Films I've seen...

I loved the idea of reading challenges so much that I also created lists of films to watch so that I get to classics and more serious films too. Otherwise I'd end up watching chick flicks and tv shows. I haven't been good at reviewing what I watch, I think I have enough to do trying to review the books I read. But I would like to rate the films I've seen so far this year, so here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Sting (1973)
IMDB plot summary: In 1930s Chicago, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker.
I don't know what it is about con movies but I really like them!
My rating: A

2. The Bourne Identity (2002)
IMDB plot summary: Who is Jason Bourne? Not even he knows for sure. Considered a rogue agent by the Treadstone Project, Bourne is an amnesiac who must piece together the clues to his true identity while staying ahead of the assassin's bullet.
A very enjoyable thriller - I couldn't believe how fast-paced it was!
My rating: B

3. Wag the Dog (1997)
IMDB plot summary: Before elections, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to "fabricate" a war in order to cover-up a presidential sex scandal.
Fantastic - clever and entertaining.
My rating: A

4. Almost Famous (2000)
IMDB plot summary: A high-school boy is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies it on their concert tour.
My rating: B

5. Babel (2006)
IMDB plot summary: Tragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, touching off an interlocking story involving four different families.
Very original - I loved the way everything was connected.
My rating: A

6. Heavenly Creatures (1995)
IMDB plot summary: Two girls have an intense fantasy life; their parents, concerned the fantasy is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.
I couldn't believe that this was based on a true story! Make sure you check out the related newspaper articles after you watch the film, it's really interesting.
My rating: A

7. In America (2003)
IMDB plot summary:An Irish immigrant family adjusts to life in the United States.
Very touching, not cheesy at all!
My rating: A

8. Underworld (2003)
IMDB plot summary: Selene (Beckinsale), a beautiful vampire warrior, is entrenched in a war between the vampire and werewolf races. Although she is aligned with the vampires, she falls in love with Michael (Speedman), a werewolf who longs for the war to end.
Horrible. Seriously bad. Couldn't even get through it.
My rating: F

9. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
IMDB plot summary: A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.
Pleasant - although not as great as I imagined it to be!
My rating: B

10. Annie Hall (1977)
IMDB plot summary: Neurotic New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall.
See my review here.
My rating: A

11. Beetlejuice (1988)
IMDB plot summary: A couple of recently deceased ghosts contract the services of a "bio-exorcist" in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house.
Absolutely fantastic! I remembered it vaguely from when I was a kid and it's still just as brilliant!
My rating: A

12. Mr. Holland's Opus (1996)
IMDB plot summary: A frustrated composer finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher.
Cheesy but very good. I loved Mr. Holland's ideas about approaching music. Anyone who has/had a teacher like him is very lucky.
My rating: A

13. Children of Men (1996)
IMDB plot summary: In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.
See my review here.
My rating: D

14. Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others, 2006)
IMDB plot summary: In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.
Slow, but good. Worth watching for the historical aspect as well.
My rating: B

15. All that Jazz (1979)
IMDB plot summary: Director/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid life of Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), a womanizing, drug-using dancer.
See my review here.
My rating: A-

16. Music and Lyrics (2007)
IMDB plot summary: A washed up singer is given a couple days to compose a chart-topping hit for an aspiring teen sensation. Though he's never written a decent lyric in his life, he sparks with an offbeat younger woman with a flair for words.
OK, nothing spectacular, but nice to watch.
My rating: C

17. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
IMDB plot summary: A naive young woman comes to New York and scores a job as the assistant to one of the city's biggest magazine editors, the ruthless and cynical Miranda Priestly.
Very entertaining. I liked it as much as I liked the book, whereas usually the book is better!
My rating: A

18. Muriel's Wedding (1995)
IMDB plot summary: Muriel finds life in Porpoise Spit, Australia dull and spends her days alone in her room listening to Abba music and dreaming of her wedding day...
Fantastic. I love the Abba dance moves in this. And the deeper aspects too, of course! ;-)
My rating: A

19. Hot Fuzz (2007)
IMDB plot summary: Jealous colleagues conspire to get a top London cop transferred to a small town and paired with a witless new partner. On the beat, the pair stumble upon a series of suspicious accidents and events.
Only ok. I thought Simon Pegg's Shaun of the Dead was way better.
My rating: C

20. Juno (2007)
IMDB plot summary: Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.
The wittiest teen movie I've ever seen. I absolutely loved it.
My rating: A

21. Thank you for smoking (2005)
IMDB plot summary: Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son.
Joe and I really enjoyed watching this about a year after we both quit smoking. Very good.
My rating: A

Hmmm... that ended up being quite long, maybe I need to do this monthly!