you gained an egg, but you lost a finger—was it worth it?

Average rating: 7.4

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) - "When a cybernetic collective known as the Borg travels back in time to prevent humanity’s first contact with alien life, the crew of the Enterprise-E follows them to mid-21st-century Earth, where history hangs in the balance. Captain Picard and his crew must defend a pivotal moment—the warp flight that will bring humans into a wider galactic community—while confronting a relentless enemy that seeks not to conquer, but to assimilate. Blending action, character conflict, and a sense of legacy, the film explores what it means to hold onto humanity when faced with its erasure." 

length: 1h, 51m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Jonathan Frakes  |  why I watched: I've seen it several times—and used to own a copy, which must have been snatched because it (and the rest of the sub-series) disappeared. I bought a new one.

IMDb: 7.6/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 93% / 89% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: energetic, crisp & modern

notable quote: "'Captain, I believe I am feeling... anxiety. It is an intriguing sensation. A most distracting...' 

    'Data, I'm sure it's a fascinating experience, but perhaps you should deactivate your emotion chip for now.' 

    'Good idea, sir.' [beep] 'Done.' 

    'Data, there are times that I envy you.'"

my notes: exciting, sweet, funny, and very dear. 

themes: identity, justice, traditional vs. change

    Roger Ebert's nice review is here. 

overall: strongly recommended 

 

Ashes of Time [redux] {Dung che sai duk} (2008) - "In a remote desert inn, a solitary fixer brokers contracts for vengeance, connecting wandering swordsmen with those who seek retribution. Stories drift in and out like memory—loves lost, promises broken, identities half-remembered—until the past begins to feel as immediate as the present. Rather than a traditional martial arts tale, the film unfolds as a meditation on time, regret, and the fragile stories people tell themselves to survive." 

length: 1h, 40m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Wong Kar-wai  |  why I watched: I'm branching out from my fascination with Tony Leung Chui-wai (who stars) to the director's body of work

IMDb: 7.0/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 79% / 76% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: R

tone & texture: melancholic, lush & romantic

notable quote: "Some people don't realize who they love until they've left that person behind."

my notes: dreamy, unusual, confusing, and glorious. Best not to watch it for plot, but for feelings. 

themes: memory, identity

    Roger Ebert's review (here) is hilarious. 

overall:  recommended

The Crystal Ball (1943) - "A quick-thinking woman lands a job posing as a fortune teller, using intuition, improvisation and a bit of harmless deception to navigate her way into a fancy dinner—and into unexpected complications. Misunderstandings multiply as ambition, romance, and opportunism collide, turning a simple con into a lively game of timing and reinvention. Light on its feet and driven by personality, the film leans into charm and wit rather than stakes, offering a brisk glimpse of wartime-era escapism." 

length: 1h, 21m  |  source: TubiTV  |  directed by Elliott Nugent  |  why I watched: it was in my watchlist, goodness knows how it got there

IMDb: 6.5/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: NA% / 50% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: playful, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "'Why is it, women always have to have words?'

    'Well, words are like things you get, that you put in little boxes. You know, so afterwards you can take them out, and look at them.'"

my notes: light, charming, and not foolish - this is a nice movie for a quiet night

themes: identity, love

overall:  recommended

A Kiss Before Dying (1956) - "Amoral Bud Corliss (Robert Wagner) pursues young heiress Dorie Kingship (Joanne Woodward) in the hopes of getting his hands on the fortune amassed by her father (George Macready). But after Dorie succumbs to Bud's charms and becomes pregnant as a result, he fears she'll be cut off by the family and murders her in a fashion that makes it look as if the poor girl committed suicide. When Bud tries to cozy up with Dorie's grieving sister, Ellen (Virginia Leith), she begins to suspect his intentions." 

length: 1h, 34m  |  source: Amazon Prime  |  directed by Gerd Oswald  |  why I watched: it was on my watchlist, from which I chose a film noir at random

IMDb: 6.7/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 100% / 51% Audience  |  my IMDb: 6/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: gritty, noir shadows

notable quote: "I'm a man with a shameful, sinister secret. You know what it is? I've never really been in love before."

my notes: oh my great good God, what a movie! Awkward, challenging. These characters are hard to like. A cast of unlikable characters makes for a slog of a movie, no matter how well-crafted.

    It doesn't help that Robert Wagner, when young, closely resembled someone I used to date....

themes: justice

overall: only marginally recommended

 

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) - "In rural Victorian England, an independent young woman inherits a farm and resolves to run it on her own terms, drawing the attention of three very different men whose affections—and expectations—shape the course of her life. Love, pride, and circumstance intertwine against a landscape that is as demanding as it is beautiful. The film traces the cost of choices made in youth and the quiet endurance required to live with them, offering a restrained, emotionally grounded take on romance and self-determination." 

length: 1h, 59m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Thomas Vinterberg  |  why I watched: I'd liked it before (previously reviewed here) and wanted a nice movie

IMDb: 7.1/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 85% / 75% Audience  |  my IMDb: 9/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: intimate, lush & romantic

notable quote: "I'm not going to tell stories just to please you. You can be sure of that."

my notes: this one packs a punch. Murkier than Pride and Prejudice, less cynical and manipulative than Vanity Fair, this film gets me in the heart much like Our Mutual Friend (2020, reviewed here and here). Hard-won resolution.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, by which I am charmed. 

themes: love, identity, tradition vs change

overall: highly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Ashes of Time]