Sex and Lucia (2002)

Lucia (Paz Vega of Spanglish) is as cute as Linda Ronstadt (pre-Spielberg) and as forthright about her dreams and desires as Bette Midler (but more demure). She takes up with gifted novelist Lorenzo (Tristan Ulloa), who becomes gradually more conflicted and depressed as he fictionalizes the two most significant relationships in his life (past and present). Fiction overlaps with reality, and as the plot unfolds, we discover what Lorenzo is going through, and is putting those most dear to him through. This is a complex and multilayered story reminiscent of the more intricately structured Memento or Crash. It is a Spanish foreign film with Amelie-like piano accompaniment set to lush visual themes centered on the sensual, undulating ocean and swollen, orb-like moon and sun. There is beautiful sex, alternately unitive or needy. Sex occupies the first third of the movie, unfaithfulness the second third, and tender reconcilation the final third. Five stars.

Over the Hedge (2006)

Because the promos overemphasize a hyperactive squirrel belching his ABCs and blowing twin jets of Cheez Whiz out his nostrils, I was not certain going into this movie that it would be above reproach. All I knew was that the animation was two levels above the dim cellar occupied by Hoodwinked (a confirmed stinker), I can generally trust Steve Carrell for comedy, and William Shatner was parodying his own acting style. The buzz was good too. Well, it was much better than expected -- in fact, I belly-laughed a fair bit, mostly at nuanced bits only adults would get. The satiric cuts at suburbia, especially the control-freak homeowners association president, were on the mark, and a slow-motion animated scene depicting the climactic confrontation between all parties was priceless. Steve Carrell's character Hammy (who makes Speedy Gonzalez look like a wastrel) was my favorite as the squirrel who needs no caffeine. Bruce Willis's character RJ the raccoon ably pulls together the entire ensemble, all who make fine contributions (esp. William Shatner and April Lavigne as father-and-daughter oppossums and the three videogame-savvy porcupine kids). It's unfair to call this production forumulaic, since characters do learn to act against type: They grow as individuals. The storyline flows smoothly from the first scene to a final aftercredits vignette, and anyone who calls this show mawkish or sentimental should grow as a person himself. Four stars.

Da Vinci Code (The) (2006)

I haven't read the book yet and, with a graduate-level theology background, I don't believe the core premise or its pseudohistory one whit, but The Da Vinci Code stands on its own cinematically. I don't understand any of the complaints I read before seeing this movie on the weekend after its release. Some say the plot drags: This is not Die Hard With A Vengeance, people, it's an intellectual detective thriller that maintains a steady (not relentless) pace with plenty of plot revelations and twists till the end. Some say the car chase scenes were slow: They were so fast-paced I wanted the movie to slow to half-speed. Some say Tom Hanks phoned in his performance and was having a bad hair day: He is playing a semeiotics professor, from Harvard no less; his character was a gregarious fashion plate, comparably speaking. In short, for those who find intellectual puzzles fascinating, not plodding, this is an excellent romp -- the cinematic version of a page-turner. Ian McKellen's character is spirited and complex. The butler did it! Oops, no he didn't. Paul Bettany, showing his glutes again (see A Knight's Tale), is ever chilling as the apostolic assassin. I loved Audrey Tautou in the French-language Amelie but that wasn't much of a speaking role; though her casting makes perfect sense because half of this film is in French, her accented English is so thick that it hampers her screen chemistry. Given all the two have been through by the end, one hopes Hanks' character would at least ask Tautou's for her phone number; nothing of the sort happens.

The movie's stream of pseudohistorical and contemporary criminal revelations (which I anticipated in general due to a familiarity with Dan Brown's arguments) makes for a grand modern detective yarn. Yes, it is largely historical but it is primarily fiction -- but should fiction be put forth that is endemically offensive to the majority of half the world's religious population? It is perhaps a sign that we are entering a post-Christian, post-modern society when The Last Temptation of Christ (wherein Christ, on the cross, fantasizes or hallucinates that he has wed Mary Magdelene and lives happily ever after) was prevented from release the first time due to Christians' cries of "blasphemy." The Da Vinci Code goes considerably further -- all on the specious premise of "Well, of course these controversial and completely fabricated speculations must be true, because that is exactly what the Church wants to prevent you from knowing -- a fact which, by their very denial, proves the theory right." (If you think this is logical, please retake Philosophy 101.) What's next, the blockbuster release of The Satanic Verses? One either understands the spiritual, contemplative, disciplined life -- that it is not politically or sexually motivated -- or one does not; this is not the place to debunk orthodoxy's also-ran gnostic precepts. However, it may help true believers to understand that the secret society and villains in this story, while members of the Church, are nevertheless villains and not representative of Opus Dei or of the Catholic Church. Five stars.

Big Trouble (2002)

I just ran across this quirky little gem on TV. (I don't make it a point to keep up on everything Tim Allen has done but anything quirky usually works for me.) Big Trouble is funnier than The Big Hit (which is a hoot); less subtle than One Night at McCool's (which is droll); and in some ways as funny as The Whole Nine Yards. It's a likable film with lots of funny script bits, and the whole cast has an easy familiarity with their characters as well as their lines. I'd watch this again anytime just to enjoy Puggy (Jason Lee). 4 stars.

Garden State (2004)

Garden State is a lyrically and cinematically captivating tale of finding oneself anew. Zach Braff's character comes out of his shell during a trip back home to New Jersey after his mood-control prescription has run out and Zach wants no more of it. Zach meets Natalie Portman, a free spirit who helps draw him out of a chronic state of passivity and conformity, even literally playing the wallflower (literally, in two memorable scenes). Her spontaneity (dancing on the hearth in another memorable scene) leads him to authentic feeling and a realization of what he is willing to do for love. A colleague said of Garden State "it changed my life" and I consider it one of the best movies I seen. The soundtrack is a must-have too. 5 stars.

Sideways (2004)

Sideways isn't (completely) about wine-tasting or men who are perpetual adolescents or in their mid-life crisis. Sideways is a droll male-bonding journey where our road-tripping pair's plans hilariously get messed up, yes, because of angst and immature choices, but mostly because of the complexity of Paul Giamatti's overly sensitive character against the foil of Thomas Haden Church's character's lack of sensitivity or depth. In other words, as with Cheers or Seinfeld: Yes, these guys are pathetic schlubs, but they're loveable pathetic schlubs. Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh are paired well as foils to the men's foibles. I really enjoy this movie and bought it so I can watch it again and often. I love the line "I am *not* drinking merlot!" 4.5 stars.

Big Fish (The) (2003)

Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney are excellent together in this one -- a whimsical, meandering tale about a father-son relatinship that will keep you guessing till the very end. If you enjoy movies that wander "outside of the box," you should enjoy this impish and captivating fairy tale for adults. Danny Elfman's soundtrack is memorable and, for me at least, a must-have. Five stars.

Last Samurai (The) (2003)

Did this movie come out before Tom Cruise went wacko? Call this one Dances with Swords. It stands on its own as a story of a U.S. warrior's journey from one hypocrisy to another -- from the slaughter of the Native Americans to the Wild West circus pageants of the late 1800s. He then finds his way to Japan as a military trainer, where he becomes impressed with the warrior spirit and discipline of the dying Samurai way of life. The training and combat scenes and the kinship that Cruise's character feels with the betrayed Samurai are well worth watching. Four stars.

Chocolat (2000)

This movie is not about chocolate, or an anti-church message, or even the captivating performances of Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Alfred Molina, Judy Dench, and the others. It is about community. It is about the hateful intolerance for a good and decent newcomer when community is lacking, because repression and control rule in its stead. In the small town to which Juliette's character arrives, there is no free will or expression of one's God-given gifts, only compulsion and compunction (for decades). Yet this repression cannot stand in the face of Juliette's simple human kindness and hospitality. She sees people and their true hearts' desires (for which chocolate is only a metaphor) as they are, not as the mayor would have them be. Ultimately the mayor is undone because of his denial of his own heart's desires; even then Juliette is respectful and discreet, repaying his past persecutions with kindness. The townsfolk can again speak freely and laugh amongst themselves; children can play in the streets. This is not a message against the church or Christianity but one in favor of what real Christianity and humanity are about. It is a fable against hypocrisy and those who claim to love God yet do the opposite of what he asked them to do. It is a red herring that the lesson on how to be a kind human being comes through a woman who does not go to church; let those who have ears, hear. In the end, Juliette renounces the life of a magical wanderer that has been imposed on her to join the community and the life of the church. She is not against God, only pious behavior gone bad in the name of God. Five stars.

The Notebook (2004)

What's not to love? This is one of the best-crafted love stories I have seen. The writing and cinematography is exquisite; the story and characters are compelling; the acting and ending are sublime. What more can I say (without giving the ending away)? (Note: This is not a "chick flick" or a "date movie"; it's a "full-life movie" or a "true-love movie." This movie is not a dating strategy; it is a life strategy.) Yes, it can make grown men weepy, but in a good way. Anyone with a heart and soul will be moved by this film. It will warm the cockles of your heart and make you believe in true love that lasts, no matter what. Five stars.

Producers (The) (2005)

For all the hoopla and buzz over this movie update, I expected better. Sure, all the nice things people say about it are true: Nathan Lane mugs in rare form, Matthew Broderick holds his own as Lane's comico-neurotic foil, Will Farrell is creatively ... different, and Uma Thurman is a headturner. I just wasn't that impressed. Then again, Mel Brooks material is usually funny, just not that funny to me. I don't belly chuckle (as with Woody Allen's comedies), I go "Ehhhhh..." (as in so-so). And sorry, but I've never liked anything else Will Farrell has done (save Curious George). I guess I prefer a real musical drama or comedy to schmaltz. A parody that makes fun of other things succeeds better than one that parodies itself. Perhaps making fun of this show's tasteless premise is one thing, but including the show itself only smears the tastelessness too far. Maybe the jokes are just 40 years old. Two stars.

Friday Night Lights (2004)

Oh, I understand the thrill of the roar of the crowd and the percussive impacts of the gridiron, but I do not follow football, so I have to shake my head at the rabidity of Odessa, Texas, in particular, but also Texas in general with the high school incarnation of this sport. Imagine filling a small west Texas town (in the middle of nowhere with nothing else to do) with Green Bay Packer fans; take away the foam-rubber cheese hats and make them neurotic instead of just manic; give them a killer instinct; and you've nearly got this movie (based on real life). While Texas football fans will not see it this way, this movie is none too flattering to the townsfolk who are constantly pumping the coach with "Are we all right? We gonna win state?" More than plying him with armchair-quarterback advice at every turn, they get vicious about it (behind his back, to his face, on the radio, on the hiring committee, in the streets). Billy Bob Thornton knows he is walking a tightrope tense with the hormones of not only the preternatural men of his team but all the perpetual adolescents of the town, whose communal and individual self esteem rides upon high school football and little else (often dysfunctionally and tragically so). I hated the first half of this movie for all the squandering of testosterone these young would-be Adonises display--drinking, partying and booty calls, including one teen who inexplicably brings home a quickly-shucked pearl but is surprised when his ne'er-do-well, taunting father (Tim McGraw) interrupts him from the next room and starts a fight. The second half was almost a different movie, with a reverence and zeal for football so palpable it is visceral. You will sit on the edge of your seat and grind your teeth at the bone-jarring (and bone-breaking) impacts on the field. The dividing line is Billy Bob's pre-game pep talk, which redeemed the movie for me, because he spoke simply and honestly about the personal values of the larger picture. For those reasons I greatly enjoyed Remember the Titans. Friday Night Lights is grittier and more true to life. Billy Bob does a super job with this one, as usual, and the supporting cast does very well by the story in turn. Three stars.

Walking with Dinosaurs (1999)

Documentary. This is perhaps the best computer-graphics-illustrated (CGI) science documentary on dinosaurs around. The BBC has done a fine job presenting a large number of detailed and wide-ranging chapters covering not only more dinos than most paleo-savvy parents of dino-loving kids can name, but putting them in an informative paleological and geographical context. In other words, even I learned a lot! The script is excellent, as is Kenneth Branagh's narration. The CGI is quite good--sharp and colorful up close, slightly less-detailed at a distance; some movement is stilted, but some is inventively fluid. The sound effects are notably inventive and the landscapes are stunning. The violence is understated but if you prefer Disney-animated dinosaurs, avoid this real-life facsimile. Three stars.

Chicken Little (2005)

Chicken Little is an antic update of a hoary old tale with lots of schmaltz lacquer for an edgy flavor. I did really like this one (for an animated film) but only so far. The artwork was fine (but forget emotional investment), sight gags plentiful, and the action often manic in its dynamic quality. (They make a point in the making-of feature to describe how they wanted to add squash and stretch traditional cartooning techniques into the 3D style, such as when Chicken Little gets stretched like a rubber band then snapped and flattened against a classroom window, before he alternately sticks, flips, and slips down the surface to crash on the floor.) My eight-year-old likes the movie and I would watch it again (once or twice). The space alien invasion storyline, while wacky and convoluted, is inventive through the plot device of chameleonic tiles. The voices are well-suited: I like Zach Braff, Patrick Stewart, and Adam West. Fish Out of Water mostly pantomimes but he is as full of energy as a team mascot. The music is fun, however, parents who cluelessly let kids younger than 8 watch this film without checking the Common Sense ratings should have their undies twaddled till they say Urk. I downloaded the soundtrack because I enjoy the Barenaked Ladies and the Cheetah Girls. 3.5 stars.

Red Planet (2000)

People seem to be of two minds about this movie: Either the science, plot, acting, and effects are quite good, or they totally suck. (One-star and five-star reviews abound on Netflix.) I think this comes down to whether they flunked science or flunked the arts (or are just science fiction purists): If they love the arts but don't get science, it's all too intellectual, dry, or boring for them; on the other hand, if they love science but don't understand story (or dislike any fiction that's not "hard" science fiction), they'll find every flaw -- and by the rules of logic, even one flaw makes something, well, flawed. Loving both science and story, however, I find Red Planet to be not only better than Mission to Mars but one of the best-balanced science fiction movies around. The science is imaginatively conceived and elegantly expressed: the computer displays, the thin-substrate heads-up displays for real-time mapping or aerial photography or medical diagnoses, the spacesuit designs, the AMEE articulating robot. The special effects are well done; AMEE going military is quite memorable. The plot takes a deliberate pacing based on the challenges (you can't run on low oxygen) but keeps moving with a sense of urgency. Carrie-Anne Moss, Val Kilmer, Terence Stamp, Tom Sizemore, and the rest of the crew have a tangible synergy that makes for a compelling desire to see how it ends. (I especially like how sympathetically Terence Stamp's character accommodates spirituality with science, and how Val Kilmer's character is affected by him.) Yes, there is a deadly attrition in this deadly environment, but how is this different from what a real mission-in-jeopardy would be like? Spare me the cynical armchair reviewers; the characters in this film have The Right Stuff. They are at their best when they show how science means having a sense of adventure, and that accomplishing a mission such as theirs is the most important thing, more important even than their individual lives. This movie in a way is a paean and testament to every astronaut who has broken, and will break, free from the surly bonds of earthly gravity. Ad astra! Five stars.

Bulletproof Monk (2003)

This movie is quite better than your average martial-arts film. It's not perfect, and it has flaws, yes. That's why I give it not three, not five, but four stars. True, Chow Yun Fat is just below Jackie Chan or Jet Li; but thank God he's well above Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme. Even though the lead characters are a bit wooden, it's all a part of the story, and plenty of self-deprecating and situational humor leaks through owing to their synergy. This is a fun film to watch, even if the Nazis are dopier (but just as sinister) than in any Indiana Jones movie. Four stars.

Orange County (2002)

This movie was much better than its Dumb and Dumber Times Two promo trailers intimated. Jack Black is just-enough, not over-the-top, boorish. Funny in a dopey way, not dopey in a pathetic way. Colin Hanks and Schuyler Fisk really carry the movie, though all the family members have their quirky parts, and the celebrity cameos are fun too. This movie is more than a teen-seeks-college story; Colin has a dream -- even an inspired aspiration -- to which he must attain. Despite the comedy of errors that will sabotage his every move, in the end all things collude to get him exactly there. Lots of funny bits to commend it. 3.5 stars.

My Netflix 5-star movies

Here is the current list of movies I have rated with five stars:

2001: A Space Odyssey
A Beautiful Mind
A Life Less Ordinary
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
About Schmidt
Amadeus
Amelie
American Beauty
Big Fish
Brazil
Bringing Out the Dead
Cast Away
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Chicago
Chocolat
City of Angels
Closer
Cold Mountain
Collateral
Contact
Crash
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Curious George
Empire of the Sun
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Family Guy: Vol. 1: Season 1-2 (4-Disc Series)
Fargo
Fiddler on the Roof
Fried Green Tomatoes
Gandhi
Garden State
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Grand Canyon
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
It's a Wonderful Life
Jacob's Ladder
Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion
Jimmy Timmy Power Hour
Kingdom of Heaven
Kitchen Stories
La Femme Nikita
La Femme Nikita: Season 1 (6-Disc Series)
La Femme Nikita: Season 2 (6-Disc Series)
La Femme Nikita: Season 3 (6-Disc Series)
Lemony Snicket: Unfortunate Events
Life Is Beautiful
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lost in Translation
LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Ed.
LOTR: Return of the King: Extended Ed.
LOTR: The Two Towers: Extended Ed.
Love Actually
Mary Poppins
Memento
Message in a Bottle
Moulin Rouge
My Fair Lady: Special Edition
Mystic River
Never Cry Wolf
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Oklahoma!
Primary Colors
Raising Arizona
Rent
Romero
Serendipity
Seven
Sex and the City: Season 1 (2-Disc Series)
The Animatrix
The Birds
The Business of Strangers
The Constant Gardener
The Devil's Advocate
The Game
The Gods Must Be Crazy
The Killing Fields
The King and I
The Last Emperor
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe
The Matrix
The Notebook
The Passion of the Christ
The Phantom of the Opera: Special Edition
The Princess Bride
The Professional
The Shawshank Redemption: Special Edition
The Shipping News
The Sixth Sense
The Sound of Music
The Thomas Crown Affair
The Usual Suspects
The Wizard of Oz: Collector's Edition
Titanic
U Turn
Watership Down
What Dreams May Come
When Harry Met Sally
Willow

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)

I'm not reviewing this film as a martial-arts connoisseur or anyone else who says it isn't purely traditional (which to me means somewhere between chop-socky and Bruce Lee anyway) or its wire-work choreography is too obvious. I see this movie as a gracious blend of beautiful cinematography, masterful martial arts, elegant choreography, and an engagingly complex story. True, the wire work looks slightly false to Western eyes when it ignores the physical laws of inertia and momentum, but it is so smoothly done that it comes across more like magical realism and thus within the bounds of the suspense of disbelief. It works for me. This is the best martial-arts film I have ever seen. Five stars.

Swordfish (2001)

A lot of people have pooh-poohed this film; OK, so they've painted it in soggy sheep dung. Come on, people, it's not that bad! At least it doesn't bear a faint nosegay of putrescence like Sneakers. On the plus side, it's better than Broken Arrow and Basic. At times, it's even better than Con Air. What do you want? The Matrix? Please! John Travolta does in Swordfish what he does best: He makes being the bad guy look not only good, but cool. He's smart, level-headed, cold-blooded, efficient, he anticipates all contingencies, and has a snappy ego-laden comeback for everything. That's worth seeing in itself. This movie also makes computer hacking cool again. Sure, it gets half the computer stuff wrong; but the guy's last name is Torvalds, so give them credit. The plot twists will keep you guessing, and the hostage situation drives the story for me. I must have missed Halle's bare moment; I think my doggy needed to go out at the time. (How did she know? Was she jealous?) Four stars.

Rent (2005)

I can't compare the movie to the Tony and Pulitzer award-winning Broadway play, but I do find all the music to be exceptionally well composed, arranged, and sung. Great vocal and stage performances, individually and in ensemble! (Yes, obviously the soundtrack is studio-recorded on top of the video; all movies are made that way now.) The story examines one year ("525,600 Minutes") in the lives of three couples and one friend (penniless artists all), the last posing as the chronicler. Two-thirds of the partners are gay and two-thirds are HIV-positive. Their stories are told with amazing sensitivity. I knew nothing of the storyline when I first saw Rent, and I was deeply moved. I know this is only Broadway, but we should all be so blessed as to know someone like Angel in our lives. Humanitarian compassion for the downcast of our society should never be crushed by the Republicans. Let us toast La vie Boheme! Five stars.

I can't get enough of the music of Rent. This bonus materials disc has deleted scenes and a making-of-Rent (theatre and film versions) that total two hours. I began to wonder how many times they could fade in on the same photos of Jonathan--but I didn't know anything about his life and work. What an amazing talent! You'll learn that people who were Rent addicts and camped out in the ticket lines are called rentheads. Jon's family and friends must be superb people. Three stars.

Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)

Think Porky's but with real, nude (and sensual if awkward) sex scenes. Think two vapid, vulgar adolescents who have but one thing on their mind, then add a jilted young wife who leaves her husband to go on an extended beach holiday with these two postpubescent morons. The scenery and slice-of-life vignettes about life in Mexico are authentic and poignant; scene-chewing obscenity and constant juvenile leering not so much. My favorite parts are when the threesome (with a family as newfound friends) settle down to an idyllic time on the water, and when in the aftermath we learn what happened to each character. (The story has a documentary-like narrator that seems pretentious and faux-artsy.) (Was that another fart joke?) Two stars.

Brazil (1985)

Oh my God, what a great movie. It is not for everyone, but if you like it, you will doubtless get more out of it with every viewing. Brazil is a (1920s/30s/40s/50s) retro noir satirical take on a '1984' future world vision -- basically what we'd end up with if George Bush had his way: Jingoistic propaganda ("Happiness: We're all in it together"), paranoia and suspicion, the Ministry of Information, storm troopers, torture, and above all a monumentally pervasive, inefficient, and impenetrable weight of bureaucracy. This film is vintage Gilliam: Watch for the plethora of fleeting (and often unexplained) details such as the dirty bath water, the dog that is whisked away on a covered silver platter, Robert De Niro's vigilante plumber, and much more. The retro technology in this movie is a hoot to see, and integral to the plot. I couldn't stop chuckling at all the institutions of inertia (governmental and behavioral) that Gilliam pokes fun at in every scene. Five stars.

Thomas Crown Affair (The) (1999)

Pierce Brosnan is always suave but especially so in this crime-of-manners story similar to To Catch a Thief or The Tailor of Panama. Rene Russo was 45 when this movie came out (so not that old) but God is she hot! Not just physically, but psychologically, she makes the sparks fly when she's pursuing Brosnan like a cat after her mouse. How they remain adversaries even as they become lovers is a study to behold. A very well-written, well-crafted, and finely filmed spool of celluloid. Five stars.

About Schmidt (2002)

I find I really like movies about characters who are repressed and uncertain about their emotions (but who are eventually coming around to embracing them) because their emotional cues are so subtle, you have to be very empathetic and intuitive to understand what they are feeling. Jack Nicholson did a super job by giving the bare minimum of emoting so I could follow his inner turmoil and journey. This movie brings Lost in Translation to mind, but it's better -- more complex, connecting and satisfying. Kathy Bates always does a bangup job in the confidence department too. Five stars.

My Dog Skip (2000)

I have heard nothing but good things about this movie so I finally rented it on the excuse of sharing it with my youngest child who esp. loves animals. It's an all-American, nostalgic, Norman Rockwellian view of a WWII-era small-town boy in Mississippi (Frankie Muniz) who learns the big lessons in life because of his loyal, spirited dog. Swelling string interludes and pro-war jingoism alternate with authentically sentimental reflections and sage nostrums about friendship and growing up. At one point I wasn't sure how the dog's part in the movie was going to be resolved, and as our heartstrings were tugged, I thought, "They'd better not kill off this dog...!" Kevin Bacon does a fine job as the war veteran father and Diane Lane as the mother does well too. The story feels a little formulaic at times (esp. when the strings well or the townsfolk jeer at poor downtrodden Frankie on cue) but it has real moments of truth and goodness. It's like a ten-year-old's version of a Nicholas Sparks novel or Fried Green Tomatoes. Three stars.

I, Robot (2004)

My, what a bunch of fussy pantywaists that have criticized this tangential compilation of Asimov short stories as a lowbrow shoot-em-up cinematic pastiche! Literary purists will never be pleased with movie adaptations because they are comparing apples to pomegranates (and they have texture issues). This film is a suspenseful ride coupled with a robotic detective story turned revolutionary uprising. That's rare enough for starters. Stop complaining and enjoy the show! It has sufficient food for thought for most people who have not read every word that Asimov wrote. And it goes great with popcorn. Four stars.

Kitchen Stories (2004)

Wry. Dry. Stoic. Droll. Understated. Catatonically comedic. Purse-your-lips-then-spew-your-beer funny. This movie had me belly-chuckling with its covert sight gags. But then I'm from Minnesota: Taciturn Scandinavians are a comedic staple for me. If you like A Prairie Home Companion humor, this movie is for you. If you would like Ingmar Bergman crossed with Woody Allen (or Grumpy Old Men), this movie is for you. If you like subtitled foreign films with well-crafted stories that are based on the characters instead of formulas, special effects, and explosions, this movie is for you. This is a story where actions speak louder than words as two men develop an unlooked-for friendship amidst mutual subterfuge and assistance. If you've lived through long cold winters or simply love snowy vistas, this movie puts sanity back in the words "cabin fever." Five stars.