Laurel Canyon (2002)

Newly graduated psychiatrist Sam brings his fiancee Alex to his mother Jane’s house in Laurel Canyon, while they try to find their own place to live. But to his surprise she’s still living there. She insists they stay there while she’s producing a record for a band, with whom she’s sleeping with Ian McKnight, the lead singer. She’s a free spirit who has wild parties and smokes weed while Sam is the complete opposite, serious and hard working. While Sam is at the hospital, Alex is working on her dissertation but finds herself distracted and intrigued by Jane’s lifestyle. Sam is equally distracted by an attractive Israeli doctor named Sara.
Good story and great characters despite the open ending. Starring Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, Alessandro Nivola 7/10

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Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965)

Henry Thomas is out on parole after serving time in prison; he is a wannabe rockabilly lead singer in a band and has a wife and young daughter. His wife Georgette, and his young daughter Margaret Rose unexpectedly come to a small Texas town to live with him.
Things are complicated even more when Henry’s foster mother pushes him to go to night school to earn a living instead to pursuing a music career. Against her wishes, he wants to sing and be like Elvis Presley. But his hot temper and constant fights jeopardize that and Georgette’s wish for them to have a happy life together as a family.
Both McQueen and Remick give incredible performances in this little gem.
Starring Steve McQueen, Lee Remick, Don Murray, Kimberley Block 8/10

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American Psycho (2000)

Patrick Bateman is a wealthy twenty-seven year old man working as a broker on Wall Street. He dresses nice, he has a rigorous exercise routine, and lives in a expensive and modern suite in an upscale apartment of the city. He looks normal from the outside, but inside he struggles with an unquenchable blood lust and lack of sympathy for fellow human beings. So at night he puts on gloves and a raincoat so as not to stain his clothes, takes a spotless axe and hacks his co-worker to pieces. No one suspects him of anything, even his lawyer who thinks he’s joking when he confesses all the people he’s murdered.
A good dark comedy; Bale is flawless in the role as the clean cut, eccentric music lover Patrick Bateman.
Starring Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage, Chloe Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe 8/10

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Down in the Valley (2005)

Tobe is a rebellious sixteen year old girl living with her younger brother Lonnie and father Wade in Los Angeles in the present day San Fernando Valley. She and her friends are headed to the beach on one sunny, hot afternoon when they stop at a gas station and are greeted and full-served by an attendant named Harlan, who instantly catches Tobe’s eye. She invites him to join them at the beach, but if he does he’ll get fired from the gas station. He goes along with them anyway. Almost immediately they spark up a romantic affair, even though Harlan is twice her age and despite the fact that her overbearing, short tempered father forbids Tobe from seeing him. Wade is suspicious of Harlan, and believes he’s much more than he claims to be.
Both Norton and Wood are amazing in this great underrated story.
Starring Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, Bruce Dern, John Diehl, Geoffrey Lewis 7/10

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Jaws (1975)

A New England shore community is terrorized by shark attacks so a local chief of police named Martin Brody, an ichthyologist from the Oceanographic Institute named Hooper, and shark expert named Quint set out on Quint’s boat The Orca, to kill the great white. One of the best thrillers ever made; the script is great, the cast is brilliant and the score is outstanding.
Starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Grey, Murray Hamilton, Carl Gottlieb, Jeffrey Kramer, Peter Benchley 10/10

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Pretty Woman (1990)

Gere plays a wealthy business tycoon who happens to meet Hollywood Boulevard hooker Roberts while driving in his lawyer’s sports car one night. He hires her to be his escort for a week, takes her shopping for new clothes to change her look, and eventually falls in love with her. A great romantic love story that is extremely likable, mostly for Julia’s performance.
Starring Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Ralph Bellamy, Jason Alexander, Hector Elizondo, Larry Miller, Amy Yasbeck, Laura San Giacomo 7/10

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Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972)

A beautiful young Parisian woman named Jeanne looks for an apartment when she has a chance encounter with an American expatriate named Paul who happens to be in the same apartment she goes to. Instantly drawn to him and him to her, they start an erotic and passionate affair. She wants to tell him about herself but he tells her he doesn’t want to know anything about her, that there’s no need for names. While that is going on she goes to see her fiance Tom, whom is making a documentary about her and Paul is trying to deal with his grief over his wife’s suicide.
Many consider this film too explicit because of the NC-17 rating it got, but it’s much more about the character’s lives and their need to escape than the sex scenes. Unquestionably one of Marlon Brando’s greatest performances.
Starring Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, Maria Michi, Gitt Magrini, Jean-Pierre Léaud 10/10

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Sabrina (1954)

Hepburn plays Sabrina, the chauffeur’s daughter to the rich Larrabee family. She’s in love with David, the playboy and youngest son but he doesn’t even know she exists. She goes away to cooking school in Paris and comes back a sophisticated young lady which immediately catches David’s attention when he’s driving one day and sees her stranded at the train station. But he does not recognize her until later when she reunites with her father and the staff of the Larrabee household. David invites her to their party, and Sabrina think it’s a dream come true. Until the older brother Linus sees them dancing together and devises a plan to get Sabrina back to Paris so David can marry his fiancee Elizabeth Tyson, so Larrabee Industries can merge with Tyson Plastics.
A wonderfully romantic comedy with the three leads giving terrific performances.
Starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, John Williams, Walter Hampden, Martha Hyer, Nella Walker, Ellen Corby 9/10

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Nobody’s Baby (2001)

Oldman plays Buford Dill and Ulrich plays Billy Raedeen, who met when they were children at an orphanage. Buford had taken care of Billy since then. They’ve lived their lives in and out of jail, and are at ease as long as they’re together. But when aggravated judge decides to separate them for their next sentence, Billy and Buford stage a getaway during which Billy is separated from Buford anyway. While trying to a hitch a ride, Billy rescues a baby from an automobile crash. When he goes to a local coffee shop for milk for the baby, he meets a young waitress and she invites him to her house in a little trailer park community in the Nevada desert. He also meets other misfits that include some prostitutes and a wise and spiritual Native American. Billy soon gets in touch with Buford, and tells him about the baby he rescued. He rushes over, thinking the two can make a profit from the baby. But things have changed, as Billy grows fond of the adorable bundle of joy.
A cute and underrated comedy, with an unrecognizable Gary Oldman as the Southern petty criminal who uses ChapStick for jean burns.
Starring Skeet Ulrich, Gary Oldman, Radha Mitchell, Mary Steenburgen 7/10

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Footloose (1984)

When city boy Ren McCormick moves to a Midwestern town, it isn’t easy fitting in, especially when he finds out that dancing has been banned because of an accident where drugs and alcohol were involved. He meets Willard and the rebellious minister’s daughter Ariel and they fight back to convince the citizens of the town, most especially the Reverend Shaw Moore who believes in keeping the peace that dancing can be a good thing. One of my favorite dance movies; the cast is hot, the soundtrack is awesome and it has a terrific story, loosely based on actual events.
Starring Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, Chris Penn, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow 8/10

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