| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trouble Every Day (Gargoyle) - Unrated | January 7, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Faces - PG-13 | January 7, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| The Last Wave - PG | January 7, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Popiól i diament (Ashes and Diamonds) - Unrated | January 7, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Tirez sur le pianiste (Shoot the Piano Player) - Unrated | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Crumb - R | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - R | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| They Shoot Horses, Don't They? - R | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Wendy and Lucy - R | Aside from unconvincing performances in the smaller roles, this is a pretty close-to-perfect film. Expertly directed by Kelly Reichardt, it is a spare but deliberately structured character study that remains compelling throughout. It is a beautifully made movie, in terms of its technical simplicity and the power of its images. However, Michelle Williams deserves the most credit for its success. Her performance is sincere, tragic and intriguing. She makes this distant character sketch more personal and more intimate. | January 6, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Stroszek - Unrated | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Låt den Rätte Komma In (Let the Right One in) - R | An emotionally rewarding drama melded cleanly with all the traits of a horror film, this is one of the great movies of its decade. Boasting great direction, writing, photography, music and editing, this is a beautifully atmospheric film that consumes the audience in a surprising and visceral story. A brilliant piece of work. | January 6, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Blindness - R | It blows me away that such a talented group of professionals are capable of producing such a horrible film. It's obvious that Fernando Meirelles has strong visual sense, but his stylistic decisions aren't enough to carry a whole project and they get wearisome within thirty minutes anyways. I have heard that the source material for this movie is great, so I'm baffled as to where all of the intelligence and potential went. This is an exhausting, brainless, meandering exercise in rigid formula that still feels shapeless. Every character is inexplicable and aggravating, which only magnifies the fact that they occupy a ridiculous and haphazardly executed story. There isn't a trace of logic or entertainment value to be found in this train wreck. I felt a strong, unusual distaste for this one. | January 5, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Up in the Air - R | George Clooney seems to evolve into a more capable, interesting actor with every passing year. In this film, he delivers what may be the strongest performance of his career. Flavored with a lot of humor throughout, this movie's strength is in its more dramatic material. Through the analysis of a protagonist played by Clooney, the picture observes contemporary North American culture with unflinching cynicism without being overly preachy. This film confronts the fact that we are living in a world where technology is beginning to replace human connection, and it avoids any heavy-handed statements in the process. Strong performances and good writing. | January 4, 2010 | N/A | |||
| The Men Who Stare at Goats - R | I admire this movie for several reasons despite its faults. The main reason I admire it is the fact that it's surprising. It's legitimately offbeat in a charming way, and that's what lured me in. However, its weirdness and exceedingly over-the-top humor are only its superficial merits. This film is the vessel of a very troubling, very intelligent social satire. The implications of the material seem to be so elaborate that I feel like I missed a lot on a first viewing. Even dismissing that fact, it is hysterically funny and headlined by a cast of excellent actors. Clooney and McGregor are fantastic leads, but the supporting performances from Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey are the real stand-outs. | January 4, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Gummo - R |
"Life is beautiful. Really, it is. Full of beauty and illusions. Life is great. Without it, you'd be dead."
Hypnotizing, offbeat beauty is interwoven with disturbing imagery in Harmony Korine's directorial debut. In all of its pseudo-dreamlike weirdness Gummo carries the aura of an intensely personal piece. That is what I believe makes it a compelling and maybe even great film. Completely disregarding structure, Korine's series of vignettes imbeds us in a painful and haunting environment throughout the duration of its runtime. Strong use of music and visuals make this an unforgettable experience, and it makes us feel things in a way that movies rarely do. |
January 3, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Julien Donkey-Boy - R | January 3, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Mister Lonely - Unrated | January 3, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Trash Humpers - Unrated | January 3, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Che: Part One (The Argentine) - R | I will write a review when I see part two as well. | January 2, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Donnie Darko - R | Never have I seen a film whose mood is so distinct and powerful. Donnie Darko is a great film because it works beautifully on every level - superb script, jaw-dropping direction and amazing performances. A seamless combination of deep character study and mind-bending thriller. | January 1, 2010 | N/A | |||
| The Prestige - PG-13 | When I first saw this movie, I had a hate-out for Christian Bale and I think that tainted my view of the film. I have long since gotten over my distaste for Bale, and I am so glad I gave this a re-watch. There is so much appeal in this movie's direction and writing, with its gorgeous photography and brilliantly executed story. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are the stand-outs here, with searing tour de force performances, but it's a fantastically cast work and everyone fills their roles very well. The twists are ingenious, but the strong characters are what give it so much impact. | January 1, 2010 | N/A | |||
| The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band) - R | December 30, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Full Frontal - R | December 30, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Adventureland - R | To say this film surprised me is a big understatement. Adventureland had one of the worst trailers in recent years, and I probably wouldn't have even seen it if it hadn't been recommended to me by an intelligent friend. I am very grateful to that friend for encouraging me to give it a chance. This is a really special film. It's a tender, articulate, painfully truthful study of relationships between young people. Featuring convincing, understated performances from the whole cast and one of the best soundtracks of the decade, this is an extremely satisfying watch. It has a lot of entertainment value, but it is also emotionally powerful and at times had me moved like few other releases this year. Although the two are very different, watching it I felt close to how I did the first time I saw Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I am stunned that I'm saying this... Adventureland is one of the best films of 2009. | December 28, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Three Colors: Red (Trois couleurs: Rouge) - R | Kieslowski's trilogy is so strong because it uncovers something truly profound, and that is what makes it so difficult to describe. This concluding installment finds the most devastating, transcendent moments out of all three films, and I'd say it's my personal favorite. Painted with distinct strokes, this film is clearly guided by the hand of an inspired artist. It is totally unpredictable, which is part of what makes it so absorbing. But it doesn't resort to cheap tricks to keep its audience engaged. This is a piece that relies on strong storytelling and performances. A masterpiece. | December 27, 2009 | N/A |
5780 ratings
996 reviews
