Actors: THEWLIS

Mike Leigh's controversial masterpiece is by turns sardonic, hideous and exhilarating. It is both a scorching social commentary and a character study, but unconventional in both respects. Naked opens on its hero sexually abusing an unknown woman in a dark alley, thereby introducing us to a cold and desperate landscape unlike anything we are likely to have seen. While retaining a sense of irony and humor, it is underlined by an ominous musical score and depictions of brutal sexual violence. All the acting is good, but David Thewlis makes this movie his own. With his portrayal of this picture's anti-hero, he gives us one of the most astonishing modern screen performances. His acting never misses a mark, and it is his character interpretation that keeps viewers engaged, even when we want to turn away. To dismiss Naked because it's hard to watch is an injustice. This is a great film.

This is, quite simply, the most visually stunning film I have ever seen. Terrence Malick employs his trademark cinematographic genius and poetic voice-over narration to The New World. The result is a film that is truly beautiful - a dreamlike, achingly gorgeous epic with unique narrative flow. This is a pitch-perfect film from a directorial standpoint. Everything from the sound editing to the casting to the plot structure is immaculate.

This sadly underrated masterpiece is as beautiful as it is emotionally charged. What some critics are dismissing as a "twist ending" is so much more than that... when the film fades out into closing credits, the truth of the story really sinks in. The brutality and horror of something like this is the most unsettling when seen through the eyes of a child. Herman's screenplay and direction are outstanding and the performances are equally exceptional.

What initially comes across as an absurd comedy is actually a sensitive and socially aware study of relationships within a family. This is a very funny film, but it manages to tap into all aspects of the emotional spectrum and works as a drama as well. All of the performances are phenomenal. As a big David Thewlis fan, I was particularly amused by his cameo. I highly recommend this movie.

Another ingeniously bizarre success from the Coen brothers.

The best Potter movie of the bunch. This one is moody, dark and directed with a sure hand. Somewhat reminiscent of a Tim Burton film. It captures the mood of the book beautifully.

As far as my expectations go, this film meets them completely. That being said, it suffers from boundless problems that even I can't ignore. Directorially speaking, it's muddled and several of the scenes are painfully staged. However, as a depiction of a destructive relationship, this is an effective and disturbing piece. The story itself is fascinating, occupied by despicable but intriguingly unpredictable characters. What makes this such a personal favorite for me is the acting. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a reckless, ferociously energized performance which is always interesting to watch. His emotional devotion is well-studied and impressive. David Thewlis is every bit as good, delivering what may be his most precisely drawn performance aside from Naked. So, if you want to see some really original screen acting in the confines of a flawed picture, give this one an open-minded viewing. If you're one of those people who hates DiCaprio because of the way he looks or some other shallow reason, don't watch it because you won't get anything out of it.

A graceful, visually exquisite piece that (on a second watch) works for me despite its flaws. The languid nature of the narrative is obviously a detractor as far as audience connection goes, but it works to establish an enigmatic presence for both of the main characters. The story has a poetic sensibility that allows us to discard some of our expectations as to what the movie is going to deliver. David Thewlis is brilliant, as always, and Thandie Newton is very strong too. That's saying a lot, since the actors have very little dialogue to establish their performances with. Watch it once, think about it, and then watch it again.

An interesting short film from Mike Leigh. Strong performances, original dialogue.

The young stars of the series have matured as actors. They appear more confident onscreen, and their performances are less self-conscious. As someone who has enjoyed the franchise despite its flaws, I think David Yates' stylized film works effectively as escapism. Steven Kloves' writing is often cringe-worthy, but the movie manages to rise above mounds of awful dialogue. Despite some brief moments of directorial idiocy, this is a pretty polished movie that ranks among the best of the series. The veterans in all of the adult roles are fascinating to watch, and they seem somehow better here than in any of the previous Potter flicks.

This is a movie that unabashedly flaunts its influences, both in terms of execution and narrative structure. Although at times it's overstylized, I found it an enjoyable watch as a fan of the crime-drama genre. The acting all around is terrific. Paul Bettany is so convincing, it's eerie. And David Thewlis, an actor who I'm becoming more and more fond of, does a top-notch job portraying an aged criminal mentor. By the end of the movie, it had caught me up so well despite its flaws. The conclusion left me feeling unsatisfied. Ultimately, the film sells itself short.

What a pleasant surprise! Since the novel is the weakest in the series so far, I expected this to be an unimpressive film too. Instead, there is structure found in a somewhat chaotic book and Yates' direction is full of style and flair... especially in some very vibrant dream sequences. The only problems here are in the dialogue and in Daniel Radcliffe's acting. He does seem like such a genuinely nice fellow, and I feel horrible bashing him, but the guy doesn't have the emotional depth as an actor to play Potter.

What begins as a very appealing (but clumsily told) story crumbles into a bloated, jaggedly paced drama. Brad Pitt is an actor who I admire and respect, but this ranks among his weakest work to date. His emotional portrayal and physicality are mostly strong, but his accent is painful to listen to and that ends up being detrimental to the positive aspects of his acting. David Thewlis, who I watched the movie for, is better than Pitt, but also struggles with the accent. The movie stumbles from scene to scene with very little polish and a nice aesthetic quality. Another overwrought, overlong and forgettable history film.

A cataclysmic disaster that left an ugly black mark on the careers of everyone involved. Conceptually the film is ludicrous, and the chaos surrounding its production only magnifies its outrageousness. This is a mess of hideous creature design, bone-headed writing and "screw it all" direction, flanked by some of the worst acting I've ever seen. David Thewlis, an actor I admire, cannot fight his way through the stupidity of it all, and Val Kilmer delivers a hideously terrible excuse for a performance. Marlon Brando, probably the greatest actor in the history of cinema, can be seen reading from cue cards in numerous scenes and at one point wears an ice bucket on his head for no apparent reason. A disasterpiece in every sense.