themarina1 Reviews

Touch of Pink (2004)

Funny, mixed up love story

[8/10 · 9 August 2004]

Although I was at first confused by Kyle MacLachlan's character, once I figured out what was going on there, it was all ok.

This is a cute, if not old, movie about a man afraid of outing himself to his mother. In a funny turn of events, he ends up with mom visiting and his boyfriend loving her and, in the end, mom accepting the relationship.

What I loved best about this film were the quick one liners (cleaning orgy!) and the intimate look at life when everything is tied into appearances. A great little flick, this was thoroughly enjoyable!

8/10 Great entertainment value!

Secret Window (2004)

Slow and boring until the last few minutes

[4/10 · 9 August 2004]

This was hot high on my list of things to watch and now I know why.

Depp loses big in this flop of a movie. Though the story started off interestingly enough, it quickly lost momentum. Depp can't be blamed though. He does a great job of keeping the character of Mort interesting and dark. From the constant drunk appearance to the eerie and dark glances, he manages to create a very interesting, multi-dimensional character. However, the story dies shortly into the movie.

15 minutes in I found my mind wandering and I couldn't wait for it to be over. This feeling didn't go away until there were only 10 minutes left and the big "secret" was revealed.

This is not a great movie and Depp's performance is really wasted.

Not a movie worth watching.

5/10

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Cheesy but fun

[6/10 · 9 August 2004]

This was exactly what I expected. A cute story, not so great acting and a few laughs.

Nothing much to say about this flick except that the acting isn't to bad and the story really is very, very cute. Here we meet Jenna, a 13 yr. old girl trying to fit with the cool group. In a somewhat strange dream, she's sent to the future to see what her life has turned into and, basically, she hates herself and the life she leads as a backstabbing magazine editor. In the end, she wakes up being 13 again and basically changes her life.

Funny and cute, this is a great girls night movie.

7/10

The Mother (2003)

Surprisingly good

[9/10 · 9 August 2004]

A woman left alone after the death of her husband finds herself attracted to her son's friend and handy man. In a slightly twisted story, the woman begins sleeping with the handy man in an effort to revive herself. The twisted part? The handy man is also her daughter's on and off love interest.

As if this wasn't strange enough, the mother manages to fall for this man and when her daughter finds out, she blames not only her dysfunctional relationship but also her messed up life on her poor mother.

Though you may think badly of this woman, the truth is movie manages to portray her in a positive light. Beautifully played by Anne Reid, this character has dimension and portrays great emotion.

A truly brilliant performance and an enjoyable film.

8/10

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Impressive

[8/10 · 9 August 2004]

I was surprised by this film. I was expecting a cheesy, poorly acted flop but this turned out to be a well filmed, entertaining movie.

Not only was the story interesting but Kutcher managed to pull off a good performance and probably his best to date as Evan, the troubled and tormented young man who returns to the past in an effort to change the future for the better.

The director's cut, though long, managed to keep the viewer interested in the story until the very end. This is a smart, witty thriller that is well worth watching.

8/10

The Mummy Returns (2001)

Not the best follow-up

[7/10 · 9 August 2004]

The first of these wasn't a great film and this one fell further behind. Continuing from where the Mummy left off, in this installment, the body of the pries re-awakens and creates havoc.

The first movie had the benefit of a new, interesting cast and a possibly good movie but this second installment had nothing going for it. From the beginning it was obvious that this was simply a sad attempt of banking on the success of the first film. They didn't even have the decency of giving us a new story, the just recycled the old one.

What is left for us here is a movie full of nothing but special effects and, fortunately, the public is not yet dumb enough to accept this.

5/10 This installment had nothing going for it other than the cast and some redone fx

The Mummy (1999)

It's not Indy

[7/10 · 9 August 2004]

This movie wasn't exactly Indiana Jones but it did have it's moments.

Rachel Weisz plays the meek librarian who wants to be an archaeologist and, in an interesting turn of events, finds herself hunting for lost treasure with the help of her always in trouble brother (played by John Hannah) and the treasure hunting American (Canadian Boy Colin Fraser).

This movie provides some great special effects. Add in some hilarious moments and lots of action (fighting mummies and skeletons)and you have yourself a great little action movie. Thoroughly enjoyable indeed as long as you're not expecting Indy.

8/10

Mallrats (1995)

Funny - in that 90210 sort of way

[7/10 · 9 August 2004]

Jay and Silent Bob keep me watching these stupid though hilarious flicks. This is no deviation. This is a funny movie about a guy who is dumped by his girlfriend (who happens to be none other than 90210 b*tch Doherty) and his buddy T.S. who is also dumped by his girlfriend. These two losers end up at the mall in an effort to win back T.S. gf. In a funny turn of events, and a meeting with Stan Lee (talking about love ha!) these two manage to get back together with their respective girlfriends.

The really funny moments here are all thanks to our good buds Jay and Silent Bob. I just can't get enough of these goof balls!

8/10 for the funny content (oh yeah....Affleck also makes an appearance here)

The Doom Generation (1995)

Not a complete waste of time...really

[6/10 · 9 August 2004]

So this may not be the greatest movie ever made, heck, I'd be surprised if it was seen by more than a couple of thousand people, but it is an example of the excesses of the 20th century. Only a movie made after the 1990 could exhibit such violent, gruesome and disgusting scenes and still be made.

I can't quite remember what the story line was because I'm still trying to (3 years after watching it) get some of the mental pictures out of my head. From what I can remember, this is a road trip movie about 2 kids who pick up a 3rd and travel cross country getting themselves into trouble with a bunch of people along the way. Doesn't sound too bad but there are some bad, bad scenes

6/10 simply because it IS so obscene

De-Lovely (2004)

Bea-utiful!

[8/10 · 5 August 2004]

This is not generally a movie I would chose to see but I was outvoted by the group and "dragged" (hardly!) to see it. I had no idea who Cole Porter was but as soon as I heard the first song, I realized I knew much of the music.

This lovely film shows us Porter's life put to his music, literally "the music of my life". In itself, the story is better than fiction. No one could have written a better inner struggle and wonderful yet painful love story. To add, the acting here is very, very good and both Kline and Judd deliver truly believable performances.

If the divine music isn't enough, worry not. This film is also brimming with cameo appearances by some of music's top performers including Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow and Diana Krall to list just a few.

8/10 A truly lovely film and probably the best "musical"-drama of the year.

Before Sunset (2004)

Believable (though unlikely) love story

[10/10 · 3 August 2004]

Being that this starred Ethan Hawke, it wasn't hard to convince me to see this. I had heard some "rumor" of this being a follow up to another film but I paid little attention.

Truth be told, this is a brilliant film. I'm not quite sure which part is the best - the subtle acting or the casual conversation in which this film is written. From the very first instant, the audience is drawn into the story as a sort of "fly" who happens to be listening to two long lost friends and lovers. Both Hawke and Delpy are so comfortable and casual with each other that you feel as though this really happened and is not just some movie.

Hilariously witty dialogue and true to life observations, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. There is a definite passion that emits from both actors, creating an even stronger sense of belief in the possibility of this happening. Absolutely brilliant, this is one of the best films I've seen this year. Brilliant acting is only the beginning of the greatness of this film.

10/10 A MUST see!

The Village (2004)

Another great movie from a master of suspense

[8/10 · 3 August 2004]

Truth be told, I've been a fan of Shyamalan since I first saw the '6th Sense'. I was hoping against all odds that this guy would have more than one good movie to give us and boy, has he ever. With every new story, Shyamalan roots himself in the psyche as a master of suspense. His films are scary in the the same way that the "Blair Witch Project" was scary - by not showing us what we want to see.

Joaquin Phoenix is always excellent and this movie was no exception. The rest of the all star cast including Hurt and Weaver provided some great performances but the show taker was Bryce Howard, a relative new comer from a line of Hollywood royalty.

This is a fabulous film with a great story line that keeps you on your toes. I only wish Shyamalan had waited a little closer to the ending to show us the movie's hidden secret.

8/10 A great excuse for curling up to that special someone

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004)

The title had so much potential...

[5/10 · 3 August 2004]

And then the movie happened. I have a soft spot for quirky teenage geared movies and this looked like another I would thoroughly enjoy but, no luck.

The movie follows "Lola", played by Lindsay Lohan, a quirky, overactive imagination teenager who is transplanted from New York to New Jersey. The story and character had lots of potential but most of it was lost on a mediocre story line that only took baby attempts at using the potentially hilarious characters. As talented as she may be, Lohan had no chance to rescue this movie.

Disappointing, this movie left lots to be desired and much story potential to be developed. I would not be surprised if there's a spin off in a year or so.

5/10 It is a good watch for the pre-teen in the family!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Bad remake of a horror classic

[4/10 · 3 August 2004]

Most have seen the original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' mostly because it was (and probably still is) one of the grossest, vilest movies ever made. Is the story not only disturbing but the original was horrific. It has never been my cup of tea but I can understand why so many loved it.

This sorry attempt at revamping the original is pretty bad. You can't blame it on the actors though, there's only so much acting someone can do between loud screams and running away from the bad guy. Sadly, this wasn't just bad acting but it was a crummy story to boot. At least with a good story, you can still have some fun.

This was a slow, sad attempt at remaking a classic. There was nothing salvageable in this movie PLUS it didn't even make me jump. So much for scary.

4/10 a bad attempt at an already bad movie

City of God (2002)

Fabuloso!

[9/10 · 3 August 2004]

This is a brilliant story of 2 friends. The movie follows Buscape and Ze (played by Alexandre Rodrigues and Leandro Firmino), two youths that live in a favela outside of Rio de Janeiro. Although both boys grow up in the same place and under pretty much the same circumstances, Buscape become a photographer while Ze becomes the local drug lord, pretty much running the city. The story follows both boys through their lives from early 60's and into the 70's.

This movie is impressive on a number of different levels. It's not only a great story of people but it's also a brilliant gangster flick incorporating everything including guns, drugs and gang war. This film works for a number of reason but, primarily, it works because it makes you feel for the characters.

This outstanding story line is paired with a smart, witty script, great acting and some dazzling directing work. The package as a whole is brilliant.

9/10 Well worth watching

The Human Stain (2003)

A beautiful, sad story of love

[9/10 · 3 August 2004]

I missed this during it's theatrical release, writing it off as some lame attempt at a good movie. I was sorely mistaken.

True, this film is not perfect but it is a good movie. Hopkins plays Coleman, a Classics professor who quits his job and loses his wife and Kidman is Faunia, his troubled, much younger love interest. The unlikely paring of these two characters makes you wonder what they see in each other but as the story unfolds and we learn more about both of their lives, we begin to see that they connect in a very deep, meaningful way. They both share some very heartbreaking histories which allow them to communicate and understand each other in a way no one else can.

This is an amazing film with some gorgeous cinematography and some really outstanding acting - a truly great paring of two outstanding actors.

9/10 for an outstanding, touching film

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

The likable Riddick comes back for a bittersweet round 2

[7/10 · 3 August 2004]

SF fans may have seen this little film called Pitch Black a few years ago. For many, including me, this was our introduction to the soon to be very popular, Vin Diesel. Not only was Vin great as the hero, the story was very well done and a really great, enjoyable action flick. When I heard they were doing a 'sequel' I was curious.

I wasn't too sure what to expect but the ads looked interesting. What a mistake that was. Although the story had potential to be a great movie, something was missing here. I can't quite put my finger on it but there seemed to be a very large missing piece to keep this movie together (maybe a better story line????). Though I wasn't expecting great acting, I was also not expecting the complete crap that we're made to sit through. Although I wanted it to be good, this movie is not something I can recommend and still feel good about. It's slow, poorly acted and all around sleeper.

4/10

Ned Kelly (2003)

At times difficult to watch but still entertaining

[7/10 · 3 August 2004]

How could I possibly pass up the chance to see Orlando Bloom and Heath Ledger together? Well, I couldn't and so, I rented this mess of a movie.

I had never heard of Ned Kelly and was surprised by what I found out about this young man's legend. I was also surprised at how mediocre this movie was. Perhaps the fact that it was very, very late and at the end of a 4 hour movie marathon or maybe it was because it really is a little slow, I found this story difficult to follow. Not because the story is complicated, but because it is slow. Even with a slow story, Ledger and Bloom managed to create interesting, dimensional characters.

Though I flounder to recommend this as a must see, it is a great story of Australian history (considering how young the country is, this is very rare and should be appreciated) and the film does have some good actions sequences.

6/10 see it for historical value....(yeah right...and that's the only reason to see it... ;) )

Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

Beautiful film

[8/10 · 7 June 2004]

A beautiful story of how a great painting came to be, the movie follows young Griet, who is sent into the city to help her family by being a maid at the home of of the great painter Johannes Vermeer. There, she not only catches the eye of the painter but also that of the Van Ruijven, the regular patron.

Torn between the good match of the butcher boy and the impossible love of Vermeer, Griet allows herself to be made love to in paint rather than physically in what is now one of Vermeer's greatest works.

Languid and flowing, this film has the air of a masterpiece. With beautiful music and a great story it flows with great easy and surprisingly little dialogue. Johansson does a great job as the tortured Griet but Firth still has the air of Darcy about him, something I'm not sure he'll ever live down, and that takes away from his role.

All in all, this is a wonderful film well worth watching.

8/10

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Forgettable

[5/10 · 7 June 2004]

This was so forgettable I watched twice before I realized that I'd already seen it. Pretty sad if you ask me.

The second installment in the series, I really think the Potter phenomenon should have stuck to books but, marketing being what it is, I guess that's too much to ask. In this adventure, Harry and his friends get themselves involved with the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets which has been opened a second time and petrifying students all over Hogwarts.

These kids are indeed good actors. Emma Watson in particular never ceases to amaze me. She's a great actress in the making. An entertaining family movie but do yourself and your kids a favor and read the books instead.

5/10

The Far Side of the Moon (2003)

Quirky and thoughtful

[8/10 · 25 May 2004]

I read nothing of this movie before going in and I'm glad I didn't. I think I would have been put off by any reviews.

This is a great story of human interaction and sibling connection while exploring the depths of the great space race and how it affected one boy's life. Beautifully filmed and containing some truly amazing dialogue, Lepage manages to create an insightful, sometimes funny story of one man's struggle with life.

Lepage is a great talent. He not only starred in but also wrote and directed this great little movie. I think many will miss this one which is really sad. Movies like this should really be part of everyone's regular viewing. We'd all be much more enlightened characters if that was the case.

8/10 Innovative, fun and entertaining.

Whale Rider (2002)

Well deserved praise

[9/10 · 25 May 2004]

There was lots of talk of this movie when it came out but I missed it in the theater runs. I noticed that it was on Movie Central over the weekend and made a plan to see it.

What an amazing movie. Right from the beginning it manages to draw you into the story, the place and the people. Beautifully filmed and wonderful acting from a truly amazing cast, this is a story of changing culture and keeping strong ties with one's past. In a world where many of us have lost touch with our history, this is a great story of maintaining strong ties to culture and family. Truly beautiful and an amazing story makes this a great movie to share with family and a poignant reminder of the every day struggles to keep culture and beliefs alive in this modern world that we live in.

9/10

Shrek (2001)

Funny, funny funny!

[9/10 · 25 May 2004]

It's not often that you can sit and watch a great movie with your kids, one that works on two levels but this is one of the few that does this, and very successfully.

At first, I really had no interest in this, what I thought, odd movie and did my best to avoid watching it for over a year. But, when the video was released, I did break down and rented it and am I ever glad I did. This is a great comic romp which both the kids and the parents can enjoy. Kids will laugh at the utterly funny story, characters and happenings while parents will get a good laugh at the throw back to some of their favorite flicks. Eddie Murphy is hilarious as usual and adds the most to this funny movie. Add the really great animation and you have a great watch for the family!

9/10

Shrek 2 (2004)

They're all back!

[7/10 · 22 May 2004]

After avoiding watching the original for nearly a year and then being thoroughly surprised at how good it was, I was ready for laugh out loud comedy in the second installment.

And yes, this one is funny too but not nearly as funny as I thought it would be. With pot shots at many recent blockbusters, I thought this didn't quite meet my expectations. Yes, it is funny and has some really hysterical movies but it wasn't as funny as I thought it would be.

Banderas and Murphy are hilarious as expected but I wanted more from Ogre. The animation is fantastic but all in all, the comedy here leaves a little more to be desired. Still, this is a very entertaining movie and a definite must watch for fans of the original. Don't be fooled by the adds though, the first is still better.

7/10

Trapped (I) (2002)

Well acted, interesting movie

[8/10 · 22 May 2004]

I hadn't even heard of this movie and was surprised to find not one or two but 5 great actors in this movie. And I can see why. This is a smart thriller about a kidnapping. This sort of starts off as a typical Hollywood blockbuster and it certainly ends like one but the story and the way it unfolds is very good.

This was a strong script with beautiful cinematography (again, in Vancouver), great acting. Theron proves here once more that she is a strong actress with much skill and much more potential. To boot, this has a really great action sequence near the end. A good, entertaining movie, this is a definite watch.

8/10