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Tag: Drama

Unfinished Life, An (2005)

Drama Rated PG-13

Robert Redford plays a weathered Wyoming rancher bitterly nursing his life’s regrets until one of them shows up on his doorstep: his estranged daughter-in-law (Jennifer Lopez) and her young daughter. A lot of sentimental healing ensues (par for the course for this Oscar hopeful directed by Lasse Hallstrom), with only the gruffness of Redford –

Get Rich or Die Tryin (2005)

Drama Rated R

If you’re building a rags-to-riches gangster-rap drama around a real rags-to-riches gangster rapper, it might be a good idea to showcase the music that is supposed to distinguish him from every other boy in the hood that the movies have given us since, well, 1991’s Boyz N the Hood. Get Rich, loosely based on the

House of Sand and Fog (2003)

Drama Rated R

This adaptation of the Andre Dubus III novel works itself up into a lather over a story – namely the conflict between a former addict (Jennifer Connelly) who loses her house for not paying taxes and an Iranian immigrant (Ben Kingsley) who buys it – that’s better suited to an episode of “The People’s Court.”

Monsieur Ibrahim (2003)

Drama Rated R

A pleasant little coming-of-age movie buoyed by a lively performance from Omar Sharif, Monsieur Ibrahim charts the relationship between a Jewish boy (Pierre Boulanger) and a Muslim shop owner in 1960s Paris. Sharif brings his usual gravity to the screen, but there is a lightness to Ibrahim as well. For most of its running time

Thirteen Days (2000)

Drama Rated PG-13

This dramatic re-creation of the Cuban Missile Crisis works best as a study in leadership. Although Kevin Costner, playing JFK adviser Kenny O’Donnell, is the story’s focus, Bruce Greenwood offers a fascinating portrayal of the mythical president. His intense, layered performance suggests leadership under pressure requires patience, principles and lots of luck.

Le Divorce (2003)

Drama Rated PG-13

Period-drama director James Ivory (Howards End) visits contemporary Paris for this carelessly scribbled love letter to the romantic moods and manners of the city of lights. Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts play American sisters succumbing to the whims of French men. The tone veers back and forth between farce and tragedy, with a slight thriller

Possession (2002)

Drama Rated PG-13

Watching Possession is a bit like hearing a disinterested high-schooler read one of Shakespeare’s sonnets: The words are there, but the passion is missing. Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart both give oddly miscalibrated performances as modern scholars researching an affair between two historical literary figures, but it’s most likely writer-director Neil LaBute who is responsible

Brown Bunny, The (2003)

Drama Rated NR

A road-trip movie that never leaves its writer-director-editor-producer-star’s bloated head. Vincent Gallo plays a motorcycle racer who travels across the country to reunite with his tragically separated girlfriend (Chloe Sevigny). It’s a dull journey – this is the kind of movie that makes you afraid to check your watch for fear of what you might

Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005)

Drama Rated PG-13

You know the sort of harried, harangued and yet utterly unflappable housewife who is often referred to as a saint? Prize Winner canonizes one. Adapted by writer-director Jane Anderson from Terry Ryan’s memoir about her mother, the movie recounts how the late Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore) supported her 10 kids in the 1950s by writing

Brown Sugar (2002)

Drama Rated PG-13

If it weren’t for its unique setting – namely the upper echelons of the hip-hop recording industry – Brown Sugar would be indistinguishable from the countless conventional romantic dramas Hollywood churns out. Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan are charming enough as the central couple – childhood friends who have gone on to careers in the

Recent Reviews

Out of the Past (1947)

Thriller Rated NR

“Mitchum holds the screen in the palm of his hand without appearing to even try…”

The Bride! (2026)

Horror Rated R

“The fun here is in the audacious attempt and the performances.”

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Comedy Rated NR

“A bit of a whiff for Frank Capra…”


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