Movies Midyear Progress Report . . .

Well, the year is coming up on the halfway mark. The winter and spring movie seasons are behind us and we're rolling into Summertime as we speak. That means it's time to do a quick check of the five best movies so far this year, as well as some comments on some of the other, um, not so notables. So, here we go. . .

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: I can't express how much I loved this movie. Jim Carrey toned it down and turned in a perfect straight man performance. Kate Winslet was wild and uninhibited and I absolutely adored her in this. Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, and Mark Ruffalo gave great supporting performances. But the thing I loved most was Charlie Kauffman's twisty script, which managed to be intriguing and original and yet touching and emotional. One of my favorite love stories ever. A passionate look at what it means to fall in love, warts and all. A great, great movie.

2. Kill Bill- Volume 2: Part one was like a cinematic heroin rush. Part 2 was slower and more character based. But what characters Quentin Tarantino created! Uma's bride was heartbreaking and intense. Darryl Hannah was wickedly devious. Michael Madsen's Budd was sympathetic yet slimy. And Bill. . . well, he rocked the house. Tarantino's marriage of smashing violence, epic storytelling, and clever dialogue lived up to and fulfilled the promises Volume 1 put in play. Put them together and you have a movie that will forever be loved by geeks everywhere, myself included.

3. Miracle: Yeah, it's the cliched sports story of the 1980 Olympic Hockey team. But the cliches work. Kurt Russell's performance is incredible and the story is a great example of just how sports and cultural events bring us together. A big smile of a movie that makes you feel proud to be an American.

4. Dawn of the Dead: Who would've thunk this remake would be any good? But the tense horror, wicked humor, and shocking ending combined to make the first truly scary horror movie in years. Fun in every way a horror movie needs to be. Able to make you scream, hide your eyes, and chuckle at yourself for doing so. Everything that 28 Days Later wished it could have been.

5. Super Size Me: I'm surprised just how much this documentary has stuck with me. Morgan Spurlock sure got himself in a heap of trouble with McDonald's over this film. But it's a shocking look at our food loving culture, and an eye-opening look at the fast food industry. Some might say it's just the chronicling of a really unwise experiment, and they'd probably be right. But as for me; I'm loving it.

And no, I didn't forget . . .

The Passion of the Christ: Really, I think it would be wrong to try and "list" this movie. It defies listings or even a valid review. It's the most important, controversial, and hotly divided film of the year so far, and I don't see that changing come December. But what else would you expect from a film that tells the most important story any of us will ever hear? Mel Gibson crafted a film that was powerful, unflinching, and impossible to quantify. Beautiful even as it gets ugly. Moving even as you become numb. Thought provoking even as you find yourself dumbstruck. This film is a true work of art. Not enjoyable by any means, but undeniably brilliant and a labor of love.

But alas, one film stood head and shoulders above the others for the worst film thus far . . .

The Ladykillers: Combine the eccentric Coen Brothers and Tom Hanks in a devious black comedy. The possibilities were intriguing. Unfortunately, they were more intriguing than anything in this foul-mouthed, stupendously stupid movie. While it earns a few points for at least never being boring (and Tom Hanks did his best with the Colonel Sanders role) it loses them all over again for lacking any coherence.

C-Dubbs