Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

 

Grimy characters behave poorly in a dark tale of muscles, guns, and dysfunction. For a second there I thought this might have been the origin story for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. 

Rating: C-

The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys (2002)

Reminded me of Stand By Me and many other "group of young boys who get into a lot of trouble" movies. Jodie Foster was pretty good as the cranky nun, but Vincent D'Onofrio was wasted as the priest. Kieran Culkin continues to nab interesting roles.

Rating: C

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)

About as unsatisfying as Part 1. Bits of unrealistic action followed by long bouts of boring conversation. They could have done a lot more with the pods. The book has a lot for them to draw from. And what was with the multiple false endings. I thought the credits would never come. Way to end the series on a low note.

Rating: C-

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014)

The third book was the weakest in the series, in my opinion. So breaking it up into two movies seemed a bit much. Part one is mostly setup for the big capital city breach. It’s filler.

Rating: C

Inherent Vice (2014)

A confusing fruit salad of characters who meander and mumble their way through a plot that never quite delivers coherency. And believe me, it pains me to say that, because I’m a huge Paul Thomas Anderson fan. But this effort is a stark turn in the wrong direction.

Rating: D

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

It followed the book quite closely and did a great job of bringing the story to life. Acting was all top notch, with my favorite still being Stanley Tucci. He’s glorious in that role. CGI and special effects were effectively used. They’ve handled the first two films adeptly, but they have their work cut out for them in the third.

Rating: B-

Cold Mountain (2003)

What a great supporting cast! Kidman and Jude law were adequate, but it was the small performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, and others that made it fun to watch. My favorite cameo was Jack White of The White Stripes. Not happy with the downer ending, or else I would have rated it higher.

Rating: C

Saved (2004)

Good concept and cast, but surprisingly shallow performances. Sort of like "But I'm A Cheerleader", for the 1-2 of you who saw that. It had that cheap indie feel, but in a bad way. There were quite a few funny scenes, which make it worth seeing, but I felt it could have been more polished.

Rating: C

The United States of Leland (2003)

A moody and well acted film. Jena Malone plays yet another girlfriend to the unstable male lead. (Much better in The Glass House) Cheadle was very good in his role. This movie won't leave you feeling happy, but it will put you in a thoughtful mood, which is a good thing sometimes.

Rating: C+

Donnie Darko (2001)

I really liked how this film was put together, but after multiple viewings, I'm still not confident I fully understand it. I have a love/hate relationship with time travel movies. The mood, tone, and sound of the film is fantastic. Jake is a fine actor. I like this movie but I want to love it.

Rating: B-

The Ballad Of Jack And Rose (2005)

An enjoyable, but slow moving indie with slightly odd characters dealing with the changes in their lives. Daniel Day Lewis is always fun to watch on screen. The film will hold your attention, but not leave much of a mark on your memory.

Rating: C

Into The Wild (2007)

A difficult film to review. Reminded me a bit of 127 Hours and the Herzog documentary Grizzly Man. It’s a very long film that takes the scenic route to reach its destination, much as did Chris McCandless, the man the film is based on. Acting was top notch. Hal Holbrook's performance was really touching. The Alaskan landscapes are beautiful. I can see what drew him there.

But I have to agree with some things I found online after watching the movie. It wasn’t very smart to head into the wilderness without proper training or preparation. An interesting story nonetheless.

Rating: C+

Life as a House (2001)

Life as a House is a wonderful, moving film. Kevin Kline and Kristen Scott Thomas are at their very best. Hayden Christensen has never been better. His crap role in Star Wars was the exact opposite of his performance in this one. Loved Jena Malone's character as well.

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

Rating: A

Sucker Punch (2011)

As talented as Zach Snyder is at making things look on screen, without a cohesive script, it’s simply unrewarding eye candy. I love hot chicks kicking ass as much as the next guy—probably more—but I need characters and a substantial story to go with it. I need to care. Sucker Punch is too much fantasy, too little reality. I’ll rewatch 300 and try to forget this one. It shouldn’t be very hard.

Rating: F+