The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Dir. Joel Schumacher's filmed version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of Gaston Leroux's famous French novel (1910). I'd hoped for drama, theatrical, fantastical and fraught with emotions, but what I got was half-hearted at best and Baz Luhrmann-esque at worst. There are some neat cinematic tricks on offer, but overall it's not very exciting.
Emmy Rossum (great hair) does okay, and she sure can sing, but, surprisingly, it's Butler that comes closest to displaying any hint of passion, albeit minor; most everyone else is just there, in costume but not so much in spirit.
The memorable part for me was the first half of the cemetery scene that comes late in the running time; the swamped in dry-ice set was beautiful.

2½ strange duets out of 5

Spider (2002)

An often overlooked film from David Cronenberg that absolutely deserves more attention than it currently receives, for a number of reasons but mostly because of Ralph Fiennes acting his socks off.
His speech characterises him, as you'd expect, but perhaps even more important are his mannerisms, clothes and even his stained fingers, all of which are an exquisite commentary on his inner feelings.
The Becket-esque halfway house in which Spider resides has a nearby factory that looms in an almost Ballardian way. The two styles work as one thanks to Cronenberg's ability to make them feel as if they deserve each other.
I really like Miranda Richardson and loved seeing her get such a powerful role.
Be warned, the trailer makes it appear something it's not.

5 bad airs out of 5

HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE [2005]

Director Mike Newell brings his knack for seamlessly brisk pacing to the fourth film in the Harry Potter film series, The Goblet of Fire.
Hogwart's is host to a very dangerous international tournament amongst the Wizards & Witches world, while the gang first encounters puberty (Ron is hilariously revealed to be an ass-man), firmly graduating the series from children's films to young-adult oriented in both subject matter and tone.  The series gets darker with each installment but Newell manages to insert enough humor to keep it fun enough amidst the doom 'n gloom.  Like always the adult stars are a joy to watch as they have a grand ol' time getting into their quirky roles but it's the kids that make a vast improvement from the last film with their emotional acting chops.  At least half of the novel is left out but doesn't matter seeing as it still fits like a glove in the series without missing any important story arcs leading into the future films.

4 PULPy Radioheads out of 5

The Crying Game (1992)

Films that use the conflict in Northern Ireland as a backdrop to tell their story tend to be pretty grim. While parts of The Crying Game certainly fit that description, there are moments where the gloom cracks and the light of hope shines through because it's essentially a love story.
Neil Jordan's film style certainly won't appeal to everyone. On the surface it seems languid and cheaply made, but if you don't turn off too soon you'll be rewarded with a well-crafted second half that's a deeply considered exploration of the secrets of the human heart.

3½ tools of the trade out of 5

The Line, the Cross and the Curve (1993)

The Line, the Cross and the Curve is a short film directed by musician Kate Bush featuring seven songs from her 1993 album, The Red Shoes. It’s inspired by the nineteenth Century Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, which tells of an aspiring dancer who receives a pair of magical ballet shoes from a mysterious woman. A personal battle ensues as the dancer attempts to free herself of the obsession. It's the same story that was the basis for the famous 1948 Powell and Pressburger musical.
If reports are to believed Kate hated the final product, so it remains in dvd limbo along with the rest of her video catalogue. Admittedly, it is pretty awful in places, but rose-tinted, fan-boy glasses can hide failings.

2½ pages of / + ) out of 5

SLEEPY HOLLOW [1999]

Director Tim Burton and Se7en screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker loosely adapt Washington Irving's The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow and turn it into a slasher flick homage to the Hammer films.

It's visually stunning, musically powerful and features a top-notch performance from Johnny Depp, but a script that stinks of multiple rewrites and an awkward performance from Christina Ricci drags it down a bit, sometimes brining nearly bringing the pacing to a complete halt.  

It's not quite a film to lose your head over but enough to please Burton/Depp fans.

3½ bleeding Trees Of Death out of 5