Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Drama Rated R

A culture mash of hip-hop rhythms, ancient Japanese traditions and modern gangland ethics, this latest treasure from revered indie director Jim Jarmusch follows a rap-loving assassin (Forest Whitaker) who has pledged his services to the low-level mafia thug who saved his life a few years back. Beneath the violence is a thoughtful consideration of what

Gospel of John, The (2003)

Drama Rated PG-13

This is exactly the kind of stultifyingly studious Bible movie that The Passion of the Christ is a shock-art response to. Often a word-by-word adaptation, The Gospel of John features a narrator who actually tells us “And then Jesus said…” before each line of dialogue. All of it makes for a punishingly redundant translation of

History of Violence, A (2005)

Drama Rated R

You can feel it in the movie’s insinuating score and the oppressively happy opening section, which follows small-town diner owner Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) as he enjoys a blissful slice of Americana with his wife (Maria Bello) and two kids. Such contentment can’t last, especially with squirm-inducing director David Cronenberg (Dead Ringers) at the helm.

Blood Diamond (2006)

Action/Adventure Rated R

Edward Zwick (Glory) has long been one of Hollywood’s more thoughtful studio filmmakers, but his thoughtfulness gets the best of him here This story of how “conflict diamonds” fueled the civil war in 1990s Sierra Leone should be about those whose lives were upended because of the illicit diamond trade. It does feature one such

I Heart Huckabees (2004)

Comedy Rated R

Part shrinks and part private investigators, the “existential detectives” at the center of this farce (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) plumb life’s biggest questions for their angst-ridden clients. The latest sharp satire from writer-director David O. Russell (Three Kings), this often is as random and puzzling as its title, yet buried beneath the quirky characters,

Duma (2005)

Family Rated PG

Writer/director Carroll Ballard (The Black Stallion) once again explores the enchanting bond between children and animals with this initially clunky but eventually graceful story about a South African boy (Alexander Michaeletos) and his pet cheetah. After some contrivances, including a confrontation between the cat and the requisite school bullies, the movie finally settles into its

Land of the Dead (2005)

Horror Rated R

In this zombie installment from genre godfather George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead), human survivors have quarantined themselves in a high-rise shopping center, trying to rebuild their consumerist lifestyle. But outside the undead have begun to evolve – communicating with each other and even learning to use basic tools. Romero’s social-critic tendencies make

Holiday, The (2006)

Romantic Comedy Rated PG-13

Far more fun in memory than in actual experience. Afterwards, the sporadic charming moments still carry a fizz, while you forget the indulgent fantasy that surrounds them. According to the contrived setup from writer-director Nancy Meyers, two women in romantic crises swap houses for the holidays: American Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Brit Iris Simpkins

Wicker Park (2004)

Thriller Rated PG-13

Wicker Park, about a Chicago photographer (Josh Hartnett) investigating the disappearance of his girlfriend, goes about telling its story in the most complicated manner possible. The movie mostly consists of flashbacks and replayed scenes from different vantage points – techniques that are partly meant to keep us guessing, but are mostly there to cover up

Being Julia (2004)

Drama Rated R

Annette Bening bites into the title role – that of a 1930s London stage actress whose personal life is only slightly less dramatic than her theatrical one – as if it will be the last good part she ever gets. The scenery-chewing is a fortunate necessity, considering it only emphasizes the theme of ageism in