instantwatcher.com

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

1. Day Watch 2007 Every bit as puzzling as its predecessor, but it's shot in such a bold, crazy way that you have to admire its pure audacity. full review
2. Curious George 2006 If you count yourself among the curious, spend an afternoon with George. full review
3. Keeping Up With The Steins 2006 Comes off like a collection of TV actors doing somebody a favor. full review
4. Mission: Impossible III 2006 Director Abrams seems to have attended the Tony Scott Extreme Closeup Academy. full review
5. Brick 2005 Although Brick can be a bit thick, you have to admire the effort. full review
6. Brokeback Mountain 2005 There's no contest. Brokeback Mountain is the most poignant movie love story of the year. full review
7. The Constant Gardener 2005 The Constant Gardener is more like walking past a series of paintings than watching a movie. You can admire the skill that went into work, but it never carries you along. full review
8. Factotum 2005 While not really a complete film, Factotum functions as an atmospheric, diverting character study. full review
9. Grizzly Man 2005 It's an uncompromising character study of a man who found peace, and ultimately death, among some of the most dangerous predators on the planet. full review
10. The Lost City 2005 Unsteady but often entrancing. full review
11. The Producers 2005 [T]he most recent Producers is a clone of a clone, and what it adds in song and dance it loses in brevity and, as is so often the case, wit. full review
12. The World's Fastest Indian 2005 There also are plenty of nuts-and-bolts references to satisfy those interested in racing, whether on two wheels or four. The movie features some funny moments, such as when Munro makes his own pistons and then brews tea from the cooling-barrel water. full review
13. A Good Woman 2004 All the fun in A Good Woman occurs off in the corners, while the action in center-frame does little to capture your fancy. full review
14. Hotel Rwanda 2004 A horrifying yet compelling story of man's inhumanity to man. full review
15. Inside Deep Throat 2004 It just doesn't go deep enough. full review
16. Little Black Book 2004 Filled with poor excuses for human beings, who are supposed to be funny in their utter disregard for their fellow man. But they mostly come off as sadistic and cruel, which isn't a great recipe for knee-slapping comedy. full review
17. Secuestro Express 2004 A well-intentioned copy but one that holds much promise for its first-time director. full review
18. Vanity Fair 2004 Though it's an accomplished production, Vanity Fair ranks as a standard costume drama populated by snide old biddies, aging lords and ladies, manipulative business barons and dashing soldiers. full review
19. 21 Grams 2003 Every year needs a challenging masterwork, a movie that defies filmmaking convention and leaves an indelible mark on the collective psyche.
20. Darkness Falls 2003 When Darkness Falls, it pretty much trips over its own feet.
21. The Machinist 2003 Though Bale deserves all the credit that can be heaped at his feet ... there is far more to this sinister psychological thriller than just exhibiting Bale's emaciated form. full review
22. The Missing 2003 There's a pretty good Western hidden somewhere amid the extraneous scenes, unnecessary characters and adoring shots of the New Mexico wilderness, but Howard didn't have the heart to cut his movie.
23. Once Upon a Time in Mexico 2003 Dazzling visuals, ambitious stunts and enough raw action to please the most demanding fans.
24. Swimming Pool 2003 The story occasionally wanders, but Swimming Pool is definitely worth a dip.
25. Touching the Void 2003 A truly moving tale about that strongest of human instincts: survival.
26. Bloody Sunday 2002 Little more than a well-mounted history lesson.
27. The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys 2002 Although McFarlane's sequences are inventive, the rest of the film moves languidly.
28. Equilibrium 2002 This inventive, low-budget science-fiction movie stands on its own, from its bracing, ingenious fight sequences to its literate roots in dystopian fiction.
29. The Hours 2002 Virtually humorless and extremely talky, the movie takes place during one day in each woman's life, although it moves so slowly it often feels like a week.
30. Irreversible 2002 A fascinating study in excess, a movie that seduces and repulses as it explores the merciless nature of fate.
31. Lost in La Mancha 2002 A fascinating study in the cinematic arts, as we watch a talented director and a committed crew and cast thwarted by nature, human failings and just plain bad luck.
32. Punch-Drunk Love 2002 In Punch-Drunk Love, Adam Sandler doesn't so much discard his old persona as illuminate it, breathing life into the cardboard characters that populated his earlier films.
33. The Rules of Attraction 2002 Sold as a celebration of nihilism, it's actually a disorganized mess, a collection of half-drawn characters and overstylized nonsense.
34. Star Trek - Nemesis 2002 A plodding if mildly entertaining sci-fi adventure that plays more like an extended television episode than a full-length film.
35. The Sum of All Fears 2002 I'm not saying Affleck is in way over his head, but a scuba tank and swim fins might come in handy.
36. Treasure Planet 2002 One of the most gorgeous Disney films ever.
37. XXX 2002 Now I know what XXX stands for:Xtremely Xcruciating Xperience.