I don't claim to be a critic, but I watch a lot of movies. This thread is for anyone who'd like to chip in a few thoughts on movies they've seen or discuss movies critiqued by others. I generally provide a brief synopsis, a few comments on films and a rating on a scale of 1-10.

The Clearing

Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) is a self made millionaire and loving husband to his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), but their American Dream is shattered when a man named Arnold (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and leads him on a trek through the woods to an uncertain fate. Tim (Alessandro Nivola) and Jill (Melissa Sagemiller) arrive to comfort their mother while FBI agent Ray Fuller (Matt Craven) spearheads the effort to get Wayne back safely. More a tense drama than a full blown thriller, the reason to watch this is the terrific performances by Mirren, Dafoe and especially Redford. The conversations between Wayne and Arnold demand your attention. We see a human side to the villain just as we discover Wayne isn’t perfect either. Perhaps the children's roles are underwritten, but the central characters provide all the story we need.



Luck

Shane Bradley (Luke Kirby) is in love with his good friend, Margaret (Sarah Polley). Trouble is, she has a boyfriend so he can’t tell her how he feels. Encouraged by his roommates, he places a bet on the first game of the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series and becomes hooked on gambling. Thus begins a downward spiral from which even Margaret might not be able to save him. A cautionary tale, but also a comedy, this is a well written film. It captures a time in which two nations were captivated by the eight game series, but you don’t have to be Canadian or Russian to appreciate the movie. Hockey only plays a small part. Bradley gives a credible performance and Polley shows once again she’s a quality actress. This is the third interesting Canadian film from the past few years with gambling as the central theme, the others being The Last Casino and Owning Mahowny.



Before Sunset

Nine years after their memorable evening in Vienna in Before Sunrise, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is promoting a best seller he wrote about it in Paris, and that’s where he meets up again with Celine (Julie Delpy). Jesse only has a few hours to spare before his plane leaves, so they stroll the streets and catch up on things. The chemistry is still there that was evident in the original and the dialogue is just as smart. Romance movies don’t get any better than this and the sequel even manages to surpass the original, probably because the characters are more mature and have more life experiences to share. I’ve never been a big Hawke fan, but Delpy is truly amazing. If you enjoyed the first film, this is a must see. Hopefully there will be another instalment in another decade.



Silent Running

Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) is a botanist on an ecoship and it’s his duty to tend to the small, onboard forest. Forests no longer exist back on Earth. When an order is given to destroy the forest and return home, Lowell does whatever it takes to save his labour of love, taking command of the ship and heading for Saturn. This is a must see for fans of science fiction. Is Lowell a hero or is he nuts? He’s certainly flawed, but dedicated. Dern carries the film. For the most part he only has two non-speaking drones to interact with. The director manages to provide these drones with personality though. The environmental message comes through loud and clear, although it’s still one world leaders fail to embrace.



The Terminal

Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) travels to New York from Krakozhia but is detained at the airport when a coup ensues in his homeland. His passport is seized and he essentially becomes a man without a country. He can’t return home and he can’t enter New York. And try as he might, airport security chief, Frank Wilson (Stanley Tucci), can’t pass this problem on to someone else. So Navorski lives at the airport. For months. And he manages to have a most improbable relationship with a beautiful flight attendant named Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones). I found this movie to be very funny. Most of the humour is subtle and it only goes after a few cheap laughs. Hanks is very endearing. He put on some extra pounds for the role and created his own language. The entire movie plays out mostly on one enormous set. Steven Spielberg must have had great fun poking fun at political red tape, even if the premise is exaggerated. Sure, the movie has its cheesy moments, but I really didn’t find myself minding them.



I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead

Davey (John Rhys-Davies) is an easy-going sort and small time drug dealer who catches the attention of Boad (Malcolm MacDowell) who loathes him and plots to teach him a lesson. This brings former gangster and Davey’s brother, Will (Clive Owen), back from the life of solitude he’d escaped to. Now he’s back in London to exact revenge. This is a plodding gangster type movie with a film noir feel. It’ll more likely put you to sleep before its end. The payoff is hardly worth sitting through the build-up. We don’t even learn much about the characters, their pasts, and are given little reason to even care about any of them.



Empire Falls

Miles Roby (Ed Harris) does what he has to to get by running the Empire Grill in the small town of Empire Falls, Maine, which has seen better days. He must deal with his irresponsible father, Max (Paul Newman), his bitter ex-wife, Janine (Helen Hunt), her fiancé and the man who expedited the break-up, Walt Comeau (Dennis Farina), an unhappy daughter, Christina (Danielle Panamaker), and the manipulative town matriarch who owns the grill, Francine Whiting (Joanne Woodward). Making a break from Francine so he can better provide for his daughter is what Miles would like to do, but it won’t be easy. Flashbacks involving Miles’ mother Grace (Robin Wright Penn) and Francine’s husband C.J. Whiting (Philip Seymour Hoffman) explain how the two families are inextricably tied together. An HBO mini-series based on a Pullitzer Prize winning novel, the format allows time to develop characters and do the novel justice. The all star cast does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life, Harris especially. HBO continually churns out quality films.



Shrek 2

Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are now two happily married ogres. They’re invited to visit Fiona’s parents, the Queen (Julie Andrews) and the King (John Cleese), who are unaware that Fiona is now permanently an ogre. The King had a deal with the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) that Fiona would marry her son, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), and now she’ll go to great lengths to see that deal upheld, including hiring Puss In Boots (Antonio Banders), a cat assassin, to dispose of Shrek. If you liked the original, you’ll enjoy this one too, which is just as witty and fun. People of all ages will get a lot out of it. The Puss In Boots character is a welcome addition to the cast. Great animated flick!



The Notebook
Duke (James Garner) reads a story to a fellow nursing home resident, Allie Calhoun (Gena Rowlands), who suffers from dementia. The story involves two young lovers, Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams). She’s from an affluent family, and he’s working class, so her parents are against the relationship. Circumstances cause them to go their separate ways, but fate may have other plans. Chick flick. Women will love it, men will hate it. The story is simple and nothing we haven’t seen before. The pacing is too slow, and it’s too schmaltzy. And you know exactly how it will play out. But Gosling and McAdams somehow make it more bearable than it should be.



The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) has now completed college and her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews), is ready to hand over Genovia to her. Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies) tries to exploit an old clause that states a princess cannot take over the throne unless she’s married, and claims his nephew, Nicholaus Devereaux (Chris Pine), as the rightful successor. Parliament grants Mia thirty days to find a husband, so an arranged marriage is set up with Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue). Mia must wrestle with whether marrying a man she doesn’t love is worth the throne. Hector Elizondo returns as Joe, the palace’s head of security. Garry Marshall, please, please, stop directing films! Only the target audience of prepubescent girls could possibly enjoy this by-the-numbers sequel. The plot is ridiculous to begin with. I hope Hathaway gets better projects in the future because she is capable of carrying a film.