Dilettante's Diary

Index: Movies

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Oct 29/15
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July 1, 2015
June 7/15
Summer Reading 2015
May 19/15
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Apr 19/15
Spring Reading 2015
March 23/15
March 11/15
Winter Reading 2015
Feb 20/15
Feb 8/15
Jan 29/15
Jan 20/15
Highs 'N Lows of 2014
Dec 19/14
Dec 2/14
Nov 10/14
Oct 29/14
Fall Reading 2014
Sept 17/14
Summer Reading 2014
Aug 22/14
Aug 8/14
July 11/14
June 16/14
May 28/14
Apr 30/14
Apr 16/14
Apr 2/14
March 21, 2014
March 13/14
Feb 11/14
Sept 23/13
Favourite Works: 2004-2013
Two Novels by BARBARA PYM
Sabbath's Theater by PHILIP ROTH
July 18/13
Summer Reading 2013
June 19/13
May 30/13
Spring Reading 2013
May 10/13
Apr 18/13
Mar 29/13
March 14, 2013
The Artist Project 2013
Feb 25/13
Winter Reading 2013
Feb 7/13
Jan 22/13
Jan 12/13
A Toast to 2012
Dec 19/12
Dec 16/12
Dec 4/12
Fall Reading 2012
Nov 17/12
Nov 6/12
Art Toronto 2012
Oct 23/12
Oct 4/12
Sept 28/12
Summer Reading 2012
Aug 26/12
Aug 8/12
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2012
July 14/12
June 28/12
MIMC
May 27/12
May 20/12
May 4/12
La Traviata: Met's Live HD Version
Apr 21/12
Apr 6/12
Mar 22/12
Mar 9/12
The Artist Project 2012
Academy Awards Show 2012
Feb 26/12
Feb 11/12
Jan 23/12
Jan 15/12
Jan 7/12
Dec 20/11
Dec 12/11
Nov 27/11
Nov 18/11
Nov 7/11
Art Toronto 2011
Oct 22/11
Oct 17/11
Sept 30, 2011
Summer Reading 2011
Aug 11/11
July 28, 2011
July 19/11
TOAE 2011
June 25/11
June 20/11
June 2/11
May 14/11
Apr 29/11
Toronto Art Expo 2011
Apr 11/11
March 24/11
The Artist Project 2011
March 11/11
Feb 23/11
Feb 7/11
Jan 21/11
HIGHS 'N LOWS OF 2010
Jan 17/11
Dec 21/10
Dec 6/10
Nov 11/10
Fall Reading 2010
Oct 22/10
Summer Reading 2010
Aug 9/10
Aug 2/10
TOAE 2010
July 16/10
The Shack
June 27/10
June 3/10
May 5/10
April 17/10
Mar 28/10
Mar 17/10
The Artist Project 2010
Toronto Art Expo 2010
Feb 22/10
Feb 3/10
Notables of '09
Jan 11/10
Dec 31/09
Dec 17/09
How Fiction Works
Nov 24/09
Sex for Saints
Nov 11/09
Housekeeping
Oct 22/09
Oct 6/09
Sept 18/09
Aug 23/09
July 31/09
July 17/09
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2009
Toronto Fringe 2009
Zen Wrapped In Karma Dipped In Chocolate
June 28/09
June 6/09
Myriad Mysteries 2009
May 10/09
CBC Radio -- "The New Two"
April 14/09
March 24/09
Toronto Art Expo '09
March 1/09
The Jesus Sayings
Feb 8/09
Jan 26/09
Jan 10/09
Stand-outs of 2008
Dec 24/08
Dec 4/08
Nov 16/08
Oct 27/08
Oct 16/08
Sept 26/08
Sept 5/08
July 21/08
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 08
July 5/08
June 23/08
June 4/08
May 18/08
May 4/08
April 16/08
March 26/08
Head to Head
Feb 26/08
Feb 13/08
Jan 30/08
Jan 17/08
Notables of 2007
Dec 30/07
Dec 8/07
Nov 22/07
Oct 25/07
Oct 4/07
Sept 18/07
Aug 29/07
Aug 8/07
Summer Mysteries '07
July 20/07
June 28/07
June 8/07
May 21/07
May 2/07
April 14/07
March 23/07
Toronto Art Expo 2007
March 8/07
Feb 16/07
Feb 2/07
Jan 24/07
Notables of 2006
Dec 27/06
December 11/06
November 28/06
Nov 8/06
October 14/06
Sept 22/06
Ring Psycho (Wagner on CBC Radio)
Sept 6/06
August 12/06
July 18/06
June 27/06
June 9/06
May 23/06
Me In Manhattan
May 2/06
April 12/06
March 17/06
March 9/06
Feb 16/06
Feb 1/06
Jan 11/06
Dec 31/05
Dec 12/05
Nov 25/05
Nov 4/05
Oct 24/05
Sept 7/05
Sept 16/05
Sept 1/05
Aug 10/05
July 21/05
Me and the Jays
July 10/05
June 15/05
May 18/05
April 27/05
April 18/05
April 8/05
March 21/05
Feb 28/05
Feb 21/05
Feb 4/05
Jan 28/05
Jan 19/05
Jan 5/05
About Me
Dec 20/04
Dec 5/04
MOVIES
BOOKS
RE-READINGS
MYSTERIES/CRIME books
VIDEOS and DVDs
PLAYS
OTHER STUFF: Art Exhibitions, Concerts, etc.

On this page you'll find the Rating System, then the Index for Movies, then listings for Videos and DVDs,  and then the listings for Essays on Movies.

A while back, we switched from "ratings" of movies to "Capsule Comments", which are indicated here by "CC".

[Note: We're starting now to list DVDs among the movies rather than separately. By the time you come to check these reviews, you'll probably be looking to a DVD rather than a theatre viewing, in most cases.]

Originally, items were posted according to genre and then archived accordingly. That's why the older items are indexed by genre and the rest by date.

To find an item, scroll down to see what page it's on, then click on the appropriate page in the navigation bar to the left of the screen.

Rating System for Movies, Videos and DVDs

A = Absolutely Fantastic

B = Better than most

C = Certainly worth seeing

D = Divided: some good/some bad

E = Eh? (as in the Canadian "Eh?", i.e. "iffy")

F = Fergeddit

G = Gawd Awful

Note:  As of the end of February, 2011, we're dropping this rating system. How can you rate a work of art according to some kind of score that ranks it relative to other works? There's no such equivalence among works of art. Henceforth, every review will end with just a capsule comment that will be noted here in the Index as "CC".  

MOVIES

12 Years A Slave (Feb 11/14)

21 Jump Street (CC: Almost as good as it promises to be) (Apr 6/12)

22 Jump Street (Aug 8/14)

50/50 (CC: Good only for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance) (Oct 17/11)

45 Years (Feb 1/16)

1917 (Aug 12/20)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Aug 12/20)

A Bigger Splash (June 29/16)

A Dangerous Method (CC: Yawn) (Feb 26/12)

A History of Violence (E)  (Oct 25/05)

A Late Quartet (CC: Soap opera in high culture dress) (Dec 19/12)

A Man Called Ove (Mar 21/17)

A Master Builder (Aug 22/14)

A Mighty Heart (B) (June 28/07)

A Most Violent Year (Feb 8/15)

A Most Wanted Man (Sept 17/14)

A Prairie Home Companion (B+) (June 27/06)

A Prophet (C) (March 28/10)

A Quiet Passion (June 16/17)

A Royal Night Out (June 29/16)

A Separation (CC: intense but very good) (Feb 11/12)

A Serious Man (B-) (Oct 22/09)

A Single Man (E) (Dec 17/09)

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (An offensive hoot) (Nov 27/11)

A Very Long Engagement (E) (Jan 5/05)

Admission (CC: an enjoyable mish-mash) (Mar 29/13)

Adventureland (D) (April 14/09)

After the Wedding (D) (May 2/07)

Ajami (C-) (June 27/10)

All the Way (Mar 21/17)

Amal (D-) (Sept 5/08)

American Hustle (March 13/14)

Amorous (June 16/17)

Amour (CC: beautiful and irritating) (Feb 25/13)

An Education (C+) (Nov 11/09)

And When Did You Last See Your Father (B) (June 23/08)

Another Year (D) (Feb 7/11)

Antichrist (E) (Nov 24/09)

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (C) (April 14/09)

Argo (CC: Amazing) (Oct 23/12)

Aristocrats, The (Sept 1/05)

Around The Bend (E) (Movie page)

Arrival (Jan 30/17)

Art School Confidential (E) (May 2/06)

(The) Artist (CC: an artsy experiment that wears thin) (Jan 15/12)

As It Is In Heaven (DVD) (CC: Uplifting but still enjoyable) (Nov 17/12)

Assassination of Richard Nixon, The (C) (Feb 21/05)

August (CC: a dud) (Apr 18/13)

Avatar (N/A) (Jan 11/10)

Avenue Montaigne (or "Fauteuils d'Orchestre") (B+) (May 2/07)

Aviator, The (C) (Jan 5/05)

Away From Her (C+) (May 21/07)

Away We Go (E) (June 6/09)

Babel (D) (Feb 16/07)

Bad Education (E) (Jan 19/05)

Ballad of Jack and Rose, The (D) (April 27/05)

Balls of Fury (D) (Aug 29/07)

The Bang Bang Club (Interesting but not emotionally involving) (June 2/11)

Barney's Version (E) (Jan 17/11)

Becoming Jane (C) (Aug 8/07)

Before Midnight (CC: Bleh!) (July 6/13)

Before Sunset (B) (Movie page)

Beginners (June 25/11) CC: Low-key human interest but underwhelming on the whole.

Behind the Candelabra (Feb 11/14)

Being Julia (B) (Movie page)

Bella (D) (May 4/08)

Bernie (CC: intriguing but too jokey) (Apr 18/13)

(The) Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (CC: more fun than expected) (May 27/12)

Best of Youth, The: Part One (D) (June 15/05)

Beowulf and Grendel (E) (March 17/06)

(The) Big Short  (Feb 28/16)

(The) Big Sick (Oct 5/17)

Birdman (Feb 20/15)

Biutiful (CC: Moody angst, arty and contrived) (Feb 23/11)

Blades of Glory (C or E) (March 23/07)

Blue Jasmine (Feb 11/14)

Blue Valentine (D-) (Jan 21/11)

Bobby (C) (Aug 29/07)

Body (E) (Feb 3/10)

Bon Cop, Bad Cop (E) (Sept 22/06)

Borat (C-) (Nov 8/06)

(The) Bourne Ultimatum (D) (Aug 8/07)

Boy A (B) (Sept 5/08)

Boy Erased (Dec 3/18)

Boyhood (Jan 20/15)

(The) Boys Are Back (C-) (Oct 6/09)

(The) Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (D-) (Dec 4/08)

Breakfast on Pluto (C-)  (Jan 11/06)

Breaking and Entering (C-) March 8/07

Bride and Prejudice (E) (March 21/05)

Bridesmaids (Fun inspite of bathroom humour) (June 2/11)

Brick (F) (May 23/06)

Bridge of Spies (Nov 19/15)

Bright Star (C) (Nov 11/09)

Brokeback Mountain (C-) (Dec 31/05)

Broken Flowers (B) (Sept 7/05)

Brooklyn (Jan 27/16)

Brothers (B+) (June 15/05)

Bruno (D) (July 17/09)

(The) Bubble (C) (July 20/07)

Buried (D) (Oct 22/10)

Burn After Reading (D-) (Dec 24/08)

Caché (E) (Feb 16/06)

Cafe Society (Dec 11/16)

Call Me by Your Name (Jan 15/18)

Calvary (Oct 29/14)

Capernaum (Apr 22/19)

Capote (B) (Nov 25/05)

Captain Phillips (March 21/14)

Casino Royale (C) (Feb 2/07)

Certified Copy -- Airy fare that's worthwhile mainly for Juliette Binoche (April 11/11)

Charlie Wilson's War (C) (Jan 17/08)

Che, Parts One and Two (C+) (Mar 1/09)

Chevalier (Mar 21/17)

Choke (E) (Sept 26/08)

(The) Class (Entre Les Murs) (B) (Jan 26/09)

Clean (D) (March 21/05)

Closer (D) (Dec 5/04)

Cloudburst (Feb 11/14)

Clouds of Sils Maria (June 29/16)

Congorama (D) (Jan 24/07)

Constant Gardener, The (E) (Sept 7/05)

Contagion (CC: entertaining but not amazing) (Oct 17/11)

Control (C) (Nov 22/07)

Conversations With Other Women (C minus) (August 12/06)

Coriolanus (CC: some stuff great but not as a whole) (Feb 11/12)

(The) Counterfeiters (C) (May 4/08)

Crash (G) (May 18/05)

C.R.A.Z.Y. (D) (Oct 25/05)

Crazy Stupid Love (Aug 11/11): Lots of fun despite the off-putting start

Cyrus (B) July  16/10

Dallas Buyers Club (Feb 11/14)

Damsels In Distress (CC: Go figger!) (May 4/12)

(The) Danish Girl (Jan 27/16)

(The) Darjeeling Limited (B) (Oct 4/07)

Darkest Hour (July 19/18)

Dear Frankie (B+) (April 8/05)

Death At A Funeral (D) (Oct 4/07)

(The) Death of Mr. Lazarescu (B-) (June 8/07)

(The) Deep Blue Sea (CC: a lot like great British melodrama) (May 4/12)

Defiance (D) (Jan 10/09)

Demolition (Dec 11/16)

Departures (C-) (Feb 22/10)

(The) Descendants (CC: Very good) (Dec 20/11)

(The) Devil Wears Prada (D) (August 12/06)

(The) Dictator (CC: comic sparks don't ignite this one) (June 28/12)

(The) Diving Bell and the Butterfly (B-) (Jan 30/08)

Django Unchained (CC: impressive elements; unsatisfying whole) (Feb 25/13)

Don Jon (Apr 16/14)

Doubt (C-) (Dec 24/08)

Down Terrace (B) (Dec 6/10)

Downfall (April 27/05)

Downton Abbey (March 12/20)

Dreamgirls (C-) (Dec 27/06)

Due Date (D-) (Dec 6/10)

Easy A (B) (Oct 22/10)

(The) Edge of Heaven (C) (June 23/08)

Everybody Wants Some (Apr 23/16)

Everything Is Illuminated (C-) (Dec 12/05)

(The) End of the Tour (Sept 16/15)

Exit Through The Gift Shop (E) (June 3/10)

Factory Girl (D) (Feb 16/07)

Farewell, My Queen (CC: Interesting if not enthralling) (Sept 28/12)

(The) Father of My Children (B-) (Nov 11/10)

(The) Favourite (Jan 15/19)

(The) Fighter (D) (Feb 23/11)

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (June 2/18)

First Reformed (July 19/18)

(The) Five-Year Engagement (CC: good enough) (May 20/12)

5 x 2 (E) (July 10/05)

Flame & Citron (D-) (Aug 23/09)

(The) Flight of the Red Balloon (C) (June 4/08)

Florence Foster Jenkins (August 21/16)

For Your Consideration (E) (Nov 28/06)

Force of Nature (C) (Oct 22/10)

40 Year Old Virgin, The (E) (Sept 7/05)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (C-) (May 4/08)

Foxcatcher (Jan 20/15)

Frances Ha (Apr 2/14)

Friends With Money (E) (May 2/06)

From Paris With Love (N/A) (Feb 22/10)

Frost/Nixon (C-) (Dec 24/08)

Funny People (D) (Aug 23/09)

Gainsbourg (CC: too arty) (Oct 22/11)

Garden State (C) (Movie page)

Get Him to the Greek (F) (June 3/10)

Ghost Town (C-) (September 26/08)

(The) Ghost Writer (D) (March 28/10)

Giant Little Ones (Sept 30/19)

Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me (Apr 23/16)

Gone Girl (Oct 29/14)

(The) Good Lie (Nov 10/14)

Good Night, and Good Luck (D) (Nov 25/05)

Gran Torino (E) (Feb 8/09)

(The) Grand Budapest Hotel (Jan 29/15)

Greenberg (B-) (April 17/10)

Green Book (Dec 20/18)

(The) Great Beauty (March 13/14)

(The) Guard (CC: great fun, if you can get through the accents) (Sept 30/11)

Habemus Papam (CC: fun but unsatisfying) (Apr 18/13)

Hail Caesar! (Feb 28/16)

Half Nelson (D) (Sept 6/06)

Hangover (C-) (June 6/09)

Hangover II (Entertaing but not amazing) (June 2/11)

Hangover III (Not too bad) (May 30/13)

Happy-Go-Lucky (D-) (Nov 16/08)

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanomo Bay (E) (May 18/08)

Head In The Clouds (E) (Movie page)

Head On (D) (July 10/05)

Hell or High Water (Nov 20/16)

Hello My Name Is Doris (Dec 11/16)

Henry IV Parts One and Two (Apr 23/16)

Her (Aug 8/14)

Higher Ground (CC: Grows on you in a quiet, authentic way) (Sept 30/11)

History Boys, The (C) (Dec 11/06)

(The) Hoax (C-) (April 14/07)

Holy Motors (CC: sophisticated obfuscation) (Dec 16/12)

Horrible Bosses CC: The drek submerges the clever touches (July 19/11)

Hot Fuzz (C-) (May 2/07)

Hot Tub Time Machine (E) (March 28/10)

Hotel Rwanda (C) (Jan 19/05)

Howl (DVD) CC: an interesting cultural landmark but not a fun movie (Nov 7/11)

Hugo (CC: Take insulin) (Mar 22/12)

Humpday (B) (July 31/09)

Hunger (B+) (April 14/09)

(The) Hunt (Apr 2/14)

(The) Hunting Party (D) (Sept 18/07)

(The) Hurt Locker (B??) (July 17/09)

I Am Love (D-) (Aug 2/10)

I (Heart) Huckabees (B) (Movie page)

I Love You, Man (D+) (March 24/09)

I Love You Phillip Morris (DVD) CC: Blech! (Nov 7/11)

I Shot My Love (D+) May 5/10

(The) Ides of March (CC: Not as good as it looks) Jan 15/12

I'm Not There (C) (Dec 8/07)

I'm Still Here (March 21/14)

In A Better World (CC: Impressive but too self-consciously grand) (May 14/11)

In Bruges (B-) (Feb 26/08)

In Darkness (CC: difficult but worthwhile) (Mar 9/12)

In Good Company (C-D) (Jan 5/05)

In The Loop (C-) (Oct 22/09)

Inception (C or F) (Aug 9/10)

(The) Informant! (D) (Oct 6/09)

Inglourious Basterds (C-) (Dec 31/09)

Inherent Vice (Sept 4/15)

Inside Llewyn Davis (Feb 11/14)

(The) Interview (Jan 20/15)

Intimate Strangers (C) (Movie page)

Into The Wild (B-) (Oct 25/07)

(The) Intouchables (CC: too pleasant) (Oct 23/12)

(The) Iron Lady (CC: Almost very good) (Jan 23/12)

Iron Man (D) (May 18/08)

I've Loved You So Long (C-) (Dec 4/08)

Jack Goes Boating (C-) (Oct 22/10)

Jackie (Jan 30/17)

J’ai Tué Ma Mère (D) (Feb 22/10)

James White (Dec 11/16)

Jane Eyre -- Beautiful But Not Passionate (April 11/11)

Jarhead (E) (Dec 12/05)

Jeff, Who Lives At Home (CC: Better than it first looks) (Apr 21/12)

Joe (Aug 8/14)

Journals of Knud Rasmussen, The (E) (Sept 22/06)

(The) Judge (Dec 2/14)

Julie and Julia (D-) (Dec 17/09)

Junebug (B) (Nov 4/05)

Juno (D) (Dec 8/07)

Keep the Lights On (CC: dreary realism) (Apr 18/13)

Kenny (B) (March 26/08)

King, The (B) (June 9/06)

King Charles III (Dec 13/17)

(The) Kings of Summer (Aug 8/14)

(The) King's Speech (A-) (Dec 21/10)

Kinsey (C) (Movie page)

Knives Out (March 12/20)

Knocked Up (C) (June 8/07)

Kon-Tiki (CC: National Geographic Boredom) (May 30/13)

La Danse (C+) (June 27/10)

La La Land (Feb 26/17)

La Vie En Rose (C+) (June 28/07)

Labor Day (July 11/14)

Ladies In Lavender (C+) (July 10/05)

Lady Chatterley (C) (Aug 29/07)

(The) Lady in the Van (Feb 28/16)

Lars and the Real Girl (B) (Feb 13/08)

Last Chance Harvey (C+) (Feb 8/09)

(The) Last King of Scotland (C) Nov 8/06

(The) Last Mistress (E) (Sept 5/08)

(The) Last Station (C+) (Feb 3/10)

Late Night (Aug 2/19)

Laurence Anyways (CC: unwieldy) (Sept 28/12)

Le Grand Silence (B+) July 20/07

L'Enfant (A minus) (April 12/06)

Les Anges Exterminateurs (E) (Jan 24/07)

Les Choristes  (D) (Feb 21/05)

Letters to Juliet (C-) (June 27/10)

Lie With Me (E) (Dec 12/05)

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The (C) (Jan 19/05)

Life As We Know It (C-) (Nov 11/10)

(The) Life of Pi (CC: Great visuals, thin script) (Jan 12/13)

Limitless (CC: ok as a thriller but nothing more) (March 24/11)

(The) Limits of Control (E) (June 6/09)

Lincoln (CC: Very good, if a touch too theatrical) (Dec 4/12)

Little Ashes (D) (June 6/09)

Little Children (F) (Feb 16/07)

Little Miss Sunshine (A) (Sept 6/06)

(The) Lives of Others (C) (Feb 16/07)

Locke (June 16/14)

Logan Lucky (Dec 13/17)

London Road (Dec 11/16)

Long Shot (May 26/19)

Look At Me (C) (April 18/05)

Looking For Alexander (E) (April 18/05)

(The) Lost City of Z (June 16/17)

Love and Mercy (July 1, 2015)

Macbeth (Dec 11/16)

Machinist, The (F) (Dec 5/04)

(The) Magic Flute (A) (March 24/09)

Magic Mike (CC: Bare Bums Barely Bearable) (July 14/12)

Mamma Mia! (A) (July 21/08)

Manchester by the Sea (Jan 30/17)

Maria by Callas (Jan 15/19)

Maria Full of Grace (C) (Movie page)

Marley & Me (E) (Dec 31/09)

Mary Queen of Scots (Jan 15/19)

(The) Master (CC: More piecemeal than masterpiece) (Oct 23//12)

Matador (A, C-) (Feb 16/06) 

Match Point (D) (Feb 1/06)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Dec 11/16)

Me, You and Everyone We Know (B+) (Sept 1/05)

Meek's Cutoff (DVD) (CC: Ponderous Realism) (Aug 26/12)

Melancholia (CC: Impressively arty but the hand-held camera killed me) Dec 20/11

Merchant of Venice, The (C) (Jan 28/05)

Michael Clayton (D) (Jan 29/08)

Mid-August Lunch (C) (July 16/10)

Midnight In Paris (CC: mildly entertaining) (Oct 22/11)

Milk (C-) (Dec 4/08)

Million Dollar Baby (D) (Jan 28/05)

(The) Misfortunates (C-) (April 17/10)

Mommy (Dec 2/14)

Moneyball (DVD) (CC: Enjoyable inspite of the baseball) (Aug 26/12)

Monsieur Lazhar (CC: amiable but aimless) (Feb 26/12)

Monster In A Box (June 7/15)

Moonlight (Dec 19/16)

Moonrise Kingdom (CC: Too twee for me) (June 28/12)

Mother (C-) (March 28/10)

Motorcycle Diaries, The (B) (Movie page)

Mr. Brooks (C-) (June 8/07)

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (C) (Sept 1/05)

Mr. Turner (Feb 8/15)

Mrs. Henderson Presents (D) (Jan 11/06)

Much Ado About Nothing (CC: Much to Love) (July 6/13)

Mud (Feb 11/14)

Munich (D) (Feb 1/06)

Museum Hours (Apr 2/14)

My Old Lady (Apr 19/15)

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (F) (July 18/06)

My Week With Marilyn (Showbiz Fun) (Dec 12/11)

My Winnipeg (E) (July 5/08)

(The) Mysteries of Pittsburgh (D) (May 10/09)

Napoleon Dynamite (D) (Movie page)

Nebraska (March 13/14)

Neighbors (May 28/14)

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (C) (Oct 16/08)

(The) Night Before (Dec 15/15)

Nightwatching (C-) (March 1/09)

No (CC: interesting but not entertaining) (Mar 29/13)

No Country for Old Men (B-) (Dec 8/07)

No Reservations (E) (Aug 8/07)

Notes on a Scandal (C) (Feb 16/07)

Observe and Report (E) (May 10/09)

Of Gods and Men (CC: a profound study of faith, courage, charity) (March 11/11)

On Chesil Beach (July 19/18)

On the Road (CC: Not a nice ride) (Feb 7/13)

Once (C-) (June 8/07)

127 Hours (C+) (Dec 6/10)

(The) One-Hundred Foot Journey (Jan 29/15)

One Week (E) (March 24/09)

Our Idiot Brother (CC: too cluttered and cutesy) (Sept 30/11)

Page One (DVD) (CC: Interesting but complicated) (Aug 26/12)

(The) Page Turner (E) (April 14/07)

Palindromes (C) (June 15/05)

Parasite (Dec 6/19)

Paris Je T'Aime (C) (May 21/07)

Paterson (Dec 13/17)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (F) (Dec 31/09)

People Like Us (CC: Some are!) (Aug 8/12)

Peter Rabbit (Apr 23/18)

Philomena (Feb 11/14)

Pineapple Express (C-) (Dec 31/09)

Pink Panther, The (B/E) (March 9/06)

Pitch Perfect (CC: the charm outweighs the shlock -- just) (Oct 4/12)

(The) Place Beyond the Pines (CC: good work subverted by arty ambition) (May 10/13)

Please Give (D) (June 3/10)

Police, Adjective (CC: fascinating for connoisseurs) Jan 7/12

(The) Pool (B) (May 10/09)

Pride (Nov 10/14)

Pride and Prejudice (C) (Nov 25/05)

Primer (C) (Dec 20/04)

Prisoners (Feb 11/14)

(The) Proposal (C-) (June 28/09)

Quartet  (CC: all frosting, no cake) (Mar 14/13)

Queen, The (B) (Oct 14/06)

Rabbit Hole (D) (Jan 17/11)

Rachel Getting Married (B-) Oct 27/08

Ray (C) (Movie page)

(The) Reader (C-) Jan 26/09

Restrepo (B) (Aug 2/10)

(The) Revenant (Feb 28/16)

Revolutionary Road (D) (Jan 10/09)

Rocketman (June 22/19)

Role Models (C) Nov 16/08

Room (Nov 19/15)

Rosewater (Apr 19/15)

Ruby Sparks (CC: quirky and romantic) (Apr 18/13)

Running With Scissors (F) (Nov 28/06)

Rust and Bone (CC: gritty realism with compassion) (Jan 22/13)

Ryan (C) (March 21/05)

Sabah (D) (July 21/05)

(The) Salesman (June 16/17)

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (CC: a romantic yawn) (Apr 18/13)

Savages (E) (Jan 17/08)

Schultze Gets The Blues (B) (March 21/05)

Science of Sleep, The (C) (Sept 22/06)

Sea Inside, The (D) (Jan 28/05)

(The) Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Apr 19/15)

(The) Secret in Their Eyes (B) (May 5/10)

Secrets of the Tribe (D) (May 5/10)

(The) Sessions (CC: not as engaging as it could be)  (Nov 17/16)

Seven Psychopaths (CC: Fun if you can follow it) (Nov 6/12)

Seymour: An Introduction (Apr 19/15)

Shame (Elegant Ennui) (Dec 12/11)

She's The Man (D) (March 17/06)

Shoplifters (Feb 23/19)

Side Effects (CC: sleek and superficial) (Mar 14/13)

Sideways (D) (Dec 20/04)

Silver Linings Playbook (CC: ruined by corny plotting) (Jan 22/13)

Sin Nombre (C-) (April 14/09)

(The) Sisters Brothers (Feb 23/19)

Skyfall (CC: Too loud and too long) (Dec 4/12)

Slumdog Millionaire (C) (Dec 4/08)

Snatched (June 16/17)

(The) Social Network (B) (Oct 22/10)

(The) Soloist (B) (Dec 31/09)

Somewhere (B) (Jan 21/11)

Spotlight (Dec 15/15)

Spring Breakers (Apr 16/14)

Squid and the Whale, The (D) (Nov 25/05)

St. Vincent (Sept 4/15)

Stage Beauty (D) (Movie page)

Stan & Ollie (Feb 23/19)

Starting Out In The Evening (E) (Jan 30/08)

(The) Steam of Life (C+) (May 5/10)

Step Brothers (C-) (Sept 5/08)

Stranger By The Lake (June 7/15)

Stranger Than Fiction (C) (December 11/06)

Summer Hours (C) (July 31/09)

Swimming to Cambodia (June 7/15)

Synecdoche, New York (D) (Dec 4/08)

Syriana (E) (Dec 31/05)

Taking Woodstock (D-) (Dec 30/09)

Ted (CC: Offensive fun) (Aug 26/12)

Thank You For Smoking (E) (March 17/06)

Thanks for Sharing (Apr 16/14)

(The) Theory of Everything (Dec 19/14)

There Will Be Blood (E) (Jan 30/08)

This Is England (B) (Nov 22/07)

This Is 40 (CC: Iffy fun) (Jan 12/13)

This Is the End (CC: Hellish fun) (June 19/13)

This Way of Life (B+) (May 5/10)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Feb 22/18)

Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (C) (March 9/06)

Three Monkeys (D) (May 10/09)

Toni Erdmann (Feb 26/17)

Topsy-Turvy (Sept 4/15)

Trainwreck (Sept 4/15)

Transamerica (D) (Feb 1/06)

(The) Tree of Life. CC: artsty, moody, beautiful and tiresome (June 20/11)

(The) Trip CC: Some charm but not enough substance (July 19/11)

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (D) (March 9/06)

Tropic Thunder C- (Feb 8/09)

(The) Trotsky (E-) (June 3/10)

Truands (D) (Jan 24/07)

True Grit (C or E, depending) (Jan 17/11)

Twelfth Night -- by Shakespeare's Globe (July 29/15)

Two Days in Paris (F) (Sept 18/07)

Two Lovers (B+) (May 10/09)

Unhung Hero (Aug 8/14)

United 93 (D) (May 2/06)

Up In The Air (C-) (Nov 24/09)

Valet, the (C-) (May 21/07)

Venus (C) (Feb 2/07)

Vera Drake (B+) (Movie page)

Victoria and Abdul (Nov 3/17)

(The) Visitor (C-) (May 18/08)

Volver (F) (Nov 28/06)

Walk on Water (C) (March 21/05)

Walk The Line (B) (Feb 1/06)

Waltz With Bashir (Vals Im Bashir) (D) Jan 26/09

Wanderlust (CC: Who digs these hasbin hippies?) (Apr 6/12)

We Don't Live Here Anymore (F) (Movie page)

Wedding Crashers, The (D) (Sept 16/05)

Wendy and Lucy (C-) (March 1/09)

Where The Truth Lies (E) (Oct 25/05)

While We're Young (May 19/15)

(The) White Ribbon (C) (Mar 17/10)

(The) Wife (Feb 23/19)

Wilby Wonderful (D) (Movie page)

Wild Tales (Apr 30/15)

Win Win -- Story and Characters Too Slight, Despite Good Acting (April 11/11)

(The) Wind That Shakes the Barley (C) (March 23/07)

Winter's Bone (B+) (July 16/10)

Woodsman, The (C-) (Feb 4/05)

(The) Wrestler (B+) (Jan 10/09)

Yes (E) (Sept 16/05)

(The) Yes Men Fix the World (C) (Feb 3/10)

Yesterday (Nov 10/19)

You Don't Mess With The Zohan (B-) (June 4/08)

You Were Never Really Here (May 14/18)

Young Adult (CC: not good enough) (Jan 7/12)

Young and Beautiful (June 16/14)

(The) Young Victoria (B) (Jan 11/10)

Zero Dark Thirty (CC: very good) (Feb 7/13)

Zodiac (C-) (March 8/07)

 

VIDEOS and DVDs

200 American (E) (Sept 16/05)

A Good Year (E) (June 8/07)

A Royal Scandal (F) (August 29/07)

Anatomy of Hell (E) (March 21/05)

Angels in America (C) (March 21/05)

Before Sunrise (B) (Videos and DVDs page)

Bent (N/A) (March 21/05)

(The) Bucket List (C-) (June 23/08)

Captive, The (E) (Videos and DVDs page)

Collateral (D) (April 27/05)

Dancing At Lughnasa (B) (April 8/05)

Dogville (G) (Feb 28/05)

Door In The Floor, The (E) (Feb 28/05)

Dreamers (E) (Videos and DVDs page)

Eastern Promises (C-) (Dec 30/07)

Enchanted (C-) (April 16/08)

Facing Windows (D) (March 21/05)

Family Stone, The (E) (June 6/06)

Finding Neverland (D) (April 27/05)

Fracture (B) (Dec 30/07)

Gaz Bar Blues (C) (Videos and DVDs page)

(The) Good Shepherd (D) (April 14/07)

Housekeeper, The (C) (Videos and DVDs page)

I, Claudia (B) (Feb 28/05)

If.... (A) (March 26/08)

(The) Illusionist (C) (May 2/07)

In This World (D) (Videos and DVDs page)

Intimacy (C) (Videos and DVDs page)

Jesse Stone: Sea Change (D) (April 16/08)

Ladykillers, The (E) (Videos and DVDs page)

Love Is The Devil (Aug 10/05)

Marie Antoinette (C) (April 14/07)

Master and Commander (D) (Videos and DVDs page)

My House In Umbria (C) (Videos and DVDs page)

Naked States (D) (Sept 16/05)

(The) Nanny Diaries (E) (Dec 30/07)

Nine Songs (E) (March 9/06)

Open Water (E) (Feb 28/05)

(The) Prestige (E) (May 2/07)

(The) Queen's Sister (C) (Aug 29/07)

Reign Over Me (B) (Dec 30/07)

Rescue Dawn (D) (Dec 30/07)

Seducing Dr. Lewis (B) (Videos and DVDs page)

Sex Is Comedy (E) (Feb 28/05)

Sicko (B) (March 26/08)

Son Frère (C) (July 10/05)

Terminal, The (D) (Jan 5/05)

(The) Tribe (June 29/16)

True Romance (C) Dec 30/07)

Under The Tuscan Sun (D) (Videos and DVDs page)

Waitress (C) (Feb 13/08)

You, Me and Dupree (F) (April 14/07)

Youth (June 29/16)

 

 

Movie Essays

Academy Awards 2007 (Feb 16/07)

Academy Awards Afterglow (March 9/06)

An Overview (June 15/05)

Aspects of Academy Awards (Feb 7/11)

Battle Royal: Britain vs Hollywood -- Academy Awards 2008 (Feb 26/08)

Food in Movies: mini-essay (June 27/06)

The Secret to the Academy Awards (March 9/06)

 

 

 

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