A bunch of bungling crooks led by a career criminal (Woody Allen) devise the perfect crime by leasing a storefront and tunneling into the bank vault next door. However, when their cookie business front becomes a massive success and the bank job falls through, they become rich beyond their wildest dreams and Allen's uncultured wife (Tracey Ullman) hires a suave but disingenuous cad (Hugh Grant) as a Henry Higgins-like instructor. Made at a time when Woody was beginning to go out of fashion and entering a so called slump, Small Time Crooks is as funny and diverting as any of his light comedies and contains a hysterical Ullman performance who is given some of the movie's funniest lines.

*** out of ****

A philosophizing postman (Janos Valuska) is stirred, along with the rest of the members of his Eastern European village, by the arrival of the circus (with an extended panel truck hauling a whale as its centerpiece) and a nihilistic prophet. Bela Tarr's challenging but rewarding Werckmeister Harmonies generates scenes of wonder with great camerawork and a sparing using of Mihaly Vig's profound score (the opening is worth the price of admission alone) and is interspersed with other protracted, dull sequences.  Valuska is expressive and just right for the role.

*** 1/2 out of ****

A woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) believing her strained marriage to a workaholic scientist (Harrison Ford) has been repaired begins seeing  spectral visions in their seaside cottage. Except for a finale that turns into a cliched slasher picture and doesn't know when to quit, Robert Zemeckis' What Lies Beneath is a well paced, astutely crafted psychological thriller made in the best Hitchcockian traditions.

*** 1/2 out of ****

A single mother (Bjork) in 1964 Washington rapidly losing her vision saves every penny earned at her factory job, which she barely hangs on to thanks to the help of a kindly coworker (Catherine Deneuve), so she can procure an ocular operation to ensure her son won't suffer the same fate. Freely breaking into  song and dance numbers while preparing for a stage production of Sound of Music and brushing off a strange admirer (Peter Stormare), her life takes a bleak turn when a law enforcement officer (David Morse) commits a callow offense against her. Lars von Trier's bizarre take on the Hollywood musical works surprisingly well, thanks to Bjork's affecting performance, some very entertaining musical numbers, and the director's expectedly unusual flourishes. Aaso working beyond reason is its cliched, outmoded and nonetheless engaging story while unexpected performers such as Deneuve and a late arriving Joel Grey add to the arrestment.

Three bumbling country fed nincompoops led by the confounded rapscallion Ulysses Everett McGill escape from a Mississippi chain gang and brave hell and high water to return home to their self-appointed leaders' sweetheart. Sometimes movies are best left in the time and place you first met them and I was disappointed when I found some of the fun taken out of O Brother, Where Art Thou? my last time through. During this go round the laughs seemed scant and George Clooney struggled with his southern accent while the Coen Brothers were unable to find direction for their desultory riff on The Odyssey. It is possible, since I am in the minority of those who don't find Raising Arizona to be comic gold exactly that I just don't care for their flat out screwball stuff. O Brother still has its moments and the bluegrassy soundtrack is still worthy of all its accolades.

John D. Rockefeller, the son of a traveling con artist and a devout mother, was a callous businessman with great disdain for his competition and the public. He would go on to amass one of the greatest fortunes the world has seen, give much of it back, and create a legacy shrouded in contradiction and mystery. The Rockefellers is a fascinating profile, mostly focusing the life of the family's patriarch, and told by many of his progeny. The film is admirable for not taking the hard line and instead offers a sweeping and often sympathetic view of the oil magnate.

"Yi Yi" ("A One and a Two" in Chinese) is an examination of a Tapei family coping with the illness of their matriarch, who is in a coma following a stroke. Her son is an ethical businessman who is entering an uneasy business deal while his wife embarks on a retreat after enduring a midlife crisis. Also their daughter engages in her first, tumultuous relationship while their young song uses photography as a form of escapism for the difficulties he faces at school. Given its material and content, Edward Yang's epic length film is unnecessarily protracted but still features some great cinematography and some poignant observations and performances.

When NASA discovers an antiquated Russian satellite free falling towards Earth, the only hope in changing its trajectory is an old geezer (Clint Eastwood) who designed its system 30 years prior, and who is bitter as hell at being left out of the space program. He agrees to partake in the mission only if he can bring along his old, likewise forsaken crew (Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner, Donald Sutherland) to live out their unlikely dream. The Eastwood helmed "Space Cowboys" is an entertaining geriatric fantasy with fun performances from its veteran cast, with Sutherland being a particular standout. It is fun until the final third when the mission reaches outer space and becomes anticlimactic and bogged down by technical details which fail to convey the enormity of the situation.

In a British mining community in the early 80s, in the midst of a union strike his bitter father and rebellious brother are taking part in, a sensitive young boy catches the eye of the local ballet troupe during his boxing instruction and, against all logical probability, determines to be a dancer. Director Stephen Daldry's smash hit works great as series of self-contained scenes, but is jumbled and incoherent when strung together, especially the interspersed dances sequences. The same can be said of the strike scene are also superbly crafted but play no better than a music video and add very little to the picture. The movie does have true spirit, although many of its endearing turns aren't always believable  That being said, Jamie Bell thrives in the title role and Julie Walters is a standout as his dance instructor.

Following the death of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), his top general and confidant (Russell Crowe) is betrayed by the late emperor's envious son (Joaquin Phoenix). Having escaped execution and witnessed the massacre of his family, the once proud general trains as a gladiator and plots his revenge for his glorious and bloody return to Rome. Ridley Scott's Best Picture winner is a rousing and violent epic, which features refined performances from an impassioned Crowe (also an Oscar winner here) and brooding Phoenix, both of whom are excellent. The film is wonderfully directed by Scott, and features some great fight sequences, but is seriously marred by its cheap, shoddy transitional scenery and some quite odious and obvious CGI.

A newspaperman and a secretary move into adjoining rooms on the same day in a crowded 1962 Hong Kong apartment. The two slowly form a friendship and gradually realize that both their spouses are having affairs, with each other to boot. Instead of acting on their own romantic feelings for each other, the two decide to uphold their marriage vows while reenacting just what could have happened to push their partners into each other's arms. "In the Mood for Love" is a sorrowful, laconic, and gorgeous film from director Kar Wai Wong, who does a masterful job of staging and presenting his film. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung are excellent in the their roles and do a superb job of conveying feelings of unrequited love. Watching this film however, while becoming submerged in the sumptuous visuals, I found myself totally uninvolved in the story. Wong has crafted a magnificently looking, impeccably crafted film featuring two magnetic leads with a plodding story that doesn't do the other elements justice.

In May of 1993, the mutilated bodies of three young children were found in the woods near Robin Hood Hills of West Memphis, Arkansas and soon thereafter three teen aged boys were charged with the murder. Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky began documenting the case, offering time to both the victim's family as well as the accused and, as the case began to take the national spotlight, it becomes clear that this is no straightforward prosecution. As questionable police interrogation techniques surface, circumstantial evidence is used by the prosecution, and an overzealous stepfather to one of the victims begins hoarding the spotlight, a great doubt is a cast over the accused's guilt. (Spoilers) Beginning with "The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" in 1996, returning six later in visit the West Memphis 3 in prison and get updates from the participants in "Revelations", and finally with their release in the latest installment entitled "Purgatory", Berlinger and Sinofsky use the medium of film to present a gross miscarriage of justice and to call into question the justice system and how our prejudices affect our judgement. The "Paradise Lost" films are a surreal and powerful look at a harrowing case, which also can come off as manipulative and self-promoting. At times, even the filmmakers areguilty of bearing the same kind of prejudice which led to the conviction of its subjects. Still, Berlinger and Sinofsky have a great eye for this kind of filmmaking and it is the small details, such as one of the defendants combing his hair before appearing on the stand or people laughing before giving serious interviews to news cameras, that give these films such power. Beginning with the grisly murders, it would have been impossible to see where this case led and in spite of some questionable practices of their own, Berlinger and Sinofsky have crafted a heartbreaking look at a tragic event rocking a small town, that speaks volumes about our justice system and our prejudices.

A child psychologist (Jennifer Lopez) is developing a new form of therapy on one of her comatose patients whereby she enters the subject's subconscious. When a serial killer (Vincent D'Onofrio) is incapacitated during his arrest, leaving of his victims in a timed water chamber of unknown whereabouts, an FBI investigator (Vince Vaughn) persuades the psychologist to use her technique to enter the diabolical realms of the killer's psyche. "The Cell" is the debut feature film from Tarsem Singh, who is known for his astounding visuals in music videos, "The Fall", and even the unheralded "Immortals". In "The Cell", Singh offers us a vivid and surreal dream world on top of a pretty intriguing serial killer picture. Jennifer Lopez is surprisingly magnetic in the lead role and I like Vince Vaughn's work as the jaded federal agent. Vincent D'Onofrio turns in another creepy performance, the likes of which he has come to be known by. The film does seem to wrap up too quickly and arrives at its conclusion with too much ease though. While watching "The Cell", I couldn't help but think of "Inception" and while that movie has garnered endless amounts of praise, it seems to me that this film handles a similar subject with more tact, plausibility, and character development, thus creating a dream world of people we actually know and care about, and set against a darkly beautiful backdrop.

12/19/12 I watched this film again and while it does require patience and is not immediately accessible,  it is a beautiful and poetic film about longing, which contains exciting action pieces as well as wonderful character development. Ang Lee's direction is marvelous and stunning and the three leads, Yun-Fat Chow, Michelle Yeoh, and Ziyi Zhang are truly excellent in their roles. *** 1/2

6/30/10 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an Academy Award winning film from a versatile director that contains beautiful scenery and wonderful choreography, and it is a movie that I can never seem to get into. It is basically the story of two women, one arranged to be married into nobility but who strives for a life of crime, and one who has settled for a warrior's life, lived by its code, and regrets not expressing her love to her warrior partner. As the former steals an all powerful sword from the latter a deadly battle ensues where both will have to make unforeseeable choices. Director Ang Lee, who seems at home in any genre, strives to make a classic martial arts movie while blending in Matrix like choreographed fight scenes. Although I said this is a hard film to get into, I am recommending it because its scenery is too beautiful and its weightless fight scenes are too awesome not too. ***

A study was once done that determined that more people had seen the face of Lucille Ball then any other face in the course of human history. The plucky red head who struggled for years finding her place in Hollywood, got in on the ground floor of television, and with her fiery Cuban bandleader husband Desi Arnez, crafted one of the most endearing and beloved personalities and TV shows ever. "Finding Lucy" isn't so much a retrospective of Ball's life, something the "American Masters" series does so incredibly well, rather than an "I Love Lucy" clip show. While giving us few fleeting insights to and moments of her life, this program is mostly concerned with her monumental television show than it is in being a personal portrait. The narration is also terribly written and spoken and considerably damages this documentary also.

A mysterious, nomadic woman (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter settle into a small, cloistered French village dominated by the local Church and open a confectionery at the outset of the Lenten season, much to the perturb of the rigid town mayor (Alfred Molina). Offering desert oriented remedies to the townspeople and gradually becoming involved in their lives, the town becomes further disrupted by the arrival of river gypsies led by an equally mysterious Irish captain (Johnny Depp), who garners the affection of the young woman and gives the mayor an opportunity to impose his strict morality. "Chocolat" is the kind of offbeat and well directed sentimental fare that we've come to expect from Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom and features a nice performance from the grossly under appreciated Binoche. Supporting players are fine as well including Molina, Judi Dench, and Hallstrom's wife Lena Olin (although its strange to watch her scenes with Binoche after watching the more intimate ones they share in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"). Despite these good elements, the problem of the film lies with its heavy-handedness and its hammering away at underscored points. Like the chocolates confections Binoche serves in her shop, "Chocolat" is a rich, warm film that is somehow lacking in substance.

In October of 1991, off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts a hurricane from the south, a low pressure system from the east, and a Canadian low pressure system converged in what would come to be known as the storm of the century. As the epic storm began to form, a down on its luck fishing crew was headed back to Gloucester with its largest haul in a long while. As rescue crews struggle to rescue them, communications break down, and loved ones anxiously await news of their safe arrival, the crew members proudly and unknowingly press ahead into the heart of the beast. "The Perfect Storm" is an old fashioned tearjerker supplanted in a rousing seafaring adventure. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen again shows a penchant intense ship films following his landmark German export "Das Boot". While the special effects are remarkably stirring, the same cannot be said for the uninspired, cliched script and its poorly developed characters. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg do the best with what their given, and supporters John C. Reilly, John Hawkes, and William Fitchner are colorful. Diane Lane, however, gives an annoyingly grating performance as Wahlberg's squeeze awaiting news on land. Also, a story involving the plight of a rescue unit carries no weight and takes away from the heart of the story. (spoiler) I also took umbrage with how the members of the crew were portrayed as heroes, when their actions were made out of stubbornness and stupidity and their demises could surely have been avoided. "The Perfect Storm" works as an adventure film due to Petersen's handling of the action and the impressive special effects, but a movie like this requires well defined characters and earned sentimentality, and this one just doesn't have it.

Documentarian Errol Morris burst onto the scene in 1978 with "Gates of Heaven" and crafted a hypnotic and engaging documentary the likes of which had never been seen before. Since then, he has crafted the same kind of mesmerizing films, documenting intelligent oddballs. Through the use of his Interrotron, a device he invented which allows his subject to keep eye contact with both himself and the camera simultaneously. This device has resulted in films that are immediate and grabbing than most any other documentaries ever filmed. In 2000, he made a TV series lasting for two seasons and 17 episodes, with guests ranging from a man with an obsessive quest to see a giant squid to a man who lives his live entirely in front of the camera. Each episode is interesting in its own way as Morris stares down each person and uncovers the reasons for their peculiarities. Here is a short synopsis of each episode:

Season 1 (2000)

Mr. Debt The inaugural episode showcases a New York debt attorney who seems like he has made it his cause to take on and destroy the credit card company while trying to get consumers back on their feet. He explains how the credit system in America works and how people are systematically forced to stay in debt. He also explains how his business works and how he is able to fight the creditors, while dodging questions from Morris that some may consider him a huckster.

Eyeball to Eyeball A zoologist discusses his lifelong passion/obsession with coming face to face with a Giant Squid, something which is seemingly impossible to do. In the process of describing this hopeless quest, we hear about his career, his contact with a washed up dead Giant Squid, the nature of the beast, and his many futile attempts to make contact with the creature

Stairway to Heaven Autistic Temple Grandin, whose life story was recently told in an HBO television movie, tells how she gradually realized how to use her condition to her benefit and how her style of thinking allowed her to design a humane slaughterhouse, whose model is now used in 1/3 of all beef production in the United States. This is a fascinating segment, as Grandin takes us into her mind, explains how it works, and tells why she chose to use particular design ideas on her intricate slaughterhouses.

The Killer Inside Me In high school, Sondra London dated a charming man who ended up being a serial killer. Years later she met up with Gerard John Schaefer and decided to help him tell his story in book form. After a falling out with him, she moved on to Danny Rolling, another serial killer whom she likewise wrote a book with and had a relationship. This fascinatingly strange episode tries to get into London's mind and determine what drawsher to serial killers.