I've slacked for a while, so I'm going to make a big update.
Vertigo
-Rating:
-One of Hitchcock's classics that I really enjoyed. It was especially interesting to see James Stewart play a role that was somewhat different from what he was used to playing for Hitchcock, and actually get some darker stuff in there.
Midnight Cowboy
-Rating:
-Didn't really enjoy this one at all, though I think Dustin Hoffman put in a good performance. That said, I was expecting more from what was the only X-rated movie to win a Best Picture Oscar.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
-Rating:
-Very fun summer flick, and it's no wonder that Pitt and Jolie are an item now, because their chemistry makes this movie. This is definitely something I'll be picking up on DVD, not because it's a great piece of cinema, but just because it was pretty fun with some nice comedy and action to boot.
Batman Begins
-Rating:
-Rates right up there with X-Men 2 and Spider-Man 2 as one of the best comic movies I've ever seen. Despite some complaints about the batsuit and Batmobile design, I think the movie was fantastic. Christian Bale IS Batman, in my opinion. This movie once again makes the Dark Knight something to fear.
Amores Perros
-Rating:
-Very good movie in the spirit of 21 Grams in the sense that it follows separate stories and then shows how they interconnect. I really liked 21 Grams, so it's no surprise I enjoyed this film as well. The acting is quite good, and the plots are compelling. My only complaint would be that, at over 2 1/2 hours, it does drag a bit in some parts.
The Great Escape
-Rating:
-Decent movie, remarkable when you consider it's based on true events, but I wasn't overly impressed. Steve McQueen seemed indifferent to everything, and perhaps that's what they were going for, but it started to bug me a bit. Some of the dialogue was hard to follow. Doesn't help that the DVD had no subtitles option, so I probably lost a lot of the subplots that weren't played upon as much.
Dial M for Murder
-Rating:
-Classic, IMO. I wish I could see it in 3D, because you can tell where Hitchcock had intentionally left different layers for enjoyment of the film in that aspect. The acting was fantastic, especially by the leads, Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. There's something creepy about Milland's calculated nature.
War of the Worlds
-Rating:
-Wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I thought I would, only because I anticipated the movie getting hype from Tom Cruise's off-screen life. But I really enjoyed this movie, and I think Speilburg succeeded in making a modern day adaptation of what Wells put out over 100 years ago. Dakota Fanning COMPLETELY steals the show, talk about a great performance!
Wedding Crashers
-Rating:
-I didn't laugh as much as I thought I would, but when I did laugh, I was nearly in tears. If you've seen stuff from this crew before, in the likes of Dodgeball or Zoolander or Meet the Parents, then you know you're in for a trip. Unlike some comedies though, I don't think the trailers gave away the funniest bits in the movie.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
-Rating:
-Good, but I still prefer the original perhaps only because of it coming first. The kids were well cast for their roles and Depp did an interesting job with Wonka, but I'm not sure that I came out really liking it. It was solid and different, but at times I felt like it was trying too hard to be different.
Linear Mode
