Due Date (4/5)
I was not expecting much from this film, but was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the characters and the deft turns from comedy to drama. Galifianakis is gonna win an Oscar someday, the guy is film magic.
It’s Kind Of A Funny Story (5/5)
My favorite film so far this year. The role that Zach Galifianakis was born to play. Best use of a fantasy music video. Best use of freeze frame to avoid corny ending. Best missed basket. Best look into the taboo subject of suicide. I've considered checking myself into such a place on one or two occasions, and this story reminded me why and why not.
A Sound Of Thunder (1/5)
This film looks at once both very expensive and very cheap. Some truly awful green screen shots make the characters appear to be walking in place or hanging out with "Land Of The Lost" original footage: fighting dinosaurs and outrunning volcanoes. Sir Ben Kingsley has seemingly graduated from the Steven Seagal School of Scene Stealing and Bad Hair, cum laude. The Queen called, she wants the royal knighthood back.
Back To The Future 3 (1/5)
The third film in the series faces the matter of love trumping logic as we witness Doc Brown falling for a woman over the weekend, despite knowing he must travel back to 1985 by Monday in order to escape death. The love story script and acting are both atrocious and save the fun bits about technology and time travel leave this film a very crap soap opera executed at junior high intelligence. The other story is Marty and his perpetual battle with ...
The Next Three Days (3/5)
I can't quite put my finger on what made this look so made for TV. Paul Haggis has great storytelling abilities, puts the camera in occasionally fascinating places, and gets fine performances out of his actors, but things sag. The narrative rides a peculiar little device of stating how things are three hours before, three days before, three years before or something. A nice concept but not as effective as they probably hoped. And someone lost a ...
Easy A (DNF)
These teen comedy films seem to get a pass if they have two bits of intellect or a pair of edgy parents or that likable gay. Dumb and bland.
Knight & Day (3/5)
This film is the most acute visualization of female fantasy and male ego trip that I have ever seen and somehow failed to rake in billions. The action scenes are comical and nearly break character and lose the audience at every turn. Films like this have to take themselves seriously in order to work, and this one toes the line close. And why oh why is Cameron Diaz still on the a-list?
Salt (3/5)
While the Russians aren't exactly cutting edge villains, they are preferred to Arab terrorists who really can terrify us American audiences. The filmmakers wanted light and breezy and got just that with enough plot twists and tales to make it a pleasurable 90 minutes.
Red (DNF)
As Bruce Willis's character chimes to describe his assailant: "6 foot one, cute hair". Ya, that's about the depth here.
The Visitor (5/5)
Richard Jenkins does exquisite, simple work in his first major leading role. And... old white guy in suit, in the djembe drum circle--who knew that would make for such beautiful cinema. The ending was sad but honest and glimmering hope.