|
5/5
|
87%
|
The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion' (2005) |
"
A carefully wrought, historically grounded and thoroughly absorbing look at a quintessential American experience."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Aug 11, 2005
|
|
|
100%
|
My Man Godfrey (1936) |
"
[A] screwball masterpiece."
—
Village Voice
Posted Feb 6, 2009
|
|
|
94%
|
Wheel of Time (2003) |
"
For a Herzog documentary, Wheel of Time is surprisingly unfocused."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jun 4, 2005
|
|
|
90%
|
Tom Dowd and the Language of Music (2004) |
"
It makes a convincing argument that Dowd's personal history is a kind of history of the 20th century itself, encompassing the era's art, science, commerce and politics."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Aug 12, 2004
|
|
|
85%
|
Outfoxed - Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004) |
"
A fast-paced, brilliantly edited indictment that's as hard to turn away from as it is infuriating to watch."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Aug 5, 2004
|
|
|
79%
|
Orwell Rolls in His Grave (2003) |
"
Even though he refuses to excise about 15 to 20 minutes of unnecessary material, Pappas is nonetheless a steady editor who, less intrepid than dogged, pieces together a sustainably intriguing, suitably distressing exposé."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jul 28, 2004
|
|
|
96%
|
Festival Express (2003) |
"
By the end of the tour, the booze-and- drug-soaked conveyance has, as one participant puts it, 'achieved liftoff,' and scenes of a final onboard party are both ecstatic and poignant."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jul 28, 2004
|
|
|
89%
|
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme (2000) |
"
A thoughtful overview of a major musical movement, from its churchy roots to its urban present, from its aggressive front to its spiritual underpinnings."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jul 21, 2004
|
|
|
78%
|
With All Deliberate Speed (2004) |
"
Gilbert's great achievement lies in his integration of disparate historical threads and voices into one steadily paced, riveting tale."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted May 12, 2004
|
|
|
——
|
Wasabi Tuna (2003) |
"
It's the game cast ... that, bolstered by some sharp one-liners, sight gags and a blithe lack of self-importance, keeps aloft this lightweight camp comedy written and directed by Celia Fox."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted May 6, 2004
|
|
|
99%
|
The Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei) (2004) |
"
Perhaps because this is director Yoji Yamada's 77th movie, every aspect of his filmmaking is placidly assured and meaningful."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Apr 29, 2004
|
|
|
80%
|
Le Papillon (The Butterfly) (2004) |
"
If there's anyone to credit for The Butterfly's eventual triumph over the inherent fatuousness of the material, it's the great Serrault and his tiny leading lady, who matches her elder nearly line for line and look for look."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Mar 18, 2004
|
|
|
16%
|
The Big Bounce (2004) |
"
It's Wilson who's the score here."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jan 28, 2004
|
|
|
50%
|
Luster (2002) |
"
Lively, from-the-heart script ... and terrific, natural performances that, like the film itself, are cumulatively affecting."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Nov 19, 2003
|
|
|
92%
|
School of Rock (2003) |
"
There is obvious affection between Black and the kids, and their interplay is disarmingly sweet."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Oct 2, 2003
|
|
|
57%
|
Enemies of Laughter (2003) |
"
Paymer has developed a sort of practiced gravitational pull, and his easy confidence, enhanced by eyes that can only be described as soulful, elevates his character from a flat Woody Allen wannabe to a fully realized human being."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jul 30, 2003
|
|
|
33%
|
Johnny English (2003) |
"
A funny summer frolic."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jul 24, 2003
|
|
|
82%
|
Charlotte Sometimes (2003) |
"
Drawing on an irresistible, languid romanticism, Byler reveals the ways in which a sultry evening or a beer-fueled afternoon in the sun can inspire even the most retiring heart to venture forth."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jun 18, 2003
|
|
|
98%
|
Finding Nemo (2003) |
"
As gorgeous a film as Disney's ever put out, with astonishing qualities of light, movement, surface and color at the service of the best professional imaginations money can buy."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted May 29, 2003
|
|
|
62%
|
Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet (2002) |
"
A thoughtful, reverent portrait of what is essentially a subculture, with its own rules regarding love and family, governance and hierarchy."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted May 8, 2003
|
|
|
50%
|
Onmyoji (2001) |
"
A ghostly and gorgeous tale."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Apr 24, 2003
|
|
|
88%
|
A Mighty Wind (2003) |
"
Freshened immensely by pitch-perfect song parodies, a batch of hilarious faux album covers, nimble improv from the ever-marvelous cast, and a palpable love for the subject matter."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Apr 17, 2003
|
|
|
91%
|
Stevie (2003) |
"
James makes visible the process by which a lost soul cuts himself off from emotion in order to survive, only to find that, in the bargain, he's lost the ability to open himself up to anyone who might want to throw him a line."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Apr 3, 2003
|
|
|
52%
|
Down and Out With the Dolls (2003) |
"
Like a good punk tune, the filmmaker's focused energy distracts from compositional flaws."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Mar 27, 2003
|
|
|
100%
|
7 Days in September (2002) |
"
Offers a fine counterpoint to the more fatuous and opportunistic takes on shared tragedy and collective grief."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Mar 22, 2003
|
|
|
57%
|
The Guru (2002) |
"
A geek-love homage to the musical romantic-comedy and its cross-cultural appeal, hitting all the formula marks with just enough tongue-in-cheek knowingness to buff off the tarnish."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jan 30, 2003
|
|
|
24%
|
P.S. Your Cat is Dead! (2003) |
"
Guttenberg is a capable director; his framing is crisp, his pacing brisk, his eye alert to telling detail."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jan 23, 2003
|
|
|
61%
|
Blue Crush (2002) |
"
In all, American girls could do worse than have Blue Crush as their own summer action movie."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jan 13, 2003
|
|
|
58%
|
Wendigo (2002) |
"
A finely tuned mood piece, a model of menacing atmosphere."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Dec 16, 2002
|
|
|
57%
|
The Business of Fancydancing (2002) |
"
Alexie's relatively novel take on the quintessentially American story of being stranded between cultures is compelling."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Oct 24, 2002
|
|
|
59%
|
Scotland, PA. (2001) |
"
It's a setup so easy it borders on facile, but keeping the film from cheap-shot mediocrity is its crack cast."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Oct 21, 2002
|
|
|
72%
|
Pipe Dream (2001) |
"
Pipe Dream does have its charms. The leads are natural and lovely, the pace is serene, the humor wry and sprightly."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Oct 17, 2002
|
|
|
53%
|
Invincible (2002) |
"
Invincible is a wonderful movie."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Sep 19, 2002
|
|
|
95%
|
Monsters, Inc. (2001) |
"
A visual triumph."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Sep 16, 2002
|
|
|
84%
|
Elling (2002) |
"
Heartwarming here relies less on forced air than on Petter Næss' delicate, clever direction ... and a wonderful, imaginative script by Axel Hellstenius."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Sep 5, 2002
|
|
|
92%
|
Mostly Martha (Bella Martha) (2001) |
"
Nettelbeck ... has a pleasing way with a metaphor."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Aug 22, 2002
|
|
|
74%
|
Signs (2002) |
"
There's plenty here that testifies to Shyamalan's exceptional talent."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Aug 2, 2002
|
|
|
71%
|
The Lady and the Duke (2001) |
"
Working from Elliott's memoir, Rohmer fashions the sort of delicate, articulate character- and- relationship study he's favored for decades."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jul 26, 2002
|
|
|
48%
|
Eight Legged Freaks (2002) |
"
It's the filmmakers' post-camp comprehension of what made old-time B movies good-bad that makes Eight Legged Freaks a perfectly entertaining summer diversion."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jul 19, 2002
|
|
|
61%
|
The American Astronaut (2001) |
"
A sui generis, love-it-or-hate-it exercise in homegrown American surrealism."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jun 24, 2002
|
|
|
80%
|
Sunshine State (2002) |
"
If Sayles had maneuvered these stories and performances into even a shade more sentimentality or gravitas, the weight would have collapsed them like a house of cards. As it is, they breathe easily."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jun 21, 2002
|
|
|
47%
|
Cherish (2002) |
"
Taylor's ode to loser love may be scant on character and plot development, but it's rich with affection for daydream believers -- not to mention the guilty pleasures of late-period Hall and Oates."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jun 10, 2002
|
|
|
69%
|
Spirit - Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) |
"
Rather exciting, rendered in a bright sunset palette and a mixture of expressive, boldly drawn traditional animation and fluid computer-generated imagery."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jun 1, 2002
|
|
|
90%
|
Master of the Flying Guillotine (1977) |
"
With its nonstop flurry of fighting, ersatz bloodletting and incidental hilarity, this remains [Yu's] signature work."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted May 24, 2002
|
|
|
50%
|
Any Given Sunday (1999) |
"
On a purely cinematic level, the film is indeed triumphant, with wildly inventive player-perspective footage that brilliantly conveys the rush of game-time action, and an expert's grasp of multilayered storytelling."
—
IFilm
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
|
87%
|
Calle 54 (2001) |
"
If you're not a fan now, these 105 celebratory minutes could go a long way toward your conversion."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Jan 1, 2000
|
|
|
15%
|
The Amateurs (The Moguls) (Dirty Movie) (2005) |
"
As a writer, Traeger is consternatingly adolescent and glib."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Dec 6, 2007
|
|
|
——
|
White Horse is Dead (2006) |
"
Haphazardly pieced together."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Feb 2, 2006
|
|
|
——
|
FAQs (2005) |
"
The dialogue is blunter, and harder for his amateur cast to pull off, while Lewis' stridency, however justified, ultimately jars against the film's tender, all-is-love fantasia."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Feb 2, 2006
|
|
|
92%
|
Waging a Living (2005) |
"
One comes away not quite knowing what Weisberg wants to say with his occasional statistics laid over loosely edited, perfunctory video footage."
—
L.A. Weekly
Posted Nov 10, 2005
|
67%
——
98%
