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Movie Archives (H-J)

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Halloween: H20
I had a slight interest to be terrified, but I more or less wasn't inclined to watch this movie. I did anyway... So less than an hour and a half later I thought I had just seen a typical horror movie that wasn't extremely horrific, but had a great deal of unnecessary surprise scares. It's quite ridiculous, because the movie does it to the point you start to expect things and second guess the entire movie. I can't compare this sequel to a sequel to a sequel etc., because I haven't seen any previous Halloweens, but for a horror movie...this wasn't the best.
GRADE: D-

Hamlet
Ah yes...another Hamlet remake...It stars Ethan Hawke as the depressing Hamlet, Julia Stiles as Ophelia, Kyle MacLaughlan as Claudius, Liev Schreiber as Laertes, and Bill Murray as Polonius. If you don't know who these people are (the characters, I mean), then you probably won't enjoy this version. And if you flat out don't understand Hamlet, I wouldn't recommend this either. But for those who get it, and for those who enjoy artsy-almost-indie-like films, you'll find this setting interesting. Set in New York City, year 2000, Hamlet will appeal to few, but those few may have mixed reviews. (Kinda like this review.)
GRADE: B-

Hannibal
Anthony Hopkins returns as the deliciously delightful, yet psychotically gruesome Hannibal Lector. He's escaped from incarceration and living nicely in Europe. But an old victim (uncredited Gary Oldman)wants him dead , an Italian detective (Giancarlo Giannini) wants the reward for knowing Lector's whereabouts, and Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore) just wants him. So it's going to be a disgustingly imaginative movie (you might want to be bring a barf bag). But it's also a very beautiful and tragic love story between Lector and Starling. I liked this movie because even though it was hard to digest at some points, it kept me begging for more. Drawbacks? Well, it sucks that Moore had to fill the shoes of Jodi Foster's Starling (Silence of the Lambs), because clearly, I wished for Foster's return. Whether or not it would have made for a better movie is questionable, but some things shouldn't change, especially with characters as special and enticing as these. In all, though I enjoyed the guts and gore that director Ridley Scott (Gladiator and Aliens) has created, I feel it would have been better if the characters had stuck more to the psychological thriller that was this movie's predecessor.
GRADE: B+

The Haunting
The Haunting is indeed haunting, but it is also cheesy. Liam Neeson plays a doctor doing research on fear, but tells his three patients (Owen Wilson, Catherine-Zeta Jones, and Lily Tomlin) that they are part of a sleep study. He takes them to a spooky house that turns out to be haunted. The plot and the story of the house, known has Hill House, it pretty intricate, but it all boils down to some pretty cheesy showdowns between the actors and "the house." Of course, the special effects are kinda cool, but overall, The Haunting will give you a good scare or two, but that's about it.
GRADE: C-

Hercules
I only got to see half of this movie so I can't give it a grade. But the half I saw was good. It was definitely a Disney-film, complete with on-the-cue music (if you know what I mean.) Overall, it was enjoying in the usual Disney-cartoon way. But I might not go back to see the beginning of the movie.
GRADE: n/a

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High Fidelity
John Cusack is Rob Gordon: record store owner, smoker, failure in dating...sorta. When his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle) breaks up with him, Rob ventures into his past relationships to figure out why he's a dating dud. It's a coming of age kinda thing, except it's a near 30 year-old, not a preteen. You'll enjoy the movie for it's nostalgic, yet groovable music, and Rob's endless banterings on top 5 lists. You'll hate it cause you don't understand the music references, and Rob may start to seem whiny, if not desparate (which he'd probably admit to). Still, it's a revelatory movie of sorts for lonely, love-broken people....or anyone who just wants to hear Cusack talk about love.
GRADE: B+

The Hours
The Hours is a mesmerizing movie about three women from different decades leading lives that parallel Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs. Dalloway. The three women are superbly acted: Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf herself in the early 1900s, Julianne Moore as a suburban housewife Laura in the 1950s, and Meryl Streep as present-day Clarissa. The movie delves into questions of sanity, bisexuality, suicide, among many many other issues. I can't really explain the movie as I left it feeling confused and yet understanding. There is a great sense of loss and grief, as well as gain and completeness after watching a movie of this caliber. Truly a captivating film. Btw, I really really enjoyed the music in this movie. The eery piano and dazzling string orchestra provide a perfectly spooky and yet suitable ambience to the movie.
GRADE: A

How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days
It's pretty obvious how predictable this movie will be: girl and guy, against the odds, will end up together. But for a little bit more background: Annie Anderson (Kate Hudson) stars a magazine writer, whose latest assignment is to make a guy fall in love with her and then get him to dump her based on all the things that girls do wrong in a relationship. Unfortunately, her test subject turns out to be Benjamin Barry, who has placed bets with his coworkers to make a girl fall in love with him and STAY with him. Destined to be at odds, these two pair up at a bar and within 10 days realize they have really fallen for each other. Yup, your basic predictable romatic-comedy. But what makes this movie work is that these people are so beautiful looking, you can actually fantasize for the 2 hour duration of the movie that such events are possible in love. But then......you leave the theater, reality hits, and you are left $7 short. Grade of B for "B"asic romatic comedy that does its job of sweeping you away for a mere 2 hours.
GRADE: B

How To Make an American Quilt
Chick flick. All the way. But it's not a bad one. It's comparative to Joy Luck Club (though I personally perferred the latter better, and it's not just cause I'm asian). Winona Rdyer is very good as Finn, who goes though nostalgia city with the past love tales of her grandma and quilting friends. Nice film. Nice chick film.
GRADE: A-

I Am Sam
Sean Penn as a mentally handicapped father of a 7 year-old (Dakota Fanning) is indeed a challenging role, but even harder is deciding whether or not to cry. Though half the theater was crying over this tear-jerker movie, I found myself siding with the other half. Basically, I could feel the emotions this movie has, but it feels piled on. The story is enough to make anyone cry, but the fact that its a movie and it Hollywoodizes a real issue forces me not to reach over for a pack of tissues. Anyways, the story is a custody battle of whether a retarded father should be able to care for his daughter. The mental capacity of his daughter exceeding his is the legal issue, but what constitutes being a father (and a good father) is a more moral issue, which the movie plays off on. If you enjoy heart-wrenching stories and don't mind the forcefed melodrama, you'll love this movie. Otherwise, it would be okay to watch on a bored afternoon.
GRADE: B-

I Know What You Did Last Summer
Yet another movie by the producers of Scream; this one is nothing to scream about. It's mindless and uncreative, with more emphasis on Jennifer Love Hewitt's breast size than the movie itself. I found this movie to be unimpressive, because it's no fun if the murder suspect is someone you can't even suspect. Also, producers of a good movie should NEVER try to make another good movie of the same genre. It will almost always suck. (To say it bluntly.)
GRADE: D

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I Spy
This is yet another ridiculously funny movie. The kind where you're laughing hard, but can't figure out why. It's really not that funny, but with the right mood.... Anyways, I Spy is a spy-caper starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson where the former is a boxer being used by the US government to obtain information from a weapons dealer. Wilson plays the government agent who's assigned to work with the boxer. Both have their own personality subplots and it's funny to watch them interact. Can't say if it's worth watching to the everyday person, but I had fun watching it.
GRADE: B-

Ice Age
Not as funny as Monsters Inc., more along the lines of Shrek, but also more children oriented; Ice Age is the fun tale of a misfit herd consisting of a talkative sloth named Sid (voice of John Leguizamo), a lonely woolly mammoth named Manfred (voice of Ray Romano), and a vengeful sabre-toothed tiger named Diego (voice of Denis Leary). The three are trying to reunite a human baby with his father during a time when Earth was freezing over. The movie is fun to look at, the jokes are mild, and the baby is cute. Not too much crude humor, which is nice because it's surprisinly enjoyable for both children and adults. Add an acorn-crazy squirrel and you've got, more or less, a nonstop adventure. Mildly amusing for adults, delightful for kids.
GRADE: B+

In the Bedroom
Extremely slow yet profoundly eerie, In the Bedroom is the story of a Maine couple whose lives are rocked by a tragic event. Half the movie leads up to the event and the second half is about coping with the event. It's a movie about coping with tragedy and how tragedy affects relationships. Not as deep as Monster's Ball, but another extremely real look at human life.
GRADE: B

Independence Day
The ultimate in movies. If there was a model for the perfect movie (not the best, just ideal) then this would be it. It's got a bit of every movie genre (action, comedy, suspense, etc.), it's got a great plot (no mercy killing), not overdone or underdone either. Just a 2 hour enjoyment of what movies should be. Oh yeah, this movie's about aliens taking over the earth.
GRADE: A

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The Insider
Wow, the fact that this movie is real just makes the experience even greater. Jeffrey Wigant (Russell Crowe), an ex-executive at a big tobacco company has info that the public should know, but he signed a confidentiality agreement with his former company, so he can't disclose the info. Al Pacino plays the CBS producer, Lowell Bergman, who's trying his best to get Wigand's interview to the public. Though the movie is centered around this scenario, issues of trust, threats, family relationships, politics, etc. fly throughout the movie. It's a long movie (2 hours, 35 minutes), and you gotta be in an attentive mood to really understand and feel for the characters. I recommend it because it's powerful, and it's the truth (with some dramatization cause it's a movie).
GRADE: A

Immortal Beloved
This tale of a man's journey to find the deceased Beethoven's "immortal beloved" is beautiful, mystique, sensual, and suspenseful! Beethoven's will gave to one person (his immortal beloved) all his music and possessions. But who is she? Like a good murder mystery (though no murder involved here) Immortal Beloved has a good line of suspects, a gifted cast (Gary Oldman, Isabella Rossolini) and a beautiful way of portraying the shrewd, bad-tempered music genius.
GRADE: A

Interview With the Vampire
Dark and gloomy tale of two vampires and what life is like. I really enjoyed this film. It's eeriness was exciting to watch. Costumes were a very big thing that attracted me. They changed through the passing years (creative). People changed too, since this film documents about a hundred plus years of vampire life. Brad Pitt is extraordinary as Louis. Tom Cruise wasn't far behind him. It's a gothic-scened film, but it's very good. Very good.
GRADE: A-

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Inventing The Abbotts
Oh gee...I really don't like Liv Tyler. She's prettier than me (okay, I hate the world!!). But seriously, her acting's not bad in this movie, which is about three sisters who screw around with this guy who's got a younger brother who likes the youngest sister. It's not that confusing (I just made it seem that way). You're probably better off seeing it if your not lonely and single and depressed or...whatever. I thought it was okay though. Not as good as I expected.
GRADE: B-

I.Q.
This romantic comedy is adorable! It's very cute, but not so much that it's in your face. Waltar Matthau is hilarious as Einstein, Tim Robbins is great (and handsome), and Meg Ryan (though her character can get antsy) is very good in this movie as well. Good for a date, better between coed friends.
GRADE: A-

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The Italian Job
Like the typical heist movie, this is about acquiring a lot of money and doing it in a flashy way. But this one borders on flagrant advertising. Still....a heist movie wouldn't be the same without all that flash, even if it turns out to be promoting a car. The starstudded cast of Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Mos Def, Jason Statham, and Seth Green are out with a vengeance when one of their own con guys, a loathable and arrogant Edward Norton, steals from them. The setup of the movie is pretty weak. The gang rob dozens of gold nuggets from Italy and then Norton turns around and takes all the gold for himself. He flees to LA and then sorta doesn't know what to do next except that his former buddies are inevitably gonna go after him. From there, the movie is cookie-cutter: devise a plan to take back to gold and getaway. Inevitably, the "good guys" get their stolen loot back and take off in a trio of Mini-Coopers that I'm sure would attract the attention of the LAPD and every other authority. Anyway, I liked the colorful cast and hearing the roaring Mini-Cooper engine (irony!), but everything else is bland and somnolent.
GRADE: B-

The Jackal
If you put The Saint and The Rock together, you'd end up with this intensely exciting movie. Richard Gere's an Irish guy in a maximum security prison who's let out to help find a Bruce Willis who's known as the Jackal. (Sound like a certain Sean Connery who got out of prison to help someone?) The Jackal's out to get someone (I won't say who) and his means of killing are pretty gruesome. He uses various disguises (like The Saint does) and even goes to great, GREAT lengths in his disguises. Whether Gere helps the Feds and the Russian "Feds" find the Jackal is for you to find out. Very exciting and entertaining.
GRADE: A-

John Q
I liked the realness of this movie. The portrayal of a low income father,John Q Archibald (Denzel Washington), trying everything he can to give his dying son the heart transplant he needs, is extremely poignant and moving and, I think, true to our current society. With the necessary hoopla over HMOs, John Q reaches the edge of reason when it comes to humanity vs. monetary insurance planning. John Q, being told he has no other option in getting his son on a donor list, holds up a portion of a hospital and threatens to kill hostages if his son does not get on the donor list. Passionately played, the bystanders in the movie as well as the audience in the theater can not help but pity John Q's situation. (Well, I couldn't help but pity him.) The movie is tense to watch, though also predictable, but it's quite humorous at times. A bit of everything, but especially a hard core issue, is what kept me intrigued by this movie.
GRADE: B+

Just Married
Screwball comedy about young newlyweds and the tumult of the first few days of marriage. Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy star as the newlyweds, whose perfect romance seems doomed by marriage. Predictably zany, Just Married does provide laughable quirks on all the things that make marriage hard work. I thought it was gooseball funny, but suitable only to a select crowd (you know who you are!).
GRADE: C+

NOTE: A grade of A is a highly recommended film for everybody.
A grade of B is a moderately recommended film for anybody.
A grade of C is generally geared toward a particular fan.
A grade of D is an unrecommended film.
A grade of F is a really bad film that is recommended for your extremely bored amusement.

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