The Interpreter

One element of this film is the Third World dictator who began as a man of the people and, over the years, turned into someone as bad as or worse than the man he replaced. Lee pointed out that it’s such a sad and common story. You can find dozens of examples. Woody Allen poked fun at it in Bananas, when the “Liberator” makes his first speech and promptly goes ... Read more »

The International

This aspires to be sort of The Bourne International, and falls considerably short. Of course, that’s setting the thriller bar pretty high. There are still pleasures to be had here, though the plot is way beyond unlikely and there are some things that just don’t make sense. For instance, do you think it’s a good idea to remove your bullet-proof vest in the middle ... Read more »

Intermission

There is an Irish humor that you either get or you don’t get, you can’t have it explained to you. I have enjoyed this rather cock-eyed view of the world in quite a few low-budget gems from the Land o’ Leprechauns, and this one is rich with it. It has almost too many characters to count, and many story lines that intersect (sort of) in a botched kidnapping/bank robbery. I won’t say nobody ... Read more »

Insomnia

Not nearly as good as the Norwegian original version with the same title. Al Pacino can be very good, but he has a tendency to chew the scenery, the wiring, and any stagehand who stands still long enough. To overplay, in other words. It might have been better in this one to do Michael Corleone, rather than Tony Montana.

Inside Man

Inside Man (2006) When we rented this we didn’t even realize it was a Spike Lee Joint; we were attracted by Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster, two folks who have never turned in a bad performance even in a bad movie. The Spike Lee brand name leads you to expect a certain type of product, and this isn’t it. It’s a straight thriller/puzzler, and wants to be like Read more »

The Innocents

After her gig in 1956 looking after a few dozen Siamese rugrats, Deborah Kerr must have decided she enjoyed being a governess so much that she took this job at an estate in the English countryside. She could even use the same wardrobe, those insane five-foot-wide hoop skirts. This is based on “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James, a story I have never read but which is often on Top Ten ... Read more »

Inland Empire

It is with great pleasure that I announce the bestowal of the coveted Gerry Award on David Lynch, the third honoree after Gus Van Sant (for the detestable Gerry) and Carlos Reygadas (for the insufferable Japón). The Gerry is given out weekly, monthly, or yearly, totally at the whim of the highly-respected Gerry Committee (me and Lee), to the most impenetrable, ... Read more »

Inkheart

The idea here is that there are certain people, silvertongues, who when reading a book aloud cause the characters and/or events to cross over into our world. It’s an interesting idea, and some of this movie is good, but it ends up with all too much special-effects hugger-mugger, too many things happening at once. I have to say that the locations are ravishing, though.

When I ... Read more »

The Informer

John Ford had a hard time getting this film made, as the protagonist, Gypo Nolan, is a terrible person. About the only good thing you can say about him is that he’s stupid, but even that doesn’t excuse the things he does. Down on his luck, kicked out of the IRA because he disobeyed orders, he needs some dough to take his girlfriend to America. The fare is £10. The British are offering a ... Read more »

The Informant!

Here is a zany and enjoyable movie based on fact. Mark Whitacre started out in the early ‘90s as a whistleblower to the FBI, trying to expose price-fixing by Archer-Daniels-Midland, the biggest of the Big Agribusiness juggernauts. However, he turns out to be bipolar, a compulsive liar, an embezzler, and frankly, a nut. It hardly matters that his original cause was just. He piles one lie ... Read more »