This is going to be a great year for films. Of course the third LoTR would be enough to make the year already, but then there’s xmen, 2 matrixes, T3, Hulk.. - and that is only in one genre!

Early this year there’s “Gangs of NY”, “about schmidt”, “8mile”, “Catch me if you can”. In the summer, besides matrices and xmen there should be a new Coen film with (odd that) Clooney and Zeta-Jones. And in the end of the year there’s “return of the king”, of course, and “finding nemo”. And I have only listed the mega-blockbusters here…

"Himmer über Berlin" ("Les ailes du désir"
/ "Wings of desire") by Wim Wenders. a website
about it

2 "women" films: "Le Festin de Babette" (Babette’s
feast?)- "Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Café"
(ok, that one was mainstream i guess)

"the Shawshrank Redemption" (a rare example of a great
story becoming a great film)

"Cyrano de Bergerac" it just works!

Tarantino: Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown.

Besson: especially "Nikita", "Leon"
and "Taxi2", also the 5th Element, Le Grand Bleu… (haven’t
seen Joan of Arc yet).

The Cohen Brothers, especially "Fargo" (haven’t seen
The Big Lebowski, arg!). Also "the Hudsucker Proxy"

"Babe" was great (didn’t see the second one yet). "The
Crying Game" good film but very disturbing.

SF: Even though they are a bit superficial "The Fifth element"
and "The Matrix" are good films that pull you in and
have amazing esthetics. I rather liked "Stargate", again
I think because of the artistic concept and look. "Starship Troopers"
was quite entertaining and sarcastic. "Twelve Monkeys"
- no critic here. Oh and "MIB" was fun, almost too short!

Many good french films in recent years "le bonheur est dans le
pré" (a simple comedy) and "Ridicule"
come to mind, "Le diners de cons" is hilarious, and the
play was even better. "Il Postino", very nice film (french and
italian)."Trois couleurs...."

I also like animated films. Unless I’m told it’s bad or *only* for kids
I usually go see all the animated films. Loved Toy Story 1 and
2, thought "the prince of Egypt" was rather good (nice songs),
Mulan was very enjoyable. My favorites in the older classics would be
"the 101 Dalmatians" (a favorite since childhood), "mrs
Brisby & the rats of nihm" (sp?)… oh and "The Wrong Trousers"
and co

Some films I still like because I remember how I felt when i first saw
them. As Mr Whoopass’s site reminded me, "Indiana Jones: Raiders
of the Lost Ark" blew me away in 82 when i saw it. I havent watched
it in the last 10 years at least, cause I fear I’ll probably be disappointed.
Others age wonderfully and are still just as good.

The "spaghetti" westerns of Sergio Leone ("once upon a

time in the west", "the good the bad and the ugly" etc.)
and other good westerns. Good gangster and action films (The Godfather,
Goodfellas, and on a different note:the Untouchables). Woody Allen. Kubrik:
Apocalypse Now! and Clockwork Orange. Good science fiction such as Alien
and Blade Runner. And Monthy Python, how could anyone not list them? and
"The Sting", one of my mom’s favorite films ever

Good french comedy, "3 hommes et un couffin", "la grande
vadrouille" (my favorite for years as a child)

Older yet… "A Streetcar named Desire", "The Maltese
Falcon", "Casablanca", "Citizen Kane", Classic
War films such as " Twelve O’Clock High", Hitchcock. Chaplin.
" The Night of the Hunter" (brr), "Le Salaire de la Peur"
etc.

oh god it’s impossible, it never stops!!!

I’ve seen the XMen film and I must say i am very impressed. I
had on purpose avoided reading too much about it beforehand. The casting
is close to brilliant; the story zooms along (even though you *do* figure
out most of it early on); the effects are great but you don’t really think
about them until after the film (which is the way it should be). I think
some purists might dislike the small changes and differences but I think
it made for a very good porting of the universe to film…

Taxi 2 - Taxi was fun, but Taxi 2 is an all around romp. It manages
to combine a polished american style action film (clichéed vilains,
car chases, combat.. and witty one liners) with the best of french comedy
(twisted situations and misunderstandings and loads of self-irony). Some
very cool car chases, and a martial art fight scene that should become
a piece of anthology…

Toy Story 2. I must say it’s even better than the first one. What
a romp! GO SEE IT. ANd if you haven’t seen the first one, what the heck
were you thinking?

"a Straight Story", in a totally different register.
A very very nice film too, odd and funny and touching. Not much happens,
but you sure aren’t bored. It’s very well filmed and directed, the dialogues
are absolutely wonderful. Reminded me of something in the family between
"What’s Eating Gilbert Grape" and "Fargo"
(two excellent films too), but it isn’t dark.

Right when I should be installing all my software on my new machine and transfering files and tweaking everything, my old machine starts misbehaving in a major way and i have to fix it instead… :(

Am still playing Sacrifice and no one lives forever and finding both enjoyable but rather difficult. Maybe its just that i didnt play much throughout summer and got all rusty?

Saw Planet of the Apes in Paris. Although i would not say it is a transcendental film I quite enjoyed it. Longer review on the next rainy day.