Movie Diary 2009
Last Update: 01/07/10
Like I did last year, I intend to write a short comment on every movie I watch this year. If you understand Finnish, read the Finnish version, Elokuvapäiväkirja 09, which is, unfortunately, far superior.
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Week 01/2009 - Back to top
Blade Runner (1982, USA/Hong Kong)
A stylish, deep and captivating scifi noir film based on a novel by Philip K. Dick.
The 6th Day (2000, USA/Canada)
Roger Spottiswoode obviously tried to make a film like Blade Runner and other films based on Dick's books. Disappointingly, he failed to create a spellbinding scifi story and ended up with a subpar action flick. Definitely not Arnold Schwarzenegger's finest hour. Robert Duvall is quite good, though.
Quantum of Solace (2008, UK/USA)
Daniel Craig's second Bond movie, directed by Marc Forster, isn't quite as good as Casino Royale. It's a tad too straightforward, there's barely any humour and the action sequences are way too "modern". However, Craig himself is again excellent.
Week 02/2009 - Back to top
Kindergarten Cop (1990, USA)
A good movie? Not really, but Arnold is quite funny.
The Phantom of the Opera (2004, USA/UK)
A good, colorful film based on a stage musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and a novel by Gaston Leroux.
Week 03/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 03.
Week 04/2009 - Back to top
The New World (2005, USA)
Terrence Malick's The New World is hardly a historical drama film. It is more like video poetry. On a related note, I almost fell asleep while watching it.
Week 05/2009 - Back to top
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980, USA)
The most perfect movie ever made, I believe.
Some Like It Hot (1959, USA)
Comedy gold, brought to you by Billy Wilder, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. Not suitable for Kansans, though.
Week 06/2009 - Back to top
Beauty and the Bastard (Tyttö sinä olet tähti, 2005, Finland)
Way too conventional. Otherwise that wouldn't be a problem, but if the general message of the film is supposed to be "trying to please everyone is bad", it certainly is a problem.
Week 07/2009 - Back to top
My Name Is Modesty: A Modesty Blaise Adventure (2004, USA)
Horrible casting. Also, the story sucks.
Grand Theft Parsons (2003, USA/UK)
A mediocre black comedy road movie based on true events. I probably would have never watched it had it not been in my Tarantino box. Wait, why the hell is this movie in my Tarantino box?
Week 08/2009 - Back to top
The Boondock Saints (1999, Canada/USA)
Funny, although a bit violent.
Week 09/2009 - Back to top
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998, USA)
Lethal Weapon 4 delivers enough laughs and action to be an entertaining film.
Stranger Than Fiction (2006, USA)
Clever, original, funny. Not even Will Ferrell can ruin this.
Week 10/2009 - Back to top
Fight Club (1999, USA/Germany)
Yeah, it is kind of disturbing, but it is also a great movie. This was the second time I watched Fight Club, and I was surprised to notice that "the big twist" was actually very obvious.
The Final Cut (2004, USA/Canada/Germany)
Good try, but no cigar. The Final Cut had potential to be more than a fairly okay science fiction motion picture.
American History X (1998, USA)
Edward Norton and Edward Furlong star in this very powerful film about racism. Co-stars include Elliott Gould, Ethan Suplee (Randy from "My Name Is Earl"), Captain Sisko and Kes.
Week 11/2009 - Back to top
The Sentinel (2006, USA)
The most unoriginal film in recent memory. I could tell who the mole was the first time he appeared on screen.
Week 12/2009 - Back to top
Donnie Darko (2001, USA)
"I hate temporal mechanics!" -Miles O'Brien. Just kidding, I love temporal mechanics. Also, the soundtrack is worth praising.
Scary Movie (2000, USA)
I actually prefer Scary Movie 3 to the original. I think that's because I have never watched Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Week 13/2009 - Back to top
Scary Movie 2 (2001, USA)
Just another part of the Scary Movie franchise, what more need I say?
Week 14/2009 - Back to top
Scary Movie 3 (2003, USA/Canada)
The best Scary Movie, directed by David Zucker.
The Illusionist (2006, Czech Republic/USA)
There's a real sense of mystery about this film. Paul Giamatti is the best of the cast.
Week 15/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 15.
Week 16/2009 - Back to top
Scary Movie 4 (2006, USA)
Not as good as number 3.
Phone Booth (2002, USA)
Short and to the point. Effective and thrilling, like a good thriller ought to be. The twist was quite a letdown, though.
12 Angry Men (1957, USA)
The movie that defines reasonable doubt. The overall cast performance is most staggering.
Week 17/2009 - Back to top
Witness for the Prosecution (1957, USA)
A suspenseful Agatha Christie murder mystery nicely directed by Billy Wilder.
...And Justice for All (1979, USA)
Yeah, yeah, there's no justice in the US, I get it. Al Pacino delivers an energetic performance.
Week 18/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 18.
Week 19/2009 - Back to top
Intolerable Cruelty (2003, USA)
Not the Coens' best one, but still entertaining, thanks to some snappy dialogue, Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney.
Out of Sight (1998, USA)
If you liked Intolerable Cruelty or are a George Clooney fan, you probably won't hate Out of Sight. Entertaining yet unremarkable.
Week 20/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 20.
Week 21/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 21.
Week 22/2009 - Back to top
The Tough Ones (Häjyt, 1999, Suomi)
A tragic yet undeniably fun Finnish movie about two ex-convicts trying - and of course, failing - to reintegrate into society.
Hannibal Rising (2007, UK/Czech Republic/France/Italy)
Boring and irrelevant characters ruin this prequel. Gaspard Ulliel simply fails as young Hannibal. This is not the same character Anthony Hopkins so masterfully portrayed.
Week 23/2009 - Back to top
Terminator Salvation (2009, USA/Germany/UK)
Sam Worthington - not Christian Bale - is the real star of this straightforward action film.
Jennifer Eight (Jennifer Eight, 1992, USA)
A thriller that is slow in tempo but very tense. Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman and especially Lance Henriksen do a fine job.
Week 24/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 24.
Week 25/2009 - Back to top
Masters of the Universe (1987, USA)
A pathetic film, but it does have camp value.
The Avengers (1998, USA)
They managed to hire some fine actors, but the script was bad, and they ruined whatever good there was in this film at the editing table.
Notting Hill (1999, UK/USA)
A quality romantic comedy brought to you by Richard Curtis and Roger Michell.
Week 26/2009 - Back to top
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Gojira tai Kingu Gidorâ, 1991, Japan)
Like any Japanese Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is full of stupid anti-nuclear propaganda. On top of that, it isn't even a decent film.
Twelve Monkeys (1995, USA)
A fine sci-fi/time-travelling thriller.
Week 27/2009 - Back to top
Beyond the Front Line (Framom främsta linjen, 2004, Finland)
See my previous comment (49/2008).
Bandits (2001, USA)
Enjoyable, I liked it. Nothing special, though.
Week 28/2009 - Back to top
Shakespeare in Love (1998, USA/UK)
Well, seven Academy Awards seems a bit too much, but I can't deny the fact that it's a good film.
Bring It on Again (2004, USA)
Horrible. Absolute horrible. Bring It on Again is the worst movie I've seen in 2009. This straight-to-video sequel is everything that a good movie should not be.
The Verdict (1982, USA)
This courtroom drama starring the magnificent Paul Newman is every bit as good as Sidney Lumet's other courtroom classic, 12 Angry Men.
Cop Land (1997, USA)
The cast includes lots of big names (Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro...) but the film doesn't quite live up to the expectations. It's a decent crime drama, though, and it's nice to see Sylvester Stallone try, well, acting. He's a better actor than one would expect.
The Right Stuff (1983, USA)
Indeed, this movie has all the right stuff.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, USA)
Atticus Finch is one of the noblest and best characters ever. And the film is great, too.
Week 29/2009 - Back to top
Escape from New York (1981, UK/USA)
A nifty, stylish science fiction production. The protagonist, "Snake" Plissken, played by Kurt Russell, is the perfect anti-hero.
Week 30/2009 - Back to top
Mad Max 2 (1981, Australia)
The post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max is cool. So is Max (Mel Gibson). And so is Vernon Wells with a red mohawk.
Nosferatu the Vampyre (Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht, 1979, West Germany/France)
The first Werner Herzog film I've seen. The cinematography is eerie and dreamlike but the ending doesn't seem as smart as the rest of the movie.
Willow (1988, USA)
A passable fantasy adventure by George Lucas and Ron Howard.
Week 31/2009 - Back to top
Tiger Cruise (2004, USA)
A somewhat different Disney TV film starring "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere and Bill Pullman. The main themes include the father-daughter relationship, career vs. family life, and coping in the aftermath of 9/11.
Underworld (2003, USA/Germany/Hungary/UK)
The title ought to be "Vampires vs. Werewolves". I bet whoever first coined this concept was drunk at the time. The efforts of the visual effects department and Bill Nighy can't keep this ship from sinking.
Week 32/2009 - Back to top
Reality Bites (1994, USA)
Ben Stiller's early dramedy is - to my amazement - one of the best depictions of the everyday trials and tribulations of young adults in the 90s. Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke & co. are very natural.
End of Days (1999, USA)
The Governator has, of course, acted in numerous better movies, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with this movie. Well, not counting the utter stupidity of the script.
Week 33/2009 - Back to top
Psycho (1960, USA)
The quintessential Hitchcock film. Nowadays it isn't much of a horror movie, but Psycho's thriller elements pass the test of time with flying colors.
Suspect Zero (2004, USA)
Misuse of supernatural elements is the final nail in the coffin of this shoddy serial killer thriller starring Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley and Carrie-Anne Moss & Harry Lennix of the Matrix fame.
Vertigo (1958, USA)
The spectacular, intelligent, mysterious and thrilling Vertigo rivals Rear Window for the honour of being the best Hitchcock film. James Stewart again proves his talent and Kim Novak is just as radiant as the female lead.
Week 34/2009 - Back to top
The Bridge at Remagen (1969, USA)
An adequate war film that was very nearly ruined by George Segal's lackluster performance as a crude, unsympathetic main character. Thanks to Ben Gazzara, Robert Vaughn, a fine plot and some beautiful action scenes, it wasn't.
Hot Shots! Part Deux (1991, USA)
A good sequel to an excellent comedy.
Week 35/2009 - Back to top
24: Redemption (2008, USA)
A refreshing TV film that brings new life to the 24 franchise.
Downfall (Der Untergang, 2004, Germany/Italy/Austria)
Bruno Ganz's phenomenal portrayal of Adolf Hitler is the best I've ever seen.
The Wedding Date (2005, USA)
Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney in an inverse Pretty Woman scenario.
Nothing to Lose (1997, USA)
An average comedy starring the great Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, UK)
The best nuclear holocaust comedy there is.
The Mothman Prophecies (2002, USA)
A scary mystery horror film set in a dark, weirdly beautiful milieu.
Week 36/2009 - Back to top
Timeline (2003, USA)
Way too serious. Seriously. There's absolutely no humor. It could have been a really nice fantasy action comedy, but Richard Donner forgot the comedy part. Granted, it's based on a novel, so maybe Donner just forgot that what works in a book isn't guaranteed to work on film.
The Distinguished Gentleman (1992, USA)
Pretty good compared to most of Eddie Murphy's movies.
Wedding Crashers (2005, USA)
A typical, yet well made Hollywood comedy starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn.
Week 37/2009 - Back to top
Anaconda (1997, USA/Brazil/Peru)
Absolutely worthless.
Dead Man's Island (1996, USA)
William Shatner and Barbara Eden in an unoriginal murder mystery.
The 51st State (2001, UK/Canada)
Quite alright, but mainly because of SLJ.
Week 38/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 38.
Week 39/2009 - Back to top
Epic Movie (Epic Movie, 2007, USA)
One of the most unfunny pieces of garbage I've ever watched. I didn't find any of the gags even slightly amusing.
Marci X (Marci X, 2003, USA)
Better than Epic Movie. There was one gag that I found amusing.
FC Venus (2005, Finland)
Some bad acting and a silly but funny story.
Before and After (1996, USA)
Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson try their best, but their efforts are undone by substandard production values and a story that is ultimately too weak.
Week 40/2009 - Back to top
A Clockwork Orange (1971, UK/USA)
Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is violent, disturbing and provocating. But that's the whole point. Well, maybe not the whole point, but important, nonetheless. Kubrick's imagery is strange yet very powerful.
Unbreakable (2000, USA)
A fine mystery thriller by M. Night Shyamalan, almost as good as The Sixth Sense.
Black Snake Moan (2006, USA)
Samuel L. Jackson? Check. The word "Snake" appears in the title? Check. Still, if you expect something like Snakes on a Plane, you'll surely be very disappointed.
Week 41/2009 - Back to top
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Iso-Britannia/USA)
Admittedly I didn't give it enough credit the first time I saw it but 2001: A Space Odyssey still isn't my favourite Kubrick film.
Crash (2004, USA/Germany)
An excellent drama about the interweaving lives of people from different ethnic backgrounds living in the City of Angels.
Week 42/2009 - Back to top
The Dead Pool (1988, USA)
An average 80's action film starring Clint Eastwood, Liam Neeson and Patricia Clarkson.
The City of the Sun (Slunecní stát aneb hrdinové delnické trídy, 2005, Czech Republic/Slovakia)
A decent Central European film about working class heroes.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992, USA)
The sound crew, the composers and the cinematographer Dante Spinotti deserve some praise. A solid romantic adventure film directed by Michael Mann.
Ganes (2007, Finland)
A disappointingly one-sided film about a Finnish small-time criminal who became a rock star.
Week 43/2009 - Back to top
Ronin (1998, UK/USA)
A fast-paced, somewhat Bondesque (car chases, ice skaters etc.) action film starring Robert De Niro and other quality actors.
Gothika (2003, USA)
An average horror thriller with Halle Berry.
Pääministeri (2009, Finland)
A decent Finnish TV movie based on a real political scandal.
Week 44/2009 - Back to top
One Night at McCool's (2001, USA)
A quirky black comedy with a couple of excellent characters.
Diamonds Are Forever (1971, UK)
Not the most unforgettable of 007 films, but a solid spy film nevertheless.
Week 45/2009 - Back to top
Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin, 1987, West Germany/France)
Somewhat high-flown and European. Still, pretty decent.
Léon (1994, France)
An action film that's something more than just another action film. Excellent acting by Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman.
The Firm (1993, USA)
A good film adaptation of John Grisham's thriller novel.
Week 46/2009 - Back to top
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990, France)
An excellent version of Edmond Rostand's play. Everything in this movie is grand, including Gérard Depardieu's performance.
Week 47/2009 - Back to top
Reindeer Games (2000, USA)
A film that had some potential but failed to deliver.
The Searchers (1956, USA)
A true western classic. John Wayne's performance is one of his finest.
Déjà Vu (2006, USA/Iso-Britannia)
Tony Scott's time-travel thriller suffers from an acute lack of credibility.
Week 48/2009 - Back to top
Star Trek (2009, USA/Saksa)
The Star Trek reboot by J.J. Abrams has many laudable qualities. It is not only a good Star Trek story, but a good film in its own right.
Midnight Bayou (2009, USA)
The only thing worse than the lame story is the awkward banality of the way it is told.
Week 49/2009 - Back to top
Closer (2004, USA)
An average drama about dysfunctional people and dysfunctional relationships.
Week 50/2009 - Back to top
EuroTrip (2004, USA)
A comedy about American teenagers in Europe. Yeah, you know what to expect.
Thirteen Days (2000, USA)
An excellent cold war/political thriller that centers on how JFK, RFK and others handled the situation that could have escalated into a nuclear world war.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985, Australia/USA)
The final chapter of the Mad Max trilogy is not worthy of its predecessors.
Week 51/2009 - Back to top
I didn't watch any movies on week 51.
Week 52/2009 - Back to top
Miami Vice (2006, USA/Germany)
I honestly didn't believe a man as talented as Michael Mann could direct such total gargabe. I have never seen a more boring film in my entire life. The film is a monument to bad choices and tastelessness.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939, USA)
Jimmy Stewart is the man.
Casablanca (1942, USA)
One of the greatest classics of cinema. If there had been explosions or ninjas, the film would have been perfect.
The Mask of Zorro (1998, USA/Saksa)
An entertaining Hollywood adventure flick.
Week 53/2009 - Back to top
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002, UK/Germany/USA/Canada)
Well, it's not Das Boot, but it's a fine film with two great actors.