instantwatcher.com

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

1. Black Snake Moan 2007 It's a steamy, searing saga of rigorous redemption confronting creepy Southern seediness. But it's not nearly the wake-up call it could have been. full review
2. Broken English 2007 Cassavetes supplies no easy answers or easy laughs, forgoing romantic-comedy beats in respect for Nora's desperation. Call this confection a romantic-dramedy with humor on wry. full review
3. Day Watch 2007 A noisy, incoherent, droning spectacle. full review
4. Freedom Writers 2007 This film fails to earn what Erin Gruwell earned in real life: credibility. full review
5. The Ten 2007 Perhaps the Bible needs an 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Bore. That might stem misfires such as The Ten. full review
6. You Kill Me 2007 A film whose deft blend of action thrills and gallows humor packs a jaunty kick and a firing-range boom. full review
7. Deep Water 2006 For this gripping and amazing documentary, such truth emerges not just from the facts, but also the poetry of men who redefine themselves in a risky race on small sailboats. full review
8. Golden Door 2006 Its minutiae don't bring a lump in the throat -- just a drumming of the fingers. full review
9. Severance 2006 The cast shows spark and gusto, especially Laura Harris as a vulnerable yet intrepid survivor type and Danny Dyer as a bent druggie who straightens out long enough to fight back. full review
10. This Is England 2006 A drama that's so potent and persuasive yet also natural and intimate that it almost has the heft of a documentary. full review
11. Unknown 2006 It's a good gimmick, but still a gimmick, and we're left with more confusion than tension. full review
12. Color Me Kubrick 2005 One problem is that Malkovich gets free rein to be Malkovich, the often showy actor, rather than Conway, a humble London travel agent. It's a grandstanding performance that's more about hamminess than substance. full review
13. Grizzly Man 2005 Though Herzog's approach is chillingly fascinating, it makes this film less about an unusual life than about a bizarre death. full review
14. Land of the Dead 2005 Land's gruesomely creative zombie atrocities stretch an R rating's limits like a bloody tendon about to snap. full review
15. Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man 2005 We hardly get to know Cohen from the biographical shorthand melded to a worshipful tribute show in which the Canadian singer-songwriter never even appears. full review
16. Lonesome Jim 2005 Jim's characters may grow on you after a slow setup and, like a hot plate of grits, may stick with you. full review
17. The Lost City 2005 It's handsome and heartfelt but mired in murky politics, plot inertia, musical montages and painfully pointed symbolism. full review
18. Neil Young: Heart of Gold 2005 Some defiant rockers are forever young. This one is in name only. full review
19. Nine Lives 2005 The cast steps up, embracing the chance to exercise acting chops normally limited to live theater. Most do so resoundingly, but two stand out: Robin Wright Penn and Jason Isaacs. full review
20. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days 2005 Through it all, Jentsch is a beacon of bravery and resolve in the darkness of a totalitarian machine. If any actor in an English-language film has given a better performance in the past year, I'd like to see it. full review
21. After Innocence 2004 After Innocence is a crusading documentary driven by DNA testing that's brought freedom for men who served years in prison for crimes they didn't commit. full review
22. A Good Woman 2004 For those in the mood for love, A Good Woman is more than good. It's one of the best films of the new year. full review
23. Little Black Book 2004 Starts as the playful romantic comedy, then veers into an ensemble piece about ruthless careerism before settling for melodramatic self-obsession. full review
24. Bad Boys II 2003 BBII ripples and rumbles with remarkable stunts. full review
25. The Hunted 2003 Although it is a rough ride, The Hunted is also an exciting one. But no tracking skills were needed to follow its well-traveled cinematic road. full review
26. Bowling for Columbine 2002 [Moore's] better at fingering problems than finding solutions. But though he only scratches the surface, at least he provides a strong itch to explore more. full review
27. Nicholas Nickleby 2002 With Dickens' words and writer-director Douglas McGrath's even-toned direction, a ripping good yarn is told. full review
28. Stuart Little 2 2002 It reminds us that Nathan Lane is the best show stealer in show business. full review
29. The Sum of All Fears 2002 Toward the end Sum of All Fears morphs into a mundane '70s disaster flick. full review
30. XXX 2002 For all its alleged youthful fire, XXX is no less subservient to Bond's tired formula of guns, girls and gadgets while brandishing a new action hero. full review
31. The Animal 2001 A silly, stupid story with a one-joke comic premise. full review
32. Atlantis - The Lost Empire 2001 Its visuals are executed skillfully, it takes time to develop characters, and its voice cast has personality. But in today's context of broadened animation appeals, Atlantis seems as stale as uncirculated submarine air. full review
33. Tomcats 2001 Of course, we expect such films to be tasteless. That's their job. But that doesn't forgive them for being more abusive than bawdy or more sleazy than kinky. full review
34. Wet Hot American Summer 2001 For all its failings, Wet Hot maintains energy and high spirits over most of its length. The trouble is, such energy and spirits are not infectious, and the movies it mocks were better. full review
35. Scream 3 2000 You're bound to scream -- perhaps real loud -- but it may be out of impatient dismay as much as Pavlovian reaction. full review
36. Titan A.E. 2000 In a summer driven by wow factors, Titan A.E. has a galaxy's worth. full review
37. Superstar 1999 Another SNL misfire. full review
38. Waking the Dead 1999 You can embrace this movie's message, which has less to do with political agendas than basic human decency and the enduring power of love. And if that's not enough to make a film worthwhile, we don't know what is. full review
39. Liar Liar 1997 Its premise is flimsy, but its payoff is riotously funny.
40. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America 1996 Judge's mirth translates surprisingly well to an 80-minute length, and he exploits the movies' greater scope without sacrificing the show's cheesy charm.
41. Scream 1996 Whatever you do, don't close your mind to such an inventive concoction. One last time, despite all your better instincts, go ahead -- open that theater door.