CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Little Miss Sunshine

starring: Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Toni Collette
directed by: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton

Release Date December 19, 2006
It contains good dark humour. It won't appeal to many people. Many scenes made me laugh and broke my heart at the same time. It's not suitable for children because of foul language, dirty jokes, and drug scenes.

**** SPOILER. DO NOT READ THIS if you HAVE NOT WATCHED the MOVIE.

For example, in the scene where the grandpa died in the hospital. The lady in charge of the corpse yelled at Greg Kinnear (the father) when he wanted to pospone the burial. She did not want to listen to his explanation why. It brillantly portraited how cruelly sometimes people treat each other. It moved me.

The next scene is hilarious when it showed the family trying to sneak the corpse into their car to continue their trip to California. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Emma (1996)

starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, James Cosmo, Greta Scacchi, Alan Cumming, Denys Hawthorne
directed by: Douglas McGrath

Release Date January 05, 1999
I have a preference for comedy and humor and wit (why I prefer Austen to the Brontes), and I'll admit that that's why I'm giving this version four stars rather than three. I'm easy to sucker - if it's fun funny, it already has me hooked.

This was a very funny "Emma". Emma can't be done in a somber, serious way - Emma is just not that sort. The movie captures Emma in both her earnestness as well as her matchmaking silliness. Paltrow is a lot of fun to watch, and how she fancies herself in love with Churchill is amusing to watch.

I'll also admit a weakness for actors Greta Sacchi, Alan Cumming, and Jeremy Northam. They're just a joy to watch.

Weaknesses: lack of Austen. It's a looser adaptation, and it misses characterization ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Muriel's Wedding

starring: Sophie Lee, Rosalind Hammond, Toni Collette, Belinda Jarrett, Pippa Grandison
directed by: P.J. Hogan

Release Date May 18, 1999
I saw the new Mamma Mia! movie last night and it was fun, but it could not hold a candle to Muriel's Wedding, which is my favorite ABBA-themed movie (wedding-themed and ABBA-themed, quite a specialized genre!).

Muriel's Wedding is not a full-on musical, but features ABBA music throughout (including Dancing Queen, Waterloo, and Fernando) as sad-sack Muriel dreams of leaving her dead-end existence in Porpoise Spit behind for life in the big city and hopefully, a fantasy wedding. The lack of a groom is the least of Muriel's obstacles.

The Australian comedy stars a young Toni Collette (known now for playing mother roles in The Sixth Sense, About a Boy, and Little Miss Sunshine) and Rachel Griffiths, who went on to co-star in Six Feet Under and Brothers ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

The Sixth Sense (Collector's Edition Series)

starring: Firdous Bamji, Mischa Barton, Toni Collette, Janis Dardaris, Glenn Fitzgerald
directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Release Date March 28, 2000
I saw this film in the theaters back in 1998/1999 and at the time I thought it was a good film, but I had no intention to watch it again. Since that time I have seen bits and pieces of the film, but had no desire to watch it again. I thought it was a great film, but it was just not for me.

Well yesterday and today I watched the film in full for the first time since 98/99 and saw it from a different perspective that I failed to see in 98/99. I liked it so much, I decided to buy myself a used copy and await its delivery.

Excellent film and superb acting by everyone involved. My only wish is that the film would have explained to the viewer what happened to that mother that poisoned her daughter. The film leaves us in suspense...

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

The Sixth Sense [Blu-ray]

starring: Toni Collette, Bruce Norris, Bruce Willis, Glenn Fitzgerald, Haley Joel Osment

Release Date September 30, 2008
This film proves once and for all what an amazing talent Bruce Norris is. An incredible performance in an incredibly well written movie. Can not wait to see him in his next film.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Velvet Goldmine

starring: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard
directed by: Todd Haynes

Release Date May 18, 1999
I admit it: I'm a little OCD-like concerning Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I've been backtracking to many of his older films, and the more I see, the more I've come to respect his obvious talent, charisma and overall joie de'vivre with every role he tackles.

That being said, the first time I viewed VELVET GOLDMINE I felt as though I smoked peyote and dropped acid at the same time. It was just an acid washed trip down memory land (a memory lane that I wasn't familiar with, seeing as though I was a product of the 80s-90s Michael Jackson/Prince/Madonna phenomena). I really had to take several deep, cleansing breaths after finishing and question my sanity in purchasing the movie.

I decided to give it another shot a few days later (once the peyote/acid remnants *imagined* had worn ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

About a Boy (Widescreen Edition)

starring: Toni Collette, Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Sharon Small
directed by: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Release Date January 14, 2003
Not surprisingly, this film feels and unfolds similarly to its cinematic sibling, High Fidelity. Based on John Cusack and Jack Black's outstanding and often hilarious performances in that film, I'd have to say it solidly scores a 5 star rating, and About a Boy, while good, is more of a 4 1/2. About a Boy drags a little at times, isn't quite as overtly humorous, occasionally seems muddled and unsure of its direction or ultimate destination, and leaves poor Toni Colette's character hanging while wrapping things up nicely for everyone else.

Faults aside, About a Boy is refreshingly quirky, honest, and life affirming. Hugh Grant is utterly believable as Will, an aging slacker with a trust fund and uber-cool pad but no friends or fun or reason to get out of bed in the morning. He decides ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Evening

starring: Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Redgrave, Wilson

Release Date September 25, 2007
I had the chance last night to catch Evening, an ensemble piece starring some of the most heavy-hitting female actresses working today. I thought it was wonderfully sentimental, and I enjoyed watching it.

Ann (Vanessa Redgrave/Claire Danes) is on her deathbed, reflecting on some of the defining moments of her life. Her two daughters, Connie (Natasha Richardson) and Nina (Toni Collette), grapple with the complications of their own lives and the idea of their mother's passing.

In her waning moments, Ann primarily dwells on a single weekend in her life, when she serves as the maid of honor at her friend Lila's (Mamie Gummer/Meryl Streep) wedding. During the weekend, Ann meets Harris (Patrick Wilson), whom she falls in love with and never truly forgets. However, due to a tragic ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

The Hours

starring: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Stephen Dillane, Miranda Richardson
directed by: Stephen Daldry

Release Date June 24, 2003
What an awful, awful movie! Flitting through 3 lives, we discover 3 miserable people. No reason for this movie but to waste an hour and a half. The potential of these actors together would have been awesome but they were wasted on a trash movie.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Shaft

starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Philip Bosco, Toni Collette, Zach Grenier, Dan Hedaya
directed by: John Singleton

Release Date December 12, 2000
It's worth watching once to satisfy your curiosity. That's it.

There's no suspense, nothing new, nothing interesting in this movie. Samuel Jackson could not save it.