(M) Liu mang yi sheng (Doctor Mack). (1995, Chi-Ngai Lee) Grade: B+
Thoughts: A funny little Hong Kong pic starring my favorite actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai. Despite the simple and somewhat silly plotline, there was a serious and touchy point to the movie. The + is only because of Tony. :)

(M) Wild Strawberries. (1957, Ingmar Bergman) Grade: A
Thoughts: My first Ingmar Bergman film but if they are as wonderful as this one I might become a huge fan. The movie dealt with death and the life a person chooses to lead. Professor Isak Borg (Victor Sjostrom) makes a journey to Lund to accept his award for being a renown doctor and along the way realizes the choices he has made in life may not be the right ones. I enjoyed the simple storyline as well as the powerful and effective message. They do not make movies like they use to.

(M) Closer. (2004, Mike Nichols) Grade: B-
Thoughts: Beautiful people doing horrible things to each other for the sake of doing horrible things to each. I would have enjoyed the film more as a play and with the originial ending (the film took out the last scene). Julia Roberts' character Anna was wooden and cold hearted and dull, Jude Law as Dan was pathetic and weak and Natalie Portman as Alice was decent at best. I am not sure why she got best supporting actress nod for that but whatevers ... sorry Darth Bronger. Now Clive Owen as Larry, that was where the movie shined. The one scene where he calls Anna (Julia Roberts) "a fuckin' slag" has to be the best performance. I could watch that over and over again. My new favorite word ... slag :)

(M) Sin City. (2005, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez) Grade: C-
Thoughts: I almost want to give this film a D but visionally it was pretty awesome. It did look like you were watching a comic book come to life which is credit worthy. Aside from that the only strong storyline of the three was Marv (Mickey Rourke) because he had the most character development. In the end you sympathized with him and related to his ordeals. The Dwight (Clive Owen) & prostitues and Hartigan (Bruce Willis) /Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) stories were dull and dry and tiring. Like Cup-O-Noodles, I think most of us were ready to leave after 90 mins of the film.

(G) Garbage. (2005, Wiltern) Grade: A-
Thoughts: Shirley Manson is SMOKING HOT. I do not care if others disagree because they are wrong, wrong, wrong. After seeing her do her thing on stage to a sold out crowd at the Wiltern I know I am right. Sadly they did not play enough of their new album but that was alright. It pretty much was a Garbage best of show and seriously what is wrong with that. If you haven't already I would suggest picking up the new album Bleed Like Me in stores now. Check out tracks - Run Baby Run, Why Do You Love Me, Bad Boyfriend and Right Between the Eyes.