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Dean's Movie Reviews (Alphabetized List):   My tastes in movies are hardly typical, and I offer no guarantees that my gems are not your bombs, or vice versa.  In any case, you'll know next time whether or not to listen to me.  I rate the movies from zero to four stars, but since I try to avoid movies that I suspect I won't like, most listed here tend toward the higher end of my rating scale.

Dean's rating scale:  **** Exceptionally good, *** Quite good indeed, ** I liked some things about it, but found it to be something closer to average, *Not recommended.

I need to point out that I am not actually as critical as I may sometimes sound from my reviews.  Generally, anything two stars or better is something I have enjoyed, and even those which receive only one star may have some redeeming aspects.  Those receiving less than one star (0 or 1/2) are simply not my cup of tea, though I recognize respectfully that you may have different tastes.  See further disclaimer below.

Go to Movies Sorted by Date.

 

Movie Title

Dean’s Rating

Date Reviewed

Type of Story

Notes

A

 

 

 

 

About A Boy

**

Spring 2002

Comedy

 

About Schmidt

****

Winter 2003

Drama/Comedy

Best Picture nominee

Adaptation

***1/2

Winter 2003

Drama

Best Picture nominee

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle

**

Summer 2000

Animated Comedy

 

After the Sunset

*1/2

Autumn 2004

Adventure

 

Ali

***

Winter 2002

Biographical drama

 

All About My Mother

**

Spring 2000

Drama

Spanish, subtitled

Almost Famous

***

Autumn 2000

Drama/Comedy

 

Along Came a Spider

**

Spring 2001

Drama/mystery

 

Amelie

***

Autumn 2001

Comedy

French, subtitled

American Beauty

***1/2

Autumn 1999

Drama

Best Picture Oscar

American History X

***1/2

Spring 1998

Drama

 

American Splendor

**1/2

Summer 2003

Quirky bio-drama

 

Analyze This!

***1/2

Summer 1999

Comedy

 

Ararat

**1/2

Winter 2003

Drama

Canadian/Armenian/Turkish

Austin Powers II – The Spy Who Shagged Me

**

Summer 1999

Screwball comedy

 

The Aviator

***1/2

Winter 2005

Biographical drama

Best Picture nominee

 

 

 

 

 

B

 

 

 

 

Barbarian Invasions

***1/2

Spring 2004

Drama/comedy

Best Foreign Language Oscar - Canadian

A Beautiful Mind

***1/2

Winter 2002

Drama

Best Picture Oscar

Bedazzled

**

Autumn 2000

Comedy

 

Being John Malkovich

**1/2

Autumn 1999

Quirky fantasy

 

Being Julia

**

Winter 2005

Drama

Best actress nominee

Beyond the Sea

**1/2

Winter 2005

Biographic drama

Generally based on actual events

Black Hawk Down

***1/2

Winter 2002

War story

Based on actual events

Blair Witch Project

*1/2

Summer 1999

Horror

 

Bloody Sunday

****

Autumn 2002

Drama

Irish, based on actual events

Bowfinger

**

Summer 1999

Screwball comedy

 

Bowling for Columbine

***

Autumn 2002

Documentary/Comedy

Best Documentary Oscar

Boys Don’t Cry

**1/2

Autumn 1999

Drama

 

Bus 154

***

Winter 2004

Documentary

Brazilian, subtitled

 

 

 

 

 

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capturing the Friedmans

****

Summer 2003

Documentary

 

Castaway

**1/2

Winter 2001

Drama

Best Picture nominee

Catch Me If You Can

***1/2

Winter 2003

Comedy /Adventure

 

Central Station

***1/2

Spring 1998

Drama

Brazilian, subtitled

Chicago

***1/2

Winter 2003

Musical Comedy

Best Picture Oscar

Chicken Run

**1/2

Summer 2000

Animated Comedy

 

Chocolat

***1/2

Spring 2001

Romantic Drama

 

Cider House Rules

***

Winter 2000

Drama

 

The Circle

1/2

Summer 2001

Drama

Iranian, subtitled

City of God

****

Winter 2004

Drama

Brazilian, subtitled, based on a true story

Closer

*1/2

Winter 2005

Drama

 

The Closet

***

Summer 2001

Drama / Comedy

 

Coffee and Cigarettes

1/2

Summer 2004

Satire

 

Cold Mountain

***

Winter 2004

Romantic Drama, War Story

Best Picture nominee

The Color of Paradise

**1/2

Summer 2000

Drama

Iranian, subtitled

The Contender

**

Autumn 2000

Drama

 

The Control Room

**1/2

Summer 2004

Documentary

English and Arabic, subtitled

The Cooler

*

Winter 2004

Drama

 

Cradle Will Rock

***

Winter 2000

Drama/Satire

 

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

*1/2

Spring 2001

Adventure

Chinese, subtitled

Croupier

***

Summer 2000

Drama

 

Cuckoo

***1/2

Autumn 2003

Drama

Russian/Finnish, subtitled

The Cup

**

Spring 2000

Drama

Tibetan, subtitled

 

 

 

 

 

D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Deep End

**1/2

Summer 2001

Drama

 

DeLovely

***1/2

Summer 2004

Musical

 

Downfall

***1/2

Spring 2005

Historical drama

German, subtitled

The Dreamers

**

Winter 2004

Erotic Drama

Sexually explicit

 

 

 

 

 

E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

East is East

**1/2

Spring 2000

Drama

British Indian

East-West

**1/2

Spring 2000

Drama

Russian/French, subtitled

Election

***

Summer 1999

Drama/Comedy

 

Elizabeth

***

Autumn 1998

Biographical drama

 

Endurance

****

Winter 2002

Documentary

 

Enron – The Smartest Guys in the Room

***

Spring 2005

Documentary

 

Evelyn

**

Winter 2003

Drama

 

Everybody’s Famous

**1/2

Summer 2001

Drama/comedy

Dutch, subtitled

Eyes Wide Shut

***

Summer 1999

Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fahrenheit 9-11

**

Summer 2004

Political Propaganda

Best Documentary at Cannes Film Festival

Far From Heaven

***

Winter 2003

Drama

 

The Fast Runner

**1/2

Summer 2002

Drama

Inuit, subtitled

The Fog of War

****

Winter 2004

Documentary

 

The Forgotten

1/2

Autumn 2004

Sci-fi psycho-drama

 

Frida

****

Winter 2003

Biographical drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G

 

 

 

 

Garden State

***

Autumn 2004

Romantic Comedy

 

Galapagos

****

Winter 2000

Documentary

3-D IMAX

Girlfight

***

Autumn 2000

Drama

 

Girl with a Pearl Earring

**1/2

Winter 2004

Drama

 

Gods and Generals

**

Spring 2003

Drama /  war story

 

Going Upriver – The Long War of John Kerry

***1/2

Autumn 2004

Documentary

 

Gosford Park

*1/2

Winter 2002

Drama

British

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

H

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harrison’s Flowers

***

Spring 2002

Drama / War Story

 

Hearts in Atlantis

***

Autumn 2001

Drama

 

High Fidelity

***1/2

Summer 2000

Comedy Satire

 

Hilary and Jackie

***

Summer 1998

Drama

 

Hotel Rwanda

****

Winter 2005

War Drama

 

The Hours

***1/2

Winter 2003

Drama

Best Picture nominee

House of Mirth

***

Winter 2001

Drama

 

Hurricane

****

Winter 2000

Biographical Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In America

**

Winter 2004

Autobiographical Drama/Comedy

 

In The Bedroom

***

Winter 2003

Drama

Best Picture nominee

In This World

****

Autumn 2003

Drama

Pashtu/Persian/Turkish/Italian/French/British

Incident at Loch Ness

**

Autumn 2004

Satire/Mockumentary

 

Innocence

**1/2

Autumn 2001

Romantic Drama

Australian

Iris

**1/2

Spring 2002

Biographical Drama

 

Italian for Beginners

**1/2

Spring 2002

Comedy/Drama

Danish, subtitled

J

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

K

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kandahar

*1/2

Winter 2002

Drama

Iranian/Afghani, subtitled

The Kid

**

Summer 2000

Drama

 

The King of Masks

***

Autumn 1999

Drama

Chinese, subtitled

Kinsey

****

Winter 2005

Biographical Drama

Generally based on actual events

Kissing Jessica Stein

**1/2

Spring 2002

Romantic Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

L

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laurel Canyon

**

Spring 2003

Light Drama

 

Life is Beautiful

***

Autumn 1998

Drama

Best Picture Oscar 1998

Lost in Translation

***

Autumn 2003

Romantic Drama

Best Picture nominee

Love Me If You Dare

*1/2

Summer 2004

Romantic Drama

 

Luther

**1/2

Autumn 2003

Biographical Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

M

 

 

 

 

Magdalene Sisters

***

Autumn 2003

Drama

Irish

Magnolia

***1/2

Winter 2000

Ensemble Drama

Best Picture nominee

The Man Who Wasn’t There

**1/2

Autumn 2001

Drama / Satire

 

Maria Full of Grace

**

Autumn 2004

Drama

 

The Matrix

1/2

Spring 1999

Adventure

 

Memento

***1/2

Spring 2001

Drama

 

Me Myself and Irene

1/2

Summer 2000

Screwball Comedy

 

A Mighty Wind

**

Spring 2003

Satirical Comedy

 

Million Dollar Baby

**1/2

Summer 2005

Drama, Boxing

Best Picture Oscar 2004

Monsoon Wedding

**1/2

Spring 2002

Comedy / Drama

Indian

Monster

***

Winter 2004

Drama

 

Mostly Martha

**1/2

Autumn 2002

Comedy / Drama

German, subtitled

Motorcycle Diaries

***

Autumn 2004

Light Drama

Spanish, Based upon a true story

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

***

Spring 2002

Satirical Comedy

 

Mystic River

*1/2

Autumn 2003

Drama

Best Picture nominee

 

 

 

 

 

N

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Man’s Land

**1/2

Winter 2002

Satirical Drama

Serbian / Croatian

The Notebook

***

Summer 2004

Romantic Drama

 

Not of This World

*

Autumn 2000

Drama

Italian, subtitled

 

 

 

 

 

O

 

 

 

 

O Brother Where Art Thou?

**1/2

Winter 2001

Satirical Comedy

 

Off the Map

**

Spring 2005

Quirky humorous drama

 

Open Water

***

Autumn 2004

Drama

 

Osama

***

Spring 2004

Drama

Afghani, subtitled

 

 

 

 

 

P

 

 

 

 

Passion of Mind

***

Summer 2000

Drama

 

Pay it Forward

***

Autumn 2000

Light Drama

 

The Perfect Storm

***1/2

Summer 2000

Drama / Adventure

 

The Pianist

****

Winter 2003

Drama / War Story

Best Picture nominee, based on actual events

Pieces of April

***1/2

Autumn 2003

Comedy

 

Pleasantville

**

Summer 1998

Light Drama

 

Possession

*1/2

Summer 2002

Romantic Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Quiet American

**1/2

Spring 2003

Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quills

***

Winter 2001

Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raising Victor Vargas

***

Spring 2003

Light drama

 

Ray

***1/2

Autumn 2004

Drama

 

Real Women Have Curves

***

Winter 2003

Light drama

 

The Red Violin

***

Autumn 1999

Drama

 

Riding in Cars With Boys

***

Autumn 2001

Light Drama

 

Royal Tennanbaums

**

Winter 2002

Quirky Drama

 

Run Lola Run

**

Summer 1999

Drama

German

Rushmore

**

Spring 1998

Quirky Drama

 

Russian Ark

*1/2

Spring 2003

Art Film

 

 

 

 

 

 

S

 

 

 

 

Saving Private Ryan

***1/2

Autumn 1998

War Drama

Based on actual events

Secret Lives of Dentists

**

Summer 2003

Drama

 

Secretary

***

Autumn 2002

Romantic Comedy

Steamy sexuality

Serendipity

*1/2

Autumn 2001

Romantic Comedy

 

Shakespeare in Love

**

Autumn 1998

Romantic Drama

 

The Shape of Things

**1/2

Spring 2003

Drama

 

The Shipping News

***

Winter 2002

Light Drama

 

Shrek

****

Suumer 2001

Animated Comedy

 

Sideways

**1/2

Autumn 2004

Light comedy

 

Silver City

*1/2

Autumn 2004

Political Satire

 

The Sixth Sense

**1/2

Autumn 1999

Drama

 

Snow Falling on Cedars

***

Winter 2000

Light Drama

Vietnamese, subtitled

Something’s Gotta Give

***1/2

Winter 2004

Romantic Comedy

 

Space Cowboys

1/2

Summer 2000

Drama / Comedy

 

Spirited Away

*

Autumn 2002

Animated Drama

Japanese, subtitled

Spy Game

*1/2

Winter 2002

Drama / Adventure

 

State and Main

**1/2

Winter 2001

Satirical Drama

 

The Station Agent

**

Winter 2004

Light Drama

 

The Straight Story

**

Summer 1999

Light Drama

Based on a true story

Super Size Me!

***1/2

Summer 2004

Documentary

 

Sweet November

*1/2

Winter 2001

Romantic Drama

 

Swimming Pool

*1/2

Summer 2003

Drama

French / British

 

 

 

 

 

T

 

 

 

 

Tailor of Panama

*

Spring 2001

Satirical Drama

 

Tango

*1/2

Spring 1999

Dance film

Argentine, subtitled

Tea with Mussolini

***1/2

Summer 1999

Drama / Comedy

 

Team America

***

Autumn 2004

Satire

 

Time Code

**

Spring 2000

Drama

 

Thin Red Line

*

Autumn 1998

Drama / War Story

 

Thirteen

***

Autumn 2003

Drama

 

Thirteen Days

****

Winter 2001

Drama

Based on actual events

Three Seasons

***1/2

Summer 1999

Light drama

 

Topsy Turvy

**1/2

Winter 2000

Ensemble drama

 

Traffic

****

Winter 2001

Drama

Best Picture nominee

Travelers and Magicians

**

Winter 2005

Light drama

Bhutanese

The Twenty-Fifth Hour

***

Winter 2003

Drama

 

Twin Falls Idaho

***

Summer 1999

Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

U

 

 

 

 

Unconstitutional – The War on Our Civil Liberties

***1/2

Autumn 2004

Documentary

 

Unprecedented – The 2000 Presidential Election

***1/2

Autumn 2004

Documentary

 

 

 

 

 

 

V

 

 

 

 

Vanilla Sky

*1/2

Winter 2002

Drama

 

Vera Drake

****

Autumn 2004

Drama

British

Veronica Guerin

**

Autumn 2003

Drama

Irish

A Very Long Engagement

**

Winter 2005

Romantic War Epic

French, subtitled

The Virgin Suicides

***

Summer 2000

Drama

 

 

 

 

 

 

W

 

 

 

 

Waking Life

***1/2

Winter 2002

Animated Drama

 

Waking Ned Devine

***

Winter 1998

Comedy

Irish

West Beirut

***1/2

Spring 1999

Drama

Lebanese, subtitled

White Oleander

**1/2

Autumn 2002

Drama

 

Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

**

Spring 2005

Documentary

 

Windhorse

****

Spring 1999

Drama

Based on actual events

Winged Migration

****

Summer 2003

Documentary

French, subtitled

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Y

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Can Count on Me

***

Winter 2001

Drama

 

Y Tu Mama

***

Spring 2002

Romantic Comedy

Mexican, subtitled, steamy sexuality

 

 

 

 

 

Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a second opinion plus many additional reviews, check out my friend Tony Porco's movie reviews.  He tends to provide more insight and analysis than my reviews do.   Note that he uses the 5-star rating (which seems to be evolving into a 0 to 10 rating scale) system while I use 4 stars.

Disclaimer:  These reviews are not written in stone; they are written in cyber purely for entertainment purposes ... both mine and yours, and primarily for my family, friends and acquaintances.  So, please don't put a lot of weight in the words.  I certainly don't.  Secondly, it should be noted that I sometimes read the comments of professional reviewers before seeing a film.  I check their comments mainly to avoid seeing movies that don't interest me, a luxury they may not have.   I make no pretense writing reviews the quality of a professional reviewer, and while I do my best to capture my own views exclusively, I may sometimes make reference to their views.  Still, similarities between their words and mine are generally unintentional and inadvertent on my part, though I cannot guarantee I have studiously avoided all comparisons.

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