The Deep End

Movie Name: The Deep End
Year of Release: 2001

Director: Scott McGehee, David Siegel

Stars: Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic, Jonathan Tucker, Peter Donat, Josh Lucas, Raymond J. Barry, Tamara Hope, Holmes Osborne, Richard Gross

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis:

Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel followed their well received and auspicious debut "Suture" with "The Deep End", which definitely put them on the map (the film made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival of 2001). The film is an adaptation of the novel by Elisabeth Holding and follows the story of Margaret Hall, a mother of three, whose husband is a pilot on an aircraft carrier. She discovers her oldest son, teenage Beau, is having an affair with a much older man, who owns a nightclub located in the town close to where they live. Following an argument between Beau and Darby, the latter has an accident and dies close to Margaret's house. She discovers it and afraid that is somewhat related to her son, she dumps the body in a cove. The police starts investigating the situation as a homicide. To make matters worse, a man shows up with a tape of Darby and Beau having sex, threatening to leak it to the police unless he gets $50,000.
"The Deep End" is a film that slowly unveils the tribulations of Margaret Hall, the central character, who discovers more about her son and the perils that threaten her seemingly idyllic life. The film slowly adds further difficulties to the character's journey, all the while showing how an intelligent and resourceful woman deals with the tribulations that come into her life. The central character is a perfect showcase for the chameleonic Tilda Swinton, who makes Margaret a compassionate and intelligent woman, fiercely protective of her children, but also ready to do what it takes to protect them. The film is beautifully shot by Giles Nuttgens and features a good score from Peter Nashel. A very good film worth revisiting!

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

Movie Name: The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Year of Release: 2001

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Woody Allen, Helen Hunt, Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Berkley, Wallace Shawn, Dan Aykroyd, John Schuck, David Ogden Stiers, Brian Markinson

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

After the well received "Small Time Crooks", Woody Allen continued with his comedy streak, this time doing a period piece taking place in the 1940s. The film focuses on an insurance investigator by the name of C.W. and his relationship with a efficiency expert, Betty Ann, both of whom work for the same employer. While Betty Ann is secretly having an affair with C.W.'s boss, they clash about everything, until one evening they are both hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist who wants them to steal jewels for them. This sets them both on a series of adventures, all the while C.W. and Betty Ann start falling for each other.
"The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" is a screwball comedy much like some of Woody Allen's earlier films. It's to date his biggest budget film, and the one he confesses his biggest disappointment with, largely because of his decision to cast himself as the lead. The film tries to recapture the spirit of Frank Capra's and Howard Hawks' films, and to a certain extent it does manage to do so, with Woody Allen's traditional sense of humor inserted, however it lacks the momentum and spark that those classical films always had (such as "It Happened One Night" and "Bringing up Baby"). The cast is uniformly good, with Helen Hunt, Charlize Theron and Dan Aykroyd giving some extra dimension to the thin story, but the film lacks both the energy and satire to really elevate it to something more memorable. It's still a film that exhibits the traditional polish, wit and intelligence from a director who's nothing short of brilliant and productive.

Bridget Jone's Diary

Movie Name: Bridget Jone's Diary
Year of Release: 2001

Director: Sharon Maguire

Stars: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Shirley Henderson, James Callis, Sally Phillips, Paul Brooke, James Faulkner, Celia Imrie, Embeth Davidtz, Felicity Montagu

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

"Bridget Jone's Diary" is the debut feature of Sharon Maguire, and follows a career directing documentaries and TV series. The film is the adaptation of the very successful novel by Helen Fielding, and it follows the adventures of young singleton Bridget Jones. At her 32nd birthday, Bridget realizes she's still single, a bit heavier than she liked to be, and decides to turn her life around. Sadly she gets involved with her boss at the publishing house where she currently works, which makes things awkward when he turns out to be less than scrupulous. Bridget is forced to get out of her situation, and find a new job, and simultaneously keep an eye out for an interesting acquaintance of hers (and of her ex), who keeps popping up.
"Bridget Jone's Diary" is a romantic comedy which lives of the charm and charisma that the lead actors have. It's a film that doesn't have much novelty or much of a different angle, aside from the fact that its heroine is apparently a single woman who is slightly clumsy, and apparently a bit overweight. The film succeeds in captivating its audience since the three leads have undeniable charisma, and make the film far surpass the cliches they find themselves in. Renee Zellweger, manages to create a character that is approachable, flawed and funny as she tackles life in general and dating in particular. She's easy to grasp and understand, and that's one of the reasons why the film is so successful. All the leads know the film is a lark, and there's definitely a sense of the film being lightweight and not to be taken too seriously. In the vein of "Four Weddings and a Funeral", this is a film that takes the ordinary and makes it look and sound funny and at times touching. A fair comedy worth revisiting.

Amelie

Movie Name: Amelie (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain)
Year of Release: 2001

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta, Jamel Debbouze, Dominique Pinon, Isabelle Nanty, Yolande Moreau, Claire Maurier, Serge Merlin, Clotilde Mollet

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

Director Jean Pierre Jeunet followed his Hollywood venture of "Alien: Resurrection", with what turned out to be his biggest critical and commercial success thus far, "Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain". The film focuses on the story of Amelie, a young and beautiful french woman, living in Paris as a waitress. The film delves deeper into the life of young Amelie, who was erroneously thought of having a heart condition when she was a little girl. Amelie leads a quiet life, but she finds a lost treasure belonging to the former occupant of her apartment, and decides to return it to him. Witnessing the happiness that gesture brings, she starts trying to accomplish this for the people around her, and to whom she's connected. All of this keeps consuming her until she meets Nino, and realizes she's been neglecting finding someone to love.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet who started his career with art director Marc Caro, has always been considered a director who focuses more on visuals than character development. "Amelie" who took the screens by storm in 2001, was the perfect example of a thin story brought to life with precious visual details, and anecdotal supporting characters. The film has a fairly straight premise, but it manages to imbue romanticism into Amelie's quest to help everyone while forgetting her own love life. It's a film that at times falls prey to an artificialism that makes the story feel overly sugary and renders the characters nothing more than sketches. The cast has nothing much to do, aside from bringing to life these collections of ticks and stereotypes, but Audrey Tautou manages to put some extra dimension in her character. The production team is impeccable, particularly the luscious cinematography from Bruno Delbonnel. An overrated film from an interesting director.

The Accountant

Movie Name: The Accountant
Year of Release: 2016

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Stars: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, John Lithgow, Jeffrey Tambor, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Jean Smart, Andy Umberger, Robert C. Treveiller, Jason Davis, Seth Lee

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

Director Gavin O'Connor second release of 2016, following the troubled "Jane Got a Gun", is an interesting view of a particular professional man, who veers off the traditional path since he's an autistic/savant/killer/accountant. The film follows the story of Christian Wolff, who is an extremely organized accountant. We come to find out he works for some large criminal associations as a hired accountant, who puts things in order in terms of financial handling. He's also a very resourceful killer since he had army training. Through a series of flashbacks, we come to realize that Christian had a very unorthodox upbringing, with his military father disciplining him and his brother very strictly, particularly due to his "high functioning autism" (and his father's need for him to integrate into society). Christian has a handler who sends him on a special project with a robotics company, who is in need of a thorough view and analysis of their accounting. This sets out a series of events that even Christian didn't foresee.
"The Accountant" is an interesting film that sets out to place an anti-hero at the center of its attention. Christian Wolff is a mix of many characters (Melvin Udall from James L. Brooks' "As Good as it Gets" springs to mind), but he manages to surpass the habitual cliches, by adding the fact that he's also a very resilient killer (imagine Anton Chigurh from "No Country for Old Men", but with more empathy and better fashion sense). The film gives enough backdrop to Christian's upbringing, and we get acquainted with his daily habits and sense of routine, something that the new project he tackles throws into disarray (with the appearance of the female figure to bring disruption into his well structured life). It's a film and a story that feels like a combination of a multitude of other films and characters, which never really becomes more than just a good exercise for a talented group of actors to flex their acting muscles. Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons go through the motions with consumed professionalism, while the remaining cast doesn't have much to do. It's not a bad film, but it's a quickly forgettable one.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Movie Name: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Year of Release: 2016

Director: Tim Burton

Stars: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Chris O'Dowd, Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench, Allison Janey, Rupert Everett, Terence Stamp, Finlay MacMillan, Lauren McCrostie, Georgia Pemberton, Raffiella Chapman, Milo Parker, Hayden Keeler-Stone, Pixie Davies, Kim Dickens, O-Lan Jones, Jennifer Jarackas

Genre: Adventure, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
View Trailer Here

Synopsis:

Director Tim Burton is back, following "Big Eyes", which sadly went largely unnoticed. "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" is an adaptation of Ransom Riggs' first book of a very successful trilogy. The film follows the adventures of a young boy by the name of Jake. Jake lives in Florida, and is tasked with checking on his grandfather Abe, who lives by himself and is apparently battling dementia. Much to Jake's shock, he finds his grandfather murdered, with some disturbing creature lurking by. Jake's grandfather had told him stories about peculiar children who lived with him during the 1940s after he escaped from Poland. In order to get some sense of closure, Jake and his father, both go to Wales and visit the small island where Abe and the peculiar children lived. After an initial visit, Jake comes to realize the children are still alive, and there's much to the story he does not yet know.
A new feature from Tim Burton is always an occasion to celebrate the work of someone with a unique universe and distinct point of view. Though his latest features have been irregular in terms of quality, the ideas the director brings forward always render his films worthy of viewing. "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" is one of his features where his trademarks seem less present, and where the film in itself feels more generic. Based on a story that is filled with his usual anti-heroes, would seem like a superb match for his touch, but sadly the outcome is something devoid of soul. The screenplay is also convoluted and tries to condense the three books into a single feature, which removes space for a lot of interesting character development that could occur. It's a missed opportunity, since the material is wonderfully quirky, which suits this talented director, who has his impeccable production team with him (cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, editor Chris Lebenzon), though even the very talented cast can't lift this beyond a middling effort (and that includes the stupendous Eva Green, who usually elevates everything she's in). Here's hoping the next film is a better one for Tim Burton.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Movie Name: A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Year of Release: 2001

Director: Steven Spielberg

Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Robards, William Hurt, Brent Sexton, Justina Machado, Matt Winston, Jake Thomas, Ken Leung, Clark Gregg, Kevin Sussman, Tom Gallop, Eugene Osment, Ashley Scott, John Prosky, Robin Williams, Meryl Streep, Ben Kingsley, Chris Rock

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Adventure

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis:

After the hugely successful and influential "Saving Private Ryan", director Steven Spielberg decided to tackle a different challenge: bring to life a story cherished by Stanley Kubrick, who had always wanted to make the film and who passed away before being able to do so. The film is an adaptation of the short story by Brian Aldiss, and it takes place in the future, when the face of the planet has changed due to the melting of the ice caps. In this new world, Artificial Intelligence is a reality, and a particular company has devised a plan to launch into market androids who have feelings and can be taught to love back. These androids sold under the moniker of David (the male model) are revolutionizing the concept of A.I. because they emulate human behavior so strongly. A family going through a dramatic event in their lives, has the opportunity to get one of the first models. The mother initially resistant, learns to embrace the android as a son, and loves him as her own. However once her biological son miraculously comes back to life, she finds out their relationship isn't so easy. This forces her to abandon David, who has to fend for himself, and go on a quest to gain humanity and the love of her mother.
"A.I" is a film filled with so much wonder and detail, that to this day stands as an example of what a true visionary Steven Spielberg is (when truly inspired). The film manages to retain the core elements of his work, namely a central character who is thriving for something that is at times unreachable, but nonetheless worth risking everything for. The film also has the concept of a somewhat dysfunctional family unit, under multiple guises, as is one of his trademarks. Where "A.I" is a departure is the deeper sadness behind the story of young David, who is very much like a puppet wanting to become real, only to find out that magic does not exist, and that his Geppetto can't make him into a real boy (the film has a great tie with Carlo Collodi's book, "Pinocchio"). It's a narrative filled with surprise, heart and intelligence, much like his best films, featuring a stunning look, score, cinematography and fantastic performances from Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law. A great film always worth revisiting.

You Can Count on Me

Movie Name: You Can Count on Me
Year of Release: 2000

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Stars: Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Rory Culkin, Jon Tenney, Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Ryan, Adam LeFevre, Halley Feiffer, Whitney Vance, Peter Kerwin

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis:

"You Can Count on Me" was Kenneth Lonergan's debut feature, and was met with universal praise upon its release at the Sundance Film Festival of 2000. The film follows the story of two siblings, Sammy and Terry, both of whom are quite close following the loss of their parents at a young age. While Sammy has stayed in their hometown, and is parenting a young boy on her own, Terry has drifted throughout the country. He returns to town completely broke, asking for Sammy's assistance, something she provides for, in the hopes he can also be a male reference figure to her young son Rudy. Sammy, who is dating someone, unexpectedly starts an affair with her boss, while Terry gets involved in a scuffle with Rudy's biological father. As their lives seem to be drifting in different directions, the siblings both come to terms with their decisions and lives.
Kenneth Lonergan's debut announced his voice as one to follow - stories based on the relationships between characters that have dimension, who are flawed, deeply human and relatable. "You Can Count on Me" manages to be simultaneously heartfelt punctuated with some dashes of comedy, much like relationships in real life, and very much like life in general. The dynamics between the siblings is impeccably brought to life by two fantastic actors: the wonderful Laura Linney who finally had a role that was at the center of the narrative, and the newcomer (at the time) Mark Ruffalo, who was just breaking out, and who was simply superb as Terry. This is a film that is successful in the depiction of the lives of characters that are eminently real, with heart and humor. A very good film worth watching.

X-Men

Movie Name: X-Men
Year of Release: 2000

Director: Bryan Singer

Stars: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Tyler Mane, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park, Bruce Davison, Matthew Sharp, Brett Morris, Shawn Ashmore, Shawn Roberts

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis:

Following the little seen but well received "Apt Pupil", director Bryan Singer shifted his focus from independent and smaller scale films, to what has become a successful career directing big budget films. "X-Men" is an adaptation of the Marvel comic book which was created in 1963, which followed the adventures of a group of super powered young men and women, who had abilities that set them apart from everyone. This group was directed by Professor Xavier, and though they fought to protect humanity from destruction, the very humans they defended didn't trust them. The film follows the story of two random people who meet under dire circumstances: a young girl by the name of Marie and a rough loner by the name of Logan. These two strangers have different abilities, and become the target of other super powered mutants, who have their own agendas. To their aid comes a group with Professor Xavier as their leader.
The immensely successful "X-Men" series started by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, has been a part of pop culture ever since it debuted in 1963. After a few cartoon series, the film adaptation was one where Bryan Singer adopted the serious tone that Tim Burton had already created with his dark take on "Batman". Bryan Singer uses this first installment in the successful series to introduce the characters of the different mutant groups, sadly never giving much for each of the characters to do, save for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, who ends up being the center of the story. The film successfully creates an interesting dynamic between Ian McKellen's Magneto character, and Patrick Stewart's Professor Xavier, something that continues in the far superior sequel, but aside from this highlight, the story on this first installment is meager in development. Both Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart give strong performances, while the remainder of the cast has either nothing to do (Halle Berry) or are miscast (Anna Paquin). An interesting first stab at an iconic property that has since become a better (and uneven) series of films.

Wonder Boys

Movie Name: Wonder Boys
Year of Release: 2000

Director: Curtis Hanson

Stars: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes, Rip Torn, Jane Adams, Richard Thomas, Alan Tudyk, Philip Bosco, Kelly Bishop, Richard Knox

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis:

Director Curtis Hanson followed his highly acclaimed "LA Confidential" with another fantastic film, this time adapted from a novel by Michael Chabon. The film follows the life of Grady Tripp, a published author, whose first book was deemed brilliant and who has since settled into a teaching job while trying to get his second novel out. Grady has started a romantic relationship with the married chancellor of the college where he teaches, while simultaneously one of his brilliant students sparks an intellectual interest in him, while another student has a romantic interest in him. To make matters more interesting, his literary agent comes into town, wanting to see the state of his eternally delayed new novel, adding an extra edge to Grady's already stressful life.
Curtis Hanson was a director who managed to successfully portray and capture the complexities of life, deftly combining elements of drama and comedy. His films, even the more genre driven ones, always manage to give insight into whatever characters he presents on screen, and "Wonder Boys" is a perfect example of that. Using the excellent Michael Chabon book as a starting point, Hanson encapsulates the life of Grady into a perfectly rendered case of someone struggling to grow up, and finally accepting their limitations and responsibilities. It's a film that perfectly balances the angst of romantic relationships as a person grows older, with the humor that comes from almost surreal situations that occur in every day life. The cast is fantastic, with Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Tobey Maguire and Robert Downey Jr. all creating indelible characters. The cinematography from Dante Spinotti is luscious and beautiful, and the overall production team is nothing short from fantastic. An excellent film always worth revisiting.