M-Movies
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The Mystic Masseur: This
film is set in the Indian community is 1950's Trinadad. A young professional
becomes a masseur and slowly grows to be a large political figure.
This film was not what I was expected but it was entertaining. Rating
3 out of 4.
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Millenium Mambo: I
saw this Taiwanese film at the D.C Filmfest. The plot followed a
young, confused woman through her relationship with an on-again, off-again
boyfriend and a stable older man. This film was not very interesting
and was very slow at times. Rating 2
out of 4. (4/27/02)
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Monsoon Wedding: This
Indian film shows the dynamics of a family during a daughter's arranged
wedding. An interesting thing with this film is that the characters
speak in both English and Hindi, jumping back and forth. The film
has the arc of a standard "After-School" special or PG-rated soap opera,
so it is not as good as it could have been. Rating 3
out of 4. (3/23/02)
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Monster's Ball: Billy
Bob Thorton and Halle Berry star in this drama set in Georgia. The plot
follows Thorton and Berry's characters as they come closer to each other
via a series of tragedies. This film has the acting and plot of a
great film, but doesn't quite get it all together. Rating 3
out of 4. (2/26/02)
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The Majestic: Jim
Carrey plays a screenwriter who loses his memory and is mistaken for a
WWII hero in this Frank Darabont film. The film is set in 1951, and
it has the feel of a 50's film with the "main character goes from hero
to goat to hero" plot. This film is not as good as Darabont's "The
Shawshank Redemption", but can compete with his "The Green Mile".
Rating 3 out
of 4. (12/31/01)
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The Man Who Wasn't There: This
Coen brothers' film stars Billy Bob Thorton as "The Barber" Ed Crane.
This drama works very well as we follow the mild-mannered Crane through
many ups, downs, flips, and spins of his life. The acting is superb
and the story, though it is simple film-noir, involves you all the way
through. Rating 3.5
out of 4. (11/11/01)
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Monty Python and the Holy Grail: This
cult classic has been rereleased with a few extra scenes and enhanced picture
and sound. I had never seen this film before now and it is funny,
but it is not the funniest movie I have ever seen. The rabbit beast
of the cave is my favorite part of the film. Rating 3
out of 4. (11/3/01)
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Mulholland Drive: This
strange film is directed by David Lynch, who has given us "Blue Velvet",
"Wild at Heart", and "Twin Peaks". I enjoy quirky films, and the
style of the film is good (more like "Twin Peaks" than "Blue Velvet").
I did not get confused until two-thirds of the way into the movie and when
I got confused, I REALLY got confused. Rating 3
out of 4. (11/3/01)
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Made: Jon
Favreau and Vince Vaughn team up to use their "Swingers" chemistry in this
mob film. Vaughn's character is the definite standout in this movie
as he is one of the most irritating persons I have seen in film (he is
suppose to be). The cast does a good job with a good story (even
Sean "Puffy" Combs is good). Rating 3.5
out of 4. (8/19/01)
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The Mummy Returns: Brendan
Fraser stars in this sequel to the 1999 film "The Mummy". This movie
has more action and less humor than the first movie, which I didn't even
like that much. The plot is normal and the special effects have been
seen before. Rating 2
out of 4. (5/5/01)
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Memento: This
is definitely one of the most unique movies I have seen. Guy Pierce
stars as a man searching for the killer of his wife while trying to overcome
the brain damage which causes him to forget things a few minutes after
they occur. You can't leave your seat for a moment since the scenes
are shown in reverse order; very compelling. Rating 3.5
out of 4. (3/31/01)
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Malena: This
Italian film is about a twelve-year-old boy's infatuation for a 27-year-old
woman. Over the 5 year duration of the movie, the boy grows up and
the woman feels all the ups and downs of Sicily during World War II.
I have a certain affection for this film since I too was once a 12-year-old
boy. Rating 3.5
out of 4. (2/17/01)
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Men of Honor: My favorite actor,
Robert DeNiro, and Cuba Gooding Jr. shine as two navy divers on opposite
sides of racism and rank. I would consider the story a little unbelievable
and inconceivable if it wasn't true. Watch for the "Oscaric" dialogue
between the two actors with the dramatic music and the whole nine yards.
Rating 3.5 out of 4. (11/10/00)