Vacation

VACATION (1983) - Dec. 31, 2011 (Second Viewing)
About the various wacky misadventures that a family gets into on a cross-country trip to Wally World, this was entertaining and sporadically amusing, if not quite the classic that I remembered it being.  More a series of loosely connected sketches than a cohesive film, the movie definitely felt a bit uneven but was mostly entertaining throughout.  **1/2

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011) - Dec. 31, 2011
About a bunch of spy shenanigans revolving around a suspected mole in Britain in the '70s, this was a very well acted, handsomely made film that is probably a little too deliberately-paced for its own good.  Seriously, even by the standards of the paranoid thrillers of the 1970s that this film clearly took more than a little inspiration from, this is a slow-paced film.  It also doesn't do a particularly great job of fleshing out and getting us to care about the fairly sizable cast of characters.  However, the film is very stylish and does a great job of bringing the spy scene of the '70s to life, and is pretty much worth watching just based on that and the performances alone.  ***

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (2011) - Dec. 30, 2011
Note to self: arrive at IMAX screenings at least an hour early.  Though I had to sit so close that the giant IMAX screen completely overwhelmed my field of vision, I still quite enjoyed this movie.  Proof that Brad Bird's talents definitely extend to live action, the film is very well directed and has some pretty spectacular action set-pieces (highlights include the much-ballyhooed Dubai skyscraper sequence, the car chase in a dust storm, and the fight in the innards of a car storage facility).  The film is briskly paced and well acted; my only real complaint is that Michael Nyqvist's villian is almost comically underdeveloped, and has to be one of the least memorable bad guys I've seen in quite a while.  ***1/2

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011) - Dec. 29, 2011
A disappointingly by-the-numbers adaptation of the book.  Though Fincher does a decent enough job of transfering the book to the screen while retaining his own sense of style (the film is unmistakably a David Fincher movie), the movie feels even more like a generic procedural on screen than on the page.  It feels like Law & Order: Sweden (only with much more rape).  It probably doesn't help that there are long stretches in which characters do research on the internet or in a library.  Even gussied up with slick visuals, watching people read a book is just not interesting (well, I suppose it worked for All the President's Men, but this is no All the President's Men).  **1/2

The Bodyguard

THE BODYGUARD (1992) - Dec. 22, 2011
An entertaining enough if somewhat cheesy and dated film about a no-nonsense bodyguard who takes a job protecting a famous singer.  It's decent enough, but there is definitely no mistaking this as anything but a product of the early '90s (it really hasn't aged very well).  **1/2

It's a Wonderful World

IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD (1939) - Dec. 21, 2011 (Second Viewing)
Well, it took about an hour before I even had an inkling that I had seen this movie before -- considering that I only saw this movie about five years ago, that has some pretty disturbing implications on the quality of my memory.  Though this isn't exactly the type of movie that I'd normally revisit, it's well acted and quite enjoyable throughout.  ***

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas

A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (2011) - Dec. 17, 2011
Another enjoyable, if somewhat forgettable Harold and Kumar film.  Seriously, I just saw it a few hours ago and my memory of it is already getting a bit hazy.  Still, it was entertaining throughout, the performances were good, and I did chuckle a few times.  Plus, I have to give it kudos for being one of the few films to realize that 3D is inherently gimmicky, and to just go hogwild throwing random stuff at the camera.  ***

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011) - Dec. 16, 2011
Another disappointing Sherlock Holmes movie from Guy Ritchie, this time finding Holmes squaring off against his nemesis, Professor Moriarty.  Like the first one, the film gets a lot right, particularly the cast and the general depiction of Holmes and Watson: there's great chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, and Jared Harris was appropriately sinister as Moriarty (though Noomi Rapace's character was seriously bland and almost competely superfluous).  But the story just isn't all that interesting, and I found myself getting pretty bored for long stretches.  I don't get it: Guy Ritchie is a solid director, and Sherlock Holmes is an amazing character.  Why are these movies so dull?  **

Shame

SHAME (2011) - Dec. 15, 2011
Another impeccably directed film from Steve McQueen, revolving around a man struggling with a sex addiction along with some pretty serious intimacy issues.  Features a much more straight-forward narrative than McQueen's last film, Hunger.  This is a seriously good looking movie, and is anchored by a great performance from Michael Fassbender.  The film is kind of cold, and you're always at a bit of an arm's length, but it's definitely well made and compelling throughout. ***

The Artist

THE ARTIST (2011) - Dec. 15, 2011
A really well made and kind of delightful movie about a silent film star who finds his celebrity waning after the advent of talking pictures.  Shot silent and in black and white -- a technique that could have easily come off as pretentious gimmickry, but which absolutely works here.  For the first hour or so I was quite enjoying it, but thinking it was nothing particularly special, however at a certain point the film becomes stunningly involving.  It helps that the performances are quite good, and that director Michel Hazanavicius does a pretty great job of making the endearing characters people we come to care about.  ***1/2

The Descendants

THE DESCENDANTS (2011) - Dec. 3, 2011
Wow!  I loved this movie.  If Alexander Payne weren't already one of my favourite directors, he certainly would be now.  About a man who finds out that his comatose wife (who is about to have the plug pulled) was cheating on him, this was pretty much perfection on every level.  First off, there's George Clooney, who gives what has to be a career-best performance.  He's still got that Clooney charm, but at the same time he manages to create a really distinctive character that feels pretty different from anything else he's played.  He manages to convey so much just in his reactions without even saying anything, and without ever overplaying it.  The rest of the cast is just as good, without a weak link in the bunch.  Payne also does a really great job of developing all the characters, and making even side-characters without much to do interesting.  Payne's wonderful direction is also pretty much perfect; stylish, but without ever calling attention to itself.  ****

The Muppets

THE MUPPETS (2011) - Dec. 3, 2011
A very charming, fun movie about a man and his brother (who, somehow, is a muppet) who decide to help bring the Muppets back together to save their old theatre.  The film does a really good job of being reverential to the Muppets while still being very entertaining in its own right.  Though the movie does feel a bit insubstantial, it's got a bunch of really catchy songs (too catchy), and it pretty much just puts a smile on your face from start to finish.  ***

The Brood

THE BROOD (1979) - Dec. 2, 2011
About a man whose wife is under the care of an experimental psychologist, and who begins to suspect that his daughter is at risk when people around him start getting killed by strange, child-like monsters.  The film seriously drags in parts (most of the scenes with Oliver Reed as the therapist feel like they go on longer than they need to), but the film is well directed by David Cronenberg, and definitely has its moments.  The ending, in particular, was completely insane (and distinctly Cronenbergian) -- it was pretty much worth the price of admission alone.  There was also a scene involving a teacher getting beaten to death in front of a classroom of horrified five-year-olds that had to be one of the more memorable things I've seen in a while.  **1/2

Kidnapped

KIDNAPPED (2010) - Dec. 1, 2011
About a wealthy family who, on the night they move into a new house, find themselves at the mercy of a group of criminals.  Yep -- another home invasion movie, but definitely a worthy entry in the increasingly busy sub-genre.  Effectively directed by Miguel Angel Vivas, who constructs the movie with a series of very long, elaborate shots (there's maybe ten shots in the whole movie) -- the film feels a bit show-offy at times, but ultimately the style really works.  There are some seriously effective sequences here (particularly one involving split screen towards the end), and Vivas does a good job of amping up the tension as the movie goes along.  ***1/2

The Fly

THE FLY (1986) - Nov. 29, 2011
About a scientist who develops teleportation; he decides to test it out on himself, but a fly accidentally winds up in the chamber with him.  Horrifying Cronenbergian shenanigans ensue.  Featuring a couple of above average performances from Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis (what happened to her?), the film is quite enjoyable throughout, and is the kind of smart sci-fi that we just don't see enough of.  ***1/2

We Bought a Zoo

WE BOUGHT A ZOO (2011) - Nov. 26, 2011
An enjoyable film about a writer who, still grieving over the loss of his wife a few months prior, decides to buy a house that just happens to be attached to a small zoo.  It feels kind of like a minor effort, though it's definitely a step up from Elizabethtown.  Cameron Crowe's direction is solid, and as usual, his use of music is stellar.  It's also quite well acted, particularly Matt Damon (the latest in a string of above average performaces).  It feels a bit long, and a bit slight, but it's quite enjoyable throughout.  ***

Hugo

HUGO (2011) - Nov. 26, 2011
About a boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station, and who finds himself mixed up with a man who owns a gadget shop and his neice.  The man turns out to be Georges Melies, a twist that I, sadly, had spoiled for me.  There's a lot in the second half about the magic of the movies, and about Melies himself, and all that stuff was really good.  It's easy enough to see what drew Scorsese to the material -- the second half is very much a love letter to silent cinema, and to Melies in particular.  But the film runs at a long 127 minutes; it meanders a lot (especially in the first half) and is a bit too slow-paced for its own good.  **1/2

Immortals

IMMORTALS (2011) - Nov. 19, 2011
About a peasant who finds himself embroiled in a battle between two armies, as well as between two rival factions of gods, this was kind of a pleasant surprise.  I really haven't much cared for Tarsem's two movies thus far, so my expectations for this one weren't particularly high.  And though this film wasn't without its problems, it was fun.  Featuring a decent, if somewhat bland leading performance from future Superman Henry Cavill, and a scenery-chewing performance from Mickey Rourke, the film drags a bit in parts but is mostly pretty enjoyable.  The whole thing is ridiculously over-the-top, from the stylized sets and costumes to Rourke's mustache-twirling villian to the overblown action.  But it works, for the most part.  Tarsem's familiar super-slick directorial style actually suits the material fairly well, and the violent action is surprisingly engaging.  ***

Paranormal Activity 3

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (2011) - Nov. 19, 2011
About more filmed paranormal shenanigans, this time revolving around Katie and her sister as children.  Like the first two, this film is pretty great at building up and maintaining suspense (a camera that automatically pans back and forth on a fan head is actually a fairly ingenious device to ramp up tension).  But it was easily the weakest of the three films -- I don't normally say this, but this movie was too short.  The film really would have benefited from a little more breathing room around the nighttime stuff, and a little more character development.  It felt a little too pruned-down and spare.  It also had an ending which I'm assuming is setting up a sequel, because taken on its own it raises far more questions than it answers.  But for the third installment in a Saw-esque yearly horror franchise, it's actually pretty damn good (Saw was already pretty lousy by part three).  ***

Cafe de Flore

CAFE DE FLORE (2011) - Nov. 12, 2011
Featuring a fractured narrative that spans decades and weaves together two seemingly unrelated stories, this was a memorably ambitious film from Jean-Marc Vallee, and one that I'm sure will reward repeat viewings.  Features some very stylish direction from Vallee, who does a great job bouncing back and forth between the two stories.  His use of popular music is also pretty much perfect, and there are some sequences here that are completely mesmerizing.  The film feels a tad long, but that's a minor complaint.  ***1/2

Sleeping Beauty

SLEEPING BEAUTY (2011) - Nov. 12, 2011
Uh... that one wasn't so good.  About a young woman who finds herself caught up in a very specialized form of prostitution, where she is presented to the client after having been knocked out by sleeping pills.  Though Julia Leigh's fussy, meticulously composed visuals are beautiful and striking in the context of a two minute trailer, they kind of get a bit overbearing in a feature-length film.  In fact, from the stylized visuals to the affected performances to the theatrical artificiality of it all, the whole film screams "LOOK!  THIS IS ART!"  It's almost comically pretentious.  *1/2

A Separation

A SEPARATION (2011) - Nov. 12, 2011
About a recently separated man who finds himself in trouble when he shoves a woman who had been caring for his father, this was a really well made film.  Though it starts of like a fairly typical foreign film festival type of move -- plotless, with handheld, documentary-style cinematography -- the film gets much more interesting as it goes along, and I was downright riveted for the last hour or so.  The aforementioned documentary-style direction, combined with the uniformly superb performances, makes the film feel remarkably immediate and real.  The movie was filled with really interesting, nuanced characters; there's no good guy or bad guy here -- everyone has their side of the story, and everyone thinks they're doing the right thing.  It's fascinating watching as the almost Rashomon-esque layers of truth get peeled back.  The film also offers a a really interesting glimpse at modern-day Iran.  I pretty much loved it.  ****

The Tree

THE TREE (2011) - Nov. 12, 2011
About a little girl who believes that her recently-deceased father's soul has taken residence in a large tree next to her house, this was a kind of iffy film.  Though it was well acted and decently (if blandly) directed, it was kind of cheesy and a lot slower-paced than it needed to be.  It had really worn out its welcome by the end.  It probably didn't help that the little girl in this movie was one of the most annoying children to be committed to celluloid in quite some time.  **

Le Havre

LE HAVRE (2011) - Nov. 12, 2011
A typically quirky, delightful film from Aki Kaurismaki, this was about a shoe shiner who takes in a young refugee from a cargo ship on his way to London.  Everything from the tone to the way the characters act to the directorial style is classic Kaurismaki, and the film is quite enjoyable throughout, if a little slight.  ***

Tyrannosaur

TYRANNOSAUR (2011) - Nov. 11, 2011
About a couple of very damaged characters who strike up a tentative friendship, this was a well made albiet almost impossibly grim movie from Paddy Considine.  Anchored by two very impressive lead performances from Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman, the film had to be one of the grimmest, most downbeat movies I've seen in a while, but it was definitely quite well made (though I can't say I'll ever want to watch it again).  ***

11-11-11

11-11-11 (2011) - Nov. 5, 2011
About a tortured author who travels to Spain when he finds out his father is on his deathbed; meanwhile, he starts seeing some creepy figures and wondering about the significance of the numbers 11-11.  Features some surprisingly decent direction from Darren Lynn Bouseman (though since the only films of his that I've seen are the increasingly abysmal Saw II, III and IV, there's really nowhere to go but up).  Though Bouseman doesn't do as good of a job with the characters/plot as he does with maintaining a general sense of tension and dread, the film is fairly creepy and pretty much entertaining throughout, though it does feel a bit disjointed at times.  I also wasn't crazy about the over-the-top and kind of confusing ending (the film is already quite over-the-top, but the ending definitely kicks it up a notch).  **1/2

Tower Heist

TOWER HEIST (2011) - Nov. 5, 2011
Probably one of Brett Ratner's better movies of late (or ever, not that that particularly takes much, though I don't have quite the same level of hatred for Ratner that many seem to), this was an enjoyable heist movie about a group of workers who decide to steal the secret stash of a Bernie Madoff-esque swindler.  Featuring solid direction from Ratner and good performances from people like Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller and an enjoyably smarmy Alan Alda, the film doesn't particularly add up to much, but I can certainly think of worse ways to spend 104 minutes.  The movie does drag a bit in the more episodic midsection, but it recovers nicely with a surprisingly engaging heist sequence.  ***

Dragons Forever

DRAGONS FOREVER (1988) - Nov. 4, 2011
About a mob lawyer and his friend who, while trying to woo a lawyer and her client to help their case, wind up falling in love.  Meanwhile, martial arts shenanigans ensue.  This is definitely Jackie Chan right in his prime, and the presence of Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao certainly doesn't hurt.  The film itself is kind of silly, and the overbearing score is a little distracting at times, but it's entertaining throughout, and the action scenes are pretty much glorious.  ***1/2

In Time

IN TIME (2011) - Oct. 29, 2011
A suprisingly bad movie about a future society in which time is the new currency -- people stop aging once they hit 25, at which point their clock starts ticking.  This is a society in which the poor are segregated from the rich, and in which the poor get poorer with little chance for escape, while the rich get richer with more time than they know what to do with.  You can just feel writer/director Andrew Niccol elbowing you in the ribs; "kind of like our society, right?  RIGHT??"  No, this is not a subtle film, but even setting aside its ham-fistedness, it's just not that good.  It feels pretty clunky, without all that much narrative momentum driving it forward, and without much chemistry between the two leads.  It's surprisingly shoddy, especially coming from a director as talented as Andrew Niccol.  *1/2

Assault on Precinct 13

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976) - Oct. 28, 2011
Classic John Carpenter.  About a group of cops, criminals and civilians who must defend a small, nearly abandoned police station when a large, angry gang descends upon it, determined to kill everyone inside.  Featuring typically assured direction from Carpenter, including some really nice widescreen cinematography, the film does a great job of ratcheting up the tension and has some memorable set-pieces.  It helps that the characters are all quite good.  Definitely impressive stuff considering that this was only Carpenter's second film.  ***1/2

Point Blank

POINT BLANK (2010) - Oct. 25, 2011
An absolutely crackerjack thriller about a nurse-in-training who finds himself caught up in some serious shenanigans revolving around corrupt cops when his wife is kidnapped.  Featuring stellar direction from Fred Cavayé, who keeps things moving at an absurdly fast pace and directs the action with the sure hand of an old pro (despite the fact that this is only his second film) -- there's a foot chase here that has to be one of the more thrilling chases I've seen in a long time, and many other sequences that are edge-of-your seat thrilling.  And seriously, I cannot say enough about how awesome the pacing is in this movie.  The movie strikes the perfect balance between action and down-time, with plentiful action that never feels overwhelming.  The film also does really efficient job of developing the characters and getting them to a point where we care about them without spending too much time doing it.  Good times.  ****

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL (2010) - Oct. 22, 2011
About the shenanigans that ensue when a group of partying teens mistake a couple of good-natured guys for murderous rednecks, this was a well made and sporadically hilarious send-up of slasher movies.  Like the best horror comedies, the film manages to poke fun at genre conventions without smugly winking at the audience; even if you've never seen a slasher movie, you can still enjoy this film.  Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk were both quite good and had great chemistry, and the film was solidly directed by Eli Craig.  Though the first half was probably more enjoyable than the second half, the whole film was definitely quite entertaining throughout.  ***

The Three Musketeers

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (2011) - Oct. 22, 2011
A gleefully dumb but fairly enjoyable retelling of the story of the Three Musketeers.  The film definitely has its problems; for one thing, it has some pacing issues and at 110 minutes, is probably a tad longer than it needs to be.  I'm also really not sure why this movie needed four different villains, which left a couple of them on the thin side.  Plus, the final action set-piece is a little overblown, and definitenly goes on longer than it needs to.  But ultimately the movie is silly, fluffy swashbuckling fun.  Paul W.S. Anderson knows exactly what type of movie he's making and goes for it with gusto -- this is a film that features four guys taking on forty, and that culminates with a battle between two airships.  The film knows exactly how silly it is, and just tries to be as fun as possible.  Anderson's action direction, aside from being a little bit slow-mo heavy, is admirably old-fashioned, with nary a handheld camera in sight.  ***

The Thing (2011)

THE THING (2011) - Oct. 15, 2011
Well, there was pretty much nowhere to go but down from John Carpenter's original, and that's definitely where this prequel went.  About the group of Norwegians (and some Americans) who initially uncover the thing before it makes its way over to the camp in the Carpenter version, the film was decent enough, but it never really rises above the level of a mild diversion (and certainly, doesn't even come close to the '80s version).  I think bland is probably the best word to describe this movie -- Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.'s direction is bland (particularly when you compare him to Carpenter), the score is bland, the characters are bland (Mary Elizabeth Winstead is fine in the lead role, but she is just not a compelling presence at all... bland), and the very CGI looking creature effects are bland.  There are definitely some decent moments here, but... meh.  **1/2

The Thing

THE THING (1982) - Oct. 12, 2011 (Second Viewing)
An absolute classic -- I remembered this being very good, and it's even better than I remembered.  Featuring perfect direction from John Carpenter (this is definitely among his best films), the film always looks good and does a pretty astounding job of building and maintaining tension.  It's also really well acted, and the dynamic between all the characters is always really well done (both before and after shit gets real, and everybody starts questioning who's still human).  Ennio Morricone's score also suits the material perfectly.  Honestly, I'm having a hard time thinking of any flaws in this movie.  ****

50/50

50/50 (2011) - Oct. 8, 2011
A kind of depressing but well made and quite entertaining film about a guy in his late twenties who discovers he has a rare form of cancer, and how he deals with this news.  More proof that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the best young actors working today.  Seth Rogen is also quite good as his wacky buddy.  ***

Session 9

SESSION 9 (2001) - Oct. 5, 2011
A really well made horror film about a crew of asbestos clean-up guys who find themselves beginning to lose it during their latest job in an abandoned asylum.  Featuring some great performances and really effective direction from Brad Anderson, including a pervasive, escalating sense of dread that pretty much never lets up, this was definitely an above average horror film.  I honestly can't think of many movies that are this effective at maintaining a creepy atmosphere.  It also has some very memorable characters (and of course, David Caruso's epic delivery of the line "Fuck you!").  ***1/2

TrollHunter

TROLLHUNTER (2010) - Oct. 4, 2011
About a group of students who, while trying to make a documentary about a bear poacher, realize that the man they are following is hunting something slightly more dangerous than bears.  A really solid entry in the found footage horror genre, if not quite the instant classic that some people are making it out to be, this was a fun, well made film.  ***

Drive

DRIVE (2011) - Oct. 1, 2011
A really stylish and kind of awesome film about a Hollywood stunt-driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for robberies.  Featuring a really bad-ass central performance from Ryan Gosling, whose driver is a man for whom actions speak louder than words.  There's also a really impressive, scene-stealing performance from Albert Brooks as the film's main villian.  Really, there's just so much to love here.  Nicolas Winding Refn's assured direction is pitch-perfect, with nary a wasted shot.  Likewise, Newton Thomas Sigel's cinematography is pretty stunning; the night scenes in particular look very, very good.  Then there's Cliff Martinez's '80s-infused score (that's two amazing scores from the man in less than a month).  The action is thrilling (the low-key getaway scene that opens the film is a highlight; the more traditional car chase that comes later in the film is just as good), and the stuff in between is equally effective.  Definitely a strong contender for the best movie of the year.  ****

Red State

RED STATE (2011) - Sept. 29, 2011
A surprisingly decent film from Kevin Smith about three teenagers who find themselves in the clutches of Westboro-esque religious fantatics, and the firefight that ensues when the authorities get involved.  Even at under 90 minutes, the movie does have some pacing issues, but it's actually fairly well directed and a big step up from Smith's last few efforts (and definitely an interesting departure for the man).   The performances are all pretty great, and the film is quite involving in parts.  ***

Citizen Kane

CITIZEN KANE (1941) - Sept. 25, 2011 (Fifth or Sixth Viewing +1)
Yep, still awesome.  And seeing it on the big screen was pretty awesome, though the fact that it was clearly just a projected Blu-ray did kind of take away from its awesomeness a bit (it was pretty fuzzy).  Oh well, hopefully at some point I'll get to see a projected film print of this movie.  ****

Snowtown

SNOWTOWN (2011) - Sept. 17, 2011
Meh.  An unpleasant Animal Kingdom wannabe about a kid who finds himself involved with a man who increasingly reveals himself to be a sociopath.  The fact that this movie is so similar to Animal Kingdom both in style and tone probably doesn't help, as this movie comes up very, very short when that comparison is made.  But even putting aside that comparison, this just wasn't very good.  All of the characters were pretty bland, and given that this movie didn't have much of a plot, the characters are kind of important.  The film is also quite episodic with nothing in particular pulling it all together, and it drags pretty badly in parts.  *1/2

Lovely Molly

LOVELY MOLLY (2011) - Sept. 17, 2011
About a recently married couple who move to a house in the middle of the woods (where the wife grew up) only to find themselves embroiled in supernatural shenanigans revolving around the wife.  Or maybe she's crazy?  The film actually starts out pretty well, with a tense opening half hour that feels quite Paranormal Activity-esque.  But then more and more weird story threads start to get introduced, and the film becomes less of a horror movie and more of a "is she or isn't she crazy?" character study.  This stuff could have worked, but director Eduardo Sanchez never seems too sure if he's making a character study or a horror film, and both sides subsequently suffer.  More problematic are the many mysteries that are introduced that are left infuriatingly ambiguous; what's the deal with the horse?  What happened with the dad?  I'm all for movies that leave stuff to the viewers' imaginations, but there is a line and this movie crossed it.  **

I Wish

I WISH (2011) - Sept. 17, 2011
An absolutely delightful film from Hirokazu Koreeda about a group of kids who find out that they can make a wish if they see two high-speed trains pass each other, and set out to make it happen.  Like pretty much all of Koreeda's films, there is a warmth and a richness of character here that really just draws you in and makes you glad to spend time in this world.  All the kids excel in their roles, and all feel like real children and not like kids in a movie.  The film is maybe a tad on the long side, but that's definitely a minor complaint.  ***1/2

Himizu

HIMIZU (2011) - Sept. 17, 2011
About a high-schooler whose sole aspiration is to work at his mother's boat rental shack, the girl with a serious crush on him, and the wacky group of people living on his property (the film is set months after the giant earthquake that devastated Japan).  It was reasonably well made, and it had a quirky charm that kept it going for the first hour or so.  But the film takes a weird, dark turn towards the end that just feels awkward and out of place, and the whole thing kind of runs out of steam.  **1/2

Harpoon: Whale Watching Massacre

HARPOON: WHALE WATCHING MASSACRE (2009) - Sept. 11, 2011
A well made slasher film about a group of tourists in Iceland who, while on a whale-watching expedition, find themselves in the clutches of an insane family who want to hunt them down one by one.  Though the script and performances are a bit iffy at times, the film features some solid direction from Julius Kemp, who keeps things moving at a brisk pace (there's also sporadic moments of over-the-top gore to keep things interesting).  Plus, the widescreen cinematography by Jean-Noël Mustonen is better than you'd expect for a straight-to-video slasher such as this.  ***

Contagion

CONTAGION (2011) - Sept. 10, 2011
A top-notch film from Steven Soderbergh about the spread of a deadly virus, and the efforts to keep it under control.  Soderbergh's direction is, not surprisingly, very very good.  He does a really great job of bouncing back and forth between several different characters without it ever feeling disjointed, or like certain characters aren't getting enough time.  In fact there is a really good sense of momentum to the film; the film is very briskly paced, and Soderbergh does a great job of establishing an escalating sense of dread as the virus's spread gets worse and worse. Cliff Martinez's eerie, propulsive score goes a long way to making the film work as well as it does.  The film is also perfectly cast, with some really great performances by people like Jude Law, Matt Damon, Lawrence Fishburne and Kate Winslet.  ***1/2

The Reef

THE REEF (2010) - Sept. 8, 2011
An enjoyably tense film about a group of Australians whose boat capsizes, and who decide to try to swim to a nearby island that is several miles away.  Shark shenanigans ensue.  Though not on the level of something like Open Water (the characters are somewhat thin, and we see so much of the shark that it becomes a bit less sinister).  Also, the ending feels a bit sloppy (the fates of two characters are revealed via text in a way that just feels awkward).  Despite the film's problems, it was definitely entertaining throughout, and did a good job of maintaining a decent level of tension.  ***

Our Idiot Brother

OUR IDIOT BROTHER (2011) - Sept. 6, 2011
About a dim-witted but good-hearted guy who, after finding himself homeless after being released from prison, shakes up the lives of his three sisters.  Quite enjoyable if nothing particularly special, the film was elevated by some strong performances -- particularly a very charming Paul Rudd, who gives one of his better performances here.  ***

Final Destination 5

FINAL DESTINATION 5 (2011) - Sept. 2, 2011
About...  do I really need to finish this sentence?  This was enjoyable, and certainly a step up from the last installment, but I think it's probably about time to let this series die while it still has some steam left.  Though the film was decently directed and actually featured characters who weren't completely flat, it just felt kind of middling.  Even the opening set-piece, usually a highlight of one of these films, felt a little been-there, done-that.  **1/2

Colombiana

COLOMBIANA (2011) - Sept. 1, 2011
About a little girl whose parents are killed in front of her, and who 15 years later has essentially dedicated her life to becoming a lean, mean, revenge machine.  Decently directed by the awesomely-named Olivier Megaton, the movie sort of feels like a Luc Besson action film on autopilot: it's got parkour, it's got shootouts, it's got hand-to-hand action, and it generally has the style we've come to expect from these films, but it all feels kind of perfunctory.  I was always entertained, but I was never particularly involved.  Meh.  **1/2

Mr. Nice

MR. NICE (2010) - Aug. 30, 2011
About a man who ultimately winds up becoming one of Britain's most prolific drug dealers, this was decently made but quite familiar and ultimately kind of disposable.  Seriously, did the world really need another rise-and-fall movie about a drug dealer?  Still, this was enjoyable enough, and featured a solid central performance from Rhys Ifans (and a scene-stealing David Thewlis).  **1/2

In Name Only

IN NAME ONLY (1939) - Aug. 28, 2011
About a man, trapped in a loveless marriage to a woman who only wants him for his money, who falls in love and struggles to get a divorce.  Super melodramatic but well made and quite entertaining, this featured an expectedly charming performance from Cary Grant, and an equally good performance from Carole Lombard.  ***

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011) - Aug. 27, 2011
An above average summer movie about a scientist who, while trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer's, winds up inadvertently creating an army of super-intelligent primates.  Well made and well acted, including some surprisingly engaging action.  Plus, it's always nice to see a sci-fi film with a bit more on it's mind than your typical summer fare.  ***

Baraka

BARAKA (1992) - Aug. 26, 2011 (Third or Fourth Viewing)
An exquisitely made and flat-out mesmerizing film about life -- both human and animal -- throughout the globe.  Though there's no narrative to speak of, just images and music, the film is absolutely compelling throughout.  It helps that every frame of the movie is absolutely breathtaking to look at.  ****

Single White Female

SINGLE WHITE FEMALE (1992) - Aug. 25, 2011
A routine but solidly made thriller about a woman who, after breaking up with her cheating fiance, takes in a roommate who slowly reveals herself to be completely insane.  Though it starts out kind of slow, it definitely gets better as it goes along and the more overtly thrillerish elements get into gear.  ***

30 Minutes or Less

30 MINUTES OR LESS (2011) - Aug. 23, 2011
A perfectly enjoyable, if somewhat underwhelming movie about a pizza delivery guy who has a bomb strapped to his chest and is forced to rob a bank.  I think I probably would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't seen the trailer; the trailer essentially plays out like a condensed version of the movie, leaving very few surprises.  ***

Heart and Souls

HEART AND SOULS (1993) - Aug. 22, 2011
About four people who die in a bus accident in the 1950s, and then find themselves attached to a young boy as ghosts.  They later reappear in his life when it becomes clear that they need to resolve their unfinished issues to move on.  Featuring some really solid direction from Ron Underwood and uniformly stellar performances, this movie is definitely just as good as I remember it being.  The film is shmaltzy (this is definitely not a movie that's shy about pulling on your heart-strings), but never in a way that feels cloying or off-putting.  It's very well acted, with a surfiet of memorable characters who all have great chemistry.  ***1/2

Couples Retreat

COUPLES RETREAT (2009) - Aug. 19, 2011
As a follow-up to Swingers and Made, it's pretty much a miserable failure.  Even as a stand-alone film, it's not very good.  About a group of couples who decide to go to a seemingly perfect couples' resort; (so-called) wackiness ensues.  Though it was never all-out boring, the characters were all pretty disposable, and the whole thing wasn't particularly funny.  **

Ca$h

CA$H (2010) - Aug. 17, 2011
An enjoyable and well made thriller about a couple who find a suitcase full of money, begin spending it, and then find themselves face-to-face with the unforgiving criminal who wants every last cent of it back.  Featuring an enjoyably sinister performance from Sean Bean, and an affable performance from a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth, the whole thing was briskly-paced and quite entertaining throughout.  I wasn't crazy about the low-rent score, which just made the movie seem cheap, but aside from that, good stuff.  ***

Gentlemen Broncos

GENTLEMEN BRONCOS (2009) - Aug. 16, 2011
A very quirky film that definitely feels like a movie from the Napoleon Dynamite guy, this was about a fledgling sci-fi author who has his story stolen by a has-been writer.  Though the film was pretty much drowning in quirk, it was generally entertaining enough.  **1/2

Cars 2

CARS 2 (2011) - Aug. 7, 2011
Well made and enjoyable enough, this can't help but feel like a let-down coming from the previously untouchable Pixar.  Even by the standards of the first Cars, a lesser Pixar effort, this was still a let-down.  At least the first Cars, though not exactly a masterpiece, had an endearingly earnest sensibility that made it well worth watching, and which helped to compensate for some of its weaknesses.  Here, earnestness has been traded in for over-the-top action and hijinks aplenty, and the film definitely suffers for it.  It probably doesn't help that Mater -- barely tolerable in his supporting role in the original -- has been thrust into the spotlight, despite the fact that this is a character that is best in small doses (if that) who was clearly never intended to headline a film.   **1/2

The Change-Up

THE CHANGE-UP (2011) - Aug. 6, 2011
I didn't even think it was possible to go wrong with a body switching comedy, but here we are.  About two best friends -- one a responsible family man, and the other a charming but irresponsible lothario -- who switch bodies after making a wish while peeing in a fountain.  The film starts out kinda iffy, gains some momentum when the switch happens, and then just kind of peters out.  Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman were both quite good -- I just wish they had been in a better movie.  The movie was generally affable enough, and I was never flat-out bored, but the film definitely drags at a very long 112 minutes.  I also laughed exactly one time, which is a problem, and found some of the humour to feel a bit contrived and somewhat over-the-top.  Meh.  **

Cowboys and Aliens

COWBOYS AND ALIENS (2011) - Aug. 4, 2011
Meh.  A disappointing film about a gunslinger in the old west who wakes up in the middle of the desert with a strange device attached to his wrist, and no memory of who he is or how he got there.  He later finds himself helping the residents of a small town deal with an alien invasion.  Though the film was generally well made, it just wasn't that great.  I think one of the main problems was Daniel Craig, who is just flat-out bland in the film.  The role is kind of underwritten; they're clearly going for a mysterious bad-ass, Man With No Name type of vibe, but Craig just does not make it work.  He's all flat gruffness; there's no reason to care about his character, and he's not particularly interesting to watch.  The rest of the performances were fine (it's hard to go wrong with a cast filled with people like Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach and Paul Dano), and the action was decent enough, but it was all just kind of middling.  And to think that this was my most anticipated movie of the summer.  Boo-urns.  **1/2

Cellular

CELLULAR (2004) - Aug. 3, 2011 (Second Viewing)
Yep, this definitely holds up.  A superlatively made, crackerjack thriller, this film does not waste any time getting started (Kim Basinger's character gets kidnapped at the three minute mark) and doesn't let up until the end credits roll.  It's probably one of the most skilfully paced movies I've seen in a while.  It also has an exceptionally likable central performance from Chris Evans, and a strong performance from Kim Basinger.  William H. Macy was also a highlight as an earnest cop on the verge of retiring to open a day spa.  The film isn't trying to be much more than a really fun, well-executed high-concept thriller, and for what it is it's pretty much perfect.  ****

Wild Target

WILD TARGET (2010) - Aug. 2, 2011
A disappointing film about an aging hitman who finds himself unable to kill his latest target, and who instead winds up protecting her (along with a random young man who finds himself embroiled in their shenanigans).  Though the film was well acted and generally affable enough, it's never quite as fun as it thinks it is, and drags in parts.  It doesn't help that it takes a while to warm up to the Emily Blunt character, as she is essentially portrayed as a complete sociopath, gleefully causing car crashes, stealing everything in sight, using her sexuality as a tool of manipulation, and scamming someone out of almost a million dollars (all within the first ten minutes or so of the film).  There's also the issue of the film eventually establishing romantic tension between Blunt and Bill Nighy, which is just gross (aside from the vast age gap, there is zero romantic chemistry between the two).  **

Quarantine 2: Terminal

QUARANTINE 2: TERMINAL (2011) - Aug. 1, 2011
A surprisingly good sequel about the zombie infection from the first film causing shenanigans on a plane, then in an abandoned luggage processing area of an airport.  Far superior to the first film, and in terms of quality, closer to the original [REC] and its sequel.  This was quite entertaining throughout, with some really solid direction from John Pogue and a tightly-paced 86 minute runtime.  Though it was obviously shot on a fairly low budget, it never looks low-rent at all, and in fact bests the original in pretty much every way.  I have no idea why this didn't get a bigger theatrical release.  I just hope it did well enough to deliver on the sequel so tantalizingly promised by the final shot of the film.  ***

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER (2010) - July 28, 2011
Another big winner from the Woodster!  About the romantic struggles of a few related characters in London.  The film featured a surfiet of really interesting, compelling characters, and some really solid performances to back them up.  It also had some especially strong direction from the Woodster, whose emphasis on long takes suits the material perfectly.  ***1/2

Joshua

JOSHUA (2007) - July 27, 2011
A slightly more grounded take on the "livin' with a psycho" subgenre, this was a well made film about a father who begins to realize that his son is a sociopath.  If nothing else, this film has definitely confirmed that Sam Rockwell is one of the greats -- the man strikes the perfect balance between charisma/screen presence and real acting talent, and livens up anything he's in.  As for this film, it's well made and definitely has some pretty memorable moments.  ***1/2

Captain America: The First Avenger

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) - July 22, 2011
A basically enjoyable film about a scrappy but scrawny wannabe soldier who winds up getting injected with a special serum that turns him into a super soldier, and then goes after a similarly-injected baddie, the Red Skull.  Featuring some solid direction from Joe Johnson (whose old-fashioned direction, particularly in the action sequences, is quite refreshing) and an engaging lead performance from Chris Evans.  The film kind of drags in parts, but I was definitely never bored, and it was fairly engaging all the way through.  It's nothing particularly special, but it was a passable piece of summer entertainment.  **1/2

Frantic

FRANTIC (1988) - July 21, 2011
A really slow-paced "thriller" about a doctor whose wife disappears in Paris, and who tries to figure out who took her and to get her back.  Harrison Ford was quite good in the main role, and Roman Polanski's stylish visuals were nice to look at, but the film was exceptionally slow-moving, and really took much longer than it needed to at every turn.  Polanski was obviously going for a Hitchcockian vibe (without much success), and there were definitely some good moments here, but all in all this was kind of a failure.  **

Beginners

BEGINNERS (2011) - July 20, 2011
An enjoyable enough but kind of middling movie about a man who, still getting over the grief of his father's death, meets and falls in love with a French actress. It was definitely well made and quite well acted (both Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer were at their best), but I was just never as engaged with the story as I should have been.  I'm not sure why.  **1/2

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN (2011) - July 20, 2011
A well made if somewhat slow-paced film about the enduring friendship between two women, both in modern-day China, as well as the 19th century.  The film was well made and the characters definitely become people we care about; one of the film's main problems, aside from the slow pace, is that most of the modern-day stuff has the two main actresses speaking heavily-accented English -- English, in this case, obviously being a language the actresses aren't comfortable with.  It definitely affects their performances, and kind of dulls the impact of the modern-day scenes.  Aside from that it was a solidly-made film, and I did find myself moved by the (admittedly treacly) ending.  **1/2

Presumed Innocent

PRESUMED INNOCENT (1990) - July 18, 2011
A well made legal drama/thriller about a DA who finds himself investigating the murder of a colleague he was having an affair with, and who is eventually accused of the crime (whether or not he's actually guilty is left ambiguous until the final moments of the film).  The first half is a bit slow, though it does pick up quite a bit once the trial starts.  In particular, Raul Julia gives a really compelling performance and pretty much steals every scene he's in.  There's also a twist ending that I probably should have seen coming, but didn't, and was thus fairly shocking.  ***

Bad Teacher

BAD TEACHER (2011) - July 15, 2011
About the eponymous bad teacher and her efforts to fund her breast implants by any means necessary, this was a surprisingly bad film from the otherwise very reliable Jake Kasdan (though having just looked up the writing duo of Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg and discovering that their last film was the awful Year One, I'm a bit less surprised -- how do you still get work after writing something so bad?).  Kasdan does the best he can given the material; what drew him to the film in the first place is a complete mystery.  The biggest problem here is Cameron Diaz's bad teacher.  Aside from a few brief glimpses of humanity, and a last-second redemption that feels completely unearned, she's a complete douchebag and a misguided main character for a movie.  I mean, not every protagonist has to be a "good" person, or even likable -- but they have to be interesting or nuanced, which Diaz's one-note jerk is definitely not.  There's also a grating performance from Lucy Punch as Diaz's nemesis; she plays every scene at an eleven and gives a performance that is way, way bigger than the movie really needs.  Everyone else was fine (Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet was definite highlight), and I was never all-out bored, but yeah... not the best.  **

The Tourist

THE TOURIST (2010) - July 13, 2011
Though it's a pretty humongous step down from the Lives of Others, this was still an entertaining enough thriller from Florian Henckel von Donnersmark.  About an American math teacher, on vacation in Europe, who finds himself embroiled in some shenanigans involving a mistaken identity and billions in stolen money.  The movie kind of drags in the uneventful first half hour or so; it picks up once the action starts kicking in, though it's never as interesting or exciting as it thinks it is.  It seems like Donnersmark is going for a fun, Hitchcockian-style wrong man thriller, though it never quite gets there.  There's just something off about it -- Donnersmark's direction is solid, and the performances are fine (I'm kind of off Johnny Depp these days, and Angelina Jolie had the same smug expression on her face for pretty much the entire film, but they were both fine), so... yeah.  Not sure what went wrong.  **1/2

Larry Crowne

LARRY CROWNE (2011) - July 12, 2011
Oh, Tom Hanks -- why?  This was a surprisingly awful film about an easy-going guy who, after being fired from his job, decides to go back to college.  Though Tom Hanks was quite charming (as usual), he's surrounded and overwhelmed by a surfiet of insufferably quirky characters.  The movie is called Larry Crowne, and Crowne is obstensibly the protagonist of the film; yet so much time is spent with the over-stuffed supporting cast that it ultimately feels like Crowne gets the short shrift.  Certainly, so little time is given to the almost comically thin relationship between Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts that when the film ends with them getting together as if it were a traditional romcom, it just feels puzzling.  Am I supposed to care about these two people getting together?  Because the film has given me almost no reason to do so.  The two characters had a real conversation, what, twice?  And one of those times one of them is completely sloshed.  Not to mention the fact that Julia Roberts spends about 90 percent of this movie being disgruntled, making her kind of a tough character to root for.  And what was the point of giving her a sleazy husband?  There didn't seem to be any dramatic purpose for it (as opposed to her just being single), and the scenes with them going at each other were just unpleasant.  What this movie really needed was about ten less absurdly quirky supporting characters, and to focus on Tom Hanks' character and his relationship with Julia Roberts.  Oh man.  What a fiasco.  *1/2

Live!

LIVE! (2007) - July 11, 2011
A really well made faux-documentary about an ambitious programming director who decides to air a game show in which six people play an actual game of Russian roulette.  The film is obviously satirizing the anything-for-ratings reality show culture in network television these days; however, the movie always plays it straight.  Though there is dark humour here, the film never winks at the audience or tries to hit you over the head with over-the-top satire.  Despite the outlandish premise (this is obviously a show that could never, ever happen in the real world), by the time the show begins to air, it feels plausible in the slightly tweaked version of reality in which the film exists.  The movie features an impressive central performance from Eva Mendes, who definitely turns what had the potential to be a one-note character into someone really interesting.  The supporting performances (from people like Andre Braugher, David Krumholtz and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are quite good as well, and by the time the actual show rolls around, it's surprisingly tense.  ***1/2

It's Kind of a Funny Story

IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY (2010) - July 10, 2011
An enjoyable enough movie about a suicidal kid who checks himself into a mental ward, and the relationships he forms with the various wacky patients.  Blandly conventional (it's kind of nuts that this was directed by the team behind Half Nelson) but enjoyable enough.  **1/2

The Winning Season

THE WINNING SEASON (2009) - July 7, 2011
A really enjoyable film about a down-on-his-luck coach who's asked to coach a high school girls' basketball team.  Features an expectedly excellent performance from Sam Rockwell (seriously, you just cannot go wrong with Sam Rockwell) and some strong supporting performances.  James C. Strouse's writing and direction is also quite solid -- there's nothing here we haven't seen quite a few times before, and some of the emotional beats feel a bit forced, but it's just a really entertaining and well put-together film.  I like how the emphasis is really more on the characters than the games; there's really not all that much at stake as far as winning the games go.  The film is more concerned with the characters and their relationships, which I definitely appreciated (there's only so many times you can watch a bunch of underdogs work their way up to a big game -- which is what this was about on a surface level, but not really -- before you get sick of it).  ***

Mesrine: Part 2 - Public Enemy #1

MESRINE: PART 2 - PUBLIC ENEMY #1 (2008) - July 6, 2011
Though not quite as good as the first installment, this was nevertheless a very enjoyable crime movie about the later years of French bank robber Jacques Mesrine.  It does feel a bit more one-note than the last one, as there's not much character development left for Mesrine at this point; it's basically just a bunch of vignettes leading up to the man's murder by the police in 1979.  Speaking of which, the revelation that the police murdered Mesrine at the beginning of this film does kind of sap the final scene of the tension and suspense that it's clearly going for, which is a shame.  I know I would have been pretty shocked that the police just outright excecuted the man.  Oh well.  The movie is pretty thrilling, with shootouts, car chases and prison escapes, and Vincent Cassell is as charismatic as ever.  ***  

Road House

ROAD HOUSE (1989) - July 5, 2011
About a bad ass bouncer who comes to a small town to clean up a bar, only to find himself butting heads with an evil businessman.  Patrick Swayze was quite good as the initially unflappable bouncer, and Sam Elliott stole every scene he was in as his grizzled mentor.  But the movie itself is just not all that great -- certainly, it's not the action classic that it's been built up as over the years.  It actually drags pretty badly in parts, with long stretches in which not all that much happens.  There's also a romantic subplot which feels pretty much completely superfluous.  Rowdy Herrington's direction was fine, though the film does feel quite dated.  It does definitely improve towards the end, with some memorable action scenes (including a fight which ends with Swayze ripping a guy's throat out), but all in all this was a definite let-down.  **

The Red Shoes

THE RED SHOES (1948) - July 4, 2011
An exceptionally well directed film about a ballet company, told mostly from the point of view of a young woman who quickly becomes the company's star, a young man who becomes the company's composer, and the company's hard-edged leader.  Though it's a little slow in parts, seeing the inner workings of this company is quite interesting, and the movie does a really good job of developing the characters and making them compelling -- even side characters we don't necessarily spend much time with.  All of the performances are quite good, though special props must go to Anton Walbrook as the leader of the company; he's pretty mesmerizing in the role.  The film also looks very, very good, with top-notch direction and glorious Technicolor cinematography (the pristine Criterion Blu-ray probably helps in this regard).  Highlights include a hypnotic dance sequence in the middle of the film, and a supremely memorable ending, which has to rank up there as one of the best endings ever.  ***1/2

It! The Terror From Beyond Space

IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (1958) - July 3, 2011
This film supposedly inspired Dan O'Bannen when he wrote Alien, and it's not hard to see where that came from, whether it's true or not: the film follows a crew of astronauts, on their way back from Mars, who must contend with an alien stowaway who is picking them off one by one.  Despite its obvious origins as a low-budget B-movie, the film's lack of funds is only really apparent with the creature itself (it's obviously a guy in a shoddy rubber suit).  The characters are all a bit thin, but the film is decently made and entertaining throughout (the svelt 69 minute runtime probably helps).  **1/2

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (2011) - June 30, 2011
Oh, Jesus Christ.  An indescribably bad movie about more stupid robot shenanigans that nobody cares less about.  I really didn't think that there was anywhere to go but up from the abysmal last outing, but this actually manages to be just as bad, and just as boring.  I haven't been this bored in a movie theatre since... well, since Transformers 2.  The special effects were pretty spectacular, and the action sequences were coherently staged, but it's all in service of a movie that's so stunningly bad that it's hard to care about any of it.  Yet again, Michael Bay gives us broad "characters" who each have around one defining character trait, and who are worthless people to spend any time with.  He also crams the movie with his usual over-the-top "comedy" that just makes you want to bury your face in your hands and weep for the future of humanity.  The movie is insanely long at around two-and-a-half hours.  I saw some people walking out towards the end of the insanely tedious non-stop action final hour, and I desperately wanted to join them -- but then I might have been tempted to watch this movie again at some point down the road, and I absolutely never, ever want to have to do that.  There is nothing good here.  I would literally rather be punched in the stomach than have to sit through this movie one more time.  1/2*

The Great Buck Howard

THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD (2008) - June 28, 2011
A very enjoyable film about a young man, recently dropped out of law school to pursue his dream of becoming a writer, who winds up becoming an assistant to an aging magician whose glory days are far behind him.  Featuring some strong performances, including a very likable Colin Hanks and a typically good John Malkovich as the hot-tempered magician.  The film ultimately feels a little slight, but its 90 minute running time breezes by, and it's very well made. ***

Cars

CARS (2006) - June 26, 2011 (Second Viewing)
Though not quite on the level of pretty much every other Pixar film, this still definitely had that Pixar touch, and was very enjoyable all the way through.  About a flashy race car who finds himself stuck in a small town, and who slowly finds himself changed by the slower-paced small-town lifestyle.  No, it's not exactly the freshest premise ever, but the whole thing has an endearing earnestness that's kind of delightful.  ***

True Legend

TRUE LEGEND (2010) - June 24, 2011
A well made martial arts film about a man who is betrayed by his adoptive brother, and who must train in order to rescue his son from his evil brother's clutches.  Oh, then there's some extra stuff about the same man, now a drunken hobo, fighting Russians in a tournament.  Basically, the movie ends (or so you would think) and then about half an hour of extra stuff is crammed onto the film.  It's extremely clunky, and easily the most blatant case of a false ending that I've ever seen.  Yes, this film has problems -- aside fromt he aforementioned third act issues (or fourth act, more accurately), it opens with a CGI-heavy action sequence that feels slightly incongruous with the rest of the film, and it drags in the fairly uneventful mid-section.  But it's skillfully directed by legendary action director/choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, who does an expectedly fantastic job with the action sequences.  The fighting here is well-choreographed and exciting; Woo-ping allows it to unfold in satisfyingly long takes, never muddling it with excessive close-ups or quick-cuts.  It's pretty great.  ***

Green Lantern

GREEN LANTERN (2011) - June 23, 2011
Meh.  A mediocre superhero origin story about Hal Jordan and his transformation into a Green Lantern.  The film is decently directed by Martin Campbell, and it starts and ends fairly well.  But the whole midsection (essentially all of Hal Jordan's transformation into a Green Lantern) was just kind of dull.  It doesn't help that the character, despite the best efforts of a typically charismatic Ryan Reynolds, is pretty bland, and his whole arc (he starts out cocky and irresponsible and ends up... do I seriously need to finish that sentence?) is super generic.  The movie also introduces some father issues for Jordan (a superhero with father issues?  Never!) but doesn't really go anywhere with it.  The villains -- a too-subdued Peter Sarsgaard and a giant, angry cloud of pure fear -- don't fare much better.  Another problem with the midsection is that all the stuff on the homeworld of the lanterns falls a bit flat -- this stuff should have been infused with a sense of awe and wonder, and instead just feels like generic CGI overload.  I don't know.  The movie wasn't all bad, I guess -- I liked Reynolds, and the action was mostly pretty solid -- it was just aggressively mediocre.  **

The Good, The Bad, The Weird

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD (2008) - June 22, 2011
A really fun action/western about a few groups of outlaws who are all in pursuit of a buried treasure.  Director Kim Jee-woon does a really good job of making the three main characters (the titular good, bad and weird) distinctive and compelling.  The film is fairly light on plot (it's really just race from point A to point B), making it especially important that we care about these people.  But more importantly, Jee-woon does an absolutely spectacular job with the action, which is, in a word, awesome.  It's easily some of the most thrilling and well-choreographed action I've seen in a long, long time.  It's pretty clear that Jee-woon is a natural action director, with action that is kickass and exciting without resorting to the usual directorial trickery (close-ups and quick-cuts).  There are a lot of impressively long takes here, and a lot of really impressive camerawork that manages to be awesome without calling attention to itself.  This is a very, very well directed movie.  At over two hours it is perhaps a tad on the long side, but that is a very minor complaint.  ***1/2

Swimming with Sharks

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS (1994) - June 21, 2011
Featuring a couple of really solid performances from Frank Whaley and Kevin Spacey, this was a decent film about an assistant to a jerk Hollywood producer who eventually snaps.  Though the movie was quite dated, it was decently made and enjoyable throughout.  **1/2

Days of Thunder

DAYS OF THUNDER (1990) - June 20, 2011
A basically entertaining but kind of disappointing film about a talented rookie Nascar driver who has his eyes on the championship.  Featuring thinly-drawn characters and a very badly dated '80s aesthetic, I was never particularly bored, nor was I all that involved in the movie.  Even the racing scenes, presumably the reason to watch this film in the first place, were nothing particularly special.  I think I had some other issues with the movie, but it hasn't even been a week and I'm already forgetting it.  **

Red

RED (2010) - June 18, 2011
A basically entertaining movie about a group of ex-CIA agents (and a call centre employee) who find themselves on the run from CIA assassins over a decades-old incident involving the vice president. Featuring overly-slick direction from Robert Schwentke and action that ranged from mediocre to competent, the film also kind of drags in parts (it probably doesn't help that it's almost two hours, an overlong runtime that the frothy film never justifies).  It's well acted, though, with people like Helen Mirren and John Malkovich obviously having a good time with the material, and it's generally entertaining enough.  **1/2

Coming to America

COMING TO AMERICA (1988) - June 16, 2011 (Umpteenth Viewing)
Having seen this a bunch of times as a kid (and loving it) I was afraid that this movie wouldn't hold up.  It totally holds up -- this is a kind of delightful film about the prince of a small but thriving African country who, unhappy with his arranged bride, decides to go to America to find a wife.  Eddie Murphy is pretty great here; his naive but intelligent Prince Akeem always feels like a real person, and not just like a charicature or an excuse to get to the jokes.  The rest of the performances are equally solid, and John Landis' very unflashy direction is pretty much perfect.  My only real complaint is that the many side characters played by Murphy and Arsenio Hall feel a little superfluous; the film essentially stops for their wacky antics (I'm thinking especially of the scene in which Murphy plays an over-the-top R&B singer, and Hall plays an over-the-top reverend), but that's a fairly minor complaint.  ***1/2

Black Belt Jones

BLACK BELT JONES (1974) - June 15, 2011
A sporadically entertaining but mostly kind of mediocre blaxploitation film about a group of people who try to save their karate school from an evil mobster.  Features what has to be one of the greatest opening credit sequences of all time.  Sadly, the rest of the movie isn't even close to being that good.  It's kind of fun in parts, including the presence of Scatman Crothers as a Karate master (!), but mostly I was just bored.  **

The Tree of Life

THE TREE OF LIFE (2011) - June 14, 2011
There is absolutely no mistaking this for anything but a Terrence Malick movie -- almost to the point of parody.  This is a movie in which every frame is a thing of beauty; certainly, when it comes to cinematography and pure mastery of the camera, Malick is one of the greats.  The film is somehow both epic and intimate, showing us the creation of the entire universe, and then settling down to focus on one American family in the 1950s.  It's completely non-narrative, with Malick's camera simply observing this family over the course of what seems to be approximately one summer.  There's something fascinatingly hypnotic about it; it almost reminds me of a much less dark variation on Gaspar Noe's Enter the Void.  Like that movie, there's something about it that keeps it oddly compelling all the way through despite the fact that, most of the time, very little is happening.  It's pretty enchanting.  ***1/2

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (2011) - June 13, 2011
Oh, the humanity.  About the quest to find the fountain of youth, embarked upon by Jack Sparrow as well as a few other groups of pirates, this was... well, it was less convoluted than the first two sequels, I will give it that.  Other than that?  Not so good.  It actually started out decently enough, with some decent action revolving around Johnny Depp escaping from the British, but it was all downhill from there.  One of the main problems here is that Jack Sparrow just doesn't work as the main character of a movie.  He just wants to traipse around and have a good time, which is well and good but it makes for a pretty much worthless protagonist.  None of the other characters fare much better; I don't know who thought it was a good idea to have a film in which the protagonists are all a bunch of pirates with foggy motivations, but it really doesn't work, at least not in this movie.  There is an effort to introduce a new straight-man character, who has a love interest (albiet a thinly-drawn one) and who is obviously supposed to recall Orlando Bloom from the first few films -- but he's given so little to do that his stuff just feels like a pointless diversion.  Rob Marshall's stylelessly workmanlike direction is basically fine, but what this movie really needed was someone to infuse it with some life and energy, which Marshall completely fails to do.  It's pretty boring.  *1/2

The Ninth Gate

THE NINTH GATE (1999) - June 12, 2011
An almost absurdly tedious movie about a rare book dealer who is hired by a sinister occult obsessive to try to authenticate a very rare book, supposedly co-written by the devil.  This involves Johnny Depp carefully scrutinizing the illustrations in multiple versions of the same book to see how they compare, which is just as exciting as it sounds.  The film actually starts out decently enough.  There's a fairly effective scene establishing Johnny Depp's character in which he swindles the owners of a large collection of books out of an exceptionally valuable copy of Don Quixote.  This scene sets him up as a fairly interesting character; yet as soon as he starts his investigation, anything interesting about his character dissolves completely.  He becomes a completely bland cipher with no discernable personality.  The rest of the movie pretty much consists of Johnny Depp traveling around and asking people about the book, and then cross-checking illustrations.  Director Roman Polanski seemingly attempted to inject the whole thing with an ominous vibe, something which fails pretty much completely.  There's pretty much no suspense or tension here; only tedium.  It all builds up to a conclusion that is as baffling as it is anticlimactic.  Boo-urns.  *

Super 8

SUPER 8 (2011) - June 11, 2011
A kind of great movie about a group of kids who, while making a zombie movie on Super 8, find themselves embroiled in some sinister shenanigans revolving around a mysterious creature.  Featuring some really effective direction from J.J. Abrams, the film is in no hurry to get to the action or to show you the alien creature, and it's all the better for it.  The main group of kids are all really likable and feel like real people, rather than the wacky, wisecrack-spouting teens that you might expect from a Hollywood film.  The performances are all top-shelf, particularly Joel Courtney (in his first movie role) and Elle Fanning, whose sweet romance gives the film much of its emotional heft (along with a subplot involving the main character getting over the death of his mother, a subplot which packs a surprising amount of depth for a summer film, and which never feels treacly or manipulative).  But yes, this is still a summer movie, and on that level it suceeds spectacularly -- an early set-piece involving a crashing train is absolutely thrilling, and the action-heavy third act fares just as well.  A lot has been made about the debt that this film owes to something like E.T., but aside from the general setting and the last moments (it's pretty much the exact same ending as E.T.), it's definitely its own movie.  ****

Them!

THEM! (1954) - June 10, 2011
A disappointing film about the discovery of a bunch of giant, mutated ants around a small desert town.  Not nearly as interesting or exciting as you'd think it would be.  The main problem here is that the bulk of the film consists of a rather tedious investigation into the ants; I think it takes at least 20 minutes before the word "ant" is even mentioned -- up to that point the characters are all trying to figure out what's causing all the damage around town.  Most of the film after that concerns the investigation into the location of the ants' new nest.  This wouldn't necessarily be a big problem, but all of the characters are super bland, and the investigation isn't particularly interesting on its own.  The scenes where we actually see the giant ants are pretty good, and fairly well done (the big ants are actually reasonably convincing, especially given when this film was made), but there's probably five minutes total of actual ant shenanigans.  **

Centurion

CENTURION (2010) - June 9, 2011
About a group of Roman soldiers who find themselves pursued by a deadly tracker and her group of soldiers, this was another winner from Neil Marshall (I think it's pretty clear at this point that the man is a master of genre filmmaking).  Featuring an expectedly great lead performance from Michael Fassbender, and a surprisingly good performance from Olga Kurylenko, who manages to be appropriately sinister in her dialogue-free role without ever veering into over-the-top, mustache-twirling territory.  The characters surrounding Fassbender could have been a bit stronger (they were mostly interchangable), and the obviously-CGI blood was distracting, but those are minor complaints for an otherwise very well-crafted, enjoyable film.  ***1/2

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) - June 8, 2011
What can I say about this movie? It’s a classic, obviously. Many consider it to be Spielberg’s best film, and obviously the man does not have a shortage of great films to choose from. To me, Raiders of the Lost Ark is — and will always be — Spielberg’s best movie, but E.T. is definitely a strong contender. It’s funny, exciting, touching, and downright entertaining; it’s pretty much everything you want out of a movie like this. It also features top-notch direction from Spielberg, and some really great cinematography from Allen Daviau. ***1/2

Midnight in Paris

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011) - June 7, 2011
A delightful film about a man, on vacation in Paris, who finds himself traveling back to the '20s and hobnobbing with some literary and artistic greats.  Certainly, it's not one of the Woodster's best films, but it's charming and quite entertaining all the way through.  ***

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981) - June 6, 2011
A step up from the original (but still not all that great) this was a well made movie about Max wandering into a small outpost and helping to defend them from a group of vicious bandits.  Featuring much more of the aesthetic we've come to expect from Mad Max (crazy cars, outlandish costumes, etc.), the film had some pretty solid action but was otherwise kind of unremarkable.  **1/2

X-Men: First Class

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011) - June 3, 2011
An above-average summer blockbuster about the beginnings of the X-Men, focusing mostly on the relationship between Professor X and Magneto, and their disparate views on how mutants should interact with society at large.  Featuring a really good balance between the action and the character stuff, the film is requisitely exciting without ever feeling overstuffed.  James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender both give very strong performances, and the way their characters interact and ultimately choose their sides feels quite organic (Magneto's turn to the dark side feels a lot more natural than, say, Anakin's in the prequels).  It's also very well directed by Matthew Vaughn, who has a sure hand with both the action and the drama.  There are some great scenes here, with a scene where Fassbender confronts a couple of Nazis in Argentina being a clear highlight.  And indeed, Fassbender's intense, magnetic performance (no pun intended) is definitely a confirmation that the man has what it takes to carry a film.  ***1/2

Mesrine: Part 1 - Killer Instinct

MESRINE: PART 1 - KILLER INSTINCT (2008) - June 2, 2011
A solid period crime movie (it's set in the 1960s) about the rise of Jacques Mesrine, an infamous French gangster who got into some serious shenanigans in France, then moved to Montreal and got into more shenanigans there.  Well directed by Jean-François Richet and featuring an expectedly good performance from Vincent Cassel, this was quite enjoyable throughout.  It probably helps that a lot of stuff is crammed into the 113 minute run-time of the film, and it's therefore very fast-paced.  There's also some pretty memorable moments here, including a jailbreak scene that's pretty much riveting.  ***

Resident Evil: Afterlife

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (2010) - June 1, 2011
Easily the best of the Resident Evil sequels, though that's really not saying much, this was about a group of survivors trying to make their way to a supposedly zombie-free cargo ship.  Features some gleefully stupid, wildly over-the-top but kind of fun action set-pieces, many of which barely make narrative sense (hey, here's a giant mutant zombie with an enormous hammer for some inexplicable reason).  Even the non-action stuff is passable, with a group of characters who are pretty generic, but actually have some personality and aren't completely bland.  It's nothing particularly great, but if the Resident Evil series can maintain this level of quality, I wouldn't be opposed to a few more sequels (or at least one more, since this one ends on a pretty blatant cliffhanger).  **1/2

Priest

PRIEST (2011) - June 1, 2011
A interesting but flawed film about a future society in which vampires and humans have been at war for years, and in which vampires have been (supposedly) wiped out.  Though the film is a little on the dark/murky side (the stupid 3D glasses probably didn't help), it actually pretty interesting, visually speaking -- the Metropolis/Blade Runner-inspired city, the western-inspired small towns, and the stylish action are highlights.  Paul Bettany was good, if a little one-note, and the dynamic between him and fellow Priest Maggie Q was fairly well done.  But the movie dragged despite a svelte running time of under 90 minutes, and there were fairly long stretches in the film's mid-section in which I had pretty much lost interest.  I'm between two and two and a half for this one, but I think there was more here that I liked than that I did not.  **1/2

Bird on a Wire

BIRD ON A WIRE (1990) - May 31, 2011
Meh.  Basically enjoyable if not quite as good as the kid version of myself believed, this was a decent enough film about a woman who winds up going on an adventure with her ex, pursued by a couple of shady criminals out to kill them.  Mel Gibson was quite likable in the main role; Goldie Hawn, on the other hand, was a bit grating as she spent the bulk of the film complaining (not unlike Katherine Heigl in the more recent Killers).  **1/2

The Thin Red Line

THE THIN RED LINE (1999) - May 30,  2011
Thus far, my experience with the films of Terrence Malick has been one of admiration, but little more. I liked Badlands and I liked Days of Heaven, but aside from the gorgeous visuals, they weren’t films that stuck with me for very long after the credits rolled. Imagine my surprise, then, that between this, Badlands and Days of Heaven, this was my favourite film by far, despite the fact that it is probably the least regarded of the three. It feels like this material is pretty much a perfect compliment for Malick’s style, which is not necessarily something I’d say about Badlands or Days of Heaven (it’s been ages since I’ve seen Badlands, so another viewing is probably in order, but in Heaven, it’s pretty clear that the fairly routine love triangle is the least interesting thing about that film). Malick isn’t particularly interested in telling straight-forward stories; in his first two films he tried to do that, and in this one he didn’t bother. I think this film is better off because of it. It’s completely plotless, and yet it is absolutely compelling throughout, thanks to Malick’s poetic, oddly hypnotic direction. The same can be said for Malick’s recent The Tree of Life, of which I am also a pretty big fan.  ***1/2

Brotherhood

BROTHERHOOD (2010) - May 29, 2011
A silly but mostly entertaining film about a fraternity initiation prank gone seriously awry.  It's pretty stupid, though there is something oddly compelling about seeing things just get worse and worse for this group of guys.  Will Canon's direction is passible, if somewhat mediocre -- he over-relies on the old shaky-cam, and he fails to embue the film with the kind of tension that could have elevated it from a passable film to a good one (many scenes which should have been pretty tense fall completely flat).  **1/2

Rio

RIO (2011) - May 28, 2011
A really entertaining cartoon about a domesticated, American bird who must return to his home country of Rio when it's discovered that he is the last male of his species.  He eventually escapes (at the behest of his female companion) and hijinks ensue.  Featuring really colourful, visually-appealing animation and a fun, fast-paced story that never feels like it's pandering to kids (though which also never attempts to rise to Pixar levels of greatness), this was quite entertaining.  It drags a bit in its action-dominated latter half, but it's still an above average cartoon.  ***

The Hangover Part II

THE HANGOVER PART II (2011) - May 27, 2011
Meh.  Not the all-out disaster that many people are making it out to be, this was a basically watchable sequel about the exact same thing the first one was about, but with Bangkok subbing for Vegas.  It is pretty blatant how similar it is to the first, but then a lot of sequels tend to stick with what's been done.  The main problem here is that the film is pretty episodic, and does drag quite a bit in parts.  It's basically entertaining throughout, but it definitely doesn't feel as tight as the first one.  I'm sort of between a thumbs up and a thumbs down, but whatever -- the actors have good chemistry, and the film is fairly well made, if a little lazy.  **1/2

Red White & Blue

RED WHITE & BLUE (2010) - May 26, 2011
A really intense, kind of devastating film about an almost pathalogically promiscuous young girl who gets caught up in some sinister shenanagans when it turns out that she has given a man HIV.  The film really takes its time -- it's almost an hour into the film before even a vague whiff of the plot is revealed.  But this allows us time to get to know the characters, and only makes the latter half of the film all the more powerful.  And that latter half... wow.  It's seriously intense, a bit disturbing and kind of hard to watch at times.  I'm not sure if I'll ever look at Noah Taylor the same way, who is pretty much amazing here.  With his big beard and his southern accent, he completely disappears into the role.  I don't know if I ever want to revisit this film, but it was definitely very good.  ***1/2

Attack the Block

ATTACK THE BLOCK (2011) - May 25, 2011
A really well made and flat-out awesome film about a gang of teenagers in south London who find themselves beseiged by killer aliens.  Exceptionally well made by first-timer Joe Cornish, whose stylish and effective direction has instantly made him one of those directors whose future films I will be interested in by default.  There are so many great set-pieces here, including a scene in which the kids must outrun a bunch of aliens to get to an apartment building, and an absolutely dazzling extended use of slow-mo (Zack Snyder take note: THIS is how you use slow motion).  Thomas Townend's widescreen cinematography was another stand-out -- the whole film takes place at night and looks quite good; there are definitely shades of John Carpenter here.  Cornish also does a really great job of developing the characters and making us care about them, and the film is pretty funny in parts.  Yeah, I quite liked it. ****

Kung Fu Panda 2

KUNG FU PANDA 2 (2011) - May 24, 2011
An entertaining sequel, though definitely a step down from the original.  About the titular Kung Fu Panda and his efforts to figure out where he came from while trying to save China from an evil warlord, this was mostly enjoyable throughout, and exceptionally well animated -- my main issue is that it drags somewhat, particularly in its much weaker first half.  The latter half, in which the personal connection between the panda and the villain is made clear, and in which the stakes are thus much higher, fares a lot better.  **1/2

Bridesmaids

BRIDESMAIDS (2011) - May 21, 2011
A disappointing comedy about a thirty-something woman who starts reevaluating the state of her life after her best friend gets engaged; also, shenanigans ensue with the wacky bridal party.  Part of the problem here is that the tone varies prettty wildly -- there's the low-key character stuff with Kristen Wiig, including a romance with a cop, and then there's the over-the-top wacky stuff with the bridesmaids.  It kind of feels like two different movies.  It's also really blandly directed by Paul Feig, who has directed a lot of funny TV shows, but whose style is obviously better suited to the small screen.  Then there's the fact that a few of the eponymous bridesmaids are completely superfluous, with zero character development other than "the horny one" or "the naive one."  The film runs over two hours, which is insanely overlong; many scenes drag on far longer than they should (such as a scene on an airplane that feels like it's at least 20 minutes long, and which was interminable), and many simply feel like they have no business being anywhere other than the cutting room floor.  It's too bad, because there is a lot to like here, including a good lead performance from Kristen Wiig and a couple of solid laughs, but the film is just too muddled and overlong. **

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (2009) - May 19, 2011
About a journalist who decides to frame himself on a murder charge in the hope that a corrupt DA will fabricate evidence to put him away, this was a mediocre but basically passable legal thriller sunk by an almost comically dumb premise.  It's an astonishingly stupid plan, though it does seem slightly less stupid in retrospect once the final twist is revealed (however, the fact remains that he was able to convince his friend to go along with this absurd plan, which strains credibility to its breaking point -- actually, it pretty much snaps it in half).  Aside from the dumb plot, the film was decently directed by Peter Hyams (who certainly deserves better material than this, though he did write it himself so it's hard to feel too sorry for him).  It was also decently acted (Jesse Metcalfe was much better here than in The Tortured, though it's still easy enough to see why the man is mostly doing straight to video stuff), with the clear highlight being a very slimy Michael Douglas as the corrupt DA.  **

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD (2011) - May 18, 2011
Meh.  A slickly made but kind of underwhelming documentary about Morgan Spurlock's efforts to make a documentary about product placement and advertising, funded solely by product placements.  It's a fairly interesting premise, though seeing Spurlock take meeting after meeting does eventually wear out its welcome a bit.  There's also some interesting exploration of the nature of advertising in our society, and how it affects us; I actually wish there were more of this stuff and less of the aforementioned meetings.  There's definitely a surfeit of interesting material to cover with this topic, but Spurlock seems reluctant to explore it beyond a surface level.  There's also a lack of a unifying thesis here; it seems fairly clear that Spurlock is wary of product placement and advertising in general, but he never really takes a stand either way, probably to avoid offending his many sponsors.  **

Max Max

MAD MAX (1979) - May 17, 2011
It’s kind of odd watching Mad Max for the first time, because it was obviously shot on an exceptionally low budget, and actually has very little of what you’d expect from a Mad Max film (the monstrous, souped-up cars, the outlandish costumes, etc.). In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to describe the setting as post-apocalyptic at all, which is odd considering that this film is considered to be of the essential films in that genre. I think that everything that Mad Max has become known for, aesthetically speaking, actually comes from the sequels — I also watched Mad Max 2, and it’s all there: the desolate wasteland and the memorable cars and costumes. But what about the film at hand? It wasn’t bad. It drags a bit, but it definitely has its moments.  **1/2

The Brink's Job

THE BRINK'S JOB (1978) - May 16, 2011
Meh.  An affable but kind of disappointing film about a group of guys in the '40s who decide to rob a Brink's warehouse.  The whole thing is well acted and enjoyable enough, and it's kind of fun to watch these bumbling crooks plan and pull off a big robbery, but it just doesn't particularly add up to much.  I was going to say that it's lesser Friedkin, though I was looking at the man's filmography, and aside from the obvious high-points of the French Connection and the Exorcist, it's pretty spotty.  **1/2

The Tortured

THE TORTURED (2010) - May 15, 2011
Oh, sweet Jesus.  Easily one of the worst movies I've seen in quite a while, this was an almost completely worthless horror film about the parents of a murdered child who decide to enact brutal vengeance on the man responsible for the death of their child.  There is pretty much nothing that works here.  In the first half hour or so, we see the parents deal with their grief over the death of their child and their anger at the lack of justice for the man responsible.  This stretch is laughably bad, thanks mostly to writer Marek Posival's horrendous, hammy dialogue and the completely awful performances (though to be fair to Erika Christensen and Jesse Metcalfe, there's not much that even the best actor in the world could do with such shoddy material).  Then there's the rest of the film, in which the parents torture the man who killed their son (or so they think... twist!).  It's pretty much all grisly torture at this point, and I'm really struggling to figure out what the point was.  Why would I want to watch this?  There's absolutely no suspense or tension, and the moral ambiguities of what the parents are doing remain almost completely unexplored (aside from the most surface level discussions of "hey, should we be doing this?" "Yup." "Okay!").  It's just pointless, gross torture.  Seriously, what's the point?  Why is this particularly story worth telling?  I mean, it's a pretty interesting premise, but the writer and director completely squander it.  I think I've said enough about why this movie sucks, but I should mention that the flat, TV-caliber direction was completely bland.  Oh, and that twist, seriously?  WTF.  It's a pretty neat twist I guess, but not surprisingly the film does nothing with it.  What do the two parents think about brutally torturing and causing the death of a completely innocent man?  That's pretty interesting, so of course the movie completely ignores it.  1/2*

The Beaver

THE BEAVER (2011) - May 13, 2011
I think it's pretty clear that if Mel Gibson had known that this movie was going to come out at such a delicate time in his career, he may have had second thoughts; the character he plays here is pretty much flat-out crazy and barely likable, and probably isn't going to do much help win over those who were turned off by his recent outbursts.  The craziness of his character is an interesting choice, but one I'm not entirely certain works all that well.  Gibson's character is so crazy -- and crazy right from the get-go, as we never see him before his crippling depression -- that it becomes kind of hard to root for him.  I was rooting for his family -- Anton Yelchin in particular creates a character that we definitely come to care about, albiet one we have seen many times before -- but aside from that I had no real stake in whether or not Gibson's character got better.  The movie was decently made and well acted, but... yeah.  Not great.  **1/2

Jane Eyre (2011)

JANE EYRE (2011) - May 11, 2011
A slow-paced but exceptionally well made film about a young woman who goes to be a governess in a large, isolated mansion and finds herself falling in love with the owner of the house.  Though Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre was the superior film, this movie definitely establishes him as a director to watch.  Fukunaga's direction and Adriano Goldman's cinematography are absolutely impeccable; the film, much of which is lit by amazingly moody candlelight, is a treat to behold.  The brighter, outdoor scenes fare just as well.  There's also an almost horror-movie-like sense of dread and unease for much of the film; all in all, this is a movie whose overall atmosphere is second-to-none.  It's also eceptionally well acted, particularly Mia Wasikowska as the eponymous Eyre, and Michael Fassbender as Rochester.  The movie does drag in parts, but it's just so well acted and well made that it's easy to overlook that.  ***

A Single Man

A SINGLE MAN (2009) - May 10, 2011
An exceptionally well made film about a college professor in the '60s who has a hard time getting over the death of his partner.  Featuring an absolutely amazing central performance from Colin Firth, which quite possibly ranks as one of the best performances that I've ever seen.  There's a scene early on in the film in which Firth receives a phone call informing him that his partner has died; the camera remains on a tight close-up on Firth the entire time, and it is nothing short of riveting.  Tom Ford's direction, which is meticulously crafted without ever coming off as fussy, is also superlative.  There's an interesting use of colour, for example, to represent how Firth's character is feeling.  It's a device that could have come off as too on-the-nose under a lesser director, but Ford absolutely pulls it off.  ****

House

HOUSE (1977) - May 9, 2011
An almost inscrutably bizarre but kind of amazing film about a group of Japanese schoolgirls who decide to spend a few days at what turns out to be a haunted house.  It's a pretty straightforward premise, but director Nobuhiko Ôbayashi definitely has more on his mind than making a straightforward horror film.  Filled to the brim with kooky music, bold camerawork, colorful painted backgrounds, animation, and strange special effects of all kinds, this is a film that's always interesting to look at.  It's also really fast-paced, with weird stuff constantly happening almost just for the sake of it.  I'm generally not a big fan of weird for the sake of weird, but this movie really worked for me.  It helps that the characters (who have self-explanatory names like Gorgeous, Kung Fu, and Melody) are all very likable; it also helps that the film is flat-out entertaining throughout.  Really, it's hard to dislike a movie that tries to do something so far unlike anything you've ever seen before, and which manages to do so in such a gleefully enthusiastic way without ever feeling pretentious or laboured.  ***1/2

Cinema Verite

CINEMA VERITE (2011) - May 8, 2011
A mediocre film about a family in the '70s who subject themselves to being the stars of the first ever reality show, and how this affects them.  Generally well acted (particularly James Gandolfini as the creator of the show) the film was otherwise questionably put together (the direction was bland and the overly processed visuals gives everyone the skin tone of a pumpkin).  Despite a short running time of 90 minutes, the movie drags quite a bit, and ultimately just isn't all that compelling.  **

Thor

THOR (2011) - May 6, 2011
An enjoyable summer blockbuster about Thor, the heir to the King of Asgard, who winds up being exiled to Earth after angering his father.  The film is generally well directed by Kenneth Branagh and well acted (Chris Hemsworth strikes a good balance between gravitas and likablity, and Natalie Portman is quite good as usual), and though there's nothing particularly fresh here (you always know exactly where the story is going) the film was well executed and fun.  The action is generally fine, though the only scene that really impresses is the one in which Thor and his cronies fight a big robot in a small town.  ***