What Films did You Watch Last Week (11/03 - 17/03) closed

First Time Viewings:

Not Another Teen Movie (2001, Joel Gallen)

This spoof of teen movies is admittedly pretty dumb, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh pretty much the whole way through. The cast is pretty good too and overall I had a good time with this one.

7/10
5.5/10 I don't think the movie is very funny

The Piano (1993, Jane Campion)

Well made and well acted film with an interesting story.

7/10
7.5/10 Good story, great acting and great score

The Cider House Rules (1999, Lasse Hallström)

The cast is pretty good here and the film has its moments, but the story didn't pull me in fully and it dragged in parts.

6/10
7/10 I like the story and the film never dragged for me.

Postcards from the Edge (1990, Mike Nichols)

Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine are both very good here and I liked the story too.

7/10
5.5/10 Not a fan of the story or the directing

The Piano Teacher (2001, Michael Haneke)

Isabelle Huppert is really good in this one and it's pretty interesting. Maybe could have been a bit shorter, but it wasn't a big deal. 

7/10
6/10 The story doesn't do much for me, but it's well made and Huppert is very good as usual.

The Bridges of Madison County (1995, Clint Eastwood)

Meryl Streep is wonderful here and Clint Eastwood gives one of his most charming performances. They have strong chemistry as well and the movie is pretty good overall.

7/10
7.5/10

Out of Africa (1985, Sydney Pollack)

I felt this dragged at times, but it has some really good scenes, a strong performance from Meryl Streep, a good score, and some beautiful cinematography. 

7/10
7.5/10

Caché (2005, Michael Haneke)

The ending was a bit weak, but I thought this was still pretty good overall. 

7/10
8/10 very good all the way through and I am a huge fan of the ending.

A Knight's Tale (2001, Brian Helgeland)

Heath Ledger is charming and charismatic in the lead role and the supporting cast is pretty good as well. I wasn't big on the use of modern music and some parts of the story needed work, such as the romance. It's fairly entertaining overall, but didn't quite work for me.

6.5/10
5.5/10 Eh...not my cup of tea.

Crimes of the Heart (1986, Bruce Beresford)

Sissy Spacek, Diane Keaton, and Jessica Lange star as three sisters in this one. All three of them put in some strong work, and I also really liked Tess Harper. The film itself was pretty good in the first half, but the second half was a step down.

6.5/10

In the Valley of Elah (2007, Paul Haggis)

This one tells an interesting story, has good performances from Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron, and there are some powerful moments.

7/10
8/10 Smart writing and a great performance from Tommy Lee Jones.


Repeat Viewings:

Hidalgo (2004, Joe Johnston)

Loved this as a kid, but hadn't seen it in several years. I still enjoy it quite a bit. Viggo Mortensen is good in the lead, it has some beautiful shots, a good score, and I enjoy the story.

7.5/10
5/10 Generic adventure movie that has almost nothing to offer.

American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendes)

I seem to love this one more with each viewing. Great characters, wonderful performances, a brilliant script, an excellent score, and it's very well shot too.

9.5/10
9/10

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, Woody Allen)

Liked this one a bit more this time. Interesting characters and relationships, as well as strong dialogue and good performances make this one a very good movie overall.

8/10
6/10 The story just doesn't interest me and I am not a fan of Farrow's performance. The supporting performances make it worth watching though and it has some very good stuff here and there. I like the stuff with Max Von Sydow's character the best.

Venus (2006, Roger Michell)

Peter O'Toole is wonderful here and Jodie Whittaker is quite good as well. The movie is pretty enjoyable too.

7/10


Movie Awards:

BEST FILM - American Beauty
BEST ACTOR - Kevin Spacey (American Beauty)
BEST ACTRESS - Meryl Streep (The Bridges of Madison County)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Chris Cooper (American Beauty)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Annette Bening (American Beauty)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Conrad L. Hall (American Beauty)
BEST SCORE - Thomas Newman (American Beauty)
BEST SCRIPT - Alan Ball (American Beauty)
BEST DIRECTOR - Sam Mendes (American Beauty)