Stanley Kubrick’s house looks as if the Inland Revenue took it over long ago. Tony takes me into a large room painted blue and filled with books. “This used to be the cinema,” he says. “Is it the library now?” I ask. “Look closer at the books,” says Tony. I do. “Bloody hell,” I say. […]
Spy Game
(2001) Tony Scott – Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Catherine McCormack, etc. Synopsis: The last day on his job at the CIA, Nathan Muir (Redford) finds out that an old protege of his (Bishop, played by Pitt) has stumbled into a whole world of trouble. And is, in fact, going to be executed in 24 hours. […]
Posted by Ben on April 1, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/spy-game/
Killing Zoe
(1994) dir. Roger Avery – w/ Eric Stolz, Julie Delpy, Jean-Hughes Anglade, and a bunch of wholly insignificant figures, most of whom die (particularly one who plays a stupid American) Synopsis: A bank-heist in France. You know how it is: one last job before everyone buys his own private island, resting in the lap of […]
Posted by Ben on March 27, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/killing-zoe/
Adaptation
(2002) directed by Spike Jonze, starring Nicolas Cage, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, and a few people as themselves, etc. Synopsis: A nontraditional, nested story (set of stories, actually) about a screen-writer, writer, etc. Promising, but. Review: Probably the worst well-done movie I’ve ever seen. The acting, for what it’s worth, is extremely on-target. […]
Posted by Ben on March 19, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/adaptation/
Minority Report
(2002) Steven Spielberg – starring Samantha Morton, Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow, Lois Smith, etc. Synopsis: You know the schtick: psychics help cops of the future prevent murders from happening. Then, surprise, maybe there’s something wrong with this system. Most of the story centers around a basically inexplicable murder that is predicted by […]
Posted by Ben on March 13, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/minority-report/
Der Krieger und die Kaiserin
(English title: Princess and the Warrior) (2000) – Tom Tykwer – Franka Potente, Benno Fürmann, usw. Synopsis: Franka is Sissi. Sissi works in a psychiatric clinic. She has her problems. Benno is Bodo, who doesn’t work. He… does things to get by. (Okay, so he robs gas stations, but there’s a reason behind it; it’s […]
Posted by Ben on March 7, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/der-krieger-und-die-kaiserin/
State and Main
(2000) dir. David Mamet – starring Rebecca Pidgeon and Philip Seymour Hoffman, with a bunch of other people Synopsis: Movie crew invades small-town New England. Nothing goes as planned. Townspeople, movie stars, and everybody makes fools of themselves. Hilarity ensues. In a quirky, offbeat kind of way. And there’s an unexpected love story. Review: A […]
Posted by Ben on March 4, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/state-and-main/
Max
(2002) dir. Menno Meyjes – with Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker, John Cusack. Oh, and Noah Taylor as Hitler. Synopsis: A fictionalized look into the life of Hitler (yes, that Hitler) as a young man, using an interesting story to try to examine what factors contributed to the Hitler that is now etched irrevocably into history […]
Posted by Ben on February 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/max/
Naqoyqatsi
(2002) Godfrey Reggio Synopsis: None. (Well, okay: it’s a kind of video montage of images, sounds, and ideas—a kind of heavy-handed, plotless documentary of sorts) Title translates into “Life as War.” Review: First let me say that Koyaanisqatsi, the first of the trilogy that Noqoyqatsi finishes, is an excellent, excellent movie. Second, let me say […]
Posted by Ben on February 15, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/naqoyqatsi/
The Million Dollar Hotel
(2000) dir. Wim Wenders – with Milla Jovovich, Jeremy Davies, Mel Gibson, etc. Review: Hard to describe. I was bored the first thirty minutes, and then realized I was paying attention to the wrong things, at which point I began to enjoy the movie. A very atmospheric and stylish movie (read: not a whole lot […]
Posted by Ben on January 16, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/the-million-dollar-hotel/