Film Dictionary

October 10, 2006

The Notorious Bettie Page (2006) ****

The DaVinci Code (2006) ****

Contrary to what many critics (probably bribed by the Vatican) say, ''The DaVinci Code'' is a terrific, action-packed movie with non-stop suspense, good acting and far better chase scenes than ''Mission Impossible 3''. But those who haven’t read the book, don’t read any further, because there are some SERIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD! The film proposes a fascinating hypothesis about the origins of Christianity, based on apocryphal gospels and other historical sources. Contrary to false assumptions, ''The DaVinci Code'' never questions the divinity of Christ (although it doesn’t proclaim it neither) – its hypothesis is about something else entirely, namely the existence of a direct line of descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. That hypothesis definitely isn’t contrary to Church’s official teachings – after all, if the Virgin Mary could have sex with God the Father, why couldn’t Mary Magdalene have sex with his son ? Even the official, Church-sanctioned gospels admit that Mary Magdalene was a far more important figure to Jesus than all the twelve apostles. John 19,25 identifies her as the only person (besides the Virgin Mary, his aunt Mary and one unnamed disciple) who witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross (while Peter and others were hiding like cowards). Mark 15,40 also identifies Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross (along with the Virgin Mary, and three other women). And Matthew 27,56 again identifies Mary Magdalene, but WITHOUT the Virgin Mary (sic!). So let get it straight – the ONLY person identified in all three gospels as being with Jesus when he died is… Mary Magdalene. It’s a rather strong hint that she was far more than a simple prostitute. So, while many defenders of the film still dismiss it as a work of pure fiction, one could suggest that the hypothesis presented in ''The DaVinci Code'' is actually far more credible than the Catholic Church’s official position.

Casino Royale (2006) ****

The Queen (2006) ****

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) ****

Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) ****

Curse Of The Golden Flower (2006) ****

Cars (2006) ****

September 9, 2006

Yacoubian Building (2006) ***

Slippery Slope (2006) ***

Snakes On A Plane (2006) ***

Seeing ''Snakes On A Plane'' in a movie theatre was like a screening of ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''. Fans were waving rubber snakes, making rattle noises, and applauding furiously every time Samuel L. Jackson said something intense. Some of his lines actually weren't in the script. They originated in an anticipatory internet parody of the movie, and were added to the film long after the end of principal photography, during reshoots. It is probably the first known case of the film actually being co-written on the Internet, by its future fans. The blogs are taking over Hollywood! Needless to say, the film is great. It's campy to the extreme. Very funny, but also quite scary. Especially if you hate snakes. Predictably, the first victims of the snakes is a couple in a plane toilet. Their steamy attempt to join the ''Mile High Club'' is thwarted by an excited snake eager for a threesome. That scene, with Samantha McLeod, was also added in reshoots, due to intense pressure from bloggers. But the film also has a serious side to it. It is, quite clearly, an allegory about terrorism (it's no accident that it's being released just before the 5th anniversary of 9/11). The film was originally called ''Pacific Air Flight 121'' (a clear reference to ''United 93'') and it's quite obvious that the snakes refer to Islamic terrorists.

Inside Man (2006) ***

Excellent heist film with a memorable twist ending.

Offside (2006) ***

Excellent Iranian film about rebellious girls trying to sneak into a soccer stadium.

The Black Dahlia (2006) ***

All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) ***

Crank (2006) ***

Running Wild (2006) ***

South Korean film about a policeman unjustly framed for corruption.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006) ***

The Host (2006) ***

Art School Confidential (2006) ***

Prenez vos places (2006) ***

Excellent Canadian comedy about two former students trying to make a movie. A low-budget bilingual film (half of its hilarious dialogue is in French, and the other half in English) with a very sophisticated sense of humor.

Shortbus (2006) ***

Hostel (2006) ***

Since its executive producers include Quentin Tarantino and Boaz Yakin (the director of excellent and underrated ''Fresh''), it was certain that Eli Roth’s ''Hostel'' would not be a run-of-the-mill horror flick. This is some twisted filmmaking, unrelentingly grim, daring and exciting. The plot is simple: three horny guys on a European safari find themselves in a mysterious hostel in Slovakia, where they meet suspiciously eager-to-please East European beauties. And then, they began to disappear, one by one. The film has an interesting three-act dramatic structure. First, it’s an erotic film, mostly set in Amsterdam’s brothels, unisex saunas and bedrooms. After eroticism, we get a nasty horror film, full of unbelievable torture and gore. And finally, we find ourselves in an exciting and suspenseful action movie, full of great chases and tense escapes.

Men At Work (2006) ***

Satiric Iranian drama about futility and wasted efforts.

Delivery (2006) ***

The Prestige (2006) ***

A rivalry between two magicians turns deadly. Ingenious and memorable.

Goya's Ghosts (2006) ***

Conversations With Other Women (2006) ***

World Trade Center (2006) ***

Very different from Oliver Stone's other films - no stylistic fireworks like in ''JFK'' or ''Natural Born Killers'', no left-wing perspective like in ''Salvador'', ''Platoon'' or ''Born On The Fourth Of July''. The film is based on real life stories of two Port Authority cops, Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) and John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage), who got trapped when the towers collapsed and were rescued after a few hours. And the man who rescued them was Marine Staff Sergeant David Karnes. Played by Michael Shannon in the film, David Karnes is the main reason to see the movie. While the stories of the buried cops, while touching and very moving, are ultimately quite predictable, the story of David Karnes is simply incredible. He wasn't even in New York when the planes hit the towers. But he nonetheless left his job in Connecticut, put on his Marine Corps uniform, drove his Porsche to Ground Zero, and began searching the rubble after sunset (while other rescue workers were ordered out of the site). "United States Marines," Karnes began shouting "If you can hear us, yell or tap!". Will Jimeno heard him.