Havoc (2005)

Jun 02, 2009 by Mr. Nau A group of privileged teenagers from rich families grow bored with their lives, get into a gangsta fetish, and wander into East Los Angeles to rub shoulders with drug dealers and prostitutes. This navel-gazing piece fetishizes the ghetto experience, but teaches the teenagers hard lessons about the real world. […]

Private Fears in Public Places (2006)

Jun 01, 2009 by Mr. Nau In this French movie, six adults struggle to find meaningful relationships. The characters are suffering various amounts of damage and their exploits are sometimes hopeful, sometimes heart-breaking, and sometimes bewildering. This picture is nicely written character study of lonely people finding love and meaningful connection, despite being stymied constantly. […]

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

May 31, 2009 by Mr. Nau Uma Thurman returns in the conclusion of a two-part saga, written by her and Quentin Tarantino. With an all-star cast, this martial arts epic has Thurman, the Bride, trying to find and kill Bill (David Carradine). Spectacular fight sequences and a wonderful script make this a superb homage. Grade: […]

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

May 30, 2009 by Mr. Nau Uma Thurman stars as the Bride in this Quentin Tarantino tribute to old martial arts features from the 70s. In this astonishing fight picture spectacular, she chases down her former team of assassins to exact revenge for her betrayal. The choreography, costumes, script, and acting here are quite simply […]

A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004)

May 29, 2009 by Mr. Nau John Travolta and Scarlett Johanssen star in this slow-paced drama about a girl whose estranged mother leaves her a house inhabited by a pair of jobless alcoholics. While some valuable insights are gained, some of the performances seem phoned in. Overall, though, this is an effective, poignant character piece. […]

Pizza (2005)

May 22, 2009 by Mr. Nau Cara-Ethyl, an overweight teenage girl, mopes around on her birthday until a hunky pizza delivery guy decides to take her with him on his rounds. While there are some really funny moments, there are an equal number of grating, mean-spirited scenes. This picture shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Grade: […]

The Bothersome Man (2006)

May 20, 2009 by Mr. Nau Andreas finds himself in a city with no memory of how he got there, but with an excellent job and a beautiful wife. This Norwegian independent film explores a man who is increasingly dissatisfied with his artificial utopian world and his unquenchable desire to escape back into the real […]

Juno (2007)

May 20, 2009 by Mr. Nau Ellen Page is picture perfect as Juno, a teenage girl who gets pregnant by her friend, Bleeker, and has decided to give the baby up for adoption. Diablo Cody’s screenplay is wonderfully quirky and irreverently funny. All the acting performances are wonderful and the story is hip, fun, and […]

Once (2006)

May 19, 2009 by Mr. Nau This exquisite independent drama focuses on a street musician who sings his heart out in Dublin and meets a Czech piano player, who falls in love with his music. The well-written story and the incredible chemistry between the male and female lead make this wonderful picture a must-see. Grade: […]

A Chorus Line (1985)

May 17, 2009 by Mr. Nau Michael Douglas stars in this inexplicable Pulitzer-winning Broadway musical, adapted for the big screen. A wide variety of dancers in colorful costumes are auditioning to be on the chorus line for a Broadway show. We are introduced to a large group of quirky people before the final selection is […]

« go back — keep looking »