Movie Reviews: Holiday '05

Quick-and-Dirty reviews of a few films:

Chronicles of Narnia: B+. Mostly for kids, but very well done. Based on famous series of books. Somewhat Tolkein-esque. Worth seeing. Better to see it on big screen.

Walk the Line: B. Everyone told me, "even if you don't like Johnny Cash, you'll just love this film." It's pretty good, but not fantastic. Performance by Joaquim Phoenix as Cash is a wonderful impersonation, I suppose. Witherspoon as Joan Cash was a little contrived and cutesy. Film will garner Oscar nominations, though.

Brokeback Mountain: A-. An amazing, genre-busting, against-the-current film. Gay cowboys. This film is about the struggle of outsiders... people who find themselves not conforming with their surroundings and how they cope with it. Heath Ledger will get Oscar nomination and may get the award (watch out for P.S. Hoffman in "Capote," still my favorite role of the year). This is a sad film, mostly because it holds the mirror to our own intolerance and prejudice.

The Family Stone: B-. Great cast: Diane Keaton; Sarah Jessica Parker; Dermot Mulroney. Fairly predictable, but well-done and enjoyable romantic comedy. Nice uplift after Brokeback.

King Kong: A-. For a big-budget flick where we already know the plot, this film was way better than I expected it to be. Adrian Brody -- one of my favorite actors -- plays the screenwriter well. P. Jackson's special effects are brilliant, and probably Oscar-worthy. This is definitely worth seeing, and on the big screen.

Syriana: A. One of the best movies of the year, although not in the top five. This one hits so close to home it's scary. I expected to see a disclaimer at the end telling me "The events and characters portrayed in this film are based on actual events and people." G. Clooney's transformation into the soft and frumpy CIA hitman-turned-scapegoat is believeable. There's a scene at the end of the film where some terrorists are attacking a petroleum tanker ship that is a little snippet of directorial brilliance.

OK. That's all I've got for now... enjoy the movies!

Cheers!