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H O M E P A G E
JANE'S MOVIE WORLD:
JANE'S MUSIC WORLD:
MUSIC TRIBUTES: JANE'S ART WORLD: |
Established 1999
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Yes, I have bravely picked my favorites of this year. If you click on the title - you will be taken to the page my regular review/recommendation is on. (Note: some movies were up for Oscars this spring, but I didn't see them until 2003, so have included them on my list.)
 Whale Rider There were several terrific movies this year, but to me this was not only a fresh story-telling to me, but the one that struck the strongest cord emotionally. I rarely cry in the theater, but I did watching this film, so it wins my award of best of the year.
Has a mythical feel to the story of a young Maori girl who is a surviving twin from her sad birth that took her mother and twin brother. Her heartbroken father leaves her to be raised by her grandparents. The conflict of the story is with her grandfather who, although he has come to love her, still resents that she isn't a male who can follow in the leadership traditions of their family and tribe. Although I found the dialect sometimes hard to understand, the photography and performances are so compelling that the storyline can be easily followed. Also, I found fascinating the telling and performing of the traditions of the family and its contrast to our modern world. A truly wonderful movie that I can't recommend enough for the entire family. Congrats to Keisha Castle-Hughes on her Oscar nomination!!!! |
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| Bend It Like Beckham: is a terrific film about a young Indian girl in Great Britain who excels at soccer. The story concentrates on her conflicts with her parents who want a more traditional daughter, her budding romance with her coach, and her friendship with a team-mate. There is a real warmth and charm that exudes in the story that shows family love and acceptance. Parminder K. Nagra is delightful as the young "Jesse" and Gurinder Chadha has directed a nicely paced film that gives a view into a Sikh family and traditions. I highly recommend this sweet, funny film. | Finding Nemo: is the most beautiful cartoon I have ever seen with gorgeous underwater scenes in the coral reefs. It has some very sad and some very scary scenes that may be a bit too intense for preschool kids (based on the crying I heard). A fish father goes searching for his son who has been captured for an aquarium. He meets up with friends and foes and there is much comedy (and the little adult in-jokes Pixar is so great at.) I would definitely rate this one highly; another winner from Pixar. | The Italian Job: is a terrific caper film that begins with a snappy gold heist in Venice and ends with a terrific car chase with (of all things!!) Cooper Mini's in L.A. But, there is a story behind the action with interesting characters and a solid cast that includes Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, and Edward Norton, and a sense of humor that gives the movie a lot of strength and makes it a viewer winner. High Recommend! |
| The Pianist: is a brilliantly done film about a young Jewish pianist in Warsaw, Poland during WWII and Adrien Brody gives a superb performance as Wladyslaw Szpilman (based on Szpilman's autobiography). The movie follows Szpilman's experiences from the invasion of Poland to the end of the war, as he starts out in a well off family and ends up alone in hiding, barely surviving. Director, Roman Polanski, brings his own life experiences of surviving WWII in Poland to the film. The film is done with an understated, nearly sparse story-telling, and none of the emotional melodrama that is usually employed. In the end, though, it gives the movie an truthful elegance that is much more powerful. The scene near the end where Szpilman plays Chopin for a German officer is heart wrenching. I can't say enough for this terrific film and highly recommend it. (My runner-up for film of the year.) |
The Quiet
American: Is the brilliant exploration of a man's
realization that eventually you must take a side. Michael Caine gives
a many layered performance as a British reporter in Viet Nam at the end of
France's fighting there and the start of the U.S. intervention. He
learns that the people he thought he knew, such as a young American, ably
played by Brendan Fraser, and his Vietnamese reporting assistant, subtly
played by Tzi Ma, have much more complicated lives than he knew. He
has been seduced by his life in Viet Nam with his young love, played by the
charming Do Thi Hai Yen, but the arrival of the Brendan Fraser character
turns it all upside down. I don't want to give away the plot, but it is a film that will make you think, especially with our current events in Iraq. It is a thoughtful study with the amazing performance by Michael Caine at center stage. A very worthwhile film. |
The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Who would have ever thunk it - a Disney flick based on a theme ride turns out to be a pretty nifty movie? Take classic movie swashbuckling, add a pinch of a ghost story and lots of special film effects and action, and throw in a terrific performance by Johnny Depp and you get a fun couple of hours. The audience was really hooping and hollering through the whole film. The other performances, including those by the young romantic couple, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush, as the evil Pirate captain, are all solid, but I must add my kudos' to Johnny for stealing every scene he's in. This is really the best of the summer (and the only non sequel!!!). Do not miss. |
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The Rundown: The Rock has made himself a legitimate movie star with this highly entertaining film. He plays a reluctant mobster who has to go down to South America to track down a mobster's son. The storyline turns the normal action movie clichés on their ear. There is plenty of real character driven laughs combined with slick action that make the movie a joy to watch. (Except for Seann William Scott who's character is totally annoying.) But, Christopher Walken gets to have fun with another bad guy role that plays well off the stoic Rock. If you like the action genre, I can highly recommend this one. |
Seabiscuit: Is an elegantly sentimental, old-fashioned movie that tells the true story of a race horse and the three men who come together to make him a champion. The dialogue is sparse, allowing the heart of the movie to come through without over-emoting phoniness. The amazing photography is exciting during the race scenes, but adds dignity to the deeper emotional scenes. Through it all there is a heartfelt message of redemption and healing that comes through, echoed in the telling of the time period of the Depression years. The human performances are all around excellent and I suspect there will be Oscar nom's next spring for this pony. Honestly, so into the movie was the audience that they were actually cheering the horse on during the races and roaring when he won. I can't recommend it enough. | Something's Gotta Give: goes from raucous belly laughs to sweet touching scenes and is thoroughly adorable. Jack Nicholson is his usual sly self, but it's Diane Keaton who steals the show as his girlfriend's mother, whom he reluctantly finds himself attracted to. She gives the character warmth, charm, and solidity (and I suspect will get another Oscar nomination). Amanda Peet gives warm support as the daughter and Keanu Reeves is pleasant as Jack's doctor who has a crush on Diane. It is totally a wonderful way to spend a couple hours, as the laughter from the audience can testify. Definitely one of the better films of the year. |
