburn but she possesses some undescribable charm - which works well with Mark Wahlberg.

Punch Drunk Love

A-

A superb dark comedy! P.T. Andersen rises again after a not so effective Magnolia - and Sandler and Watson are terrific to watch. Beautifully made - and I loved the music! Don't miss this one!!

Deewangee

D

Primal Fear remake - and Devgan is no Edward Norton. This movie was really quite a bore!

The Ring

B

Dark rainy remake of a Japanese hit. Lots of unanswered questions - yet full of powerful images that capture your imagination. One of the creepiest opening sequences in a while.

Tumhari Amrita

A-

Not a movie - but a Hindi play. What a beautifuly written piece - all my kudos to the writer Javed Siddiqui. Shabana and Farookh's performances are terrific!

Road

C-

What a bummer - this stylistic film never came together. All the style in the world is useless w/o a decent script. I expected a lot from this movie but it didn't deliver.

Red Dragon

B+

Ralph Fienies shines in this remake of "Manhunter". Impressive assembly of cast who all perform really well - Hopkins, Norton, Watson, Keitel etc.

Sweet Home Alabama

C

Somewhere between Legally Blonde and Cruel Intentions. Reese rounds up $40m at the box office - now she's a star. Not particularly good in Alabama, though.

Trapped

B

I dunno - I liked this movie - given the genre that it was playing in. I thought it was a good popcorn movie - and Charlize Theron is hot!

The Four Feathers

B

Great cinematic experience - however I wish Shekhar Kapoor had tightened the film a bit. However, it does have some really pretty sequences and Heath Ledge really impresses - it's a shame the Oscars will miss him - since the movie was a wash at the box office!

One Hour Photo

C-

Interesting concept - poorly executed. The movie could have and should have been a lot better - but it moved way too slow.

Dil Hai Tumarah

D-

Puh-leeeaz!! What a waste of talent! Ekdum kachara film thi yaar!

Agni Varsha

B-

Good simple filmmaking - but it had too many subplots and that got a little distracting. Milind Soman was impressive as was Raveena. Bachchan is hardly there.

Blood Work

B-

Poor production quality yet an interesting plot from an equally interesting book. Keeps you engaged.

Mujhse Dosti Karoge

C

Another Kuch Kuch Hota Hai wannabe! Will Yash Chopra get stuck in this genre forever? Hrithik plays Shah Rukh, Rani plays Kajol and Kareena plays Rani - watch KKHH again rather than this poor remake.

Blue Crush

C+

Made me wanna head out to the beach after watching this flick. I wish there was more Michelle!

XXX

C-

I like Diesel. I liked Fast and the Furious. I left my brain at the door for XXX - but I was still bored. I walked out with a headache.

Full Frontal

C-

Soderbergh really dissapoints. The concept coulda worked ... but it didn't! Very confusing and makes DV look bad! :(

Signs

B-

Good filmmaking - some nice shots. However big plot holes persist and I have a big philosophical disagreement with the message!

Lovely and Amazing

B

Heartwarming movie about a family of women dealing with self-acceptance. Catherine Keener and Raven Goodwin are amazing.

Austin Powers - Goldmember

C

I wanted this movie to be funnier. It wasn't. Same jokes - different movie. Is it time to retire Austin Powers?

Reign of Fire

D-

Worst movie I have seen in a while. I had to walk out since I was getting so restless!

Road to Perdition

B-

Good - but slow - and no way near as good as Godfather as some critics claim.

Devdas

B+

A visual delight! Beautiful music! Read my detailed review.

Humraaz

C

Another take on Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder. But it had some interesting differences - enough to hold your attention.

Men in Black II

D

Other than a few lines from Frank the dog - this was a total washout! Please don't make another one!

Minority Report

B+

Well-paced great summer movie! Cruise is good - even though Spielberg loses tightness towards the end of the movie.

The Bourne Identity

B

Damon brings intelligence to summer blockbusers. Loose plot.

The Sum of All Fears

C

Ben, oh Ben. Only reason I stayed engaged is because in today's world such a scenario is possible - but wishy-washy treatment from director.

The Legend of Bhagat Singh

B-

Great attempt even though movie loses itself at times. Devgan gives a strong performance. Read my detailed review.

Baran

B-

Nicely made sweet film about young budding love from Iran.

Late Marriage

B-

It was interesting to see arranged marriages - something that to me has always been such an "Indian" concept - applied in a different cultural setting. One of the best sex scenes I have ever seen in any film.

Insomnia

B+

Superb acting by all three: Pacino, Williams and Swank. Great follow-up to Memento by Nolan.

Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood

B-

Ashley Judd was wonderful and stole the show in an enchanting chick flick.

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

C+

Too many conversations - didn't quite tie up as neatly as I would have liked.

About a Boy

B-

Grant gives a good performance in an overall likeable film.

Cure

B+

A truly engaging picture from new director Kurosawa. Hypnotic.

Unfaithful

B+

Intelligent adult-oriented film that explores deception between a husband and wife. My favorite genre. Diane Lane is hot!

Episode II: Attack of the Clones

B+

I am a Star Wars fan. 'Nuff Said. Besides I watched it on DLP and it kicked ass!

Spiderman

C+

So so movie. Couldn't stand: 1) Kristen Dunst 2) Green Goblin costume and 3)All the hype!