with those few words, you've knocked the bottom out of my entire existence

Terribly skewed average score of 6.5, no thanks to one turkey in a bunch of otherwise pretty birds.

In the Mood for Love {Fa yeung nin wah} (2000) - "In 1962, journalist Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow's spouse is often away on business. Before long, the lonely Chow makes the acquaintance of the alluring Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk), whose own significant other also seems preoccupied with work. As the two friends realize their respective partners are cheating on them, they begin to fall for one another; however, neither wants to stoop to the level of the unfaithful spouses."
source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: It's been on my watchlist for a while and I just managed to find it.
IMDB: 8.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 92% Audience: 94%
my IMDB: 9/10

notable quote: "You notice things if you pay attention."

MPAA rating: PG

directed by: Kar-Wai Wong

my notes: devastating story, beautifully shot, terrific costumes, well acted. Tony Leung is a favorite of mine, and he shines in this intricate, decorous, artful film. Terrific.

overall: very highly recommended

Night Train to Munich (1940) - "When the Nazis take Prague, Dr. Bomasch (James Harcourt) escapes, but his daughter, Anna (Margaret Lockwood), is taken to a concentration camp. There she meets Karl (Paul Henreid), a Czech man who helps her escape. She flees with Karl to England where her father is already working for the Royal Navy, guarded by undercover agent Dickie Randall (Rex Harrison). No sooner are they reunited when Karl, actually an SS agent, steals father and daughter back to Germany. It is up to Randall to save them."

source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: I wanted to see a different sort of Rex Harrison film than the last one that I saw (The Honey Pot, reviewed here)
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 73%
my IMDB: 8/10

notable quote: "You know, if a woman ever loved you like you love yourself, it would be one of the great romances of history!"

MPAA rating: NR

directed by: Carol Reed

my notes: snappy and clever, historically accurate, surprisingly funny (and a tiny bit sweet) for an action/war/political drama. Harrison has a marvelous singing voice, Lockwood is smart and lovely, and the unintentionally comedic pair of Caldicott and Charters (Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford, respectively) is wonderful.
Academy Award nominee: Best Writing, Original Story—Gordon Wellesley
overall: strongly recommended

Repo Man (1984) - "After being fired from his job, Los Angeles slacker and punk rocker Otto (Emilio Estevez) lands a gig working for an eccentric repossession agent named Bud (Harry Dean Stanton). At first, Otto is reluctant to work as a repo man, but he grows to love the fast-paced job. After learning of a Chevy Malibu that has been given a $20,000 price tag, Otto embarks on a quest to find the car with the beautiful Leila (Olivia Barash), who claims the trunk's contents are otherworldly."
source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it was on my watchlist
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 98% Audience: 78%
my IMDB: 2/10

notable quote: "The more you drive, the less intelligent you are."

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Alex Cox

my notes: what. the. fuck? I couldn't follow it, and ultimately didn't care enough to try. I thought it was bewildering, crass, and poorly acted. Estevez is not the best actor of his generation; it is conceivable that someone else could have made more of this mess. Sheesh.

overall: not  recommended

Thirteen Days (2000) - "For thirteen extraordinary days in October of 1962, the world stood on the brink of an unthinkable catastrophe. Across the globe, people anxiously awaited the outcome of a harrowing political, diplomatic and military confrontation that threatened to end in an apocalyptic nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union. Thirteen days captures the urgency, suspense and paralyzing chaos of the Cuban Missile Crisis."
source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it's been on my watchlist for a while
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 83% Audience: 80%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "This is not a 'blockade'—this is language. A new vocabulary, the likes of which the world has never seen! This is President Kennedy, communicating with Secretary Khrushchev!"

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Roger Donaldson

my notes: almost unbearably tense, this is a classic intellectual thriller. If you get it, and really buy into the minute-by-minute drama, then it'll get to you. If you're not familiar with this period of American history, though, some (a lot) of what happens will be hard to follow. My favorites were Dylan Baker as Robert McNamara, and Steven Culp as Robert Kennedy.

overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Night Train to Munich]