Sorry. . . took a bit of a break there. . .

Haven't written in a few days, simply because there really hasn't been a whole heck of a lot to write about since Wednesday. Been working overtime and spending my free time watching too much TV. Not much else has happened. Although, the great news is that I found out this week that I could borrow from my 401k to pay back my debt, which actually brings me ahead with my monetary situation, so that's one big huzzah to cheer for!!

Weekend hasn't really started for me yet since I had to work an 8:30-5 shift. My weekend happens to be Sunday and Monday this week. Last night after work i came home and watched Goodfellas, which I really feel should be on the top ten list i did a few weeks ago. What a brilliant film. It's brutal and savage, but the acting and directing is nothing short of perfection. I've seen the film probably close to 10 times, and it always feels just as fresh and tragic as the first time. Awesome flick. Tonight after work I took a walk and then just putzed around the apartment. Nothing much to do. Watched a few Simpsons Season 4 episodes. "Mr. Plow" is, of course, one of the all-time classic Simpsons episodes ever and I'm amazed how well it holds up about 10 years after it first debuted. Actually, the entire fourth season is just so great. Every episode has either been a classic or contained classic lines. Excellent collection.

Okay. . . now if you check the movie listings, we're actually heading into the bottom of the barrel for films until the fall season starts on Labor Day. So, the summer film season is officially pretty much over. That done, here's a list of what I felt the top 10 films this summer were for me. Honestly, it wasn't a bad summer, but is wasn't great. Of the 10 films on this list, I can only think of 3 or 4 that are even possible contenders for the best films I saw all year. But read on.

1. Collateral: This was probably the all-out best flick I saw all summer. Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx delivered peak performances and Michael Mann directed an action thriller that was tense, dramatic, pulse-pounding, and intelligent all at once. The last 30 minutes delivered some incredible suspense and every performance was just dead-on. Great fun.

2. Before Sunset: Okay, I'm a bit of a sucker for love stories, if the truth be told, as long as they are told honestly and deal with characters, not some inane contrivances (although I will admit with some sheepishness that I did think The Notebook was well done.) But this movie really hit me hard. I loved the original film, but in hindsight, Before Sunrise seems made only to set up this brilliant sequel. Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke seem to become Celine and Jesse. The conversation they have throughout their day in Paris is deep, heartfelt, and intelligent. For most of the movie, the audience spends the time wondering if they are even going to attempt to get back together. When the emotional third act comes, it's brought about so subtley and softly that we're surprised to find our hearts breaking and urging Jesse not to get on that plane. And the ending is at once hopeful and ambigous. Here's hoping we run into Jesse and Celine again in nine years. . .

3. Spiderman 2: This isn't the four-star movie that all the critics were hailing it as, but it's pretty darn close. Not only is it one of the best sequels I've ever seen (this year was a VERY good year for sequels), but it vies very seriously with X2 as the best superhero movie ever. It's exciting and epic, yet also has moments of intimacy and emotion. Tobey Maquire seems to be more confident this time out and Alfred Molina knocks it out of the park as Doc Ock (a nice recover from the lame Green Goblin.) But this film is truly a success because of Sam Raimi, who lets loose with the camera just like he did in Evil Dead and delivers some incredible action sequences.

4. Garden State: Zach Braff's debut film is one that I think I'll grow to love more in time. Funny and touching is a hard mix to get in a film without being sappy. And I've always been wary of filmmakers who try to use quirky touches. . . if I feel too taken out of the story, I can't really relate to the characters (a big reason why, although I admire his craft, I have not enjoyed any of Wes Anderson's films.) But Braff is able to pull it off in a film that made me laugh and yet choked me up. His timing as a director is impeccable and his eye for detail is impressive for a first-timer. Anyone in their 20s who have spent life wondering why they feel so numb will relate to this film. The performances are probably some of the best all year, but Natalie Portman comes off especially well. And it also proves what Shattered Glass proved last year: keep your eyes on Peter Sarsgaard.

5. The Bourne Supremacy: Like I said earlier, it was a very good year for sequels (although I wasn't too fond of Shrek 2.) Matt Damon's Jason Bourne is so much better and more believable than Affleck's Jack Ryan (maybe I'm just bitter because I'm a Clancy fan.) But this film is taut and tense from the get go and does a nice job of standing alone and yet also deepening Bourne's mystery. I like the fact that everyone in this film comes off as intelligent. . . no run-of-the-mill characters here. The fight in the apartment with the magazine vs. knife was a nice touch. But the car chase through the streets of Germany at the end is the clincher, delivering one of the best chases I've ever seen.

6. Anchorman--the Legend of Ron Burgundy: "I'll punch you in the ovaries." "I stabbed a man in the heart with a trident." "You pooped in the refrigerator?" "You're a crazy pirate hooker woman." "Stay classy, San Diego." "Scotchy scotch scotch. Here it goes down. Down into my belly." "San Diego was, of course, discovered by the Germans." If you're laughing at these comments, than you know why this films on here and why Will Ferrell is the next big comedy star. If you're not laughing, you either didn't like the film or you haven't seen it yet. If your answer is the latter, shame on you.

7. The Day After Tomorrow: I have a weakness for end of the world, disaster flicks. I love watching mass destruction. I love watching landmarks get pummelled by aliens, disasters, or giant lizards. And this film, from the director of Independence Day, was exactly what I like about it. The special effects were astounding, especially as that wall of water just barrels down on New York. Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhall add some respectability to the story. Fun stuff.

8. Open Water: Again, I'm sure there's a Blair Witch-style backlash against this film. "It's not gory." "It's not violent." "You don't see many sharks." And those people are missing the point. This film is suspenseful because of what you don't see. What do you imagine? Any second, those sharks could jump out of the water, and we're left without a music cue to depend on. For about an hour of its 80-minute running time, my hands were clenching the armrest. Too bad the ending was a tad lame, but other than that, this was a great film.

9. The Village: Not my favorite film by M. Night Shyamalan, but still entertaining nonetheless. First off, its beautifully photographed. The acting is well-done. The suspense is plentiful. The first twist is a bit predictable, but the second twist blew me away. A well-written, well-crafted story. Others may have been disappointed, but I was entertained.

10. Van Helsing: Oh, I'm going to get crap for this one. Many film geeks were out to burn Steven Sommers at the stake for his latest horror-adventure. I, however, thought it was a hoot. Had I been 10, it would be my favorite movie of all-time. Its not without its flaws, though. The story is a bit ludicrous, the humor is corny, and some of the special effects are a bit bad. This is not the type of film I would buy on DVD. However, this was the perfect film to see on a hot summer night on a big screen. It was nicely photographed and the action was fun and fast. Seeing it on the big screen was a nice diversion, although I have to imagine seeing it at home may lose some of the appeal.

And, the big surprises of the summer. . .

Shrek 2: It's the highest grossing film of the year. The 3rd highest grossing film of all-time. And yet, I don't know why. It's not horrible. In fact, I laughed quite a bit during the final half. But it takes a long time to get where it's going and that first half is quite slow and tedious, like a failed sitcom. Not a bad movie. I'll see part 3. But not near as witty, fast-paced, or funny as the first film.

The Notebook: This movie was a not-on-my-deathbed movie. It looked sappy. It looked manipulative. It looked like a chick flick. . . and it was all those things. But the surprise is, I went in knowing that and came out having seen a well done film. Maybe not my cup of tea (when it comes to love stories, I'm more Say Anything or Before Sunrise), but I'll admit to a good film when I see it and this had a lot going for it. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling had very good chemistry, and the ending. . . while a bit unrealistic, was a nicer touch than the usual love story drivel.

Farenheit 9/11: Um. . . the surprise is. . . it wasn't very surprising. It wasn't surprising to see Michael Moore take potshots at President Bush through the first half. The second half, although very powerful and thought-provoking, didn't deliver any surprises you couldn't see on the nightly news. It's surprising that it's merely entertaining and not enraging. It's surprising this took the highest honor at Cannes, being a blatant piece of propoganda. But it's surprising that it was still enjoyable, still shows why Michael Moore is a gifted entertainer, and I'll be surprised if it's not noticed at Awards Time (although, please no documentary awards...this film is not a documentary at all.)

The Manchurian Candidate: With Jonathan Demme in the director's chair and stars like Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep in front of the camera, this film should have been a contender for best film of the year. Unfortunately it was a run-of-the-mill, if bizarre, thriller. Very well made and acted, of course. But Collateral delivered more suspense and The Bourne Supremacy had more twists and a much more credible conspiracy. A good movie, but with a pedigree like this, it should have been great.

Troy: Epics should give us something bigger to root for. In Braveheart, it was freedom. In Gladiator, it was family. In this film, it's. . . um, Achilles' popularity?? Again, not a bad film. Just mediocre. First off, doing the story of the Trojan War without any of Greek Mythology?? Ugh. That's like telling the story of Clark Kent and leaving out Superman. Brad Pitt and Eric Bana were good, but Orlando Bloom is cornering the market in wuss roles (although I'll still give him points for that awesome scene with the elephant in Return of the King.) It's long and self-important and the actions scenes are nothing we haven't seen before in much-better made films. Let's hope that Alexander is more exhilirating, or else I'm calling an end to sword and sandel flicks.