Running Wild by Kim Sung-su (2006, South Korea)

Ah, a Korean movie with two incredibly famous, handsome leads. The story was nothing new or shiny, but the acting was top-notch. Kwon Sang-woo and Ji Tae-Yu both played their roles well, and that has made this film engaging to watch. Korean movies seem to have fallen into a pattern of pretty faces and slick production but lacking a little in the storytelling department. I hope this pattern won't last too long, even though it's earning major bucks for the industry.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Inside Man by Spike Lee (2006, USA)

A bank heist movie with a Nazi twist and some Spike Lee flavored commentary. The commentary was pretty boring but the heist itself was pretty clever and engaging. Denzel Washington was looking great in his nice suit and hat. I'll probably never watch this again.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Jarhead by Sam Mendes (2005, USA)

I liked this movie. A lot. Although it might not be a very original in tone, it's probably the only 'war movie' with no bullets fired, at least not during the action scenes. (though, I could be very wrong. war movie buffs, where are you?) There's close to no action, and it's all melodramatic, especially towards the ending. The soundtrack was great, and Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx were great. I think there were a few references to FMJ too. It's pretty fun to watch, ironically.

4/5 stars
IMDB

V for Vendetta by James McTeigue (2005, USA)

This might seem epic to some, but really it was a mediocre movie mixed in with some overly dramatic philosophical statements. I find the idea of freedom in this movie ridiculously tainted, since it was more about (or should be more about) anarchism rather than freedom and democracy. Hugo Weaving was great, that I have to admit and the lighting and mood in some of the scenes were nothing short of excellent, but there were plotholes all around, and quite a few of them. Ultimately this was an enjoyable action movie with a little bit of Wachowski flavor. This movie will probably appeal more to the younger, angsty teen crowd, as do most comic book movies. Also, now that I remember it, Natalie Portman's pseudo-british accent was terrible.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Underworld: Evolution by Len Wiseman (2006, USA)

This is another of those incredibly boring and dumb Hollywood movies that appeals to the lowest common denominator. I can't think of why anyone would watch this other than seeing the incredibly hot Kate Beckinsale naked, which is considerably a good idea, but I digress. There were a lot of jumping in this movie. Everybody seems to jump around when fighting. The plot was trash and that's all that I can't recall from watching this crap a few months ago. I've never watched the prequel and I probably never will.

1/5 stars
IMDB

Capote by Bennett Miller (2005, USA)

Incidentally, I didn't know anything about Truman Capote before watching this film, so it kinda sucks for me since I didn't really understand most of what was going on. I did saw for myself, and appreciate what everyone was raving about though, the great performance by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Other than that, I have to say the film is pretty well-made, despite it only being the second feature of director Bennett Miller. I'll never forget that hanging scene.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Munich by Steven Spielberg (2006, USA)

Spielberg's masterpiece. The plot was great, cinematography was great, the lighting, composition, everything was perfect. Eric Bana was perfect. Everyone was great. As a thriller it was great. As a political thriller based on true events, it was awesome, to me at least. It really seems perfect, even though the subject matter is controversial, but that's why I like it so much. Spielberg handled it superbly, without shoving his views down the audience's collective throats, instead forcing the viewers to make their own interpretations of what actually happened. It's been quite a while since I've watched this, so I have to watch this again, sometime soon.

4.5/5 stars
IMDB

Fearless by Ronny Yu (2006, Hong Kong)

As a martial arts movie, it was pretty decent. There were quite a few good fights and one or two really great ones, such as the brutally fatal fight inside the tavern and the ending fight. There were also some terrific action shots in there. I thought the romantic subplot was pretty stupid and should have been edited out entirely, but Jet Li probably felt romance was necessary in his 'epic'. Too bad he's never been good at attempting romance. It probably could have been done better though (the actress was terrible). Also, this is allegedly Jet Li's last wushu movie.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Caché by Michael Haneke (2005, France )

I don't think I've watched enough slow, french arthouse movies that seems to have no coherent plot but is driven on the strength of their characters and dialog, under the pretense of a mystery thriller which ironically has no apparent closure. Who's the killer? Nobody knows, as it's hidden, like the title suggests. This movie is more about what's hidden deep inside each character, and I enjoyed it for what it is and what it attempts to be. It also has got one of the most anticlimactic ending ever. Nobody in the theater actually got up until the last shot is over. You can practically see the huge question marks over everyone's head. I can't tell if there's any actual social commentary on the French and Algerians since my knowledge of them is pretty limited but it's probably ham-handed at best.

3/5 stars
IMDB