Warning: do not go into "Waiting" expecting a classy comedy with philosophical undertones, deep themes and subtle humor that takes thought to appreciate. In fact, do not even walk into "Waiting" expecting fart jokes. Walk into "Waiting" expecting to laugh hard for 93 minutes at some of the sickest humor Hollywood has to offer.
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
If "In Her Shoes" was a pair of shoes, it would be the kind a girl might buy on a whim – pink patent-leather stilettos, perhaps – and that she wears for only an hour or two before her feet are so pinched and blistered she can only hobble a few torturous steps before collapsing in agony. A week later, they're stuffed into a box in the back of the closet, never again to see the light of day. Cute on the surface, but ultimately painful – that's "In Her Shoes."
"Crónicas", from Ecuadorian writer/director Sebastian Cordero, is an intelligent, suspenseful Spanish-language journalism thriller that examines the power of sensationalistic tabloid reporting. Although the film's conclusion is anticlimactic, "Crónicas" is nevertheless a riveting and authentic portrait of the harrowing destitution of Central America and a commentary on the ruthlessness of the corporate media.
"Roll Bounce" ? yet another movie where the neighborhood kids gather to compete against, and hopefully defeat the rich enemies with all odds against them ? is very similar to last year's "You Got Served." However, "Roll Bounce" is much more successful in its character presentation than "You Got Served." The only mistake director Malcolm D. Lee made was casting Bow Wow as X, the main character.
The Corpse Bride
Imagine "Law and Order." Now imagine "Law and Order" with a screaming, hysterical girl with an appetite for spiders. That's the gist of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," which features the young, pretty Jennifer Carpenter in a role that consists entirely of flailing like a harpooned walrus.
Director Lasse Halstrom's "An Unfinished Life" combines the beautiful country setting of a Wyoming ranch with brilliant acting to create one of this summer's most memorable, yet plot-less films. Although the movie has its flaws, Halstrom's ability to turn the seemingly typical cowboy romance story into a dramatic, emotional tale manages to be both heartwarming and moving.
It takes a special type of American to truly appreciate foreign films. Scores of foreign films are released in limited theaters across the United States each year, but only a few manage to burrow their ways into the hearts of Americans. Who can really say why some movies just can't break into the wonderland of wide release? Well, it's easy to tell with "Tropical Malady," a Thai film filled with interesting cinematography, a confusing plot and complex existential situations.
The best way to describe Peter Hyam's new sci-fi adventure movie "A Sound of Thunder" is a good idea gone bad - horribly bad. Based on Ray Bradbury's short story of the same name, the movie combines the originally interesting themes of time travel and evolution and mixes them into a jumbled mess, leaving viewers wanting to thunder out the door.
With femme fatales, "French Connection" inspired car chase scenes, a balding Australian with moves like Jackie Chan, hot cars and more explosions than the National Mall on July 4, "Transporter 2" accomplishes exactly what its predecessor, "The Transporter" does; it returns to basics, which in an age where Tom Cruise can set the standards with Mission Impossible II, is more than just a welcome change.
When a film is advertised as a "thriller" audiences usually conjure images of high speed car chases, scantily clad women and of course, lots and lots of explosions. However, "The Constant Gardener" has none of these features, which is, perhaps, what makes it so extraordinary.
Andrew Bujalski's directorial debut brought an easy world of free love and free beer into a light that reflects raw emotion and simplicity. "Funny Ha Ha" is a snapshot of the life of Marnie (Kate Dollenmayer), a Bostonian who is looking for a permanent job and a real love. She is depressed with the way her life revolves around drinking and partying, but does not know what to do instead.
"Underclassman," starring Nick Cannon, is exactly what it aims to be — an underdeveloped, generic comedy aimed at a teen audience with extremely low expectations. Most of the movies coming out of Hollywood today, especially the comedies, are terrible, but people go see them anyway.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
To make a truly great, inspirational and poignant film is an art. Such films are not manufactured, they are born, and when filmmakers try too hard to manufacture a great film-it shows.
Films often achieve cult status either because they don't make any sense whatsoever — "Rocky Horror" definitely qualifies — or because, like "The Matrix" or "Fight Club," they seem to make so little sense that, on closer examination, they make perfect sense. "Kontroll," rookie director Nimrod Antal's existential allegory filmed entirely in the Budapest subway system, falls under the latter and more paradoxical category.
The art of Kung Fu is a serious study that takes discipline and effort. Organized crime gangs are intimidating, violent and ruthless groups who have the ability to throw entire cities into chaos. Now what happens when these two subjects come together? Why, you get "Kung Fu Hustle," the funniest film of 2005 so far.
At first it seems like a typical action movie. Secret service agents, gunfights, terrorism, plot twists, it has all the elements. But beneath the surface, "The Interpreter" is a gritty thriller, one that doesn't shy away from the complicated and brutal politics of its subject, postcolonial Africa, and one that explores raw human relationships to the fullest extent.
Just as no contemporary author would dare to undertake a work of the length, sensitivity, and historical perspective of a "War and Peace," "Don Quixote" or "Les Miserables", so too would no modern director undertake a film with the scope or complexity of "Andrei Rubelev."
"Boogeyman"
Every friendship is full of stories, sentiments and unforgettable moments shared together. "Sideways," the latest triumph by director and writer Alexander Payne ("About Schmidt"), deals with the complex subject of relationships in a way that is moving, intelligent and hilarious all at once.
Fact: "In Good Company" is indeed another romantic comedy fitting all the criteria of cutesy, sugary, warm and fuzzy elements. Myth: "In Good Company" is just another boring comic misfire from Hollywood.
A movie completely devoid of redeeming qualities is tolerable in the sense that nothing seems wasted. However, "The Woodsman," is even more disappointing than such a film because it wastes a remarkably powerful and chilling performance from Kevin Bacon by not offering a worthy backdrop.
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