Category
Your search for 5 stars returned 28 results.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (5/5)
Downey Jr. and Kilmer rifle through the script at a manic pace, delivering some fiercely hilarious stuff. You can tell the writer/director spent a lot of time developing this; the scenes and characters are wickedly fresh and peculiar. Best epilogue ever: "To all you good people in the Mid-West, sorry we said fuck so many times".
Letters From Iwo Jima (5/5)
My new favorite war film. Not the sort you watch a dozen times, but perfect nonetheless.
Downfall (5/5)
A surprisingly effective film that rarely leaves the bunker in its three hours. The bit where Hitler reprimands his chief officers has become a favorite scene to re-dub on the YouTube channel.
The Constant Gardener (5/5)
White liberal guilt featuring a favorite actress and two of my four favorite continents. Fine balance of drama, gore, sex, spy effects, and corporate villainy.
Clue (5/5)
Timeless. The quick and witty script could not have been better executed. I still dislike the multiple endings--just not necessary and distinctly counter to the point of a whodunnit mystery.
In Bruges (5/5)
Farrel is an obnoxious half-wit off camera--or what we call reality. So what a pleasant surprise to see him pull off one of the most nuanced and dynamic comedic performances in recent memory: moments after putting a gun to his head, he is making light of his plight and the wussiness of his gun. Yes, the ending goes a bit far and requires some unlikely machinations, ...
Donnie Darko (5/5)
I've reached the point of diminishing returns on this film. I don't recommend the Director's Cut or the commentary, both tragically demystify the film and any deep or nuanced ideologies you may have secretly fathomed. An example of how over-explaining your creation can ruin the experience of your audience. My shorthand: If Lynch and Hughes rewrote Back To The Future ...
Aliens (Special Edition) (5/5)
I do enjoy the expanded combat scenes in the Special Edition, but I find the colony scenes at the beginning detract from the mystery and discovery we experience with Ripley's rescue squad later on. Paxon is a favorite character--going from blowhard marine to needing a warm bath in under a minute. He's been Cameron's go-to patsy ever since.