Movie Reviews - C

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Caligula: 3 1/2

I saw Caligula in a small theater that liked to show eccentric movies. It was full and uncut and oh boy. It was a three hour long porn movie with some sets, costumes, and good actors (Malcolm McDowell and Peter O'Toole). Oh, and it used historical figures - the mad Emperor Caligula was real, as was the horse he made a Senator. Regardless, I will never look at a fist thrust straight outward the same way again.

Catch Me If You Can: 3 1/2

This was a fun movie. You can't go wrong with Tom Hanks, for the most part, and who wouldn't want Christopher Walken as their father? Leonardo Di Caprio did a good job in his role, so give him a chance if you're a Titanic-basher. The story was hilarious and messed up at the same time, spiralling toward nothing and then... things work themselves out. This movie is based on a real man's crimes and life, which makes the ending even more satisfying.

Chicago: 4

Both my boyfriend and I were reluctant to watch this movie, since neither of us liked Moulin Rouge and we're picky about musicals.  But we both got sucked in by fun and energy of Chicago, which transfers well to the big screen in all the ways that Closer doesn't.  The pacing is wonderful, the scenes flow nicely, and the characters are all likeable, even when they shouldn't be.  The actors all do their own singing and they sing their hearts out to some very catchy lyrics.  They also dance themselves nearly to death.  I'd like to see this on the stage but the movie left me feeling very well satisfied.

Chicken Run: 2 3/4

Yes, the chickens were cute. Yes, it was cute to have Mel Gibson do a voice for a chicken. It was also a good movie for kids. I just didn't find it as appealing as, say, Babe.

Chill Factor: 3

Chocolat: 4 3/4

I really liked Chocolat. It had some great camera work. It was set in a lovely little town, and captured the essence of small towns rather well. The lead and Johnny Depp gave wonderful performances. And the story was charming and a bit different from what you normally see in movies.

The Chronicles of Riddick: 3

I generally adore the very ground Vin Diesel walks on but I don't always find his movies to be the best ones. I very much liked his role in Pitch Black, so I went to see Chronicles - and I liked it. Some things were pretty predictable about the script but overall it was entertaining. It looked good, too; I liked a good many of the special effecs.  (Some of the fight scenes were horribly blurry but I got over that). What's more, the movie had Karl Urban in a supporting role, and he rocks no matter what role he's in. (He's the Captain/Commander that gets sent out after Riddick.) It is not as good as Pitch Black but it is an interesting experiment in branching out from a stranded group of people to a larger universe.

City Slickers: 4

I can't help it - I like this movie. I didn't think I would. But the three main actors work wonderfully together in a story about three middle-aged men who take a vacation. They herd cattle for miles the old fashioned way. I like the way the three friends were forced to examine their lives while they were on the trail, and how the simplicity of survival taught them how to cope with being adults in a city. I like the humor a good deal.

Clash of the Titans: 4

The movie is a classic. I grew up watching the Greek gods reborn in this film. I followed Perseus through his fights with ancient monsters and through his battle to save the lovely Andromeda. I learned the tale of Cassiopeia, for whom a constellation was named. And I fell in love with the golden owl. If I had kids, they would watch Class of the Titans, for sure.

Clockwork Orange: 5

I really like A Clockwork Orange, despite its gory messages. The film sucks you in and makes you feel sorry for a genuinely bad main character. It brings up questions about the nature of evil and the availability of free will, but the injections of ultraviolence keep the film from being boring.

Closer: 2

Closer's biggest problem is its script, which is very choppy and horribly contrived. The choppiness is due in part to the fact that the script was developed from a play, and when you look at the movie, you can see how they tried to set it up like a play. A lot of the action happens off screen, and you can get away with that in a stage production - but not so much in a movie. What's worse was the utter lack of chemistry between the actors. All of them are ice cold, even though they throw around the word "love" like it's going out of style and are sleeping together. It seems as though the actors could get into the hurt emotions, but not into the passion. And if you think Natalie Portman gets naked in this movie, you're dead wrong.

Con Air: 2 1/2

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