Trainspotting, the Greatest Film About Addiction

Title

Trainspotting (1996)

Directed by

Danny Boyle

Writing Credits

Irvine Welsh (novel)
John Hodge

Selected Cast

Ewan McGregor .... Renton
Ewen Bremner .... Spud
Jonny Lee Miller .... Sick Boy
Kevin McKidd .... Tommy
Robert Carlyle .... Begbie
Kelly Macdonald .... Diane
Peter Mullan .... Swanney
James Cosmo .... Mr. Renton
Eileen Nicholas .... Mrs. Renton
Susan Vidler .... Allison
Pauline Lynch .... Lizzy
Shirley Henderson .... Gail
Stuart McQuarrie .... Gavin/US Tourist
Irvine Welsh .... Mikey Forrester
Dale Winton .... Game Show Host

Review

Trainspotting is the story of a junkie with a heart of gold who tries to go straight while battling with the pressures from his drug-addicted friends.

Trainspotting is funny, depressing, hopeful, and frustrating. The director uses humor and charm to deal with the unsettling underworld of drug-addiction. The film has colorful characters that are well-developed and engaging.

Trainspotting is light-hearted at many times but often slaps the viewer in the face with the horrific realities of drug abuse. The biggest taste of reality in Trainspotting happens at the turning point. Here the audience see one of the most troubling images ever shown in a film. (Warning, if you have any heart at all, this startling image will stick with you for days, weeks, or more.)

Despite many uncomfortable episodes, Trainspotting is simply the best film ever made about addiction. Ewan McGregor gives his finest performance and brings an unforgettable character to life. Do not miss this film.

Rating (1-10)

10

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Identity, an Excellent Thriller

Title

Identity (2003)

Directed by

James Mangold

Writing Credits

Michael Cooney

Selected Cast

John Cusack .... Ed
Ray Liotta .... Rhodes
Amanda Peet .... Paris
John Hawkes .... Larry
Alfred Molina .... Dr. Malick
Clea DuVall .... Ginny
John C. McGinley .... George York
William Lee Scott .... Lou
Jake Busey .... Robert Maine
Pruitt Taylor Vince .... Malcolm Rivers
Rebecca De Mornay .... Caroline Suzanne (as Rebecca DeMornay)
Carmen Argenziano .... Defense Lawyer
Marshall Bell .... District Attorney
Leila Kenzle .... Alice York
Matt Letscher .... Assistant District Attorney

Review

Identity is the story of an eclectic group of people trapped in a creepy hotel and struggle to identify the murderer among them as they are killed off one by one.

Identity is one of those mind-bending thrillers that you just cannot help but love.

The cast is perfect. In particular John Cusak and Amanda Peet give superior performances.

The story is the best element of the film. The plot is complicated and confusing, but that is because it has to be. This is one of those films with twists and turns that demand complete attention for the entire duration of the film.

The directing is spectacular as evidenced by the effective use of foreshadowing and imagery. The director always gives the audience just enough to keep things interesting without giving away the big secrets.

Identity is one of the greatest thrillers released in this decade and should become a classic in league with Psycho.

Rating (1-10)

10

Note: Identity was originally titled ID. You will know that you really understood the film if you understand why the original title was superior.

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The Machinist Works

Title

The Machinist (2004)

Directed by

Brad Anderson

Writing Credits

Scott Kosar

Selected Cast

Christian Bale .... Trevor Reznik
Jennifer Jason Leigh .... Stevie
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón .... Marie
John Sharian .... Ivan
Michael Ironside .... Miller
Larry Gilliard Jr. .... Jackson (as Larry Gilliard)
Reg E. Cathey .... Jones
Anna Massey .... Mrs. Shrike
Matthew Romero Moore .... Nicholas (as Matthew Romero)
Robert Long .... Supervisor Furman
Colin Stinton .... Inspector Rogers
Craig Stevenson .... Tucker
Ferrán Lahoz .... Gonzales (as Ferran Lahoz)
Jeremy Xidu .... Evangelisti

Review

The Machinist is the story of an insomniac suffering a mental breakdown after the world seemingly turns against him in the wake of a horrible shop accident.

The Machinist is an excellent film in the tradition of Momento. Creative storytelling makes this amazing and challenging script come to life.

Brilliant directing employs ubiquitous symbolism to foreshadow the revelation of the films shocking secret. The director skillfully uses color to drive the story. The film is nearly devoid of color except for the scenes and images of the most importance.

As the lead actor, Christian Bale gives his best performance. He manages to be both creepy and sympathetic at the same time, allowing the audience to emotionally invest in a rather unappealing character.

The Machinist is a truly original film, and deserves the attention of all thriller fans.

Rating (1-10)

9

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Hero Puts the Art in Martial Arts

Title

Hero (2002) (aka Ying Xiong)

Directed by

Yimou Zhang

Writing Credits

Feng Li
Bin Wang
Yimou Zhang

Selected Cast

Jet Li .... Nameless
Tony Leung Chiu Wai .... Broken Sword
Maggie Cheung .... Flying Snow
Ziyi Zhang .... Moon (as Zhang Ziyi)
Daoming Chen .... King of Qin
Donnie Yen .... Sky

Review

Hero is the story of the ultimate assassins in feudal China in a rebellion against the Emperor.

In the style of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero takes martial arts to a high art with amazing sets, beautiful choreography, and fascinating mythology.

The most notable element of this film is the visual presentation. The sets are huge, gorgeous, and filled with color. The incredible use of color is what makes this film unique. This film’s plot is driven by a series of flashbacks with differing versions. Each version of the flashbacks cleverly uses different color schemes to hold the interest of the viewer and clarify the details of this complex tale.

Rating (1-10)

9

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Must Love Dogs and Cliches

Title

Must Love Dogs (2005)

Directed by

Gary David Goldberg

Writing Credits

Claire Cook (novel)
Gary David Goldberg (screenplay)

Selected Cast

Diane Lane .... Sarah
John Cusack .... Jake
Elizabeth Perkins .... Carol
Christopher Plummer .... Bill
Dermot Mulroney .... Bob
Stockard Channing .... Dolly
Ali Hillis .... Christine
Brad William Henke .... Leo
Julie Gonzalo .... June
Glenn Howerton .... Michael
Ben Shenkman .... Charlie
Jordana Spiro .... Sherry

Review

Must Love Dogs is a romantic comedy about two lonely people that find each other through an Internet dating service and struggle through the awkwardness of budding romance.

Must Love Dogs is sort of a “Lowered Expectations” version of You’ve Got Mail. This film could have been pretty good, but the script abandons all individuality and resorts to most of the cliches of romantic comedies. There’s a gay friend, an eccentric father, a spunky best-friend, a smooth talking, but goofy man, and a beautiful woman that just can’t seem to find a guy who won’t break her heart.

The plot of Must Love Dogs is nothing new. You have seen it twice a year every year you have been watching movies. If you watch nothing but the film’s trailer, you could probably sit down and correctly outline the movie scene by scene.

John Cusak did his best with the material, and Diane Lane was a beautiful and captivating as usual, but they just could not rise above this lame movie. Must Love Dogs is not worth the time it takes to watch it.

Rating (1-10)

4

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Melinda and Melinda Is Two for One

Title

Melinda and Melinda (2004)

Directed by

Woody Allen

Writing Credits

Woody Allen

Selected Cast

Wallace Shawn .... Sy
Neil Pepe .... Al
Stephanie Roth Haberle .... Louise
Larry Pine .... Max
Radha Mitchell .... Melinda
Michael J. Farina .... Man with Dog
Jonny Lee Miller .... Lee
Chloë Sevigny .... Laurel
Matt Servitto .... Jack
Arija Bareikis .... Sally
Brooke Smith .... Cassie
Zak Orth .... Peter
Will Ferrell .... Hobie
Andy Borowitz .... Doug
Amanda Peet .... Susan

Review

Melinda and Melinda, as the title might suggest, is two films in one. Two different plots tell the story of Melinda’s search for love and stability. One version is a comedy, and the other is a tragedy. The stories run parallel to show how little differences in everyday life can cause life to be either funny or devastating.

The constant flipping back and forth between stories is confusing and frustrating, but Woody Allen did a good job of maintaining the parallel stories considering the challenges of presenting two stories at once.

Surprisingly, Woody Allen did miss a few opportunities to tie the two stories together, but, regardless, Melinda and Melinda is a great film that deserves some attention.

Rating (1-10)

8

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Run Lola Run Finishes Strong

Title

Run Lola Run (1998) (aka Lola rennt)

Directed by

Tom Tykwer

Writing Credits

Tom Tykwer

Selected Cast

Franka Potente .... Lola
Moritz Bleibtreu .... Manni
Herbert Knaup .... Vater
Nina Petri .... Jutta Hansen
Armin Rohde .... Herr Schuster
Joachim Król .... Norbert von Au
Ludger Pistor .... Herr Meier
Suzanne von Borsody .... Frau Jäger
Sebastian Schipper .... Mike
Julia Lindig .... Doris
Lars Rudolph .... Herr Kruse

Review

Run Lola Run is the story of a punkie, tough German girl who frantically runs through town to save her boyfriend’s life.

Run Lola Run has an unconventional format. The film is actually made up of three short films that tell different versions of the same story. The interesting thing is how each plot is substantially different due to minor delays caused by three variations of a simple encounter on a staircase.

With delays as little as one second, the director shows us how the simplest events (such as bumping into a person on the street) can radically alter people’s lives.

Be warned that Run Lola Run is in German, but you should easily be able to locate a copy with dubbed English. The dubbed dialog is distracting, but it should not discourage you from watching this original and exciting film.

Rating (1-10)

8

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Requiem for a Dream: A Brilliant Morality Tale

Title

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Directed by

Darren Aronofsky

Writing Credits

Hubert Selby Jr. (novel and screenplay)
Darren Aronofsky (screenplay)

Selected Cast

Ellen Burstyn .... Sara Goldfarb
Jared Leto .... Harry Goldfarb
Jennifer Connelly .... Marion Silver
Marlon Wayans .... Tyrone C. Love
Christopher McDonald .... Tappy Tibbons
Louise Lasser .... Ada
Marcia Jean Kurtz .... Rae

Review

Requiem for a Dream is the story of young junkies striving for a better life while fighting hopeless addiction.

Requiem for a Dream is a brilliant exploration into the nature of addiction and groundless hope. This film, shot in a fast-paced MTV style, looks at addiction from a new perspective. The story shows us the different types of addiction and how they can all lead to self-destruction.

This film is depressing and disturbing, but it has a tremendous artistic messages that expresses the dangers of dependence.

Rating (1-10)

9

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Gone with the Wind, Is Not Gone Yet

Title

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Directed by

Victor Fleming

Writing Credits

Margaret Mitchell (novel)
Sidney Howard (screenplay)

Selected Cast

Clark Gable .... Rhett Butler
Vivien Leigh .... Scarlett O'Hara
Leslie Howard .... Ashley Wilkes
Olivia de Havilland .... Melanie Hamilton
Thomas Mitchell .... Gerald O'Hara
Barbara O'Neil .... Ellen O'Hara (as Barbara O'Neill)
Evelyn Keyes .... Suellen O'Hara
Ann Rutherford .... Carreen O'Hara
George Reeves .... Stuart Tarleton
Fred Crane .... Brent Tarleton
Hattie McDaniel .... Mammy
Oscar Polk .... Pork
Butterfly McQueen .... Prissy

Review

Gone with the Wind, one of the most successful films of all time, is the story of a young manipulative Georgia woman searching for happiness during the Civil War.

Gone with the Wind is an excellent epic with bold characters and powerful dialog. This film shows the Civil War from an unusual perspective by focusing on the lives of people who really did not want to be involved with the war but could not escape its wrath.

Gone with the Wind contrasts the elegance of the Old South with the horrors of war. Furthermore, Gone with the Wind shows us what true love is by showing us what it is not.

The film’s main weakness is that it is unnecessarily long, but the unusually strong character development allows this weakness to be forgiven.

There is no mystery why Gone with the Wind has endured for more than half a century. This is a classic that everyone should see at least once.

Rating (1-10)

9

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Serenity Now! - It’s All Hype

Title

Serenity (2005)

Selected Cast

Nathan Fillion .... Mal
Gina Torres .... Zoe
Alan Tudyk .... Wash
Morena Baccarin .... Inara
Adam Baldwin .... Jayne
Jewel Staite .... Kaylee
Sean Maher .... Simon
Summer Glau .... River
Ron Glass .... Shepherd Book

Review

Serenity is the futuristic story of a ragtag band of adventurers protecting a girl with mysterious powers from those who want to kill her.

Serenity’s roots in television are apparent, because this film just feels like a made-for-TV movie. The pacing is slow, the acting is weak, and the scenes drive toward big one-liners that are meant to get good laughs right before the commercial breaks (that never arrive).

The strangest thing about Serenity is the dialog. The script was written with a lot of Texas and Deep South lingo, but the characters delivering these lines have California and New England accents. The words just do not seem to match the characters, and this awkward delivery is distracting.

The biggest problem with Serenity is that the plot does not flow. A lot of things just seem to happen without any cause or reason. It seems that the director was pushing to get through each plot point without caring to solidify the story with proper details or transitions.

Serenity is somewhat entertaining. It has some good special effects, the opening sequence is very strong, and the overall concept is interesting, but this movie just doesn’t live up to all of the hype it has been getting from an intensely loyal fan base and the financial backers.

Rating (1-10)

4

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The Island Is a Thrilling Trip into the Future

Title

The Island (2005)

Selected Cast

Ewan McGregor .... Lincoln Six Echo/Tom Lincoln
Scarlett Johansson .... Jordan Two Delta/Sarah Jordan
Djimon Hounsou .... Albert Laurent
Sean Bean .... Merrick
Steve Buscemi .... McCord
Michael Clarke Duncan .... Starkweather
Ethan Phillips .... Jones Three Echo

Review

The Island, in the tradition of Brave New World, is a cautionary tale about the hidden dangers of abusing technology at the expense of humanity.

Lincoln (Ewan McGregor) and his friend, Jordan (Scarlett Johansson), find themselves in a community of clones who have been isolated from the outside world and live only for the promise of a trip to a magnificent paradise known as The Island. Of course, The Island is not all that it is said to be.

I went into this film with fairly low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. The film is an excellent marriage of action and sci-fi, and it has a fairly interesting plot. The Island goes beyond typical movies of this genre by exploring the meaning of humanity and the many ethical concerns of cloning technology.

The movie seemed a little long, but the action and the story managed to hold my interest all of the way to the end. This is a very entertaining film that will give you a few things to think about when the credits roll.

Rating (1-10)

8

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Happy Endings Massages Your Intelligence

Title

Happy Endings (2005)

Selected Cast

Lisa Kudrow .... Miriam 'Mamie' Toll
Steve Coogan .... Charley Peppitone
Jesse Bradford .... Nicky Kunitz
Bobby Cannavale .... Javier Duran
Maggie Gyllenhaal .... Jude
Jason Ritter .... Otis McKee
Tom Arnold .... Frank McKee
David Sutcliffe .... Gilbert 'Gil' Palmer
Sarah Clarke .... Diane
Laura Dern .... Pam Ferris

Review

Happy Endings is a collection of interwoven tales about several people in L.A. struggling with theirs pasts and trying to find some sort of contentment in life.

The acting is solid, and the characters are believable. The strongest element of this film, however, is the writing. The script is spectacular. The dialog is funny, witty, and real. The story is very complicated, but in the end, it all makes perfect sense.

This is an artsy film, and it moves a little slowly in parts, but the dialog alone makes the film worth seeing.

Rating (1-10)

8

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Fantastic Four Is Not So Fantastic

Title

Fantastic Four (2005)

Selected Cast

Ioan Gruffudd .... Reed Richards
Jessica Alba .... Sue Storm
Chris Evans .... Johnny Storm
Michael Chiklis .... Ben Grimm
Julian McMahon .... Victor Von Doom
Hamish Linklater .... Leonard
Kerry Washington .... Alicia Masters
Laurie Holden .... Debbie McIlvane
David Parker .... Ernie
Kevin McNulty .... Jimmy O'Hoolihan
Maria Menounos .... Sexy Nurse

Review

Fantastic Four is the story of how a group of astronauts/scientists gain superpowers and learn to deal with the implications of being fantastically extraordinary.

The special effects of this film are excellent, and the stunts are good. The dialog is fairly decent and contains a lot of funny, subtle, and well-timed puns and one-liners.

The main problem with this film is that the plot does not really go anywhere. Watching Fantastic Four was kind of like watching only the first half of an X-Men movie. The characters get their powers, learn to deal with them, and not too much happens beyond that. This flim could have been much better if there had been more of plot.

Rating (1-10)

6

Note: Treat yourself to The Fantastic Four from 1994. Supposedly, this version was made just to maintain the movie rights and was never supposed to be seen by the public. Regardless, it is one of the worst films ever made. The 1994 version is bad to the point of being hilarious.

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Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Far Fetched but Entertaining

Title

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)

Selected Cast

Brad Pitt .... John Smith
Angelina Jolie .... Jane Smith
Vince Vaughn .... Eddie
Adam Brody .... Benjamin Danz
Kerry Washington .... Jasmine
Keith David .... Father
Chris Weitz .... Martin Coleman
Rachael Huntley .... Suzy Coleman
Michelle Monaghan .... Gwen

Review

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the story of a middle class husband and wife who suddenly realize they are both undercover assassins working for rival agencies.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a pretty good action movie with some excellent stunts and thrills. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have good chemistry and play their parts well. The plot is a bit unbelievable, but the comedy and excitement mostly make up for the plot problems. Vince Vaughn steals the show with a hilarious performance and makes this film worth seeing.

Rating (1-10)

7

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Dukes of Hazard for Bad Ol’ Boys

Title

The Dukes of Hazard (2005)

Selected Cast

Johnny Knoxville .... Luke Duke
Seann William Scott .... Bo Duke
Alice Greczyn .... Laurie Pullman
Steve Lemme .... Jimmy
Michael Weston .... Deputy Enos Strate
Burt Reynolds .... Boss Hogg
David Koechner .... Cooter
Willie Nelson .... Uncle Jesse
Jessica Simpson .... Daisy Duke
M.C. Gainey .... Rosco P. Coltrane

Review

The Dukes of Hazard is movie that probably should not have been made. For some unknown reason the movie diverges greatly from the original TV show. Many of the characters such as Boss Hogg and Rosco are virtually unrecognizable in their new forms, and very few elements of the TV show made it into the film.

The most disappointing thing about the movie is the humor. It is very broad and crude. There is a distracting quantity of sex-related jokes and drug references that serve no purpose but to get some cheap laughs.

The one good thing about this movie is the stunt driving. This movie has some of the best car chases and jumps ever shown on film. If you are a fan of car stunts, The Dukes of Hazard may be a movie for you.

Rating (1-10)

5

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Doctor Zhivago, the Greatest Film of All Time

Title

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Selected Cast

Omar Sharif .... Dr. Yuri Zhivago
Julie Christie .... Lara Antipova
Geraldine Chaplin .... Tonya
Rod Steiger .... Victor Komarovsky
Alec Guinness .... Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago
Tom Courtenay .... Pasha
Siobhan McKenna .... Anna
Ralph Richardson .... Alexander Gromeko
Rita Tushingham .... The Girl
Jeffrey Rockland .... Sasha

Review

Doctor Zhivago is the story of a doctor in revolutionary Russia who struggles between his duties to his wife and his love for his mistress.

Doctor Zhivago has a spectacular reputation in the world of film, and it is well deserved. This epic film is a perfect example of what happens when every aspect of a film project reaches its full potential.

Doctor Zhivago has exceptionally well-developed characters. Their stories are engaging, and excellent performances from the actors bring the characters to life.

The dialog is inspiring, elegant, and provides a heightened reality that adds to the film’s gracefulness.

The plot is suspenseful and captivating. Key twists and revelations are well-timed to hold the interest of the audience.

The powerful and emotional score evokes the great composers of Russia and is regarded by many as one of the greatest scores of all time. After decades, the score’s best know piece, "Lara’s Theme," is still highly recognizable.

The awesome cinematography captures some of the most beautiful and striking images in the history of film.

Every thing worked on this film, and it is nearly perfect. Doctor Zhivago is the greatest film ever made, and any lover of fine films should see Doctor Zhivago at least once.

Rating (1-10)

10

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Citizen Kane, the Greatest Film of Its Time

Title

Citizen Kane (1941)

Selected Cast

Orson Welles .... Charles Foster Kane
Joseph Cotten .... Jedediah Leland
Harry Shannon .... Kane's Father
Dorothy Comingore .... Susan Alexander Kane
Agnes Moorehead .... Mary Kane
Ruth Warrick .... Emily Monroe Norton Kane
Ray Collins .... James W. Gettys
Erskine Sanford .... Herbert Carter
Everett Sloane .... Mr. Bernstein
William Alland .... Jerry Thompson
Paul Stewart .... Raymond
Sonny Bupp .... Charles Foster Kane III
George Coulouris .... Walter Parks Thatcher
Fortunio Bonanova .... Signor Matiste
Philip Van Zandt .... Mr. Rawlston
Georgia Backus .... Bertha Anderson

Review

Citizen Kane, loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, is a story driven by the friends and relatives of, recently deceased, Charles Foster Kane as they reflect on their experiences with him and try to make sense of his confusing and tragic life.

Citizen Kane, from 1942, was decades ahead of its time. The rest of the film industry did not catch up to it until 1965 with Doctor Zhivago.

What makes Citizen Kane so great is its revolutionary filmmaking. Never before had a director made such brilliant use of camera angles, lighting, and editing. Orson Welles essentially was the film. He directed, wrote, and starred in the movie. Perhaps, Welles’ engrossment in the project is what made the film so brilliantly human.

The story is captivating and held my interest all of the way through the final scene, and this film is all about the final scene. With a single image, Kane’s secret is revealed, and everything suddenly makes perfect sense.

This film is a prime example of perfection in film, and it stands as the greatest film of its time.

If you watch this film, do yourself a favor and pay close attention to everything. When the film is over, spend some time to think about the message. It just might make you re-evaluate your life.

Rating (1-10)

10

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Ratings Explained

The ratings on Cinaptic are on a scale of 1-10. Here is what they mean.

1

Horrible
All things considered, this is among the worst films I have seen.

2

Bad
This is a bad film that has almost no redeeming qualities or artistic value.

3

Poor
This film may have been good conceptually but failed to entertain for numerous reasons.

4

Below Average
This film is disappointing, and I wish I had not wasted my time watching it.

5

Average
This film is mediocre, but I got just enough out of it to make watching the film worth my time.

6

Above Average
This is a fairly good film, and I am glad I took the time to watch it.

7

Good
I enjoyed this film, and consider it to be better than most films of its genre.

8

Great
This film surpasses expectations, and I would recommend it to a friend.

9

Excellent
This film has some minor weak elements, but it is among the best films in its genre.

10

Spectacular
This film is among the best of its time and genre and has no significant weaknesses.