2004 Mini Reviews

RECENT REVIEWS

Vanity Fair
Legally British! Reese Witherspoon takes on Thackeray's 900+ page novel set in pre-Victorian England. Plenty others have passed on the novel due to its size, but perhaps what they were missing was a Bollywood perspective. Or perhaps not.

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Stander
So, take Bonnie & Clyde, then subtract Bonnie, then make Clyde a cop first, then change America to South Africa. Alright, let's just stop. Stander is a new crime drama done in the 60s style. That better?

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Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Sure, the premise sounds idiotic, but what can you expect from a stoner comedy? In fact, the more inane the premise, the better. So, do Harold & Kumar have what it takes to reach the stoner film hall of fame? I think so.

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The Corporation
This provocative Canadian documentary about the corporate world is both alarming and entertaining, and succeeds where other recent agenda-based
documentaries have failed. It's longer, more comprehensive, and ultimately more effective than any other political documentary released this year.
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Garden State
Zach Braff's debut film has accumulated quite a bit of buzz this year, with a quick selloff at Sundance and an addictively popular trailer.
It's a visual spectacle with a few laughs and a hip soundtrack, but falls a few blocks short of perfect.
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Spider-Man 2
2004 appears to finally be the year of the sequel, that is the year where sequels are actually worth the price of admission, and then some. Spider-Man 2 very possibly could become one of the highest grossers of the year, but this time it's worth it. Is Hollywood finally catching on?
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Breakfast with Hunter
This is your brain on drugs. Author and walking chemical lab Hunter S. Thompson gets the cinema verite treatment, courtesy from some guy who worked on TV. It repeatedly tells us how Hunter is a great writer and hipper than you. Too bad they're telling the truth.
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Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Critically acclaimed documentarians Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, creators of Paradise Lost and Brother's Keeper, have tried their hand at capturing the charmed life of America's top Metal band. They capture the bad boys of rock at a pivotal point in their careers.
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Before Sunset
Richard Linklater has undertaken the unlikely task of taking his artistic, indie favorite Before Sunrise and spray painting a Part 2 over the logo. Nine years later he revisits the material that won him such critical raves in 1995. All we have to say, is thanks Rich.
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Control Room
Who would have predicted the amount of influence the Iraqi War would have on film, especially documentary? Here is the most recent in a series of politically charged documentaries that focuses on Arab network Al-Jazeera, and all media operations during the Iraqi War.
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Fahrenheit 9/11
Heard of this one? It may just be the most controversial film of all time, and will end up being the most successful documentary of all time. It's as one-sided as anyone could expect, but is it worth watching for those on the political fence?
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Two Brothers
The director of the critically acclaimed The Bear delves back into the animal kingdom with this tale of two tigers, separated from each other and their family. Check this out for some spectacular animal work, but be wary of their human counterparts.
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America's Heart and Soul
The title, the trailer and the ad campaign all makes this film look mundane, bland and manipulative. Admittedly, my expectations couldn't have been much lower for this Disney project. I came out pleasantly surprised, if not overwhelmed.
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Intermission
This latest ensemble comedy shows that Guy Ritchie must be popular in Ireland too. Intermission contains a large cast with some of the biggest stars of British/Irish cinema, all making complete idiots of themselves.
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Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon's not like the other kids. Nominated for this years Sundance Grand Jury Prize, this unusual, new indie comedy will hit theaters this Summer like the crack of nunchuck.
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Shrek 2
The loveable green guy finally gets a franchise, and no, I'm not talking about Ang Lee's Hulk. The Dreamworks sequel will likely break box office records, but is it too much different from the first?
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Dirty Pretty Things
This 2003 indie darling had a critically acclaimed performance and screenplay, the latter of which was nominated for an Academy Award. Stephen Frears' suspense drama explores the underside of society and what people will do for salvation.
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