Recent Movie Reviews The following are reviews written by Andy Gulati (for his own amusement). They do not reflect the views of the college or the library. Unfortunately, most of these great films will never show in Lancaster, but, you can easily hop on Amtrak and take in a matinee at any of the 3 Ritz theaters in Philadelphia. About Schmidt Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) looses his job to retirement, looses his wife to heart attack, looses his daughter to a waterbed saleman, then tries to find meaning in a Winnebago and in letters to an African orphan. A Bowling for Columbine The bottom line seems to be, fear-mongering is big business, and the US does it better than anyone else. Did you know that Canadians don't lock their doors? B- Catch Me If You Can A Pink Panther-esqe chase for a check kiter. Tom Hanks plays a Keystone cop. DeCaprio redeems himself - often painfully endearing. B+ Confessions of a Dangerous Mind How could the true-life story of a game-show-creator slash CIA-assasin be so boring? Drew Barrymore sparkles. C+ Die Another Day The usual over-the-top special effects, but with an over-the-hill Brosnan. Time for a new Bond, and new screenwriters. Or, time to retire the franchise all together. C- Far From Heaven I was too entrenched in superficial 1950's America to care much about the central issues of racism and homosexuality. C Igby Goes Down Igby can't seem to stay in school. Lots of relationship angst. Well-acted by Kiere Calkan, Jeff Goldblum. A- Personal Velocity Three different stories about three different women, all trying to find their way. Lots of misery, but flickers of hope. A- Punch Drunk Love Relentless soundtrack, bi-polar festival. Sandler plays the owner of a custom toilet plunger business, who can barely manage an often implausible relationship. B Quiet American We already know the Quiet American (Brendon Frazer) ends up on the wrong side of a knife at the very beginning of this film, so the developing intrique is a bit deflated. Michael Caine plays a London Times journalist in pre-war Vietnam, trying to balance the lure of Saigon (and a mistress) with the realities of war. B- Rabbit Proof Fence Attempts by white Aussies to breed out the aboriginal, in the 1930's (up through 1970!). Three half-cast children extracted from their homes, trying to run back home, over a thousand miles of West Australian dessert. A+ Star Trek Nemesis Wrath of Khan redux, but with fragile villian. Best NG Trek, but not near as good as the original cast. C Talk to Her The usual balernia turns comma patient, female bullfighter turns comma patient, and the men who love them. A- Tully Beautifully sparse Nebraska farmland, occasionally felt like a more bucolic "Dawson's Creek." Seems Tully might learn to communicate better than his dad. People DO have a way of surprising. A Two Towers Lots of energy, lots of fighting, sometimes hard to follow. Frodo is still trying to deliver The Ring to Mt. Doom. Big cheers for the animated characters, Treebeard and Gollum. (don't tell the elf) B+