Idealistic Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones, tasked by his boss to lead an
investigation into the CIA's post 9/11 Detention and Interrogation
Program, uncovers shocking secrets.
Well-told and sober account of the investigation into one the darkest chapters of American history is gripping and suspenseful; the excellent cast helps.
Earth is invaded by Martians with unbeatable weapons and a cruel sense of humor.
Fairly enjoyable sci-fi spoof works only to a degree, since it's thoroughly tongue-in-cheek, so that, ironically, the more straight-faced Indepedence Day from the same year was actually more fun.
Halliwell*: "The film begins brilliantly, with a stampede of flaming cows, but then is content to recycle, at great expense, the style of 50s sci-fi films while its cast parody their more serious roles; despite its occasional antic charm, it is not as enjoyable as it ought to be."
Maltin**1/2: "Overly self-satisfied spoof of '50s alien-invasion movies (and '50s attitudes)...Great effects and animation (of the Martian characters) but awfully broad and one-note in tone, spoofing something that's already funny in the straight-faced originals of the period. One can't completely dislike a film in which Slim Whitman figures so prominently, however."
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
Perfectly executed satire on the American Way of Life which appears to say more profound things about existence than it actually does; works best seen as a black comedy.
Halliwell****: "A terrific, biting comedy about a man dealing, in an adolescent way, with a midlife crisis and the aridities of the life he and those around him are living; it manages not only to expose the inanities of a conformist society, but also to suggest an alternative, in the small pleasures that existence affords. There is not a false note in either the acting or the direction."
Maltin***1/2: "Exceptional and original look at the American Dream gone sour...Amusing, bittersweet, and insightful script by Alan Ball is perfectly realized by a superb cast and first-time film director."
