Chinatown - 7 stars out of 10

Chinatown - 7 stars out of 10

"Chinatown" is the quintessential example of film noir... and it does so without any voiceovers!  It moves a bit too slow for my taste, but then again, all films from this genre do.  The important thing is that the story is fantastic and unpredictable.  Robert Towne always receives credit for writing the script that tells this deeply layered story, but it is Roman Polanski's editing of the script (and deletion of voiceovers by the main character) that place us in the position of Jake Gittes throughout the movie.  We experience the events as they unfold for him as Jack Nicholson is in every scene of the movie and we only discover the clues when he does.  We even blackout when he blacks out and miss all of the events during his unconsciousness.  The young Nicholson's performance and Oscar nomination guarenteed his spot on the "Who's Who Among Hollywood Stars" list as he combines attitude, coolness, sexuality, and intellect into one perfect noir character.  Not to mention that his character's nose is graphically sliced open on screen by a gangster (played by director Polanski in a cameo) - awesome.  The highlight of this movie comes through the revelation of Faye Dunaway's secret, revealed through an impressive emotional breakdown by the female lead.  During that scene, it is no surprise that Dunaway received an Oscar nod.  The other wonderful performance comes from John Huston, better known for directing films such as "The Maltese Falcon" and "The African Queen," but bringing a sinister charm to this film's villain.  Add in the interesting parallels to the historic California Water Wars and unending layers of emotion and scandal, and you have set a new standard for every film to follow.

Lorenzo's Oil - 8 stars out of 10

Lorenzo's Oil - 8 stars out of 10

"Lorenzo's Oil" is not for the faint of heart.  There are few films that can successfully portray content as excruciating as this harsh, unrelenting disease, but "Lorenzo's Oil" does justice to the agony endured by parents of children with such a debilitating disease.  I don't know if it is possible to walk away from this film without carrying a little baggage.  Whether you have children and are thankful for their health, or you think about your future children and worry about their genes, or if you just think "What if that had been me?", this film will leave you feeling helpless.  And then it'll hit you - this is a true story.  My emotional attachment occured not because of the plight of this little boy, but because of the restless dedication by his parents when friends, family, and doctors told them to give up.  It is one of the most conflicted situations in all of cinema, and yet the real life Odones battled the odds for years.  If you don't cry at some point because of the plot, the ending credits will certainly get the tears flowing.  The film's soundtrack further enhances the emotions.  Using classical music like Barber's Adagio for Strings, Cantores' Bogoroditse Devo and Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus, dark overtones shroud the film in solemnity.  The acting is a bit hit or miss.  Susan Sarandon was nominated for an Oscar but I think that her performance is pretty average (though very inspirational).  Nick Nolte's accent didn't really resonate with me but I liked his interpretation of Augusto Odone.  Peter Ustinov's voice is incredible as Professor Nikolais and the supporting cast brings this story to life.  "Lorenzo's Oil" is not for everyone, with its hopeless and heartwrenching story.  But if you can endure two hours of intense upsettedness, there is a great reward in store.

The Orchestra - 3 stars out of 10

The Orchestra - 3 stars out of 10

Zbig Rybczinski's "The Orchestra" is likely unlike anything that you have ever seen before.  The entire thing is completely bizarre.  Some of the sequences are cool, others are more along the lines of the creepy-nightmarish-type of bizarre.  When one of the least peculiar things in the film is a guy getting shaved and dressed amidst a bunch of dancing soldiers in an art museum, you know that you are in for a treat.  Through its extensive use of blue screen and layering multiple scenes (and multiple versions of the same characters) on top of each other, "The Orchestra" has a unique look of its own.  Chopin's Funeral March is probably the best-known sequence from this film and is quite chilling as it explores the cycle of life, from death to childhood to seduction to growing old and back to death.  It perfectly fits Chopin's music and brings the piece to life.  And then there's the half-naked bride and groom floating around in a church and doing flips to the tune of Schubert's Ave Maria.  Aesthetically, it is very beautiful.  But it is just one of the most obscure things that I have ever seen in my entire life.  The Bolero is really impressive.  I can't really comprehend how they could create such a seamless shot when logic dictates that there have to be cuts hidden somewhere in this 14-minute sequence.  "The Orchesta" is an interesting artistic expression in several segments, but each segment has a tendency to grow monotonous within itself.  Rather than watching this entire film for an hour, I would recommend watching one segment at a time since they are so loosely tied together anyway.  Regardless, the cinematography is incredible (as we would expect from one of the modern forerunners in this field) and the layers of special effects will blow your mind.

Nine to Five (9 to 5) - 6 stars out of 10

Nine to Five (9 to 5) - 6 stars out of 10

"Nine to Five" is classic 80's humor.  While I wouldn't claim it as my favorite comedy, the characters are good, the plot is ridiculous, and Dolly Parton gives a "well-rounded" performance.  It isn't difficult to see that this film derives all of its energy from its three heroines with their opposing personalities.  Parton is the dumb blonde that is smarter than she looks, Jane Fonda is the nerdy, insecure girl, and Lily Tomlin (as always) plays the strong-willed woman who can't keep her mouth shut.  Of course, there wouldn't be much of a plot without a wonderfully despicable villain, played by Dabney Coleman.  The film does walk the line between clever and corny and stumbles into the corny zone a few times (particularly during their stereotypical fantasies of killing their boss), but wanders back into the clever zone when their fantasies get worked into reality.  With a few unexpected twists, good characterization, and an ending that will leave you satisfied (since the villain doesn't get to "hang around" anymore), "Nine to Five" is worth a watch, even if just for its nostalgic look at the 80's and Dolly Parton's theme song.

The Number 23 - 8 stars out of 10

The Number 23 - 8 stars out of 10

As I was rewatching "The Number 23," I was really starting to wonder why I had given it such a high rating the first time around.  Carrey's serious performance is not as impressive as "The Majestic" or "The Truman Show," there was too much sex (p.s. don't watch the unrated version), and I wasn't really enjoying the Fingerling sequences.  But then the twist occured and everything came back into focus.  The reveal is so intricate and extensive that the word "impressive" cannot do it justice.  It is also so complex that it requires 10-15 minutes to bring everything to light.  I'm trying not to give anything away, but when they go back and forth between "realities" to show the parallels, everything perfectly adds up to 23.  And you'll  23 everywhere that you go after this movie is over.  Birthdates, badminton scores, license plates - you name it and it'll add up to 23.  Despite what I said about Carrey earlier, he manages to drive the film through his intensity and contrasting personalities.  Sometimes he feels a bit over the top, but it isn't worthy of his Razzie nomination.  Virginia Madsen is inspiring in this role as her dedication to her husband leads her to do anything to cure his illogical behavior, especially when he begins to threaten her.  Danny Huston is good as the sometimes antagonist and I love Lynn Collins as The Suicide Blonde, just because it's such a cool role.  "The Number 23" has been heavily panned by critics.  And by heavily panned, we're talking pure hatred.  But its twist is too good to resist and I don't think that you will regret watching it.

The Fly (1986) - 7 stars out of 10

The Fly (1986) - 7 stars out of 10

"Be afraid.  Be very afraid."  "The Fly" is one of the most shocking things that I have ever seen.  It puts some of today's CGI effects to shame through it's elaborate and vomit-worthy make-up.  David Cronenberg has created unforgettable imagery that makes the original 1958 "The Fly" look laughable.  This film is so gross that it is impressive.  It's very title gives the impression that it is going to be a campy monster movie with a fake-looking mask, but this film reaches so much sophistication through its make-up effects and character development.  I am going to do something that I make a point never to do, but I am going to compliment Jeff Goldblum.  This is the only thing that he needs to list on his resume.  He is absolutely fabulous in this role.  Although the physical transformation is obvious, he acheives the internal conflict that David Hedison tried to in the original (but couldn't since his character didn't speak) as the fly slowly takes over his personality and logic.  He becomes physically unrecognizable but sustains his character's mannerisms to create empathy for his plight.  At first, I did not see the potential for memorable acting (or even good acting) in this film, but about 20 minutes in you realize that there is more to the film than creature effects.  Geena Davis is incredible, not only because she is always adorable but also because she gives this character a lot of unexpected depth.  When she is faced with her two moral dilemmas (baby and mercy kill), there is so much emotion.  The film is filled with images that you will not forget.  I can honestly say that I will never arm-wrestle again after this movie!!!  That was one of the most unexpected things that I have ever seen in a movie!  Even without the infamous Monkey-Cat Fusion scene that was cut before "The Fly"s initial release, this film will shock you over and over again (like the first baboon teleportation and the birth scene).  Add in his ear falling off and the acid-vomit-scene that left my jaw on the floor for a solid 3 minutes, and you will have to admit that the special effects are incredible (even if they are miserable).  The 1986 label of this film is misleading - "The Fly" is much more than another "Friday the 13th" scary movie and it can easily keep up with our modern chillers.