Days of Heaven

DAYS OF HEAVEN - Dec. 30, 2010
Terrence Malick is best known for making some seriously beautiful looking movies, and on that level Days of Heaven  does not disappoint. Seemingly filmed entirely at either dawn or dusk, the film has a strikingly ethereal look, with almost every frame suitable to be enlarged and framed on your wall. It is a very good looking movie.  As for the straightforward plot; it’s fine. It gets the job done, but it’s fairly clear that had this film been directed by a middle-of-the-road director with no flair for visuals, it would have been immediately forgotten. There’s really nothing about the story or about the characters that particularly stays with you for very long after the credits have rolled. It’s really more the mood and tone that Malick manages to sustain that gives this film its power.  I liked this movie, but I can’t help but think that I would have absolutely loved it had the story been even close to being on the same level as the direction/cinematography.  ***

Tron: Legacy

TRON: LEGACY (2010) - Dec. 29, 2010
Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly a fairly sizable step up from the original, this was a decent enough film.  About the son of the protagonist from the first film, who gets sucked into the computer world and must find his way out, along with his father who has been trapped in there for years.  Though none of the characters are particularly compelling, director Joseph Kosinski obviously has an eye for visuals, and along with Daft Punk's memorable score, creates a film which is generally interesting to watch.  ***

Somewhere

SOMEWHERE (2010) - Dec. 28, 2010
Almost absurdly low-key, I enjoyed this film, though I do feel like it's Sophia Coppola's weakest effort.  About a disaffected playboy movie star who spends a couple of weeks with his daughter, the film was certainly well made and well acted, if a bit disappointing given Coppola's previous work.  I liked and felt for Stephen Dorff's Johnny Marco (and Dorff is probably better here than I've ever seen him), but the film did feel a bit aloof.  I'd definitely like to see it at least one more time before I fully pass judgment on it, but it does feel kind of like lesser Sophia Coppola.  ***

Winter's Bone

WINTER'S BONE (2010) - Dec. 27, 2010
About a determined young girl who decides to track down her father after she finds out that she'll lose her home if he doesn't show up in court.  The film unfolds at a fairly meticulous pace, but it remains compelling throughout -- there's something kind of fascinating about the insular, forested community in which everyone seems to be distantly related.  The performances are uniformly pretty great, particularly Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes.  I also really liked the sparse, almost hard-boiled dialogue.  Good stuff.  ***1/2

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010) - Dec. 26, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Visually stunning and directed with a ridiculously kinetic style by Edgar Wright (who always manages to make sure that the style never overwhelms the viewer or overtakes the story), this was definitely a very good film, though I still don't think it's on the level of Wright's last two movies (particularly Shaun of the Dead).  I never quite had the emotional attachment to Scott Pilgrim and his chums that I did to Shaun and Ed, but this is still definitely a primo film, and more proof (in case anyone still needed it) that Wright is a serious talent.  ***1/2

Futurama: Into the Wide Green Yonder

FUTURAMA: INTO THE WIDE GREEN YONDER (2009) - Dec. 25, 2010
The last film in the four-film Futurama series, this continues the general descent in quality from the other films.  But still, it's Futurama, and even subpar Futurama is pretty sweet.  **1/2

True Grit (2010)

TRUE GRIT (2010) - Dec. 23, 2010
About a young girl who hires a surly gunslinger to catch the man responsible for killing her father, I think it's almost redundant at this point to say that this was masterfully directed, considering that this is a Coen brothers film.  It's also very well acted, with Hailee Steinfeld easily holding her own against Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon (who gives a scene-stealing performance as a conceited Texas Ranger).  I wasn't sure if this was a very good film or a great one when I first watched it, but the more I think about it the more I'm leaning towards the latter.  ***1/2

And Soon the Darkness

AND SOON THE DARKNESS (2010) - Dec. 22, 2010
An egregiously mediocre film about a couple of girls on vacation in backwater Argentina who find themselves in serious trouble when one of them is mysteriously abducted.  Seemingly cobbled together wholesale from about a dozen other movies, there isn't a single element here that feels original or fresh.  Of course, with a thriller like this, it's definitely possible to take a completely unoriginal premise and still do great things with it -- assuming that the film is well excecuted and exciting.  Alas, this was neither well executed or exciting.  Made without an ounce of originality or intelligence, the film was competently directed by Marcos Efron, who isn't the worst director ever, but who definitely lacks the finese to elevate a lacklustre screenplay such as this to anything particularly watchable.  There is really nothing here that particularly works -- the part establishing the two characters doesn't work, because both characters are empty cliches (the party girl and her uptight friend), the uptight friend's investigation is dull and pointless, because we're always two or three steps ahead of her, and the more action-heavy final fifteen minutes or so just feels perfunctory and anti-climactic.  Plus, all of the "twists" are almost laughably predictable (what?  That shady small-town cop was in on it all along?  NO WAY!).  It probably doesn't help that Efron is unwilling (or unable) to establish any kind of tension or suspense.   Blech.  *1/2

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Dec. 21, 2010 (Third or Fourth Viewing +3)
It's 2001.  On the big screen.  70mm.  So yes, it was awesome, though it would have been nice if the screen at the Lightbox had been slightly bigger.  ****

I Am Love

I AM LOVE (2009) - Dec. 20, 2010
A meandering and fairly pretentious film that is saved by an amazing visual style.  Impeccably directed by Luca Guadagnino, this is without a doubt a beautiful film.  It's so well directed, but at the same time I was never particularly entertained beyond consistantly being dazzled by the visuals and the direction (including the really effective use of John Adams' music).  It's completely plotless, and Guadagnino always keeps the characters at somewhat of an arm's length, so it's really hard to get particularly involved in the film.  But it looks so good...  **1/2

Tron

TRON (1982) - Dec. 19, 2010
A surprisingly boring film about a programmer who winds up sucked into a strange world run by computers.  The film's special effects, though probably mind-blowing at the time, seem quant and dated by modern standards.  Though the dated effects are actually the least of the film's problems; it just isn't all that entertaining.  It's kind of sluggish, and it never really felt like there was all that much at stake.  The whole thing felt like an excuse for the elaborate effects; the story and the characters were pretty weak.  **

The Fighter

THE FIGHTER (2010) - Dec. 18, 2010
Well directed by David O. Russell, this was an enjoyable and well made film about a mid-level boxer who has to deal with his overbearing family while trying to re-launch his boxing career.  Under a lesser director this story easily could have made yet another generic feel-good sports movie, but Russell and the screenwriters ensure that the movie is always a bit more interesting than that.  Featuring really impressive performances all around, this wasn't quite on the level of some of Russell's previous films, but it was still a really solid drama.  ***

The Rocker

THE ROCKER (2008) - Dec. 17, 2010
Well, I was tired and looking for a movie that I wouldn't have to think about too much, and this fit the bill perfectly.  About an aging drummer who is still having a tough time getting over being kicked out of a band (who went on to be superstars) twenty years earlier, and who then has a second chance at being a rock star.  Featuring a fun, earnest performance from Rainn Wilson (between this and Super, it's definitely clear that the man can do more than just Dwight) and a whole bunch of funny supporting roles (including people like Jason Sudekis and Jeff Garlin), I'm a bit baffled as to why this flopped so hard.  I mean, there's absolutely nothing here that feels particularly fresh (you know where the film is going every step of the way) but it was an enjoyable enough way to spend 100 minutes.  ***

Monsters

MONSTERS (2010) - Dec. 14, 2010
Well made and fairly impressive, given the budget, this was about a couple of Americans traveling through a Mexico in which, a few years earlier, aliens arrived and are now a part of the habitat (in "infected zones").  Writer/director Gareth Edwards does a really great job of making this seem like a real, lived-in world, and I was completely sold on the whole premise.  His direction, too, was quite good.  Not-so-good was his writing; Edwards does a fairly poor job of getting us to care about the two protagonists, though it probably doesn't help that neither of the two leads are particularly good, and lack chemistry.  Scoot McNairy, in particular, doesn't have the requisite charisma to make us care about his character, and comes off as more of a jerk than anything else (I could see someone like Ryan Reynolds making the part work).  Despite that I think the film generally works if only for the direction and the atmosphere that it manages to create; if the script and performances were a bit better, it could have been great, but as it is it's pretty good.  ***

The Fast Runner

THE FAST RUNNER - Dec. 14, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Yep, not so good.  I definitely did not need to revist this film, whose almost universal praise is nothing short of baffling.  Overlong, with amateurish visuals which do very little to capture the majesty of the Inuit landscape (in fact, in many scenes it's obvious that the filmmakers just left their camcorder on automatic; the exposure changes in particular make this fairly obvious) and mediocre performances, not to mention a storyline that is far from fresh (love triangles, power struggles, etc.).  If it weren't for the unique setting, this film would have almost certainly been forgotten almost instantly.  *1/2

Black Swan

BLACK SWAN (2010) - Dec. 11, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Yep, this is a great film, and though I wasn't sure on my first viewing, I'm now fairly confident that this was just as good as (if not better than) the Wrestler.  It's interesting watching this for a second time -- on the first viewing, a lot of the focus is on the mystery of it all, and trying to figure out what is real versus what is imagined.  The second time, knowing that the film is ultimately a portrait of someone who is slowly losing her mind to the immense pressure that she is under, the film feels pretty different.  This is definitely a movie that demands and rewards repeat viewings.  There are so many great things about this film, from Natalie Portman's astounding performance to Aronofsky's direction to Clint Mansell's memorable score -- a flat-out brilliant reworking of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.  I kind of want to see this again.  Right now.  ****

Polytechnique

POLYTECHNIQUE - Dec. 10, 2010
Though this has obviously taken more than a little inspiration from Elephant (much like 2:37, another school shooting movie), this was still a fairly powerful and very well made film about the 1989 school shooting in Montreal -- though like 2:37, it's not quite in the same league as the powerful Elephant.  Featuring impressive black and white cinematography, as well as effectively austere direction from Denis Villeneuve, the film is quite well made though it never really raises to the level of the aforementioned film.  ***

The Fast Runner

THE FAST RUNNER - Dec. 9, 2010
Well, I can't really say much about this film since I spent at least a quarter of it asleep (and as punishment, I have to watch it again in the next few days, a horrifying prospect).  Exceptionally dull and ridiculously uncinematic, I guess I'll find out soon enough if this is really as bad as I think it is, or if I'm being too harsh.  NO RATING

Yella

YELLA - Dec. 7, 2010
A well made if somewhat odd film about a woman who leaves home for a job, only to find that the job no longer exists.  Features a strange, dream-like tone and a twist ending that kind of invalidates the entire film, but it was basically well made, well acted and I wasn't bored.  **1/2

Lola

LOLA (1981) - Dec. 3, 2010
Featuring a an above-average early performance from Armin Mueller-Stahl, this was an otherwise fairly dull film about a by-the-book government official who is ultimately corrupted after falling in love with a prostitute.  Though Rainer Werner Fassbinder's colourful, technicolor-esque direction was decent enough, the film just moves too slowly to ever be particularly engaging.  *1/2

Veronika Voss

VERONIKA VOSS (1982) - Dec. 3, 2010
A flawed but interesting film about a washed-up actress who is manipulated by shady doctors who keep her addicted to pain-killers to drain her dry.  Featuring some really nice looking high-contrast black and white cinematography, the film is decent but kind of overwrought.  I was entertained enough for the first little while, but the film ultimately lost me.  **

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL - Dec. 2, 2010
This film owes a great debt to All That Heaven Allows. In fact, in many ways it plays like a loose remake of that film; both films have roughly the same plot, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder was certainly never shy about his admiration for Douglas Sirk.  It’s not a bad film. I’m not entirely sure it deserves a spot on the list, but Fassbinder was obviously an important director, and this is one of his most accessible films. It’s well directed and (for the most part) well acted.  My biggest problem with this movie is that there just isn’t all that much chemistry between the older woman and her young lover. There are a couple of reasons for this:
1) Brigitte Mira is just too old — she was 64 when the movie was made, and she looks more like 74. In contrast, Jane Wyman was 38 when she made All That Heaven Allows, and I had no problem believing that Rock Hudson could be sexually attracted to her. That definitely wasn’t the case here.
2) El Hedi ben Salem gives an exceptionally wooden performance, and lacks anything even remotely resembling charisma. This meant that not only was I having a hard time believing that he could be attracted to her; I was having a hard time believing that she could be attracted to him, with his robot-like personality. Apparently Salem was one of Fassbinder’s lovers, which does explain things somewhat. There’s clearly a reason why the man never acted in any films that weren’t directed by Fassbinder himself.
All in all, they’re not a particularly compelling or believable couple, which is kind of an issue when the film is essentially a love story. I can see why the movie is on the list, I guess — it’s definitely well made, and it’s entertaining throughout. If you can buy into the romance, you’ll probably enjoy it more than I did. Oh well.  **1/2

Summer in Berlin

SUMMER IN BERLIN - Nov. 30, 2010
A decent film about a single mother in Berlin and what happens to her over the course of a summer.  The film was well made an enjoyable enough, but nothing particularly memorable (it's a few months later -- I'm lazy -- and it's already pretty much exited my brain entirely).  **1/2

Faster

FASTER (2010) - Nov. 27, 2010
Though the marketing would lead you to believe that the film consists entirely of the Rock kickin' ass and takin' names, a couple of subplots get as much time as he does (and one of them, featuring a hitman on the Rock's tail, never really goes anywhere, and could have easily been lifted right out of the film).  Decently directed and basically enjoyable, the film feels a bit leaden and not nearly as much fun as it should be (e.g. the long, effective build-up to an anticlimactic bathroom brawl that lasts about two seconds, the fact that both the Rock and his hitman antagonist drive badass cars and never get into a car chase, etc.).  **1/2

Naked Lunch

NAKED LUNCH (1991) - Nov. 27, 2010
See Videodrome entry.  **

Videodrome

VIDEODROME (1983) - Nov. 26, 2010
Both movies center around men who begin to hallucinate and perceive the world in increasingly strange ways. I found that this worked very well in Videodrome, and not-so-well in Naked Lunch. Videodrome, for all its weirdness, always maintains some semblance of reality amidst the chaos; there is an intriguing element of trying to discern between what is real and what is imagined. Naked Lunch, on the other hand, almost immediately disposes of reality altogether, plunging head-first into a bizarre, dream-like (or nightmare-like) world in which pretty much anything goes (such as the famous image of a typewriter turning into a giant cockroach). Because of this complete disconnect from reality, I found it hard to ever get particularly involved in the film (beyond, at least, marveling at the ingenuity of Cronenberg’s visuals). The movie feels more like a series of loosely connected set-pieces than a cohesive story.   Videodrome, on the other hand, always manages to strike a good balance between the off-the-wall stuff and the real world. There’s also an interesting undercurrent of mystery (what is Videodrome? Who’s behind it?) that helps to keep the viewer interested. There’s no such through-line in Naked Lunch, which basically feels like an excuse for Cronenberg to indulge his penchant for the bizarre, without much pulling it together in any meaningful way. I also thought that James Woods gave a pretty fantastic performance in Videodrome, which is definitely a reason why the movie works as well as it does (Peter Weller is fine in Naked Lunch, but he just doesn’t have all that much to work with).  ***

Shivers

SHIVERS (1975) - Nov. 26, 2010
A decent though exceptionally low-budget horror film about a strange parasite that is unleashed in an apartment building that eventually turns its victims into sex-crazed zombies.  The whole thing is basically entertaining and effectively made by David Cronenberg despite the obvious budgetary constraints -- but none of the characters are particularly well developed, making it tough to care too much when they start getting turned into zombies by the crazy parasite.  **1/2

My Winnipeg

MY WINNIPEG (2007) - Nov. 25, 2010
Absurdly pretentious, I really can't say much about this film as I fell asleep pretty much as soon as it began.  NO RATING

Animal Kingdom

ANIMAL KINGDOM (2010) - Nov. 24, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Yep -- this is an exceptional film, and definitely my favourite of the year (so far -- but I can't imagine that anything in the next month or so will top it).  It's just so good on every single level, from the performances to the direction to the cinematography to the haunting and memorable score.  ****

127 Hours

127 HOURS (2010) - Nov. 20, 2010
Well made by Danny Boyle and quite compelling despite its seemingly limited premise, this was about Aron Ralston, the adventurer who famously had to cut his own arm off to free himself from a rock that was pinning him down.  Boyle does a great job of really putting you in Ralston's head, and the now-infamous scene in which he cuts off his arm is quite intense, if not quite as unwatchably gory as many people are making it out to be.  Like pretty much all of Boyle's films, I found this good but not great.  ***

A Little Bit of Freedom

A LITTLE BIT OF FREEDOM (2003) - Nov. 19, 2010
A decent film about a young Turkish immigrant in Germany, and the friendship that develops between him and another immigrant.  Decently made if somewhat forgetable, I really don't have much else to say about this film.  Seriously, it's the next day and I can already barely remember it.  **1/2

Daybreakers

DAYBREAKERS (2009) - Nov. 18, 2010
About a future society in which almost everyone has been turned into a vampire save for a few humans (who are hunted for food).  The somewhat futuristic vampire society was a unique setting for the film, which was well directed by the Spierig brothers.  There were some well-executed action set-pieces, as well as above-average performances (Sam Neill as a smarmy executive was a definite highlight).  ***

Kissed

KISSED (1996) - Nov. 18, 2010
Pretentious and kind of unpleasant, this was a pretty mediocre film about a woman, obsessed with death, who starts doing it with the corpses at the funeral home in which she works.  Molly Parker was quite good, as was Peter Outerbridge, but there was really little else that I liked about this film.  The whole thing feels pretty artificial and inauthentic, from the dialogue to the way people act to just the way the film looks.  You're always aware you're watching a movie (and a bad one at that).  *1/2

2 or 3 Things I Know About Him

2 OR 3 THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HIM (2005) - Nov. 16, 2010
A well made documentary about a guy and his family coming to terms with their father's history (he was a Nazi officer who was ultimated hanged as a war criminal).  The film was fairly interesting, particularly in the way that the various family members deal with what their father does (including one sister's outright denial that he did anything wrong).  The film consists mostly of talking heads and ultimately can't really sustain its feature-length running time, but it was still decent enough.  **1/2

Head-On

HEAD-ON (2004) - Nov. 14, 2010
Well acted and decently made, this was a moderately engaging film about a tumultuous couple who meet in a suicide ward.  Honestly, it's a few months later as I write this, and I'm having a hard time remembering specifically what I thought about this film.  I remember liking but certainly not loving it.  **1/2

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME TRAVEL (2009) - Nov. 13, 2010
A surprisingly enjoyable film about three friends who wind up jumping around in time (all revolving around their local pub).  Sort of like Timecrimes meets Shaun of the Dead (though it's not on the level of either of those movies), this was actually quite time travel-heavy, and is the type of thing that probably rewards repeat viewings (though it is far, far more straightforward than something like Timecrimes).  The film was obviously shot on a low budget and almost entirely revolves around the pub, but it definitely manages to weave an intriguing time travel story.  Though not exactly laugh-out-loud hilarious, the three main characters were all quite affable and had definite chemistry (you buy them as long-time friends) and the film was briskly-paced and entertaining throughout.  ***

Unstoppable

UNSTOPPABLE (2010) - Nov. 12, 2010
Almost absurdly entertaining and relentlessly and admirably single-minded, this was another winner from Tony Scott and Denzel Washinton about the race to stop a runaway train.  Expertly crafted by Scott, the film gets going almost immediately, and pretty much doesn't let up until the end credits roll.  Features a really efficient screenplay which sets up the two leads and gives them personal conflict in the most brisk way possible, the film quickly sets up the whole runaway train dealio and manages to remain engaging for pretty much the whole time.  This is a film that knows exactly what it is, and goes for it with gusto.  ****

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST - Nov. 11, 2010
An enjoyable film about the misadventures of guy and a girl (along with their friends) over one long night as they try to find the location of a secret concert.  Featuring charming lead performances from Michael Cera and Kat Dennings (and despite the internet backlash, I still think Cera has great comic timing and makes for an affable and unconventional leading man.  I don't care if his persona is always pretty much the same -- many great actors have a recognizable persona that they bring to each role, so I don't know why it's seemingly such a crime when Cera does it).  Fast-paced and fun, this was yet another winner in this particular genre.  ***

Le Confessionnal

LE CONFESSIONNAL (1995) - Nov. 11, 2010
About a man who returns home when his dad dies, and starts to help his messed-up adopted brother figure out who his real dad is -- there is also the story of the same family a generation ago, which ties in with the contemporary stuff.  Though this was a reasonably well made film (and some of the transitions between the two time periods were particularly inventive), I just did not find it interesting.  At all.  I was quite bored, in fact.  Though they tied in really well plot-wise, the two stories never really gelled from a narrative/pacing standpoint, and the whole thing just felt kind of clunky and poorly-paced.  *1/2

One Week

ONE WEEK (2008) - Nov. 10, 2010
Fairly well made and featuring a really compelling performance from Joshua Jackson, this was a decent film about a man who embarks on a cross-country road trip when he finds out that he has terminal cancer.  The whole thing was sort of episodic, with some sections working better than others.  My main beef with the film was its omnipresent narrator, which got to be a bit oppressive after a while.  **1/2

Prison Break: The Final Break

PRISON BREAK: THE FINAL BREAK (2009) - Nov. 9, 2010
Meh.  About Michael and the gang getting back together again to bust Sarah out of jail, this was basically enjoyable if somewhat mediocre -- I'm kind of hesitant to even classify this as a movie, as it essentially just feels like a long episode of the show.  In fact it kind of feels like they took what was supposed to be an entire season's worth of plot and crammed it into two episodes, as quite a lot happens, and the film sort of feels like it's rushing through everything to get to all of the story beats.  I was pretty much always a fan of Prison Break, even in the last couple of seasons, so it's kind of sad to see it end on such a mediocre note (and the decision to kill of the protagonist of the show still feels unsatisfying and cheap).  **1/2

The Tin Drum

THE TIN DRUM (1979) - Nov. 8, 2010
Off-putting and kind of unpleasant, I didn’t much care for this the first time I watched it, and watching it again, I still don’t particularly care for it. I don’t hate this film; it’s decently made, the performances are fine, and it’s reasonably well acted. But its status as a classic does somewhat confuse me, as I just don’t find it to be particularly compelling.  As with some of the other films on the list whose appeal goes right over my head, I decided to check the book to see what’s (supposedly) so great about this movie. Even the book can’t really explain it, as the entry for this film simply summarizes the plot and states that the film “shocks and confuses.” And that’s a good thing… how? Yes, the film is different, I will give it that, but I’m not sure if that alone should automatically make it a must-see. I think that the authors of the book realized that they had to include this film (like it or not, it is a classic), but they didn’t necessarily like it themselves (and thus seem to be unable to really explain its appeal).  The film is, in parts, somewhat Fellini-esque, so perhaps the appeal of this movie is just going over my head the way that Fellini seems to go over my head. Who knows. I will say this: if you’re going to watch this movie, I wouldn’t plan on eating any sardines for at least a few days afterward. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that a can of sardines get eaten in the most off-putting way imaginable. You’ve been warned.  *1/2

Aimee and Jaguar

AIMEE AND JAGUAR (1999) - Nov. 7, 2010
A somewhat slow-paced but well made and well acted film about the affair between two women -- one married, one Jewish -- during the Second World War in Germany.  There's nothing particularly special about it (it's pretty bland), but it was well made and enjoyable enough.  **1/2

Narrow Margin

NARROW MARGIN (1990) - Nov. 6, 2010
A fairly crackerjack thriller about a DA who winds up protecting a witness on a train, with a couple of assassins out to get them.  Though there's nothing particularly special about the film, it features assured direction and moody cinematography from Peter Hyams, as well as an above average performance from Gene Hackman (who seriously needs to start acting again -- he is missed).  ***

Back to the Future

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) - Nov. 6, 2010 (Umpteenth Viewing +2)
Good times.  ****

Due Date

DUE DATE (2010) - Nov. 5, 2010
Essentially a loose remake of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, this was an entertaining film about a couple of wackily mismatched guys who go on a road trip across the country when they get placed on a no-fly list.  I was kind of iffy on the film at first, because the two main characters are both kind of unlikable, but eventually the film (and the characters) grew on me.  It's definitely not even in the same league as Automobiles, but it was enjoyable enough, and contained one of the funniest moments I've seen in a while.  ***

Frozen

FROZEN (2010) - Nov. 4, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Though perhaps not quite as electrifying as the first viewing (I think some of what made the film so tense on the first viewing was wondering how/if the characters were going to get out of their situation), this was still a very well made, very enjoyable film.  ***1/2

Water

WATER (2005) - Nov. 4, 2010
Meh.  A decent film about a young girl, arranged to be married, whose husband dies and who then must live in a weird convent with other widows, doomed to never really have a real life.  The film was decently made and well acted, though I was never particularly into it (the film's squashed projection in the class I was in probably didn't help matters).  **1/2

Fatal Attraction

FATAL ATTRACTION (1987) - Nov. 3, 2010
So why does this movie work as well as it does? For one thing, there is Adrian Lyne’s assured direction, which is stylish without being overly ostentatious, and which keeps things moving at a pretty good pace. The film takes its time setting everything up, and the slow reveal of the frightening extent of Glenn Close’s insanity is pretty much perfect. Of course, Close was nominated for an Oscar for her work here, which is definitely well deserved; it’s a chilling performance, and certainly, quite memorable. Anne Archer was rightfully nominated for an Oscar as well — she probably deserved the nom if only for the powerful scene in which Douglas tells her of his affair, but the rest of her performance was just as good. Douglas himself has a slightly more thankless role than the two women (and he went nomination-free), but he’s easily at their level.  There are a lot of great moments here, but the one that easily stood out for me is the final confrontation between Archer and Close. It’s set in a bathroom, and I’m fairly certain it’s meant to recall the famous shower scene from Psycho (but with a bath filling in for a shower), and it was pretty jaw-dropping. Certainly, Hitchcock would be proud. The direction, editing and score are all pitch-perfect, and the scene is electrifying. Of course, that whole sequence was famously a reshoot (much to Ms. Close’s chagrin); while the original ending may have been more thematically appropriate (I haven’t seen it, but I think that was Close’s objection), cinematically speaking, this one was pretty perfect.  ***1/2

Singin' in the Rain

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - Nov. 2, 2010 (Fourth Viewing)
I don’t think it’s particularly bold or unexpected for me to say that I love this film; there’s a reason that it’s one of the most beloved musicals of all time. It’s delightful. If you don’t love — or at least like — this film, and if musical numbers like Make ‘Em Laugh, Moses Supposes and, of course, Singin’ in the Rain (among many others), don’t put a smile on your face, then I think you need to do some serious soul-searching and realize that you may just be dead inside.  This is such a great film; it’s cram-packed with delightful, memorable musical numbers, and it’s surprisingly funny — the audience I saw it with laughed throughout. Every role is cast to perfection; aside from the perfectly matched Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, the supporting players (such as Donald O’Connor and the hilariously oafish Jean Hagen) are just as good. The amazingly choreographed dance numbers are perfectly directed by Donen and Kelly, who wisely just pull the camera back and let the dancing unfold in mesmerizing long takes. The film has aged remarkably well, and even for a contemporary audience, it is enthralling throughout.  I know I’m being ridiculously superlative here, but this film is just such a joy to behold. I’m not even a particularly big fan of musicals (I mean, I like them just fine, but I tend not to seek them out), but this movie is just so perfect, and so enjoyable, it’s hard not to love it.  ****

The Edukators

THE EDUKATORS (2004) - Nov. 1, 2010
About a group of self-styled revolutionaries who break into and vandalize the homes of the rich; after a break-in gone bad, they wind up abducting a wealthy businessman and taking him to a secluded cabin.  I really shouldn't have waited so long to write this (it's February at the moment) -- the film was decent but unmemorable, so... yeah.  **1/2

Saw 3D

SAW 3D (2010) - Oct. 29, 2010
Meh.  A decent enough way to conclude the Saw saga, though I'm not convinced that this is actually the end for this series.  Features yet another hapless victim going through a series of elaborate traps while Hoffman's shenanigans unfold in the background.  It was pretty sweet to see Cary Elwes back on the scene, though the revelation that he was working in the background the entire time adds yet another perplexing layer to an already hopelessly convoluted story.  The whole thing was worth it if only for Elwes' entrance, in which he gives one of the better sarcastic slow claps I've seen in a while.  As for the 3D, it was fine I guess, though it really doesn't add much aside from the bits of viscera that occasionally fly at the screen.  **1/2

Super Troopers

SUPER TROOPERS (2001) - Oct. 28, 2010
Though it didn't exactly tickle my funny bone (I don't think I laughed once), this was fairly enjoyable film about a wacky group of highway patrolmen who find themselves in danger of being shut down.  The whole thing was affable enough, if somewhat forgettable.  **1/2

A History of Violence

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2007) - Oct. 28, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Yep, this was just as good as I remembered.  ***1/2

Prince of Darkness

PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987) - Oct. 26, 2010
Though not exactly up there with John Carpenter's classics, this was a decent film about a bunch of academics who go to an old church to study a strange phenomenon -- sinister stuff ensues.  Well directed by Carpenter (with a classic Carpenter synth score) the film is kind of cheesy in parts, but also quite tense and fairly suspensful at times.  There are a lot of characters here, and none of them are particularly well developed, but the film is enjoyable enough and never overstays its welcome.  ***

The Lives of Others

THE LIVES OF OTHERS (2006) - Oct. 24, 2010 (Second Viewing)
I originally watched this around when it was first released, and I remember liking it quite a lot, but finding it to be a bit more slow-paced than I’d like. This time the pacing seemed just right. It’s not a fast-paced film by any stretch of the imagination, but the pacing does a really great job of setting a certain tone and giving us time to really care about the characters.  I think there are a couple of things that elevate this film from a good one to a great one. There’s Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s stellar direction, featuring beautiful, meticulously composed widescreen cinematography. The film is really tense when it needs to be, and Donnersmarck does a great job of keeping things intriguing throughout. The performances, too, go a long way towards cementing this film’s status as a classic. Though all the performances are above average, special notice must go to Ulrich Mühe (who sadly passed away shortly after the film’s release) — he gives a really astonishing performance, and is able to say more with the subtle expressiveness of his face than most actors could say with an entire soliloquy.  The film is at times electrifying, at times moving, and always entertaining. It’s well over two hours long but it never outstays its welcome. It definitely takes its time, but it’s all the richer because of it. ***1/2

My Dog Skip

MY DOG SKIP (2000) - Oct. 23, 2010 (Second Viewing)
A heartwarming coming-of-age film about a young boy in the '40s and his relationship with his dog.  Well acted and well made, the film is kind of hokey and unabashedly sentimental, but it's also quite enjoyable throughout.  ***

Paranormal Activity

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (2010) - Oct. 22, 2010
An effective sequel (or prequel, in this case).  It plays it pretty safe -- it follows the formula set by the original pretty closely, so it doesn't quite have the same impact of the first one if only because there's kind of a "been there, done that" vibe at play here.  But on the other hand, it's pretty damn effective at building and sustaining tension (there were some scenes towards the end that were amazingly suspenseful).  It also does a pretty good job of actually tying in with the first film, and actually adding to the story rather than feeling like a tacked-on sequel.  It's not just a barely-related haunting story, as I sort of figured it would be.  ***1/2

Hereafter

HEREAFTER (2010) - Oct. 21, 2010
Another expertly crafted film from Clint Eastwood, whose hot streak continues.  About a psychic who can communicate with the dead, a young boy whose twin brother is killed, and a woman who is seriously shaken up when she almost dies in the big tsunami of 2004.  The contemplative film unfolds with Eastwood's usual leisurely pace, which absolutely works here.  The movie just sort of washes over you, and it's definitely never boring.  Eastwood's direction is primo as usual, as is Tom Stern's lush, moody cinematography.  I really can't say enough about the Eastwood/Stern collaboration.  Top-shelf stuff.  Matt Damon was quite good as the psychic; in fact if I had one complaint about this film, it's that the Damon stuff tends to be more compelling than the other two plots, mostly because Damon is so good.  ***1/2

Highway 61

HIGHWAY 61 (1991) - Oct. 21, 2010
Unpleasantly quirky and with a cheap, low-rent vibe permeating pretty much every aspect of the film, this was a fairly mediocre movie about a small town barber who winds up accompanying a free-spirited woman on a cross-country road trip.  One of the main problems is that the two leads are both mediocre actors, and neither have much charisma or chemistry together.  It also has that distinctively Canadian quirk to it, which really doesn't particularly work.  I didn't completely hate this film (I was basically entertained, I guess) but I didn't like it, either.  **

Black God, White Devil

BLACK GOD, WHITE DEVIL (1962) - Oct. 19, 2010
The tape I watched (in class) was completely awful and almost unwatchable, plus I slept through much of it, so... NO RATING

Jackass 3D

JACKASS 3D (2010) - Oct. 16, 2010
Though essentially more of the same, this was still an enjoyably stupid film about a group of guys hurting themselves and generally doing inadvisable things on camera.  The 3D doesn't really add much to the experience, and some of the segments are funnier than others, but all in all this is far more entertaining than it has any right to be (and kind of hilarious in parts).  ***

Teenage Paparazzo

TEENAGE PAPARAZZO (2010) - Oct. 13, 2010
Though not quite as engaging as Adrien Grenier's last documentary, A Shot in the Dark, this was still an enjoyable film about a 14 year old paparazzi, and the paparazzi/celebrity culture in general.  The film definitely has some interesting insights into the relationship between celebrities and paparazzi, and it's quite entertaining throughout, though it does feel a bit scattershot at times.  ***

Buried

BURIED (2010) - Oct. 12, 2010
A really well made, intense film about a driver in Iraq who, after his convoy is abushed, wakes up inside a coffin.  With only a lighter and a cell phone at his disposal, he has to try to figure out how to get out, with the clock working against him.  The film is almost absurdly riveting, considering that it's set entirely within the confines of a wooden box, and Rodrigo Cortes' assured direction makes a seemingly uncinematic premise abundantly so.  Of course, aside from the filmmaking, the movie rests almost entirely on Ryan Reynolds' shoulders, and he more than rises to the occassion, giving what is almost certainly his best performance.  If the Academy didn't have such a bias against genre films, he'd almost certainly be a shoe-in for a nomination.  Good stuff.  ****

The Firm

THE FIRM (1993) - Oct. 11, 2010
Though not quite as consistantly compelling as the recent Sydney Pollack film I watched (Three Days of the Condor), this was still a fairly effective thriller about a young man who gets hired at a seemingly ideal law firm, only to slowly discover that sinister things are afoot.  At over two and a half hours, there is absolutely no doubt that the film is longer than it needs to be, and it drags a bit in its first half.  But it's definitely never boring, and once the thriller elements start really kicking in, it's actually fairly thrilling.  It's also well acted (Tom Cruise was good, as was a very sinister Wilford Brimley) and well directed -- I may have to reconsider my opinion on Pollack.  My biggest complaint (aside from the overlength) is that Dave Grusin's jazzy, piano-heavy score can be a bit overbearing at times.  ***

Candy

CANDY (2006) - Oct. 11, 2010
A well made if somewhat routine drama about a couple of heroin addicts, and the affect their addiction has on their lives.  There really isn't much here we haven't seen before, but the movie is well made and engaging enough.  What really sets it apart from other movies of its ilk is the refreshingly steady camerawork (there's none of the documentary-style jitteriness we've come to expect from this type of film) along with the better-than-average performances (Heath Ledger, in particular, gives a characteristically great performance).  ***

Bronson

BRONSON (2008) - Oct. 9, 2010
I'm really not sure what to make of this movie.  Kind of reminiscent of a Clockwork Orange in more ways than one, this was a bizarre film about a man who gets sentenced to seven years in prison and winds up spending far, far longer thanks to his fighting and other shenanigans.  Nicolas Winding Refn's stylish direction is a big reason that the film works as well as it does, as is Tom Hardy's crazed and flat-out mesmerizing performance as the titular Bronson.  The film is strange and kind of meandering, but it's definitely pretty compelling from start to finish.  ***

The Social Network

THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) - Oct. 8, 2010
Probably Fincher's best film since Panic Room (and definitely the most distinctly Finchery film in its visual style since that one), this was a really compelling movie about the invention of Facebook.  I kind of wish I hadn't read the book that inspired this film, as it did mean that there weren't really any surprises for me, but this was certainly a really well made film with a surfiet of interesting characters -- so the lack of surprises was pretty much a non-issue.  It was also exceptionally well acted -- it was probably one of the more consistantly well acted films I've seen in a while.  Particularly, both Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg were both pretty much amazing in the two main roles.  ***1/2

Mirageman

MIRAGEMAN (2007) - Oct. 7, 2010
More earnest and not quite as comedic as stuff like Kick-Ass and Super, this was an enjoyable if somewhat disposable film about a man who, still a bit messed up a few years after his parents were murdered in front of him, decides to become a make-shift superhero.  The whole thing looks like it was made on a budget of about five dollars, but it works, and there's actually some pretty decent martial arts goodness.  ***

Takers

TAKERS (2010) - Oct. 1, 2010
This actually started off decently enough -- silly and completely cliched, but kind of entertaining.  But not a whole lot happens in the midsection, and at almost two hours the film overstays its welcome by a longshot.  It also doesn't help that John Luessenhop's direction is kind of iffy.  It's decent for the most part, but his over-reliance on the old shakey-cam/quick-cut trope sullies the action, and completely ruins a long foot chase that should have been pretty awesome.  Other than that, the characters were all pretty generic, and no one made much of an impact with the possible exception of Idris Ebla, who deserves way better than this and seriously needs to start making better choices (his last few American films were this, the Losers, Obsessed, and the Unborn.  The man needs to get a better agent if it's not already too late, because he's definitely a good actor).  **

Timer

TIMER (2009) - Sept. 30, 2010
An enjoyable romantic comedy about a society where there is a product that will count down to when you'll meet your soulmate.  It's kind of a strange premise, but it definitely works -- the film never feels overly quirky or artificial.  It's well acted, engaging and quite enjoyable throughout.  ***

The Marriage of Maria Braun

THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN (1979) - Sept. 28, 2010
An enjoyable enough and decently made film about a calculating woman's struggles to stay sucessful in WWII-era Germany.  Well acted and mostly engaging, it's... I don't know, it's been a few months.  I should have probably written this sooner.  **1/2

Catfish

CATFISH (2010) - Sept. 28, 2010
A basically decent but seriously over-hyped documentary about a guy who starts a long-distance relationship over facebook, and then starts to realize that all is not as it seems.  I think this is a case of hype (and marketing) seriously hurting the film, as the film has been billed as a thriller with an insane twist, which is really not the case.  I mean, there is a twist, sort of, but it's not particularly mind-blowing, and it's pretty low-key.  Certainly, calling this any type of a thriller is an outright lie (and the quote in the trailer calling this "the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never directed" is almost laughably absurd).  Aside from the fairly blatant false advertising, this was a decent but unspectacular documentary.  Shoddily filmed but slickly edited, the whole thing was kind of interesting but mostly forgettable.  I'm really not sure how this was the most buzzed about film at Sundance when it played -- must have been slim pickings.  **1/2

The Young and the Damned

THE YOUNG AND THE DAMNED (1950) - Sept. 28, 2010
A decent drama by Luis Bunuel about the struggles of a bunch of very poor kids in the slums of Mexico.  Decently made, if not particularly memorable.  **1/2

Wings of Desire

WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) - Sept. 27, 2010
About a couple of angels who wander around Germany listening to people's thoughts (and all Germans, apparently, think exclusively about poetry and philosophy), this was a maddeningly pretentious film.  I'm kind of shocked that this is as well-regarded as it is; it's meandering and a bit pointless.  Maybe if there were a single person who felt authentic the film might have had a bit more of an impact, but as it stands the film feels like a thinly-veiled excuse for Wim Wenders to explore philosophy (i.e. it's the philosophy equivalent of a dumb Hollywood action movie in which the characters are just an excuse to get to the action).  *1/2

The Battle of Algiers

THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (196?) - Sept. 27, 2010 (Second Viewing)
I’ll admit that I was really not looking forward to revisiting this film; my memory of it was that it was dull and completely overrated. Well, I didn’t exactly love it this time around, but at least I can say that I’m no longer baffled by the film’s enduring popularity. It just goes to show you that it’s sometimes a good idea to revisit certain films; I’m not sure why my opinion on this film changed. Maybe I was just in a weird mood the first time I watched it, or perhaps my tastes have changed over the years. It’s funny, because the opposite thing happened when I revisited Amarcord — I liked it on my first viewing, but not so much on my second.  I can see why I didn’t particularly like this film the first time around; there aren’t really any characters, or at least none that we get to know beyond their politics, and there isn’t much of a narrative to speak of. But there’s something oddly fascinating about watching the minutia of the revolution unfold. It probably helps that I watched a film called Outside the Law at this year’s TIFF, which also dealt with the Algerian resistance, and which gave this film some added context that it wouldn’t have otherwise had.  I’m still not sure that this is the all-time classic that many make this out to be, but it’s definitely an interesting film. Pontecorvo’s gritty, documentary-like style suits the movie well, and there are some pretty great moments here — for instance, a tense sequence in which three Algerian women disguise themselves as Westerners in an attempt to get through a checkpoint with bombs. The ending is oddly abrupt, though the more I think about it, the more I think it works. ***

The Town

THE TOWN (2010) - Sept. 25, 2010
Another winner from Ben Affleck, and confirmation that Gone Baby Gone wasn't just a fluke.  About a bank robber who winds up falling in love with one of the victims of his last robbery, this was quite well made and well acted (including Affleck himself, who may just give his best performace ever here).  I don't think there's a single thing here that felt particularly original, but it was so entertaining and well executed that it didn't really matter.  ***1/2

Three Days of the Condor

THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975) - Sept. 22, 2010
A superlative thriller about a CIA analyst who returns to his office from lunch to find everyone killed, and who then must try to figure out who wants him dead.  Really well directed by Sydney Pollack, this was somewhat slow-paced but always interesting and kind of electrifying in parts.  Robert Redford is pretty much perfect in the main role, and is a big reason why the film works as well as it does; he just creates a really compelling character.  The supporting characters are just as good -- Faye Dunaway and Cliff Robertson are both quite good, and Max von Sydow manages to make a fairly big impact with a small role (there's a scene between him and Redford towards the end of the film that was definitely one of the better things I've seen in a while).  ***1/2

Devil

DEVIL (2010) - Sept. 21, 2010
Kind of like an extended episode of the Twilight Zone, this was a well made little thriller about a group of people who get stuck in an elevator thanks to the Devil himself (who just happens to be taking the form of one of the people inside).  Featuring solid direction from John Erick Dowdle (which is leagues better than his work on the mediocre [REC] remake), this is a thriller that doesn't have particularly big ambitions, but which accomplishes what it sets out to do quite well.  ***

Stake Land

STAKE LAND (2010) - Sept. 19, 2010
A really well made film about a grizzled vampire hunter in a post-apocalyptic America who takes a young man under his wing and attempts to travel to "New Eden," a place which is supposedly vampire free.  This is a post-apocalyptic film refreshingly devoid of the typically desaturated colours and visual style that has essentially become the standard in this genre; the cinematography here is actually quite striking.  There are also some really tense moments here and some great action, all of which works as well as it does because the film does such a great job of developing the characters and getting us to care about them.  ***1/2

The Illusionist (2010)

THE ILLUSIONIST (2010) - Sept. 19, 2010
A bit of a let-down after the exceptional Triplets of Belleville, this was a really well animated, well made film that was just a little bit too low-key and slow-paced for its own good.  I was never all-out bored, but I was never really engaged, either.  **1/2

Fire of Conscience

FIRE OF CONSCIENCE (2010) - Sept. 19, 2010
Another hopelessly convoluted Asian crime story, this was about a gritty cop doing gritty stuff.  There isn't much here that we haven't seen before, though the action is impressive enough to make the movie moderately worthwhile.  **1/2

John Carpenter's The Ward

JOHN CARPENTER'S THE WARD (2010) - Sept. 19, 2010
Not quite the triumphant return of John Carpenter that I might have hoped, this was a kind of mediocre but essentially entertaining film about a young girl who finds herself locked up in a sinister asylum.  Though John Carpenter's command of the camera and the widescreen frame remains intact, there film itself just wasn't all that compelling.  It was pretty obviously leading up to a twist, so I spent much of the film trying to figure out what the twist was going to be, which is never a sign that you're watching a great movie (to the film's credit, aside from knowing that things were obviously not as they seemed, I wasn't able to guess the twist).  The film featured an excess of jump scares, but little by way of tension or dread.  It was basically entertaining, but a bit of a let-down coming from a master like Carpenter.  **1/2

Confessions

CONFESSIONS (2010) - Sept. 19, 2010
Featuring a fractured narrative that traces a murder and its aftermath, this was a kind of interesting film that I think probably worked better on paper than in execution.  Though the general style and use of music suggests that the director intended this to be riveting all the way through, I got tired of the overly-dense, narration heavy narrative fairly quickly, making the film kind of a slog to sit through.  The movie is constantly throwing information at the viewer, and never really slows down to allow us to process it or develop the characters in any meaningful way.  Because of this, it was kind of hard to care about anything that unfolded.  The whole thing worked much better as a novel, I'm sure.  *1/2

Super

SUPER (2010) - Sept. 18, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Yep, good stuff.  ***1/2

The Butcher, The Chef, and The Swordsman

THE BUTCHER, THE CHEF, AND THE SWORDSMAN (2010) - Sept. 18, 2010
Quite literally one of the worst films I've ever seen, this was a horifically bad film about...  I don't know, a chef out for revenge?  It kind of had a few different stories -- all terrible.  Featuring awful, unfunny humour so broad and silly that even a five-year-old would find it juvenile and beneath him, this was not merely unfunny -- it was  gratingly, in-your-face, cringe-inducingly unfunny.  It doesn't help that this was billed as a martial arts action film and features (maybe) five minutes total of sloppy, awkward action.  It also didn't help that there wasn't a single likable character in the bunch (and at least a couple of characters who were so infuriatingly annoying that I had the overwhelming urge to punch someone in the face -- preferably the director, the actors, or TIFF programmer Colin Geddes for subjecting me to this garbage).  I honestly cannot think of a single thing I liked about this mess.  SO TERRIBLE.  ZERO STARS

Sandcastle

SANDCASTLE (2010) - Sept. 18, 2010
Well, I fell asleep again.  Not for too long, but long enough that I can't really give this film a rating.  About a boy whose grandfather dies, and who starts to learn about who his father was, this was generally well made but very slow.  NO RATING

Womb

WOMB (2010) - Sept. 18, 2010
Pretentious and super slow-paced and yet also oddly compelling, this was a strange film about a woman whose childhood love dies, and who then decides to carry his clone.  Bizarre, unabashedly arty and kind of obtuse, I can't really say I fully get what the point of this film was, but I guess I was never all-out bored, and there was something kind of intriguing about the premise and the meticulously framed visuals.  **1/2

Bunraku

BUNRAKU (2010) - Sept. 17, 2010
Nope, not a fan.  About a couple of guys who both want to kill the same guy, set in a strange, gunless future society.  Featuring bizarre, super-stylized visuals that make everything look like cardboard cutouts in a stage play, this was definitely a unique looking film, but there's only so far that unique visuals can go.  The main problem here is that all of the characters are almost absurdly dull.  Featuring dialogue that consists almost entirely of one-liners and pseudo-hard-boiled dialogue that must have seemed clever to someone at some point, the whole thing got tiresome pretty fast.  The film had quite a lot of action, but with the exception of one pretty great scene (that shamelessly ripped off Old Boy) it was all kind of mediocre.  Meh.  1/2*

Blame

BLAME (2010) - Sept. 17, 2010
About a group of students who set out to murder one of their teachers, who they perceive to be responsible for the death of their friend, this was a well directed and downright intense film.  Though it's essentially all dialogue in one house, it never feels stagey; it's quite cinematic, and the film is pretty tense throughout.  It helps that it's very well written and acted; the constant revelations keep things interesting throughout.  The director does a really good job of slowly giving the audience all of the information, keeping things tense without being annoyingly or artificially vague.  Definitely one of the better films at the festival so far, and another winner from Australia.  ***1/2

Home for Christmas

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (2010) - Sept. 17, 2010
Meh.  Generally well made but just not particularly compelling, this was about a bunch of characters in a small town in Norway around Christmas.  Some of the stories were a bit better than others, but mostly this was passable but dull.  **

The High Cost of Living

THE HIGH COST OF LIVING (2010) - Sept. 17, 2010
Featuring a better than expected performance from Zach Braff (though it did take me a few minutes to buy him as a very non-JD-like character) this was an above average film about a guy who causes a pregnant woman to lose her child, and who then befriends said woman (without her knowing his role in her accident).  Melodramatic (but not in a bad way), this was well made and quite well acted.  Plus, I've found myself thinking about it on and off pretty much all day.  ***1/2

Peep World

PEEP WORLD (2010) - Sept. 16, 2010
An enjoyable dramedy about a guy who writes a semi-autobiographical novel about his dysfunctional family, and the uproar that this causes among said family.  Though the film wasn't anything particularly special, it was well made and well acted by a cast pretty much crammed full of recognizable actors (I'm pretty sure every single major role was a familiar face).  ***

I Saw the Devil

I SAW THE DEVIL (2010) - Sept. 15, 2010
A well made but seriously flawed film about a cop (or a secret agent or something -- it's never really made clear) who seeks elaborate vengeance when his fiancee is murdered.  My main problem with this film is the ludicrous choice the character makes of catching the killer and then letting him go so that he can catch him again (in an effort to make him suffer as much as possible -- as if there is no other way than an ill-conceived catch-and-release plan to make a man suffer).  I never bought for a second that any even remotely intelligent person would make such a stunningly stupid decision -- an act I found so irrational that it took me out of the movie.  Aside from that the film was well made and definitely had its moments, but it was a bit overlong and it dragged in parts.  But ultimately, I just couldn't buy into the ridiculous premise.  **

Essential Killing

ESSENTIAL KILLING (2010) - Sept. 15, 2010
Someone needs to explain this movie to me.  Why did this particular story need to be told?  About a member of the Taliban (we assume -- the character never speaks and we learn nothing about him other than a couple of brief flashbacks that imply he has a wife) who is captured, escapes and then runs away through a seemingly endless snowy forest.  This could have been exciting and/or suspenseful, but we never learn a thing about the character and thus have no reason to care about him, so the whole thing ends up coming off as a pretentious excercise of some sort, despite the fact that it's reasonably well made.  *1/2

Henry's Crime

HENRY'S CRIME (2010) - Sept. 15, 2010
A really low-key but enjoyable film about a guy who is wrongly sent to jail for robbing a bank, and who then decides to actually rob the bank.  Featuring a pretty solid cast with people like Keanu Reeves, James Caan and Vera Farmiga giving above average performances (Caan, in particular, is probably better here than he's been in a while).  There's pretty much nothing here that we haven't seen before, but it's quite affable with characters that we really come to care about.  ***

Black Swan

BLACK SWAN (2010) - Sept. 14, 2010
Another big winner from Darren Aronofsky, and final confirmation that the man has serious talent, and that I need to revist Requiem for a Dream (and even if that movie is as bad as I remember, it's just a blip in an otherwise primo filmography).  About a ballerina who gets the lead role in a production of Swan Lake, and who then starts to unravel, this was a really well made, seriously compelling film.  Though it starts off seeming stylistically similar to the Wrestler, the film also has some very overt thriller elements, and even some horror thrown in.  It's really well made, well acted, and flat-out entertaining all the way through.  ****

Our Day Will Come

OUR DAY WILL COME (2010) - Sept. 13, 2010
Seriously pretentious and almost criminally self-indulgant, this was an inscrutable mess of a film, with characters who do odd things seemingly just for the sake of being odd.  I thought that perhaps it was all supposed to be a metaphor or an allegory for something, but the Q&A with the director after the film seemed to indicate that it was all supposed to be taken at face value.  If that's the case, seriously, why did the characters do pretty much everything they did in that film?  Why did these two strangers just randomly decide to take a road trip together?  Why did they go nuts and start murdering people at the end?  The whole thing just made me mad, because the director obviously has a fair amount of talent (or at the very least, a keen eye for visuals), but he seems to have little to no interest in making a coherent film, and in fact seems to want to thumb his nose at anything resembling convention just for the sake of being different.  1/2*

Outside the Law

OUTSIDE THE LAW (2010) - Sept. 13, 2010
Not quite the "epic gangster movie" that the TIFF guide promised (that's a seriously misleading description of the film, and I have to wonder if the person who wrote it even watched the movie), this was a decent film about the Algerian uprising in France in the '50s.  Well made and featuring a fairly epic scope without feeling too overlong (despite a running time of well over two hours), this was a good movie that I was just never all that involved with, despite never being bored.  **1/2

Super

SUPER (2010) - Sept. 13, 2010
Sort of like a more twisted version of Kick-Ass, this was a really fun film about a guy who decides to become a superhero after thinking he's heard the word of God.  Really well made, I think the Kick-Ass comparisons are going to be inevitable, but I think this is funnier and less slick, and definitely deserves to stand on its own (I liked Kick-Ass, but I liked this more).  Features a surprisingly good lead performance from Rainn Wilson; you definitely forget about the Office pretty early on, as his character here is quite far from Dwight.  The supporting cast is just as good, though it's Ellen Page who really steals the show as Wilson's overzealous sidekick.  Good times.  ***1/2

Late Autumn

LATE AUTUMN (2010) - Sept. 12, 2010
Well made but almost absurdly slow-paced, this was a decent film about a young Chinese woman, let out of prison for a couple of days to go to a funeral, who strikes up a relationship with a seemingly carefree Korean gigalo.  The film is well directed and reasonably well acted (though it's fairly clear that neither of the leads knew English too well).  It's actually quite compelling in parts, and the characters are definitely likable.  But it's insanely slow, and would probably benefit from some generous cutting.  There's also a fantasy sequence that just seems out of place and kind of slows down what little momentum the film has. **1/2

The Piano in a Factory

THE PIANO IN A FACTORY (2010) - Sept. 12, 2010
Well, it had to happen.  At least I got it out of the way early this year: I fell asleep.  I was pretty tired, but the movie being fairly poor certainly didn't help.  Directed with a fussy, overly composed visual style that gave the film an unpleasantly artificial theatricality and put the viewer at a constant arm's length, this was just not a particularly compelling film.  NO RATING

Easy Money

EASY MONEY (2010) - Sept. 12, 2010
Well made and quite fast-paced throughout, this was about an ambitious young man who finds himself working for a group of drug dealers.  Directed with a gritty visual style that suited the film quite well, I definitely enjoyed this.  ***

Outbound

OUTBOUND (2010) - Sept. 11, 2010
A typically European art house type of film (but a well done one), this was a well made and well acted film about a woman who gets out of jail -- supposedly for 24 hours only -- and who sets out to leave with her son.  The film follows her over the course of the day as she attempts to get her affairs in order, and features a naturalistic style that is quite reminisent of the work of the Dardenne brothers (but mostly without the handheld camerawork).  The film also features one of the more abrupt endings that I've seen lately, which seemed to irk the crowd I saw it with -- when someone asked the director to elaborate on what happened at the end, there were definite murmurs of appreciation (and of course, he didn't answer).  ***

Inception

INCEPTION (2010) - Sept. 11, 2010 (Fourth Viewing)
Yep, awesome.  And it definitely worked quite well on the large Imax screen, if not quite as brilliantly as the shot-for-Imax stuff from the Dark Knight.  ****

Wasted on the Young

WASTED ON THE YOUNG (2010) - Sept. 11, 2010
An interesting and well made film about a girl who overdoses and is subsequently raped at a party, and how this affects those around her.  Directed with visual flair by first-time director Ben C. Lucas, the film provided a unique spin on the high school drama.  ***

Cirkus Columbia

CIRKUS COLUMBIA (2010) - Sept. 10, 2010
A basically well made but uneventful and kind of boring film about a man who comes back to his small town in Bosnia after a twenty year absence, and winds up shaking things up.  There wasn't any particularly element of this film that was badly done, it was just kind of meandering and by somewhere around the mid-way point, I had completely lost interest.  *1/2

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN (2010) - Sept. 10, 2010
Though it started out with one of the better action sequences I've seen in a while (it was seriously awesome), the rest of the movie just wasn't up to that level.  About a famous resistance fighter in 1920s China, the film was just completely bogged down with political maneuverings, which left the characters themselves woefully underdeveloped.  It also didn't help that the first hour was pretty much action-free (aside from the aforementioned awesome opening), which completely threw off the pacing of the movie.  It picks up somewhat in the second hour, but it had pretty much lost me at that point.  It also closed with a pretty spectacular action sequence, but for the most part this movie was a let down.  Donnie Yen was awesome as usual, however.  **

Bedtime Stories

BEDTIME STORIES (2008) - Sept. 6, 2010
A surprisingly bad film about a man who realizes that the stories he's telling his neice and nephew are starting to come true.  Unabashedly juvenile, it becomes clear pretty much immediately that the film is aimed squarely at undiscrimating children, with no attempt to appeal to anyone over the age of twelve.  The film was pretty episodic, and lacked any particular narrative momentum.  Blandly directed and completely laugh-free, there really wasn't too much that worked here.  *1/2

The American

THE AMERICAN (2010) - Sept. 5, 2010
A well made if somewhat slow-paced film about a skilled hitman who hides out in a small Italian town making a custom sniper rifle.  The film kind of has a cool, emotionally distant tone that always keeps you at an arm's length, but it's well directed by Anton Corbijn and does a good job of evoking a European art-house vibe.  It also features a really strong central performance from George Clooney, who manages to create a compelling character (who is a bit different from his usual thing) without all that much dialogue.  ***

Machete

MACHETE (2010) - Sept. 3, 2010
Meh.  Based on the fake trailer from Grindhouse, this was about an ex-Federale who finds himself double-crossed by the people who hired him to assassinate a politician.  Further proof that Robert Rodriguez just isn't a very good director, this was decent in parts, but mostly it was just kind of flat, and it was never nearly as fun as it was trying to be.  Perhaps if it had been about half an hour shorter it would have been an enjoyable enough diversion, but at 105 minutes it definitely over-stays its welcome.  Plus, it's yet another movie where the violence is sullied by an over-use of CGI.  **

The Last Exorcism

THE LAST EXORCISM (2010) - Aug. 28, 2010
Though it's more of a character study than the in-your-face horror film the marketing is making it out to be, this was still a really enjoyable movie about a preacher who sets out to debunk exorcisms by showing a documentary crew how fake they are.  Definitely one of the stronger entries in the found-footage horror subgenre, this featured a really strong central performance from Patrick Fabian.  Director Daniel Stamm did a really good job of ratcheting up the tension when he needed to, plus the mystery of whether or not the girl was faking remained compelling throughout.  The ending was a bit perplexing, but I thought it really worked in a sort of ambiguously creepy way.  ***1/2

Scott Pilgrim Versus the World

SCOTT PILGRIM VERSUS THE WORLD (2010) - Aug. 27, 2010
An really past-paced and unique film about a young man who falls in love, and who then must fight his new girlfriend's seven evil exes.  Easily the stylistic culmination of everything that Edgar Wright has done so far, there's definitely no one else who could have made this film quite the same way that Wright does.  And yet somehow, despite being crammed with a very distinctive sense of stlye, the movie never feels over-stylized; it all seems to accompany the story perfectly.  I really enjoyed this, though for some reason I was never quite as into it as something like Shaun of the Dead.  I think another viewing is probably in order.  ***

Animal Kingdom

ANIMAL KINGDOM (2010) - Aug. 26, 2010
Good stuff.  Man.  A really well made, well directed, well written, well acted, well scored...  well everything, pretty much.  I loved so much about this movie.  For starters, there's David Michod's assured, pitch-perfect direction, which is visually compelling throughout without being ostentatious or calling attention to itself.  His screenplay is just as good; the characters all feel authentic and definitely become people we really care about.  I also liked that you were never entirely sure where the film was going, and that there were quite a few moments that were genuinely surprising.  There were also some really tense moments peppered throughout.  The film was definitely not super fast-paced, but it was extremely compelling from start to finish.  Then there's the performances, which were all well above average.  Antony Partos' melancoly, memorable score works perfectly.  Basically, I loved this movie.  If it weren't for Inception, I'd say that this was easily the best movie of the year so far.  In fact, I think it may even be better than Inception, but I'll have to see it again.  ****

Piranha

PIRANHA (2010) - Aug. 21, 2010
A fun, over-the-top horror comedy about a beach-side town that gets infested by prehistoric piranhas during spring break.  Deftly directed by Alexandre Aja, the film did a good job of setting up the characters so that we care about them once the piranha mayhem starts to go down.  It also did a good job of being pretty funny throughout without the smugness or over-the-top quirkiness that can sometimes be a problem in horror comedies.  The sequence where a beach full of partying teens gets ravaged by the piranhas was definitely one of the better things I've seen in a while.  As for the 3D, it was decently implemented, but I can't really say it enhanced the movie all that much (I would have been happier without it).  ***

Black Knight

BLACK KNIGHT (2001) - Aug. 16, 2010 (Second Viewing)
Decent, though not quite the enjoyable wacky comedy I remembered it being.  About a guy who works at a castle-themed amusement park who finds himself teleported to the distant past, one of the film's main problems is Martin Lawrence's way over-the-top performance, which is grating at times.  I generally like Lawrence, but he has a tendancy to dial things up to eleven when he should probably be at a seven or an eight.  **1/2

The Expendables

THE EXPENDABLES (2010) - Aug. 14, 2010
A bit of a disappointment, and not quite the ultimate '80s action throwback that the premise and the cast might have led you to believe.  About a group of mercenaries who travel to a small island to overthrow a dictator, there's a suprising amount of non-action here, and it's actually pretty boring.  The problem (or, one of the problems) is that, for the most part, the film just takes itself way too seriously, and none of the characters are particularly interesting.  The action itself is vaguely servicable, but without the comically over-the-top violence that made the last Rambo film so entertaining, Stallone's deficiencies as a director become awfully clear.  He leans very strongly towards the old close-up/quick-cut style, which is disappointing (I have to wonder why Stallone even bothered casting a legendary martial artist like Jet Li when his one fight scene was so obscured by quick cuts, it could have been anyone doing the fighting).  Meh.  **

Step Up 3D

STEP UP 3D (2010) - Aug. 10, 2010
A mostly enjoyable movie about a dance troup's efforts to win a big dance competition.  It's kind of cheesy and it does drag a bit in parts, but the dance scenes are actually impressively choreographed, and director Jon Chu does a pretty good job of stepping back and letting the dancers do their thing (he also seems to be one of the few directors who isn't shy about really using 3D to its fullest).  ***

The Other Guys

THE OTHER GUYS (2010) - Aug. 6, 2010
A really funny comedy about a couple of desk cops who wind up working a big case involving a corrupt businessman.  This was actually a bit better than I thought it would be, and is probably my favourite of the four Farrell/McKay comedies thus far.  It's a bit too long (as all the McKay films have been) but aside from that it was well made, fast-paced and quite funny.  Will Ferrell was at his Will Ferrell-y best, and Mark Wahlberg was surprisingly funny.  Plus it's always nice to see Michael Keaton on the big screen, and a recurring joke involving him quoting TLC songs was pretty hilarious.  If this had been 90 minutes I'm pretty sure it would have been an instant comedy classic.  ***

The Adventures of Robin Hood

THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) - Aug. 5, 2010
This movie is quite possibly one of the most well-regarded action/adventure movies ever, so my expectations for it were fairly high. It didn’t disappoint. While I don’t know if I’d put this on a list of my all-time favourites, it was definitely well made and quite entertaining throughout.  Certainly, the film was leaps and bounds above the fairly anemic Robin Hood, the recent Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend. That film was kind of dull and ponderous; I can definitely see what they were going for, but it just didn’t work, for the most part. However, I can safely say that Robin Hood will never be on the list, so… moving on.  This Robin Hood featured all of the archery, swordplay and rollicking adventure that you’d expect from the character. The action was exciting and well-staged (and further proof that, contrary to what pretty much every contemporary director believes, you don’t need a million cuts a second to have an exciting action scene). Robin Hood himself came off as a bit arrogant (he was pretty smug), but he was always likable thanks to a charismatic performance from Errol Flynn.  There’s definitely a lot to like here, and I think this is the type of film that everyone could enjoy — assuming they can get past the somewhat old-fashioned filmmaking (eg. the aforementioned lack of a million cuts per second during the action). Did I mention how much better this was than the Ridley Scott version? ***

Mother

MOTHER (2009) - Aug. 4, 2010
Though it drags in parts and is probably a bit on the long side, this was still an entertaining and really well made film about a mother who tries to clear her mentally challenged son's name after he's put in jail for murder.  Featuring a pretty amazing lead performance from Hye-ja Kim, the film is almost worth it just for her performance alone, and it is actually fairly riveting in parts. ***

Mystery Team

MYSTERY TEAM (2009) - Aug. 3, 2010
An enjoyably wacky comedy from the online comedy group Derrick Comedy, about a group of teenagers who never quite outgrew their childhood detective business.  Though it's not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as the best Derrick Comedy sketches, it's still pretty funny in parts and quite enjoyable throughout.  ***

The Eclipse

THE ECLIPSE (2009) - Aug. 2, 2010
A kind of meandering but well made drama about a teacher who, while volunteering at a literary festival, strikes up a friendship with a writer.  Meanwhile, he is periodically terrorized by the ghost of his not-yet-dead father-in-law.  Well made and very well acted, particularly Ciaran Hinds, who definitely proves here that he deserves more than just the supporting roles he typically plays.  The supernatural stuff kind of feels odd in this otherwise super low-key drama (especially since that stuff is so dependent on jump scares), but it basically works, though it doesn't really seem to go anywhere.  As well, the Aiden Quinn character feels mostly superfluous, and I really would have rather just spent more time with Hinds' character.  Oh well, it was still pretty good.  ***

Cop Out

COP OUT (2010) - Aug. 1, 2010
A surprisingly inept "comedy" about a couple of cops who get embroiled in a case involving the Mexican mafia when they start investigating a stolen baseball card.  There is almost nothing that works here.  First and foremost, there are the performances; Tracy Morgan is essentially playing his 30 Rock character, and he is so wildly over-the-top that he generally just comes off as desperate (plus, I never bought for a second that his buffoonish character could have been an actual cop).  On the opposite side of the bad acting spectrum is Bruce Willis; he completely phones in his performance, and actually looks bored much of the time.  The movie is awkwardly directed by Kevin Smith, and features action which is completely bland (there isn't much of it, though).  It isn't funny, nor does it particularly work as a parody of buddy-cop action films.  I did like the score, but even that didn't particularly work in the context of the film, as the movie otherwise doesn't evoke an '80s vibe in the slightest, making the score feel a bit incongruous.  *

The Collector

THE COLLECTOR (2009) - Aug. 1, 2010
A decently made but kind of unpleasant horror film about a thief who breaks into an isolated country home only to find it filled with deadly traps and a crazy guy (the titular collector) who either wants to kill him or collect him (the nature of how or why this guy likes to collect people is never explored).  It started out decently enough, but after a while the whole cat-and-mouse dynamic between the collector and the thief began to run out of steam.  It didn't help that the whole thing feels vaguely Platinum Dunes-y (particularly the two recent Texas Chainsaw films) both in its ugly, monochromatic visual style and its tendancy to emphasize gore on the more sadistic side of things.  **

Dinner for Schmucks

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS (2010) - July 31, 2010
A mediocre and way over-the-top comedy about a guy who finds out that he has to befriend an idiot in order to bring him to a party his boss is holding.  Mostly unfunny wackiness ensues.  The main problem with this movie is that the humour, for the most part, is just way too broad.  Pretty much the entire supporting cast are absurdly zany and completely unbelievable as anything even resembling real people.  The titular dinner scene was long and painfully unfunny.  The movie was also filled with forced melodrama which felt excessive -- even for this type of film, where you have to expect some third act drama.  I did mostly like Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, and some of their scenes together were decent enough, but for the most part the film just feels like it's trying way too hard, and it doesn't particularly work.  **

The Cry of the Owl

THE CRY OF THE OWL (2009) - July 28, 2010
An exceptionally mediocre movie about a guy who gets caught up in the life of a woman who he had been spying on, who turns out to be even crazier than he is.  Filled to the brim with hokey, often laughably bad dialogue, the whole thing was distinctly inauthentic, with nary a single character who felt like a real person.  It became increasingly clear as the movie went on that the director was going for a sort of stylized, film noir vibe, but for the most part it just doesn't really work.  The first half or so was disastrously bad, as the film starts out as more of a low-key drama, and the aforementioned dialogue and character problems are pretty glaring.  It got a bit more enjoyable once the plot really starts to kick in; it takes some twists and turns towards the end that are completely absurd but reasonably entertaining.  I really have no idea how the director was able to get Paddy Considine and Julia Stiles for this mess (who both gave uncharacteristically bad performances, though with material this bad even the best actor in the world would be hard-pressed to come up with something decent).  *1/2

Inception

INCEPTION (2010) - July 27, 2010 (Third Viewing)
So awesome.  This is definitely a superlative summer movie.  ****

The Kids are All Right

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010) - July 26, 2010
A low-key and well-crafted (if a bit bland) drama about a brother and sister who decide to meet their birth-father.  This causes friction with their two lesbian mothers.  The whole thing was quite well acted (I'd be surprised if the cast doesn't get at least one Oscar nomination) and well made, and I definitely enjoyed it, but it's the sort of film that you enjoy while you're watching, then you pretty much completely forget about it almost immediately after.  ***

Youth in Revolt

YOUTH IN REVOLT (2009) - July 25, 2010
A really well made and engaging film about a teenager who falls in love, and then creates a suave, criminal alter-ego to get back to her.  The film is quite entertaining throughout, and features some really solid direction from Miguel Arteta.  It also featured a bunch of memorable supporting roles from people like Ray Liotta and Steve Buscemi, and a really good lead performance from Michael Cera.  I know Cera gets a lot of flack for having a distinctive persona and not changing much from movie to movie, but I think he's an engaging presence on screen.  ***1/2

Salt

SALT (2010) - July 24, 2010
An enjoyable action film about a CIA agent who goes on the run after being accused of being a Russian spy.  Skillfully directed by Phillip Noyce, the film moves at an almost absurdly brisk pace, but the performances (particularly Jolie herself) ensure that we always care about the characters and that it doesn't just feel like a bunch of loosely strung together set-pieces (which it essentially is).  The film also has a refreshingly old-school vibe, mostly eschewing the more blatantly over-the-top CGI shenanigans that have become so prevalent in the action genre of late.  ***

Primer

PRIMER (2004) - July 23, 2010
Completely baffling and yet oddly compelling, this was about a couple of guys who invent a machine that allows them to go back in time; confusing shenanigans ensue.  Seriously, almost as soon as the time travel began, I lost any ability to follow what was going on -- even the mechanics of how they were traveling through time were kind of beyond my comprehension.  Why did they have to stay in a hotel?  How did they know how far they were going back?  What was the deal with that party?  My brain is starting to hurt just thinking about it all.  Hmmm... was this an example of muddled storytelling, or was I just not smart enough to follow this movie?  I'm thinking a bit of both, but maybe I should watch this again.  ***

Ashes and Diamond

ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958) - July 22, 2010
Well, that was a pleasant surprise. Not that I was expecting this to be bad, but I was unfamiliar with director Andrzej Wajda, and so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  As it turns out, Wajda’s impressive direction was probably the highlight of the film; stylish and filled with intricately-composed, Citizen Kane-esque low angle shots, you can definitely see the influence Wajda has had on directors over the years. I won’t go into spoilers, but there’s a moment towards the end of the film that was as memorable and as visually striking as anything I’ve seen in quite a while. You’ll know it when you see it.  Of course, this wouldn’t have added up to all that much if the film itself hadn’t been up to snuff — the protagonist’s realization, over one long night, that he can’t necessarily do his duty and live a normal life was deftly handled, and though the film wasn’t perfect (it drags slightly in parts) it was definitely quite memorable.  ***

Unthinkable

UNTHINKABLE (2010) - July 21, 2010
A kind of uneven but mostly engaging drama/thriller about the interrogation of a man who claims to have planted three nukes in three American cities.  Not quite on the level of the couple of films by Gregor Jordon that I've seen thus far, this was still enjoyable enough and quite well acted.  ***

Despicable Me

DESPICABLE ME (2010) - July 20, 2010
Fun and enjoyably cartoony, this was a lightweight but quite entertaining film about a super-villain who adopts three sisters as part of his latest scheme.  I think it's probably a bit unfair to compare every computer animated film to Pixar, but... well, it wasn't exactly Pixar.  But it was definitely entertaining.  ***

The Brothers Solomon

THE BROTHERS SOLOMON (2007) - July 19, 2010
A vaguely entertaining film that seriously overstays its welcome, this actually feels a lot like an SNL sketch that goes on a few minutes longer than it should.  It's extremely silly and not quite as funny as it's trying to be, but it's generally entertaining enough.  **1/2

Inception

INCEPTION (2010) - July 17, 2010 (Second Viewing)
So good.  A big summer action film this good is definitely a rare treat.  Plus: more proof that you can't go wrong with a heist movie.  ****

Hunger

HUNGER (2008) - July 16, 2010
A bizarre, intense prison film about a jail in Ireland in the '80s, filled with a bunch of political prisoners.  It was supposedly about a particular prisoner's hunger strike, though that stuff only really came into play in the last little bit of the film.  Mostly, the film focused on a handful of prisoners, and one guard.  A little bit more background would have been nice -- for instance, I didn't realize that the prisoners were living in squalor thanks to a "no wash" strike until about halfway through the film.  I just figured that it was a really terrible prison.  Still, I enjoyed the movie; there was something strangely engaging and almost hypnotic about the grimness of it all.  Steve McQueen's direction was quite good, and though the film was deliberately paced, it was absolutely never boring.  We never particularly got to know any of the characters all that well, but it almost didn't seem to matter (I mean, it would have been nice, but the film definitely had a lot of other stuff going for it).  ***

Sixteen Candles

SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984) - July 15, 2010
An enjoyable film by the sadly departed John Hughes.  I waited way too long to write this for whatever reason, so...  I recall liking this film, but... yeah.  ***

Inception

INCEPTION (2010) - July 12, 2010
Oh sweet Jesus yes.  As hyped as I was for this film, this was just as good if not even better than I had hoped it would be.  I loved everything about this movie.  First off, there is Christopher Nolan's direction, which really is astounding, and is almost certainly his best work to date.  The action is thrilling and exciting, and the film is almost absurdly compelling on a visual level.  The final action sequence (which lasts a good half hour, if not a bit more) is a dazzling piece of work, with a dream within a dream within a dream all happening simultaneously and edited together to perfection.  The performances are just as good; Leonardo DiCaprio probably gives his best performance ever.  Every other role is just as perfectly cast.  Nolan creates a world here that seems entirely plausible; the film's depiction of dreams and the way they work always feels real.  GOOD STUFF.  ****

The African Queen

THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) - July 11, 2010
I’ve been a fan of John Huston’s for a while now, so the African Queen has definitely been on my to-see list (I’m also a fan of Humphrey Bogart’s, but that just goes without saying. There are only two types of people in the world: Humphrey Bogart fans, and people who have never seen a Bogart movie). Up until a few months ago, thanks to some legal shenanigans involving rights issues, trying to see this movie on home video has been surprisingly difficult. But I’m glad that I never made the effort to get my hands on a dodgy import, because the recently-released Blu-ray looks pretty stunning. It’s sharp, vibrant and without a hint of age.  But what about the movie itself? While I wouldn’t quite put it up there with stuff like the Treasure of the Sierra Madre and the Asphalt Jungle (which I will be watching again pretty soon, as it’s on the list), this is definitely a justified classic. A movie like this, which is really just about the interactions between two characters, lives and dies by its performances. Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn… well, do I really need to finish that sentence? They’re both legendary actors, and their performances here are certainly commensurate with their stature. They also have really great chemistry together, so by the end of the film you’re definitely rooting for them to make it. You’d think that the film might be a bit stagy, but Huston manages to keep things abundantly cinematic, including a few sequences which are surprisingly tense. Good stuff. ***1/2

Tenderness

TENDERNESS (2009) - July 10, 2010
A slow and kind of mediocre film about a guy who has just come out of jail for murdering his parents, and the girl who has developed something of an obsession with him.  Meanwhile, a "mostly retired" cop is on his tail, convinced he's going to murder again.  The film was well made amd well acted, and it was actually fairly compelling in spots, but it was a bit uneven and too leisurely-paced for its own good.  **1/2

Predators

PREDATORS (2010) - July 9, 2010
While not quite the instant classic I might have hoped, this was still a really enjoyable action movie about a random group of soldiers (plus a convict, a doctor and a gangster) who find themselves being hunted on a strange alien world.  Featuring some expectedly primo direction from Nimrod Antal, the film is pretty tense in parts, and has a surfeit of exciting action (it also features what is easily one of the best openings I've seen in a long time).  The eclectic cast is definitely solid, particularly Adrien Brody -- he certainly isn't the most obvious choice for an action lead, but he's completely convincing.  The movie drags a bit around the middle, but aside from that it was quite enjoyable.  ***

Cyrus

CYRUS (2010) - July 6, 2010
Meh.  About a man who meets the woman of his dreams, only to find himself in conflict with her bizarre adult son, who still lives with her.  My main problem with this film is that the premise, and the over-the-top way these characters tend to act (particularly the Jonah Hill character), seems like it would be more at home in the latest Happy Madison or Adam McKay film.  However, writer/directors Jay and Mark Duplass imbue the film with a realistic, documentary-like tone and style which is entirely at odds with the more outrageous elements of the plot.  It feels very incongruous.  The movie is basically entertaining and very well acted, but it's definitely at its best in the quieter moments.  Also: the Duplass brothers' directorial style, with its jittery camerawork and inexplicably random zooms, is completely unappealing.  **1/2

The Invention of Lying

THE INVENTION OF LYING (2009) - July 4, 2010
An enjoyable enough film about a man who discovers lying in a society where everyone always tells the truth and speaks their minds.  All of the performances were quite good, Ricky Gervais in particular.  The whole thing was kind of middling but mostly entertaining.  **1/2

Futurama: Bender's Game

FUTURAMA: BENDER'S GAME (2008) - July 2, 2010
Another fun but somewhat subpar (compared to the best episodes of the show, at least) Futurama movie.  The weakest stretch was the extended fantasy sequence towards the end; it seems to be a rule that all animated shows must do this at some point, and it rarely works all that well.  Oh well, still an enjoyable film.  ***

Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer

AILEEN WUORNOS: THE SELLING OF A SERIAL KILLER (1992) - July 1, 2010
Well, this is a bit of a puzzlement. The list isn’t exactly doc-heavy (this is the first documentary I’ve watched for this blog thus far), so this seems like kind of an odd choice — it’s interesting enough, I guess, but it’s kind of low-rent and not exactly a shining example of what the medium is capable of. Not that I’m a huge documentary guy; I’ll admit that my interest as a filmgoer lies more with fiction than non-fiction. But even as an unseasoned documentary viewer, it’s pretty clear that this just isn’t all that great.  In fact, I had to consult the book itself to see why this mostly unremarkable doc warranted inclusion on a list of essential films. Apparently, it “[sheds] a piercing light on the underbelly of the American character” and is a “riveting, hop-scotching documentary.” Fair enough on the first count, I suppose, though personally I would disagree that this is anywhere near riveting.  I think the main problem here is that the film is never entirely sure about what it wants to be — is it about Arlene Pralle, a woman who bizarrely adopted Wuornos after she had already been arrested for seven murders? Is it about Wuornos herself? Or is it about director Nick Broomfield’s attempts to get access to Wuornos? The film doesn’t really have a clear focus, which prevents it from being quite as effective as it could have been. Pralle is probably the film’s most interesting figure (well, aside from Wuornos herself, but the film seems to have no interest in exploring her crimes in a meaningful way), but Broomfield sort of meanders around, spending just as much time with Wuornos’ incompetent, guitar-playing lawyer, a thread which doesn’t particularly go anywhere. Ultimately, it’s this lack of any kind of unifying thesis that really prevents this doc from being particularly effective.  **1/2