I Heart Huckabees (2004)

Jul 20, 2009 by Mr. Nau Jason Schwartzman leads an acclaimed cast in this strange adventure in which a guy hires a couple of existential detectives to sort out a strange coincidence in his life. In spots, the story seems to come off the rails, but there are plenty of hilarious moments in this quirky […]

A Little Romance (1979)

Jul 20, 2009 by Mr. Nau Diane Lane is a precocious teenage girl in this surprising romantic adventure—her film debut—who lives with her celebrity mother in Paris and decides to run off to Venice with her French boyfriend, played by Thelonious Bernard, and accompanied by an old pickpocket, portrayed by the legendary Laurence Olivier. Grade: […]

Idlewild (2006)

Jul 20, 2009 by Mr. Nau In this musical set in the Deep South during the Prohibition Era, a piano player is torn between his father’s approval and the love of a beautiful singer. With a very inventive soundtrack and gorgeous speakeasy scenes, this unusual film combines a great love story, menacing villains, and good […]

Melinda and Melinda (2004)

Jul 17, 2009 by Mr. Nau Radha Mitchell plays two different Melindas in this Woody Allen picture about two versions of the same woman, trying to put her life back together among two different groups of people. This interesting character study shows how the same set of circumstances can either be told as comedy or […]

A Room with a View (1985)

Jul 17, 2009 by Mr. Nau Helena Bonham Carter stars in this adaptation of a classic EM Forester novel, playing a young Lucy Honeychurch, whose ever-present chaperone and rigid Victorian sensibilities keep her in romantic limbo. This quiet period piece is well-written and full of wonderful acting performances against magnificent Italian and English backdrops. Grade: […]

Twister (1996)

Jul 16, 2009 by Mr. Nau Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt star in this thriller about storm chasers in Oklahoma, attempting to deploy a pack of sensors to map the inside of tornados. Michael Crichton’s script was full of holes, some of the acting wasn’t terrible, and tornados eat the whole state, right before our […]

A Month by the Lake (1995)

Jul 15, 2009 by Mr. Nau Vanessa Redgrave, Uma Thurman, and Edward Fox star in this quiet sleeper about a group of British vacationers discovering each other and the Italian countryside around Lake Como just before World War II. The story is well-written and the acting good, but the pace is fairly slow and serene. […]

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Jul 13, 2009 by Mr. Nau Christopher Guest directs and shares writing credit in this mockumentary about a reunion of three fictional folk music groups for a memorial concert to a record producer. With good acting and a tongue-in-cheek story, this ironic picture is full of good music and jokes delivered with deadpan deadliness. Grade: […]

The Sleeping Dictionary (2003)

Jul 11, 2009 by Mr. Nau In this historical drama, a young British aristocrat is sent to Borneo to govern a small province. Jessica Alba, playing a native Iban girl named Selima, is tasked with sleeping with him to help him learn her language. Hugh Dancy ably portrays John, with Emily Mortimer lending solid supporting […]

Fletch (1985)

Jul 10, 2009 by Mr. Nau Chevy Chase is absolutely perfect in his role as an irreverent and insubordinate beat reporter, Fletch, who is asked by a wealthy businessman to kill him for the insurance money. Full of hilarious moments and suspenseful mystery, this may be Chase’s best acting performance and one of his most […]

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