I saw a whole slew of 2004 releases over the weekend, bringing the total number of films I've seen so far this year to 62. No wonder I'm so tired.

Thunderbirds

I'm as shocked to say this as you are to be reading it, but this film is actually a lot of fun. It has some really bad movie moments, to be sure, but it embraces its weird qualities and just totally goes with it. If nothing else, it's totally worth seeing for the complete oddity of the Lady Penelope character and her assistant Parker.

The Manchurian Candidate

I love Liev Schreiber. He's simply fantastic as the tortured Vice Presidential candidate in this film. I do think that the original is a brilliant, masterful piece of filmmaking. It's satirical, terrifying and intelligent. That doesn't mean I can't like the remake almost as much, though. It's a film that has been updated to match our times. Where in the original film the troops were subject to mind control via drugs and some form of hypnosis, the remake switches off to computer implants, a much more believable and relevant technique for our time. Additionally, it places the context within a modern setting and it works very well. Jonathan Demme's film is a smart, engaging film that really makes one think. Perhaps its biggest flaw is that it is significantly more self-serious than its predecessor.

The Village

I like this film much better on reflection than I did immediately after seeing it. In fact, I think I'd almost like to see it again before commenting much, particularly as anything I might have to say would be filled with spoilers. Let's just say it works very, very well as allegory.

Strayed

Emmanuelle Béart is really, really pretty. Strayed is one of those films that has fascinating performances that really pull the viewer in, but ultimately I was left a little empty. I was particularly impressed by Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet as Phillipe, the 13-year-old son of Béart's character. It does provide a somewhat timely look at families that are tragically displaced and wayward as a result of war happening around them.

Never Die Alone

Vile. Just vile. I can't say enough how much I hated this film.