Walk the Line - 4.5 stars

I've been a fan of Joaquin Pheonix for a long time. I thought I first saw him as a teenager in To Die For with Nicole Kidman, but he was awesome as the troubled teenager, Garry, in Parenthood. I had no idea he is the same person as Leaf Phoenix! With Walk the Line, Joaquin has just solidified his place as an A-List actor. He's compelling and believable as Johnny Cash with a wonderful performance by Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash. Both leads do their own singing and instrumentation.

This film is an unually good biopic. Usually I find them to be pretty boring unless you are already obsessed with the subject. Walk the Line is actually a really good film in its own right, especially if you enjoy Cash's music. One of my favorite things about the movie is his tours, friendships, and references to other famous musicians of the era including Elvis, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Bob Dylan.

A History of Violence - 2 stars

A History of Violence was a letdown. I usually enjoy movies with the theme that you never really know someone or twisty-turny mysteries. This movie fails because there is no surprise. You know from the previews that Viggo Mortensen's character is suspiciously handy a killing people when a couple of lowlifes try to rob his restaurant. Well, that's the end of the surprises. It's a watchable film, but only a fraction of what it could be. Maria Bello is disappointing and gratuitously naked, while Ed Harris is poorly type-cast.

Loggerheads - 4 stars

I saw Loggerheads at the SB Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. I was expecting movies at the FF to be a bit racey, so was a bit surprised by Loggerheads. The film has a mezmorizing quality, slowly bringing you along the very personal story. There are several main characters/families that all come together at the end. I don't want to give away the ending, so I'm not going to say a lot about the story. The acting is really good and the story rings true, but the thing I really liked was the directing. The pace of the dialogue, feel of the cameras, and underacting make this an excellent movie.

The Director did a Q&A after the film, revealing the differences between the story and the reality. Let me know if you would like the details & I'll email you. It's only running in select cities and not yet available on DVD. Netflix members can save it to your queue though.

Need another reason to watch it? Try the eye candy playing "Mark."

Magnolia - 3.5 stars

I'm giving Magnolia 3.5 stars because I found it truely amazing the first time I saw it, but now I'm having a really hard time sitting through it.

This is a movie about 2 dying old men, their families, and others who they have touched (for better or worse) throughout their lives. It's less of a life reflection piece as it is a bunch of intertwining stories about facing hard realities which is supposed to demostrate fate and how things are all tied together.

The film has an awesome ensemble cast including Tom Cruise (actually acting very well), the stunning Julianne Moore, Jason Robards in his last film, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, and the brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's beautifully made, the acting and casting are great, but it's 3 hours long and I already know how it ends. So, I'd watch it once on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Serenity - 3.5 stars

Serenity is basically Star Wars. It's a sci-fi flick about a bunch of rebels who were on the losing side of the galactic civil war. The story is well told, the special effects are enjoyable, and the casting is 90% great (the mechanic is a ditz). Plus it's nice to see a culturally integrated cast & story. There are several fun moments including the introduction of Mr. Wonderful's "wifebot." The movie is an extension of the TV show Firefly, with the same cast. I haven't seen Firefly yet, but I'm going to check it out.

11/17/05 Update: I just watched the first 3 episodes of Firefly. While they are entertaining, the film Serenity is enough.

Farenheight 9/11 - 5 stars

I believe Michael Moore to be one of the most important social critics and political activists of our time. Today, media is dominated by a very small group of massive corporations. These are the same corporations which are polluting our air and water, profiting from war, and enjoying the splendors of profiting off the working poor. Michael Moore not only has the courage to uncover the awful truth, but does so in a way which is actually watchable. Whether or not you agree with his strong point of view that GWB is an incompetent war monger, he is finally saying something different to the masses than the concept that America is the benevolent dictator keeping order and balance in the world for the safety of it's citizens and everyone else. This film is shockingly well documented. I can't believe the kind of footage that they were able to obtain. It's raw, thought-provoking, and hard to watch. You should see it if you have any political opinions or care about the future of our country.

The Human Stain - 3 stars

The Human Stain is not at all what I thought. The name made me think it would be a disturbing psycho thriller, somthing difficult to watch about a scourge on humanity. In reality, the movie is about ordinary people with difficult pasts who are trying to make their way in the world. Each of them has some past life that's difficult to face which impairs their ability to be close to others. Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman are, as always, consistently good. It's a treat to watch Ed Harris and Wentworth Miller is almost erie in his portrayal of a young Anthony Hopkins. His intonation and timing are perfect impersonations of Hopkins while he still owns the character he's playing.

The movie is disappointing because it doesn't come to much of a climax after pulling you along a well told story of several characters' struggle with their past. It's a pretty good watch, but probably not worth seeing twice.

The Believer - 3 stars

The Believer is a story of a Jewish 20-something who becomes a neo-Nazi. The subject is obviously intriguing, and the acting is compelling, but the writing leaves something to be desired. The lead confronts his various beliefs, but not for any clear reasons. His convictions are so strong that you would expect major events to force change. His evolution is anti-climactic, and thus a disappointment. The best movie I've ever seen in this genre, and one of my all time favorites, is American History X, starring the amazing Edward Norton. Any film buff with a strong stomach should watch it.

Crash - 4.5 stars

Jim & I just watched Crash, written and directed by Paul Haggis. I was really excited about this because Haggis was one of my Environment California donors. He's a great guy and was working on this project when I knew him and was working in L.A.

This is a beautifully written and acted film about Angelenos confronting their own racism. There are a wide range of characters from all walks of life who randomly come in contact with each other under various circumstances. The tension runs high and parts are hard to watch, but it's well worth the watch.

Another bonus is the amazing ensemble cast - Sandra Bullock (who I usually HATE) was perfectly cast, Don Cheadle is always good, Tony Danza makes a small cameo, Matt Dillon gives a stunning performance, plus newcomer Ludacris all star in the film.

And the Band Played On - 4 stars

And the Band Played On is the history of the AIDS epidemic. I was looking forward to watching this because I now work for an HIV/AIDS organization, but don't know a heck of a lot about the disease. The historical movie chronicles the early story of the disease, focusing on the outbreak's impact in San Francisco and the CDC's response. It's so well done that it feels like a feature film.