Movies: Issue #1

The Namesake (2006)

Bad dialogue and acting wreck what could have been an interesting movie about the lives of Indian-American immigrants, their offspring, and the connections tying them to their homeland. The movie performs the easy task of making us want to visit India, but even then its portrayal of the country itself is shallow and never dives beneath the surface. Bollywood stars Irfan Kahn and Tabu perform dutifully as the family's parents, but the younger cast turns in often groan-inducing performances, no thanks to the hokey script. A mess.

3.9 out of 10

Spirited Away (2002)

A truly magical film. Spirited Away creates an vibrant and fascinating world that is a joy to spend time in, populated with totally original characters and depicted in inspired, swooningly beautiful animation. An oasis of imagination, and a masterpiece.

9.2 out of 10

L'Avventura (1960)

Pretentious "masterpiece" of Italian cinema. When you combine beautiful cinematography with bored, upper-class characters doing nothing interesting, you end up with an agonizing, joyless viewing experience like L'Avventura. Blah.

3.6 out of 10

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Wes Anderson's most under-appreciated film. Bill Murray and the rest of a wonderful ensemble embark on a voyage like no other, with characters that are a pleasure to be with and a zany, conversational sensibility pervading the whole movie. Garnished with a smashing art design, groovy music, and oodles of wit and heart, The Life Aquatic is sublime.

9.0 out of 10

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Good gravy, what a classic. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is beautifully filmed, written and acted, and emerges as one of the most magestic, captivating movies to come around in a long time. Brad Pitt exudes menace and intrigue as James, and Casey Affleck steals the show, literally embodying the Coward. Writer/director Andrew Dominik uses the two-hour forty-minute running time to its fullest; the entire movie glides slowly, inexorably along toward the eponymous event, and when it finally happens, the dramatic impact is awesome. This is assured, epic filmmaking - epic without effects-laden battle sequences and legions of soldiers, but rather with two characters who by the end of the movie have become so iconic, so important, their inevitable clash is more terrible than that of any army.

8.8 out of 10

No Country For Old Men (2007)

From the fantastic Coen brothers comes this grim, expressionistic piece set in the sparse, yawning landscape of West Texas. Javier Bardem rivets as Anton Chigurh, a ruthless killer in the absolute, and a supremely unsettling presence. When he is on screen, evil has a face. Tommy Lee Jones appears in a haunting, low-key performance conveyed as much by his words as the deep grooves of time etched in his visage. The Coens have painted a bleak, nihilistic picture full of portent and dread.

8.2 out 10

Stage Beauty (2004)

Claire Danes and Billy Crudup star in a period drama set in the 1600's and centering around the legalization of women playing women on the English stage, and the subsequent effect on Danes, an aspiring actress, and Crudup, an acclaimed actor who was trained to play women his entire life. It's a promising premise, and Danes turns in an admirable performance, as does Crudup, in a dizzying, genre-bending achievement. However, Stage Beauty never forges a genuine emotional connection between its characters and audience, and as a result remains only a mildly affecting exercise in wit and conceit.

5.7 out of 10

The Painted Veil (2006)

A poignant tale of love lost and regained between a husband and wife set against the backdrop of a cholera outbreak in 1920's China. Edward Norton continues to prove that he is one of the great actors of his generation, and Naomi Watts is stunning and graceful as the unfaithful but vulnerable wife trying to reconnect with the man she has alienated. Featuring elegant cinematography and an involving, touching love story, The Painted Veil overcomes its weak-ish ending to prove itself a moving, romantic period piece.

8.0 out of 10