Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an unconventional love story powerful enough to remind us that there's no such thing as unconditional love, but conditional love is more than enough. Charles Kaufman takes us on the ultimate head trip in this film. With help from a superb directing job by Michel Gondry, a wonderful cast and an insanely entertaining premise, Kaufman has created his finest piece of work to date..." (full review) "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind isn't mass-produced for Carrey fans like, say, Bruce Almighty, but there is much for anyone to enjoy here. It's a funny, touching, and visually-stunning mind trip that leaves the viewer with much to think about afterwards. Winslet has already been acknowledged as a great actress with three Oscar nominations, but such acclaim has eluded the talented Mr. Carrey. Hopefully, this will be his Lost in Translation. Regardless, Eternal Sunshine is a great film..." (full review)
Taking Lives
"If you're into serial killer thrillers, Taking Lives will only disappoint you if you're looking for something completely new or different. The premise is immediately intriguing, and though the cast isn't on a par with that of Insomnia or The Silence of the Lambs, they embellish this stylish and eerie thrill ride with interesting and believable characters. If you're able to put aside the plausibility of the movie's obvious twists, you'll be on the edge of your seat for most of the movie. Some of the most powerful scenes will stick with you long past the end of the movie..." (full review) "Taking Lives has substituted massive plot holes for introspection and bad music for genuine thriller scares. Director D.J. Caruso uses a score that sounds as if it was stolen from Star Trek VI. In Taking Lives it serves only to play loud enough to tell you when to be scared. Angelina Jolie continues her unbroken string of whole-hearted effort in the midst of mediocre movie-making. She recently bailed out of the Tomb Raider franchise, presumably to make something worthwhile. But if Taking Lives is the best script she can find, then she might as well strap back on Lara Croft's guns..." (full review) "Overall, this was a bumpy ride, but it had some truly jump-out-of-your-seat moments, a bunch of false starts, and some okay cadaver effects (for those of you that love to groan "ewwww" at the sight of blood). Many over the top and overly dramatic direction seem too silly for words at times. It was still more enjoyable and deeper than Twisted..." (full review) "The films biggest disappointment is Caruso who wastes the talent. In transitioning from low budget to big budget, Caruso forgot the things that got him where he is. This film has none of the flare, inventiveness or smarts of his first film. It's sad to watch Caruso simply translate script to the screen with little to no style or substance. Taking Lives is one large step back for a director on the way up..." (full review)
Dawn of the Dead " In the end, DAWN OF THE DEAD is everything and more that you have ever wanted in a zombie film. Pure terror, relentless action, foreboding doom, and a whole lot more. Zack Synder is one to look out for in the coming years. He's sure to be a staple of our genre. If you want to be scared **less and bedazzled by the undead, this is the film to see..." (full review) "This is a better movie than Resident Evil, but then again, what movie isn't? It's not as involving as 28 Days Later though. This is a bit more inspired than the standard teen horror flick these days but that probably stems more from its roots than the quality of this film. Horror fiends will probably split over this movie's quality. The rest of the movie going public can safely pass on it..." (full review) " Fans of the original Dawn of the Dead need not worry. The main accomplishment of the remake is that it makes you forget Romero's film (as great as it is) in the first five minutes. In updating the zombies-in-a-mall classic, director Snyder ups the action and humor for modern audiences, who will hopefully want to check out Romero's version after seeing this super-sized remake..." (full review)
