Joe Henderson – Mode for Joe (1966)
Jun 29, 2007 by Mr. Nau Joe Henderson joins forces with a masterful group of jazz legends in this beautiful seven song set, including Lee Morgan, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, and Bobby Hutcherson. All of the tunes are original compositions of either Henderson, Walton, or Morgan, and the musicianship on this record is consistently first-rate. […]
Trees Lounge (1996)
Jun 28, 2007 by Mr. Nau This little obscure movie, written and directed by Steve Buscemi, shows us what a small budget and a simple story can do. Buscemi stars as Tommy, a creepy drunk in a small New York town. Good acting performances and a quirky ambience make this unique comedy a completely unexpected […]
Happy Endings (2005)
Jun 28, 2007 by Mr. Nau A vignette piece with an ensemble cast, this quirky little comedy is full of great moments of real emotion—love, confusion, and pain. Seemingly separate story lines converge near the end. Some of the resolutions seemed too convenient, but overall this independent film hits all the targets—comedy, drama, romance. Grade: […]
21 Grams (2003)
Jun 28, 2007 by Mr. Nau Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro star in this exceptionally-written character study of three lives intertwined by an unimaginable tragedy that saves the life of one, while costing another her family. Some parts are very difficult to watch, but the acting is superlative and the story unforgettable. […]
Grizzly Man (2005)
Jun 27, 2007 by Mr. Nau Werner Herzog examines the life, work, and death of environmentalist filmmaker, Timothy Treadwell, who camped in the Alaskan wilderness with wild grizzlies. Treadwell’s story is treated respectfully, but Herzog, who disagrees wth him, doesn’t sugarcoat the way his subject anthropomorphizes wild animals and fails to take their dangerous power […]
The Beautiful Country (2004)
Jun 27, 2007 by Mr. Nau This beautifully filmed and emotionally rich story follows the life of Binh, a young Vietnamese man trying to find his father. The exploited people aboard the ship that brings him across the country, the fate of the people around him, and the final resolution make this a rewarding, touching […]
Forty Shades of Blue (2005)
Jun 26, 2007 by Mr. Nau With a miniscule budget, a cast composed entirely of extras, and the shoddiest cinematography ever, this could have been a really interesting character study, if the direction wasn’t feloniously inept and the story aggressively uninteresting. The only good thing about this movie is that you don’t have to see […]
Whale Rider (2002)
Jun 22, 2007 by Mr. Nau Keisha Castle-Hughes steals the show as a twelve-year-old granddaughter of a stubborn Maori village chief who tries to relate with his inability to truly accept her. Stunning acting performances, an incredible script, many very poignant and emotional moments, and jaw-dropping cinematography make this masterpiece absolutely unforgettable. Grade: A+. IMDB: […]
La Vie En Rose (2007)
Jun 17, 2007 by Mr. Nau Marion Cotillard conquers the screen in an astonishing portrayal of Edith Piaf. Her ability to capture the essence of this troubled star, especially her later life, was breathtaking. The movie as a whole, however, was too long, rambling, and full of flashbacks that made her seem a dull, petty […]
Knocked Up (2006)
Jun 14, 2007 by Mr. Nau Judd Apatow writes and directs this comedy about an overweight slacker who gets lucky with a blonde bombshell, gets her pregnant, and they decide to keep the baby. While extremely funny in spots, it was also juvenile, melodramatic, poorly thought out, full of unrealistic ideas and stereotypes, and badly […]
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