Wrap-Up - Part IV
THE MOVIES I AM REALLY UPSET I MISSED

16 Years of Alcohol
It sounded amazing in the program and word of mouth was strong, but it got lost in the front loaded festival of 2003.

Distant
Good word of mouth… I still am not even quite sure what it is about… but many people recommended it.

Dying at Grace
After recently discovering the genius of documentarian Allan King, I was anxious to see his latest. No time. Soon, I hope.

Elephant
Van Sant knows how to piss people off. This Columbine riff sounds fascinating.

Jesus, You Know
Uli Seidel's doc about individuals who are highly religious, a subject I always find fascinating.

Los Angeles Plays Itself
This was a major buzz movie, especially with Angelenos. It sounds really interesting and I hope it will play here in L.A. sometime.

My Life Without Me
A well liked film that I just couldn't get to. Fortunately, it is still screening in Los Angeles.

Ong-Bak Muay: Thai Warrior
A new kind of movie fighting… cool.

The School of Rock
You never would have seen it coming, but a lot of serious critics and a lot of not so serious ones seem to have fallen in love with this movie. I was supposed to go on Tuesday night, but I am on a plane to Cabo instead. Sigh…

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… & Spring
Sounds like one of those breathtakingly beautiful arty-farties, but beauty alone would be worth the time.

The Story of The Weeping Camel
The arthouse gang adored this one. Maybe it is pretentious, maybe it is accessible. I'd like to decide for myself.

Zatoichi
For one thing, everyone expects Miramax to cut this one up, especially the seeming non-sequitor of a dance sequence at the end. But beyond that, a good Beat Takashi movie is always a joy to behold.

MOVIES THAT I DID NOT SEE,
BUT THAT I FEEL I HAVE SOME CONSENSUS ON

Bus 174
People have great respect for this heavyweight tale of poverty and suffering.

Coffee & Cigarettes
Light doc, Jim Jarmusch in the easy going mode.

The Company
Robert Altman's mostly dissed work for hire

Falling Angels
You know how I feel about quirky Canadian sister comedies...

Festival Express
A journey across Canada with a rock show… fun…

A Good Lawyer’s Wife
Lots of sex the Asian way… who will cheat on whom next?

Gozu
Loud, long and violent

The Grudge
Ditto.

Japanese Story
Toni Collette carries movie on her shoulders, but perhaps a little too heavy.

The Principles of Lust
Raunchy Brit flick

The Tessaract
High expectations led to great disappointment in the screenplay, in particular.

Twenty-Nine Palms
More sex…. lots of sex…. some additional sex… no movie, apparently… and some sex.

THE MOST SURPRISING NON-STARTER

The Trigerstreet Project
Why didn't anyone care about Kevin Spacey's empowerment game? Kevin who?

Part I: The Films I Liked | Part II: With Reservations
Part III: Disappointing | Part IV: Sorry To Miss