Shopgirl (2005)

★★★½

Shopgirl isn't so much about relationships as it is about loneliness. It introduces its main character, Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes), as standing aloof from her surroundings in bored admiration. She is situated daily behind her counter at Saks Fifth Avenue, envious of the couples that enjoy companionship. She goes home to a small apartment where a long evening of watching television on her futon awaits her. As she sleeps, the camera moves away, until her place in the city is as small as a blip on the radar screen, lost in a sea of lights and people. She goes it alone in the crowded metropolis of Los Angeles.

Aquamarine (2006)

★★★

Aquamarine is a charming mermaid movie, with appealing performances by its young cast and a message of friendship that isn't delivered with a sickening spoonful of dripping syrup. It is so intensely likable that any objections over its derivative plot are simply minor annoyances. This is a good movie, with no intention of being cynical or condescending in any way. It is what it is, a goofy mermaid movie with lots of heart and humor flowing from the screen like a gentle wave.

Beautiful Girls (1996)

★★★★

Paul Kirkwood (Michael Rapaport) sums up the movie's theme in one scene. His bedroom wall is covered with pinups of the most beautiful models upon which he has ever gazed. They represent the kind of person he would like to meet. He created for himself a set of ideals so grand that no one in his own hometown could qualify for his companionship. This mentality isn't limited to Paul. His buddies, in one way or another, have trouble relating to their closest female friends. They believe that somewhere out there, the right woman is waiting for them, and everything about her will be perfect. They fail to see the potential relationships just waiting for them right there in that snowy hamlet.

True Romance (1993)

★★★★

I have seen films from nearly every genre and nearly every decade, from Hollywood's Golden Age to the high art of the '70s to the modern wave of independent cinema. Of all those titles, there is one that stands apart from the rest. That is 1993's True Romance, a brilliant, wildly energetic and blistering masterpiece that puts every fiber of its being on a collision course with greatness, producing an explosion of crackling dialogue, devastating violence, varied personalities and, of course, young love. This is the kind of movie that gets better with every viewing. It's a testament to the talents of writer Quentin Tarantino and director Tony Scott to work in a genre that has seen many entries (Bonnie & Clyde, Drugstore Cowboy, Badlands), and come away with a funny, action-packed and thoroughly entertaining film.