The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Synopsis: A fox and a hound grow up as friends, but their different natures will place them in opposition to each other. 

Appraisal: Decent cartoon, with good graphical quality, nice characters and some good action sequences. A little too children-oriented at times, but on the whole a good entertainment for adults as well. 

Rating: 51

Trekkies (1997)

Synopsis: Documentary about the cult following of a TV show and its spin-offs. 

Appraisal: This is my second viewing. Upon my first viewing I was quite enthusiastic about this documentary, considering it a fascinating anthropological study. I cooled down a little upon my second viewing, as some of my old thoughts were, I think, induced by the film's self enhancing discourse. This is not to say that I did not have fun watching it. I did. And, as for anthropological implications, they are interesting too, no doubt about that. But some of the interviewees gave the impression that they were striving for weirdness, and that is not cool. As for the "authentic" ones, my reductionist theory is that they identify with the militaristic aspects of the series. The US. have, after all, become a militaristic country, as of the sixties (or earlier), and that shows in pop culture too. Even the clothing fixation has to do I think with the military mind. Uniforms are an essential part of the military world. There is also a religious characteristic to the whole thing that shows in the collecting obsession (many religions place great value on objects and images). So I would say that it all boils down to some kind of militaristic religion, and that is all about the US. In a way, it is more representative of the real American culture than, say, Christianity. I wouldn't be surprised if it completely replaced Christianity in, say, a couple of hundred years. Anyway I am downgrading this film a little and removing it from my list of favorite movies of 1997, of which it was the 25th. 

Rating: 67

Como Nascem os Anjos (1996)

English Title: How Angels Are Born.
Synopsis: Two children and an adult, in an escape run, end up, quite by accident, holding a family hostage.
Appraisal: This film has some bold concepts, that I am not sure worked for me. Casting a child with no adult features whatsoever as the wife of an adult and then making her tote a gun was perhaps meant for shock, but shock alone is not enough to make a good film. I am also not sure if the preposterous scene where the Fat Guy has a row with the arms buyer and ends up shooting him was deliberately preposterous for a surreal or shock effect.
The obvious message of the film is that people that live in a violent environment inevitably end up in situations where they are forced to be violent. It is a whirlpool that sucks everything around it, destroying all innocence.
Unfortunately, contrivedness shows in all of the movie.
On the good side, one could say that the film has some tension that never quite abates, and that carries the viewer up (down?) to the ending.
Rating: 49

Tupac: Resurrection (2003)

Synopsis: His life in his own words. 

Appraisal: I really do not know how to be generous to this movie, as I considered it a little too encomiastic toward a person whom I have not in such a high regard. Of course, it presents some anthropological and sociological interest, but I find it weird how uncritical it can be of its subject. 

Rating: 46

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Synopsis: The candidate for vice-presidency is part of a mind-programming plot.
Appraisal: I quite enjoyed this second version of the story, more than the first, actually, but that may be due to the difference in the ages at which I saw the two versions. The thing is, the atmosphere is here effectively set up for horror, and that makes the film a thrilling experience. But I do not think that it should be taken too seriously. Well, maybe just a little.
Rating: 58

Tokyo Eyes (1998)

Synopsis: A cop's sister gets involved with a man who performs weird assaults, which her brother is investigating. 

Appraisal: This was my second viewing of this movie. I did enjoyed it as much as the first, because I did not remember a thing. As some people pointed out, the plot of this movie is a little thin, and the viewer can predict by the middle of it that the writers would not know exactly how to resolve it and that is exactly what happens. But, as they say, sometimes the journey is better than the destination place, and the film is quite enjoyable because of the charming characters and situations. 

Rating: 66

The Magdalene Sisters (2002)

Synopsis: Describes the life of slavery of some girls in a convent. 

Appraisal: This would be a great film even if it were not so damn important as a reflection piece. It makes me wonder, is the family system any good when parents can do this to their own children? But the greatness here is of art. Because the screenplay is so flawless, and because the characters are so finely crafted. And finally because the cast does a competent job, and here I would like to set aside two performances that, to my understanding, are among the best in all of movie history; I do not know the actresses's names, but the parts they play are the mother superior and the old woman that dies after spending her entire life in the convent. "The Magdalene Sisters" is one my favorites, being 11th in the list for 2002. 

Rating: 69

Last Orders (2001)

Synopsis: Various friends, complying to a common friend's last wish, make a trip to the place where they must scatter his ashes. Meanwhile some important moments of their past lives are shown. 

Appraisal: This film suffers from an excess of banality. Despite one remarkable performance (the actress who plays the widow) and adequate ones by the rest of the cast, this is not a film that will keep you awake in a cold lonely night. 

Rating: 35

Scenes of TR at Sagamore Hill, 1912 (1912)

Theodore Roosevelt at various activities, at a country house. Curious.

Was tun, wenn's brennt? (2001)

English Title: What to Do in Case of Fire 

Synopsis: An anarchist group plants a bomb in an abandoned house, but it only explodes 13 years later, by which time they have split up (except for two of them). The problem is that they had filmed themselves in the act of setting the bomb. When the police raids the apartment of the two that continued together and confiscates the film, it's time to gather all the members of the team to get hold of the film before the police watches it. 

Appraisal: This film relies mostly on stereotyped characters and situations. The "action" parts are not all that exciting either. 

Rating: 40

Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Synopsis: A veterinary that can talk to animals sails away with his friends in search of the giant sea snail. 

Appraisal: Rather weak as a musical, although the lyrics are at times interesting. Other than that, as an adult I did not enjoy the film much, and at one or two times found it ridiculous. 

Rating: 40

Lejonjakten (1908)

Synopsis: A kangaroo and a lion (played by persons in animal costumes) are chased and killed by some hunters who subsequently get chased and arrested by some officers.
Appraisal: There is not much interest in this film except historical curiosity. It is a parody of another film which I have not seen.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Synopsis: Anchorman is threatened by an ambitious and sexy female co-worker. 

Appraisal: If you enjoy shouting, screaming, grossness, childish sense of humor, go for it. Otherwise, give yourself a break and skip this one. 

Rating: 23

Breezy (1973)

Synopsis: A young woman gets in a relationship with a middle-aged man. 

Appraisal: This film's screenplay is really weak. If it weren't for the excellent performance by the lead actress, I would disrecommend this film. 

Rating: 40

A Bronx Tale (1993)

Synopsis: A boy becomes the protégé of a gangster, although the boy's father does not want his son to have anything to do with said gangster. 

Appraisal: This film is a little unconvincing and a little formulaic: typical second rate writing. 

Rating: 43

Pool Sharks (1915)

Synopsis: Two men fight for the attentions of a woman. They decide to settle their differences in a pool game.
Appraisal: Even though the humor displayed here is pretty elementary, sometimes outright gross, the film is not devoid of entertainment value (if you keep your expectations low).

Dream a Rarebit Fiend (1906)

Synopsis: Man eats and drinks too much, and then has nightmares.
Appraisal: This is as good as a short film of that era could be. The special effects are the best that could be done then, and the whole concept is actually pretty funny.

2 A.M. in the Subway (1905)

This very short film has some men and women in a subway, a police officer that thinks that some of them are behaving indecently, and a train conductor. It has no artistic importance, but it is an interesting viewing for providing insight into the morals and behavior of a bygone era.

A Ballroom Tragedy (1905)

Very short film that depicts a passional crime. Unnoteworthy except possibly for those interested in film history.

Cinderella (1914)

Synopsis: A young woman is mistreated by her stepmother and her stepsisters. One day she meets Prince Charming.
Appraisal: This is a competently made version of the famous story. And it features a marvelous dream sequence. And the lead actress is endearing.

Open Range (2003)

Synopsis: Two men (plus two younger assistants) raise their cattle wandering from place to place. When they send one of their assistants to get supplies in the nearest town, he gets a rough treatment from the local town boss's goons. Of course, our two brave men will let no stone unturned. 

Appraisal: It is clear that many elements in this film were already present in several earlier westerns. The characters in the film, they too are like pale copies of earlier western characters. So, although it is competent in a workmanlike way, it lacks the vigor and talent one finds in so many of its predecessors. 

Rating: 48

The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)

Synopsis: The farmers at the small town of Milagro face their demise due to the opposition of a giant company that wants to build a resort in their town. A movement to oppose that starts. 

Appraisal: Rather uninvolving and lacking strong characters, this is a pretty forgettable film. Although tackling important social issues, it is unexciting and prosaic, thus failing to engage the viewer in its crusade. Note: I saw it on a Brazilian dubbed version. 

Rating: 39

Dark Passage (1947)

Synopsis: A man escapes from prison and then has to avoid being caught. His past and how he came to be convicted are disclosed. 

Appraisal: Good to watch, with an engaging pace, and strong individual sequences. I particularly liked the scenes with the plastic surgeon. The storyline has some weak elements, though. 

Rating: 58

Matchstick Men (2003)

Synopsis: Two confidence men prepare for a big job. Meanwhile one of them has to deal with a new person in his life.
Appraisal: There are several things in this movie that I did not like. I will not go into each one of them here, but, to name only one, why did they have to make the main character a patient of multiple psychological disorders? Does that really add to the movie? Anyway, the film is just average.
Rating: 45

Peter Pan (2003)

Synopsis: A girl and her brothers receive a visit from Peter Pan, a magical kid that then takes them to Neverland. 

Appraisal: This is probably the best version of the famous story, with a nice balance between action and emotion. There is one thing in which I must disagree with the majority, though, and it is the cinematography. Certain scenes were heavily filtered, and thus rendered almost completely monochromatic, which in my opinion made them a little indistinct. Well, maybe I am being a little idiosyncratic here? Anyway, I liked the film, although of course it is confined to the boundaries of the Victorian text it is based upon. 

Rating: 63

Something's Gotta Give (2003)

Synopsis: A 60-something man goes to his 20-something girlfriend's house and there meets her mother. Have you guessed the rest? 

Appraisal: This is the kind of film that, while being simply a variation on an old theme (e.g. Goodbye Again (1961)), is widely praised for being exactly the opposite, that is, a film that breaks new ground or taps into unknown or unexplored territory. That irritates a bit, because it is a sure sign that people have no sense of history whatsoever. Anyway, the film in itself is not unbearable, although it gets close to that at times, boasting a kind of comicity based mostly on female shrieks. 

Rating: 44

A Woman (1915)

Synopsis: A tramp bullies several men in a park and then unknowingly makes friends with the wife and the daughter of one of them, accompanying them to, and into, their home. When the husband arrives, he is in trouble.
Appraisal: This is a very weak comedy, the first act being very much a repetition of a park routine that even then was getting very worn out, and the second act boasting a man in drag as its main attraction (?).

Yosei Gorasu (1962)

English Title: Gorath. 

Synopsis: A massive star is on a collision course with the Earth and scientists must come up with a plan to avoid it. 

Appraisal: This is a decent science fiction film, with a good story that entertains and never falls into ridiculousness. Even with the primitive special effects, this is a far superior film than the later, similarly themed, "Armageddon". The version I watched was dubbed in English and featured no giant walrus. 

Rating: 53