2006 / Rian Johnson > Impressive is Johnson’s ability to supplant the world of old noir-like films (a la The Maltese Falcon or North by Northwest) into a modern-day, high school setting. The dialogue is supercrisp to the point where it took me a minute to adjust to its speed and complexity. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to impress, following up his tremendous performance in Myterious Skin. While the setup is solid, the execution flounders at times due to somewhat lack of proper pacing. Overall, the film is still a treat even if it taxes your interest here and then.

2006 / J.J. Abrams > This is the most fun I’ve had while watching a film this year. Entertaining from beginning to end. Better than the first two, and definitely more faithful to the television series as well. Aside from some absolute lameness (i.e., the trite plot that mirrors anti-Bush sentiments), I enjoyed this thoroughly. And Maggie Q is going to fucking blow up in this country.

2006 / David Zucker > What’s fascinating about a film such as this is that I’ll end up idly watching it, as will the rest of America. This is not so much a film (it’s really not) as it is a character study on the audience: Why do we watch it? Do we actually find it funny? What are our expectations entering the theatre? Aside from the fairly amusing Dr. Phil and Shaquille O’Neal meets Saw introduction, this goes downhill below sea level. Spare yourself and stop at the first Scary Movie, which at least had the saving grace of Carmen Electra’s implants out in the air.

2005 / Liev Schreiber > I didn’t read Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, on whose fictionalized real-life experience this film is based. And although both Liev Schreiber’s directorial debut as well as the the primary narrator Alex ‘s choice of words (“Many girls want to be carnal with me because I’m such a premium dancer!) both intrigued me, the catalyst for me to watch it was Matthew Libatique’s cinematography. As expected, therefore, the film is absolutely gorgeous which a few memorable scenes (including the top-down views of Alex’s bedroom at the beginning and bathroom at the end).

The story is interesting as a Jewish-American returns to Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather’s life from the Nazis, and in this journey, he and his guides discover their past. The ending is arguably too ideal, too cheesy, too clean but nevertheless still above par. I look forward to more work from Schreiber.