Bonnie And Clyde - A

Great classic. The entire cast is great and FAye Dunaway is a screen goddess. Worth checking out and it still holds up well.

Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (B+)
Lords of Dogtown (C)

The School of Rock 10/10

Sleepy Hollow - B
Robots - D+

Battle Royale II: Requiem

Don't even have a grade... I like the first BR a lot, but this was just an extremely lower quality of the first with none of the great scenes or awesome characters. Its a mess.

Beauty Shop-B-

It was a bit better than I expected it to be. The writing and idea were as unoriginal as could be, but its saved by some moments, righteously wound pacing, and the performances. Latifah was good, Alicia Silverstone was amazing. Like best supporting comedic performance of the year easily, almost best comedic performance period in my mind right now. Also high on that good supporting comedic performance list is Kevin Bacon, who works his character perfectly. I would say Alicia easily gives her best work since Clueless, she might be even better in this than Clueless. Bacon gives his best comedic performance(is there even any real others?) from what I've ever seen from him. The rest were in line as well, Andie McDowell, Djimon, Mena Suvari, the kid who played the hustler kid, and so forth. I didn't mind the movie at all. Its still a little below Barbershop, but it has a different feel to it, so its hard to compare.

I would recommend it. The movie itself isn't that bad, and the mentioned performances are a must-see for any movie-lover when looking at the year's best list later.

Red Eye

What a ride, top notch thriller, Both Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy were great in there roles

A

Corpse Bride B-

A major disappointment when compared with A Nightmare Before Christmas. Animation looked good, but the movie was boring at some points and too short. This movie could have been much better.

You said you were leaving... forever... permanently... as in get the fuck out of here.

Mindhunters - B It got rather silly every now and then, and there was a lot about the film that was very uneven, but it was a nicely done genre film and the best serial killer film I've seen in years (not that that says much anything).

Flight of the Phoenix

Decent flick, enjoyable, but silly

B-

First Daughter

Chasing Liberty anyone?!....yeah its the same crap!

but.....cute!

C+

Tape-B+ Interesting, thought provoking drama with good performances.

Chasing Liberty wasn't soooooo bad.

Bandits - A/A-

Wonderful movie. Cate Blanchett is really beautiful here and Willis/Thornton are great as bank robbers. Oh and great music.

Master and Commander - A

I can see why some people find it boring but I enjoy it immensely every time I see it.

Mulholland Drive A Fantastic

Shaun of the Dead - 8.5/10

The Interpreter (B)
Double Jeopardy (B+)
The Amityville Horror (B+)

Mindhunters - C+
Flightplan - C+

Domino B-

The Royal Tenenbaums - A
The Crying Game - A-
Like Water for Chocolate - B/B+

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist B+

The Butterfly Effect - A

Rose Feller (Toni Collette) is a successful lawyer who has never really lived life to the fullest. She spends her evenings lounging around her apartment eating leftovers or engaging in a torrid affair with her co-worker Jim (Richard Burgi). Her sister Maggie (Cameron Diaz) is the complete opposite. She's a free spirit wild-child who only wants to have a good time. After a long night of partying leaves Maggie homeless, Rose decides to take her in. But soon it becomes too much. The uptight Rose can't take the laid back attitude that Maggie conveys. It all comes full circle when Rose catches her in bed with Jim, an incident that sends Maggie packing and leaves the two on bad terms.

With nowhere to go and no job to fall back on, Maggie packs up and decides to move in with someone she barely knows - her grandmother. Ella Hirsch (Shirley MacLaine) lives in a retirement community and has never really met her grandchildren. After her daughter was killed several years back she lost all contact with the family she once knew. So the sudden arrival of Maggie certainly takes her by surprise. But what starts out as a simple moneymaking ploy slowly becomes much more, as Maggie begins to find herself and learn to love the world she is living in.

Meanwhile, Rose is having the time of her life. She has quit her job at the law firm and now makes a living by walking dogs. She has also found her first true love in the form of the friendly and understanding Simon (Mark Feuerstein). But something still seems to be missing. Eventually Rose decides to find where Maggie is and reconcile their once strong bond.

IN HER SHOES may sound like the predictable chick flick, but it really comes off as so much more. Everything presented here is excellent, from the strong directing and excellent writing to the brilliant and pitch-perfect performances. Cameron Diaz is a revelation here and really gives the best performance of her career. Although the role of Maggie may seem like something that is nothing more than a glamorous one-note character, it really is so much more. Diaz really "uglies" herself up for the role and isn't afraid to make the audience hate the character. At the beginning she comes off as shallow and unlikable, but then as the film progresses she really grows on you. The performance is one of the driving forces behind the project and it wouldn't have worked nearly as well with a less-capable actress in the lead.

The rest of the performances are also brilliant, especially from the two other leads. Toni Collette is sympathetic and realistic, delivering another fantastic performance. She really stands out in some of the film's more emotional moments and she has great chemistry with Diaz. Shirley MacLaine is brilliant as well and is sure to garner an Oscar nod for her subtle yet effective performance. She plays Ella with a sense of quiet wisdom and lots of emotion, relying heavily on the delivery of the dialogue and facial expression. She is impossible to dislike here and the character is one that will really stay with you. The rest of the cast is basically stuck in smaller supporting roles, but most are pretty strong. The standout of the bunch is Mark Feuerstein as Simon, who serves as a good love interest if nothing else.

The screenplay is easily one of the best of the year. The characters are all rich, fascinating and developed. No character is wasted here and all of them serve some sort of importance. There is a layer of humor mixed in with drama and symbolism, all molding together to create a crowd-pleasing yet poignant film. Curtis Hanson, famous for his contrasting works in the film noir L.A. CONFIDENTIAL and the hip-hop saga 8 MILE, directs the film and continues his unpredictable film streak. He does an excellent job as well, capturing the vibrant nature of Philadelphia as well as the sunny and welcoming environment in Florida. Several interesting shots can also be found, and one of the final scenes is truly a visual standout - one that will easily stay with you.

Overall, IN HER SHOES is one of the best films of the year, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The acting is brilliant and all three of the leads deserve award consideration. Plus, the story itself is a hilarious, emotional and moving one about the power of family. I can't recommend this film enough, for it is definitely a must-see.

9/10 (A)

Red Eye(2nd time)- B+
Rear Window- A

Thumbsucker +
A-

Buffalo Soliders
B-

Shenanigan's is a restaurant with great service, excellent food and a family friendly atmosphere. Or at least that's what the advertisers want you to believe. For what goes on behind the scenes is anything but friendly. WAITING tells the story of the workers who endure all of the complaints, mistakes and problems that occur within one day. However, by no means is this a serious film. Instead, it takes the easy way out and manages to become a gross-out comedy full of raunchy humor and sexual innuendos. Despite a fine cast, I fully expected this to be a horrible film. But instead I was pleasantly surprised. While not a great movie at all, WAITING still manages to be much better than the ridiculous trailers seem to suggest.

Each worker has their own special quirk that makes their character unique. Monty (Ryan Reynolds) is the unpronounced leader of the gang and has a thing for young co-worker Natasha (Vanessa Lengies). Dean (Justin Long) is a waiter with the opportunity of either becoming a manager or moving on to bigger and better things. He is somewhat involved with the shy Amy (Kaitlin Doubleday) but can't fully express his feelings for her. And finally Serena (Anna Faris) is the friendliest of the group and offers support to those in need - except Monty, her ex. The rest of the characters have smaller roles but each get their opportunity to shine. Some succeed while others miserably fail.

This isn't the sort of film that requires excellent acting skills, but there are a few bright spots. Alanna Ubach steals the show as the bitchy Naomi, a waitress with anger management problems. Ryan Reynolds exhibits shades of VAN WILDER in his character's persona, using the same laid back attitude and still remaining likable. Justin Long is also decent as well. Kaitlin Doubleday is pretty cute as Amy, but really doesn't get enough time to fully develop her character.

The one thing I was disappointed by, however, was the lack of Anna Faris! She is a great and underrated comedian who stole the show in the SCARY MOVIE films and THE HOT CHICK, yet here she doesn't get nearly enough screentime to show her true abilities. She is very likable though and is easily the friendliest and most accepting, but she really only gets one scene where she can display her talent. She does the best with what she is given, but she deserved much more screentime. Thankfully she co-stars in another film with Reynolds this Thanksgiving. That film, entitled JUST FRIENDS, seems to give her much more to work with.

Now on to the weak links in the cast. Luis Guzman is really annoying and mediocre here and his character isn't likable in the slightest. He simply comes off as a sex fiend who cares about no one but himself. Andy Milonakis and Max Kasch are ridiculous and unfunny as two wannabe rapper busboys. David Koechner tries to pull off an amusing performance, but instead he comes off as creepy instead of hilarious. Patrick Benedict is horrible and grating, giving the worst performance in the film. The rest of the cast is fine, but nothing spectacular.

The thing that most viewers may be turned off by is the gross-out factor. I'm not going to lie, this film is kind of disgusting. There are things that go on in the kitchen that will make you never want to send your food back again. I turned away in the now infamous "medium rare steak" scene, which has been constantly highlighted in the advertising. I also found the constant genitalia jokes quite annoying. They were mildly amusing at first but then they got really repetitive.

Overall, WAITING is pretty much a mixed bag. However, in no way is it as bad as the trailers make it out to be. It's definitely a flawed film, but there are enough likable actors and memorable laughs to make this worth seeing.

7/10 (B-)