Lady in the Water

Lady in the Water- D
I think I may be more optimistic about this movie than most, but no one can argue that it's just poor movie-making. I'm optimistic because I feel that it's different than any movie I've seen, and because I've never seen the mixture of Sci-Fi and "real life" be presented in this way. A lot of it is raw, which is what I think director Shyamalan was going for. That said, I haven't met one person or read one review that actually says anything good about the movie. There are major holes in the story and characters. Characters come and go, are able to tell the future but not able to find their way home, die for no reason, change their hair color mid-scene, etc. I think what I find most irritating about the movie is the writer Shyamalan casting himself in a major role. It's not so much that he's in it, it's that he plays an author who is told he's writing will one day change the world. Please tell me he just didn't think it through.

Superman Returns

Superman Returns- B-
This movie will never be considered a classic the way that the original movies are, it might even be blasphemous to see it located next to the originals in the video store...but I have to admit, it got me very gitty the second I heard Superman's Theme return, thanks again to John Williams. Like most movies today, the special effects take the driver's seat while the acting rides in the trunk. The characters just aren't that interesting, and a classic cannot survive on effects only. Brandon Routh may look like the man of steel, but he's not at all interesting on screen. Kevin Spacey may have some great lines, but he's also dull. Worst of all is Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, who manages to make you think "why would Superman go for someone so boring". In attempting to recreate Lois, she manages to take out all the charm and appeal that Margot Kidder infused in the originals. Superman should have gone for Parker Posey, who plays Lex Luther's girlfriend and almost steals the movie. There's a scene near the beginning of the movie where Superman is watching all the horrible things going on in the world on TV. It's interesting that Superman's main goal is to save big city business people and almost kills himself to stop Lex from creating an island. Stop the war already.

Freedomland- D+

One of the few rules that I live my life by: See everything Julianne Moore does. Here Julianne Moore must have seen an interesting character somewhere amidst this mess of a thriller. Freedomland is the worst kind of bad movie, one that thinks it's profound. If you could extract the good performances by Moore, Edie Falco, and Samuel L. Jackson, you'd be left with a Lifetime movie, including the tender soundtrack. On top of it all, there are moment that are just plain bad film making. I think it's pretty common knowledge that you can't hear a conversation in an interrogation room from the hallway, or that bringing a half-crazed mother to search the building that's suspected your dead son is in. If you can look past the basic mistakes and the "overly important" story, there are some fantastic scenes between Jackson and Moore, and one between Falco and Moore that is the most thrilling part of the movie. Official Site

Top Actors of '00-'05

I already have a link to this site on the left-side column, but you really have to check out this guy's list of the top 100 actors of '00-'05. It's really an amzing list. Film Experience
Here's some of my thoughts-
1st - Edward Norton should be way higher on the list
2nd- Ed Harris and Tom Wilkinson didn't even break into the top 20- a tragedy!
3rd- The top 5 perfect, I wouldn't change a thing.
Tell me what you think.