dvdguy2005 Reviews

Isolation (2005)

Mr. Black's Rating = C-

[4/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Festival Report This 2005 Irish Horror film is written and directed by a "Billy O'Brien".

The Programmer, Colin Geddes, nor anyone from the cast or crew is at the screening. Not a good sign. (Found out later that the Directors wife was giving birth!!) Plot Outline: On a remote Irish farm, five people become unwilling participants in an experiment that goes nightmarishly wrong.

Well there is nothing wrong with a good monster/Alien film once and awhile. Unfortunately this is not one of them. It is likely the first film ever that can make the claim to showing not once, not twice, but three times in the first fifteen minutes a cow having a hand being put up its ass. To be fair to the director Billy O'Brien, (who also wrote this piece of art) the opening is moody at times. You are trying to figure out what the heck is going on. The set-up takes forever to get going, and the yet the ending seems rushed. Lions Gate International has picked up the rights so we may see it on a screen at some point. There is no humor here what so ever. There is a low scare count, the "thing" is small and seemed just fine playing with cows. Is it horrible, no. Kind of wish it was to be honest, it might have been a little more fun that way. The crowd was small, and not reacting much at all. There was no one there to blame at the end of the screening. Hey, just discovered the original name of the film, (The Calf). D!oh, and this was one of the best Midnight Madness films of the year? Come on Colin! Where the hell is the new "Tony Jaa" Film "Tom yum goong" ? Now that would have been some Madness Baby.

Rating = C-

Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman (2005)

Mr. Black My Rating = B

[7/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Report Off I head to the Varsity for the first time this festival. Movie: "The Last Hangman".

Plot Outline: The life and times of Albert Pierrepoint - Britain's most prolific hangman.

Always feel comfortable picking films from the United Kingdom. If it has made it to the film festival, and it is UK produced, it will be good. At least that is what I have found over the years at the festival.

Now this project was originally a made for Granada TV in the UK. Not 100% sure if it has aired yet on television over in the UK. This is a very well made, well acted movie. The Director and actor "Timothy Spall" was there for the interesting Q/A session. Basically the story follows the Hangman 'Pierrepoint' (following in this father's foot prints) over his career as Britain's 'Best" executioner. How does this job affect him, and even more interesting how it affects everyone around him.

The most unlikely plot twist was to my amazement completely true. The filmmakers try to be as accurate as possible; there was no need to make anything up, the true story itself in interesting enough. The trip 'Pierrepoint' took to Germany after the war was particularly well done.

The Q/A raised the obvious questions on the Death Penalty, and the producers' feelings on that subject. There is a brief scene of 'Pierrepoint' cleaning up a 'lady' afterwords, it included some full frontal nudity. A lady in the audience asked why that was shown, and not a guy in the same position. In the attempt to be accurate as possible the director stated that when a woman is hanged there are "biological" differences that need special attention. He did not want to go into specifics, which was just fine with this blogger.

Great Film, but the subject material is dark, 'Pierrepoint' is shown at work for most of the film, which will put some people off.

I knew before watch the movie that it was originally made for TV. There is a lot of quality material that hits the airwaves. Watching a movie on to the Big Screen certainly adds to the experience of any movie. Now what if you watched some of the best "The Sopranos" episodes on the big screen? What about "Six Feet Under" or what ever your favorite drama program is. This is good, but do you need to throw your $10 down to see it in the theater? If the idea of seeing quality TV on the big screen is appealing to you, then the answer is most certainly yes.

My Rating = B

Kill Zone (2005)

Mr. Black My final rating = C-

[4/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Festival Report.

My Final film of the festival, and naturally it was a Midnight Madness screening.

S.P.L. or Sha Po Lang. This stars some Hong Kong heavyweights: Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen.

Not even going to discuss the plot. Just your basic cop story. Some fan boys are comparing this to classic action films like "The Killer". They are whacked. Sammo is OK as the Bad guy, and the film does allow some time for the back story to be developed. The big emotional scenes almost lap into parody (everyone receives cell phone calls on father's day, one at a time, seconds before getting killed. Pretty silly actually. And oh yeah, one character is told that he has brain cancer (enlisting laughter from the audience) but it never factors into the plot at all.

Actions scenes are few and far between; luckily they are handled pretty well. Nice long takes, none of this nonstop cutting that we often see. Good to see the fat man Sammo, or was it his stunt double getting thrown around. The ending does surprise, wait for it! Just did not buy the Donnie Yen character heading in the direction he did. Not a classic, not a great action film, but if you are fan, I guess track it down on DVD.

There was zero introductions, Sammo was in town the night before, but failed to show up on this day. There were some folks asking for pictures at the end of the screening so I suspect some of the actors/production people showed up late. For me, didn't recognize a single soul.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)

Mr. Black My rating = B- (might change on a second viewing).

[5/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Report Up next, a film that I have really been looking forward to: Chan-wook Park's "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance".

The crowd for this screening is massive! The Elgin is packed and there looked like there was a large 'rush' line as well. Funny what winning the "Grand Prize of the Jury" at Cannes for your last film will do.

The director, Chan-wook Park was there for a quick introduction, however there was no Q/A this time out.

Plot Outline : Lee Geum-Ja, at the age of 19, goes to prison for the murder and abduction of a child on behalf of her accomplice Mr. Baek, only to find out that she is betrayed.

Got the above 'Plot outline' from .imdb.com, Wish now that I had read that before going into the screening. Took me half the movie to figure out what was going. There are a lot of flash backs to her time in prison that do not really add too much to the film.

Discovered Park's last film, "Oldboy" on import DVD. Heard about Cannes and was curious what I would find. While "Oldboy" is certainly not everyone, it is quite violent, it is still breathtaking film-making. I've lent my "Oldboy" DVD too many friends, some liking it… while others not. Would I do the same "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance"? Nope.

Have to see this movie again. It didn't really connect with until the last third kicked in. Very interesting sequence at the end of the film, something that will certainly surprise and shock average film goers. Dark, funny and violent at times (but no were as bad as I thought it would be). First viewing really did not stay with me, but out of respect for "Chan-wook Park"… have to see it again.

My rating = B- (might change on a second viewing).

The Great Yokai War (2005)

Mr. Black My rating = B

[7/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Festival Report It is official; "Takashi Miike" is whacked.

The annual midnight screening of the new "Takashi Miike" film, "The Big Spook War" or "The Great Yokai War" or "Yôkai daisensô". Call it what you will this is a fanatical ride.

Colin Geddes, the fearless programmer stated this film was originally geared towards children in Japan. Think of "Lord of the Rings" or "Neverending Story" for Japan. After the screening I can understand where they were going with that, but damn this is "Takashi Miike" after all. He directed the '01 film "Ichi the Killer", when it screening at the festival barf bags were handed out at the screening. And no, that wasn't just a marketing ploy.

Plot Summary: A young boy with a troubled home life becomes "chosen," and he stumbles into the middle of a Great Spirit war, where he meets a group of friendly spirits who become his companions through his journey.

This is not really for kids, well not 'too' young. Certainly see them getting scared shitless with some of these spirits (even the friendly ones) on display. This is unlike anything I've seen in the movie theater before. A fantasy naturally, some very funny (but dark) material. You will not be bored can guarantee that. Will this ever hit North America? Doubtful.

My rating = B

Seven Swords (2005)

Mr. Black My Rating = C

[3/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Festival Report: Tsui Hark's Seven Swords".

Yeah, was looking forward to this film. It opened in Asia over July/August of this year. Saw Hark's confusing "Time and Tide" a couple of years back at the festival. Once again, Hark has not shown up for the screening.

Plot Outline: Seven warriors come together to protect a village from a diabolical General.

Seven Swords… or was their five? Who the hell really knows? You never really get to understand the Swordsman at all. Why did one fly out of a mountain? Are there more than seven swords? Why are they gathered together on the mountain? Lots of these little details are left unanswered for this viewer. Did I mention this sucker ran 150 minutes? Really wanted to like this film, but didn't. The action scenes were disappointing overall. The end scene does contain some decent sword fighting, a cool scene between two sword men in a hallway. But damn, you have to wait 140 minutes for that.

"Seven Swords" is overlong, confusing but occasionally very beautiful to look at. Set Design, cinematography are interesting at times, but damn… you have to care about the characters a little too. This is no "Hero".

Want to see Hawk do better swordplay? Check out "The Blade", much better film.

Hyeongsa (2005)

Mr. Black My rating = C-

[3/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Festival report: One more film for today, new one from South Korea, directed by Lee Myung-Es: "Duelist".

"A tale of political intrigue The Duelist is told from the perspective of a group of undercover police officers in historical Korea. Ahn Sung-Ki - one of Korea's most dependable actors who many on these shores will recognize from his part in the stellar Musa: The Warrior - is the wise senior leader of the group, Ha Jiwan the headstrong and fiery tempered Detective Namsoo. When a mysterious masked man scatters bags of counterfeit coins into a crowd at a town fair - nearly triggering a riot - the young female detective sets off in pursuit, engages him in combat and catches a brief glimpse of his true face." Style… Style and more style. The Director Lee Myung-Es was there (Must be a big deal back in South Korea as he was swarmed with folks after the screening) and he explained the story original came from a Comic Book. Wish I had known that going in. It is a period piece, with a modern flare. Characters do things not because it makes sense, but to strike a pose. The director did not want to tag this as an action film, but as a 'Melodrama'. Full of color, especially in the early market scenes, I am sure the fans of comic at happy as hell. Does that make it a good movie? Not really. Lee Myung-Es said the film just opened in Korea, with the critics loving it… and the audience 50/50 on it. The film took ninety three days to shoot, and I am sure most of that time was spent getting the color scheme right. It's looks wonderful, and he uses Dark shadows to make some beautiful images. All this just doesn't work for me. The attempts at comedy are so over the top and goofy it is hard to take the characters seriously. The "Namsoon" character is just so goofy during the first half of the film I never really bought the romance between her and the "Sad Eyes" character. There are many action scenes, oh sorry, dance scenes, but they never had any real sense of danger for me. If you do not care who is fighting, or why they are fighting, then it comes across as really cold to me. Some will like it, others like me will not. Can not see this playing at all with a North American Audience, so the chances you will see this on the big screen are slim. A better reviewer than I has said on the internet "I think, that director Lee's films are poetry, not prose." Guess this fearless reviewer is not really a poetry kind of guy.

District B13 (2004)

Mr. Black Rating : B

[7/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Festival Report.

Banlieue 13" a 2004 French action film from a very busy (he currently has 15 films in various stages of production), "Luc Besson".

Basically Plot: 'Paris, 2010. The city's landscape has been divided by massive walls that isolate so-called dangerous ghetto areas, protecting the city's elite from the disenfranchised. Vice rules in these walled-in communities and law enforcement only exists at the barrier's checkpoints.' This is no 'relationship' film! A very well made, effective French Action Film. They go the 'Real stuntmen, no wires' route to great effect. I like the soundtrack, the plot moves along a quick pace, and an effective cast. The first 40 minutes is used to introduce the two main subjects: "Cyril Raffaelli" and "David Belle". Think of them as two smaller versions of "Tony Jaa". Not quite as skilled as he, but still great in their own right.

Look, this is a well made, nicely edited low budget action film. Expect nothing more.

One of the French actors, "Cyril Raffaelli" was there for intro and Q/A. He spoke through an interpreter and explained that there was no one injured during the production (other than him breaking an ankle on a very simple stunt). The more difficult time for the actors was during rehearsal, while working out all the choreography. Some of the film was shot in Romania. They approached the French government asking for permission to perform the 'parkour' stunt work on the roof tops of Paris. They refused. The Romanian government did not seem to have a problem with them running and jumping across the top of the city.

Takeshis' (2005)

Mr. Black Rating: C-

[4/10 · 24 December 2005]

First up is Takeshi Kitano's "Takeshis'" First off, thank you sweet Jesus, they have replaced the seats at the Ryerson theatre. There is still a sore on my right ass cheek from last years screening of "I Heart Huckabees". You remember those seats don't you Stef! Liked that film… and I thought Mark would love it. Was wrong, he couldn't sit through it.

Now, back to "Takeshis'". This is the forth 'Beat' Takeshi film I caught at the Toronto Film festival, and never seen him introduce a film yet. Does he do other festivals? Who knows? Basic Plot : 'Kitano acts opposite himself, playing both the ordinary guy - also named Kitano - and the director's real-life alter-ego, TV and cinema star "Beat" Takeshi.' This is a film for fans of Kitano… if this was your first 'Beat' film I think you would be totally lost. I've seen several... and that didn't really help me much at all. Beat is playing two different characters... (with different hair color... or do they?). There is a ton of foreshadowing going on as well… quick flashes of plot. Me thinks it is a parody of his previous work, just not sure if he is a fan of his image or not. Certainly would have asked him… if he had shown up. Beat must be a song and dance man at heart because just like "Zatôichi" , dance numbers pop up at odd moments. The crowd was quiet during the screening for the most part. The limited action scenes were so over the top they must have parody... or fantasy maybe? Who the hell knows? Overall, Disappointing.

Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005)

Mr. Black Rating B-

[6/10 · 24 December 2005]

2005 Toronto Film Festival Report: Back out in the sun and over to the Paramount of the next film: "Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic". Sarah was there to introduce the film, but she did not stick around for a Q/A afterwards. Never seen "Sarah Silverman" do stand-up before, but I have seen her on Talk shows and the like. To be honest, was not sure what to expect.

Sarah has a potty mouth! Very politically incorrect (in a good way), and completely fearless.

Plot Outline: Narrative digressions on sex, race, politics, and more from comedienne Sarah Silverman.

And she does it all. I like her delivery… she 'pauses' well. It isn't rushed; Sarah allows time for the words to sink in. Now the film itself is basically stand-up… and a number of songs/skits intertwined. Sarah has a decent voice, is quite beautiful in my mind, and dirty too! Should you rush out and see this film on the big screen? Nah. HBO or DVD will do just fine. In her introduction Sarah said "Ah… comedy at noon" (The screening time was 12:30 in the afternoon). Is comedy funnier at night? There was a Midnight screening of the film the night before, did it play better then? Maybe.

Quick story: Before the film I was chatting with a lady next to me about the festival. She was seeing 30+ movies, but was a little disappointed about the lack of German language films at the festival this year (only two). She was obviously of German decent. About half was through the film Sarah starts ragging on Jewish folks that buy German cars (Sarah is Jewish). The lady beside me starts to squirm a bit. Sarah moves from the stage to a sing skit where she once again starts to sing about Jewish folks buying German cars. The lady beside me stood up and left. As I watch her leave I thought to myself... what would Sarah think of that? "Yeah... I got someone to walk out, must be doing something right". Or would she be disappointed that the lady just did not get it. As Sarah says several times during the film, "It's just a joke folks". However, for some, it just might be too much.

Battle in Heaven (2005)

Mr. Black My Rating: D

[2/10 · 24 December 2005]

Report from the 2005 Toronto Film Festival: I get to stay at the Paramount for my Next film, from Mexico: "Battle in Heaven (Batalla en el Cielo)".

My two favorite parts of this film? Mexico City is a star of this film; you really get a sense of what it would be like to be that very busy city. The Director stated in the Q/A that there was zero extras used, it was a local folks, and just who ever was the street. Second favorite part... the very cute "Anapola Mushkadiz".

And oh yeah, the sound design was very interesting, the director spent 7 weeks just on the sound. My guess, two weeks on the rest of the film. Man this film just drags on. One scene, driving from the Airport to downtown must have lasted 20 minutes… and nothing really happens. The music is jarring (I suspect that was the intent). There are some of the most un-erotic sex scenes ever captured on film. Ugly was the word passing through my mind. Sad Characters... which you learn nothing about. The opening and closing scene insures that it will never play at a multi-plex near you. What I got from the director "Carlos Reygadas" during the Q/A Was that he thought it was creating a piece of art. Partly right … he created a piece of something alright.

American Gun (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: C

[4/10 · 5 October 2005]

American Gun Mr. Black's Grade: C Starring Donald Sutherland , Forest Whitaker , Linda Cardellini , Marcia Gay Harden , Nikki Reed and Tony Goldwyn .

American Gun follows four different story arcs featuring seemingly disparate portraits of people who all affected by the proliferation of guns in American society. The film is very earnest in it's portrayal of the gun problem in the US, but overall it is pretty forgettable.

Ever been out in public, walking on the street or riding a subway and see a stranger crying? Naturally you feel some sympathy towards this person, but there is disconnect. Why are they crying? The new boyfriend never returned their phone call? Did they just receive news of a family member dying? Get a B on the Biology test? You have no real way to know. And that's how I felt in this movie, disconnected. Every 10 minutes or so there are these big emotional outbursts, and while you do eventually come to know why, there still is a serious separation.

There is some interesting material here, and Marcia Gay Harden's confrontation with her neighbors is handled very well. That's it baby.

The Myth (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: C-

[4/10 · 5 October 2005]

The Myth Mr. Black's Grade: C- Starring Jackie Chan .

Jackie takes on two roles, a modern day archaeologist and a Qin Dynasty warrior over two millenniums ago. So, with The Myth you have two movies in one, a modern tale and one thousands of years ago. Neither one really works. You end up with two minor love stories, two plot lines that will eventually intersect, but don't make much sense.

Anyone expecting this to be Jackie Chan's House of Flying Daggers can forget about that. Look, I am normally pretty forgiving towards Jackie Chan's films in terms of plot, so let's look at the action scenes! The film opens 2000 or so years ago with a small, over the top battle on horses. Pretty silly really, one of those scenes where the two leads take a break in the action to stare longingly into each others eyes with the music blaring in the back ground. There is a fair bit of sword work is this, and it is certainly the bloodiest Jackie Chan film I have seen.

It may sound silly, but personally I prefer Chan's films to be grounded in reality. When he ends up with some type of super powers, like in the god awful The Tuxedo, you just lose me. I do not like to see Jackie fight 100 people at once, or fly through the air. He is at his best when he uses his surroundings to get the better of his enemies, rather than using 'wire work' and bad CGI to get the job done. There is one classic scene in a glue factory that really got at the crowd clapping, vintage Chan.

But one great action scene and a one very beautiful actress do not make a great movie, even with Jackie Chan.

Trust the Man (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: C+

[5/10 · 5 October 2005]

Trust the Man Mr. Black's Grade: C+ Opening Date: possibly June, 2006 Look at this cast! Billy Crudup , David Duchovny , Ellen Barkin , Eva Mendes , Julianne Moore , Justin Bartha and Maggie Gyllenhaal .

Trust the Man is a well written comedy about two men fighting to save their relationships after a bunch of drama, cheating, and trial separations. Unfortunately you could 'see' the writing all over the big screen. I didn't believe for a moment that these folks were real people, just actors reading a script. You could almost see the smirk on their faces before they said their funny lines - there was nothing spontaneous about it at all.

Part of the problem was the all-star cast. Now I understand bringing in Julianne Moore. When you are the director, ya got to put your wife in the picture - but why Gary Shandling? Don't get me wrong, Gary is a funny, funny guy. But the moment he's on you say to yourself, "hey there's Gary Shandling, time to be funny" and he's in a pretty small role. The same thing happens when Ellen Barkin hits the screen.

This is a business, and they needed to 'sell' this movie, which they did, to Fox Searchlight for possible release next June. I'm pretty sure that director Bart Freundlich has some famous friends - he is one hell of a nice guy, very friendly and extroverted. If I was making low budget movie and knew Gary Shandling, I'd ask him to be in it too. But the laughs didn't come when they should have, and the casting really got in the way.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: A-

[9/10 · 5 October 2005]

Brokeback Mountain (Toronto Film Festival Cut)

Mr. Black's Grade: A-

Directed by Ang Lee , and starring Anna Faris , Anne Hathaway , Heath Ledger , Jake Gyllenhaal , Linda Cardellini , Michelle Williams and Randy Quaid .

While I sat watching the first twenty minutes of Brokeback Mountain I wondered what my reaction would have been to the film had the plot twist had not been spread all over the media. Obviously they feel that this twist will either sell the movie, or maybe do not want some folks to be surprised by the plot? To be honest I was sitting there waiting for the relationship to start.

This is a long, slow moving love story, and I loved how this story arced over many, many years. A friend mentioned to me that the relationship was not explicit enough, but for me the story was all about love and friendship. Their relationship, like all others, is full of questions, confusion, and doubt, expressed by Heath Ledger's understated, moving performance.

Alberta province in Canada acts as the stand-in for Montana, and serves as a beautiful backdrop for an important aspect of the story. The outdoors is where they have sanctuary, and all their fond memories of that first summer back in '63.

It was an honor to have Ang Lee show up and introduce the film. He said that after The Hulk he wasn't sure if he wanted to continue to be a filmmaker. This story, the screenplay and the shooting experience in Alberta has shown him to love making films again.

See Brokeback Mountain for a well told and real love story. See Brokeback Mountain for the Oscar-worthy performance from Heath Ledger. See Brokeback Mountain for the lovely scenery of Alberta. Close your eyes and pretend you are on the side of that Mountain.

Revolver (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: B-

[6/10 · 5 October 2005]

Revolver (Toronto Film Festival Cut) Mr. Black's Grade: B- Directed by Guy Ritchie , and starring Andre Benjamin , Jason Statham and Ray Liotta .

Guy Ritchie's last film was Swept Away?? Now that blows me away. I'm glad he is back in action in this 'con' film, which was not as violent as I expected. Jason Statham plays a very confused Jake Green, a gambler who enters into a game with potentially deadly consequences.

The director said that the plot is a "chess game within a chess game within a chess game." The time line is a challenge for sure - I overheard a guy say that it would take 50 viewings to understand it! Ritchie disagrees, saying "It is a simple plot, but our minds will not let it go that easy". The script gives Ray Liotta and Jason Statham a lot to chew on, and they respond with great performances. With tons of style to spare, and a bit of Anime thrown into the mix for good measure, the concern for the viewer is the con... on a con...on a con plot.

Since the birth of his children Guy Ritchie has been watching a lot more kiddy fare of late. He loved the The Incredibles and had not laughed that hard in a while. Next up, a "Detective" picture, and then a children's' animated film starring the voice of Jason Statham! You read it here first.

Shadowboxer (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: B

[7/10 · 5 October 2005]

Shadowboxer Mr. Black's Grade: B Starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Helen Mirren.

First-time director Lee Daniels, producer of two challenging projects, Monster's Ball and The Woodsman tries his hand behind the lens. Mirren plays a female assassin who is diagnosed with cancer, and decides to carry out a final killing assisted by Gooding.

Shadowboxer certainly is a dark film - think Prizzi's Honor but with a very different tone - but Helen Mirren handles this 'unique' relationship with tenderness and dignity. I thought the ending wasn't terribly suspenseful, and it should have been. I kept trying picture how a different, and more experienced director would handle it. A number of crew members were there for the Q/A, including the director. Heck, even a PA came in from Philly (you keener!) Wes Bentley was scheduled to co-star but dropped out.

His role was filled by Cuba Gooding Jr., who succeeded in erasing Snow Dogs from my memory. He is very good here, playing it straight and very cold. In the Q/A afterwards he talked about the differences between doing comedy and drama. He said that he is pursuing roles that allow humor to come from the actions of the character - like in this film - and not obvious comedy. He enjoyed the laughter that his character got from the crowd at the screening, when his character was reacting to situations within the plot and not 'trying' to be funny.

Elizabethtown (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: C

[5/10 · 5 October 2005]

Elizabethtown Mr. Black's Grade: C Directed by Cameron Crowe , and starring Alec Baldwin , Jessica Biel , Judy Greer , Kirsten Dunst , Orlando Bloom and Susan Sarandon.

Hours after a ruinous product debut, suicidal industrial designer Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) learns of his father's sudden death. As the only son, Drew must travel to their small hometown to attend to his father's memorial. On the flight to Kentucky, Drew meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst), a quick-witted flight attendant, who helps him through the rough waters ahead.

Susan Sarandon has a great speech at the end, and I like the way small town life and having a massive extended family is portrayed. The film is way, way too long (it will likely be cut before hitting the theater's), and feels like it has two endings. There are some decent laughs every once and a while, and it is well produced. However, as time passes, I like this film less and less. This is coming from someone who loved Almost Famous.

So why didn't I like Elizabethtown? Well Orlando Bloom to start with - he failed to pull off the role. He was unconvincing during the opening set-up, and I never felt for a second that he would actually do what his said he was about to (you will understand once you see the movie). Without that emotional start, the character completely fails for me. The work problem that Bloom's character experiences is not fully explained (what actually went wrong?), and the resolution was just silly, which lost the opportunity for him to grow.

Kirsten Dunst's character is annoying as hell when you first meet her, and for some it will stay that way. She is cute and adorable, if that is your thing, but she is riddled with inconsistencies. She is going on vacation and then the next day there is some type of 'job interview'? Is there a 'Ben'? Is she a lying psychopath? Orlando Bloom doesn't seem to care because he is in love with a capital "L". Some folks out there may love this movie the same way, but unfortunately this fearless reviewer is not one of them.

A History of Violence (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: A-

[8/10 · 5 October 2005]

A History of Violence Mr. Black's Grade: A- Directed by David Cronenberg , and starring: Ed Harris, Maria Bello, Viggo Mortensen, and William Hurt.

Before anything I have to explain... there is some serious crush action at my end for the lovely and talented Maria Bello. There is just something about the lady that I find terribly attractive. This movie is no disappointment there, lets just say: Maria in a cheerleader outfit! Enough ink on my infatuations, time for the film itself.

A History of Violence certainly lives up to its name. It is no Scanners, or anything along those lines, but there are short bursts of intense violence. Viggo Mortensen's character begins the film living an idyllic life in small town USA (maybe a little too tranquil for me). I do not want to go into the plot very much, but let's just say that this peaceful life goes through some serious changes. Maria Bello is great (naturally), Ed Harris is quite menacing and William Hurt has a scene that is quite brilliant. The crowd was clapping and laughing the whole time he was on the screen! It is a 'clean', exceptionally well crafted piece of work. Please remember that this is a David Cronenberg production, so there are a few moments that will certainly shock you. That is OK, go along for the ride - this is a very, very good film.

Capote (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: A-

[8/10 · 5 October 2005]

Capote Mr. Black's Grade: A- Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Catherine Keener, Chris Cooper, Clifton Collins Jr. and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Capote is handled with great skill by Bennett Miller, a very talented director in what appears to be his first fiction film. That is truly amazing to me.

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Truman Capote as he does the research for his novel "In Cold Blood", an account of the murder of a Kansas family. During his research the writer develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers. I love the fact that the film only covers the four to five years that it took to write the book, rather than Capote's whole career.

The cast delivers a strong performance, and we WILL hear about this come Oscar time! Philip Seymour Hoffman is wonderful in the title role, with strong support from Chris Cooper, Bob Balaban and especially Catherine Keener. Keener plays Nelle Harper Lee, Capote's research assistant, who just happens to go on to write this little book called "To Kill a Mockingbird". A new find for me was Clifton Collins Jr., who played Perry Smith, and whose last big credit was as the voice of 'Cesar Vialpando' in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas". We will certainly see more of this actor.

Although the film drags a bit in the middle, I was never quite sure if Capote was truly friendly with Perry Smith, or just using him to get his great book published. However, I figure there is one way for me to find out - by reading "In Cold Blood", the last novel Capote ever completed. Imagine, a film driving a person to read! Shocking.

Tideland (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: C

[5/10 · 5 October 2005]

Tideland Mr. Black's Grade: C Tideland was directed by Terry Gilliam and stars Janet McTeer, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Tilly.

After her mother dies from a heroin overdose, a young girl is taken to a rural farmhouse by her father. Her attempts to deal with what's happened result in increasingly odd behavior, and she begins to communicate mainly with her bodiless Barbie doll heads and Dell, a neighborhood woman who always wears a beekeeper's veil.

Yes, that's right: communicating with Barbie dolls. Did I like this film? Not really. It's dark, very dark, which is OK. Not all films have to be about sunshine and happiness, but I would be very surprised if this film found a wide audience. I found the accent used by the girl annoying and inexplicable, and it kept changing through out the film! Often there are a number of "voices" taking at the same time, so it can get exceedingly confusing.

The early scenes are funny, in a dark comedy kind of way. Brendan Fletcher certainly has a difficult part to play, as there are a couple of very awkward scenes between his character and the 11-year-old actress Jodelle Ferland. Jennifer Tilly completely hams it up - luckily it is a small part. The crew sat about five rows ahead of me and at the end there was a lot of back-slapping and shaking of hands. Who knows? Maybe I completely missed the boat on this one.

The Quiet (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: B.

[7/10 · 5 October 2005]

The Quiet (Toronto Film Festival Cut) Mr. Black's Grade: B Starring Edie Falco, Elisha Cuthbert, and Shawn Ashmore.

Directed by Jamie Babbit, who is apparently known for lighter TV fare. She has thrown that out the window with The Quiet. Dot (Camilla Belle), a deaf orphan girl, is sent to live with a wholesome foster family, but soon realizes all is not cop-acetic.

Something about this film really hit me. It is a very dark and adult tale set in any town USA. You would find me to be a quiet guy generally, and I like to listen to folks have to say. When you pay attention, people will tell you the most amazing things. 'Dot' certainly goes through that in this film. This is a story about teenagers, and it is appealing that they act that way, saying stupid things and not being 'wise' beyond their years.

The film captured High School for me to a tee, and featured nice pacing and a better than expected performance from the ever-so-lovely Elisha Cuthbert. Some folks may get completely turned off by the subject material, since this is very dark, depressing and very adult material. But for some reason the 'Dot' character really got me...

Hostel (2005)

Mr. Black's Grade: B+

[8/10 · 5 October 2005]

Hostel (Toronto Film Festival Cut) Mr. Black's Grade: B+ Starring Jay Hernandez.

Hostel is a work in progress, and some effects weren't finished, and there was a temp soundtrack in use. This Midnight Madness screening was in a small theatre because the studio was only able to supply an HDcam version of the film. Well acted, spooky, funny and a very non-traditional Hollywood horror film. What more could fans want? Let's just hope they get as much as possible into the theatre.

In a year with - for the most - pretty crappy horror films, Hostel certainly does stand out. This is not your traditional Hollywood horror film, for there is a very different flow than your standard PG-13 rated thriller. Director Eli Roth admitted owing a debt of gratitude to filmmakers like Takashi Miike and Chan-wook Park. That's OK - Roth throws a very uncommon spin on things. This film is very effective.

Be forewarned, this film is very, very violent. What we saw on this day was likely the director's "Dream Cut". Roth said the film was going before the MPAA the very next day. He was not sure what would happen, but stressed that the film's producers knew what they had, and would likely try and buck the current trend of PG-13 rated horror films.