failure to launch

since when did sarah jessica parker become the go-to girl for romantic comedies? and since when was she semi-enjoyable? i still remember when she was nothing more than some big breasted eye candy in a bruce willis flick. i can't even remember which one. and matthew mcconaughey basically does his normal mcconaughey thing. and former "it girl" zooey deschanel channels weird. overall, a totally forgettable, "i watched it on an airplane," time killer of a romantic comedy. par for the course.

inside man

what do you get when all the feature actors do their normal thing? denzel is quippy and intense, clive is mysterious, jodie is smart, christopher plummer is old, spike is racial. you get "inside man." not a bad movie, but the payoffs just weren't there. the film takes so much time building you up to this point, but then when the big reveal occurs, it's not that great. so yeah, kind of a let down. and the title is sort of misleading a little bit. not to give it away but you'll understand what i mean after you see it.

the jerk

worst movie ever. not literally, but really, for a film regularly hailed as a classic, it most certainly wasn't. juvenile and ridiculous. i compared it to early ashton kutcher. well, ashton kutcher period actually. skip it. i don't even have 100 words to describe this movie so i'll stop here.

v for vendetta

oh those tricky wachowski brothers. after two disappointing matrix sequels, they return to form with "v for vendetta," based on the graphic novel of the same name. i tried to dim my expectations for this movie but i had to see it due to the source material and the presence of natalie portman. the movie turned out much better than i had ever dared to hope for and was engaging and smart throughout.

hugo weaving, providing the voice of "v," is a stud. if you think about how hard it is to act from behind a mask, you truly appreciate the hypnotizing voice of "agent smith."

two tracks from the movie: "cry me a river" and "i found a reason" located here.

me and you and everyone we know

a film that came to me with the highest of recommendations, the movie is sure to get you talking -- through the movie. many parts of the movie were brilliant and hilarious, however, due to my prudish nature, some of it made me squirm in my seat. i don't like seeing underaged children engage in sexual situations okay? even if the setup is somewhat funny. absurd, touching, and delightful at its best, this film is not for everyone, although if pressed for an opinion, i'm glad i watched it.

16 blocks

has mos def ever been annoying? not until now. with an affected whiny high pitched nasally voice (and his voice is already nasally to begin with), mos def tries to impart his character with some personality. thankfully, mos def is charismatic as hell and you almost forget about his voice -- almost. 16 blocks is better than you think it'll be, but also not nearly as good as it possibly could be. film fluff useful as a movie hop movie and that's about it.

chappelle's block party

best concert movie ever. great movie overall. 'nuff said. if you like chappelle or real hip hop, you must go watch this movie. then watch it again. roots, mos def, fugees, erykah, common, it's all ridiculous. chappelle is a crazy genius.

2046

the semi-sequel to "in the mood for love," i actually enjoyed 2046 more than the original -- which is quite a statement to make since mood was really quite excellent. i liked 2046's infinitely more convoluted (and confusing) plot. once all the disparate parts come together, the film provokes an idea of love and longing that is hard to shake, long after the credits roll. "entranced" is the word i'm looking for here. highly recommended.