Magnolia (1999)

 

Paul Thomas Anderson was a superstar back then. Seems like half of Hollywood stars in this film. The fast pacing and shifting storylines keep the audience engaged from beginning to end. 

However, watching it now, I’m reminded how sad and tragic everyone is. It’s a pretty depressing 3 hours. Heavy stuff. Tom Cruise’s Academy Award nomination was well deserved. It was a standout performance in a sea of great performances.  

Rating: B

Rudderless (2014)

I love indie musical films where bands are formed under unconventional circumstances and songs are written from loss and pain.

Rudderless, the movie, can be rather mopey at times, but Rudderless, the band, helps bring the characters and audience out of the murk. A nice offering from William H. Macy.

Rating: B-

Big Game (2014)

I’m willing to accept a minimal amount of preposterous-ness, but Big Game went beyond the levels of acceptability. Case in point—the flying freezer scene. Do yourself a favor and see a much better version of this film called Hanna.

Rating: D+

Georgia Rule (2007)

I was trapped on a plane to Germany! I know, I know. It's no excuse for watching Ms. Lohan flit about onscreen like a drunken bat, but I was bored. And my laptop battery was dead. Complete garbage.

Rating: F