Training Day (2001)

Training Day (2001)

[7] Ethan Hawke plays a freshman L.A. narcotics officer crash-coursing with a rogue, undercover detective played by Denzel Washington. Training Day hits the ground running and turns into a taut, character-driven thriller that throws a few twists and surprises I…
Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

[8] This 2002 classic, period-piece rendition of Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby is sweet, sentimental, and beautifully executed. I personally found it irresistible. Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim) is perfectly cast as Nicholas, a young man who discovers his…
Julie & Julia (2009)

Julie & Julia (2009)

[6] This was the last film from the late Nora Ephron, the rom-com heavy-hitter who directed Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, and wrote the script for When Harry Met Sally. It's based on two different books (both true…
Hulk (2003)

Hulk (2003)

[3] With two-time Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) at the helm, and a cast that includes Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, and Sam Elliott, you should reasonably expect a much better movie than Hulk turns…
The Business of Strangers (2001)

The Business of Strangers (2001)

[7] Stockard Channing and Julia Stiles decide to exact revenge on an accused rapist in this intimate character showcase written and directed by Patrick Stettner. Channing's character is a cool, collected business woman who has just been made CEO of…
The Forgotten (2004)

The Forgotten (2004)

[6] Julianne Moore stars as a woman convinced that she once had a son who died in a tragic plane crash, but everyone around her -- including her own husband -- insists the boy never existed. The movie is full…
The Loved Ones (2009)

The Loved Ones (2009)

[8] Half-way through The Loved Ones, I was hating it all over. The fact that it won me back impresses the shit out of me. It's an Australian horror flick about a hapless teenager struggling with survivor's guilt (Xavier Samuel)…
Birth (2004)

Birth (2004)

[6] Nicole Kidman stars as a recently widowed woman who meets a young boy claiming to be her husband reincarnated. Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast) directs from a script he co-wrote, keeping the true nature of the piece shrouded in mystery…
Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)

Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)

[7] I don't like the vast majority of comedies. So why I fancy this one is beyond me, but there you have it. Granted, I do often find Ashton Kutcher and Sean William Scott adorable. Here they play pot-smokers who…
Spider-Man (2002)

Spider-Man (2002)

[7]

Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) takes the reigns and casts Tobey Maguire as the famous web-slinging superhero. The script is ripe with pointed dialogue, but I’ll be darned if the cast don’t pull it off more often than not. Raimi’s approach is decidedly ‘comic booky’, full of color and frenetically paced, with all the grace notes and emotional high points bent toward operatic. As Peter Parker and Spider-Man, Maguire, with his big, soulful eyes, is easy to empathize with. His take on the character is more introverted than you might expect, but inviting. (If I wanted to watch a douche bag save the day, I’d re-watch Iron Man.)